Thur 25 Apr 2013 The Guardian Nigeria

TheGuardian Conscience, Nurtured by Truth

Thursday, April 25, 2013

Vol. 29, No. 12,537

10 feared killed, others missing in Benue From Mohammed Abubakar, Joke Falaju (Abuja), Emmanuel Ande (Yola) and Joseph Wantu (Makurdi) BOUT 10 persons have been A killed while several others are alleged to be missing following an attack by suspected Fulani herdsmen in Guma Local Council of Benue State.

• Parents slain, SSS uncovers Libyan arms in Adamawa • Jonathan pledges action against soldiers over Baga killings • President inaugurates security, small arms panels • Anyaoku seeks return to six regions, true federalism The Guardian learnt that assailants ambushed Tiv farmers in Mbasenge community of Mbagwen in the early hours

of yesterday and killed the defenseless people and destroyed their houses and other property.

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Mbaungwa Igboko, a victim of the incident who narrated the ordeal to journalists in Makurdi amid tears, said that

his parents, Igboko Ananya and Kahemban Ananya, and his brother’s wife, Mbalumunga Ananya, were gruesomely murdered during the attack.

“Two other persons, Kwaghsaa Iorbee and Orsaa Akosu, were also killed right before my eyes while many persons CONTINUED ON PAGE 2

1,735, 720 candidates for UTME on Saturday • Nigeria needs 200,000 teachers to meet MDG target From Lillian Chukwu and Joke Falaju, Abuja OT less than 1,735, 720 canN didates will participate in this year’s Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) conducted by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) simultaneously in 378 towns nationwide next Saturday.

Also, to ensure an examination devoid of malpractice, JAMB has adopted two new approaches for the UTME in 70 centres. It will sustain the use of biometric finger-print to check impersonation, lateness and proper identification of candidates.

The fresh modules include the Computer Based Test (CBT) and the Dual Based Test (DBT) to complement the already existing Paper Pencil Test (PPT).

The examination also will hold same time in six foreign centers in Ghana, Cameroun, London, United Kingdom, Saudi Arabia and South Africa for 378 candidates.

Registrar, JAMB, Prof. Dibu Ojerinde, told journalists yesterday in Abuja that a total of 1,735, 720 candidates applied for the 2013 UTME as against last year’s 1,503,931 registraCONTINUED ON PAGE 4

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President Goodluck Jonathan (fifth left); his deputy, Namadi Sambo (middle) and members of the Committee on Dialogue and Peaceful Resolution of Security Challenges in the North during the inauguration of the committee at the Presidential Villa in Abuja... yesterday.

Hope dims on Vision 20:2020 From Azimazi Momoh Jimoh (Abuja) and Gordi Udeajah (Umuahia) IGERIA may not be one of N the 20 most developed economies in the world in 2020, according to the Nation-

• Minister says goal not realistic • Sanusi blames nation’s woes on economy, others al Planning Minister, Dr. Shamsudeen Usman. For him, that target is no more realistic

and would rather make a shift to one of the world’s top 25.

And for the Central Bank Gov-

ernor, Malam Sanusi Lamido, the nation’s problems which include insecurity, youth un-

employment and poor infrastructure are linked to a dysfunctional economy.

Usman told the leadership of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in Abuja during the ongoing review of ministers’ perCONTINUED ON PAGE 2

Militancy is sometimes talked about derogatorily as something inherently bad and not to be encouraged or to be positively discouraged. Far from being inherently bad, I conceive militancy as an adjunct to the notion of civil society and without which civil society cannot effectively perform the role of a counterpoise to government, able to check any dictatorial or other authoritarian tendencies on its part and, if need be, to remove it, thus serving to demarcate the boundary between society and government.

— Ben Nwabueze

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(Details on Page 11)

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THE GUARDIAN, Thursday, April 25, 2013

NEWS

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 formance that the problems in the electricity sector emanated from the neglect it suffered during the over 30 years of military rule before 1999.

The minister said that Nigeria would still have made significant progress even it could not

Vision 20:2020 not realistic, says minister rank among the 20 most developed economies but among the 25.

He said that when government started the Vision

20:2020 in 2009, Nigeria was number 44. “Where were we in 2009? We were number 44. By the end of 2011, we were number 39, by the end of 2012, we were 36.This is progress. We made quite a lot of progress. In other areas we are not. I don’t want any of you to meet me in 2020 and say you are the one telling us that we are going to be among the top 20.

“But what I am saying is that even if we are not among the 20 by that time, we were number 44 in 2009. If by 2020 we are number 25, I will be a very proud man. The reason is because we are consciously moving and doing all the necessary things to move up there.

“It’s not saying we must be there. What I am saying is if we get there then these are the actions we must need to take as a country. We must do this and that in governance, in human development, in infrastructure. That is what the document is saying and we are actually taking those steps and if we are, what progress are we making?”

Blaming the failure of the elec-

tricity sector on the military, Usman said: “During the military, planning was relegated.

More than 30 years we neglected the power sector. That is why we found our power sector in the problems we found it.”

He, however, said that the Federal Government was on its way to transforming the electricity sector, just the way it transformed the telecoms sector.

The minister also lamented the failure of the country to take advantage of the many bilateral agreements it signed with other countries on developmental issues.

He said Nigerians were not getting the full benefit of signing all these agreements. Usman listed the challenges facing the ministry, which include inadequate funding of programmes and projects; low capacity gaps in MDAs due to high turnover of staff, the pooling system and the existing subjective training and performance measures.

Other challenges include:

“Late feedback/communication from MDAs; many MDAs not using official NBS statistics; absence of strategic plans in some MDAs; inadequate Information Technology (IT) hardware for MDAs networking; National Planning and projects continuity Bill dormant in the National Assembly; absence of a legal framework for the performance contracting system, among others.”

Earlier, the National Chairman of PDP, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur said that through planning the party could achieve its manifesto, adding that the idea behind the interaction was for people to know that the PDPled government was doing the right thing.

The National Working Committee (NWC) of PDP expressed dismay at what it called poor publicity for the achievements so far recorded by the President Goodluck Jonathan-led PDP administration.

In a statement yesterday, the PDP National Publicity Secretary, Chief Olisa Metuh , said that the ministries should

strengthen their publicity departments to enlighten Nigerians more on their activities.

As a guest speaker at the maiden Abia State Ochendo Lecture Series at Umuahia yesterday, Sanusi lamented that Nigeria, with abundant cassava, still imports starch, a by-product of cassava, as well as rice and flour.

According to him, the country is very good at importing what it can produce and exporting what it cannot. However, he stressed that the remedy would be the restructuring of the economy hence he lauded Governor Theodore Orji for privatizing the state’s palm and rubber plantations.

In his lecture on “Youth Employment as Panacea to Insecurity in Nigeria”, he noted that insecurity could be caused or fueled by unemployment, ethno-religious conflict, politically-based violence, economic-based violence, corruption, maladministration ethics, faulty culture, and political interference, among oth-

SSS uncovers Libyan arms in Adamawa CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

are missing”, she said.

Mbaungwa, who lamented that these incessant attacks are coming during the farming season, called for the immediate intervention of the State and Federal Governments in the matter, noting that the situation could bring hunger to the state.

The member representing Guma/Makurdi Federal Constituency, Emmanuel Jime, who expressed displeasure over the existing insecurity in the country, noted that a permanent solution to the crisis would soon be found.

But the State Police Public Relations Officer, Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Daniel Ezeala, told The Guardian that the command was yet to receive any information about the incident.

And in Adamawa, the state command of the State Security Service (SSS) has uncovered massive arms and ammunition in Mayo-Belwa Local Council of Adamawa State. He said that the weapons belonged to the Libyan government.

The Adamawa State Director of SSS, Mr. Olugbenga Ajaiyioba, who disclosed this yesterday in Yola during a three-day security awareness workshop organised by the Department of State Services (DSS) in collaboration with the state government for commissioners and local council chairmen, said that the weapons were discovered by his men in a thick forest during their routine operations.

The weapons, he said, included Rapid Propelled Grenade (RPG) and massive ammunition that were imported into the country by those that planned to cause trouble and destabilise government.

“When we discovered these arms and ammunition, we took them to the army because they have specialists in arms and ammunition and they told us that the RPGs and the ammunition belong to the Republic of Libya. You can imagine the damage the arms and ammunition can cause if those arms were put into use by those that imported them,” he stated.

Ajaiyioba, who further dis-

closed that the North-East region was the major corridor of arms influx into the country, pointed out that the majority of the people from the region illegally employed foreigners from the neighbouring countries as their security guards whom he said were security threats to the country.

“Majority of you sitting here employed foreigners from the neighbouring countries like Chad and Niger without the knowledge of the security agents, but when they steal your property, you run to us for help without you bearing in mind that you illegally engaged their services,” he maintained.

The security chief, who blamed poverty, unemployment and underemployment for the crises in the country, warned political office holders against reckless statements that could threaten the unity and peace of the country.

To tackle the crises, he advised political office holders to execute projects that could better the lives of their people, warning politicians that they should remember that the rule of law would haunt them after their tenure in office if they failed to properly use public funds.

“After your tenure, remember that EFCC and ICPC are waiting for you, so know now that whatever you are doing now, it is you that will answer questions tomorrow, not your godfather that put you in that office,” he warned.

Ajaiyioba, who lamented that the Adamawa ruling People’s Democratic Party (PDP) chapter crisis was a security threat to the state, noted that the internal crisis of the party could cause havoc in the state considering the personalities involved in the power tussle.

“Adamawa State is like the country Nigeria with many tribes, so the introduction of religion into politics is a threat to the state”, he warned.

The security operative, who also blamed the media for escalating the crisis by reporting ghost figures of casualties during crises, cautioned journalists against any action that could create more crises in the country.

Besides, President Goodluck

Jonathan yesterday pledged a tough action against soldiers responsible for excessive use of force to contain Boko Haram’s insurgents in Baga, Borno State, last weekend.

Jonathan made the pledge at the formal inauguration of the Presidential Committees on Dialogue and Peaceful Resolution of Security Challenges in the North and Proliferation of Small Arms and Light Weapons at the Council Chambers, Presidential Villa.

The President also reacted to the refusal of Shehu Sani, Executive Director of Civil Rights Congress (CRC) and Dr. Datti Ahmed, SecretaryGeneral of the Supreme Council for Shariah, to serve on the security committee reportedly on the claims that they were not consulted before their names were announced. In their places, however, two women activists were added to the list.

These were Aisha Wakil, whose appointment was formally announced on Tuesday and Hajia Bilkisu Yusuf, a journalist-turned activist, whose name was announced at the Villa.

Alluding to the Baga incident, Jonathan said: “The issue that affected some parts of Borno State that is in the media today (yesterday) is being investigated. I will tell Nigerians and investing community that government will take steps to make sure that if errors are made, that such people are cautioned and treated in line with our own laws and regulations.”

Meanwhile, the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has deployed a team of its officers and stakeholders to provide medical and relief assistance to the affected residents of Baga.

Anyaoku, who was special guest of honour at Island Club’s Diplomats Night on Tuesday, lamented that security challenges like the terrorism in some parts of the North, and the kidnapping of locals and foreign nationals, had become the painful point of contact with and communication about Nigeria and the outside world .

Expressing delight that such unsavoury developments had not managed to stop the

inflow of foreign investments into the country, Anyaoku wondered how much longer the insecurity challenges could remain unsolved before they would hurt efforts of the country to attract foreign investors.

Calling for an end to the penchant Nigerians have to be in denial of the country’s basic problems, Anyaoku said the issue of political stability remained to be dealt with.

He expressed doubts that the existing structure of government in Nigeria could guarantee stability and peace.

He said this could only be achieved if Nigeria practised true federalism, stressing that a situation whereby the 36 states of the federation with the possible exception of Lagos State are economically dependent on the centre would not make for peace and stability.

“I believe, that the present structure fans the religious and the ethnic diversity we have because the competition to grab the power at the centre is destructive.

“I believe that the nation should return to six federating units so that we can recapture the development and stability which we had in the immediate years after the nation’s independence when we had a federation in which the regions were sufficiently viable and sufficiently powerful to develop at their own pace,” he said.

He spoke of how prosperous the regions were, with the North thriving on hides and skins and groundnuts, the West on cocoa, the East on palm produce and the MidWest region on rubber , lamenting that all that had disappeared as Nigeria was now overwhelmingly dependent on oil.

He said the return to six regions would save Nigeria the trouble of trying to invest so much resources in administration .

“At the moment, the country spends over 70 per cent of its resources on administration because there are 36 states of assemblies , 36 judiciaries, 36 civil services and so on and all these are expensive and no country has developed which has spent 70 per cent of its revenue on recurrent expenditure”, he said.

THE GUARDIAN, Thursday, April 25, 2013

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News NAFDAC closes case in My Pikin trial

By Joseph Onyekwere HE National Agency for Food Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) yesterday closed its case at the Federal High Court, Lagos with the last prosecution witness, Musa Ibrahim, who said he was an expert in laboratory instrumentation, reiterating that the teething syrup, My Pikin, was manufactured with deadly contaminants.

Ibrahim said he conducted a test on a sample of the syrup, with batch number 02008, which confirmed it was contaminated.

NAFDAC had charged Barewa Pharmaceutical Company Limited, its Chief Executive Officer, Gbadegeshin Okunlola and two of its employees – Adeyemo Abiodun and Egbele Eromosele before Justice Okechukwu Okeke on a six-count charge bordering on manufacturing a deadly teething mixture known as My Pikin.

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How we paid bribes for federal jobs, by applicants Suspected racketeers on the run

Chairman of the joint committee, Senator Dahiru Kuta that a file was opened for him at the ministry and that was all he knew. The young man also claimed ignorance of all the errors in the said letter of employment.

Ayo, however, faulted the process, stressing that it contravenes laid-down civil service procedure of employment. “If the employment was genuine, he would have gone to the Office of the Head of Service; that is where posting is issued.

Nobody gets a letter and goes straight to the ministry. As a pool officer, that is not done,” he explained.

She added that investigation at the Commission proved that the employment letters of Tijani and Odey shared similar numbers. “It means that somebody’s employment letter has been photocopied and it was being used over and over again.”

Fayemi weeps as Olayinka’s body arrives in Ekiti From Muyiwa Adeyemi (Head South West Bureau, Ado Ekiti) KITI State Governor, Kayode Fayemi fought hard tears yesterday as he officially received the remains of his late deputy, Mrs. Funmilayo Adunni Olayinka at the Governor’s Office in Ado Ekiti at exactly 5.32 p.m.

Olayinka died in a Lagos hospital on April 6, this year after a protracted battle with cancer.

Her body left Lagos yesterday after a commendation service at the Anglican Church of Ascension, Opebi, in a chartered air flight and landed in Akure Airport at 3.27 p.m., accompanied by the wife of the governor, Mrs. Bisi Fayemi, her husband, Mr. Lanre Olayinka and her children.

The Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Alhaji Ganiyu Owolabi and the Chief Judge of the state, Justice Ayo Daramola led other government functionaries to receive the body at the airport.

With tears dropping his cheeks, Fayemi said: “We thank God for the arrival of our princess who sacrificed herself for the service of the people. On behalf of the good people of Ekiti State, we cannot thank her enough. She lived a short and eventful life.

We thank God for given her to us; we also thank God for taking her to the world where there would be no more worries.”

According to Fayemi, “Olayinka fought a good battle, our peoples’ deputy governor, our peoples princess, we thank you. We pray God to grant your husband, your children, the entire Famuwagun family and your larger political family the fortitude to bear the irreparable loss.”

As at 2 p.m., commercial and business activities were grounded to a halt in Ado Ekiti yesterday as thousands of residents of the state lined the major streets to welcome the body the of the late deputy governor.

The funeral procession was led by a Lagos based funeral undertaker’s MIC whose wine coloured Mercedes Benz conveyed the body that lied in a steel casket draped in a national colour.

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Sierra Leone tasks Nigerians on religious tolerance

By Bridget Chiedu Onochie, Abuja ACTS have continued to emerge as the Senate’s inquiry into the alleged jobs racketeering in the civil service continued yesterday.

Mrs. Rose Nkarishor Odey and Idachaba Tijani had admitted before the Senate Committee on Federal Character and InterGovernmental Affairs at the commencement of a three-day public hearing on the job-forsale racket on Tuesday to have paid N250,000 each to secure appointments in federal ministries, aided by officials of the said ministries.

The matter, however assumed a different dimension as the Chairman, Federal Civil Service Commission (FCSC), Deaconess Joan Ayo, told the joint Senate Committee on Federal Character and Inter-Governmental Affairs and Employment, Labour and Productivity yesterday that the two employ-

By Seye Olumide HE Sierra Leone High Commissioner to Nigeria, Ambassador Henry Olufunmi Macaulay yesterday called on Nigerians to embrace religious tolerance.

He stressed the need to use security intelligence in addressing the prevalent insecurity in the country, saying “security intelligence remains one of the best means across the globe to fight insecurity.”

Speaking at a press conference to mark the 52nd Independence Anniversary of the Republic of Sierra Leone, which commences tomorrow, Macaulay said the long-term relationship between the two countries has always made Sierra Leone to feel concerned about the state of security in Nigeria.

“There is no doubt that Nigeria played a wonderful role in ensuring that peace returned to our country during the civil war and it behooves on us to replicate such concern to whatever situation happening in Nigeria.

Our government has always conveyed our heart felt condolence through writings and other possible means to the Nigerian government on the state of security.”

Group Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Zenith Bank Plc, Godwin Emefiele; flanked by Chairman, Sir Steve Omojafor and Executive Director, Adaora Umeoji at the bank’s 22nd Annual General Meeting (AGM) held at the Civic Centre, Ozumba Mbadiwe Road, Victoria Island, Lagos… yesterday.

‘Okupe can’t stop ACP earthquake’

PENGASSAN, NUPENG threaten strike over crude oil theft

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ment letters are mere photocopies.

Ayo also informed the joint committee that the said Ahmed Dantanko who allegedly signed the employment letter issued Odey and Tijani was dead. In addition to being dead, Dantanko reportedly left the services of the commission in 2008 and did not attain the rank of director. It was also revealed that the two known job-for-sale racketeers, Juliet Egobunor and Simon Odujebe, fingered by Odey and Tijani, as the masterminds, are on the run.

While Juliet was said to have absconded from duty at the Ministry of Lands and Housing where she works, Odujebe has “jumped bail,” the FCSC boss said.

“There’s no record of the employment of Odey and Tijani anywhere in the FCSC. This has

nothing to do with us. If we have apprehended Simon and Juliet, we would have gotten to the end of this case. They are on the run. We have told their ministries that they must produce them. If they can’t, they must produce their next-of-kin because that record must be in their files,” Ayo said.

Testifying before the joint committee yesterday, Ayo, who had earlier been mandated to unravel the authenticity of the employment letters held by Odey and Tijani, informed the lawmakers that “the commission would have brought the Dantanko before the committee but, unfortunately, he died in an accident last year. He was a civil servant and not a Director. He signed for the then chairman.

He was posted out of the commission as a pool officer”.

Tijani on demand, told the

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By Adamu Abuh, Abuja OR the opposition All Nigerian People’s Party (ANPP), there is no amount of propaganda and grandstanding that can launder the alleged underperforming ruling People’s Democratic Party (PDP).

In a statement by the National Publicity Secretary, Mr. Emma Eneukwu, ANPP said the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Publicity, Dr. Doyin Okupe, cannot stop what it described as an earthquake that would consume the PDP-led administration in the upcoming polls.

The ANPP was reacting to a media report whereby Okupe, at a press conference in Lagos last week Sunday, was quoted to have referred to members of the APC as a ‘‘moribund and lacklustre’’ band of power seekers.

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By Kelvin Ebiri, Port Harcourt ORKERS’ unions have threatened to shut down crude oil production if the government fails to take decisive steps to stop the over 250,000 barrels per day being stolen in the Niger Delta.

The unions, Petroleum and Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) and Nigerian Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG), lamented the level of stealing of crude oil which the government estimates to be about 10 per cent of the country’s total production of about 2.5 million barrels per day. According to the workers, the stealing remains a serious threat to national security because the people who are making such large amount of money from the illicit business

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can destabilise the country.

PENGASSAN industrial relations officer, Chika Onuegbu, gave the hint of the impending industrial action in a paper which he delivered at a forum organised by Space for Change on the Petroleum Industry Bill in Port Harcourt yesterday.

Onuegbu explained that workers are worried that if crude oil theft is not expeditiously contained, it will obviously lead to divestment by the oil and gas companies and the attendant socio-economic crises and significant job loss. He cautioned that the situation in Warri which has witnessed the relocation of major oil companies to other parts of the country should be a sad reminder of the shape of things to come if the menace of oil theft is not seriously addressed.

“I want to clearly inform you

that if nothing concrete is done to stop oil theft, the oil workers unions (PENGASSAN and NUPENG) may be forced to suspend production of crude oil and supply of petroleum products until appropriate action is taken. The impact of this ultimately on overall revenue from oil accruing to the Federation Account should be negative and severe as was alluded to by the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) recently.

“Our country is bleeding and needs help! Various solutions have been proposed and one of such is the involvement of Petroleum Host Communities as being proposed in the 2012 Petroleum Industry Bill,” he said.

Onuegbu noted that although the Section 8 of the Miscellaneous Offences Act provides for life imprisonment for anyone

stealing crude oil or petroleum products or vandalising the pipelines, hardly has anyone been caught or prosecuted. He reckoned that “it is obvious the oil thieves have powerful allies in government. And worst still, the security agencies seem to be complicit as far as this menace of crude oil theft is concerned.”

“It is believed that rather than continue churning out products that would end up being stolen by some cartel, it is better to stop production completely, to stop oil from flowing through the pipelines, making products unavailable for theft.

Though this is very logical but it has serious implications for the health of the oil industry and indeed the nation’s economy,” he said.

To curb the menace of crude oil theft, he suggested that the

Federal Government must set clearly defined targets for the Joint Task Force for the purpose of ending oil theft. He insisted that the JTF unit commanders whose units cannot meet those target should be investigated and disciplined as the reduction and stoppage of oil theft must be taken as a war.

The PENGASSAN official said further that politicisation of the “petroleum host community” in the PIB should be stopped immediately, urging the National Assembly to use the opportunity of the PIB to order the genetic fingerprinting of Nigeria’s petroleum assets so as to stop the big oil thieves. This, according to him, will enable the identification of stolen crude oil from Nigeria in the international market.

THE GUARDIAN, Thursday, April 25, 2013

4 NEWS

Benue House bars journalists, public from commissioners’ screening

Youth stranded in Akure as govt cancels parley From Niyi Bello, Akure UNDREDS of youths drawn H from across the country as delegates to the annual congress of the National Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN) are stranded in Akure, the Ondo State capital, as the state government halted the four-day parley for which they came.

The state was said to have acted in accordance with a Federal Government directive, which allegedly cited security reasons for the cancellation.

However, the dispersed youths, many of whom arrived in Akure the previous day and only learnt of the cancellation at the venue of the congress, which had then been taken over by policemen, protested the development.

Blaming the Federal Ministry of Youths Development for ordering the cancellation, the NYCN called for the immediate removal of the Minister, Inua AbdulKadir, from office, accusing him of insensitivity to their plight, incompetence, and alleged politicization of NYCN.

Plateau board sues revenue defaulters From Isa Abdulsalami-Ahovi, Jos

From Joseph Wantu, Makurdi T was the first disappointItimes ment of its kind in recent as the Benue State House

Vice President Namadi Sambo (right); Senate President David Mark and Special Adviser to the President on National Assembly Matters, Joy Emordi, during a national conference on Executive-Legislature relations in Abuja... yesterday.

FG needs N921.4b to complete 195 roads From Mohammed Abubakar, Abuja

HE Federal Ministry of HE Plateau State Board of InT Works (FMW) yesterday T ternal Revenue (BIR) yesterday continued its revenue claimed that N921.4 billion drive in a Jos Federal High Court, having sued some institutions over N244 million tax evasion.

The board accused the National Veterinary Research Institute, Vom, of evading N147 million, while the University of Jos Demonstration School and Centre for Continuing Education owed N27 million and N70 million respectively.

When the case came up before Justice Ayo Emmanuel at the Federal High Court II, the board’s counsel, Mr. Philemon Dafi, said the three institutions and Nigerian College of Forestry deliberately refused to remit all collected monies in their possession to the board.

“My Lord, these unremitted monies are the Pay As You Earn (PAYE) already deducted from salaries of their employees for some years now but which were deliberately not forwarded to the board,” he said. “We have no option but to seek redress from this honourable court. Several meetings and persuasions could not yield any positive result.”

Omisore joins Osun governorship race FORMER senator representing Osun East Senatorial District, Iyiola Omisore, has formally joined the Osun State gubernatorial race.

According to a statement by his media adviser, Kolawole Oriola Victor, Omisore was at the party secretariat in Osogbo on Monday to inform the PDP executive that he would contest in the governorship election slated for 2014.

The former chairman of Senate Committee on Appropriation said he was on a rescue mission to free the state from the maladministration foisted on it in the last two and half years by the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), led by Governor Rauf Aregbesola.

Bemoaning the fate that has befallen the state in recent time, where civil servants have been on strike for quite sometime without the government showing any concern, Omisore maintained that his government, if he wins his party primary and voted in, would right the wrongs and correct all the anomalies associated with the Aregbesola administration.

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was required to put all the nation’s highways in complete motorable shape. The ministry said out of the 200,000 kilometres of road networks in Nigeria, only about 65,000 kilometres were paved with bitumen.

Speaking with State House Correspondents, having briefed the weekly Federal Executive Council (FEC) as part of the ongoing performance reviews of Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) in Abuja yesterday, Works Minister, Mike Onolememen and his deputy, Bashir Yuguda, said out of the 65,000 kilometres of roads paved with bitumen, only 35,000 kilometres of such roads are owned by the Federal Government, representing 54 per cent of bituminous roads in Nigeria.

The ministers’ briefing was moderated by the Information Minister, Labaran Maku, who disclosed that the Council expressed deep satisfaction with the level of zeal, dynamism and creativity that have been brought to bear on the operation of the ministry by its current political leadership.

Maku, however, told journalists that the Council, in the course of deliberation yesterday, had earlier on turned down a ministerial report

• N’Delta group protests against oil contract award brought by the Health Minister, Prof. Onyebuchi Chukwu, on how to resolve the leadership crises of confidence rocking the various labour unions within the sector. Instead, he said the Council directed that an independent high-powered technical committee was to be raised to do a better job of harmonising all the contending issues rocking the various stakeholders in the health sector.

According to Onolememen, as at the turn of the century, starting from 2001, the ministry has grossed up a project portfolio of road projects in the six geo-political zones of the country to the tune of about N1.397 trillion.

He said the break down of that figures shows in the North-Central Zone, the ministry had about 31 ongoing projects covering a total length of about 1,054 kilometres at a total cost of N262. 3 billion; in the North-East (30 projects, 1,464 km at N232.9 billion; North-West (23 projects, 1,028 km at N255.5 billion); South-East (40 projects, 978 km at N149. 6 billion; South-South (34 projects, 876 km; N 159.4 billion and SouthWest (37 projects, 1,230 km at a N236.5 billion).

Meanwhile, a Niger Delta group, the Ijaw Concerned Citizens (ICC), has opposed the award of the Egina Floating Production, Storage and

Offloading (FPSO) project in Bayelsa State to Samsung.

In a statement, it said the job should have been given to Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI) Company, as Samsung has allegedly “never done any FPSO project in Nigeria.”

Urging President Goodluck Jonathan to “rectify this anomaly,” ICC said HHI was recommended to the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) as the technically-qualified lowest bidder and as the “only justifiable bidder” in April last year at the conclusion of a commercial evaluation process.

“The recommendation of NAPIMS is the culmination of an international due process bid which spanned over a period of two years involving the project owners, bidders and all relevant government regulatory agencies,” the group said.

It said NNPC, despite HHI’s qualification, recommended Samsung for the award of the contract at a negotiated price of $3,143,499,498.

“In a deliberate and calculated bid to discredit NAPIMS’ recommendation, the Group Executive Committee of NNPC was misinformed that Total Upstream Nigeria (TUPNI) added $238 million to Samsung’s tender and that no amount was added to HHI’s tender,” the group said.

According to ICC, the amount

represented taxes, VAT and other contributions which HHI incorporated in its bid, but which Samsung allegedly did not include in its offer.

The group said NNPC was also misinformed that in the “risk with bidders” assessment, $252,000,000 was added to Samsung’s tender, which is higher than the $336,000,000 that was added to HHI’s.

ICC said the additions were made pursuant to post-bid clarification meetings with Samsung and HHI. It added that the amount “unilaterally” arrived at with Samsung, which is $3,143,499.498, was still higher than HHI’s bid, which is $3,140,199,986.

Besides, ICC said HHI is investing about $300 million to build a fabrication yard in Bayelsa, which would create more than 50,000 jobs.

It said HHI has successfully performed many oil and gas projects, including two huge FPSO projects in Akpo and Usan.

“We of the ICC also affirm that HHI has already opened a welding school in Yenagoa, with several indigenes as candidates.

“Strangely, Samsung has absolutely no institutions to help Bayelsans and no presence in Bayelsa State,” ICC added.

Nigeria needs 200,000 teachers to meet MDG target CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 tions representing an increase of 13.35 per cent.

He said that the PPT and the DBT would be conducted on Saturday, April 27 while the CBT would commence on May 18, 2013.

Ojerinde noted that the CBT questions can be sorted by ticking correct answers on the computer screen and the DBT entails when an impression is given on the computer and the answer is shaded manually by candidates on provided papers.

In his words: “A CBT is a means to an end, not an end in itself. This will yield demonstrable added value and the aim is always to achieve the best possible mix of added value (in terms of

content and educational importance as an organization).

“Given the complex nature of our system and environment, it is high time we embraced a full-proof system that can guarantee the redemption of education’s lost glories,” he added.

Meanwhile, a recent report by the United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) has said that for Nigeria to meet the Universal Basic Education For All goal by 2015, it would have to recruit 200,000 qualified teachers.

A breakdown of the figure showed that Nigeria needs to engage at least 39,239 qualified teachers yearly for Universal Basic Education (UBE) up to year 2020 to meet the set target.

Speaking on the issue at a press briefing to commemorate this year’s Global action week, the Acting Policy Advisor, Civil Society Action Coalition on Education For All (CSACEFA), Chioma Osuji, noted that due to the growing numbers of students, countries need to scale up the size of their teaching workforces in primary schools.

She said: “According to latest projections by UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS), at least 1.7million new teaching positions must be created to accommodate the growing demand for primary education. In addition countries will have to recruit another 5.1million teachers to make up for attrition, so a total of 6.8million teachers should be recruited by 2015 in order to

provide the right to education to all primary school-age children.”

The report further pointed out that there is severe shortages of qualified primary school teachers in Sub-Saharan Africa, and will need to create almost 1million new primary teaching positions, adding that some countries in the region will need to recruit more than 10 percent of their current teaching workforces in order to provide Universal Basic Education.

Osuji submitted that shortages of teachers’ especially at the rural areas remain major obstacles towards the achievement of the Millennium Development Goal 2, which is to Achieve Universal Primary Education by 2015 and the Education for all goal.

of Assembly yesterday barred members of the public, including journalists (not in House crew), from witnessing the screening session of commissioner-nominees.

At the entrance to the Assembly, fierce-looking policemen subjected media men and members of the public to thorough screening, while many unfortunate ones were turned away.

However, those who gained admission through the first gate were disappointed to learn that the Speaker had left a standing instruction that nobody should be allowed into the chambers, and all the doors into the chamber were locked.

Some members of the public, who were barred, said Speaker’s action depicted that certain things were fishy in the Assembly, questioning why only five new commissioners were scheduled to be screened out of 12.

Large turnout at Edo supplementary election From Alemma-Ozioruva Aliu, Benin City T was a mixed bag at the Ielection rescheduled local council in Esan West and Esan North East yesterday as both locals experienced voter apathy in some areas and high turnout in other places.

In Esan West, with headquarters in Ekpoma, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) members boycotted the election and stayed away, but eligible voters did cast their votes, while in Esan North East, with headquarters in Uromi, there was a large turnout of voters.

Esan North East is the home of the Chairman, PDP Board of Trustees, Tony Anenih, and the Minister of Works, Mike Onolememen. The PDP also paraded a candidate, John Yakubu, who is popular among his people and was also among the few council chairmen that did not defect to the ACN shortly after Adams Oshiomhole became governor of the state.

Okiro to deliver lecture on security in UK LECTURE with the theme, A “Re-thinking Global Security: An African Perspective,” will be delivered at Govan Mbeki Conference Centre, Calendonian University, Glasgow, Scotland, United Kingdom (UK) tomorrow by a former Nigerian Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Mike Mbama Okiro.

The lecture is part of a yearly Scottish African International Business Conference and Exhibition, which holds for two days (Thursday, April 25 and Friday, April 26).

Mr. Stephen House, Chief Constable of Police, Scotland, will speak on “A European Perspective.”

According to a statement, some of the areas Okiro will emphasise include “global security versus globalisation; need for a new concept of national security; crime prevention and control as a concept; basic principles of the United Nations (UN) option of crime prevention and control, as well as determinants of effective policing and ideal policing model for Africa, among others.”

THE GUARDIAN, Thursday, April 25, 2013

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Saraki reconciles Amaechi, Akpabio

From Azimazi Momoh Jimoh, Abuja HE crisis rocking the People’s Democratic Party Governors Forum is getting close to being resolved.

A truce brokered by former Kwara State governor and former chairman of Nigeria Governors’ Forum, (NGF) Dr. Bukola Saraki, is yielding fruits, according to sources in PDP. It was gathered that at a private meeting convened

by Saraki for incumbent NGF chairman and River State Governor, Rotimi Amaechi and PDP Governors’ Forum chairman and Akwa-Ibom State Governor, Godswill Akpabio, it was resolved that the principle of mutual respect and harmonious relationship be allowed to exist.

Akpabio was said to have informed Amaechi that his leadership of the PDP Governors’ forum was not intended to undermine the NGF. Saraki pleaded with the governors that whatever happened should be managed in a manner that would boost the continuity of the NGF. Relationship between Amaechi and Akpabio became cold when the latter was elected chairman of PDP Governors’ Forum two months ago.

At the peak of the crisis, Akpabio had berated Amaechi over what he alleged was Amaechi’s attempt to impose himself as chairman of Nigeria Governors’ Forum for second term.

Akpabio said the move by Amaechi is contrary to the constitution that guides the

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forum, saying that members objected to the attempt by Amaechi to seek re-election as chairman of NGF. According to Akpabio, the forum agreed that the chairmanship of NGF would only be for one tenure.

Akpabio disclosed that in a bid to seek for re-election, the pro-Amaechi group amended the constitution of the forum to suit the pur-

pose, which other members of the forum objected because the move is not in tandem with the constitution that set up the forum.

He said the governors’ agreement at the onset of the NGF was that the chairman would serve for only one term so that there won’t be acrimony amongst the governors “The southern part will do two years and the northern

part will do two years for equity,” Akpabio said.

Reacting to the allegation made by Akpabio on Amaechi’s self-imposition as chairman of NGF, Rivers State Commissioner for Information, Mrs. Ibim Semenitari debunked the allegations, saying that the comment made by Akpabio is geared towards discrediting Amaechi.

She disclosed that the crisis rocking the NGF has nothing to do with Amaechi seeking re-election as chairman of the forum. She said as a responsible governor whose leadership style has carved a niche for him; Amaechi would not meddle into matters that will cause acrimony as alleged by Akpabio.

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From Abosede Musari, Abuja USTICE Okechukwu Okeke of the Federal High Court sitting in Lagos yesterday adjourned indefinitely case involving Lagos Speaker, Adeyemi Ikuforiji and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

In a short ruling, Justice Okeke adjourned the case sine die because he is to retire in May. He said that he was transferring the case file to the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court for reassignment to another judge.

EFCC’s spokesman, Wilson Uwujaren, however, informed that the trial judge had previously refused the request of the Commission to transfer the case to the Chief Judge for re-assignment to another judge in view of the imminent retirement from the bench.

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Jigawa awards Dutse Airport access road contract for N2.1b From John Akubo, Dutse HE Jigawa State Government has awarded second phase 1B contract worth N1billion for the construction of access roads into Dutse Airport to Dantata and Sawoe which is to be completed before the end of the year.

The Commissioner of Information, Youths, Sports and Culture, Babandi Ibrahim Gumel, who made the disclosure while briefing journalists shortly after the state Executive Council meeting held at government house Dutse yesterday, said the effort is to complete the airport before September, 2013 to enable this year’s Hajj operation take place from same airport without further delay.

He said another contract of N1.1billion for the construct of security fence, navigation aid, fire service, control tower and power centre at the airport was also awarded to CGC Nigeria Limited.

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Minister of State for Foreign Affairs 1, Prof. Viola Onwuliri (left); Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Ama Pepple, Minister of Environment, Hajiya Hadiza Mailafya and Minister of Interior, Abba Moro at the Federal Executive Council meeting in Abuja… yesterday.

Jonathan, ex-S’African leader, Na’Abba urge legislative, executive co-operation From Adamu Abuh, Azimazi Jimoh, Bridget Onochie, Terhemba Daka, Abuja N unanimity with other speakers, President Goodluck Jonathan yesterday expressed his desire to ensure a harmonious relationship between the three tiers of government in the interest of the citizenry.

And former South African deputy president, Ms Baleka Mbete stressed the need to empower the legislative arm of government, noting it is the recipe for the sustenance of democracy in the country.

Mbete, who presented a paper entitled: “Parliamentary majority, the party and the executive: A tripartite for mandate delivery,” insists that the principle of separation of power as propagated by the French political thinker, Montesquieu must be made operational for democracy and rule of law to thrive.

Former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Alhaji Ghali Umar Na’Abba, who spoke in the same vein, urged members of the national assembly not to condescend to the level of going to the ministries and agencies while exercising their oversight functions.

The trio were among personalities that spoke during the National Conference on Executive –Legislature Relationship held at the International Conference Centre in Abuja.

Represented by Vice President Namadi Sambo, the President said as a believer in consensus building, there was the need for concerted effort in the task of actualising the socio- political, economic development of the country.

Court adjourns indefinitely EFCC case against Ikuforiji

Urging Nigerians irrespective of political affiliations to eschew bitterness in the task of nation building, he pledged to uphold the tenets of democracy.

He noted: “We must all must agree that no perfect form of government exists on earth, however, there is still no better alternative to democracy.

The fact that the people and freely allowed to elect their choices through the ballot gives democracy a clear advantage over the other forms of government.

“As elected representatives of the people in Nigeria, we hold power in trust for them and we must exercise this power responsibly and to their benefit. Power belongs to the people, not those who the people elect. Therefore, no matter

the form or level the power entrusted to us we have a duty to put the people first in all that we do.

“They need for one another in order to function optimally. It is not about subjugating or subordinating one arm to the other. Rather, it is about being partners in progress.

“Here in Nigeria, executive/ legislature relationship has made appreciable progress.

Our two arms are partners in nation building. As a work-inprogress democracy we have achieved relative success in this relationship. We have had our challenges, but the level of understanding, maturity and cooperation has certainly been on the line. I know that relationships thrive when complementary not when competitive and we

just have to improve on it.

“On my part, to facilitate their focus and enhance their true representation of the wishes and aspiration of the Nigerian people, I have maintained a policy of non-interference in the affairs of the National Assembly. Today we have a stable National Assembly and cordial atmosphere suitable for the conduct of parliamentary business.

“Let me use this opportunity to correct the impression that any disagreement between the executive and the legislature on any issue amounts to a fight. In fact, such differences are to be expected and represent the true workings of democracy in seeking the best solutions to national development.

Mbete, who was also a for-

mer speaker and chairperson of the African National Congress (ANC) of her home country canvassed the need to boost the capacity of the legislative arm to enable it discharge its responsibilities to the citizenry.

She said for a balance of power to be achieved between the executive and legislative arms, there was the need for appropriate constitutional, legislative and technical/administrative measures to be put in place.

Reminiscing her experience as a legislator, she said there was the need for the legislature to be sufficiently independent in terms of political leadership with the competence to measure up to the rigours of the proposals of the executive arm.

Stakeholders oppose planned review of aviation law

By Wole Shadare TAKEHOLDERS in the aviation industry have advised the Minister of Aviation, Stella Oduah-Ogiemwonyi not to tamper with the existing 2006 Civil Aviation Act. They added that repealing it would be an aberration.

Tampering with the existing 2006 Act, they noted, could affect Nigeria’s highest aviation status, the United State category one, which the nation laboured to achieve in 2010.

The United States carried out the IASA process on the Nigerian Aviation Industry in the year 2010 as a result of which Nigeria was awarded Category 1 (CAT 1). Category 1 means compliance with

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ICAO Standards. That is country’s Civil Aviation Authority had been audited

by FAA inspectors and has been found to license and oversee Air Carriers in accordance with ICAO Aviation Safety Standards.

It was for these and other reasons that Nigeria was mandated by ICAO to supervise the auditing of five African countries.

While time and developments have thrown up new issues demanding attention, particularly in the areas of Economic Regulation and Consumer Protection, the present Civil Aviation Act, they noted, is still very much modern and in no way defective.

The minister had in January

this year set up a Ministerial Committee on Review of National Aviation Laws and to amend the existing 2006 Civil Aviation Act. The Managing Director of Sky Express Airways, Captain Mohammed Joji in a letter to the Secretary to the Ministerial Committee, Olayinka Sammy – Sotomi noted that the existing Act was evaluated by both the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), the United States Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and other such world bodies which he said was confirmed to be in tandem with global standards and best practices.

Also of great concern to Joji is that Section 19 of the proposed Act states that only 20

per cent out of the 100 percent of the Bilateral Air Services Agreement (BASA) funds goes to the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority, wondering what happens to the balance of 80 per cent of the fund.

Speaking in the same vein, Aviation analyst, Mohammed Tukur echoed the views of Joji, saying there was nothing wrong with the existing aviation law.

On economic regulations, Tukur noted that one shocking finding in the proposed civil aviation Act of 2013 was the complete absence of provisions on economic regulation and Passenger Bill of Rights, which he said were deliberately left out in order to take it out of NCAA.

Imo Assembly passes autonomous community bill From Charles Ogugbuaja, Owerri MO State House of Assembly on Tuesday in Owerri passed a bill on amended law on Imo State Autonomous Community Administration Law 2012.

The bill, which was sponsored by the Majority Leader of the House, Mrs. Adaku Ihuoma, was passed after painstaking deliberations by the 27 members of the Assembly presided by the Speaker, Chief Benjamin Uwajimogu.

The bill when assented to become law provides that the governor of Imo State is empowered to appoint members of the caretaker committee to manage the affairs of each of the autonomous communities in the 27 local councils of the state, numbering about 600, known as Autonomous Community Governing Council. The law provides that the Assembly would confirm the governor’s appointment in this regard.

The committee members, according to the law, will manage the affairs of the communities in accordance with the provisions of the Autonomous Community Law.

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THE GUARDIAN, Thursday, April 25, 2013

6 | NEWS

NMA, others chide allied health workers over strike threat From Emeka Anuforo (Abuja) and Wole Oyebade (Lagos) ITING mischief, Lagos State chapter of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) yesterday faulted paramedics/allied health professionals at the University College Hospital (UCH) over plans to down tools to protest doctors’ appointment as leaders of the sector.

Meanwhile, President of the Association of Pathologists of Nigeria, an affiliate body of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), Dr. Kenneth Iregbu, has deplored the age-long rivalry between medical doctors and medical professionals.

NMA said the workers’ agitation for the removal of appointed doctors and

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impending strike were against public interest and international best practices.

The paramedics/allied health professionals had threatened to embark on industrial action following the appointment of a laboratory physician (pathologist) as the Deputy Chairman Medical Advisory Committee (DCMAC) of the Laboratory Services in UCH, Ibadan.

NMA Chairman, Dr. Francis Faduyile, who spoke in Lagos at an event to herald the 53rd Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the NMA, tagged: “Eko 2013”, said Nigerian doctors stood by the decision of the UCH chief medical director (CMD) to appoint doctors as heads and called on the Federal Government “not to be cowed by the health workers’ threat, as this appointment was in tandem

with international standards.”

Faduyile said it was important to note that pathologists are medical doctors who had gone for five or six years’ postgraduate specialist training in laboratory medicine conferring them specialist laboratory physicians and they have assistants like scientists, technologists and technicians, among others.

Speaking with journalists in Abuja yesterday, Iregbu stressed that the nation’s healthcare system was being seriously sacrificed to appease people, whom he alleged, were on an ego trip and chasing shadow in a bid to satisfy inordinate ambitions.

Iregbu, who is also chairman of NMA Committee on Interprofessional relationship,

wondered how a father (the Ministry of Health) would sit back and allow its ‘children’ fight and not make sincere efforts to settle their grievances.

He added: “Though the blame for the rivalry cuts across, government should take all the blame. Government is taking everything from a political perspective. It has been doing nothing. The Federal Ministry of Health has done nothing tangible about the contentious issues. Government has failed to put its feet down in finding solutions.

He took time to take on those who are calling for doctors to stop heading hospitals, describing them as ignorant.

He said: “There is an orchestrated gang-up to sabotage anything the doctor does or is involved in irrespective of the

consequences of such sabotage. This is most unfortunate as this is the only known country in the world where the allied health professionals challenge, oppose and sabotage the doctors’ leadership position in the patient care.

“In the last couple of weeks to months, the media have been awash with all sorts of claims by the Association of Medical Laboratory Scientists of Nigeria (AMLSN) either directly or through their various amalgamated unions, the National Union of Pharmacists, Technologists and Professionals Allied to Medicine (NUPTAM) and the Joint Health Sector Union (JOHESU) deliberately misinforming Nigerians and issuing threats of industrial actions over issues that are clear as daylight.”

U.S. mission tasks govt on poverty, others

By Tunde Akinola HE United States (U.S.) T Diplomatic Mission in Nigeria has called on the Federal Government to address economic and political exclusion of vulnerable communities in the northern parts of the country.

The Mission said extremist violence required a comprehensive security strategy that is not only predicated on a forcebased approach as the country tackles its security challenges.

The call was made in Lagos at an event organised by Campaign for Democracy (CD), in collaboration with Civil Society Organisations in Nigeria, to honour the recipient of the U.S. Department of State Woman of Courage award, Dr. Joe Okei-Odumakin, titled: “Essence of Values: What Values Do We Hold?”

Addressing an audience of eminent political leaders, activists and stakeholders, the U.S. Consul General, Jeffery Hawkins, reaffirmed U.S. alliance with Nigeria in the fight against terrorism, even as Americans themselves were attacked at home.

ASUU factions bicker over suit From Chuks Collins, Awka RECENT legal suit against the administration of the Vice Chancellor (VC) of the Nnamdi Azikiwe University (UNIZIK) by a faction of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) led by Prof. Ike Odimegwu without due consultation with its members may have balkanised the union.

While the ASUU leadership, under Odimegwu told journalists yesterday that they made wide consultations as allowed by the constitution of ASUU, another faction “The UNIZIK ASUU Progressives” said that Prof. Odimegwu acted against his briefs and mandate by going to court on a serious issue as that without first calling a congress of the ASUU to seek approval.

But Odimegwu added that an emergency executive committee meeting was held and contacted the national headquarters of the body and got its approval before embarking on the suit.

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Technical Adviser on Climate Change, African Union Commission, Dr. Victor Fodeke (left); wife of Ogun State governor, Mrs. Olufunso Amosun and former Lagos State Commissioner for Environment, Muiz Banire, during the Uplifting the Environment - Ogun State Goes International Conference and Workshop organized by Mrs. Amosun in Abeokuta…yesterday

WHO, Global Fund, foundation urge more support against malaria From Chukwuma Muanya, Anthony Chidubem Nwachukwu (Lagos) and Emeka Anuforo (Abuja) S part of efforts to mark this year’s World Malaria Day today, the World Health Organisation (WHO), the Global Fund and the Better Society Foundation (TBSF) have urged greater global devotion to end the scourge.

Moreover, the WHO alerted on growing threat of emerging resistant strains of the malaria parasite, Plasmodium falciparum, and the vector, female anopheles mosquito, which make treatment and control difficult.

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WHO will today launch an emergency response to artemisinin resistance in the Greater Mekong sub-region at an event hosted in Phnom Penh by the Cambodian Minister of Health.

Also, the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria yesterday warned that a resurgence of malaria might occur unless increased funding is provided to expand efforts to control the disease.

Experts warned that a decline in anti-malarial efforts could quickly allow a return to pre-2000 levels of mortality, when 1.2 million people

died from malaria.

In the same vein, the Better Society Foundation (TBSF) has called on governments, particularly of disease-prevalent countries, to show more financial commitment to global efforts at controlling malaria in order to bring it to an end.

According to the WHO, the framework identifies four priority areas where action is needed in the coming years to contain artemisinin resistance and move towards elimination of malaria: reach all at-risk groups with full coverage of quality interventions in priority areas; achieve

tighter coordination and management of field operations; better information for artemisinin resistance containment; and strengthen regional oversight and support.

Global Fund said that new advances in science and implementation have given the global community the opportunity to control malaria and remove it as a threat to global health.

It noted that despite promising advances in recent years, such as declining AIDS and TB mortality and a sharp increase in the use of insecticide-treated nets, Nigeria faces serious health chal-

lenges. Over the last 12 months, Nigeria and the Global Fund signed agreements worth a total of US$ 560 million (N92.4 billion) to support programmes that will help significantly expand prevention, diagnosis and treatment of the three diseases.

Speaking yesterday, the Executive Director of the Global Fund, Mark Dybul, said that commitment is needed by all partners in the fight against malaria to expand and intensify efforts, so it can be transformed from a worldwide killer into a manageable and treatable disease.

21 years after, court reinstates sacked CBN worker

By Joseph Onyekwere WENTY-ONE years after his T appointment was wrongfully terminated in June 1992, the Court of Appeal, Lagos Division, has unanimously reinstated a sacked employee of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Tunde Akinlusi.

In a judgment delivered by Justice Fatima Omoro Akinbami, leading other two justices who concurred with her decision, the appellate court held that the appointment of Akinlusi was wrongfully terminated and, therefore, he

should be reinstated.

The appellate court faulted the decision of the lower court, which affirmed that Akinlusi’s appointment was wrongly terminated but refused to order his reinstatement on the ground that his job does not enjoy statutory flavour.

“The learned trial judge correctly arrived at the findings that the termination of employment of the cross-appellant is wrongful.

He misapplied the principle when he held that the plaintiff is not entitled to an order of re-instatement because the plain-

tiff has failed to establish a contravention of an enabling statutory provision as in University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital Management Board Versus Nnoli 1991 6 NWLR part 250 at 752.

“From the Supreme Court’s decision in the case of CBN Versus Igwillo (Supra), the law is now settled that where an employee’s service is protected by statute and his employment is wrongfully terminated, he would be entitled to re-instatement”, Justice Akinbami ruled.

The judge said: “From the decisions of the apex court, I be-

lieve it is indeed well settled that where an employee’s service is protected by statute and his employment is wrongfully terminated, he would be entitled to re-instatement to his office and in addition to damages representing his salaries during the period of his purported removal. This point has been emphasised in several judicial authorities of the Apex Court.”

Akinlusi had filed the suit at the Lagos High Court challenging his dismissal on the spurious allegation of misconduct in June 1992. But the trial

judge, in his judgment, found that his employment was wrongly terminated, but declined to make an order for his reinstatement.

Dissatisfied with the judgment of the lower court, which faulted the termination of Akinlusi’s appointment, the CBN filed an appeal at the Court of Appeal.

At the same time, Akinlusi cross-appealed in the same court, insisting that the lower court erred by faulting the termination of his appointment without ordering his reinstatement.

Bayelsa seeks media, others’ role over rumour mongering From Willie Etim ( Yenagoa) AYELSA State Government yesterday charged members of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) and the civil society groups in the state against rumour mongering and spread of false claims on the policies of government in the state.

The constitution of the antirumour committee which was condemned by majority of the Bayelsa indigenes, had generated controversy as it was alleged to be targeted at gagging the press.

The state government through the Public Information Management Committee (PIMC) during an interactive session with members of NonGovernmental Organisations, pressure groups and other stakeholders, said the campaign against rumour mongering was active and aimed at ensuring proper dissemination of information.

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THE GUARDIAN, Thursday, April 25, 2013

News 7

Borno sacks council caretaker panel

Speaker, teacher fault conferment of awards by students’ bodies

From Njadvara Musa, Maiduguri OLLOWING the expiration of their six months’ tenure, the 27-member Local Government Caretaker Committee (LGCC) in Borno State has been sacked by Governor Kashim Shettima with immediate effect.

In a statement, the state Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Babakaka Bashir Garbai, said the affected council chairmen should handover immediately to their respective council secretaries.

The Guardian learnt that the insecurity occasioned by the Boko Haram insurgency in the state was responsible for the delay in the conduct of council polls.

Also, the Yobe State government last week suspended the council elections in 17 councils following security challenges in the state.

From John Akubo (Dutse) PPARENTLY worried by the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS’) penchant for conferring awards to mostly politicians for possible monetary gains, Speaker of the Jigawa State House of Assembly, Alhaji Adamu Ahmad Sarawa and the Provost of the School of Islamic and Legal Studies, Ringim, Dr. Abbas Abbas, have cautioned against such practices.

The duo advised the students to rather evolve ways of tackling examination fraud, cultism and work harder with a view to making them better future leaders.

Sarawa spoke yesterday at Dutse during NANS’ award ceremony for the most outstanding Deputy Speaker from Northern Nigeria, stressing that it was not enough for students to recognise quality individuals but also necessary for them to work hard to become future leaders who would steer the ship of this country to a safe anchor.

The Speaker, who was represented by the Chairman, House Committee on Education, Alhaji Nasuru Muhammad, said just as the students were observant to note the Deputy Speaker’s

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A’Ibom agency chief seeks better ties with media From Inemesit Akpan-Nsoh, Uyo HAIRMAN of Akwa Ibom State Agency on AIDS Prevention (AK-SAAP), Dr. Francis Udoikpong, has appealed to the media to continue to play the role of a dependable ally in the fight against HIV/AIDS in the state.

He made the call yesterday at the end of a three-day dissemination meeting on Akwa Ibom State Health Facility Assessment for Prevention of Mother to Child Transmission (PMTCT) held at the Le’Meridian Hotel and Golf Resort, Uyo. Udoikpong regretted that he was misquoted by a section of the media on an issue he was trying to put across, pleading that journalists should always cross-check their facts before publishing.

According to him, the message he intended to pass across was that Akwa Ibom State people and especially, the youth, should cultivate positive behavioural change and imbibe moral soundness to enable them live responsibly, all aimed at ensuring that they do not contact or spread the HIV virus.

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Jonathan mourns Ajene From Joseph Wantu, Makurdi.

RESIDENT Goodluck Jonathan has condoled with the family and people of Benue State over the demise of the state former Deputy Governor, Ogiri Ajene, describing the incident as ‘a monumental tragedy’.

In a condolence letter sent to the deceased’s family through a permanent secretary, State House, Mr. Emmanuel Ogbile, Jonathan recalled their relationship when both of them served as deputy governors of their respective states.

He noted that Ajene’s death was also a loss to the people of Benue, ‘whom he served with consummate diligence and unwavering commitment’.

“I recall, with fond memory the calm and friendly disposition, as well as the patriotic zeal with which he conducted himself when we both served as deputy governors of our respective states”.

“On behalf of my family, the government and people of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, I extend my heart-felt condolence to his dear wife, his children and the entire members of the Ajene family. I pray God to grant the family the fortitude to bear the irreparable loss”, he added.

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philanthropic characteristics, it was incumbent on them to strive to become credible leaders to restore the lost glory in the credibility of our leaders.

Abbas said in as much as the students’ efforts were

highly commendable, they were also supposed to explore other avenues of recognising primary, secondary and tertiary schools’ teachers worthy of recognition and given similar awards.

He charged the students to dwell more on how to fight examination malpractices, cultism on school campuses and how to pass their examinations with flying colours rather than conferring award on personalities.

Court rules June 18 on Lagos PDP congress’ suit

By Yetunde Ayobami-Ojo USTICE Aishat Opesanwo of a Lagos High Court, Ikeja, has fixed June 18, 2013, for ruling on the application filed by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and others, questioning the court’s jurisdiction to hear a suit challenging the validity of the Lagos State’s PDP congress held in 2012.

In a motion on notice brought pursuant to Order 39 Rule 1 and 2 of Lagos State High Court Civil Procedure Rules 2011 dated August 8, 2012, and filed by its lead counsel, Kunle Kalejaiye (SAN), PDP is seeking an order of court to strike out the suit instituted by Alhaja Idowu Akinsanya and others on grounds of being injusticeable and incompetent.

The party stated that election of party officers and nomination of candidates by political parties

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amount to intra-party matters and, therefore, not justiceable, adding: “Intra-party governance is entirely within the providence of the relevant party.

In other words, the internal affairs of political parties are exclusive to the parties and, therefore, not within the competence of the court. Consequently, the court does have jurisdiction to make appointment of persons to hold party offices, represent a party in election or to determine any dispute arising from internal affairs of a political party”.

However, counsel to the claimant, Mr. Kehinde Oshinowo, in his argument, said the issue of the originating summon related to PDP’s guidelines.

Oshinowo submitted that Electoral Act 2010, Section 87 (10) stated that “Notwithstanding the provision of the Act or rules of

a political party, an aspirant who complains that any of the provisions of this Act and guidelines of a political party has not been complied with in the selection or nomination of candidate of a political party for election, may apply to the Federal High Court or High Court of a state for redress”.

He further argued that the position of law is that internal affair of a political party could be litigated by any party seeking redress.

He added that the constitution of any political party is subsumed in the Nigerian Constitution.

“Section 223 of the Nigerian Constitution has subjected the constitution and rules of the PDP to it. Therefore, any provision of the constitution or rule of the party that curtails the right of its members to have access to court will be unconstitutional.”

How I escaped death during polls, by Edo ex-deputy gov From Alemma-Ozioruva Aliu, Benin City ORMER Deputy Governor of Edo State, Peter Obadan, who defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) last year, yesterday relieved how he escaped death from suspected thugs believed to be loyal to a political party in Owan-West Local Council Area of the state during last Saturday’s council election.

Obadan told journalists that he had gone to cast his vote in Sabongida-Ora and was on his way home when two persons on a motorbike started shooting at him, but for the bravery of his police orderly who returned fire.

He narrated: “Before the election, there was much noise and by Friday, I was warned to be very careful because there was a strategic plan against me. Somebody called my police orderly and told him about the threat. So on the election day, I allowed the voting to start before I went there. Normally, we parked some distance away and walked down to the voting point and between 30 minutes to one hour, I was done with voting and decided to go home. It was in the process of returning that we heard gunshots. There is a book I was editing in my car as we drove towards home because I wanted to give it out on Monday for printing. So I was concentrating on it when I heard vibrations as if it was in a war zone and people were running helter-shelter. I told my driver to head for the police station because I knew I didn’t have a backup team to protect me as it became obvious that two men on a motorbike were to block us”.

He continued: “They want-

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The recipient of the award and the Jigawa State Deputy Speaker, Alhaji Inuwa Sule Udi, commended NANS for recognising his contributions, assuring that he would be spurred to do more.

ed to block my car and I just told my orderly, look, we have to do something. So, it was in the process he shot into the air to see if he could scare them away. Ordinarily, I don’t go out with my orderly when I am in the village, I drive alone because it is my place. Maybe they were not expecting my orderly to be in my car. But he shot into the air and they

returned fire twice. It was at that point we knew we were at risk and then, he shot at them and I saw clearly one of them throwing away his gun and the other jumping out of the motorbike with a gun still in his hand running. The second fell, I told my orderly, go fetch that gun. I stepped over to the victim’s side and discovered

it was a familiar face. It was then I asked him, why? And all he just said was ‘honourable’ and I didn’t know what he meant by that.

Idowu Akinsanya, Musibau Mesediku, Abiodun Emmanuel and Mr. Victor Olajide are challenging the validity of the congress held into offices of the PDP at wards, local government and state levels in Lagos State.

The claimants are seeking an order of court declaring that no valid congress was held into PDP offices at the wards, local council areas and state levels in Lagos State.

They are praying for an order of the court restraining the PDP and National Chairman, representing the NEC of PDP, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, whether by themselves, agents, servants or privies from swearing in the group he represents as members of the State Executive Committee of the party in Lagos State.

Other respondents in the suit are: Senator Musiliu Obanikoro, Tunji Shelle (rtd), Segun Oni and Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

Justice Opesanwo, after listening to parties’ arguments, directed them to file their further submission within seven days and reserved ruling till June 18, 2013.

THE GUARDIAN, Thursday, April 25, 2013

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AfricanNews Cote d’Ivoire urges calm over disputed local poll results OTE d’Ivoire government clubs, who set tyres alight and

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yesterday condemned outbreaks of violence following local polls, urging calm in the West African nation still recovering from a bloody post-election conflict which ended in 2011.

On Tuesday night, sporadic clashes broken out, mostly in the economic capital, Abidjan, between police and party supporters as well as rival party members as results from Sunday’s election trickle in.

Police fired tear gas to break up a violent protest by youths armed with machetes and

barricaded a road after their mayoral candidate’s loss was announced on public television, residents reported.

Also on Monday, supporters of defeated candidates cried fraud and took to the streets.

Several people have been injured in the clashes.

“We call on citizens to be calm and respect results of the ballot announced by the Independent Electoral Commission,” deputy government spokeswomen, Affoussiata Bamba-Lamine, told journalists.

Desmond Tutu admitted in hospital for ‘persistent infection’ S OUTH Africa’s peace icon and Nobel prize winner, Desmond Tutu, was reportedly admitted into a hospital yesterday for non-surgical treatment and tests related to a persistent infection.

His foundation, in a statement, said that “Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu has checked into a Cape Town hospital for the treatment of a persistent infection and to

undergo tests to discover the underlying cause”.

Agence France Presse (AFP) reported that a photograph of the 81-year-old Nobel Laureate showed him smiling at his office where he spent the morning, before being admitted to the undisclosed hospital.

“He was in good spirits and full of praise for the care he receives from an exceptional

team of doctors,” said the statement from the Desmond and Leah Tutu Legacy Foundation.

The statement added that “the non-surgical treatment is expected to take five days.”

Known fondly as “the Arch”, Tutu told AFP in an earlier interview that most of his life had “been a bonus”.

He survived an illness believed to be polio as a baby, battled tuberculosis as a teenager and prostrate cancer, which he was diagnosed with in 1997.

His recent public appear-

Tutu ances have shown little hint of ill-health.

Darfur war crimes suspect, Jerbo, killed ALEH Mohammed Jerbo Scharged Jamus, a Sudanese rebel with war crimes in Darfur by the International Criminal Court (ICC), has been killed, according to his defence team.

In a statement, the defence claimed that Jerbo died on Friday afternoon during fighting in North Darfur.

He was due to go on trial in May 2014 over a deadly attack on African peacekeepers in Darfur in 2007.

The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) reported that the court must get proof of his death before the case is dropped.

Jerbo and fellow Darfur rebel leader, Abdallah Banda Abakaer Nourain, face three war crimes charges relating to

the killing of 12 African Union peacekeepers in an attack on the AU’s Haskanita camp in September 2007.

The two men, who voluntarily surrendered to the ICC in 2010 to face the charges, have been free to leave the Netherlands and appear before the court when summoned.

In 2011, a pre-trial chamber found that there were “substantial grounds” to go ahead with their trial.

Jerbo was chief of staff of SLAUnity rebel group at the time of the 2007 attack but is currently in the Justice and Equality Movement group.

His defence team said he died in the north of Darfur on the afternoon of April 19, 2013 and was buried on the same day.

Libya: Facing tough test over French Embassy’s attack ORE than before, M Tuesday’s bomb attack on the French embassy highlighted the serious security situation in Libya, with extremists and militias gaining influence as Paris’ intervention in Mali has tried to uproot radical Islam from the region.

Since the fall of the regime of Muammar Gaddafi in October 2011, extremists have steadily gained influence.

Many such groups had amassed formidable stocks of weapons during the uprising against Gaddafi’s regime.

The attack on the United States (U.S.) consulate in Benghazi last September 11 that killed Ambassador Chris Stevens and three other Americans proved just how powerful some of these groups had become.

Reacting on the latest attack, Anthony Skinner, MENA director for risk analysts, Maplecroft, said: “A number of groups in the region have a strong motive to attack the French embassy in Tripoli, not least Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) and other related militant Islamist groups such as the Movement for Oneness and Jihad in West Africa (MUJAO).”

Armed jihadist groups such

as MUJAO and AQIM had threatened to hit back at France’s interests in the region after they were targeted by French troops in Mali.

Skinner said that Tuesday’s bombing, which wounded two French security guards, could have been a reprisal for their country’s offensive in Mali.

“It is notable, and possibly not a coincidence, that the attack came a day after the French parliament voted to extend France’s military deployment in Mali,” he added.

But for Fradj Naji, a Libyan analyst and head of the African Studies Centre, “it would be stupid just to focus on following the trail of jihadist groups like Al-Qaeda.”

Naji said that while some Islamists were sympathetic to jihadists in northern Mali, there was also a feeling of gratitude towards France, whose forces took part in the NATO campaign against Gaddafi.

But he refused to rule out that sympathisers of the ousted regime may have carried out the attack. “How do you explain that so far, the attacks have only targetted countries that took part in the international coalition’s military operations?” he queried.

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THE GUARDIAN, Thursday, April 25, 2013

WorldReport 113 killed in Bangladesh’s building collapse B

ANGLADESH’S rescue workers were late into the night yesterday searching for survivors after a building containing five garment factories collapsed, killing no fewer than 113 people.

A report by Agence France Presse (AFP) claimed that only the ground floor of the eight-storey Rana Plaza in Savar town just outside the capital, Dhaka, remained intact when the block – which one minister said was illegally constructed –imploded at about 9:00 a.m. (0300 GMT).

Hundreds of fire service and army rescue workers, who were armed with concrete cutters and cranes, struggled in the hope of finding more survivors in the mountain of concrete and mangled steel, which resembled the aftermath of an earthquake.

Earlier in the morning, Xinhua reported that 70 people were killed and over six hundred were injured after the eight-storey building collapsed.

“The death toll from the collapsed building rose to 70,” Xinhua quoted

Police kill suspected murderer of five people in U.S. town HE United States (U.S.) T was in the news again yesterday after five people were found dead in their home in Manchester, a small town in the country.

But the suspected gunman, who killed the five people, was later shot by police in a shootout after a brief pursuit, the Illinois state police said.

A six-year-old girl discovered among the carnage was being treated yesterday at a hospital in the area, Lieutenant Colonel Todd Kilby told reporters.

Police would not confirm reports that the victims were all killed by gunfire.

“There’s no reason to believe there’s any danger to the public or any other suspects,” Kilby said.

“At this point, we are not discussing motives or relationships,” the police chief added.

The bodies were discovered at about 4:30 a.m. in the tiny town of Manchester. Witnesses saw a white car speeding away and police tracked it down around 7:15 a.m.

“Shots were exchanged and the police took the suspect into custody while he was in possession of multiple weapons at 7:27 a.m.,” Kilby said.

“The suspect was transported to hospital where he was pronounced dead.”

The slain family members were identified by relatives as: Joanne Sinclair, 65, her granddaughter Brittany Luark, 22, her boyfriend, Roy Ralston, Nolan Ralston, 5, and Bradley Ralston, 1, according to Chicago Tribune.

Workers with an injured survivor rescued from the collapsed building site…yesterday.

Bangladeshi Health Minister Ruhal Haque as telling reporters.

The report stated that with many people believed to be trapped, rescuers feared the death toll may rise significantly.

Corpses and the injured were later pulled from the

higher reaches of the pile of flattened floors via makeshift slides made from cloth that just hours earlier was being cut into shirts and trousers for export to Western markets.

“The whole building collapsed like a pancake within minutes. Most workers did

PHOTO:XINHUA

not have any chance to escape,” national fire department chief, Ahmed Ali, told AFP. “Many people are still trapped,” he added.

Fire fighters and soldiers cut through the building’s collapsed sixth floor and managed to rescue 20 peo-

Scores die in Iraq’s fresh clashes, attacks FTER two days of violence, A about 125 people have been killed in Iraq – 99 of them in clashes and attacks involving security forces, protesters and their supporters.

Officials also said yesterday that 268 people have been wounded, 194 of them in protest-related unrest, which prompted two Sunni ministers to quit, sending tensions in the country soaring.

The violence, which began with clashes at a protest site

in northern Iraq after security forces moved in, is the deadliest so far linked to demonstrations that erupted in Sunni Muslim areas of the Shiite-majority country more than four months ago.

The protesters have called for the resignation of Shiite Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki and railed against the alleged targetting of their community by the authorities.

Yesterday, five soldiers and

seven gunmen were killed and 63 people, including 20 soldiers, wounded in fighting in the Sulaiman Bek area north of Baghdad, security officers and an official said.

A lawmaker, Ashwaq al-Jaf, said dozens were wounded in military air attacks in the area, and a high-ranking army officer confirmed helicopters were used in the fighting.

In other violence that officers said was also apparently

ple eight hours after the accident, he said.

“We will continue searching for survivors through the night, for as long as it takes,” he said.

Deputy chief of Dhaka police, A.B.M Masud Hossain, told AFP that at least 113 people have died in the disaster.

“But the toll will be higher because some relatives took bodies without informing police,” he said.

The cries of people inside the rubble begging for rescue could be heard as thousands of relatives waited anxiously nearby, some chanting the name of Allah.

“Save us please!” a woman worker cried from inside.

“We’re 30 people here.

Please save us.”

Survivors complained that the building had developed cracks on Tuesday evening, triggering an evacuation, but they had been ordered back to the production lines.

“The managers forced us to rejoin and just one hour after we entered the factory, the building collapsed with a huge noise,” said a 24-yearold worker who gave her first name as Mousumi.

in revenge for Tuesday’s clashes, gunmen attacked a Sahwa anti-Al-Qaeda militia checkpoint in Khales northeast of Baghdad. They killed four militiamen and wounded a fifth, a police lieutenant colonel and a doctor said.

Gunmen also wounded a policeman in the northern city of Mosul, while a soldier was hurt in another shooting to its south, police and a doctor said. Three gunmen were also killed in the Mosul attack.

Italy gets new PM From Oghogho Obayuwana (Foreign Affairs Editor) with agency reports FTER two months of parliamentary deadlock, 46year old Enrico Letta is shortly to become the new prime minister of Italy.

This follows his acceptance of the beckon by Italian President Giorgio Napolitano that he should form a broad coalition government.

The emerging leader, who is currently deputy leader of the centre-left Democratic Party, is also the nephew of former Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi’s chief-of-staff Gianni Letta, and is seen as a moderate acceptable to the centre-right.

Agency reports including those of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) said yesterday that Letta has issued a statement saying among other things that as prime minister he would aim to change the course of austerity in Europe.

The Letta factor could well start the process of putting Italy’s political ship back on course after an inconclusive general election in February left the country in flux.

“European policies are too focused on austerity which is no longer enough,” he said, following the closeddoor meeting with the president in Rome.

Letta also said he had accepted the post knowing that it was an enormous responsibility and that Italy’s political class “has lost all credibility”.

He is expected to form a cabinet that can win crossparty support and a vote of confidence in parliament.

Interestingly, factions from across the political spectrum have indicated that they are now ready to form a coalition under a figure like Letta.

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THE GUARDIAN, Thursday, April 25, 2013

POLITICS | 11

THE GUARDIAN, Thursday, April 25, 2013

Politics Militancy: Its necessity and limits (1)

By Ben Nwabueze Introduction: Nature of militancy and its role as a backup for the effectiveness of civil society HE demand for a National Conference is now widespread throughout the country. This is gratifying. However, for many of those making it, the demand is the beginning and end of their thinking on national transformation, which is a matter with far-reaching ramifications and consequences for the country.

They do not look beyond the demand for the conference to what next step is to be taken to accomplish the ultimate objective of national transformation, in the event that the demand is rejected, as it had been rejected before, as in the case of the demand spearheaded by PRONACO, The Patriots and other groups. That is probably why the matter has not progressed beyond the stage of merely making a demand for the convocation of the conference.

It is in this connection that arises the crucial part that militancy and militants have to play in the process of national transformation. But, first, militancy needs to be defined and its boundary delimited. Militancy is the use of vigorous, forcible or activist methods to advance a cause; it may or may not involve the use of violence, such as may even amount to engaging in criminal acts.

Militancy is sometimes talked about derogatorily as something inherently bad and not to be encouraged or to be positively discouraged. Far from being inherently bad, I conceive militancy as an adjunct to the notion of civil society and without which civil society cannot effectively perform the role of a counterpoise to government, able to check any dictatorial or other authoritarian tendencies on its part and, if need be, to remove it, thus serving to demarcate the boundary between society and government.

The accountability of government to the people, which is a cardinal element of democracy, can scarcely be maintained without civil society as an entity truly autonomous from the government.

Civil society connotes the existence of a tight network of autonomous institutions and organisations, which may be national, regional, local, professional or occupational.

The entire society, too, as a single national body, must be able to act autonomously, and must not be tied to the apron string of the government. The control of the rulers by the people is possible only if the society and its various institutions and organisations are independent of the state.

In the ultimate analysis, democracy is not so much about institutional forms, important though they are, as about the accountability of the government to the people and about the ability of the people to control and remove the rulers. This is an essential element distinguishing the society in a Western democracy from the society in the socialist, totalitarian state, which integrates society into itself as one of its subservient organs.

But all this may not come to much unless the society has imbibed and internalised a consciousness of autonomy and the moral courage to assert and defend its political rights backed by an ethic or culture of militancy by means of mass protest, resistance and civil disobedience actions against abuse of power and human rights violations by government.

“When,” as Julius Nyerere had rightly said in a statement I have fondly quoted time and again, “the nation does not have the ethic which will enable the government to say: ‘we cannot do this, that is un-Tanganyikan’ — or the people to say: ‘that we cannot tolerate, that is un-Tanganyikan’ — if the people do not have that kind of ethic, it does not matter what kind of constitution you frame, they can always be victims of tyranny.”

The non-existence or weakness of such an ethic of militancy accounts in large part for the large-scale human rights violations and the abuses of democratic processes of government in African countries, particularly the persistence of an all-pervading rottenness in Nigeria.

What is said above expresses clearly enough the crucial role, which militancy and militants have to play in our national transformation agenda.

Needless to say, the effectiveness of militancy depends on how it is organised and the methods employed.

There are gradations of militancy ranging from the use of activist methods without physical force or violence, as with the youth wings of ethnic organisations, like the Igbo Youth Movement (IYM), the Ohanaeze Youths, the Arewa Consultative Youth Forum (ACYF), the Middle Belt Youth Forum; to the use of coercion again without

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Nwabueze physical force or violence, as with the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), the Trade Union Congress (TUC) and other trade union organisations; the use of strong-arm tactics, as in the case of the thugs of the political parties; to the use of extreme violence involving various violent acts, even of terroristic proportions, as in the case of the Niger Delta militants. As I once said, the National Conference will take place the day the NLC and TUC throw their full weight and force behind the demand for it.

Militancy in the Niger Delta: Its origins and the extremism of violence employed Without doubt, the Niger Delta militants have carried militancy far beyond its permissible limits, but their militancy represents an extreme case that proves the point about the value and importance of militancy, so long as it remains militancy properly so-called, and does not cross the line dividing it from insurgency or rebellion, as typified by the Boko Haram Islamic insurgents.

It does not seem either right or fair to regard the extremism of the violence employed by the Niger Delta militants as other than a case of militancy or to say that “nothing could be farther from the truth” than to draw a dividing line between “what happened in the Niger Delta and the insurgency of Boko Haram” or that “the Niger Delta militants and Boko Haram are not different in any way.” The lumping together of the two groups manifests an unfortunate failure to take into account the glaring differences in the origins and agenda or objectives of the two.

The origins of the militancy in the Niger Delta may be traced to the suit brought in 2002 by President Olusegun Obasanjo in the original jurisdiction of the Supreme Court, the object of which was to deny the littoral oil producing states, located principally in the Niger Delta, the 13 percent of the off-shore oil revenue derived from the territorial sea contiguous to their land territory under section 162(2) of the Constitution (1999).

The Supreme Court, in a manipulated judgment, upheld his claim, ignoring the provisions of our Constitution and the decisions of the highest courts in other common law jurisdictions (the United States and Canada), which favoured or supported the right or entitlement of the littoral states to at least a part of the off-shore oil revenue in question: see United States v. State of California, 332 U.S. 19; Re: Ownership of Off-shore Mineral Rights (1968) 65 DLR (2d) 353.

But that was not all. The right of the littoral states to 13 percent of on-shore oil revenue derived from their land territory, as counterclaimed by one of them. The Supreme Court also rejected Akwa Ibom State. The ground for rejecting the littoral states’ right to 13 percent of onshore oil revenue derived from their land territory is that “there is no legal basis for the use of this figure,” i.e., 13 percent. It is necessary to quote in full the reasoning behind the court’s holding in

this regard in order to expose its un-tenability: “In the absence of any legislation by the National Assembly pursuant to section 162(2) of the Constitution, which fixes a figure that is not less than 13 per cent (but which may be more than that figure) in calculating the amount due to a State affected by the principle of derivation in the proviso to the subsection, it is for the President, as the prescribed authority, to modify Cap 16 (as amended) to bring it in conformity with the provisions of the Constitution, particularly section 162 thereof. Unless and until either is done, the 3rd Defendant cannot, as of legal right, lay claim to 13 per cent as a basis of working out the amount due it under the proviso to section 162(2). It is not in dispute that natural resources are located on its territory and that revenue accrued, and still accrues, to the Federation Account from such resources. While it is not disputed that the 3rd Defendant is entitled to some share of that revenue, it is the actual entitlement that is in dispute. And this can only be resolved by knowing the actual figure to be used in calculating the entitlement.” (Emphasis supplied).

Since it is conceded that the 3rd Defendant (Akwa Ibom State) is “entitled to some share of that revenue,” it has a constitutional right to be paid at least 13 per cent, pending the time the actual amount (which may be 13 per cent or more) is fixed by the National Assembly.

Payment of the 13 per cent minimum cannot justifiably be withheld; the legal basis for it is section 162(2) proviso of the Constitution. Upon a purposive interpretation, what the proviso says is that the share of a State based on derivation shall be 13 per cent or such higher figure as the National Assembly may determine, not that a State shall be entitled to an amount to be determined by the National Assembly, not being less than 13 per cent.

The former meaning seems to be the one indicated upon a close and purposive reading of the proviso. The wording may be clumsy and lacking in clarity, but an interpretation is to be preferred, which would not defeat the object intended and so result in avoidable deprivation against the States. The withholding of the payment is, therefore, unjustified, inequitable and oppressive; the injustice is more than the littoral States could reasonably be expected to accept lying down.

The littoral States came away from the litigation denied or deprived of 13 per cent of the revenue from both off-shore and on-shore oil derived from their area. The denial or deprivation was what gave rise to the crisis over resource control.

A bitter confrontation over the issue between the Federal Government under President Obasanjo and the littoral oil producing States had been needlessly unleashed.

It is the injustice of the Court’s decision at President Obasanjo’s instance and manipulation more than its un-tenability in law that gives greater cause for grievance among the people of

the littoral States. For, apart altogether that the Federal Government’s claim and the Supreme Court’s endorsement of it are untenable from the standpoint of the law, considerations of ecological or environmental devastation caused by pollution, etc., clearly require or justify allocating to the littoral States a percentage of the revenue from mineral resources located there.

In the words of the Okigbo Presidential Commission on Revenue Allocation Report (1980), Vol. 1, paragraph 351, “the production of minerals creates hazards to life and property in the areas concerned, and causes a general degradation of the environment and of the ecology of the producing areas,” which creates for the state governments concerned “the additional responsibility for the increased cost of the welfare, and the rehabilitation (and in some cases resettlement) of the people and areas concerned.”

If international law accords to coastal states sovereignty over the territorial sea, with its bed and subsoil, the sea in its entirety, including the part of it denominated as “territorial sea,” being territorium nullius, i.e., belonging to no one state, community or person, it smacks of meanness, insensitivity, injustice, unconscionableness and oppression for the Federal Government of Nigeria, as a beneficiary of the kind, indulgent concessions of international law, to deny to the country’s littoral States a paltry 13 per cent of revenue derived from mineral resources located in the territorial sea, its bed and subsoil contiguous to their land territory.

It might have been thought that their claim to such special compensatory allocation is so obvious and compelling as cannot be denied by any fairminded person, least of all by a federal government, whose right to the whole of the revenue in question arises by the generosity and concessions of international law.

The whole thing seems so utterly unconscionable as to be unbelievable in a world where conscience, equity and fairness still have a place. To add to this the denial or deprivation of the 13 per cent of the revenue from on-shore oil just aggravated the feeling of grievance on the part of the littoral States to almost unbearable extent.

The suit should not have been brought at all in the first place. It has created far more grievous problems for the country than it possibly could have solved. And the Supreme Court judgment leaves a distinct impression of manipulation and influence exerted from outside the Court by a callous, insensitive, vengeful and power-driven President.

Realising, rather belatedly, the error of his position and the manipulated endorsement of it by the Supreme Court, President Obasanjo secured the enactment in 2004 of an Act, Allocation of Revenue (Abolition of Dichotomy in the Application of the Principle of Derivation) Act 2004, which represents a reversal of the error of his position. It provides as follows in its one and only section: “1(1) As from the commencement of this Act (i.e., 16th February, 2004), the two hundred metre water depth Isobath contiguous to a State of the Federation shall be deemed to be part of that State for the purposes of computing the revenue accruing to the Federation Account from the State pursuant to the provisions of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 or any other enactment.

(2) Accordingly, for the purpose of the application of the Principle of Derivation, it shall be immaterial whether the revenue accruing to the Federation Account from a State is derived from natural resources located onshore or offshore.”

It is open to question whether the provisions of the Act are effective in reversing the decision of the Supreme Court in this case which, being a decision on the interpretation of the Constitution, is incorporated into it as an integral part thereof; this is notwithstanding that the two hundred metre water depth Isobath is only “deemed” to be part of the State to which it is contiguous, but the point need not be pursued further here.

Unfortunately, the Act and the further ameliorating package announced in April 2006 have failed to accomplish the intended object of removing the deep feeling of grievance generated among the people of the Niger Delta by President Obasanjo’s design and the Supreme Court’s manipulated endorsement of it in the 2002 case.

The harm has been done: passions had been incensed, trust destroyed, and the sense of identification with the state alienated; the Act simply cannot undo all that. Niger Delta has been turned into a boiling cauldron, only partially doused by Yar’Adua as Obasanjo’s successor in the presidency.

• Professor Nwabueze (SAN) is constitutional lawyer and Leader of The Patriots.

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THE GUARDIAN, Thursday, April 25, 2013

TheMetroSection ‘This man should explain what happened to my son’

Special Human Resource Forum in Lagos.

The President/Chairman of Council, CIPM, Mr. Victor Famuyibo, said this year’s forum with the theme ‘Organizational Development: Driver for effective corporate performance’ promises to surpass previous ones in terms of organization and resource persons in attendance.

Speakers include Seni Adetu, , and Ethel Kuuya.

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Hymns Assembly at Anglican Chapel HE ninth Hymns Assembly T holds on Sunday, April 25, at St. Theophilus Anglican Chapel, Modupe Adebukunola Plaza, 1-3, Akilo Road, Ogba, behind Mobil Petrol Station end of Oba Akran Road, Ikeja, Lagos at 5.00p.m.

Earnest Idam Chukwuka to the hospital. He said he did not know the man who knocked Chukwuka down but said one Honourable was seen greeting the man. I went to the Honourable but the Honourable said he was not there when the accident happened, that the accident had already happened before he got to the place. Honourable said the man told him that he packed his vehicle and one commercial motorcyclist came and smashed it, stressing that the man was insisting that they must repair his car for him”.

The distraught woman said she went to the place where the accident took place and following her enquiries, the people living around there said the man hailed from Amangwu-Nkpoghoro and that his name was KC. “They said it was like the man wanted to withdraw some money from the

bank and parked his vehicle, opening the driver’s door without even looking to see if there was any vehicle coming by. It was at that moment that the okada, which was very close, ran into the open door and it threw the boy away before another vehicle ran into him. They said the boy would have been crushed,” she told The Guardian.

Mrs. Idam said that though the vehicle that nearly crushed her son went to the police to report the matter, KC, who recklessly opened his car door and caused the mishap, disappeared. Suspecting a conspiracy, Mrs. Idam said she is pleading with the police to get KC to tell his own side of the story, lamenting that she does not have the money to foot proper medical care of her son. “I know KC is not above the law; I am calling on the government to come to my assistance. I don’t want to lose my son, who is now like my husband,” Mrs. Idam cried out amidst sobs.

Mrs. Idam Though the Medical Director of Maranatha Hospital could not be reached for comments when The Guardian got to the hospital, a staffer said that the boy was operated upon to stitch his badly lacerated penile shaft.

He noted that the boy’s case requires the attention of a specialist and an urologist. “It is left to our MD to say when the referral would be made, as I told you, I was not authorized to speak to the press please,” he added.

At the divisional police station Afikpo, The Guardian was told to get comments from the Police Public Relations Officer.

But at the Police Headquarters Abakaliki, the PPRO of the command, Mr. Sylvester Igbo, said he was not aware of the matter pointing out that he had just returned from Akwa Ibom where he went for a workshop, promising to get details later.

Asylum seeker, 19, married to British man in a coma after taking overdose days before she was due to be deported for being a ‘sham bride’ N asylum seeker who is A married to a British man is fighting for her life in hospital after an overdose just days before she was due to be sent back to Nigeria.

May Brown, a 19-year-old college student, fled to Britain from her home country three years ago after witnessing her father’s murder and being subjected to sexual abuse.

She settled in Weymouth, Dorset, where she met her husband, Michael Brown, 12 months ago and the couple married last December.

Mrs Brown, who was a games maker at last summer’s Olympics and has two university offers to study law, applied to stay in the UK but despite her marriage her application was rejected.

Mr. Brown, 34, said UK Border Agency officials believe their marriage to be a ‘sham’ with no ‘emotional attachment’.

His wife was told she would be flown back to Nigeria tomorrow.

She was so distressed at the prospect of returning to her home country she took an overdose of medication.

Her mother-in-law, HelenClaire Brown, found her collapsed on the bathroom floor on Monday morning with a note to her husband saying she ‘couldn’t live without him’.

CIPM holds forum today HE Chartered Institute of T Personnel Management (CIPM) will today hold its fifth

• How a runaway driver endangered a young commercial motorcyclist’s life From Leo Sobechi, Abakaliki HEN Mrs. Juliana Idam fled from Kano in January after the terrorist bombings that rattled the state, she believed that there was no place as secure as home. Hence she took her five children and headed back to Afikpo, in Afikpo North Local Council of Ebonyi State.

Being a widow, catering for these children presented more challenges now that she has left a thriving provisions business at Ballat Hughes Street, Sabon Gari, Kano.

With help from relations and friends, Mrs. Idam started a Bukateria along Ndibe Beach road, Afikpo. But barely one month into the business, a sad reminder of the Boko Haram terror of January 20, 2013 stalked her: her son Chukwuka Ernest Idam got missing.

Mrs. Idam narrated: “On Thursday, April 18, 2013 at around 7 to 8 pm, after eating, Chukwuka took his bike and went out. He is a student of Akpoha Secondary School where he is currently taking his WAEC Examination. Usually when he does not have any paper, he goes out to make a little money with his commercial motorcycle business. I waited all through the night and he did not return.”

She continued: “The following morning, being Friday April 19, I went to the police station to report that my son who left the house the previous day had not returned, they said they did not see such a person, I went to the area command, it was the same story. So, I decided to go to Akpoha believing that may be he must have gone to the school for anything. On my way to Akpoha, I received a call from one of my sisters, who said I should come back that they said Chukwuka wass at Maranatha hospital, Afikpo. I came and saw him ,” she recalled.

Mrs. Idiam stated that shortly after she came into the ward where her son was admitted with stitches all over his body, one boy came in and started thanking God that my son was still alive.

Mrs. Idam added: “The boy told me that he was around when the accident happened and was part of those who brought

Briefs

The teenager was rushed to the Dorset County Hospital in Dorchester where she remains in a coma in intensive care.

May wrote: ‘I am deeply sorry that I had to go this way, without even saying goodbye.

‘The UK immigration has finally driven me insane.

They’ve pushed me too far this time and I can’t take the pain any more.

‘I don’t want a life or a future you won’t be part of. I love you so much, more than life itself and can’t endure the agony of not being with you.

‘Please forgive me for ending it this way. It’s better to die with my dignity than be subjected to torture and undignified death back in Nigeria.’

May and Brown

Before she took the overdose, May had said she feared her abusers would kill her if she returned to the African country because she witnessed her father’s death.

She said: ‘If they send me back to Nigeria they are signing my death warrant, they will cut my life short because I will be killed.

‘I have found peace with Michael, he gave me a reason to live. I have got a family here and we don’t claim any benefits.

‘Michael works and I am studying to become a barrister, we have not harmed anybody.’

Mr Brown, a former soldier who now works for a removals company, insisted the

couple’s marriage was genuine and slammed the UK Border Agency for its treatment of his wife.

He said: ‘May is the most beautiful, kindest, loving person I have ever met. I can’t live with myself if anything happens to her.

‘She is the woman I want to spend the rest of my life with and you can’t pretend something like that.

‘All we want is a life together.

But I’m so angry that is being taken away from us.’

Mother-in-law Helen-Claire, 59, added: ‘May is a part of our family and the way the immigration service has treated her is so, so wrong and heartless.

‘She came here on a student

...During their wedding

visa and has applied for asylum because she fears for her life if she goes back.

‘What kind of world do we live in when a 19-year-old girl who has been through so much already feels she has no other choice but to kill herself?’

Miss Brown is studying public affairs at Weymouth College and hopes to go to university and become a barrister.

A Home Office spokesman said: ‘We cannot comment in detail on this case while legal proceedings are ongoing.

‘In cases where people are found to have no right to remain in the UK they should leave voluntarily or face removal.’

Culled from dailymail .co.uk

Church begins convention HE Church of God Mission T Int’l Inc., Ojodu Province, will hold from tomorrow to Sunday hold its provincial convention tagged Unlimited height: Dare to believe.

It will feature seminar, musicals, ministrations and lots more.

The National Presbyter, Revd Atchor Matthew is the host while the Bishop of Lagos, Rt. Revd S. F. Ugbah will minister.

Yomi Ayantoye for burial

rites for Mr. Yomi FonUNERAL Enitan Ayantoye, who died April 15 at the age of 43, began yesterday with a Christian wake at 3TB, Unit 30, LSDPC River view Estate, (Tinubu Estate), by Opic Junction, Lagos Ibadan Expressway.

He will be buried tomorrow after a Funeral service at St. Stephen’s Aglican Church, Ora – Igbomina, Osun State Diocese of Osun North East ( Anglican Communion) at 10.00am. . He is survived by a wife, children and aged father.

Ayantoye

Fidau prayer for Adeyemi HE eighth day Fidau prayer T for Otunba Adebayo Adeyemi, a community leader and educationist, who died at the age of 70, at his Ikosi/Ketu home, and has since been buried at his home town, Ishiwo in Ijebu ode Local Council of Ogun in accordance to Islamic rites, holds on Saturday, April 26, at Expressway School in Ikosi/Ketu, Lagos.

Adeyemi

METRO 13

THE GUARDIAN, Thursday, April 25, 2013

Miracles galore at Deeper Life Bible Church’s programme tors. Though today is my second time of coming here, when Mr. Tinubu was giving his testimony of what God did for him, I said: ‘God would do my own tonight.’ When the Pastor was praying after his message, he mentioned my case. I raised up my hands and he prayed for me and immediately the problem in my heart stopped and I can now move freely and even run. I praise the Lord.

Some participants who commented on the miracle night described the April session as one of the best.

Pastor Kumiyi

Monica Aina

Olakunle George

Oscar Okoro

By Isaac Taiwo HE fifth session of the monthly miracle night of the Deeper Life Bible Church took place at the Deeper Life Conference Centre, Lagos Ibadan Express road over the weekend.

Almost every road in Lagos led to the miracle night service as a lot of participants rushing to get to the venue before the commencement of programme fixed for 6.00 p.m. on Saturday, converged on Berger, some of whom were picked by Deeper Life Bible Church buses.

Security operations at the entrance of the venue were not compromised as vehicles were thoroughly searched before entry. Pedestrians who came by public transport were also screened before entry.

Worshippers in their large numbers met at various halls in the auditorium, while others gathered around loud speakers located at several points inside the venue.

Participants were not really bothered about convenience for the one-night programme, but to ensure they got the best from the monthly event.

Of note was that despite the large turnout, worshippers maintained discipline and decorum at the venue. Security officials and ushers manned their different positions to ensure atmosphere of peace.

The General Overseer’s ministration for the night was relayed through the satellite to Deeperlife locations in every state of Nigeria, Africa and other parts of the world.

His topic for the night: “Restoring the Fallen Foundation of the Righteous” was divided into three namely: Restorative Prayer, Redemptive Power and Re-assuring Promise.

Pastor Kumuyi’s ministration on what he de-

Briefs Ekiti flood: Police recover body of seven-year-old boy From Muyiwa Adeyemi, Ado Ekiti KITI State Police Command yesterday said E it has recovered the body of the sevenyear -old by, Olamide Ayeni, who was

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A cross-section of worshippers scribed as “Night of Supernatural Deliverance” was followed by scintillating testimonies.

A woman, Monica Aina, 40, who lives in Gowon Estate, Egbeda, Akowonjo, Lagos had a motorcycle accident in 2001. ‘’I was working with Federal Palace Hotel and was going to work when I was knocked down by a motorcycle. I could not get up and was taken out of the road by good Samaritans. I bled profusely. I was later operated on the right hip three times and on the left once. My wedding was approaching and still after the accident, it took place. However, later I began to use clutches and this condition threatened my marriage. My husband almost drove me away.

I fasted to come to the programme today and held the firm belief that I would receive my miracles. After the prayer of the man of God, I

PHOTOS: ISAAC TAIWO

dropped my clutches and began to walk. Praise God with me.’’

A man, who had a mental case, Olakunle George, 61, gave his testimony: Tope Agboola of Old Island District was a Christian before he went back to his old ways..

‘I was in London when I started to live a promiscuous life. I later had mental problem, which led to my repatriation. Since then, I have been living without knowing what I was doing.

But today, after the prayer of the man of God, some things flew out of me and I became conscious instantaneously.

Nwaduche Nkemdilim, 53, who lives on Lagos Island said: “I was having a serious heart problem for more than two years. When I walked, it was as if I would fall. For the past two weeks, it has been intense and had taken me to the doc-

drowned in a flood that ravaged some parts of Ado Ekiti on Sunday.

The Police Public Relations Officer of the Command, Mr Victor Babayemi, said his body was recovered at Housing Estate, along Afao Ekiti Road in the State Capital.

Babayemi said the father of the boy, Mr Mathew Ayeni, has come to identify the corpse and had been released to him for burial. The boy’s corpse was found in a ditch behind the Police Station at Oke Ila. Olamide had accompanied his 15-year-old sister, Faith, when the torrential downpour that caused serious flood in Ado Ekiti on that daY drowned him on their way home.

Sierra Leone to mark 52nd Independence Anniversary HE Sierra Leone National Association T (SLENA) in collaboration with Sierra Leone High Commission in Nigeria will tomorrow commence activities to mark the 52nd Independence Anniversary of the Republic of Sierra Leone.

In a statement, the National Co-ordinator, Issa Kamara said the event would start with a Jumat prayer tomorrow at Abdul Wahab Folawiyo Central Mosque, Shitta Roundabout, Surulere, Lagos at 1.00pm and will continue on Saturday, Independence Day, at the Federal Civil Service Club, Awolowo Road, Ikoyi at 1.00p.m. Thanksgiving service holds on Sunday at Tinubu Methodist Church, Tinubu Square, Lagos at 10.00 a.m.

Photonews

Managing Director, UPDC, Hakeem Ogunniran (left), Chief Executive Officer 3Invest, Ruth Obih and Director, Enterprise Development Centre/Pan African University, Peter Bamkole, 3Invest’s launch of Real Estate Investor Network (REIN) and 3Investor Loyalty Programme …

Special Education Practitioner, Lola Aneke (left); Chief Executive Officer and Visionary, WOW DIVAS Group, Udo Maryanne Okonjo; Coordinator of WOW DIVAS Autism Initiative, Ifueko Karibi-Whyte and Rita Okoye at the WOW DIVAS third Autism Seminar in Lagos

Apostle Isaac Nathaniel (left) and the newly ordained Evangelist Imoh Stephen during the dedication / ordination service of the Apostolic (Mount of Zion) Church, Maryland, Ikorodu Road, Lagos

Officers of Nigerian Air Force during a sanitation exercise at a notorious hideout for criminals at Church Street, Oshodi, Lagos, as a part of activities to mark the just-oncluded 2013 NAF Week… in Lagos

14 | THE GUARDIAN, Thursday, April 25, 2013

TheGuardian 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 Kidnappers on rampage again!

S kidnapping spreads like wild fire all over Nigeria, the refrain is A that it is no longer safe to presume anywhere or anybody is safe.

And that is bad for Nigerian government at all levels.

If the primary duty of a state is to safeguard the lives and property of citizens, the kidnappers have successfully called the efficacy of the country’s security apparatus to question.

It started as a struggle against injustice; against environmental degradation in the Niger Delta. Its terrain was the creeks and only those who operated therein ran a risk. And these were the oil majors whom the kidnappers saw as making a fortune out of the people’s misfortune. The perception was that the oil majors were behind the despoliation of their land. In that context it was a people’s way of protesting against what was seen as injustice and a selfhelp to right it. Of course those who indulged in kidnapping knew it was criminal to do so, that they were mere deviants breaking the law and would face the consequences if caught. All at a sudden it permeated the South East zone, this time not as a struggle against injustice but as a veritable source of instant prosperity. It thrived so well that its rank and territory spread to the extent that it became a menace in Edo State. It got so bad that the Oba of Benin had to place a curse on the kidnappers as life became more and more miserable for the people of the state.

Now it has become an uncontained national tragedy with Lagos joining part of the conquered territory. Its latest victim is Kehinde Bamigbetan, the Chairman of Ejigbo Local Council Development Area for whom a ransom of N15 million is believed to have been paid for his freedom. That is how daring the kidnappers have been.

Yet there are security agencies – the Army, Navy, Air Force, Police, and others paid to ensure security of lives and property. If they had functioned optimally, kidnapping by now should have been curbed. Poor funding, shoddy planning, wrong policies and inept prioritisation are some of their challenges.

Regrettably, the allegation is that some operatives of these agencies are even accomplices. Time has come for concerted effort on the issue of kidnapping. Government cannot continue to give the impression that it is clueless on issues of threat to lives and property of its citizenry. A government that watches as ransom is being paid to kidnappers defeats its essence. It exposes its authority and legitimacy to question. As a matter of urgency, government should empower the security agencies to combat crime. Not only must they be properly equipped, their morale should be boosted to make them less susceptible to complicity. In addition, the systemic unemployment must be addressed. There is a nexus between the crime rate and spiralling joblessness in the country as too many idle hands are making the whole country a devil’s workshop.

Furthermore, the political class must ensure optimum and equitable utilization of the nation’s resources in a way that makes no one feel arbitrarily deprived or oppressed or disadvantaged by reason of not belonging to the class or connected to the people in the corridors of power. They should also be less extravagant in the midst of ravaging poverty that is the lot of most Nigerians. They should do a self-appraisal to see whether they have been just to the people who voted them into office and whether they have not built a mass of discontented and disoriented people who find different ways of expressing their discontentment. Above all, corruption has occasioned a level of anger within the populace hitherto unknown in this society.

The Niger Delta militancy, the Boko Haram insurgency and the wave of kidnappings for ransom, armed robbery and assassinations are manifestations of disenchantment with the style of governance.

However, this is no justification to take to criminality.

And those who live by crime should know that there could never be any legitimate reason for their crimes. Kidnapping, whatever the motive behind it, is a serious crime. Nigeria must be rid of it.

LETTERS

Stop the assault on the media

IR: The Committee for the wherever they are to stand up Protection of Peoples and condemn this barbaric SMandate (CPPM) is disturbed assault on the fundamental and condemns in its entirety the mindless, barbaric, irresponsible, irresponsive, crude, uncivilized action of the security agencies in assaulting the rights and dignity of the media without provocation.

Only recently, Nigerians sensibilities and dignity as responsible members of the human community were assaulted by the gestapo tactics of the Nigeria Police in assaulting the constitutional and fundamental rights of some senior journalists of the Leadership newspaper for exercising their legitimate right to freedom of expression.

To compound matters, we at CPPM were disturbed but not shocked when in its usual style, the Presidency, which is supposaed to champion observance of regard for due process and rule of law in a country that prides itself as the giant of Africa came out shamelessly to justify this infraction of the law of the land by the Police and thus confirmed public insinuations of it being a co-conspirator in this national show of shame.

And recently, it was reported in some dailies on Tuesday, April 16, 2013 that some journalists were assaulted in the discharge of their constitutional duties by men and officers of Kick Against Indiscipline (KAI) and the Nigeria Police in Lagos, which is condemnable in all ramifications.

We are hereby calling on all lovers of peace and freedom

and constitutional right of an institution, which is the voice and mouthpiece of the oppressed and voiceless.

We are hereby calling on the Lagos State Government and the State House of Assembly to immediately call the KAI agency to order by re-orientating them on the ethos of civility, which is a tenet of democracy and as well tender an unreserved apology to the journalists and the media as a whole.

We are equally calling on the Inspector General of Police, M.D. Abubakar to immediately call his men to order to refrain

from this usual unconstitutional assault on the legitimate rights of the media at the expense of their constitutional duties of securing lives and properties. The Police must equally tender an unreserved apology to the media for this national embarrassment, which is fast becoming a recurring decimal.

We also enjoin both the Lagos State Government and the Nigeria Police authorities to ensure that its men involved in this act are brought to justice so as to serve as a deterrent to others who might want to smear the image of the institution they represent.

• Nelson Ekujumi, Executive Chairman, CPPM.

Jonathan’s unfair treatment of health professionals IR: With the recent constiSboards tution of the governing of federal health institutions as reported in your newspaper and the exclusion of other health professionals such as nurses, medical laboratory scientists, pharmacists, etc, from the boards, it is clear that the present administration has remained biased, illfocused and not willing to change its style in handling the crisis rocking the health sector. It is very unfortunate that an educated president seems not to understand the intricacies/consequences involved in matters like this and allows Prof. Onyebuchi to mislead him.

This is not a military regime where things are done anyhow.

How can you constitute a board without including the different stakeholders in the health sector as members? It is clear that Mr. President does not wish the health sector well. It will be recalled that the different health sector unions had earlier called for the removal of the health minister but this fell on deaf ears.

The president has disappointed health professionals in the country by his recent action and with the continued retention of Prof. Onyebuchi as health minister.

• Joshua Anunibe, Lagos.

THE GUARDIAN, Thursday, April 25, 2013

BUSINESS

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Business Appointment P25 Job creation tops G20 agenda at World Bank meeting

Govt halts manual processing of petroleum products

By Roseline Okere

a bid to stem large-scale IofNfraud in the distribution petroleum products from the major depots to other areas in the country, the Federal Government has commenced full electronic tracking and monitoring of distribution trucks.

Specifically, Petroleum Equalization Fund

(Management) Board (PEF) has embarked on 100 per cent electronic complement of loading of petroleum products.

Over N17 billion is paid yearly to petroleum products transporters, for distributing products nationwide, which is billed into every litre of products purchased by consumers.

Over N17 billion is paid yearly to petroleum products transporters, for distributing products nationwide, which is billed into every litre of products purchased by consumers The e-monitoring, codenamed, Project Aquila, is the initiative of the Petroleum Equalization Fund (Management) Board, (PEF),

which is responsible for paying petroleum truck drivers the cost of delivery or bridging from one destination to another.

Managing Director Hewlet Packard (HP) Nigeria, Ime Umo (left); District Manager, HP Western, Southern, Eastern Africa, Jean-Paul Pinto, Category Manager HP West Africa, Ify Udoji and Channel Manager, Intel Corporation Nigeria, Robinson Babatunde, at the unveiling of the New HP ElitePad 900 with Intel ® Atom ™ Z2760 Processor in Lagos, yesterday

CBN seeks more timeframe for AMCON operations

By Chijioke Nelson HE Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has advocated a longer timeframe for the operations of the Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON), to enable it complete it activities successfully.

The CBN governor, Mallam Lamido Sanusi, who made the appeal on the sidelines of the just concluded Spring Meetings of the International Monetary Fund (IMF)/World Bank, also expressed his delight with the recent IMF Article IV report on Nigeria.

He however, stated that the bank is cautiously monitoring the nature of funds coming into the economy, with eyes on the risk of speculative attack on the country’s external reserves.

Explaining why the Assets Management Corporation of Nigeria AMCON should be allowed to complete the designed 10-year timeframe required to complete its operations, Sanusi said that the model used in establishing AMCON showed that the

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AMCON should be allowed to complete the designed 10-year timeframe required to complete its operations... The model used in establishing AMCON showed that the nation’s banking system would be able to recover the debts under 10 years nation’s banking system would be able to recover the debts under 10 years.

According to him, it might not augur well to pressurize banks into making this recovery in shorter and sudden period of time, to avoid some obvious inherent risky behaviour and panic within the banking system.

He said that AMCON has helped to restore confidence in the Nigerian banking system and would not like any development that could trigger crisis of confidence in the system again.

The CBN Governor suggested an amendment to the AMCON Act, which would empower the President to commence dissolution process without recourse to the National Assembly, as soon as there is a development that suggests moral

hazard is beginning to manifest.

Meanwhile, hopes may have been raised for an adjustable Monetary Rate Policy, as CBN said the nation’s inflationary level has dropped to 8.6 per cent, while efforts are still ongoing to shore up the external reserves.

But, the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, stated that though macro-economic fundamentals of the country were strong, there was equally strong vulnerability arising from the drop in crude oil output and price.

She noted that if the trend should continue, Nigeria could be losing about $1 billion monthly on average.

Okonjo-Iweala further told the world bodies that there was no cause for alarm how-

ever, stating that Nigeria already accumulated a buffer of about $7billion, which had become handy in cushioning the expected revenue shortfall, stating that the budget remains on course.

The minister reminded the head of the IMF that Nigeria would be rebasing its National Income Account and requested it to work with the country’s official on the project and to set up an advisory board to supervise the process in order to instill global credibility.

Earlier, the IMF Managing Director, Christine Lagarde, had expressed happiness over the fact that Nigerian officials were on top of the issues regarding their economy and was pleased that some members of the National Assembly were present in this year’s Spring Meetings.

According to her, this would foster better understanding and cooperation with the managers of the economic and financial system in Nigeria.

The Board’s Head of Government and Public Relations, Goddy Nnadi, who made the disclosure to The Guardian yesterday, said that the implementation of the Project Aquila started in January 2013.

According to him, the board will no longer process any payment to petroleum product distributors who refused to comply with the new directives.

He stated: “We have started full automation of our payment and monitory of petroleum product marketers. We are covering 68 depot and we have gone 100 per cent, which means that we will no longer process anything manually. We have stopped all manual processing since March and we want to ensure that we clear the remaining ones by June. We may give those marketers with issues in their payment up to September to ensure that we are not owing any marketer”.

Nnadi said Aquila would eliminate fraudulent practices arising from fictitious claims, products diversion, and ultimately, scarcity associated with delays in the payment of bridging

claims by oil marketers and transporters in the downstream petroleum sector.

He explained that the new system had been undergoing fine-tuning for the past two years, assuring that claims can be paid within few weeks of the submission of application.

He also noted that the new system, the first of its kind that will confirm the delivery of petroleum products in Nigeria, is almost tamper or hacking proof.

He added: “We started sensitizing the marketers across the country on Monday and they are very excited with the new system”.

Speaking on the benefits of the new system, Nnadi stated: “This automation of your services will ensure availability of products in every parts of the country.

Nobody will be able to divert products and it will save the country a huge sum of money, which would have been wasted to irregularities in the old system. The system is very transparent as everybody can confirm the movement of trucks and when

THE GUARDIAN, Thursday 25, 2013

16 BUSINESS

Nigeria seeks partnership with Brazilian investors on agriculture From Joke Falaju, Abuja HE Federal Goernment has requested for a close partnership with the Brazilian Government so as to boost agriculture potential in the country.

The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Dr. Akinwumi Adesina made this call during a dinner with Brazilian investors and stakeholders in agribusiness in Sao Paulo during an official tour of agro-ventures in Brazil recently,.

According to the Assistant Public Relation officer in the ministry Mrs. Jokpeyibo Idowu, the minister listed

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the key areas he believed Nigeria and Brazil could come together to include; Horticulture, Beef, Mechanization, Soybean, Cassava, Maize and Ethanol.

He submitted that the growing influence of Brazil in global economic fora is linked to her ability to feed herself and export to the world community.

Adesina mentioned that efforts made so far under ATA has made Nigeria the fourth fastest growing economy in the world and number one when it comes to foreign direct investment, so there is no doubt that Nigeria is coming up just as Brazil” he said.

He said that the country’s agricultural potential currently stands at $99Billion a year “and we want to grow it to about $256Billion yearly but we should not wait till 10 years or 20years before seeking credible partnership with those whose history is in sync with Nigeria’s”.

He believed Nigeria has a lot to learn from Brazil experience in order to achieve the purpose of Agricultural Transformation Agenda The goal of the transformation he told the Brazilian investors is, to add 20million Metric tons of food to the domestic food supply and create 3.5million jobs over a period of four year.

To ensure that the goal was met, he said Nigeria has started to do agriculture differently by treating it as a business rather than a developmental project and allowing the private sector to lead the fight against hunger and poverty.

He stressed, ‘it is not the job of government to produce anything, the job of the government is to provide enabling environment, policies, institutions, incentives, infrastructure and regulations to get agriculture to grow, so we have taken the government out of it and allowed the private sector to take a centre stage”.

Executive Vice Chairman/CEO, Nigeria Communications Commission, Eugene Juwah(left) Executive Chairman, Interconnect Clearing House Nig. Ltd, Rear Admiral Allison Madueke (Rtd.) Director, Products and Services, Etisalat Nigeria, Lucas Dada; Director, PMO Operational Strategy, Etisalat Nigeria, Ndidi Okpaluba, and Manager, Retail Operations, Etisalat Nigeria, Nina Itemuagbor on a tour of Etisalat Nigeria stand during the flag off of the Mobile Number Portability scheme in Lagos

BUA launches backward integration scheme for subsidiary UA, one of Nigeria’s lead- with the support of Governor ernment and people of the mated plant with the technolB ing indigenous conglom- Idris Wada by assisting us state, and be a loyal and pro- ogy deployed from Brazil, erates, is launching a backward integration scheme in its sugar subsidiary plantation in Kogi S tate before the end of the year.

Group Executive Director of BUA Group, Kabiru Rabiu said Cultivation on the land will commence in the last quarter of the year. The plantation will assist in boosting the sugar production of the Group and enhance employment, and open up opportunities for ancillary industries.

According to him, the plantation is structured to generate its own power during the process of converting molasses to sugar, while provision has also been made for gas supply to fire its turbines.

BUA owns the second largest sugar refinery in SubSaharan Africa, located in Lagos Nigeria with an installed capacity of 720,000 metric tons per annum and is set to commission a second sugar refinery with the same capacity in Ports Harcourt, Rivers State next year. The company also acquired Lafiagi Sugar Company (Lasuco), Kwara State through a privatisation exercise in 2010.

Recently the Governor of Kogi state Capt. Idris Wada confirmed the allocation of land to BUA for the setting up the proposed plantation.

Rabiu sais: “We are pleased

toward setting up a sugar plantation in Kogi state. We promise to support the gov-

ductive corporate citizen.

“The plantation will be a modern state of the art auto-

widely known as having the best technology in sugar pro-

THE GUARDIAN, Thursday, April 25, 2013

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THE GUARDIAN, Thursday, April 25, 2013

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20 BUSINESS

THE GUARDIAN, Thursday, April 25, 2013

Mobil’s JV signs agreement on Qua Iboe power project

By Roseline Okere ETERMINED to achieve the 10,000MW power aspiration of the Federal Government and possibly surpass it, Mobil Producing Nigeria Unlimited (MPN), operator of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) / MPN Joint Venture (JV), has signed a Seller’s Representative Agreement (SRA) for the Qua Iboe Power Project, located at MPN’s Qua Iboe terminal in the state of Akwa Ibom State.

The Managing Director, Mobil producing Nigeria, Mark Ward, speaking on the new development. stated that the project was a tangible demonstration of the company’s commitment to Nigeria and supports the President’s priority of pro-

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viding electricity to the country.

A media statement signed by the General Manager, Public & Government Affairs of MPN, Paul Arinze, stated: “The signing of the SRA was a critical part of the overall commercial framework that enables MPN to undertake power activities and facilitates the sale of power by MPN to Nigerian Bulk Electricity Trading Plc for itself and on behalf of Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation.

“Front End Engineering Design and Environmental Impact Assessments for the project have been concluded, while commercial tenders for Engineering, Procurement and Construction are near completion”.

The power station is expect-

ed to supply 500 mega watts to the national grid and ensure the effective utilisation of the nation’s gas resources, which will bring significant benefits to the Nigerian people.

Nigeria has been keen to raise domestic power generation through independent power projects, but lack of a strong regulatory framework has attracted little new private sector investments.

But the world’s eighthbiggest oil exporter has recently made increasingly strident public demands for

Western oil firms to help raise domestic gas use, saying the time has come for companies that have seen decades of profit to help resolve its chronic power crisis.

Nigeria, Africa’s most populous nation of about 160 million people, has the capacity to generate around 6,000 MW, but generation often plunges to less than 2,000 MW, largely due to a lack of maintenance at power stations. South Africa, with a third of Nigeria’s population, has over 10 times the

Canada plans new investments in Nigeria

By Chijioke Nelson IGERIA’s current privatization and banking sector reforms may have encouraged a fresh investment interest in the international community, just as Canadian investors are beginning to take another look at the business climate.

The Canadian Minister of International Trade, Ed Fast, who made the disclosure, said the rolling out of wideranging reforms across Nigeria’s economy is prompting investors to take a “fresh look” at the country for investment.

Fast, according to Oxford Business Group, commended Nigeria’s privatisation and anti-corruption reform efforts, adding that changes introduced in the banking sector, in particular, would enhance the investment climate.

He said: “These ongoing changes will create better opportunities for all Nigerians and for investors from around the world.

“Canadian businesses are taking a fresh look at Nigeria and the opportunities it presents.

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They see that the environment is good for business, including a fair and strong regulatory framework to support and protect them.”

He said Canada was now working closely with the government to address issues relating to security which, he said, would help the Nigerian-Canada Business Association in its bid to double the volume of trade to $6 billion by 2015.

“It is important that security threats are addressed, particularly because security and prosperity go hand-in-hand,” Fast said.

The minister added that while Nigeria’s extractive industries remained a focal point of interest for Canadian businesses, other sectors, such as information and communications technology (ICT), were playing a growing role in bilateral trade and investment.

“While diversified trade and investment are vital to our bilateral relationship, the extractive sector can also be an important driver of sustainable economic growth and poverty reduction in

THE GUARDIAN, Thursday, April 25, 2013

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23 BUSINESS

THE GUARDIAN, Thursday, April 25, 2013

Lagos records 400,000 additional tax payers

By Kamal Tayo Oropo OLLOWING the expiration Fgiven of the April 12, 2013 deadline by the Lagos State Government to tax defaulters, government said it has now succeeded in capturing an additional 400,000 new tax payers into its tax dragnet.

Special Adviser to Governor Babatunde Fashola on Taxation and Revenue, Mr. Shodipo said on Tuesday during a ministerial briefing to herald the sixth anniversary of the Fashola administration.

He explained that the development had increased the number of taxpayers from 2.7million to 3 .1million, adding it had resulted to a six per cent revenue growth for the state.

Shodipo, however, pointed out that compliance level in the state was still far from being satisfactory as no fewer than five million taxable adults defaulted in tax payments.

“We have got some people at the informal sector too especially at the markets. This is a

remarkable improvement but it is not where we want to be as there are still some five million people who defaulted.

“Though we have begun enforcement but we are urging voluntary compliance.

When people comply it saves costs as we do not spend money from other tax payers on enforcement activities”.

According to him “People should fulfill their part of the social contract by paying their taxes. This will enable the government to mobilise enough resources and deliver more

development in the state”.

Shodipo added that a number of organisations and individuals were currently being prosecuted by government for tax evasion, adding no fewer than 20 of such cases were at the different courts.

He, however, said out of court settlements were being discussed with those of the defaulters willing to pay, stating the option was in the best interest of both parties.

The SA said the government had set up a revenue complaint centre for complaints

on tax related issues, explaining residents having difficulty obtaining their tax cards could complain at the centre.

Shodipo stated that the state`s tax policy aimed at improving the overall quality of life through maximization of revenue potential and not to put burden on citizens.

He said the administration of Land Use Charge in the last one year had significantly improved in terms of effective service delivery, data credibility and revenue collection.

Shodipo said the Lagos State

Anambra commences distribution of N1 billion cheque to farmers From Uzoma Nzeagwu, Awka OVERNOR Peter Obi has commenced the distribuG tion of the Commercial Agricultural Credit Scheme (CACS) to the third batch of beneficiaries.

The ceremony, which took place at the Women Development Centre, Awka, yesterday involved the disbursement of about N525 million to 288 co-operatives society and 273 individuals farmers.

Gov. Obi disclosed that this is in addition to about N418 million earlier distributed to 165 cooperative and 166 individuals in the state.

Addressing the beneficiaries, He said the empowerment was in line with the policy of his administration in agriculture. He said, “the loan would assist in the increase of productivity, ...create employment opportunities in the drive to achieve the Millennium Development Goals etc”, explaining that small farmers are indispensable in building and sustaining the Agricultural sector.

He enjoined the farmers to ensure prompt repayment of the loan to enable other farmers benefit.

The Commissioner for Agriculture, Mr. Ndubisi Menakaya said, the State agricultural policy was geared towards developing agricul-

CBN sees effective cash-less policy in state ture into viable business, move from subsistence to mechanized agriculture and attract investors who would help to expand the sector.

He said that the State would take delivering of over one hundred tractors within the next two months while one of the biggest poultry in Africa, among other big time farmers are coming to invest in the State.

In his remark, the state Chairman of All Farmers Association of Nigeria, Chief Nnamdi Mekoh said the intervention if well utilized, would translate to significant increase in food production and drastic reduction in dependence on food items from other states, as well as create jobs for youths and women.

Meanwhile, the Branch Controller of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) in Awka, Mazi Azubuike Okoro has expressed hope that the Cashless policy when implemented in Anambra would be effective as the Apex bank would engage all relevant stakeholders to spread the message in the state.

He said that the cashless policy was introduced into the system as measure to reduce the level of corruption in the coun-

try, arguing that most of the societal ills in the system today like corruption, extortion, executive embezzlement among others take place because cash is involved.

He said in an interview with newsmen in Awka recently, that vital information indi-

cates that Anambra has been proven to have the largest number of phone users, about 95 percent, as he argued that if mobile banking is introduced in the state, it will record much success because of the high rate of literacy.

“We are getting it right, with experience from introducing it in Lagos we have learnt a lot

and we can assure you that by the time it is introduced in other states, there will be a lot of improvement on”.

The controller said the bank was perfecting strategies to take the new financial policy to other states in the country, saying that efforts were being made to accommodate the rural economy, which, he said,

Signage Agency (LSSA), an agency under his supervision had installed no fewer than 28,460 street directional signs across the state in the last one year.

He added that the agency planned the erection of 400 mega adverts carrying bus shelters across the state under a PPP arrangement, saying 15 of the shelters had already been delivered.

He stated that no fewer than 86,532 houses had been covered by the agency in the last one year under its house numbering project, saying the project was on course to cover more.

Shodipo also said the government had strengthened the monitoring of the activities of lottery operators in the state to ensure they operated within the confines of the law.

He called on residents to assist the government in promoting the course of development by paying their taxes and shunning acts that constituted a threat to progress.

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Appointments Job creation tops G20 agenda at World Bank meeting

Director General, National Agency for Control of Aids, Prof. John Idoko (left); Executive Director of Global Fund, Mark Dybul and Abbassador Friends of the Global Fund Africa, Emmuanuel Babayero, during a press conference on ‘’Impact Assessment of Global Funds Intervention in Nigeria ‘’.

From Mathias Okwe and Bukky Olajide, Washington D.C. OB creation was one of the JFinance major highlights of the G20 Ministers and Central

Bank Governors meeting at the ongoing World Bank event that is taking place in Washington.

Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors had met to discuss the current situation in the global economy and to bring forward the policy agenda for our Leaders’ summit in September.

In a communiqué made available after the meetings, the G20 said: ‘’We reaffirmed our determination to raise growth and create jobs”.

The G20 observed that while the global economy has avoided some major tail risks and financial market conditions have continued to improve, however, global growth has continued to be too weak and unemployment remains too high in many countries.

They noted that recovery remains uneven and is progressing at different speeds

with emerging markets experiencing relatively strong growth, the United States demonstrating a gradual strengthening of private demand, and the recovery in the euro area as a whole yet to materialise.

They observed further that policy uncertainty, private deleveraging, fiscal drag, impaired credit intermediation, and a still incomplete rebalancing of global demand continue to weigh on global growth prospects. Mediumterm challenges are also present in many economies, including those related to fiscal sustainability and financial stability.

In their words: “We have agreed that while progress has been made, further actions are required to make growth strong, sustainable and balanced. Some countries have taken steps to stimulate activity since we last met. In particular, Japan’s recent policy actions are intended to stop deflation and support domestic demand. In addition, Korea announced an active macroeconomic policy package.

However, much more is needed to fulfill our commitment to address the ongoing weakness in the global economy.

“Major policy priorities remain largely the same. In the euro area the foundations of economic and monetary union should be enhanced, including through an urgent movement towards banking union, further reducing financial fragmentation, and continued strengthening of banks’ balance sheets. Further progress toward a balanced medium-term fiscal consolidation plan is necessary for the United States, although significant deficit reduction has already been achieved.

Japan should define a credible medium-term fiscal plan.

Large surplus economies should consider taking further steps to boost domestic sources of growth. We will continue to implement ambitious structural reforms to increase our growth potential and create jobs.

“We reiterate our commitments to move more rapidly toward more market-determined exchange rate systems

SURE-P tackles unemployment in Taraba with N1.7 billion From Charles Akpeji, Jalingo O address the high rate of youth unemployment in Taraba, the Federal Government has made available N1.7 billion to SURE-P in the state for the immediate implementation of projects.

According to the state Commissioner of Social Welfare, Youth and Sport, Alhaji Abdulhadi Haruna Lau, the amount would go a long way to reduce the increasing rate of poverty and restiveness “in our youths” In order not to betray the trust reposed on the state by the Federal Government, the Acting Governor, Alhaji Garba Umar, according to the commissioner has constituted a

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high power committee to map out ways to put smiles on the faces of the teeming unemployed youths through the programme “The amount, without waste of time, inspired the state acting governor” whom, according to him “immediately constituted a high powered committee comprising members of the state Executive Council to deliberate on how best the programme will commence and succeed in the state”.

The committee, according to him “met and brainstormed on the way forward and since then have come out with a standard road map and framework for the successful implementation of the SURE-P pro-

gramme as approved by the Taraba state Executive council.”

According to The Guardian enquiry, about 400 tri-cycles (Keke Napep), commercial motor cycles and lots of empowerment equipments may form part of the empowerment programme.

Council chairmen and other persons assigned with the distribution of the form, have been cautioned to desist from politicizing.

The state also directed that 35 per cent slots should be made available for women and “five per cent participation of other vulnerable persons in the society for example, the physically challenged”.

and exchange rate flexibility to reflect underlying fundamentals, and avoid persistent exchange rate misalignments. ‘’ We will refrain from competitive devaluation and will not target our exchange rates for

competitive purposes, and we will resist all forms of protectionism and keep our markets open. We reiterate that excess volatility of financial flows and disorderly movements in exchange rates have adverse implications for economic and financial stability.

“Monetary policy should be directed toward domestic price stability and continuing to support economic recovery according to the respective mandates of central banks.

We will be mindful of unintended negative side effects stemming from extended periods of monetary easing.

“We reaffirm the important role that Regional Financing Arrangements (RFAs) can play in the global financial safety nets. Further facilitating the dialog among RFAs, as well as strengthening cooperation and increasing complementarities between the IMF and RFAs, while safeguarding the independence of the respective institutions, could support financial stability and thus help promote growth.

We note the IMF work on stocktaking of its engagement with RFAs, as well as the recent G20/IMF seminar that reviewed developments in RFAs and explored options for enhancing their cooperation with the IMF. Starting from

this basis, and building on the principles for IMF-RFA cooperation we agreed in Cannes, we will discuss possible ways to further enhance that cooperation at our next meeting, in order to assess possible options for further policy recommendations by the time of the Leaders’ Summit in St. Petersburg”.

On financial regulation, the communique explained that half of G20 jurisdictions have now issued final regulations to implement Basel III, and the remainder commits to do so as soon as possible in 2013.

Its words: “We welcome the assessments, in some cases initial and ongoing, by the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision of consistency of these regulations with its framework and look forward to further progress on ensuring the conformity of the regulations with the Basel III text.

We look forward to the July report on comparability of risk-weighted assets. Summit on the progress made towards ending “too big to fail”.

The G20 also reiterated their support for Financial Action Task Force (FATF) work, notably the identification and monitoring of high-risk jurisdictions with strategic Anti Money Laundering (AML)/Combating of Financial Terrorism (CFT).

26 APPOINTMENTS

THE GUARDIAN, Thursday, April 25, 2013

‘Private sector partnership with Labour will accelerate provision of houses for workers’ The Group Executive Vice Chairman of Kriston Lally EPC, Mustapha Madawaki, in this interview with COLLINS OLAYINKA, of our Abuja Bureau, explains the factors that influenced the agreement with the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) to build affordable houses for workers in the country. Excerpts: IVE us the background to G the agreement with the Nigeria Labour Congress to provide houses worth about N960 billion to members?

As a Nigerian, I have been working for this consortium for a long time and we have done similar projects in neighbouring African countries such as Cameroun, Ghana and Cote d’Ivoire.

Convinced that such projects could work here in Nigeria, I spoke to the leaders of the consortium on the need to penetrate the Nigerian market. The leaders of the consortium visited the country many times and then decided that it may be worthwhile to come to Nigeria. We then decided to partner with Labour for two reasons. The first reason is informed by the size of the NLC with a sizeable number of members of around eight million. The second reason is that most members of the NLC are predominantly middle class. The consortium is convinced that we can contribute our own quota to bridging the gap that exists in the housing sector in Nigeria. These factors influenced our discussions with Labour and the discussions have been very useful. Upon contacted, the NLC set up a

committee, which invited us to make presentations and answered questions on areas of concern. At the end of the day, our presentations were accepted and we were then invited for formal discussions, which culminated into signing the agreement after fruitful discussions with our financiers abroad who now gave us a credit line of $6 billion for the project.

Who is providing the funding and how are the financiers convinced to put $6 billion into the Nigerian business environment that has been described as not too conducive within the international business circle?

I am convinced that there are good policies on ground. The NLC on their own contacted several state governments requesting for land, which they got. That is why we are able to start the project in a number of states. The Federal Government has liberalised the investment in infrastructure services, which enables people to bring in their money to invest and repatriate their investment without having any problem. And I think to an investor this is important. Secondly, there is a huge gap in the provision of housing in Nigeria that cannot be

Madawaki bridged easily by the government alone. Bridging this gap requires a number of years of hard work and cooperation with the private sector. With the size of Nigeria that has about 170 million people, if something drastic is not done, this gap will continue to expand and may even get out of hand. So, we feel that we can recoup our investment with the help of government policies, the cooperation of the NLC and our bankers. I am convinced that the atmosphere is conducive enough for investment in housing schemes.

The funds are not coming from banks. We all very well know that one cannot borrow from banks to build houses

and sell because for that to happen the prices would have to be at cut-throat figures.

Borrowing from foreign institutions is also cumbersome because their interests come in foreign exchange. We then decided that we should look for people of like-minds and have money in the construction industry that is translated in gold and diamond and stocked in banks for safekeeping. We identified, approached and convinced them that investing in the betterment of the human condition with considerable return on investment is a better option. We convinced that their money could still grow even outside of the banking sector. This is exactly what we did in Kuwaiti

project where 780 villas were built and they recouped their money. This brought a lot of confidence and the financiers are gradually coming to term with our philosophy. By extension we are bringing this to Africa especially Nigeria which has the largest population on the continent. We believe that these funds are cheap and accessible for the benefit of our country.

This sounds elitist and a project that may go beyond the reach of workers who generally belong to the middle or lower class of the society. What steps have been taken to ensure the poor benefit from the project?

Every worker is qualified to partake in the process. We decided that since we are doing this project for all strata of civil service, the houses must range from one-bedroom, to two, three and then move up to bungalow detached and semi-detached, four bedroom duplexes. A civil servant who can afford a duplex can go for it while those who cannot have a choice in the lower cadre. On the overall, we are assure of top quality service. What we have in the sector today is really a shame because people desperately need homes, structures are erected anyhow without recourse to proper planning and adherence to standards. We are going to give Nigerians top quality homes at considerably cheap prices because we have evolved a strategy that will enable us achieve this objective.

What are the strategies you have devised to make this happen and how would you reconcile cheapness and top quality houses?

That may sound contradictory. But here in Nigeria, about 90 per cent of the people build their houses using normal sand and cement to produce their blocks. We have decided that we are going to acquire quarries where we will produce granulated stones to produce our blocks. Our plan is to process stones into dusts that would then be used in place of sand for block making. This will produce blocks that are very hard and strong that can make bullets’ penetration almost impossible. This is our minimum standard and it will be used for all the houses irrespective of size. We will bring in three mobile block-making equipment that have the capacity to produce about 100,000 and 200,000 blocks per day. The equipment will be moved from one location to another within not-too-far away locations. The factories would be located in Lagos, Abuja and either Port Harcourt or Kano as the case may be. Because we are doing these ourselves and also ensure all our sub-contractors use the same blocks, negotiating with cement manufacturers with a view to getting lower price that cuts off the middlemen completely, we expect the amount used in building the houses would come down and enhance our ability to offer them at lower prices to Nigerian workers.

THE GUARDIAN, Thursday, April 25, 2013

APPOINTMENTS 27

Health workers may down tools May 2 From Kehinde Olatunji, Ibadan EALTH workers, under the aegis of Allied Health Care Professionals, are set for a showdown with their medical counterparts in the nation’s teaching hospitals over alleged injustice and marginalisation in the distribution of leadership positions.

The group threatened to down tools from May 2 if the Federal Government fails to address the injustice being meted out to them.

The professionals comprising Pharmacists, Radiographers, Dieticians, Medical Laboratory Technologists and Physiotherapists among others called on President Goodluck Jonathan to take some urgent actions that would prevent innocent patients from suffering in the hospitals.

Addressing reporters on the development at the premises of the University College Hospital (UCH),Ibadan, the

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National President of the health professionals, Felix Faniran who was flanked by the Chairman of the union, UCH chapter, Olusegun Sotiloye accused the medical practitioners of treating other professionals in health care sector as inferior.

They particularly frowned at the positions being occupied by medical doctors at the detriment of other professionals.

He said, “The Federal Government should implement the report of the presidential committee on a harmonious work relationship among health workers and professional groups in the health sector in Nigeria.

“They should ensure that all health professionals have equal opportunities of rising to the peak of their careers in line with their schemes of service.

“The post of the Chief Medical Director/Medical Director should be re-designated as

Chief Executive Officer and made open to all health professionals with proven competence and managerial expertise”.

While pleading with President Goodluck Jonathan to use his office to avert total collapse in the health sector, they said he should look into the issue of multiple salary structure in the sector, which they said, was responsible for incessant crises in the hospitals.

They are currently on a sevenday warning strike which remains some days to expire after which they said they would give the government till May 2 to address their demands.

The group warned that it should not be held responsible for the collapse of activities in the teaching hospitals.

“Henceforth, we would not sit back and hold fold our hands while positions like the Chief Medical Director is being monopolized by medical prac-

titioners.”

They also called for the removal of the Minister of Health, Prof.

Onyebuchi Chukwu for being one sided in fighting for the cause of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) alone while neglecting other unions in health sector to suffer.

Reacting to the allegations, the Medical and Dental Consultants’ Association of Nigeria (MDCAN) UCH chapter said professionals in the health sector must put the patient at the centre rather than engaging in unhealthy rivalry.

The Chairman of the association, Prof. Juwon Arotiba, said that the union’s protest against the appointment of Dr. Kayode Adedapo as Director, Laboratory Services, for instance, was uncalled for.

He said, “Dr. Kayode Adedapo is suitably qualified to assist the Chairman Medical Advisory Committee in giving direction to laboratory services in the hospital”.

Edo halts post-service promotion of personnel DO State Governor, Adams Oshiomhole has cancelled post-service promotion of civil servants, saying workers will now be promoted as at when due.

He, however, assured labour unions in the state of government’s support to better the lot of the working class.

Speaking during a visit by the new executive of the Trade Union Congress (TUC) on him in Benin City, Oshiomhole said, “the state government will cooperate with the Unions because the primary purpose of government is the quality of life of the people.”

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On workers’ promotion, the Governor said: “We are going to update the promotions exercise because I have cancelled the idea of promoting people after they have retired because it makes mockery of the whole idea of promotion.

“If somebody retires in 2010 and two years later is promoted and he continues with his retirement. For me that is very ridiculous, so we have stopped that. The Head of Service has made the point that to avoid that, is to ensure that people are promoted as at when due,” he added.

A press statement issued by

the state Chief Press Secretary, Peter Okhiria, quoted the Governor as saying:”We have to clear the backlog of arrears and sustain it with huge financial implications. God has brought us here not to lament, he has brought us here to correct the ills of the past and put the state on the path of sustainable development.”

The Governor, who congratulated the new executive of the TUC in the state, urged state governments in the country to learn to work in collaboration with the unions, adding that the primary purpose of unions is the promotion of the quality

of life of members and quality of the life of working class families.

“The essence of governance is to improve the quality of life of the people and working family is a huge part of the populace. Therefore, our mandate and your mandate is not in conflict whatsoever.

Our purpose in government is to improve on the welfare of the people and your union is to deliver quality service to the people. I want to assure you that it is consistent with our mandate to work with the unions and deliver quality service to the people”.

FBN Capital bags three international awards Capital Limited, the FassetBN investment banking and management subsidiary of FBN Holdings Plc, has clinched three international awards.

The diadems are the EMEA Finance Project Finance award for ‘Best Infrastructure Deal in Nigeria 2012 (Apapa SPM)”, the Achievement Award for “Best Local Currency Bond House in EMEA” and the Global Finance “Best Investment Bank in Nigeria 2013”.

A press statement issued by First Bank explained that the awards, which are to be received from the awarding organizations at the Charity Dinner coming up in London in June and during the World Bank/IMF Meetings in Washington DC in October respectively, highlight FBN Capital’s leading position in

Project Finance and Capital Markets in Nigeria.

The “Best Local Currency Bond House in EMEA” and ‘Best Infrastructure Deal in Nigeria” awards are in recognition of FBN Capital’s excellence in deal making, according to Chris Moore, CEO & Publisher of EMEA Finance Magazine. “FBN Capital’s ability to draw together local and foreign banks to meet clients’ funding needs is a testament to the team’s deep understanding of the market.”

In a survey conducted by Global Finance, the international financial publication based in New York, with input from industry analysts, corporate executives, banking consultants and technology experts in more than 20 countries around the world, FBN Capital emerged the winner

Zenith Travels inaugurates advisory board

By Ujunwa Atueyi O chart a new direction towards the improvement of the Nigerian child and further develop its academic content to global standards using Zenith Educational Tour (ZET) as a platform, operators of Zenith Travels and Tour Limited have inaugurated advisory board members for the organisation.

The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the company, Ayodeji Olonilua, who presided over the inauguration ceremony, said ZET is the largest student travel and study tour company in SubSahara Africa, adding that it is on a mission to partner with educational establishments worldwide in making learning flexible and refreshing for young students, among others.

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He added:” The need for Nigeria to become focused and proactive in the upliftment of our education standard has again presented itself. This nation needs us to plan a new course, an enduring yet profitable educational all-inclusive structure for our children. A proactive curriculum which must include the Learning outside the classroom dimension to education, and this cannot be achieved without definitive leadership.

“This is why we have invited you all who are leaders, scholars, achiever and parents to help chart the new direction using ZET as a platform for dynamic change and improvement of our education structure for the future.”

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THE GUARDIAN, Thursday, April 25, 2013

ScienceGuardian Nigerian engineers in global race for best environment-friendly car • Shell sponsors team to 2013 Europe Eco Marathon in Rotterdam

Eco marathon... parade of cars at a recent event

By Chukwuma Muanya Very key is the journey towards the participation, the TEAM of Nigerian engineers made up of students ability to raise funds towards developing this car. The and their professors will for idea is that by the time any team goes through this the first time join over 3,000 of their colleagues from around process they must have acquired some capacity. We the world between May 15 and are looking forward to the participation of the students 19, 2013 in Rotterdam, The Netherlands in a race to under the guidance of their professors. We are hoping design, build and test ultra that we paint Nigeria in good light. energy-efficient and environment-friendly vehicles. and the UrbanConcept cate- Science. He won the award for work entitled The quest will be under the gory, which features more his of New auspices of the Shell conventional concept vehi- Development Methods for Precision Die Petroleum Development cles.

The Shell Eco-marathon is a Design. Ibhadode developed a Company (SPDC) on behalf of Shell Companies in Nigeria global initiative with similar mathematical model for the events in the United States design of forging die based on (SEPCiN).

Shell Eco-marathon chal- and Asia: Shell Eco-marathon die expansion methods, an lenges student teams from Americas took place from optimal procedure for the around the world to design, April 4 to 7, 2013 in Houston, selection of the most costdie design. build and test ultra energy-effi- United States and Shell Eco- effective General Manager, cient vehicles. With yearly marathon Asia will take place events first in the Americas, from July 4 to 7, 2013 in Kuala Sustainable Development Malaysia. and Community Relations of then Europe and Asia, the win- Lumpur, The Nigerian team include: SEPCiN, Osayande Gabriel ners are the teams that go the furthest using the least professors of engineering and Nedo, at a training workshop amount of energy. The events outstanding engineering stu- for the Nigerian team held spark debate about the future dents from the University of last week in Port Harcourt of mobility and inspire young Lagos (UNILAG), Lagos State; said the target is to design a engineers to push the bound- University of Benin (UNIBEN), vehicle that can go the fararies of fuel efficiency. Edo State; and Ahmadu Bello thest not really the fastest.

(ABU) Zaria, Nedo explained: “Very key is Every year, students from University State. the journey towards the paracross Europe push the Kaduna The UNILAG team is led by ticipation, the ability to raise boundaries of fuel efficiency during the Shell Eco- Prof. Ike Mowete of the funds towards developing marathon Europe, competing Department of Electrical and this car. The idea is that by the using vehicles they design and Electronics Engineering and time any team goes through build themselves. Record two of his best students: this process they must have breaking fuel efficiency is set Obinna Stanley Agba aged 20 acquired some capacity. We with conventional fuels such and Abraham J. Imohiosen are looking forward to the 21. participation of the students as petrol, diesel, ethanol and aged The team from UNIBEN under the guidance of their GTL fuel, as well as alternative fuels like hydrogen and elec- include: Akaehomen O. Akii professors. We are hoping tricity. In 2012 the Dutch city of Ibhadode a professor of that we paint Nigeria in good Rotterdam was temporarily Manufacturing Engineering light.

“We want to create some transformed into a street cir- and his students: Adetunji A. cuit, with over 40,000 specta- Taj-Liad aged 22 and Adekola vehicle that will enable others tors in attendance. B. Adeyemi; while the ABU to join the race, that will be This year, at the 29th edition team include Dr. Mohammed engendering collaborative of Shell Eco-marathon, over Dauda Dauda of the efforts. It is not all about winEngineering ing this time for us. It is out of 3,000 students will again com- Mechanical pete in Rotterdam from May 15 department and his students: perceived lack that creativity to 19, expecting to improve on Bartholomew Njoku aged 23 is sparked. It is being able to last year’s results. 224 teams and Yusuf Sadiq aged 21. able to use what you have to Ibhadode is the 2010 winner create what you don’t have. If from 24 countries including Nigeria have been invited to of the Nigeria Liquefied we are able to present a car compete in two categories; the Natural Gas (NLNG)-spon- that is so cheap, with clean futuristic Prototype category sored Nigeria Prize for energy that can go just a mile

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that will steal the show.

Participation is the main thing, followed by team work.

Wining the competition will be a bonus.”

At Shell Eco-marathon Europe a future generation of engineers and scientists aged 16 to 25 from around 24 countries compete in cars they design and build.

The competition brings together current and future leaders, along with a broader public passionate about energy issues. It encourages debate around sustainable solutions to the challenge of rising global energy demand.

“Success is measured on who can drive the furthest on the equivalent of 1 kWh or 1 litre of fuel, thanks to their creative designs and technical knowhow. Shell Eco-marathon Europe aims to involve European citizens in challenges related to energy and mobility, while inspiring them to consider innovative solutions. With Rotterdam as the host city, Shell brings the Ecomarathon closer to the public with a fit-for-purpose street circuit. Shell Eco-marathon Europe is a visible demonstration of Shell’s concern with helping the world to meet its growing energy needs in a responsible way and demonstrates its collaborative approach, bringing together students, partners and the public.”

Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Royal Dutch Shell, Peter Voser, said: “After visiting the Shell Eco-marathon Europe last year, I was impressed and inspired by the way students adapted to the new street circuit. Through the creativity of a new generation of engineers and a partnership with the city of Rotterdam, we aim to showcase Europe’s talent in designing innovative approaches to meeting future energy challenges.”

ASTRONOMY With J.K. Obatala

Visual comets of 2013 (6) HE scattered disc is a halfway house for homeless T comets – a cosmic hostel for icy wayfarers, whose ultimate destiny is either the inner solar system, the Oort cloud or a long and lonely exile in the sparsely inhabited expanse of interstellar space.

“About half of the objects… travel outwards towards the Oort cloud,” notes Wikipedia, “while a quarter are shifted inward to Jupiter’s orbit, and a quarter are ejected (from the solar system)…A third of the scattered disc’s population is likely to end up in the Oort cloud after 2.5 billion years”.

In a 22-page paper entitled “Oort Cloud Formation and Dynamics,” Luke Dones of Southwest Research Institute and three collaborators from Jet Propulsion Laboratory and Queen’s University, describe the Oort cloud as a “prolate spheroid with the long axis oriented towards the galactic centre”.

The Oort cloud, like the Kuiper belt, is thought to have two components. One is a spinning, eggshaped array of comets, which surrounds the solar system, and has a major axis that extends one fourth to 40 per cent of the distance from the Sun to Proxima Centauri, the nearest star.

The number of comets in the Oort cloud is estimated at 0.1 to two trillion. These bodies, consisting mainly of water ice, ammonia and methane, orbit the Sun at distances of 5000 to 100,000 A.U – so far out, in some instances, that it takes up to 30 milli0n years to make one trip around the Sun. The other component is an inner disc, known as the Hills cloud. “Models predict,” reports Wikipedia, “that the inner cloud should have tens or hundreds of times as many cometary nuclei as the outer halo; (and) is a possible source of new comets to resupply the relatively tenuous outer cloud …”.

The Oort cloud is inherently unstable—but for different reasons than the scattered disc. Objects orbiting in this region are far out of reach of Neptune, Uranus, Saturn or Jupiter, whose gravitational fields relay short period comets from the Kuiper belt to the inner solar system.

The Oort cloud is at the edge of the solar system where, according to Dones et.al. the Sun’s gravitation influence is weaker than that of nearby stars, giant molecular clouds, atomic clouds and galactic tides (the collective gravitational force of gas and dust revolving in the disc of the Galaxy).

“Occasionally,” they offer, “giant molecular clouds, stars passing nearby, or tidal forces within the Milky Way’s disc disturb the orbits of some of these bodies on the outer region of the Oort cloud, causing the object to fall into the inner solar system as a socalled long period comet”.

Every one million years or so, 11.7 stars pass within one parsec (roughly 200,000 AU) of the Sun. There have been 50,000 of these encounters, they calculate, since the inception of the solar system – sending a steady stream of long period and one apparition comets, into our region of space.

This year, according to the best estimates of astronomers, a minimum of three comets could attain naked eye visibility – pan-STARRS, Lemmon and ISON. Pan-STARRS has already made its perihelion whirl around the Sun and is now careering back to the Oort cloud.

But even as Pan-STARRS departed, Lemmon was crossing the celestial equator and was expected to appear in Northern Hemisphere skies early this month. David Dickinson, of Universe Today, cautions though, that Lemmon is iffy, as far as unaided observation is concerned.

True, it may brighten to a magnitude of between+3 and +5. But the quoted brightness of a comet, he warns “is extended over its entire surface area. Thus, while a +4th magnitude star may be easily visible in the dawn, a 3rd or even 2nd magnitude comet may be invisible to the unaided eye”.

Just in case things go sour with Lemmon, ISON will arrive in November. Yet there is a question mark here too. Although ISON is being hailed as the “Comet of the Century,” it is a sun-grazer – and could crack up during perihelion.

“Sun-grazers” either come very close to or plow into the seething solar sphere, traversing its super hot atmosphere or corona, which is magnetically heated to millions of degrees Kelvin. Some survive, while others break up or disappear.

Survivors usually put on quite a show. Their volatile ices erupt explosively, venting vast amounts ionized gases (which interact electrically with the solar wind and reradiate sunlight) along with tones of reflective cosmic dust. So expectations for ISON are high.

THE GUARDIAN, Thursday, April 25, 2013

30 SCIENCE & HEALTH

Osibogun explains high cost of medical treatment at LUTH, addresses patients’ complaints The Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), Idi-Araba, has been at the receiving end of several patients’ complaints. The hospital has been accused of charging exorbitant fees for medical services, delay in attending to patients’ needs, nonfunctional medical equipment where available, overcrowding of patients, poor attitude of health workers, among other complaints. In fact, some people say ‘LUTH is not working.’ However, Chief Medical Director of LUTH, Prof. Akin Osibogun, in this interview with CHUKWUMA MUANYA said the hospital is regularly besieged by patients because it is offering the cheapest services around and is functioning effectively within the context of the Nigerian nation as well as other disclosures.

Excerpts: HY is the cost of medical W treatment very high in LUTH? It is a function of financing because there is no free lunch even in free town. Somebody must be picking the bills. If you say things are expensive it’s either government wants to further subsidise it so that it is cheap for you. That is why I said financing is the function of the discussion I said we have to determine to what extent should government further subsidise. I will give you an example: In our own intensive care unit, we charge patients N250,000 as a deposit for the first one week. But in the private hospitals, there are only about four private hospitals in Lagos metropolis that have

true intensive care units.

Those private hospitals don’t charge less than N2.5 million.

So what is expensive about what LUTH is charging?

How about Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH)?

LASUTH charges N350,000.

So what is expensive here? In fact, our own N250,000 only started this year. We were charging N100,000.

Intensive care unit as the name implies is intensive. It involves intensive use of resources because the people are usually between life and death. So it is an expensive procedure and incident. That is why in the private sector they are charging N2 million, N2.5 million. So you can see that government has already

LUTH CMD, Prof Akin Osibogun

subsidised it that is why we are charging N250,000.

So the question you will want to ask then is why should government bear the full responsibility? That is not possible. It is not possible as I mentioned earlier that it is a shared responsibility between government, individuals and some communi-

ties.

What happens to that poor man on the street in the light of the high cost of medical treatment?

Well the mechanism that people have used in order to protect people from what we call catastrophic expenditure is medical savings or prepaid mechanisms. Prepaid mecha-

nism such as health insurance so whenever you are well now you are paying N2,000 every month so on the day you are ill the person you are paying N2,000 to now assumes responsibility for your health care needs.

But you ask people to participate in insurance scheme they will say Tufiakwa (God forbid). It is not their portion, that you are wishing them to be ill. But even in India, they have a social health insurance scheme, poor people carry small card, they pay, I don’t know what rate they pay, but pay can be determined depending on the level of economic development of society.

But the principle remains the same and if you look at developed countries like the United States, they have a mixed mechanism. There is private insurance and there is public insurance. In private insurance individuals take all kinds of policies that they want and they pay directly to the insurance company and when they have needs they make claims from those insurance companies. The government also has what is called the social health insurance scheme for the poor. So if your yearly income is below this amount then the government can now support you that is for the U.S. In Europe, Holland for instance on the average everybody must take a health insurance policy. It is the law, it is compulsory, you must

take a health insurance policy. Germany started this since 1872. The one in the United Kingdom is factored into the tax. You can restructure your tax system and factor in money for health. So it means you have to pay more tax and it means you will then be qualified for the National Health Service (NHS).

In Britain people pay as much as almost one third of their income as tax and part of that fund is now what is used to finance the NHS. But people note that even under the NHS because it is a service for everybody there are queues for certain procedures and some people who have the money and don’t what to wait on the queue can go and see a private doctor. So they have a mixed scheme as well. So people who don’t want to queue will rather go and pay rather than queue under the NHS. Some people even move out.

There have been complaints of queues and lack of bed space for patients in LUTH, even patients with emergency cases?

Let me explain to you. If they are selling something at two million in the private sector and they are selling it at N200,000 in a place, where do you think more people will go to? Naturally more people will flood the latter because the fees are relatively far cheaper than they will buy in the open market. So

CONTINUED IN PAGE 32

31

THE GUARDIAN, Thursday, April 25, 2013

NaturalHealth Natural remedies for kidney damage • Forty-three year-old patient needs urgent transplant to live • Persistent vomiting, facial puffiness, abdominal swelling, hiccups, passage of dark coloured stool top early symptoms of kidney failure

Scent leaf/basil...the leaf extracts accelerate recovery of poisoned kidney in animal models

Ginger...ginger had ameliorative effect against kidney damage induced by metalexyl and this may be mediated by its potent antioxidant activities

In recent times many Nigerians have been coming down with kidney failure needing regular dialysis and kidney transplant, with their attendant very high costs, to live.

The increase in end stage renal disease or kidney damage has been blamed on fake, substandard and adulterated drugs and food products, pesticides and insecticides to mention but a few. However, researchers have identified how to prevent kidney damage with vegetables such as beetroot, cucumber, scent leaf/basil, lettuce, ginger, and watermelon among others. CHUKWUMA MUANYA writes.

ORTY-THREE year-old Mr. Ikechukwu Osuji is FNnenna married with three children: two girls, and Chioma; and a boy, Ikechukwu, ages seven, five and two. The wife, Florence, is a house wife.

Osuji was diagnosed of end stage renal disease (kidney failure) on January 25, 2013, at the Nigerian Naval Medical Centre Naval Dockyard Wilmot Point Victoria Island, Lagos, after a two-week history of vomiting and urgently needs to travel to India for a kidney transplant to live.

Other early symptoms of kidney failure experienced by Osuji included among others: persistent vomiting, facial puffiness, abdominal swelling, hiccup, passage of dark coloured stool.

Osuji who hails from Uboegbelu Emekuku in Owerri North Local Council of Imo State was full of life few months ago before he suddenly took ill. A graduate of Insurance from the Institute of Management and Technology (IMT) Enugu, Enugu State, Osuji was a vibrant Assistant Manager with Sterling Bank Plc about a year ago with the prospect of making it to the top of the banking carrier but suddenly lost his job due to rationalisation in the banking industry.

With the challenges of fatherhood and a legion of family problems and cost of dialysis and treatment for his current condition, Osuji who resides at 43b Kano Street Ebute Metta East in Lagos Mainland is completely cleaned out of his small savings and now needs at least N10 million being estimated cost of transplantation operation (N8 million) in Nigeria and that of gratuitous reward to a kidney donor and if abroad plus cost travel logistics for himself and that of another who will accompany him for the oversea treatment.

However, to prevent kidney failure, for dietitians, nutritionists and naturopaths have identified some fruits and vegetables that boost kidney function and lower blood pressure and glucose, which are two of the major causes of kidney damage.

The kidney health boosting vegetables include: lettuce, cabbage, beetroot, scent

leaf/basil (nchuanwu in Ibo and effirin in Yoruba), bitter leaf, cucumber, watermelon, ginger (Zingiber officinale), radish, fennel, as well as honey.

Nigerian researchers from the Niger Delta University Bayelsa State and the University of Port Harcourt have found that that aqueous leaf extracts of scent leaf/basil (botanically called Ocimum gratissimum) affect the course of tubular repair after the onset of cisplatin-induced nephrotoxicity (kidney poisoning) in rats with accelerated recovery.

Cisplatin is a strong and widely used chemotherapy drug but can cause serious side effects including kidney damage.

The researchers in the study published recently in Indian Journal of Drugs and Diseases concluded: “Hence the extracts have the potential to be used for the management of nephropathies and as a therapeutic adjuvant in cisplatin toxicity.”

Previous studies found that a combination of bitter leaf (Vernonia amygdalina) and scent leaf extracts could not only reduce the blood glucose level, but protects the heart and testes against impairment and complete destruction due to diabetes.

Scent leaf/basil is known as effirin ajasin inYoruba, ebavbokho in Bini, aaid dya ta gida in Hausa, nchuanwu in Ibo, froukena in Ijaw and oran in Urhobo.

A study published in The FASEB Journal found that ginger (Zingiber officinale) ameliorates metalexyl fungicide induced kidney damage in albino mice. The Saudi and Egyptian researchers found that treating animals with metalexyl and ginger led to an improvement in the histological structure of the kidney together with significant decrease in urea and creatinine.

Metalaxyl is a fungicide linked to kidney damage.

“The results indicated that ginger had ameliorative effect against kidney damage induced by metalexyl and this may be mediated by its potent antioxidant activities,” they noted.

Osuji undergoing dialysis (inset is Osuji with wife and Chioma

The FASEB Journal is the journal of the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology.

A new British study published in the journal Hypertension on April 15 found that a cup of beetroot juice a day, or a generous helping of green vegetables, may help lower blood pressure.

The findings come from a small study of 15 men and women with high blood pressure.

Researchers from Queen Mary University of London, Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry found that people who drank 250 mL of nitrate-rich beetroot juice a day experienced blood pressure reductions of around 10 mm Hg. The reduction was highest around three to six hours after imbibing the beetroot juice, but the effect lasted 24 hours later.

While beetroots contain heart-healthy compounds like vitamins C and K, fibre and polyphenols, scientists say it is the high nitrate content that’s likely responsible for the ability to reduce blood pressure.

Other nitrate-rich vegetables include lettuce, cabbage, and fennel, which researchers say are likely to have the same effect.

Indeed, natural remedies for renal failure patients are mainly natural self-care measures which aim at controlling symptoms and complications, stabilising illness condi-

tions, slowing down illness progression and protecting remaining kidney functions so as to make patients feel better, improve their life quality and avoid dialysis or at least delay dialysis.

Several studies have shown that natural remedies for renal failure include herbal therapy and diet therapy as well as some beneficial exercises. There are many foods and herbs that can help chronic kidney failure patients. Such as radish, cucumber, beet root, water melon and honey can prevent formation of kidney stone; melon seed, ginger, basil (nchuanwu in Ibo and effirin in Yoruba) leaves are all natural and useful home remedies for lowering high blood pressure, one major cause of kidney failure.

In prior research, scientists from Baker IDI Heart and Diabetes Institute in Melbourne, Australia, found that within hours of drinking beetroot juice, a group of healthy men saw their blood pressure drop by an average of four to five points. The study was published in December in Nutrition Journal.

Meanwhile, dieticians recommend: Avoid products with added salt. Lower the amount of sodium one eats each day by avoiding products with added salt, including many convenience foods, such as frozen dinners, canned soups and fast foods. Other CONTINUED ON PAGE 47

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THE GUARDIAN, Thursday, April 25, 2013

SCIENCE HEALTH

Chevron, Foundation take free eye screening to Epe residents

By Tony Nwanne ESIDENTS of Epe community on Tuesday trooped out en masse to undergo free eyes screening and surgery exercise put together by Chevron Nigeria Limited in collaboration with Eyes Foundation Centre and Abiodun Tobun of the Epe Senatorial Constituency.

The one-week eyes screening programme, which is holding from April 22 to 26, took place at the Constituency House, Epe secretariat, Epe, Lagos State.

The screening is part of efforts by Chevron’s investment in healthy nation and to demonstrate its commitment to helping government provide health care delivery in Nigeria through various ways.

Speaking during the eye care expedition programme, the General Manager, Policy, Government and Public Affairs, Chevron Nigeria Limited, Deji Haastrup, said that the screening is necessitated in Epe community through the Eye Foundation centre to cater for the community. He said that the company supports programmes and partnerships to address diseases and epidemics like Human Immuno-deficiency Virus/Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (HIV/AIDS) that devastate communities lacking sufficient healthcare infrastructure.

Haastrup, who was represented by the Advisor, Social Performance, Chevron, Esimaje Brikinn, said: “Over the years, we have always used our community healthcare outreach and enlightenment campaigns to create awareness among various relevant communities and stakeholders within the country. We

R

provide mostly funding and support to improve health care facilities, including; building and equipment of hospitals, construction of doctors and nurses quarters as well as a number of cottage clinic.”

He commended the Eyes Foundation, who will be distributing one thousand medical glasses, one thousand allergy and antibiotics eye drops, and surgeries to identify patients during the one week screening exercise.

Meanwhile, in his remarks, Tobun said the free eye test programme resulted from a barrage of complaints received by his constituency office in Epe community.

According to him, “we do not want any member of our constituency to suffer preventable blindness because of lack of medical attention. This is why we contacted these firms to move into different local governments within my constituency to proffer solution to this growing sight problem.”

He reiterated that for those that need medical attention will be given adequate care and we hope this will yield a positive result because of the large turnout we see across the local government areas.

Apparently, describing the programme as a manifestation of good governance, the Managing Director of Eyes Foundation Centre, Dr. Adekunle Hassan, commended the residents of the community for coming out to undergo the screening, adding that, this efforts will continue on a yearly basis to bring healthy living to the door steps of Epe community.

However, a beneficiary of the eye glass, Bashiru Busari, who said he could not see an object when it is very close, com-

mended the organizers, saying: “Instead of going to the hospital to spend money, I decided to come to attend this free eye test because it will enable me to save some money.”

Another resident, Samuel Oladipupo, said: “If only other elected people in the area

could do the same thing for the people, those in need of the service would have opportunity to prevent total blindness.”

Mrs. Christiana Feyikemi, another beneficiary, said: “If this programme is sustained, the masses will be passionate about any government pro-

grammes because many of the residents here benefitted from the free eye test.”

On the problem with her eyes, an eight-year-old Eniola Akeredolu, whose eye problem started a month ago, said: “Water always come out of my eyes whenever I scratch them.

This is why my daddy brought

me here to know what is wrong with me eyes.”

The optometrists said not all the people that were tested suffered vision impairment, adding that glasses would be made available for those who have problems with their sight and whose eyes problem require lenses for correction.

The Executive Director/Chief Executive Officer (CEO), National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), Dr. Ado Muhammad, receiving souvenirs from the President, Nigeria Medical Association (NMA), Dr. Osahon Enabulele, during a courtesy visit to NMA Secretariat recently in Abuja

Addressing high cost of medical treatment, patients’ complaints at LUTH CONTINUEDFROM PAGE 30 naturally a lot of people will want to come here and naturally the place will be over crowded. We have a lot of people coming, accident and emergency patients or other emergencies. So a lot of people will naturally come here so there will be that crowd. Of course we manage as best as we can.

There have also been complaints about medical equipment not working in LUTH. Generally people say things are not working in LUTH. How is that?

I think it is an unfair statement because if you want to assess a system, if you want to assess an institution, assess that institution or system within context. You say that people say things are not working in LUTH and at the same time people are flocking the place. It doesn’t make sense. If things are not working then you will expect that no patients will be coming here.

Patients are coming here because things are working. I can give you several instances of great medical feats that we have been able perform within the context of our country.

About a year ago we took delivery of a set of quintuplets, five babies by one woman and all of them survived. Check the literature also those babies were highrisk babies.

The fact that we were able to deliver the woman, make sure that all the babies survived meant that things were

working. Apart from the sets of quintuplets we also took delivery of quadruplets, four babies. Those are high risks they cannot be delivered in primary health centres.

Those quintuplets will not survive in all those centres, they would not survive in any centre that things are not working.

I am not saying we are 100 per cent perfect that is why I said you must look at us within context. We have our challenges, electricity supply

by Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN) is a challenge therefore we run generating set in critical areas and so on. There must be once in a while where we must shut down the generating set. You cannot run the generating set 24/7 multiplied by 30 days and 365 days. You must maintain, do routine maintenance on them and even if you don’t need to do routine maintenance then you have to be looking at the cost of fuelling them all the time.

That is why I said you must look at us within context.

But on the whole I will still say we are doing excellently well because of what we have been able to achieve. We did renal transplantation in this hospital. So you cannot say things are not working.

How about the issue of the equipment?

If we don’t have the equipment we will not be able to do all we have been doing.

We have the largest number of paediatric incubators in the country. There is no hos-

pital in Nigeria that has the same number that we have and that is why we are saving the lives of a lot of babies because they are referring them from all over.

Another issue is that of the attitude of the health workers. There are complaints that they are rude. Is it because they are overwhelmed by the number of patients coming in?

It is not impossible that you have one or two people.

Every organisation must have some nasty workers but they will be in the minority because if they are in the majority then we wouldn’t have been able to achieve all those things that I say we have achieved. But they will be in the minority and often those ones give the organisation a bad name.

Are there measures to check this trend?

Oh there are measures, number one we have what we call SERVICOM established by government and we are SERVICOM compliant. SERVICOM is an acronym derived from the words SERVICE COMPACT. Compact is a formal agreement between two or more people. In this case, SERVICOM is a Service Compact (Agreement) between the Federal Government including all its organs and the Nigerian people.

We have a unit in the hospital and we have provided a phone number advising patients who are not satisfied to call that number. So if any worker is rude to you or is not doing what he/she should do, you call the number and somebody from that unit will come immediately to come and look at what is happening. That unit reports directly to me. Maybe we

need to encourage members of the public to use that number.

Where can they get the phone numbers?

The numbers are available at our critical service areas, accident and emergency and some of the wards, particularly accident and emergency. The numbers are prominently displayed there so that if you are not getting served on time, call that number and a member of the SERVICOM unit will come to see what is happening and at times the fault is on the part of the patient. Take the issue of blood for instance, in emergency cases we still use from our stock but if the stock is not replaced you will expect that we will run out of stock.

So ideally every patient should make provision for the replacement of the blood

that they were transfused with. Therefore if you ask a patient who has taken two pints of blood already and you expect that the relatives will go and donate and for one week they have not gone to donate and that patient needs another pint again.

Where do you expect us to manufacture the blood from.

So at times some of the complaints may be from the patients because the patients have failed to do what they should do. So there are rights and there are responsibilities. I will share with you, the hospital has published a leaflet detailing the rights and responsibilities of patients. I think you should help us draw attention to it so that patients should know that they should do this and once you do this, the hospital is going to do this. That is how everybody should get

NPHCDA, NMA partner to boost healthcare delivery in rural areas S part of efforts to boost A health care delivery in the country, the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) and the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) have joined forces to take efficient health services to the rural areas.

The Executive Director/Chief Executive Officer, NPHCDA, Dr. Ado J. G. Muhammad, at a recent visit to the NMA Secretariat in Abuja called on the Association to bring to bear its professional expertise in

improving primary health care services in the country.

Muhammad, according to a press statement signed by the Asst. Director Public Relations Unit of NPHCDA, Abubakar M. Musa, said the services of top professionals such as the NMA is best required in the rural areas where most Nigerians do not have basic access to efficient health services.

In appreciating the cordial relationship existing between the Agency and Association, the Executive Director, emphasized that

such partnership would enhance PHC services to the people, thereby reducing the incidence of maternal mortality in the country. He said: “There is no business as usual in the health sector again as all hands are on deck to realize Mr. President’s transformation agenda in the health sector.”

The President of NMA, Dr. Osahon Enabulele, promised robust and collaborative efforts between NPHCDA and his association towards providing improved and sustained health care service

delivery to all Nigerians.

He further stressed that with the challenge of inadequate human resources in our health centres, his association is willing to assist the Agency in whatever capacity the intervention of the NMA is required.

Enabulele also used the occasion to call on the National Assembly to enhance the passage of the National Health Bill, as the bill is crucial in addressing the health concerns of Nigerians, especially at the grassroots level.

THE GUARDIAN, Thursday, April 25, 2013

SCIENCE HEALTH 33

Again, minister dismisses fresh insinuations about polio vaccines From Emeka Anuforo, Abuja HE federal government has dismissed the claim of a certain Dr. Haruna Kaita Dean, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Ahmadu Bello University Zaria, who claims that the polio vaccines currently being administered in Nigeria were contaminated.

Haruna, who claimed to have done some laboratory analysis in Nigeria and abroad to prove his case, had claimed that the manufacturers and promoters, the vaccines had a secret agenda.

But responding to the claim of the scientist, the Federal Government had dismissed it as speculative and asked that it should be disregarded.

Minister of State Health, Dr. Mohammed Ali Pate, who spoke to The Guardian on the issue, stressed that if the vaccines were not safe, government wont approve them for use in the country. Pate also challenged the method used in conducting the test by Dr. Kaita, noting that such did not follow any known approved scientific

T

process. He also asked him to subject the process to peer view to prove his seriousness.

Pate said: “People are conflicting what happened 50 to 60 years ago with where we have now.

The rest of the world has moved on. The choice is for Nigeria whether we want to go with the majority, with progress and development or we want to go back and stick to conspiracy theories without evidence to support them.

My advice as a Nigerian to all Nigerians is to take on those that are claiming scientific expertise without meeting up to standards of science. And, we should also enlighten our people that this vaccine is safe.

“Polio is one significant or topical issue in the global health space. The idea now is to eradicate the disease and other viral diseases; and small pox is one, guinea is another disease that was supposed to be eradicated. It was not as wide-spread as polio. In 2003, when the controversy started in Nigeria, there were six countries that had not eradicated it.

Niger was one, Egypt was

another; then India, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Nigeria.

“Almost six years later, Niger has already eradicated the disease. Egypt has done it; India has already done it. So, the world has moved 98 percent to the end of polio.”

Noting that polio was currently localized in only a few places in Nigeria, he stressed that 22 states had not recorded polio in almost three years.

His words: “Most of our local governments have been polio-free.

Most Nigerians accept polio vaccines and immunize their children. That is part of the progress we have made. The Professor that was mentioned, I think he might have been well intentioned 10 years ago according to the research he did. As far as I know, no recent research has been done on that. But, beyond that, the vaccine has been used all over the world, more than ten billion doses.”

He went on: “Unfortunately, the level of academic standard has become variable. In some places, it has been preserved, while it has gone

bad in some areas. People can make claim without evidence, without peer review, without publishing research in a paper of repute to make it become a subject of discourse. In other climes that have developed scientific research and academia, there are standards.

Mediocrity is disallowed; there are standards for everything and ethics for research. If you do your research, it is subjected to peer review; it is published in scientific publications.

“But, here, anybody can come and claim that he has a cure for this or that and make name by saying I am Professor this or that.

This is what is gradually eroding our ability to deal with these health issues.

Globally, there are Muslim countries and there are non-Muslim countries that are taking the vaccination.

Niger (Republic), which is next to us here, has eradicated polio; in Egypt, it has also been eradicated.

Recently, there was a global task force on polio eradication to help deal with countries that still face the challenges.”

NAFDAC raids drug outlets in Gboko, seizes substandard, expired products N response to reports Itions about adverse drug reacand irrational use of medicines that has led to deaths in the past in Gboko, Benue State, the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has carried out a mop up operation of medicine outlets and hospitals in the area to take substandard and expired drugs out of circulation from the drug supply chain.

According to a press statement by NAFDAC signed by the Acting Director (Special Duties), Abubakar Jimoh, the three-day exercise was carried out by four teams of NAFDAC officers drawn from Abuja, Lagos and Benue State who visited medicine outlets and hospitals to carry out a surveillance of the quality and safety of medicines administered to the public.

NAFDAC discovered various kinds of violations ranging from outlets selling unregistered products, failure to properly label products and the sale of expired products by some outlets.

The leader of the team and Acting Director of Pharmacovigilance/postmarketing surveillance of the Agency, Adeline Osakwe said, “This has been a successful exercise. We have seen expired products and where people dump them, we have suggested how such drugs

should be taken out of the system and have invited defaulters to our office for further investigations.”

Osakwe said the exercise was motivated by the mandate of NAFDAC to ensure that all medicine outlets sell the right medicines to the public and store their products under the right conditions so as to maintain their efficacy.

She reminded medicine outlets that a reason why medicines lose their efficacy is because of the failure to store them under the right conditions and in the right temperature, thus advising medicine outlets and hospitals to shun open markets when sourcing for their products and buy from distribution outlets that are licensed to handle such products.

She said, “In hospitals and clinics, we noticed that practitioners use containers to store products which could lead to identification error.”, advising that products should be stored in their original containers and properly labelled. She also said hospitals should employ the services of trained pharmacists who will properly handle their medicines to make them safer for use by the public, noting that poor handling of medicines poses a danger to the lives of patients.

Tackling vaccines’ rejection in Northern Nigeria From Itunu Ajayi, Abuja AUWA Ibrahim is a H Muslim from Kano State; she resides in one of the villages in the federal capital territory that is fast becoming an urban slum. She is in our early forties with six children the third of which is a polio victim. She is married the Islamic way to a man who already had two wives so Hauwa is the third and for now the youngest of her husband’s wives. She is not sure yet if her husband, a security guard would not marry a fourth wife, because Islamic injunctions entitles him to four wives.

Hauwa would not disclose the total number of children her husband has, in her innocence she said she did not believe her polio infested child is as a result of her not exposing him to the vaccines to stop the virus in its track.

Her husband would hear none of that she confessed.

After all there are other children in the family and they are all on their feet except her third child. The condition of the child must be the will of Allah she reasoned.

The child could neither go to school nor do anything on his own, he has to rely on the help of his siblings to do almost everything while he crawl on four. None of his able bodied siblings were in school anyway. The female among them sells fura de nunu (a local yoghurt made from fresh milk of cow) in and around their neighbourhood. The boys among them are not doing anything tangible.

The story of Hauwa is replicated in most states of Northern Nigeria with families turning out innocent children who had been struck down by polio, most of whom are beggars on the streets with no hope for the future. What is mind bur-

gling is the way they stay in the scourging sun all day begging for alms. This on its own is enough to cause other ailments in the body.

There has been concern about the spate of nonacceptability of vaccines meant to militate against communicable diseases in Nigeria especially rejection by conservative Muslims in the far North who are skeptical about the intent behind the federal government of Nigeria giving their children immunization.

Most of them are not sure of the source of the vaccines especially when it is a known fact that Nigeria import these vaccines wherein other smaller Africa countries are already manufacturing these all important vaccines locally. So the greater percentages of these people are more than con-

vinced that these vaccines are meant to sterile their young one thereby controlling their birth rate. These beliefs are causing preventable infant and maternal mortality. They do not trust the government enough to believe that the vaccines are meant to do what they are said to be meant for- militating against child killer communicable diseases like polio, measles, Tuberculosis, Lassa fever, malaria, cerebrospinal meningitis and tetanus. A recent statistics indicated that 67 per cent deaths in Nigeria are as a result of these preventable diseases especially as it relates to children.

Experts have put the maternal mortality in Nigeria at 840/100,000 on the average. They said this was the situation in the United States in 1910 before

the introduction of penicillin. The figure in the US today is put at 8/100,000.

And of the special focus zone, the Northern Nigeria, the figure is put at a staggering 2420/100,000, they said this was what it was like in the USA in 1800 before hand washing was discovered to cause infection at childbirth.

Experts are convinced that the core reason for nonacceptability of modern healthcare in many part of rural Nigeria, urban centres inclusive is lack of adequate medical communication between the orthodox provider and the client. This they said could be linked to health illiteracy and ignorant. In Nigeria of today access to healthcare cannot be said to be an issue because there are many orthodox roadside providers.

Government had even made it possible for healthcare providers to go from house to house just to immunize the young folk. Some of these health workers had been abused, maimed or killed in the process of carrying out this noble duty. A recent occurrence was the killing of women on immunization duty in the ancient city of Kano. Muslim women most of whom are in (pudah) seclusion found it more convenient to allow women into their compound, so most of the time in the North, it is women that are engaged to carry out immunization.

As it relates to availability, personnel and technology providers are just all over the place and in terms of affordability; Nigerians are more than willing to pay for the kind of treatment they understand. In recent years

Ondo State Governor, Dr. Olusegun Mimiko (left) and Coordinator, Ijare Surgical Mission, Dr. Kayode Adesola, observing some beneficiaries of the 3rd Edition of the Rural Surgical Mission at Ijare in Ifedore Local Council of Ondo State at the weekend

also, government had incorporated the populace especially those in the formal sector into health insurance scheme, and only recently the federal government set to capture the informal sector as they make for over 80 per cent of the populace.

This is a contributory scheme that allows citizens to contribute just a small token to their health bill while the government takes care of the bulk of the payment.

Mero Mohammed who spoke on why her children had the opportunity of being immunized said it was as a result of the free dose of the vaccine available to children. “Going by the lack of money in my family, I do not think I will be able to afford immunization for my children if it had attracted paying money for it. The health workers knocks on our doors and since it is free and I don’t have to transport myself and my child anywhere for it, I took advantage of the service. My husband said he does not believe the vaccine has anything to do with our children being healthy but that is his own opinion, it does not cause us anything, that is what is important.”

Even as the world celebrates the World Immunization Week (April 24 to 30), a professor of Medicine, Uchenna Nwosu, at an event in Igbo-Ukwu Anambra State South East Nigeria said it is imperative for medical literacy to take centre stage as illiteracy and ignorance has continued to be the bane of healthcare practice in Nigeria.

To enhance modern healthcare, Nwosu said communication need to be improved between the provider and client through the medical language understandable to the client.

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SCIENCE & HEALTH

How Nigeria will achieve health-related MdGs, by Chukwu From Emeka Anuforo, Abuja IGERIA has joined the rest of the world on a countdown to the 2015 target of the Millennium development Goals (MdGs) with a firm assurance that Nigeria is on track to meeting the health related goals.

In 2000, at the United Nations Millennium Summit, 189 world leaders adopted the Millennium declaration and agreed to collective commitments to overcome poverty through a set of eight mutually reinforcing interrelated time-bound goals (MdGs) with related targets.

The MdGs synthesize the goals of 1990s global UN conferences and provide an accountability framework and global partnership for progressively eradicating poverty in all its dimensions.

The MdGs are at the forefront of the global development agenda and represent the international community’s commitment to eradicate poverty by 2015.

The UN says there are 1,000 days to accelerate action on issues such as hunger, access to education, improved sanitation, maternal health and gender equality.

Minister of Health, Prof Onyebuchi Chukwu , who spoke at a briefing to mark 1000 days remaining for the 2015 set date for the MdGs held in Abuja yesterday that it was possible for Nigeria to achieve health-related Millennium development Goals (MdGs) in 2015.

Chukwu, who presented a scorecard on the health sector of the MdGs, stressed that a firm foundation to enable

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the country achieve the goals was in place.

His words: “The National Strategic Health development Plan is the 5year plan of the Nigerian health sector which serves as the overarching reference development document for the actions of all stakeholders in health. It commits everyone towards delivery on a shared Results Framework, to which each party will be held accountable for achieving the goals and targets as contained in the Results Framework.

“In addition, the SavingOne-Million Lives initiative which was launched in 2012 as a coordinating mechanism to save one million women and under-five children before the 2015 MdG deadline, the Subsidy Re-investment Programme (SURE-P) is contributing to our collective efforts through the conditional cash transfer scheme to encourage ante-natal care, facility delivery and child immunization. State level governments across Nigeria are implementing several innovative programmes targeted at the most vulnerable segments of their populations in the most hard to reach locations, all in a bid towards accelerating progress on the MdGs. We are also up scaling the Universal Health Coverage strategies to ensure that service is accessed at all every location.

The Minister said the country had made considerable advancements towards achieving the benchmarks on the health related MdGs since the year 2000, when it was part of the United Nations

Consultant, Restorative Dentistry, Lagos University Teaching Hospital/College of Medicine University of Lagos (LUTH/CMUL), Dr. Tayo Oremosu, examining a patient at the Free Dental Check Up, supported by Sensodyne toothpaste held at Kairo Market, Oshodi... recently General Assembly that adopt- address child mortality, achievement of the MdGs ple of Nigeria. Every year, ed the Millennium maternal health, HIV/AIdS beginning in the year 2006, dRG funds are appropriated declaration.

The and Malaria and other infec- with 1990 as the base year and to these key Federal Ministries and agencies. declaration’s eight MdGs are tious diseases. Nigeria has 2015 as the target year.

“The debt Relief was ear- Accordingly, from 2006, the intended to bring together included Nondeveloping and developed Communicable diseases marked to be used specifical- Federal Ministry of Health as countries in partnership to (NCds) as part of its MdG 6. ly as additional funding to one of such Ministries reduce poverty, ensure gen- Following the Millennium existing Government funded receives annual budgetary der equality, combat environ- declaration, Nigeria did not projects and programmes support from the debt relief mental degradation, and immediately embark on any directed at achieving the grant as additional funding improve access to social serv- targeted set of activities Millennium development to support selected proices, especially education, towards achieving the MdGs. Goals (MdGs). Consequent grammes and projects with a maternal and child health This was largely attributed to upon the availability of the view to accelerating the of the care, nutrition, safe drinking the huge debt over-hang at debt relief grant (dRG), the achievement water and sanitation, as well the time. However, following Federal Government identi- Millennium development as combat HIV/AIdS, malaria the debt-relief granted fied ministries and agencies Goals. With this fund, the and other communicable dis- Nigeria by the Paris Club of whose mandates directly Federal Ministry of Health eases. creditors in the year 2005, impact poverty and develop- has implemented several His words: “Three of the Nigeria began a focused ment to serve as vehicles for Health MdGs targeted interMdGs relate to health and implementation of activities the administration of the ventions which have impactthese are MdG 4, 5 and 6 that towards the accelerated MdG-dRG grants to the peo- ed positively on health MdG

Nestle trains teachers, parents on proper hydration in children Lagoon Hospital, UK-based Nigerian

By Charles Coffie Gyamfi (Abeokuta) and Tony Nwanne (Lagos) ORRIEd by the large number of Nigerian children who die annually as a result of dehydration, the Nestle Nigeria Plc has began series of workshops for Primary school teachers to equip them with nutrition teaching techniques required to combat frequent dehydration among children.

Speaking at one of such workshop at the weekend in Abeokuta, Ogun State, the Company’s Managing director, Mr. Martin Woolnough disclosed that the company had already organized similar workshops in six States of the Federation.

The gesture, he said was part of the company’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) to the society. The workshop was tagged “Nestle health hydration teachers’ workshop”.

Woolnough disclosed that so far 84 Primary school teachers drawn from 26 Public schools and private schools in the 20 local councils in Ogun State had been trained by the company.

Those trained, Woolnough said had gone back to their schools to “Educate their pupil with the knowledge and understanding of hydration and importance of water in their lives”.

Woolnough vowed to continue championing the creation of shared value and promote any programmes that would aid proper and effective childhood nutrition and the Nigerian society, adding that, ‘’I want to reassure you that we will continue to leverage our deep well of understanding about childhood

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nutrition in the implementation of healthy kids programmes in line with our business strategy of creating shared value for our business and the Nigerian society’’.

Woolnough at similar event in Lagos, noted that water is indeed essential for growing children, adding that, that is the period of development and learning for them, a good hydration is important for the whole of the body.

“Either at home, school and at their activities, a good hydration is important for them to feel good, and of course, water is needed for irrigation of the child’s entire body, which also help them in developing their brains to

function properly.

“It is essential that children adopt healthy habits early on by drinking water regularly during the day, and they must drink at least eight glasses of water each day because this will maintain the water balance in their body and replace the water loss,” he said.

A physician and lecturer from the department of Health Promotion and Education, University College Hospital (UCH), dr Oyewole Oyediran who spoke on importance of water to children stated that the body of a child is made up of 70 per cent of water, insisting that for a such child to remain

healthy, such water level must be maintained at all times.

He reasoned that it was therefore imperative for parents to make their wards know that their lives depend on water.

His words “The brain of a child contains 90 percent of water hence if a child does not take enough water, his or her brain wont function to the maximum.

According to Oyediran if a child stays between two and three hours without water, he would be dehydrated. He therefore suggested that on daily basis, parents should put sachets of water in their wards’ school bags so that

SKG Pharma introduces new products to tackle cough, diabetes OISEd by the need for P quality products and quality health care, SKG Pharma Limited recently unveiled three new products to further cater for the Nigeria populace. The new products launched are Novalyn Cough Linctus, Novalyn for children both designed to take care of both adults and infants cough problems, and Biophage for the treatment of diabetes mellitus.

Managing director of SKG Pharma, Mr. Okey Akpa, noted that the company used natural products like honey in the preparation of Novalyn Cough Linctus for the effective treatment of cough. “The new products are in line with this year’s conference theme; “Accelerating Business Growth,” which in essence means that the new products will join other existing products to fast track the market share of SKG Pharma

Limited.”

Special guest of honour and president of Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN), Mr. Olumide Akintayo, urged the Federal and other levels of government to encourage local drug manufacturing companies like SKG Pharma by patronizing them instead of importing from India and other countries. “It is a tragedy if these companies are coming up with essential medicines and you are spending billions of Naira to import the same thing from other climes. We will continue to interact with the government to see a need to do more than it is currently doing to patronize local pharmaceutical industries.”

According to him the business philosophy of SKG Pharma is in tandem with the spirit of the national drug policy because SKG Pharma is one of the top

manufacturers of quality products in the country.

Product Brand Manager, SKG Pharma, Mr. Osita Ezigbo, explained that the selling point of Novalyn Cough Linctus, dwells on the richness of purified honey which he said is the first of its kind in Nigeria market.

According to him, it is a nondrowsy cough syrup for soothing of relief in adults and children.

Biophage on the other hand “is a brand of metformin, an oral anti-diabetic drug. It comes in tablet form and the strength is 500mg used to manage diabetes mellitus. The brain behind this particular product is as a result of the high incidence of diabetes mellitus among both the aged and young ones. At SKG Pharma, we are constantly researching and innovative with our products to add value to the health Nigerians.”

surgeons advance in continued medical education

By Tony Nwanne S part of efforts to create an initiative aimed at retaining at home a portion of health care spending in orthopedics and general health care, and to update medical practitioners on orthopedic surgeries, Lagoon Hospital in collaboration with Nigerian surgeons based in United Kingdom recently held its Continued Medical Education (CME) programme.

The CME is a follow up programme on the upgraded surgical strategy, which was launched back in 2010.

The medical experts, who had specifically monitored the recent surgeries, said that it has become paramount to focus more in the minimal invasive procedure (laparoscopy and endoscopy) in general surgery and gynaecology, while the orthopedic surgery focuses on joint replacement, bone reconstruction and keyhole or arthroscopic surgery.

While harping on the importance of the upgraded Intensive Care Unit (ICU), which has over the years aided the services, the Chairman of Hygeia, Folashade Laoye, said that the service has continued to encourage the retention of a portion of the significant healthcare spending which is being taken out of the country.

She noted that with the availability of world-class facilities and skills, the hospital is raising the standard of tertiary health care in Nigeria.

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According to her, “significant investment made in upgrading the hospital’s facilities to this level has created an enabling environment for specialists trained in the best facilities abroad to put their training to use back home while also transferring knowledge to their professional colleagues in the country.”

Laoye said: “Nigerians who need medical attention on surgery in orthopedic, general surgery and orthopedic oncology could avail themselves the opportunity provided by the tree day event, where several clinics will be holding and surgeries carried out in the hospital.”

The orthopedic, according to her, is an area of major development where joint replacement and major bone reconstruction surgeries would be made available to Nigerians who need the service.

Speaking on the major development which is joint replacement and major bone reconstructive surgery, dr.

Segun Abudu, a consultant orthopedic surgeon at the Royal Orthopedic Hospital, Birmingham, said that Lagoon hospital has the facilities to perform all forms of surgical procedures including hip and knee replacement, keyhole surgery for the knee (arthroscopy) bone replacement with modern options correction of deformities using techniques that is only possible at very few specialized hospitals in the United Kingdom and United States.

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FOCUS ON SCIENTIFIC EQUIPMENT AND FURNITURE PART 2

Shopping For Home Based Technology T is unambiguous that Nigeria is richly blessed with Iwhich abundant talents and several natural endowments legion nations in the world can only dream of.

However, the state of the country at the moment is a far cry from the rich resources available. This great setback according to stakeholders is attributable to inadequate attention being paid to scientific and technological marshal plan by the federal government.

Lack of sufficient technological capability which results from inadequate modern as well as up-to-date scientific equipment for different levels of diagnosis in areas like schools, oil and gas , soil including but not limited to industries has remained an albatross on the desire for appropriate technological break-through.

For decades the plague in the sector seems to be waxing stronger like the storm on the island which often defies solution. Much has been read and articulated at several seminars and symposium but the words failed to match the much anticipated action. Mr Nkem Emereuwa,an active actor in the segment calls for what Napoleon Bonaparte describes as searching for less acceleration on speeches and resolution but action.

In addition, the idea of dumping all manners of products from various parts of the globe without putting into consideration the peculiar nature of Nigeria’s climate and environment is worrisome. According to Mr Charles Ibe the Managing Director of Chibek Instruments the way out of the present woods is simple: regulatory bodies should ensure that every technology that is brought to the country has to be the type that can effectively meet the local challenges of Nigerians. Hear him: Import just one but ensure that the whole components are brought out for purpose of study and process for possible creating a Nigerian model.

EL-HARCON: An Icon in Oil and Gas Sector

HE need to meet the ever growing global challenge T associated with the production, processing, transportation, storage, marketing and use of petroleum products which demands the best in the petroleum testing in terms of equipment and manpower led to the launching of El- Harcon Limited in 2001.

The company in collaboration with carefully selected foreign technical partner like Petrotest GmbH has consistently provided the best in product advancement, sales engineering, quality workmanship, training and product support. Their quality-oriented project implementation strategy ensures that after commissioning, they follow up the complete service provider to support each project over a reasonable period of time.

Chief Uzo Nwaije

Jimmy Pius

Team The company at the moment has quality employees that cover disciplines like engineering and Quality Control Department, Sales and Marketing, Customer Care Department with product specialists as well as Training unit. As a result, all strategic skills are always available from their associates and few selected sub-contractors who are needed to extend their necessary capacity. In addition, their key personnel are fortified with requisite knowledge and technical competence to offer first class services that meet each customer’s unique needs at minimal cost.

PRODUCTS AND SERVICES El-Harcon offers comprehensive sales program of more than 400 standardized test apparatuses for different oil and gas products. The wide range of and automatic testing instruments available are for Petrol, Diesel, kerosene, aircraft fuel, LPFO, Engine Oil, Bitumen, Grease, Wax, Crude Oil, LPG,etc.

CUSTOMERS The customers that use their products and services include without limitation to Oil and Gas exploration firms, refineries processing, crude oil and derivatives, inspection and regulatory agencies as well as universities and research centres while the job portfolio include over 40 completed laboratory projects meeting DPR and international requirements for several customers across Nigeria including Ghana.

EL-HANAN VENTURES INTO SOPHISTICATED LABORATORY EQUIPMENT

L-HANAN is a company with a mission to be the best E Nigerian services and procurement company with an uncompromising desire to provide quality goods and

Mr. Nkem Emereuwa

Mr. Cyril Ndunaka

services to all stake-holders. Hear Mr. Jimmy Pius, the General Manager:” We have continually aim at Understanding clients need Proffering best solutions for clients’ services ,Competitive pricing for goods and services ,an uncompromised quality for goods and services, timely response and prompt delivery.

SERVICE EL-HANAN VENTURES LIMITED has over the years grown from modest beginning into a premier company that give excellent services in areas like Healthcare delivery.

The unit specializes in the sourcing and supply of medical/laboratory equipment, Hospital consumable and constructions of hospitals.

Their principal partners comprises renowned names like Eppendorf, Philips, Medical Illumination, Storz, ADE and Indrel.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 36

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FOCUS ON SCIENTIFIC INSTRUMENT McDonald Scientific Emporium Launches Unique Laboratory Products CONTINUED FROM PAGE 35 cDonald has introM duced a new mechanism of installing beautiful laboratory furniture within 48 hours. The innovation which has received tremendous applaud from many stakeholders is a bundle of aesthetic attraction to many that have had access to.

With the new mechanism, it is possible to place an order today and get everything fitted within the same day. Part of the excellent services being rendered by the firm comprises laboratory furniture and fittings for primary, secondary schools, tertiary institutions like polytechnics and universities including quality control laboratory and technical college counterpart.

Apparently, the need to provide total support service to modern laboratories in industries, pharmaceutical manufacturing organisations, schools and tertiary institutions, research institutions, clinicians and scientists led to an establishment of more branches. Hear Mr Adede: “we are contended with one lofty policy which we have followed since the adoption.

For instance, our highly trained technical associate has set an enviable and unbreakable record by rendering vantage after

Tony W. Adede

sales services for our equipment.�Continuing, the Managing Director identified core services which they offer as procurement and supply of laboratory, analytical instruments, laboratory chemicals, reagents and glassware, introductory technology workshop, supply of educational equipment.

The Managing Director therefore requested those that have not tested their expertise to pause a while as quality products from renowned brands across the globe are adequately in stock to meet the entire scientific, research and

general laboratories requirements.

Pointing at several laurels that their effective service has endeared to them, the Managing Director promised to work towards ensuring that their vision to become the sought after and much preferred one stop shop organization for sales of quality laboratory reagents, chemicals, equipment and instrumentation, quality control services including installation, maintenance and after sales services of equipment supplied is a policy that must be carried out at all times.

THE GUARDIAN, Thursday, April 25, 2013

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SCIENCE & HEALTH

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Experts seek mass introduction of ICT to boost healthcare delivery

By Paul Adunwoke EDICAL experts have M called for mass introduction of information communication Technology (ICT) in healthcare delivery to boost services. They said that it would radically transform healthcare indices in Nigeria.

The medical experts at the launch of the Intel powered Dell tablet for healthcare organised by Dell and Intel

held on Tuesday in Lagos said it would help in providing quality healthcare services between doctors and patients.

They also said patients can utilize ICT to access information about a particular hospital or it can help patients to book an appointment with doctor.

“ICT would improve healthcare for small and scale businesses to deliver the services successfully through using of Despots and Ipad applications

or to download information from the Internet,” they said.

They said among other things ICT would make hospitals more patient friendly and improve quality of care; reduce drastically the process it takes to enjoy patient’s relatives to walk back and forth in order to receive care or service; increase and improve the feedback system for patient interaction with the hospital, identified and tackled effi-

ciently; enable and encourage electronic payment in order to improve transparency and increase revenue generation and reduce cash handling within the hospital; and enable payment at points of service within the hospital, as well as ability for patent relative in the Diaspora or outside the hospital to make payment for services directly.

The medical experts also said introduction of ICT would

Pfizer partners FMOH, WHO, FRSC, others to tackle hypertension, glaucoma

By Chukwuma Muanya ETERMINED to reduce the burden of hypertension and glaucoma in Nigeria especially through awareness creation and preventive medicine, Pfizer Nigeria has gone into partnership with the Federal Ministry of Health (FMoH), World Health Organization (WHO), the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA), the Ophthalmological Association of Nigeria (OAN), Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), among other stakeholders.

Pfizer Nigeria participated in the Ministerial press conference in commemoration of this year’s World Health Day in Abuja. This year the World Health day focused on the theme “Hypertension”.

FMoH leveraged on the day through an event to raise awareness on hypertension and to encourage citizens and other stakeholders to prevent and control the modern epidemic.

Hypertension, a cardiovascular medical condition also called high blood pressure, is a condition in which the blood pressure in the arteries is elevated to a level likely to induce cardiovascular damage or other adverse consequences.

There are several risk factors that can trigger this condition, these includes; smoking, obesity, diabetes, high level of salt intake, stress, aging, high level of alcohol consumption, chronic kidney disease, genetics and a family history of hypertension.

Also, this year, Pfizer in Nigeria joined NTA and OAN on a health walk to create awareness on the disease prevalence. The OAN carried out free health screenings during this period.

Glaucoma is an eye disease that causes progressive damage of the optic nerve at the point where it leaves the eye to carry visual information to the brain. If left untreated, most types of glaucoma progress towards gradually worsening visual damage and may lead to blindness without obvious symptoms on the patient. Once incurred, visual damage is mostly irreversible.

It is the second most common cause of blindness worldwide.

According to Regional Director WHO, Dr. Luis Gomes Sambo, “hypertension is a silent killer that can affect anyone. Most of the people affected by hypertension are often not even aware of the disease and its complications.” For this reason he advised that blood pressure screenings should be done periodically.

Director, Public Affairs and Communication for Pfizer Nigeria and East African Region (NEAR), Mrs. Margaret Olele, noted that hypertension is extremely prevalent in Nigeria and impacting on even the workforce segment of our society.

She said: “Pfizer remains

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committed in reducing the prevalence and is currently doing so through our CV portfolio and cardiovascular screenings of thousands of people over the past five years.

More importantly, Pfizer partners with Medical stakeholders through our cardiovascular summits. The summit is an educational platform for healthcare practitioners to engage in a robust discussion on latest trends in cardiovascular diseases and its management.

“It is part of Pfizer’s contribution to the advancement of medical knowledge and patient care in Nigeria and the East Africa Region by keeping healthcare professionals aware of the new trends in medicine. The summit further exemplifies the commitment of Pfizer to world-class medical education, capacity building and excellence in service to the Nigerian health sector. Earlier in the year, a cardiovascular Summit Scientific Advisory board meeting was held with the purpose of overseeing the plan for the cardiovascular Summit coming up later in the year in Nigeria, Ghana and Kenya. The Board was set up

last year as an independent body to oversee the annual Summit.

Pfizer in the scope of its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) organizes free medical screening of the general public and this addresses the growing concern of cardiovascular diseases in Africa. These cardiovascular screenings, which cover health parameters like blood pressure, glucose, total cholesterol, are held in Pharmacies, Religious Organizations, and Corporate establishments in partnership with care institutions.

Meanwhile, the glaucoma week started with a live media interview aired on the Nigerian television authority.

In attendance were Enrico Liggeri-Country Manager of Pfizer NEAR, Lagos Island Unit Commander FRSC, an Executive member of the OAN and a glaucoma patient from the Glaucoma Patients Association for Lagos State, Nigeria.

The discussion focused on the theme of the Week “The World is a wonder to see every day, so don’t let glaucoma get in the way,”and highlighted Pfizer’s CSR in the area of eye

care. This was followed with a public lecture targeted at the commercial drivers in Idumota Motor park in Lagos Island by the Sector Commander FRSC, Lagos state on the effects of glaucoma especially as it affects drivers.

Other events were glaucoma screenings for commercial drivers.

Sector and Corps Commander FRSC, Lagos, Mr. Nseobong Akpabio, said: “We want to make sure that every driver can see properly as Glaucoma can be managed.

You can stay alive and still drive, if we work together as a team on this project of sight restoration and management.

Road traffic crashes will also witness significant reduction.

Let us embrace laudable project which will be run in fiftyeight (58) motor parks in Lagos state towards effacement of Glaucoma, healthy sight and safer roads for all.”

The activities ended with a walk for Sight-a public enlightenment initiative to drive support for the early detection of Glaucoma. Over 800 persons joined the walk coordinated by the Medical clinic of NTA.

Head, Research and Statistics, Ghana Ministry of Health; Dr. Reginald Odah; Supply Finance Controller, Reckitt Benckiser, Arun Mewon; representative of Reckitt Benckiser, Ghana, Aisha Owura; Group Product Manager, Business Manager at Reckitt Benckiser, Rajesh Ramak and Business Development Manager W/Africa, Reckitt Benckiser, Dele Adeyole, at the launch of Mortein Liquid Mosquito Repellent in Accra, Ghana...recently.

drastically reduce time wasted in waiting to enjoy services in hospitals; enhance the health seeking behavior of patient through efficient and effective health education; provide international consultation for patients within hospital; improve comfort ability for hospitals; provide more efficient services care in the hospitals; and help patients to send or receive information from doctors for example for patients to kwon the right time to show up in hospital.

A medical consultant Dr. Simpa Dania from Sabaoth Technology limited said the event was to educate people on how use ICT to improve healthcare. “ICT would bridge the missing gaps in healthcare delivery. I am interested in how to use ICT to improve quality care, increase access care to patients, and increase efficiency and possibility for hospitals and overall healthcare indices in the country would improve,” he said.

Dania disclosed the ICT provides applications for pregnant women to develop good relationship with their doctors. “ICT provides applications to develop relationship between pregnant women and their doctors, so that they

can be better informed during pregnancy through that they can send SMS everyday. If they registered Antenatal care and they would have access to be able engaged with doctor with their mobile phones every time together with healthcare service. And they must know the important of healthcare platform, they should go through normal process, at any point in time they have access to their phones with health information,” he said.

Simpa stated the ICT would help hospitals to process data basic. “The big issue in healthcare is all about information and that is what we are doing as an avenue for every body to have access to healthcare basic data and synchronize into and it become useable for the benefit of the country.”

“We believe implementing this system would transform hospital significantly and fulfill the stated objectives in making hospitals a patient friendly hospital, the best place for healthcare workers to work in and easy for management to administer the hospital effectively while at the same time increasing profitability, improving efficiency and increasing the quality of care offered to patient,” He said.

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THE GUARDIAN, Thursday, April 25, 2013

SPECIAL REPORT ON WORLD MALARIA DAY 2013

“Invest in the future, Defeat Malaria” ODAY is World malaria day (WMD), a day set T aside for recognizing the global efforts at providing effective control of malaria, instituted by

the World Health Assembly at its 60th session of May, 2007.

As a follow up, African Heads of State, at a summit held in Abuja, few years after, adopted April 25 every year to challenge the menace of malarial Tagged ‘Roll Back Malaria’ (RBM). The summit assessed the commitments of individual participating countries in their fight towards the prevention and eradication of malaria in Africa, which hitherto remains and globally acknowledged the number one killer disease of children and adult.

The theme for this year WMD “Invest in the future, Defeat Malaria” mark a decisive juncture in the history of malaria control whether the malaria map will keep shrinking as it has in the past decade, or be reclaimed by the malaria parasites, depends, to a great extent, on the resource that will be invested in control efforts over the next years. Investments in malaria control have created unprecedented momentum and yielded remarkable returns in the past years in some African states, malaria deaths have been cut by one third within the last decade. Outside of Africa, 35 out of 53 countries, affected by malaria have reduced cases by 50 per cent in the same period. In countries where access to malaria control interventions has improved most significantly overall child mortality rates have fallen by approximately 20 per cent.

However, these gains are fragile and will be reversed unless malaria continues to be a priority for global regional and national decision makers and donors.

“We are not there yet. Malaria still kills an estimated 660,000 people worldwide, mainly children under five years of age in sub-Saharan Africa, including Nigeria. Every year, more than 200 million cases occur; most of these cases are never tested or registered. A recent plateauing of international funding has slowed down progress and emerging drug and insecticides resistance threaten to reverse recent gains” Despite, the current economic climate development aid needs to continue flowing to national malaria control programme to ensure widespread population access to live saving and cost effective intervention. Long term success will also depend on investments in on-going research and development to combat emerging threats such as parasite resistance, fake and

counterfeiting anti malaria drugs, underfunding of health sector among others.

Sustaining malaria control efforts is an investment in development. Continued investment in malaria control will propel malaria endemic countries along the path to achieving the 2015 Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) especially those relating to improving child survival and maternal health, eradicating extreme poverty and expanding access to education.

In 2009, about 3.3 billion people, half of the World’s population were at risk of malaria.

Every year, this leads to about 350 million malaria cases and nearly 800 thousands deaths.

People living in Sub Sahara countries (Nigeria included) are the most vulnerable.

In Nigeria with the largest population in Africa, and the seventh in the world, it is estimated that one in every five child death is due to malaria. This corroborates the findings of WHO’s every thirty seconds, a child dies of malaria.

Malaria is responding to 25 per cent of infant mortality and 10 per cent of childhood mortality in Nigeria, responsible for 50 per cent of outpatient consultations and between 15 per cent and 31.3 per cent of hospital admissions.

Of the four species of plasmodia infective to man, all, except Pvivax and found in Nigeria with P.falciparum accounting for about 80 per cent of cases.

Reducing the impact of malaria is key to achieving MDGs, agreed to by 192 United Nations member states and at least 23 international organisations. These include not only combating the disease itself but also goals related to Women and Children’s right and health acess to education and the reduction of extreme poverty.

In just a decade, Africa has begun to extract itself from the grip of a disease that had been rife for millennia and was eliminated in Europe and North America over fifty years ago. But we still have a tremendous task ahead which call for a massive intensification of our efforts, greater commitments and innovations if we want to reach the 2015 goals said Dr. Obiora Chukwuka, CEO, Greenlife Pharmaceuticals profess in the fight against malaria has been attributed to the leadership of malaria endemic countries, bold partnerships with the private sector, innovative academic thinking and increased resources made available by The Global Fund to fight HIV/AIDS, TB, and Malaria

medicines as well as underfunding.

The move towards universal diagnostic testing of malaria is a critical step forward in the fight against malaria as it will allow for the targeted use of ACTs for those who actually have malaria. This will help to reduce the emergence and spread of drug resistance. It will also help to identify patients who do not have malaria, so that alternative diagnoses can be made and appropriate treatment provided.

The halt the problem of funding, due to global economic challenge, the UK Department for International Development (DHD) announced new funding recently and has committed itself to increased long term support to the global malaria fight with resistance high on its radar.

‘It is unacceptable that nearly 800,000 people – mainly women and children in Africa – die every year from malaria: I am proud that Britain and its partner organisations are at the forefront of tackling this deadly disease, which is entirely preventable and treatable.’ Said Prof. Onyebuchi Chukwu, Minister of Health Stephen O’Brien. Parliamentary Under Secrethe World Bank, UNITAD and the US Presidents’ tary of State for International Development.

Malaria initiative (PMI) as well as bilateral such as He added: ‘Even when malaria is not fatal it France and the UK. can have devastating long term consequences.

Countries where the former mainstay of malar- Parents are unable to work maximally, when ia treatment, such as chloroquine, are no longer they or their children become ill and the effective, are also moving towards new therapies. entire household can be thrown back into Since 2000.42 malaria.endemic countries, 23 on poverty.

African continent, have adopted artemisirum Recently, a group of researchers in the Departbased combination therapies recommended by ment of pharmaceutical chemistry, Faculty of WHO. These are considered as the generation of Pharmacy, University of Lagos revealed that anti-malaria medicines and the most effective about 85 per cent of anti-malaria drugs in treatment against falciparum malaria, the dead- Lagos area were tested to be fake and sub stanliest form of the disease. dards inspite of the fat that, the 13 brands Act To complement the ACT therapy regular use of tested were all certified genuine by National treated bed nets continues to be highly effective Agency for food, Drug Administration and prevention tool. About 389 million insecticides Control (NAFDAC). This is a serious challenge treated nets distributed in Sub Sahara Africa to the war against malaria death related disbetween 2008 and 2010, enough to cover about ease.

76 per cent of population at risk up from 5 per In solving this, effective enforcement of existcent in 2000. ing laws should be intensified. Beyond govA major threat, however to malaria control and ernment bureacraices, inspectors should folelimination is the emergence of malaria paralow drugs to the market, and retail outlets. sites that are resistance to arteemisinin the Hospitals, both public and private, should essential ingredient of artemisinin based combi- ensure they dispense certified drugs and nation therapy (ACTs) the most effective treatestablish sample authentication facilities for ment for uncomplicated malaria as at present. counterfeit drug free process while Nigerian Another major threat to malaria control and should be generally vigilant and report to the elimination especially in Nigeria, is the danger of law enforcement agencies fake drug factories counterfeiting and substandard anti malaria within their vicinity.

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SPECIAL REPORT ON WORLD MALARIA DAY GREENLIFE PHARMACEUTICALS LIMITED: “War on Malaria: No Retreat, No Surrender” VER the last decade, “O the world has made major progress in the fight against malaria. Since 2000, mortality rates have fallen by more than 25 per cent and 50 of the 99 countries with ongoing transmission are now on track to meet the 2015 World Health Assembly target of reducing incidence rates by more than 75 per cent. A major scale-up of vector control interventions, has been key to this progress.

But we are not there yet.

Malaria still kills an estimated 660,000 people worldwide, mainly children under five years of age in sub-saharan Africa, including Nigeria. Every year, more than 200 million cases occur, most of these cases are never tested or registered. A recent plateauing of international funding has slowed down progress, and emerging drug and insecticides resistance threaten to reverse recent gains. If the world is to maintain and accelerate progress against malaria, in line with Millennium Development Goal (MDG), 6 and to ensure attainment of MDG’s 4 and 5, more funds are urgently required.

The ‘monster’ malaria is responsible for nearly a million deaths worldwide each year with 90 per cent of these deaths occurring in children below five years. In addition, the economic and social burden is a growing concern such that reducing the impact is a paramount to achieving the MDGs agreed to by every United Nations member state.

Greenlife Pharmaceuticals limited is a wholly indigenous pharmaceutical company incorporated in 1995 but started full operations in 2000.

A major player in the antimalaria, Greenlife pharmaceuticals limited has in its portfolio wide range of innovative, quality and unique medicines which have maintained consistent shelf presence in hospitals and pharmacies. These include Manix herbal capsules, G-TYRP. GTRYP for the treatment of Trauma, Day

by Day Homex Megaup multivitamins, P-Alazin and Lornat among others.

According to the executive chairman, Greenlife pharmaceuticals, Dr. Obiora Chukwuka, the fight against malaria is a fight against untimely deaths. To him, Greenlife is succeeding in fighting the war though of one of its unique products – LONART. Dr. Chukwuka stressed that treatment of malaria depends on the severity of the disease whether patients who can take oral drugs have to be admitted depends on the assessment and the experience of the clinicians. Uncomplicated malaria is treated with oral drugs.

The most effective strategy for P. Falciparum infection recommended by WHO is the use of antemisinins in combination with other anti malarias arterusinincombination therapy, ACT, in order to avoid the development of drug resistance against artemisinim based therapies.

Until recently the most used treatment for severe

malaria was quinine but artesunate has been shown to be superior treatment to both children and adults.

Greenlife urged Nigerians to treat malaria with Artemether Lumefantrine (Coartem) or Artesunate – Amodiaquine.

“While we appreciate the various efforts of stakeholders thus far, we shall continue to support this global programme by providing an affordable drug, as well as perform our corporate social responsibility functions directed at eliminating poverty as well as assuring children’s right and health. The war on malaria is no retreat no surrender!

Nigeria is known for high prevalence of malaria and it is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality. This disease is treated in Nigeria by self medication, the use

Dr. Obiora Chukwuka, Executive Chairman, Greenlife Pharmaceuticals Limited of local herbs, use of the Greenlife pharmaceuticals services of spiritualists/trarecognises the challenges of ditional priests or/and use anti malaria war. Among of clinic/hospital services. them is counterfeiting of its

drugs in which major share of its market was lost to the fakers. With the innovative idea of Dr. Paul Orhii, DG NAFDAC on the use of Mobile Authentication Service, “we have been able to gain back our market share.

There are 4 phases or steps in identifying genuineness of LORNART. One, is to find a scratch card attached to the pack. Two, is to simply scratch the panel to reveal a set of unique members.

Three, is to text the unique member on the scratch card to a short code 38353.

Lastly, you will receive an instant SMS reply confirming the authencity of the LORNAT DS drug. Among the company’s product, P.Alaxin and LORNAT are designed to fight malaria.

LORNAT DS is an improvement on P-ALAXIN, which was produced pre-ACT. LOR-

NAT is tested and confirmed as effective in combating malaria.

Funds is also a major barrier in fighting malaria. Yearly budget allocated to malaria and other diseases control have been on the decline. Nigeria has so far through the funding of public health programmes and institutions received N136.7 billion out of a total approved funding of N231 billion. Production of ACT drugs is clearly expensive.

This is the reason most Nigerians treat the disease by self medication, use of local herbs and/or use the services of spiritualists/local priests “Greenlife is conscious of these facts, that is the reason it produced the products at a reasonably low costs without compromising standards.

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SCIENCE & HEALTH

How to ensure safe drugs, better health, by Ukah Managing Director of Kuka Pharmaceuticals Limited, Chris Ukah, in this interview with WOLE OYEBADE, x-rays the health sector in Nigeria, calling for improved funding and awareness on non-communicable diseases like hypertension. Excerpts OMING from the pharmaC ceutical sector, what are the challenges facing the health sector in your view?

Besides the lack of awareness among our people, the main challenge before the health sector of this country is gross underfunding and it is scandalous. If the health sector were adequately funded, a greater percentage of Nigerians who are poor and dying will not be in that condition.

There is no amount of money expended on ensuring a qualitative health care delivery system in Nigeria that should be too much.

What is the life expectancy in Nigeria? Official reports indicate that life expectancy in Nigeria is between 45 and 50 years whereas it is above 75 years in some countries of the world.

A wealthy nation, more often than not, is measured by the average health of the citizenry. For me, it is a question of how do we prioritise our needs in this country?

Government needs to increase its budgetary allocations for the health sector - in terms of service and support for the practitioners - to enable it function effectively and efficiently.

The Director General of NAFDAC, Dr. Paul Orhii, in his ingenuity has initiate a proposal for N200 billion intervention fund to the Federal Government to aid pharmaceutical companies operating in Nigeria to access loans for the manufacture of drug products.

That is the way to go because accessing loans from deposit money banks for the operators could be frustrating because of high interest rate and impossible collateral requirements. You must understand that manufacturers are not humanitarian organisations. They are businessmen and women who must necessarily factor in their expenses during the manufacturing process and add a percentage profit element before arriving at the price of the product.

On health awareness There is still poor awareness on important health issues like hypertension. I know

that the alarming rate at which hypertension is rising in Nigeria and other countries of the world, particularly African countries is frightening. According to the 2012 World Health Organisation report, about 40 to 50 per cent of adults worldwide are estimated to be living with hypertension. Hospital statistics have shown that in Nigeria hypertension related admission accounts for the significant proportion of admissions at the emergency departments.

The disturbing dimension of the reports is that hypertension is said to have started killing young Nigerians between the ages of 30 and 40 years. That is frightening.

This ailment is generally regarded as a silent killer because sometimes it does come without symptoms.

Undiagnosed and untreated hypertension results to complications like heart attack, stroke, kidney failure or sudden death.

Most of these deaths resulting from complications of hypertension could be avoided if the awareness about the ailment among Nigerians were high. If properly managed, especially if the patient complies with doctor’s prescriptions in taking his medication; the patient can live with the ailment for a long time. As it stands, majority of Nigerians affected by hypertension are ignorant of it. In some cases, they buy the wrong medications. On the other hand, people die of hypertension because of socio-cultural beliefs.

We must teach our people that hypertension is not caused by evil arrow sent by an unknown enemy or that old witch in the village.

Experts have told us that excess intake of salt, fatty foods, lack of exercise and inadequate intake of vegetables and fruits are among the factors responsible for the prevalence of hypertension.

However, early detection and proper management of hypertension especially with the right medications would save lives of millions of Nigerians.

For us at Kuka Pharmaceuticals Limited, we

Ukah

have taken cognisance of the prevalence of this ailment and decided to respond to it in a unique way. After an extensive research spanning over five years, we have come up with finest ingredients of Amlodipine Besilate for the effective management of hypertension.

It would be introduced into the Nigerian market in the coming weeks and it will bear the MAS Label. The difference between Norapine and other anti-hypertensive medicines in circulation in Nigeria today is that it is very effective and also affordable.

You would agree that safe medicine is still an issue in the industry, especially with activities of the counterfeiters?

Yes, I would say that a lot is currently done to discourage the manufacture, importation and marketing of unsafe medicines in Nigeria, however, a lot also needs to be done especially in the area of the distribution network of medicines in Nigeria because the current state of distribution of medicines in Nigeria cannot support any meaningful effort aimed at bringing the health sector into international best practices.

Obviously, the drug distribution network in Nigeria is in a state of chaos because it consists of open markets, patent

medicine stores, community pharmacies and others manned and controlled by unqualified persons.

Something needs to be done and urgently too, to the distribution system of medicines in Nigeria if our dream of joining the increasing league of nations around the world operating healthcare system of international repute must be realized.

There should be a drug distribution system designed with the aim of putting the distribution of drugs in the hands of pharmacists.

Pharmacists should be empowered to take charge of drug distribution in Nigeria because statutorily, they are the custodians of drugs.

Having said that, let me also add that it is high time authorities in government focused more on the health sector, especially in the area of funding. If we must get it right with effective and efficient distribution system of medicines in Nigeria that will guarantee safe medicines and by extension safety of the lives of our people, we need to establish standard drug marts in the 36 states capitals of the federation. This will of course help in streamlining drug distribution and also frustrate the activities of counterfeit drug dealers.

IPAN harps on ethical lab operations in beverage manufacturing

By Tony Nwanne ORRIED by the increasing rate of infiltration of quarks in laboratory operations in the country, public analyst has continued to maintain its stand that for the laboratory sector to meet up with the world standard, there is the need to be analytical in the food, drug and related industries.

The analysts, under the umbrella of Institute of Public Analyst of Nigeria, IPAN, explained that food, beverages, pharmaceutical and other groups of manufacturing sector have a lot to gain from engaging public analyst in their operations, adding that time and material will be saved when the right steps are taken based on the expertise of a public analysts.

Speaking at the opening of the 17th Mandatory training of the Institute of Public Analysts of Nigeria, IPAN, the president of the institute, Balogun Sanni, envisaged that the intention of government and proponents of IPAN was to set up a cadre of well trained professional scientists who would set up analytical laboratories to support government’s regulatory efforts in the administration and control of consumer products and other scientific regulatory, research and development efforts for the national industrial development.

“It is indeed imperative to continually go into full professional practices as public analysts to take up the challenge of setting up analytical laboratories so that the policy of government and the dream of our pioneer public analyst for our members to fast-track

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industrial revolution in Nigeria would not be a mirage”.

The analysts, who emerged to chart the way forward with the theme; The role of public analysts in the manufacturing industry, reiterated its readiness to maintain its role now, as Nigeria takes steps to transform into industrial and economical giant.

Sanni added that, “it will interest us to know that a large number of players in the manufacturing sector do not fully understand the role of the public analyst in the production chain. I urge the institute to have more interactions with the manufacturing industry to foster better working relationship and promote the concept of total quality”.

The institute, since inception, has been committed to the determination of appropriate standards for safety and quality, and has participated in the work of technical organisations and provided input to legislative bodies at local, national and international levels.

Meanwhile, in his submission, the Chairman of IPAN, Prof. Fola Tayo, said that as the quality and standards determines experts, the public analysts have a vital role to play in the production of wholesome and standard consumables, urging stakeholders to be more aggressive in pursuit of the professional mandate.

“As analyst, our responsibilities is to ensure the safety and sanctity of lives, ensuring the safety that quality should be the watch word, and there is the need to resist every attempt to be lured into compromise”, he noted.

Nigerite, NGO, donate drugs for asthma patients STHMA patients in Lagos A State can now heave a sigh of relief as Stacey Okparavero Art Exhibition for Life, supported by Nigerite Limited, donated drugs worth millions of Naira to them at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH) in Lagos.

The materials, which were bought out of the proceeds from the Art Exhibition tagged, “Art for life” in memory of Stacey’s only sister who died of asthma last year were received by the Chief Medical Director of LASUTH, Prof.

Adewale Oke. Speaking at the event, Prof.

Oke said the drugs donated will go a long way in alleviating the suffering of asthma patients because they are essential drugs needed for the treatment of the patients.

In his words: “You can never imagine how much you are going to touch people’s lives

with these drugs because these are the drugs that determine life in an asthma patient.

“You have really done us a great favour at LASUTH. On behalf of the management and patients we say thank you.”

In her response, the convener of the Art Exhibition for Life, Stacey Okparavero, said she is glad that the project was successful and was able to use the proceeds to procure drugs that can save people’s lives.

She added that: “My appreciation goes to the management of Nigerite Limited for its contribution to the initiative by donating these life-saving drugs.”

According to the representative of Nigerite Limited, Engr.

Chris Adegbile, the company decided to solely sponsor the exhibition because it deals with life.

Nigeria maintains zero case of guinea worm, ready for global certification From Emeka Anuforo, Abuja TATISTICS released from the Ministry of Health have indicated that Nigeria has maintained a zero case of guinea worm for the past four years, and as such, qualifies for international certification.

A team World Health Organisation (WHO) is expected in June to confirm the nation’s status and possible issue an international certification.

The National Certification Committee on Guinea Worm Eradication, which reeled out a status report in Abuja, stressed that the last guinea worm case was recorded in the year 2008.

The committee said a total of

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653,620 guinea worm cases were identified in 5,879 villages throughout Nigeria in 1988; while the last case of the disease was reported on November 11, 2008.

Nigeria was at one point in time rated as the most endemic guinea worm country in the world.

And to make assurance doubly sure, the Ministry of Health has launched an incentive package for anybody who reports any guinea worm case in the country. A package of N25,000 for a confirmed case awaits such a person.

Guinea worm disease otherwise known as Dracunculiasis is a water-borne disease, which affects human beings.

It has an incubation period of

about 12 months and manifests through the formation of blisters on any part of the body, inflicting pain on its victims who are in most cases, immobilised during the peak period of attack.

According to the WHO, infection occurs when a person drinks water contaminated with water flea or Cyclops, which contains the worm larvae. The water flea is digested while the guinea worm larvae is set free; it penetrates the digestive tract and moves through the body during nine to 12 months until it emerges from any part of the body. All age groups are susceptible to Guinea Worm infection. There is no treatment for Guinea worm disease, the only pre-

vention is to avoid it.

Chairman of the National Certification Committee on Guinea Worm Eradication, Prof. Olukayode Oyediran, who spoke at a parley to mark this year’s World’s Guinea Worm Eradication Day, stressed that an International Certification Team on the elimination of guinea worm would be visiting Nigeria next June.

His words: “In 2008, a total of 38 guinea worm disease cases were reported in Nigeria from Ekerigwe, Abakaliki, Ebonyi local government area of Ebonyi State, Ezza Nkwubor and Utamazi of Enugu East local government and Owachi-Ubahu of Nkanu East

local government in Enugu State.

“No case of guinea worm disease has been reported till date. From 2009 till date, we have received 545 rumour cases of guinea worm disease.

All guinea worm disease rumours from the general public are investigated within 24 hours.”

Minister of State for Health, Ali Pate, said in a remark that the Federal Government would focus on surveillance.

He said: “We are going to ensure there is a good surveillance system working with states and local governments to ensure that whenever there are rumours, they are investigated and they are reported.

This thing is done in an inte-

grated manner; integrating with other programmes like the immunisation plus days so that the surveillance system also taps into mass of people that are going in addition with collaboration with other stakeholders.”

He went on: “The presence of an Independent Certification Committee which is at the national level is led by our own experts, also with the Global Certification Committee lends credibility to the progress that we’ve made. If it is the ministry saying this has happened, I don’t think people will believe it, but having independent experts from domestic and also international areas coming in gives credence to this.

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NATURAL HEALTH 47

Kidney patient needs urgent transplant to live CONTINUED FROM PAGE 31 foods with added salt include salty snack foods, canned vegetables, and processed meats and cheeses.

Choose lower potassium foods. The dietitian may recommend that one chooses lower potassium foods at each meal. High-potassium foods include bananas, oranges, potatoes, spinach and tomatoes. Examples of low-potassium foods include apples, cabbage, green beans, grapes and strawberries.

Limit the amount of protein you eat. The dietitian will estimate the appropriate number of grams of protein one should eat each day and make recommendations based on that amount. Highprotein foods include meats, eggs, milk, cheese and beans. Low-protein foods include vegetables, fruits, most breads and most cereals. Some breads and cereals include ingredients that make them high in protein, so check the label.

The medical report from the Nigerian Naval Medical Centre signed by Dr. D. C. Nwaise reads: “Mr. Osuji Ikechukwu is a known hypertensive patient with poor drug compliance who was first seen at our facility seen at our facility on November 13, 2012 on account of a two week history of persistent vomiting.

There was history of facial puffiness, abdominal swelling, hiccups and passage of dark coloured stool.

Mr. Osuji, had one session of dialysis at referral Centre prior to presentation at our facility.

“On examination was a young man severely pale, afebrile, anicteric, acyanosed with no pitting pedal edema. Chest finding include bibasal crepitation.

Cardiovascular system showed tachycardia (PR120BPM), blood pressure 180/95mmHg; first and second heart sound with hemic murmur. Central nervous system revealed a confusional state with asterixis. Other systems examination were unremarkable….

“A diagnosis of acute or chronic kidney disease (possibly end stage renal disease) precipitated by sepsis was made. Thus he was placed

some antibiotics and commenced on twice weekly maintenance dialysis. Mr. Osuji has so far had eight session of dialysis but his dialysis schedule has been irregular due to financial constraint. He had eleven pints of blood transfusion in the course of treatment. More so, he is also placed on Erythopoietin and iron sucrose therapy…

“Cost implication of twice weekly maintenance dialysis is N60,500 including Erythropoietin and iron sucrose treatment. Cost implication of renal transplantation is estimated N8 million depending on the charges of the institution that would perform the surgery.

“Kindly give him all necessary assistance to enable him enjoy good quality of life and continuing survival…”

A Fund to Save Ikechukwu Franklyn Osuji has been instituted at Sterling Bank, account number 18942937, by the Emekuku Town Union to help Osuji raise the money for Osuji’s treatment.

President-elect, Nigeria Association of Nephrology and Chief Medical Director at St. Nicholas Hospital, Lagos, Dr. Ebun Bamgboye, said that 36.8 million Nigerians (23 per cent) are suffering from various stages of kidney disease in Nigeria.

With this figure, it means that one in seven Nigerians is suffering from some form of kidney disorder.

Bamgboye who disclosed this at an awareness programme organised by the Hospital to mark this year’s World Kidney Day, regretted that despite the severity of the disease, Nigerian patients are faced with many challenges in terms of treatment.

Bamgboye lamented the burden of the disease, noting that an estimated 15,000 new patients are diagnosed every year in the country.

He said: “Chronic kidney disease prevalence is a problem in our environment.

Estimates suggest that one out of every seven Nigerians has one stage of chronic kidney disease. Unfortunately, out of 50,000 patients who should ideally be on dialysis, less than 1,000 are currently on dialysis as at today.

“Unfortunately, if you have kidney failure and you don’t do dialysis or transplant within two weeks you will die. You can imagine the number of people that are dying every day because of kidney disease.”

Symptoms of kidney failure include: high levels of urea in the blood, which can result in: vomiting and/or diarrhea, which may lead to dehydration; nausea; weight loss; nocturnal urination; more frequent urination, or in greater amounts than usual, with pale urine; less frequent urination, or in smaller amounts than usual, with dark coloured urine; blood in the urine; pressure, or difficulty urinating; unusual amounts of urination, usually in large quantities.

A build up of phosphates in the blood that diseased kidneys cannot filter out may cause: itching; bone damage; nonunion in broken bones; muscle cramps (caused by low levels of calcium which can be associated with hyperphosphatemia).

A build up of potassium in the blood that diseased kidneys cannot filter out (called hyperkalemia) may cause: abnormal heart rhythms; muscle paralysis.

Failure of kidneys to remove excess fluid may cause: swelling of the legs, ankles, feet, face and/or hands; shortness of breath due to extra fluid on the lungs (may also be caused by anemia).

Polycystic kidney disease, which causes large, fluidfilled cysts on the kidneys and sometimes the liver, can cause: Pain in the back or side.

Healthy kidneys produce the hormone erythropoietin that stimulates the bone marrow to make oxygen-carrying red blood cells. As the kidneys fail, they produce less erythropoietin, resulting in decreased production of red blood cells to replace the natural breakdown of old red blood cells. As a result, the blood carries less hemoglobin, a condition known as anemia. This can result in: feeling tired and/or weak; memory problems; difficulty concentrating; dizziness; low blood pressure.

Normally, proteins are too large to pass through the kidneys, however, they are able to pass through when the glomeruli are damaged. This

does not cause symptoms until extensive kidney damage has occurred, after which symptoms include: foamy or bubbly urine; swelling in the hands, feet, abdomen, or face Other symptoms include: appetite loss, a bad taste in the mouth; difficulty sleeping; darkening of the skin; excess protein in the blood.

With high dose penicillin, renal failure patients may experience seizures.

Previous studies had found: 1. Cucumber. Raw cucumber is natural kidney cleanser, which helps flush acids and toxins from the kidneys.

2. Radish. Radish can dissolve stones in the kidneys and pass them in urine. It can also cleanse the kidneys and improve renal filtering functions.

3. Beet. Drinking beet juice can promote blood circulation and alleviate anemia. It can also help treat hypertension and heart disease.

4. Astralagus. It is one traditional Chinese herb. It has the functions of anti-inflammation, diuretics. It can help improve kidney functions and enhance immunity.

5. Uva Ursi. It can help clear kidney stones, cleanse the urinary tract and improve kidney functions.

6. Juniper berry. It can eliminate blood stasis in the kidneys and urinary tract so as to relive urinary tract obstruction and increase urine output.

7. Basil. Basil is helpful for chronic renal failure patients. It can help remove kidney stone, control high blood pressure and improve kidney functions.

8. Cranberry juice. Cranberry juice can prevent kidney stone formation, treat urinary tract infections, increase urination and alleviate swelling. Cranberry juice has been proved to be very helpful to polycystic kidney disease.

9. Dandelion. Dandelion is another natural diuretics. It helps remove excessive fluid in the body so as to much alleviate edema in the feet, ankles, face, hands, etc.

10. Practicing yoga, tai chi and qi gong can help strength the patient’s physical fitness and enhance their immunity so as to improve their disease-resistance ability.

Medical Director Federal Medical Centre Ebutte Metta, Dr. Yewande Jinadu (right); Chairman Senate Committee on Health, Hon. Ifeanyi Okowa; former Governor of Anambra State and member Senate Committee on Health, Dr. Chris Ngige and other members of the Committee during a visit to FMC Ebute Metta last week

Dietary management and prevention of kidney stones KIDNEY stone, otherwise A known as renal calculus is a hard crystalline aggregation formed in the kidney or along the urinary tract from dietary minerals dissolved in the urine.

The classification of kidney stones is either by their location in the kidney and urinary tract or by their chemical composition. Medically speaking the condition of having kidney stones is referred to as nephrolithiasis and a kidney stone anywhere in the urinary tract is known as urolithiasis. When the stone is located in the kidney itself, it is called nephrolithiasis, if it is found in the ureter it is uterolithiasis and that in the bladder is cystolithiasis.

There are different types of kidney stones depending on their chemical composition.

The commonest type is the calcium oxalate stones and the others are the uric acid and struvite stones.

Amongst the causes of kidney stones, dehydration is the most significant. In a state of dehydration, there is a reduction in the volume and increased concentration of the urine. This predisposes to the formation of kidney stones especially in the presence of calculogenic substances.

Calcium is the most predominant calculogenic substance and in combination with oxalate crystals it forms over 70 per cent of the kidney stones. Uric acid is the next and in the midst of high levels of uric acid in the blood as in cases of gout kidney stones are a common feature.

Other substances that can cause kidney stones are magnesium ammonium phosphate and the amino acid cysteine. Infection of the kidney and urinary tract can also cause kidney stones and in this case they are known as struvite stones. Other disease conditions that may predispose to kidney stones are hypercalciuria, hyperparathyrlidism, cystinuria, chronic conditions like diabetes and hypertension and inflammatory bowel disease.

Of great interest to us are the dietary causes of kidney stones and mention has already been made of dehydration. This is as a result of insufficient intake of water daily or involvement in exercise without adequate replenishment. Excessive consumption of animal protein, a high salt (sodium) diet, excessive consumption of sugar and supplementation with Vitamin D are risk factors for the formation of stones. Certain oxalate-containing vegetables, like spinach, should be eaten moderately and with caution but when steps like correcting the pH are considered the fear could be effectively elim-

inated.

The number of individuals passing out small and microscopic stones that do not elicit any symptoms on a daily basis cannot determined. However, when such stones become big enough to occupy space or cause an obstruction, then symptoms begin to appear.

The signs and symptoms of kidney stones include pain and depending on its location this pain can be very severe. It is a spasmodic excruciating type of pain that comes and goes. It may last from 15 minutes to 60 minutes at a time. This is commonly the experience if the stone is ensnared in the ureter and the ureterine musculature contracts forcefully in an attempt to dislodge it. The pain is typically felt at the lower back, between the lower rib and the pelvic bone. It also frequently radiates to the groin and lower limb on the affected side. This pain is known as renal colic and it is associated with fever, nausea, vomiting, dysuria (painful micturition), haematuria (blood in the urine) and pus in the urine if there is infection.

Other symptoms that may occur are urgency, frequency and pain radiating down to the penis or testicles.

The diagnosis of kidney stones is made by taking a history from the patient before carrying out a good physical examination. The findings of the physical together with blood tests and radiography examinations will usually give the diagnosis. Ultrasound and CT Scans can also be carried out.

Prevention of kidney stones When the diagnosis of kidney stones has been made I will like to leave the management to the medical experts.

Here I want to deal with the prevention, which is a more positive thing to do than to be diagnosed with it. The first and regular thing to do is to drink sufficient water daily and because most of the kidney stones are acidic crystals the water you drink must be alkaline. Even in the midst of calculogenic substances, stones are not formed in an alkaline environment.

The following vegetables, which you should consume often are kidney cleansers and diuretics: water melon, celery, parsley, basil leaves, radish, fennel Rose hip etc.

You can eat them in your salads or drink them as juices.

Drinking tomato juice and one apple a day will also help. Avoid excessive consumption of animal proteins, sugar and white flower products, high salt diets and too much Vitamin D supplementation.

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Education Why Adekunle Ajasin varsity’s admission policy is merit-driven, by Vice Chancellor From Niyi Bello, Akure hE Vice Chancellor of the Adekunle Ajasin T University, Akungba-Akoko, Prof. Nahzeem Olufemi Mimiko has described the implementa-

tion of the university’s merit-drive admission policy as a difficult one.

Speaking in an interview with The Guardian shortly after the institution’s fourth convocation ceremony held recently, Mimiko, a Professor of Political Economy, averred: “It was quite difficult in the first one, two years because people were confronted with that type of choice for the first time and they couldn’t really grab it. I recall that when we had the interview that led to my appointment as the VC, the panel asked me what could create a tension between me and council if I am appointed and I said I would plead with council not to interfere with the admission process because I was not going to tolerate any intervention that would undermine the process.

“And so when I was going to be appointed and introduced to the visitor, I also made that solemn plea, that please Mr. Visitor, I would be glad if you don’t interfere with the admission and he made a commitment along that line and I am glad to tell you that in all my years as VC here, the visitor has not sent any name to me for admission consideration in spite of the fact that he is a dye-in-the-wool politician who needed to do some things for his constituency. I see that as a very high level of discipline.

“So what I tell people when we talk about the new policy and people showed signs that it was difficult for them to accept, I tell them that even the visitor, the council chairman, the deputy governor and all the rest are not giving me names, and it would be difficult for me to do otherwise. The only area where we did some stretching is for security reasons and I don’t need to go into the details of that but by and large; we have been able to sustain the merit-driven admission policy. Like I said, when we started it was difficult for people to accept, the community couldn’t understand why there should not be community list and my friends couldn’t understand why I would be a vice chancellor and say there is no VC list but now it has percolated down and everybody around here knows that at Adekunle Ajasin University, there is no point sending notes to us because those notes would not be honored as far as admission is concerned. And like I have pointed out severally, it has an immediate impact on the psyche of our student.

“The self confidence has grown remarkably and they now go around proudly that they are here because they passed examinations not because they have uncles or parents that secure the admission for them. For me it is good because it teaches us a lesson on the way we should con-

Mimiko duct public affairs. If somebody scored sixty, you don’t drop that person and take somebody that scored fifty for whatever reason. We are very proud of that policy and we are going to sustain it.”

On the why the convocation lecture was delivered in yoruba Language and the number of honorary degrees was limited to deserving individuals, the vice chancellor said: “we have been trying to do things that are distinctive even when they followed established conventional patterns of how universities are administered globally. We made it a point of duty that we don’t have to follow the pack. If we neglect doing what is not right we are not obliged to do even what is seen as the good things that others are doing and that for instance is the philosophy behind our merit-driven admission policy. It is the same thing that informed our decision to, for the first tome in the history of university administration in Nigeria, render a convocation lecture in an indigenous language which was widely received.

It also informed our choice of honorees.

Often times you find universities dangling their honorary degrees for moneybags. But we are not interested in that and we felt we needed to recognize only those who have

what it takes in terms of integrity and character. They are role models that the entire university will look up to in terms of what they have contributed to the society. These are deliberate moves to not only ensure that we return university administration to what it should be but also to make a very loud statement that at AAUA, we are insisting on doing what is right even if it is not too popular or lucrative.”

On the institution’s effort to curb cultism and contain students’ unrest, Mimiko stated: “We have not had any significant cult or violent attacks on our campus. This is not to say that cultists do not exist, I don’t think it would be truthful to say that but partly because most of our students don’t live on campus and partly because of the type of environment we create, the incidents of cults, violence has been non-existent in the past three years. We created a platform for understanding the pressures that students go through. We don’t assume that all is well with them. Don’t forget that many of them are coming out from their parents for the first time and you subject them to pressures of looking for accommodation and all that.

The tendency is for a young chap to miss the way and begin to drift towards unwhole-

some things. We created a platform to make their frustrations known to us. When they have ideas, fears and challenges, we allow them to access us.

“For instance, my Dean of students knows that she is on a 24 hour assignment. Anytime any day, students are free to go to her to raise issues. As the VC, my email address is open to students. Several of them even have my phone numbers and when they send text messages to us, we endeavor to reply them. There is this sense of conviction that if I have problem, I can talk to the VC through his phone or email, I can get the attention of my dean, and that has helped us a lot.

“We also ensure that we create some out-of-class opportunities for them. We consciously promote sporting activities and encourage them to get involved in student unionism not necessarily in terms of getting elected into what they called student union government but to some groups of students who gather themselves to clean the campus, to ensure that posters don’t exist where they should not, doing road safety duties and a lot of these extra-curricular activities. We robustly support them not just in terms of administrative machineries but also in terms of funding. And again when students engage in things like that they rebuild the time they have into productive ventures.

We have also set up a work-study scheme that enables students who chose to, work in the university two hours a day and we pay them twice a month. This is not for indigent students alone. It is another outlet of engagement. When you take all of these together and the fact that we have tried as much as possible to reengineer our curricular to engage and to improve the capacity of our lecturers, to provide the equipment and facilities, students get engaged, they are fulfilled and when they have pressures they know that they will get our attention and the fact that we have zero tolerance for some of these misdemeanor like exam misconduct and cult-related activities, rape and all that, it has helped us to reduce the incidents of cults and other anti-social activities that you said have become synonymous with our universities in Nigeria.”

On funding, the vice chancellor explained: “the state government has been quite supportive, very supportive indeed and at our convocation I made a point that if had my way I will increase the fees but government has made it clear. The governor said he wouldn’t want us to increase tuition because he wouldn’t want anybody to drop out of school because of money. The implication of that is that government would have to match up and that it has been doing. At least the funding at the recurrent level has been quite good.

“We also have been able to increase our IGR. Now

‘Afe Babalola University is not for profit’ Chief Afe Babalola, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), who has practiced law for more than 50 years and had trained several lawyers who had also become Senior Advocates, is a man of many parts. From humble beginnings, the hardworking Babalola rose from the farm in his hometown of Ado Ekiti to earn two degrees at home. After his successful tenure as pro chancellor of the University of Lagos, Babalola received an inspiration to establish a private university. In this interview with ROTIMI LAWRENCE OYEKANMI, Babalola affirmed that his motive was not to make profit, just as he insisted that education should never be a profit-seeking venture. Excerpts: hy did you decide to establish a private uniWI was versity at all? at the University of Lagos (UNILAG) for

about 7 years and I saw, with my eyes, the problems afflicting university education. I know that education is serious business. Education is also vital for development in any institution.

Education is vital to oneself, the immediate family and the nation.

I saw that education had been very badly afflicted in many areas, including the unpredictable academic calendar. In other countries, one knows in advance when he or she would finish a

course. But in Nigeria, there is no certainty because of strikes, cultism, indiscipline of all sorts, admission of unqualified students, corruption, dilapidated buildings, lack of facilities and so on.

I tried my best for UNILAG. I raised money for the university. I made personal contributions. My clients came to support the university, but I found that the important philosophy behind success in private businesses is absent in the public domain.

The philosophy of the private enterprise is

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Chief Afe Babalola (right) with the Vice Chancellor of Afe Babalola University, Prof. Sidi Osho.

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‘Education is a humanistic enterprise’ CONTINUED FROM PAGE 51 to focus on goals, on achieving success. You work hard to achieve success. You supervise; you are part of it. That is lacking in public universities in Nigeria. So I decided to establish a university, which would serve as a role model on how universities should be run. I believe that example is better than precepts and that was why I decided, at a fairly late stage of my life, to establish a university.

In fact, many people have been asking me: why are you establishing a university at this old age of over 80? But I believe that I have God with me. My name is Emmanuel.

So, in 1988, we started clearing this forest. As a matter of fact, the turning of the sod took place on October 1, 2008 and by exactly eight months after, when the National Universities Commission (NUC) came here, the officials said it was a miracle. They said it was like magic when they saw the place. We were working between 7am and 12 midnight everyday. They said it was the best thing that had happened to education in this part of the world. And ever since, we have been working and improving on what we have achieved. Everybody that has come here has shared the views of the NUC, that our university is a model, a benchmark and reference point.

How did you put all the struc-

tures in place? The design of the buildings; the recruitment of academic and nonacademic staff; the admission of students. How did you go about everything sir?

There are three ways by which you can learn: Through your own experience; through reading and through the experience of others.

I read a lot about outstanding universities in the world, how they started, and how they have made it. Apart from reading about these universities, I contacted people who, to me, have made it in education. I set up a committee to advise me. I was part of the committee and we called it Planning Committee. Among them were retired vice chancellors and professors, who had been in the education sector for many years, since the time when education was still highly qualitative.

But nobody can translate what you want except yourself. People can advise, but you know what you want. For instance, no university in this country is planned the way this university has been planned. If you enter from the gate, which leads to a circular road, outside that circular road are the utilities: hostels, cafeteria and so on. And immediately after that road, you have the colleges facing those utilities.

The whole idea is that the hostels should be very close to the colleges and utilities, to enable the students go from

Afe Babalola University campus, showing the students’ hostels (right) and the colleges (left).

their hostels to the colleges and utilities with ease, whether there is rain or not.

And then, you don’t need any car.

Another idea was that all the students must live within the compound and all the teachers will also live in the compound. They would have all the facilities they need for the purposes of teaching and live comfortably too. It is a place that is self-sufficient, a town, a complete village. Education village.

How much has this cost you personally?

Let me tell you: I don’t have all the money to build this institution. So, we had to involve ourselves in what we call direct labour. First, after we had got architects, quantity surveyors, electrical engineers and all the consortium of engineers to prepare the various costs, we invited tenders. This college in which we are now, college number one, which is now the College of Sciences, is a mighty building

When I was the pro-chancellor. Some of my (Governing) Council members told me that I should give them contracts, so that they could report back to their constituencies. I told them: ‘if you intend to come and make money from this university, by being a council member, I will go and report you to the President and you will leave this place.’ on two hectares of land.

At that time, in 2008, the minimum quotation we got was N1.2 billion. In other words, we needed about N7 billion to start at all. I didn’t have that much. What we did was to turn to direct labour.

I have clients who have cement factories, so we bought cement at reduced rate. I have clients, like Lee Brothers in Ikorodu, we bought iron rods from them at reduced price. Then, we decided to make blocks ourselves and cut the price by half. And the supervision was done by me, and the engineers. So, at the end of the day, the building for which a quotation of N1.2billion was made, by the time we finished, we had spent only N600 million.

Now, if this were a public

institution, that cost of N1.2billion would have been inflated to about two or three times that amount. Then, the quality of work will not be as good as this one is. You cannot easily put a nail on any wall here, because we supervised and ensured that every block was very solid.

At the end of the first year, the value of this university was put at N17.5 billion. At the end of the second year, the value of the property here was N40 billion. Today, the valuation will be between N75 and N80 billion. But I can assure you, that is not only what we have spent. My sweat was part of it.

Sir, this is a long-term project.

You cannot recoup your investment in five to 10 years.

So, I am still wondering, why

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ESUT appoints Enudu as director of Business School HE Enugu State University T of Science and Technology Business Council (EBC), Enugu has announced the appointment of dr. Titus okey Enudu as the new director of Studies of Enugu State University of Science and Technology (ESUT) Business School. He takes over from Professor ngozi Ejionueme.

Enudu is a graduate of Management from University of nigeria, nsukka and holds a Master of Business Administration (MBA) and

doctor of Philosophy (Phd) degrees in Business Administration from the Enugu State University of Science and Technology, Enugu. Prior to this appointment, he was the Coordinator of ESUT Business School Programme and a Senior Lecturer of the University.

Enudu is also an accomplished author, who has written several books, research articles and publications on management and administration. He is a member of several professional bodies.

Covenant Seeds school holds Inter- house sports contest

By Mary Ogar dMInISTRAToR of A Covenant Seeds schools, Mrs olabisi Ibitayo has underscored the benefits of sport activities as an important method of equipping, strengthening and preparing students for future challenges.

Speaking at the school’s 3rd Inter House Sports contest held in Lagos recently, Ibitayo explained that life sports could be a life laboratory for learning about finishing strong, pushing beyond fatigue and becoming stronger even in the face of obstacles.

With an array of exciting games and events to thrill the children as well as their parents, she noted that the sporting event was geared towards impacting on three very vital aspects of a child’s life: character, relationship and fun.

Her words: “A losing team can teach valuable lessons.

How do you handle it? do you accept defeat and believe you can do better the next time? or do you sulk and hate the team that won? Character is about playing fair.”

Highlighting the impor-

tance of relationships, Ibitayo stressed that children would for the rest of their lives be in teams, either at work, church, school or even as a family, hence the need for them to give up their own agenda for the well being of the team. “ Team work is a skill that gets better with practice, and sports is a great place to refine it. Team work in sports prepares you for bonding and developing relationship” she added.

Ibitayo also enjoined parents to allow their children participate in sport activities rather than concentrate sole on academic.

She said: “A child may not be tops in Mathematics or English but excel in sports or athletics. So, emphasis should also be placed on the potentials of a child. Sports are fast gaining ground across the world so every child should be allowed to prove themselves in their area of strength”.

In the end, Ruby House emerged winners, Sapphire clinched the second position while Topaz and Emerald Houses came third and fourth respectively.

‘Why Adekunle Ajasin varsity’s admission policy is merit-driven’ CONTINUED FROM PAGE 51 we generate about a quarter of our recurrent expenditure internally and we are doing everything possible to improve on that. My desire is to be in a position to generate at least half of our recurrent expenditure by the time my term runs out which is about two years to this time. This is what we have been doing to cope with the burden of taking one of the lowest fees in nigerian universities.” on the notion that nigerian graduates can no longer compete with their peers all over the world because of the rot in the system, Mimiko disagreed. “That is not correct,” he affirmed. “You see, one problem with the nigerian elite is the tendency to mouth and repeat some ideas that they just found fascinating

without any modicum of research to justify the conclusion they are trumpeting. I do not believe that there is a general downturn in the quality of education. I gave a lecture about two months ago at the Ministry of Economic Planning and Budget at this their platform where they bring a guest lecturer every year and I spoke about capacity gap. I made a point that one would only recognise that there is a decline in proficiency in English language across the nation because at some point in the educational system, we stopped the teaching of English grammar which deprived the young ones the opportunity to learn the tools of the language. So all you need to do if you want to improve on proficiency in English is to get a new generation of people that can teach

grammar and that problem would be solved.

“But proficiency in English language does not equate standard of education because there are nations in the world that don’t even speak English at all. Like you heard the guest lecturer mentioned, countries like China which speaks mandarin, in India where they speak Hindi and Korea and others. All of these countries are doing so well not just in humanities but also in science and technology. The second issue is that the crisis in the nigerian public space has gotten into the university system and we have a lot of people being able to get into the university system through the back door, loiter around for a few years and when they get out, claimed that they have gradu-

ated whereas in the real sense of the word, and to the intention of those who set up the system, they have not graduated.

“For instance if you get admitted because somebody spoke to the VC not because you passed examination and you don’t even have a good school certificate, it is an aberration. If that person without integrity finds himself inside the university and manages to spend his years probably enlisting as a member of a cult group that terrorise lecturers to earn grades or go into some modern form of prostitution to persuade people to award marks, and if such a person goes through the years and get out as an inappropriatelytrained person, that person is not a graduate of the nigerian university system.

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‘My life history tells my philosophy’ CONTINUED FROM PAGE 52 did you decide to put your money in here when you could have invested it in some other profitable businesses?

This is a humanistic enterprise. I don’t want to use the word, philanthropic. When I registered Afe Babalola University, it was not registered as a limited liability company. It is a non-profit organization, registered under guarantee. Therefore, I have no shares; my family has no shares; nobody can share profit here. What we signed was to guarantee any debt that may arise from here. The reason for that is: education is a non-profit making business.

If we go back in history, the first universities: the University of Bologna (founded in Italy in 1088); the University of Paris (believed to have been established in the middle of the 12th Century, according to Wikipedia), which are over a thousand years old, were not for profit.

They were established by those who believed in raising standards; who were thinking about quality education for the people, because education is good for the individual, one’s health, and for the state.

So, when you’re doing it, you are not expecting money from it. It takes me back to what I said at the University of Lagos, when I was the prochancellor. Some of my (Governing) Council members told me that I should give them contracts, so that they could report back to their constituencies. I told them: ‘if you intend to come and make money from this university, by being a council member, I

will go and report you to the President and you will leave this place.’

A university council is not the same thing as the Railway Board or Council or the Central Bank Board or Council, where you make profit and share money.

Rather, you are to bring your own money to the university, like I did. They are appointing politicians now (as Governing Council members). I am not saying politicians are not good as university council members, but such politicians must be those who understand what education is and are ready to put in their own money; who are ready to work for the university without taking a kobo. In other countries, council members are those who help to generate funds for the university.

You see, your commodity is the student, who wants to be trained. Why, then, would you want to make money from students? Prof. Iyorwuese Hagher, Nigeria’s former ambassador to Canada, who is the pro-chancellor of this university once said that if Afe Babalola had wanted to make money, he would have invested his money in Dubai to buy houses; in South Africa to buy ships; in America to buy shares. But he has invested in human beings because he believes in elevating and building people. You don’t make money from developing people. My profit lies in the achievements made by those we have developed in life. That is my own profit.

Other than just training students, you must have another vision for this university.

What is that vision?

My model is Harvard

Chief Afe Babalola

University. When I was given approval by government in November, 2009, we were told that we were going to be mentored by the University of Ibadan, and I rejected it. I said if my purpose is to establish a university, to be mentored by a Nigerian university, then I would have started wrongly.

It is because all these universities have failed Nigeria, pro-

ducing graduates who are being rejected by multinational companies, that I decided to establish a university, which will change the face of education in this country. My vision is to start a university that would succeed like Harvard.

In fact, the very first year, when we had a workshop on effective teaching, we brought in somebody from Harvard to

Hard work, itself, is prayer. When you work hard, you’re already praying hard. When you have faith that you are going to succeed, it is a stimulus. It inspires you to work harder. So, work and faith, together, enable you to get to where you are going without getting tired. And faith never fails.

tell us how teaching is done in Harvard and we adopted it. Let me tell you another thing I have been doing like John Harvard who started Harvard University. Harvard made sure that all his students come to him every Sunday, where they will dine together to discuss not only what they were learning, but also the future of the university. I have been doing that here. We call it Founder’s Dinner. I patterned it after John Harvard. It used to be quarterly, but people are getting too many, so we are only having it a few times in the year. We had one recently which was attended by over 4000 students and their parents.

What challenge did you face when you were recruiting academic staff members for the different programmes? Was it easy?

Good question! Most of the young Professors attended the universities here, they were trained in Nigeria and are used to the Nigerian system.

But there are some older lecturers, who attended the first generation universities in the 1960s, when the white men were either the vice chancellors or registrars, and they have traveled out of the country. They know what is happening to education in other countries, so I decided to look for them. I chose those people as Provosts and so on.

Then we decided to invite the younger ones, who will be mentored by these older people in the fashion of the old.

But, we are still having some problems, because they are used to the system, which obtains in the public universities at the moment; much as we have with some of the stu-

dents themselves, who come from homes; most of whose parents are used to the system.

What has been your philosophy of life?

(Sighs). My life history tells my philosophy: A man who grew up on a farm, who had quality education, who has been blessed with good health, ability and strength, to read on his own and obtain two university degrees at home; who embarked on a professional course instead of working under somebody else and who has made it in that area. A man, who combined education with farming activities all along.

I believed that I could make it, in spite of the challenges of life at the initial stage. I never envied anybody, but I wanted to be as good as others, without envying them. I believed I could be as good as any other person, and I believed that the only way to do that was to work hard. I also believed that my destiny lies in my own hands, not in anybody’s, and that my best friends are my two palms. I believed that if I worked with them (palms), I would make it.

I believe that hard work does not kill. I believe that my vision is my guide. When I work, that goal which I have on my mind would be attained through hard work.

Hard work, itself, is prayer.

When you work hard, you’re already praying hard. When you have faith that you are going to succeed, it is a stimulus. It inspires you to work harder. So, work and faith, together, enable you to get to where you are going without getting tired. And faith never fails.

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NigeriaCapitalMarket NSE Daily Summary (Equities) PRICE LIST OF SYMBOLS TRADED FOR 24/4/2013

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CAPITAL MARKET

NSE Daily Summary (Equities) as at 24/04/2013

LOSERS

PRICE GAINERS

Shareholders endorse Zenith Bank’s 160kobo dividend Stories by Helen Oji HAREHOLDERS of Zenith Bank Plc, yesterday Sapproved N50.23billion dividend, culminating to 160 kobo per 50 kobo share, due to every shareholders of the company for the 2012 financial year.

Reviewing the company’s performance at the 22nd yearly general meeting in Lagos yesterday, the chairman of the bank, Sir Steve Omojafor explained that amid harsh economic environment, the bank achieved a total deposit of N1.80trillion, higher than N1.58 trillion posted in 2011 while profit after tax also rose to N95.80 billion from N41.30billion in 2011.

During the period under review, according to Omojafor, the bank recorded a total asset of N2.44 trillion, compared to N2.17 tril-

lion in 2011. Shareholders fund stood at N438billion, up from N372.02 billion in 2011.

He added that the percentage increase in deposit was 14 per cent. Profit after tax and total asset also grew by 132 and 12 per cent.

Omojafor told shareholders that the bank, in its commitment to enhance profitability and share-

holders’ value embarked on various achievements during the year under review.

According to him, the bank has successfully completed its process of listing in London Stock Exchange, adding that it has also set up a representative office in China to effectively tap into the huge business opportunities in the region.

“Iam delighted to say that

even in the face of a very challenging operating environment, Zenith bank has maintained its culture of outstanding performance and industry leadership. As a bank, we are monitoring developments both in the local and global economy and adapting our strategies as appropriate.”

The Group Managing Director of the bank, Mr

Godwin Emefiele said the bank would do everything within its powers to consolidate on the performance and gain more market share in the industry.

Emefiele, who expressed the banks determination to cross the N2trillion lubicon mark in terms of deposit by 2013 said the bank would continue to put its operating cost under control to

sustain its performance.

“We would continue to work hard to deliver good dividend. We are aware that there is competition in the industry . Rather than lose market share, we would gain more market share. We would ensure that our deposit and profit does not drop to deliver better returns in the next financial year.” He said.

ASHON brainstorms on sustainable capital market recovery HE Association of Stock T broking Houses of Nigeria (ASHON) has concluded arrangements to organise a capital market stakeholders forum to chart a way forward for the Nigerian Capital Market.

The programme, which is slated for 23rd May, 2013, would serve an avenue for stakeholders to review market performance in the last

few years, as well as address relevant issues that would help retain investors’ confidence in the market.

The forum will be used to interface with investors and educate them in order to improve their confidence in the market because stockbrokers have direct and initial contact with investors.

According to the President of the Association, Emeka

Madubuike “We have been working hard to bring back investors confidence in the market and in this forum, we would re-focus to ensure.

The percentage of foreign investors is continuously dropping and this is a result of all efforts put in place to enhance investors confidence in a continued basis.

With the theme “Investment Opportunities

in a Frontier Market; The African Perspective, Madubuike said the various stakeholders would examine market performance in the developed countries and how they recovered from the global economic recession.

“We would look at what has happened in other global markets, what they did to bounce back as well as what we can learn from so doing.

We would also use the forum to launch a development fund to ensure that we reposition our Association and secretariat to be able to deliver.

“We have interaction from all stakeholders and it is an opportunity to share our experiences with other practitioners in the market to see how we can enhance market recovery.”

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Opinion Chinua Achebe: A personal tribute

By Edwin Madunagu IKE millions of people across Nigeria, Africa LAchebe and the world, I first encountered Chinua through his books. And my “relationship” with him remained largely so until he died a few weeks ago. My physical encounters with him were only two: first in December 1982 in a restaurant at Bagauda Lake Hotel, Kano; and second, at his University of Nigeria, Nsukka campus residence in January 1990. Each encounter was very brief.

The 1982 Kano encounter: My wife and I had been separately invited to a conference Towards a progressive Nigeria organized and hosted by the Kano State Government led by Governor Abubakar Rimi of the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP). We had driven from Calabar, breaking for the night in Jos, and continuing the journey the following afternoon. By the time we arrived at the venue of the conference it was already past 9.00pm; but we were directed, nonetheless, to the restaurant.

On entering I immediately observed a table surrounded by faces I had seen before, but mainly in newspapers and books. We selected our own table and then moved to the faces that first attracted us. We found, or rather confirmed, that one of the faces belonged to Chinua Achebe who was then the Deputy National President of PRP. My wife and I paid our respects to Achebe and other writers sitting with him and then returned to our table to “arrange” ourselves. I cannot now say if what struck me about Achebe was his humility: natural, unassumed humility; or the fact that he was an author I enjoyed reading and rereading; or the fact of his being a national leader of the PRP; or indeed that fact of his being an important member of the post-civil war Movement for Peoples Democracy (MPD) through which I was introduced in the mid-1970s to radical and socialist political activism at the national level; or for the four reasons.

The 1990 Nsukka encounter: An international conference, Achebe: eagle on Iroko, was held at Nsukka in January 1990 to celebrate Chinua Achebe’s th 60 birthday anniversary. I went there from The Guardian, Lagos. During the conference I was guest to Dr. Arthur Nwankwo whose book, Be-

fore I die, I had reviewed a year earlier in Lagos. In the morning of the opening ceremony Nwankwo and I had driven straight from Enugu to Chinua Achebe’s University of Nigeria, Nsukka, campus residence. We found that the writer was hurrying for the opening ceremony; so he had only a few minutes with us. Within that short period, however, I was again struck by the genuine simplicity around him: his home, his dress, etc. He looked to me more like an educated village head than a popular, world – renowned writer.

As I said earlier, I first met Chinua Achebe through his books. When, a couple of months before he died, a controversy broke out over his new book, There was a country: a personal history of Biafra, I tried to gather all his available works in one section of our library in Calabar. My efforts yielded 12 books: the oldest, by date of acquisition, is Arrow of God, first published in 1964; the newest is There was a country published last year, 2012. The identity I had marked on this personal copy of Arrow of God was Mellanby Hall, University of Ibadan, October 3, 1966. This means that I must have acquired Arrow of God two years after its publication and the same week I got to the University to read for a bachelor’s degree in Mathematics, starting with a one-year pre-degree programme. I must have purchased and read Arrow of God for pleasure since the book could not have been prescribed for a science programme in a university. I was then 20 years old.

The other 10 books are: The Drum (children’s book); No longer at ease; Things fall Apart; A man of the people; Girl’s at war (collection of short stories); Anthills of the savannah; The trouble with Nigeria; Morning yet on creation day (a collection of essays); Hopes and Impediments (a collection of essays); The education of a British protected child (a collection of essays). I have read all these books and numerous other published works of the author over a period of at least 47 years. I cannot now say which Achebe book I first read since I find it difficult to assume that it was Arrow of God in 1966. My assumption is that I read Things fall apart and No loner at ease before Arrow of God and that must have been in my days as secondary school student or shortly after.

I enjoy reading, and re-reading Chinua Achebe.

It is difficult, for instance, to remember the number of times I have read Madman, the opening story in his Girls at war and Other Stories. I have, for my own consumption, divided Achebe’s works in my possession simply into two categories: fiction and non-fiction. A lot of things goes into non-fiction: politics, philosophy, literary theory and criticism, history, sociology, etc. Achebe’s fictions give me a lot of pleasure: I love the lucidity of the author’s language; I love the proverbs and anecdotes many of which I have appropriated and embellished; and I love what I have called their “truthfulness” by which I mean that you can almost “see” the events embodied in Achebe’s stories happening in real life, around you. When we established the Conscientising Nigerian male Adolescents (CMA) programme in the mid1990s I had listed Chinua Achebe as one of my references for prose-writing and the Use of English Language.

Reading Chinua Achebe’s non-fictions embodied in his books and essays (which include lectures, addresses, seminar papers and formal academic papers) also give me a lot of pleasure in addition to their being a rich source of knowledge for me – by which I mean knowing what I have not known before; clarifying what had not been clear to me; or providing a different, but strong, view-point on a matter I had previously taken a position. But in reading his non-fictions I sometimes frown. This happens whenever I come across a view-point with which I strongly disagree politically or ideologically. But I soon overcome my discomfort and read on. Why? Simple. First, because I enjoy reading him in spite of my occasional frowns. I have learnt to avoid lying to myself.

Secondly, I have also learnt to differentiate between my ideological and political disagreements with liberal democrats and humanists, especially when they are also intellectuals and thinkers, and my disagreements with reactionaries and conservatives, however brilliant they may be, or appear to be. At the level of praxis I have also learnt to act out this differentiation. This is why it is possible for me to retain as personal friends men and women with

whom I strongly disagree politically and ideologically. These friendships have proved more useful to me than the friendships of fake comrades. Beyond all these, I have seen the practical role this differentiation plays in building popular – democratic mass movements. Revolutions are impossible without these movements.

I have been saying that I enjoy reading Chinua Achebe’s stories. I may as well give a complete picture and say that I love stories generally. Although I differentiate between the Achebe-type of stories, which I classify as serious and “popular thrillers” written by novelists like Jeffrey Archer and Frederick Forsyth, I still read all. But given a choice between two novels, one by Chinua Achebe and the other by any other novelist, I shall choose Achebe without hesitation. Why? Because, as I said earlier, I can relate to Achebe’s stories: I “see” the fictional events happening around me; and as I said earlier, I love his elegance and lucidity of language; his proverbs and the embodied wisdom. In how many places have I encountered a story like Madman? In how many places have I encountered proverbs like “When rain falls it falls on the tallest man first” or “When one thing stands another thing stands beside it”?

There is, however, one particular related attribute of Chinua Achebe’s stories with which I battled silently for a long time, an attribute that became decisive in my choice of Achebe as my most favourite storyteller. I battled silently because the matter embodies a fundamental criticism of the Marxist political ideology, or rather, some of its particular tendencies. Not too long ago, I learnt that the “elusive” attribute is actually what is called realism, the ability, of a storyteller to come as close as possible, as approximately as possible, to reality, to things as they are in reality, to events in the actual world. And you know that reality is always complex and many-sided, not simple or linear. Let me put this point subjectively: Although I read all stories that come my way, being restrained in this only by the time factor, I am sometimes irritated by fictions that tell me loudly that they are fictions or fictions that crudely reflect the author’s partisanship. Reading Achebe’s fictions I often forget that I am reading fictions.

• To be concluded next Thursday.

Foreign Policy: New realities, changing world (2)

By Olugbenga Ashiru Continued from yesterday N line with the African Union and ECOWAS policy of zero tolerance for unconstitutional change of government, Nigeria condemned the recent undemocratic changes of government in Guinea Bissau and Mali. In addition, as a member of the ECOWAS Mediating Group, Nigeria was actively involved in efforts to restore security and constitutional rule in both countries, by playing a leadership role in initiating democratic transitional processes.

In Guinea Bissau, it was President Jonathan that negotiated a peaceful resolution of the crisis and prevailed on the coup leaders from executing their detained erstwhile presidents and prime ministers and facilitated their safe passage out of the country. Our desire to enthrone democracy in Mali is in our national interest, as the connection between the terrorists in Northern Mali and elements of Boko Haram has been established. The plan of the terrorists and criminal gangs that took over Northern Mali was to take over the whole of Mali, and use the territory as a platform to destabilise the whole of ECOWAS region with Nigeria as the prime target. It is therefore naive of any academician, political scientist or analyst to suggest that Nigeria should not intervene or take a back seat position in Mali. If the French had not intervened at the time they did, the situation in Mali will have been different today. Nigeria, and indeed all members of the AU are grateful for the French intervention but Nigeria has risen to the occasion by taking the lead to ensure that the military campaign in Mali is now African led.

Nigeria has committed over 1,200 troops to the UN-mandated African-led International Support Mission in Mali (AFISMA) under the command of our own Major General Shehu Abdulkadir.

In post Arab spring crisis and civil war in Libya when the leadership in Africa and the African Union were in total disarray, with no clear path to follow, it was Nigeria’s timely intervention in the recognition of the then Transitional National Council (TNC) that showed the way for other African countries to follow. Within a few days of Nigeria’s announcement, majority of Member States of the African Union, hitherto sitting on the fence, followed our lead. The commitment to principle of defending democracy informed Nigeria’s timely decision to support the aspiration of the Libyan people for freedom and democracy. Nigeria’s position was dictated by our national interest and not influenced by any foreign power. The immediate result of Nigeria’s action was the protection of our nationals that remained in the country during the civil war. Today Nigeria and Libya are working together to resolve the challenges in Africa.

Strategic partnerships and economic diplomacy In a bid to encourage and promote the inflow of Foreign Direct

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Investment into the country, Nigeria has signed bilateral agreements and MoUs with several countries in the areas of trade, technological cooperation, ICT, education, culture/tourism, etc. The increased exchange of high level visits between Nigeria and other countries of the world have enhanced Nigeria’s bilateral cooperation with these countries. Such high level meetings have been able to attract considerable investment portfolios to the country.

The Bi-National Commission with the United States of America, Germany, Canada and South Africa continue to deepen the gains which the current administration has made in trade and investment, energy, security, agriculture, good governance, health and education sectors. The Bi-National Commission with Germany, signed on 2nd December, 2011, covers the areas of Power and Energy, Trade and Investment, Political Consultation and Education, Immigration and Cultural matters. Some of the projects under the German BNC relate to power generation, re-forestation, emission control and capacity building for research in solar power energy for universities. Some of these projects include: £65 million 30 megawatts Kiri Dam, in partnership with the Adamawa State Government; £50 million 20 megawatts Yola Solar Power Station; £1.5 billion 450 megawatts Gombe Coal to Power Station; 450 megawatts National Independent Power Project (NIPP) Geregu Power Station, Phase II in Ajaokuta, the pilot solar power plants for the Universities of Ibadan, Lagos, Sokoto and Bayelsa.

The Bi-National Commission (BNC) between Nigeria and the U.S. has injected fresh confidence into the Nigerian economy to the extent that Nigeria has become a new destination for U.S. businesses and entrepreneurs. This has significantly increased Foreign Direct Investment from the U.S. into Nigeria. The Commission operates under five working groups, designed to cover literally all aspects of U.S.-Nigeria relations, including assistance in capacity building, technical support, funding, security collaboration and the environment. Several projects and investments are flowing into the country to create jobs for our youths. Proctor and Gamble is constructing a factory to manufacture health materials in Agbara, Ogun State, while General Electric is investing $1 billion and has commenced the construction of a factory in Port Harcourt to manufacture gas turbines to serve Nigerian and African markets.

A foreign direct investment inflow of $54 million is been executed with Mexico to develop agriculture plantations for cultivation of pineapple and other crops for export to the European Union market. Our relations with other emerging markets and huge economies such as China have also been robust. Apart from the involvement of China in the development of infrastructure and construction, the country has granted a soft loan of $500 million for the construction of a light rail in and around Abuja. A 50-bed capacity hospital, donated by China is currently under construction

in Abuja.

From the foregoing, it is clear that quite a handful has fallen into the basket in terms of foreign investment inflow into Nigeria. Thus, according to United Nations World Investment report for 2012, the FDI inflows into Nigeria reached about $8.9 billion, far higher than in previous years. The projects generated from these would create jobs for our unemployed youths and wealth for the populace. A component of the country’s economic diplomacy is the involvement of the Organized Private Sector (OPS). More than ever before, the OPS is active in a number of African countries and continue to receive the active support of the government abroad. From Ethiopia in the Horn of Africa, Kenya in East Africa and to Cameroun, Senegal, Ghana, etc in Central and West Africa, the ministry and its missions in these countries have been supporting the businesses and operations of Nigerian businessmen, especially financial institutions and factories.

Nigeria’s international image Nigeria has continued to earn more respect in the international community despite lingering domestic challenges. While we have experienced some security challenges locally, this has not affected the goodwill, friendship and partnerships that Nigeria continues to enjoy in the comity of nations. Indeed, we have continued to receive official delegations and visitors from all countries seeking to engage with us, to invest in Nigeria’s economy and exchange views on important issues of common interest and concern. Hardly does any week pass without the visit of one high-level delegation or the other; just as we are also received and respected abroad.

As a testimony to Nigeria’s strategic importance in the comity of nations, Mr. President has undertaken several trips to many countries abroad, where he was received very warmly by his hosts and the resident Nigerian community in those countries. It is encouraging that, in the past two years, a good number of countries have invited President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, GCFR, to undertake state, official or working visits to their countries. The President has, in turn, played host to Heads of State and Government and delegations from all over the world, including high-level visits by Prime Minister of Britain, the German Chancellor, the Presidents of Brazil, Indonesia, Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, the Presidents of Lebanon and Poland, including the French Foreign Minister, the former U.S. Secretary of State, to mention a few of the special envoys and emissaries from various countries. On 15th April 2013, the South African President, Mr. Jacob Zuma was in Abuja, consulting with President Jonathan. This is a clear illustration of the goodwill towards our country and the desire of other countries to engage Nigeria in recognition of her strategic place and role in world affairs.

• To be continued.

• Ambassador Ashiru is Minister of Foreign Affairs.

THE GUARDIAN, Thursday, April 25, 2013

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Opinion God’s mercy and human pardon (2)

By John Cardinal Onaiyekan Continued from yesterday ORMALLY, it is not up to the State as such to be issuing forgiveness and pardon to those who have broken the laws of the land. Justice definitely is necessary if good order is to be maintained in the society. State pardon has to be under very clear conditions. In the first place, where the innocent has been condemned, State pardon is not only permitted but necessary to restore justice. The innocent who has been unjustly condemned must be restored to their full liberty. Our legal system is so faulty that many innocent people are languishing in jail. They ought to be released without further delay. It is highly to be commended that members of the judiciary occasionally visit our prisons to find out how many are there for no just cause, especially those in the crowded awaiting trial cells.

State pardon also becomes relevant when we have cases that are either totally or partly political. We know that very often people are considered criminals because of the political positions that they have taken. The State often has to seek reconciliation by offering pardon to those who may have been condemned under particular political circumstances.

In our country Nigeria, a special case is that of those who have been involved in plotting coups, especially during the military era. Theoretically, to stage a coup is to commit treason against the state since it involves overthrowing a legitimately constituted authority. In fact, when coup plotters fail, they are generally lined up and shot. The dilemma of Nigeria however is that when plotters succeed, we never ask the question of whether indeed they have respected the right of the state not to be overthrown. Instead, the successful coup plotter becomes “President and Commander-inChief” and is accorded or takes upon himself the highest titles and honour of the land, Grand Commander of the Federal Republic (GCFR). Under such circumstances, it is obvious that we are not operating on the basis of any moral norms but rather on the accident of who succeeds in the dangerous game of military take-over. Until we are able to condemn all unconstitutional take-over of government, including the successful ones of the past, it is only fair that the nation be ready to pardon those who tried and failed.

Finally, let us now look at the two cases with

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which we started these reflections. These, in my opinion, are cases where moral issues are at stake, where people are condemned, or liable to be condemned, for breaking the law and going against moral norms. The Boko Haram may claim to have all kinds of grievances. But the fact is that they have killed innocent people. How does the state forgive murderers? How can the government grant amnesty to people who have killed innocent citizens, some in their places of worship? The pardon to politicians who have been convicted of criminal misuse of power and massive corruption raises the issue whether the state should pardon someone who has stolen public funds, our money. Obviously, the state must handle very carefully whatever powers it has to forgive criminals otherwise, the whole structure of law and order in the society will be seriously compromised. There may be political considerations but these cannot be allowed to overthrow moral imperatives.

This does not mean that the state cannot forgive moral wrong doing. It has been done in other countries that claim high level of democratic culture. But it seems to me that in order to do this, there must be at least two conditions, namely genuine repentance and a sincere effort to make amendments as far as possible. Let us see how this applies to the two cases under discussion.

As regards the case of an offer of amnesty to the Boko Haram I believe that we should not throw away outright the consideration of such amnesty. Faced with an intractable problem, we have to explore all possible avenues of solution. The security response in terms of arms, gadgets and trained personnel is useful and necessary, but obviously not enough on its own. Government does well to reach out to all political forces and currents, so that the nation can be on the same political page and jointly address this common menace, which terrorism is. The issue of poverty and unemployment, which is cited as an excuse, needs to be addressed – and this boils down to the critical issue of good governance, at all levels, federal, state and local government. The growing danger of community polarization gradually tearing the nation apart must be urgently and effectively tackled, on both the ethnic and religious bases. Here comes the important role of traditional and religious leaders. And finally, and most important of all, all these have to go together and govern-

State pardon also becomes relevant when we have cases that are either totally or partly political. We know that very often people are considered criminals because of the political positions that they have taken. The State often has to seek reconciliation by offering pardon to those who may have been condemned under particular political circumstances. ment must take on the duty and responsibility to encourage and coordinate such initiatives, to ensure maximum overall effectiveness.

Under such an atmosphere of common efforts, the call for amnesty would seem to me quite appropriate and even necessary. I therefore see the call of the Sultan as an invitation to further discussion and dialogue among Nigerians to sharpen the focus of government action in this matter. That discussion has started, for which we should thank the Sultan and his courageous proposal. In every conflict, a time comes when dialogue and talking must be brought into the equation, in view of final solution. It would seem that for Boko Haram, that time has come.

But before Boko Haram can be seriously considered for amnesty, they must meet the two conditions mentioned earlier for forgiveness, namely repentance and amendment. Before they are eligible for any amnesty, they must at least admit that they were wrong to be killing innocent people, whatever may have been their grievances. If this is not done, they could well continue to feel that they did the right thing and perhaps, it is the rest of us who ought to beg them for pardon. As for amendment, it is impossible to bring back those who have been killed. But at least a gesture of repentance and apology goes a long way to assuage the sorrow, the hurt and wounds of those who have been gravely hurt and bereaved. The modalities of how, in practical terms, the conditions of repentance and amendment are to be met can itself be a matter for discussion and dialogue. In such a dialogue, government would be well advised to involve the right kind of people, across the board. It should certainly include religious leaders. Furthermore, we need not wait for every terrorist to surrender before engaging those who are ready to repent and reconcile.

As for pardoning people with cases of corruption on their heads, again, there ought to be some form of repentance which should be clear to everyone.

Furthermore, a sincere effort must be made to pay back as much as possible of what has

been stolen. It is alleged that a lot of the stolen money is not lost. It is said to be somewhere invested in one way or the other. That money belongs to the Nigerian people and it must be given back to them. How this will be done should be part of the conditions that would have to be worked out in the process for pardon.

Whatever government decides to do in this matter, it must not forget that the issue of massive corruption in high places is of major concern to Nigerians. Much has been said about fighting corruption. But people are fast losing confidence in the sincerity of government to turn the tide. Pardon for high profile corruption cases will certainly reduce further whatever is left of the confidence of the people. This has serious political and social fall-out that government cannot afford to ignore. We must tell the truth that anger is mounting in the land, especially among the youth whose patience is running out. The clock of social tension is dangerously ticking towards explosion.

The nation is in danger. What is needed are clear and visible gestures of reassurance that a real change and genuine transformation for the better has started.

A lot of evil has been committed in our nation. The two most serious ones have to do with insecurity and massive corruption, both of which are destroying the nation. We have to find ways of getting ourselves out of the tight grip of these two evils. It will require not only legal approach but also wise political moves and quiet diplomatic efforts as well as the impute from the spiritual leadership of the country. This means that the problem of Nigeria is the problem of all of us and we must find a way of putting our heads together to change our ways of doing things so that a great nation can emerge. The period of Easter is a good time to reflect on this because Easter means the victory of goodness over evil, of truth over lies, of justice over injustice and of life over death.

• Concluded.

• Cardinal Onaiyekan, the Archbishop of Abuja delivered this as the 2013 Easter message.

Humanizing governance according to Fayemi

By Uzor Uzoatu ACK in recent time, when gubernatorial mandates were brazenly stolen in broad daylight under the watch of the imperial presidency of Olusegun Obasanjo, I once saw Dr. Kayode Fayemi at poet Odia Ofeimun’s book launch at MUSON Centre, Lagos, and grandly greeted him thusly: “His Excellency, Sir!” Fayemi whose mandate was then in cold storage had his trademark hearty laugh as he shook hands with me. When I was summoned to the high table to read my poem “We Shall Vote With Stones”, dedicated to General Babangida, I extended the “His Excellency, Sir!” compliments to Rauf Aregbesola who was sitting by the side of Fayemi. An elderly man in the hall warned me that I could be arrested by then President Obasanjo for addressing as “His Excellencies” men not yet sworn-in as governors.

I told the old man that I was much larger than Obasanjo’s arrest because General Abacha who in his time had arrested Obasanjo was not large enough to arrest me; so why on earth should I fret about being arrested by a man Abacha once put in the cooler? I do know I am worse than useless in Mathemat-

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“His Excellency, Sir!” I screamed, nearly making a double take. I had not been in contact with Governor Kayode Fayemi ever since he reclaimed his mandate from the goons of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). It’s my bounden principle that one owed it as a duty not to disturb friends who had been elected into high offices, because asking for favours and suchlike almost always derailed the men in power.

ics, but it simply did not add up that I could be worsted by Obasanjo who had been worsted by Abacha – a man who was unable to worst me! Of course the old man dismissed me as a madman, not minding my logic that stood as clear as calculus!

Be that as it may, I was idling away the other day when my phone rang. The voice at the other end introduced itself as that of “Kayode”. I answered back with a poser: “Which Kayode?” The voice lingered for a split second before spilling the beans: “Kayode Fayemi, your friend.”

“His Excellency, Sir!” I screamed, nearly making a double take.

I had not been in contact with Governor Kayode Fayemi ever since he reclaimed his mandate from the goons of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). It’s my bounden principle that one owed it as a duty not to disturb friends who had been elected into high offices, because asking for favours and suchlike almost always derailed the men in power.

It was therefore surprising that Governor Fayemi could personally place a call to me out of the blues. He told me he was then reading my tribute in the newspaper for a fallen colleague Ashikiwe Adione-Egom, the celebrated Motor-Park Economist.

A man of ideas, Dr. Fayemi always enjoyed the contestation of issues with fine minds like Adione-Egom. Over the phone, Governor Fayemi thrashed out issues on the passing of Adione-Egom in a manner that clearly showed that he was still abreast of all the matters at stake not minding his high office.

It is our forte in these shores to always look abroad for politicians with fine minds such as America’s Bill Clinton and Barack Obama, not realizing that we have our own examples such as Dr. Kayode Fayemi, the Ekiti State Governor. Dr. Fayemi’s grooming stands him in good stead to elevate the art and act of governance to the humanizing levels celebrated in the exploits of the likes of Clinton and Obama. Incidentally Governor Fayemi equally has a formidable spouse in Erelu Bisi just as Bill

Clinton has his Hilary while Obama boasts of Michelle! I remember once running into the couple in London, England, and the very personable Bisi talked of making arrangements for me to visit the many Nigerians in British prisons so that I can bring the news in bold relief back home. The couple started out with rendering service long before becoming Governor and First Lady.

For a champion of democracy who took all of three-and-a-half years to reclaim his stolen mandate, Governor Fayemi has taken to governance as fish to water without showing any bitterness over his erstwhile travails. A very consultative leader, Dr. Fayemi has doggedly tackled issues of education, healthcare and poverty with consummate application. His social welfare policy to the elderly folks has endeared him to the rural and urban masses who daily hail him across the myriad routes of Ekiti State that he has onerously lifted through intertwining tarred roads.

His 2005 autobiography, Out of the Shadows: Exile and the Struggle for Freedom and Democracy in Nigeria, lucidly portrays Dr. Fayemi as a fervent defender of democracy who staked his life for the restoration of democracy following the annulment of the June 12 1993 presidential election won by Bashorun Moshood Abiola. It is indeed remarkable that Nobel Laureate Wole Soyinka wrote the foreword to the book, asserting to the clout of Dr. Fayemi. He played a pivotal role in the establishment and running of the opposition radio station, Radio Kudirat, with which the democratic struggle came up trumps.

The humanization of governance by Governor Fayemi is an object lesson to all who see power in the sense of overbearing bossiness. The common touch is what makes Governor Fayemi to stand out as the way to go. He is ready-made for higher spheres.

• Uzoatu, author of God of Poetry, wrote in from Lagos.

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SPORTS

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Sports Eaglets set up Cote d’Ivoire rematch in final IGERIA’S Golden Eaglets N reaffirmed their intention to avenge their group lose in the CAN U-17 Championship after beating Tunisia 4-2 to set up a rematch against Cote d’Ivoire.

The Eaglets will now seek to avenge on Saturday in Marrekech their only defeat thus far when they face the Ivorians, who shocked them 10 in a group game.

It certainly promises to be the biggest test thus far for the Eaglets, who are now on verge of winning Nigeria’s third continental diadem at this level.

In yesterday’s game, Kelechi Iheanacho opened scoring for the Eaglets in the second minutes, while Yahaya Umar increased the lead to 2 in the nine minutes.

The competition’s leading scorer, Isaac Success, scored Nigeria’s third goal in the 21st minute to record his seventh goal of the campaign.

To the credit of the Tunisians, they came back strongly to score two goals within five minutes with Firas Ben Larbi scored on 25 minutes for his fourth goal of the

tournament, before Hajj Hassan made it 3-2 on the half-hour.

Tunisia almost snatched an unlikely equaliser in the 42nd minute but for the bravery of Nigeria skipper, Musa Mohammed, who cleared the ball off the goal line.

Bernard Bulbwa and Idowu Akinjide shone for the Eaglets in midfield, while Success and Iheanacho took the game to the North Africans from the attack.

Yahaya Umar got his brace when he scored in the 58th minute to make it 4-2, while the enterprising Bulbwa was picked offside as he came face-to-face with the Tunisia goalkeeper.

Success was unlucky twice as he missed narrowly, while Umar failed to complete his hattrick when his header sailed over the cross bar in the 80th minute.

Bulbwa then had a shot saved in the 82nd minute, before Ifeanyi Matthew’s effort minutes later was saved.

Substitute Ahmed Umar’s 30yard free kick would then miss target by a whisker.

Sports has impacted positively on SONigeria athletes, Phillips admits

By Olalekan Okusan OR Foluso Phillips, a board member of the Special Olympics Nigeria (SONigeria), taking part in active sports has indeed beatify the lives of intellectual challenged athletes.

Phillips told The Guardian that he has been thrilled with the skills display most times by the athletes, while charging parents and guardians to support the athletes in their quest to be relevant in the society.

“I want to say we have been marveled with the kind of talents and skills displayed

by SONigeria athletes. They are indeed special beings that must be given the required attention. For us at SONigeria, we are committed to helping the athletes to actualize their potential and we believe the society should also given them the needed support, he said.

He added, “we want to say that through sports, a lot of parents and guardians are now coming out to embrace SONigeria after seeing what their wards can achieve through sports. These kids have displayed lots of skills and it behooves on us to give them the chance. So the platform that SONigeria has given them has indeed helped to impart positively on them.”

Meanwhile, SONigeria says it plans to stage more com-

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petitions this year in order to recruit athletes for international tournaments.

SONigeria National Director, Folashade Bolumole, has expressed appreciation to stakeholders, who had supported the body in all its programmes.

“We will continue to recruit, train and provide competition opportunities to more present and future athletes, provide health care service for them, attend more international games.

The time has come for us to assist our athletes, move to the next level. I will like to invite you to join us in a Dignity Revolution Campaign. It is time to proof to the world that people with intellectual disabilities can also hold jobs if given proper training and in the right environment of acceptance.

“Although this is not our core area, but we believe that with your partnership we can give dignity to people with Intellectual disabilities. We have taken the lead by going ahead to employ one of our athletes as an office assistant in the SONigeria secretariat,” she explained.

She listed companies like Southern Sun Hotel, MTN, Mansard Insurance, Coca Cola and Guaranty Trust Bank among others that have been supportive to the organisation.

Golden Eaglets’ star, Kelechi Iheanacho (left) contests with a Congolese player during the last group match at the CAN U-17 in Morocco. Iheanacho netted one of the goals against Tunisia in their 4-2 victory yesterday.

Eagles not threatened by Kenya’s early camping • NFF assures of maximum points against Kenya, Namibia From Ezeocha Nzeh HE Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) yesterday said it is not threatened by the decision of Kenyan Football Association to begin early camping for its home based players ahead of the second leg of the June Brazil 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifier between the two countries.

Coach of the Harambe Stars of Kenya, Abdel Amrouche on Tuesday released a list of 25

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home based players, who are expected to begin camping in May to prepare for the game against the African champions.

But reacting to the coach’s decision to begin camping barely a month before the kick-off date, Secretary General of the NFF, Musa Amadu noted that the Eagles as Africa champions have the pedigree to defeat the Kenyans in Nairobi, adding

that the federation is not bothered or threatened by the camping decision of the KFA. The NFF scribe assured that the Super Eagles will be adequately prepared and encouraged enough for them to secure the maximum points in their clashes with both Kenya and Namibia, adding that the Eagles were currently rated ahead of the two countries.

Ogunjobi blames league crisis on NFF From Ezeocha Nzeh, Abuja HE Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has been blamed for allowing the crisis rocking the Nigeria Premier League to go out of hand before trying to intervene.

The NFF had invited chairmen of the 20 Premier League clubs and the League management Committee (LMC) to a truce meeting on Tuesday in Abuja after the sacking of the Nduka Iraborled LMC. Former NFF Technical Committee Chairman, Taiwo

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Ogunjobi said that Nigerians should hold the Aminu Maigari-led NFF board responsible for the crisis rocking Nigerian league, insisting that the Glass House was ‘very shoddy’ in handling the crisis.

Speaking in a telephone chat with The Guardian yesterday, the former NFF secretary general regretted that the federation fuelled the already tensed relationship between the club owners and the LMC when it issued a threat of sanction to the clubs, instead of making efforts to play a peace makers role by inviting the club owners for a dia-

logue.

Ogunjoji, who is the chairman of Osun State FA noted that for the representatives of the clubs at the LMC, Mike Idoko and Sabo Babayaro to be part of the meeting that sacked the Irabo-led LMC was enough to make the NFF take actions to resolve the crisis by calling them together for a dialogue, especially when the two representatives of the club had come out publicly to say that they were not carried along by Irabor and the other members of the committee in taking vital decisions that affected the clubs.

Sydney Sam not for Confederation Cup, says NFF From Ezeocha Nzeh, Abuja HE Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) yesterday said that its efforts to secure Nigeria born Bayern Leverkusen midfielder, Sydney Sam, is not tied to the FIFA Confederations cup, which the Super Eagles will represent the continent of Africa in June.

The NFF has begun efforts to secure the clearance of Sam, who has featured for the German youth side so as to make him eligible to play for Nigeria.

NFF General Secretary, Musa Ahmadu said yesterday in a chat with journalists that the federation had commenced subtle moves to secure the players nationality switch, stressing that there had been fruitful discussions with Sydney Sam and his agent, who has pledged his allegiance to the Nigeria national team.

Amadu noted that though the process of securing the players’ final release from FIFA would be a long one, but the federation would work hard to see that the issue is fast tracked. He further stressed that all the necessary documents were being put together for FIFA’s eventual approval for Sam’s release.

T

THE GUARDIAN, Thursday, April 25, 2013

74 SPORTS

Okpekpe Road race will bring sports to its traditional home, says AFN boss Athletes from France, Kenya, arrive May 2, UNIBEN set for Golden League

By Gowon Akpodonor S the countdown begins ahead the maiden Okpekpe road race in Edo State, President of the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN), Solomon Ogba has declared that part of the decisions to stage the event in the area is to “bring track and field race back to the traditional home, Bendel.”

The Okpekpe road race, the first in the country, has mouthwatering cash prizes for athletes, starting from $25.000.00 for first place athlete to $3.000.00 for athlete in the 8th position for males. The competition will hold in the sleepy town of Okpekpe, which is famous for its hilly scenery on May 4. The venue is 25km from Auchi, in Etsako East Local Government Area of Edo State.

Speaking with The Guardian in Lagos during the week, Ogba commended Governor Adams Oshiomhole for his decision to host the 10km race, just as he praised the governor for the transformation of the Okpekpe road, venue of the road competition.

Ogba revealed that all is set for this weekend’s Athletics Golden meet, which will take place at the University of Benin Sports Complex. Some of Nigerian athletes who have been in camp in Auchi strategising for the Okpekpe race are expected to storm the UNIBEN Sports Complex for the Golden League on Saturday.

A

Technical Director of AFN, Navy Commodore Omatseye Nesiama said yesterday that the AFN had secured ten elite roadrunners, including one from France. “The others are from Kenya, Ethiopia and Eritrea,” Nesiama stated.

Meanwhile, promoter of the Okpekpe road race, Mike Itemuagbor has said that local and international roadrunners that have signified interest would start arriving the country from May 2. According to him, an IAAF representative will flag off the 10km racecourse.

Governor Oshiomhole had said last week that the decision to bring the world to Okpekpe for the first road race in the country was in line with his

administration’s rural development agenda saying, “we want to show that in Edo state we do not see the rural people as being inferior to the urban people and as much as we are working in the urban areas, we are doing exactly the same thing in our rural areas. We want to show that our rural roads are even better than a lot of our federal roads called federal highway.”

While the male runners will target $25,000 prize money, the female prizes ranges from $5.000.00 to $1000.00, while the prize money for Okpekpe community athletes ranges from N100, 000 for first position to N5000.00 for athlete in 8th position.

Uwua finally quits Tornadoes LMOST two months after A serving them notice, Coach Godwin Koko Uwua has finally resigned his job with Niger Tornadoes of Minna.

The former Super Eagles assistant coach in a letter dated April 23, 2013 and addressed to the chairman of Niger Tornadoes gave three reasons for terminating his appointment as technical adviser of the team.

According to the letter, the management of Tornadoes failed to respect the terms of his contract, which include: “Lack of contractual fulfillment in my salary/contract

fees. The management agreed to join my salary and sign-on, which rose to the tune of N900, 000 monthly but N700, 000 only is being paid monthly from October 2012 up to the time of my writing this letter.

“Indiscriminate sack/recruitment of players without notifying the coaching crew and constant interference on the team selection e.g. the sack of 11 regular players without the knowledge and notice of the coaching crew. I therefore see this as an act meant to sabotage and frustrate my ambition in the team.

Onyeka Mbanu… one of the teenage sensations expected to compete for the top prize at the CBN Open

Wheelchair event debuts at CBN Tennis Open Championship

By Olalekan Okusan the first time in the histoFof OR ry of the yearly Central Bank Nigeria (CBN) Senior Open Tennis Championship, wheelchair event will be part of the 35th edition of the tournament, which serves off tomorrow at the National Stadium in Lagos.

Also, the prize money has been increased from N9.06 million to N14.3 million with singles champions (men and women) carting home N.7 million each.

According to CBN’s Director of Corporate Communications, Ugochukwu Okoroafor, the inclusion of the wheelchair event is aimed at adding value and expanding the tournament.

“We are happy to inform you that with the desire to add value and expand the CBN Senior Tennis Championship, wheelchair has now been included in the championship beginning

from this year, as part of the bank’s contribution to encourage the participation of the physically challenged in sporting activities,” he said.

Okoroafor, who was represented by the apex bank’s Head of Internal Communications, Odessa Ogunmola added that to make the championship more competitive, the total prize money has been reviewed upward with winners in the singles getting N.7 million each while runners’ up will cart home N.5 million each.

In an expression of its full support to the game, the apex bank has also assured of its support to the Nigeria team for the African Zone Group Three of the Davis Cup holding next month in Cairo, Egypt.

The competition, which started in 1979, Ogunmola however, reaffirmed the apex bank’s commitment to promoting and development of the game.

Winners of the CBN Junior

tournament will get wildcards to feature in the main draw of the championship, when it serves off on Monday April 29.

Being the only competition this year that would afford the Nigeria Tennis Federation (NTF) to assess the players, this year’s CBN Open will serves as trials to select players for next month’s Davis Cup tournament in Egypt.

For the Vice President of NTF, Matthew Owoseni, it is disheartening little attention is being paid to tennis with too much focus of football.

“I don’t think organising two tournaments yearly for our players will make any meaningful impart on them and we expected them to compete with others at the All Africa Games and the Olympic Games. It is not possible because we had made passionate appeal to corporate bodies and philanthropists to help the sport but it seems everybody is just focusing on football.

Dolphins to unleash Flying Eagles trio on Nasarawa United OLPHINS may have the full D complement of three players, who were part of the Africa

Youth Championships when they take on Nasarawa United in the League on today.

Captain of the Flying Eagles, Abduljeleel Ajagun is already the club’s top scorer this season even though he just joined the lads ten days ago and is yet to play a League match.

In two FA Cup games played so far, Ajagun has scored three goals, a brace against Glodek in the 2-0 win and one against Gokana United in the 7-1 thrashing.

Chidi Osuchukwu, an assistant captain with the Flying Eagles has already featured in two league and two FA Cup games and has one goal to his name while the third of the trio, Chizoba Amaefule is yet to play a game for the club this season The only injury concern at Dolphins ahead of the match against Nasarawa United is the goalkeeper, Sunday Rotimi, who got a groin strain

in the 2nd minute of the game against Rangers International last week.

Ajagun has been at Dolphins since 2008 while Chidi Osuchukwu joined from Gateway in 2009. Chizoba Amaefule only just joined the club this season.

Meanwhile, Dolphins have qualified for the semi finals of the Rivers State FA Cup. To get to this stage, Dolphins beat Gokana United 7-1.

Youngster, Chigozie Ihunda and Omoh Ojabu scored two goals each and Jeleel Ajagun, Chidi Osuchukwu and Abubakar Umar scored one each.

In their first match of the campaign, Dolphins beat Glodek 2-0, both goals by Jeleel Ajagun.

Head Coach of Dolphins, Stanley Eguma says he is happy his boys are scoring and hopes they will take their goal scoring form to the League.

“We play Nasarawa United on Thursday and I hope the boys will take their form to

the League. Our results in the FA Cup so far prove we can score goals and it’s just a matter of time before the goals begin to come in the league.”

Ajagun

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THE GUARDIAN, Thursday, April 25, 2013

English Premiership

Suarez gets 10-game ban for biting Ivanovic, Anfield shocked L

IVERPOOL striker, Luis Suarez has been suspended for 10 games for violent conduct after biting Chelsea defender, Branislav Ivanovic, the Football Association has confirmed.

The Uruguayan was captured by TV cameras biting into the defender’s arm in the second half of the two sides’ 22 draw at Anfield, before later going on to seal the injurytime equaliser.

Suarez accepted the charge on Tuesday, but rejected the FA’s notion that a three-game ban should be deemed insufficient and has until midday on April 26 to appeal the decision, with Liverpool Managing Director, Ian Ayre expressing his and the club’s “shock and disappointment” at the ban.

The striker is currently set to miss Liverpool’s four remaining Premier League games including the visit of rivals Everton on May 5 and the Reds’ opening six games of the 2013-14 season.

The FA statement read: “Luis Suarez has been suspended for a total of 10 matches after an Independent Regulatory Commission today ruled on a charge of violent conduct.

“A three-person Independent Regulatory Commission today upheld The FA’s claim that a suspension of three matches was clearly insufficient and the player will serve a further seven first-team matches in addition to the standard three.

The suspension begins with immediate effect.”

This is the second time Suarez has been handed a lengthy ban during his 27month stay at Anfield after being suspended for eight games after being found guilty of racially abusing Patrice Evra last season.

The Uruguayan also received a seven-game ban in November 2010 for biting PSV midfielder Otman Bakkal while at Ajax.

We won ‘the right way, in style, not on goal difference,’ says Ferdinand • Grandad plans big kiss for van Persie IO Ferdinand has taunted R recently dethroned rivals Manchester City by saying Manchester United reclaimed the Premier League title in ‘the right way.’

United secured their 20th top-flight crown with four games to spare following a 30 victory over Aston Villa on Monday night and shifted the balance of power back over to the red half of Manchester.

And 34-year-old Ferdinand asserted that their title triumph was far more satisfying than winning it on goal difference as City did on the final day of last season.

“It’s always sweet when you win the title and it’s nice to do it here, in the right way and in style, not on goal difference,” he told the Independent. “We have won it outright and we

Man United to celebrate with open-top bus

ANCHESTER United are M to celebrate their latest Barclays Premier League

Suarez

title triumph with an opentop bus parade through the city.

The club said on their official website they will be going through Manchester

on Monday, May 13, starting at Old Trafford and ending in the city centre.

That will come the day after Sir Alex Ferguson and his players get their hands on the trophy following their final home game of the campaign against

Swansea but before the end of the season on May 19.

The parade also comes two days after rivals Manchester City, the team they regained the trophy from, play in the FA Cup final against Wigan.

have won it comfortably.”

Ferdinand also hailed the ‘resilience and the attitude’ that Manager, Sir Alex Ferguson has instilled into the squad as being one of the major factors in United’s prolonged success in seeing off so many other clubs at the top.

“A lot of other teams would probably have fallen away,” he added. “We played Liverpool a couple of seasons ago when they were fighting for the title, we beat them and got to the league before them and they’ve not been seen since. That shows the mentality and character this club has.”

Meanwhile, Robin Van Persie’s grandfather toasted his grandson’s Premier League title success and says he’ll plant a ‘big fat kiss’ on the Manchester United striker, when they reunite next month.

Wim Camp watched from his home in Prinsenbeek, Breda via television as his grandson scored a first-half hat-trick in Monday’s 3-0 victory over Aston Villa, which secured the first league title of his career in his debut season at Old Trafford.

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THE GUARDIAN, Thursday, April 25, 2013

UEFA Champions League

We’ll bounce back, Messi insists L IONEL Messi has insisted he was fit to face Bayern Munich and has vowed to help Barcelona respond to their heavy defeat in Germany.

The Spanish giants suffered a surprise 4-0 loss in their first leg of their UEFA Champions League semifinal and are now facing a huge uphill challenge to qualify.

Messi was a peripheral figure at the Allianz Arena and did not look as if he had recovered from the hamstring injury he suffered a just few weeks ago.

But the Argentine said, “I felt good. I was well enough to play. We have to lift ourselves for the second leg and La Liga. We will bounce

back.

“They were a lot stronger than us, physically superior.

It is a pity what happened but we have to move on.”

Midfielder Xavi also remains adamant Barcelona have not given up hope of reaching the Champions League final at Wembley despite the odds being stacked against them.

“We are Barca and we have got to try to get to the final,” said the Spaniard. “We need to play a great game but we know at the same time that it is practically impossible.”

Xavi paid tribute to a Bayern side, who outplayed and outmuscled the 2009 and 2011 Champions League winners like very few have achieved over the past six

seasons.

“They were quicker than us and it was like a siege,” he said. “We expected it to be like this. They are very strong physically and they were better than us.

“When you make mistakes in the Champions League, you pay the price. They were stronger than us. I do not know why we did not attack well.

“They have extraordinary players like (Arjen) Robben and they just found it too easy to get past us.”

HOMAS Muller was over T the moon with Bayern Beating Barcelona is just Munich’s 4-0 victory over Barcelona in the first leg of their Champions League semi-final tie at the Allianz Arena on Tuesday evening.

The Germany international opened the scoring in the opening 45 minutes, before Mario Gomez, Muller a second time and Arjen Robben helped the Bavarians to a comfortable home win after the break, much to the delight of the 23-year-old.

“It feels great. We put in an outstanding performance.

The way in which we beat them was superb – we gave

Rummenigge savours Barcelona’s battering telling Sky Deutschland, “we AYERN Munich won 4-0 against the best B Chairman, Karl-Heinz team in the world. That is Rummenigge admitted that his side’s stunning 4-0 demolition of Barcelona in the first leg of their Champions League semifinal on Tuesday night felt “like a dream.”

The Bavarians went into the game at the Allianz Arena as the slight favorite, but few pundits foresaw Jupp Heynckes’ men sweeping the Catalans aside as they did, with a Thomas Muller double and a goal apiece from Mario Gomez and Arjen Robben.

Rummenigge admits he was bowled over by the standard of his side’s display,

like a dream here tonight.

“We played beautifully. We did not give our opponents any chances. I do not think Barca ever had a game where they had so few chances.”

The legendary striker was full of praise for two-goal hero Muller, but he was keen to acknowledge that Blaugrana star Lionel Messi had clearly not recovered from his recent hamstring trouble.

“Thomas Muller had a fantastic match,” Rummenigge enthused. “But I still think Messi is the No. 1. I don’t think he was completely fit.”

brilliant, Muller admits everything. Everyone battled and ran their hearts out,” the attacker was quoted as saying on the official UEFA website.

“It’s no secret that we have a lot of quality going forward.

We’ve had some big wins recently, but to beat them like this in a game of this magnitude is just brilliant.”

Muller then went on to admit that things are looking good for Bayern after the first leg, but stressed that the club is not there just yet.

“Everyone knows how strong Barcelona are at home, but we’re in a great position and if I know this team, we’ll be doing everything we can to progress,” he went on.

“Nothing has been decided yet, but things could certainly be worse.”

The Germany international was about to be replaced just seconds before he made it 4-0 as he had picked up a knock and was understandably very pleased to double his personal tally before going off.

“I signaled to the bench that I’d picked up a knock before my second goal and was suffering from a bit of cramp, so I was preparing to come off, but we were still in possession so I had to keep going. Then I scored, which was obviously fantastic.”

The second leg at Camp Nou takes place on May 1.

Messi’s father told me he wasn’t fit, Minguella reveals OSEP Maria Minguella has The Catalans eventually Jfather claimed that Lionel Messi’s slumped to a 4-0 loss, with told him that Messi putting in a disap-

Barcelona’s Argentine forward, Lionel Messi gestures, during UEFA Champions League semi-final first leg match against Bayern Munich in Munich, southern Germany on Tuesday.

the Barcelona forward was not fit for the first leg of his side’s Champions League semi-final clash with Bayern Munich.

The Argentine’s participation in the Allianz Arena clash had been in doubt right up until just a couple of hours before kickoff, with the 25-year-old having failed to feature for the Blaugrana in all but one game since sustaining a hamstring injury against Paris Saint-Germain on April 2.

pointing performance, and Minguella believes he was not fit enough to feature.

“His father told me at lunch that he was not able to play,” the agent-turned-pundit is quoted as saying by Marca.

Barcelona will be hoping that Messi is fully fit when the club meets Bayern again in the second leg at Camp Nou on May 1 as the team looks to produce an unlikely comeback.

Barcelona travels to Athletic Bilbao on Saturday.

THE GUARDIAN, Thursday, April 25, 2013

SPORTS | 77

UEFA Champions League

We won’t be complacent, claims Robben A

RJEN Robben spoke of his pride after helping Bayern Munich claim a stunning Champions League victory over Barcelona, but insisted they were not thinking of a Wembley final just yet.

Bayern took a giant stride towards a third final in four years after thrashing Barca 40 in tonight’s semi-final first leg at the Allianz Arena, with a brace form Thomas Muller sandwiching goals from Robben and Mario Gomez.

Although the remarkable scoreline had not really sunk in for Robben immediately after the game, he hailed his side for their performance.

The former Real Madrid winger also insisted they would be keeping celebrations to a minimum with a second-leg trip to the Nou Camp still to come.

Asked if he could believe what happened, Robben told ITV, “not really...I think we knew we were able to give them good competition, I think everybody said before it was a 50-50 game.

“We can be very proud, this team (Barcelona) has dominated Europe over the last five years and if you beat them like this in such terrific way I think you can be proud.

“But on the other hand, let’s be quiet, enjoy this evening but not any more, because there’s still the second game

to play and we have to be ready.”

When asked if he had Wembley in his thoughts, the Holland international added on Sky Sports News, “no, no, no, but that’s also the strength of this team, we keep focusing. There’s always the next game. Let’s stay concentrated, not talk too much and just play our football.”

Barca may feel some key decisions went against them tonight, with appeals against Gomez for offside when he netted Bayern’s second just after the break and a foul on Jordi Alba in the lead-up to Robben’s strike falling on deaf ears.

Robben preferred not to comment on that though, telling ITV, “I don’t want to speak about this. I want to speak about the way we played tonight, that needs to have the upper hand.

“We can be proud, we played a terrific game, everybody fought for every metre and we didn’t give them any space to play. I think maybe they had one chance, maybe two good opportunities, but no more and in the end we really deserved the win.”

Barcelona defender, Gerard Pique refused to make any excuses for his side’s loss and admitted their hopes of reaching the final were now “almost impossible.”

Roura bemoans refereeing bad luck “We have had bad luck with ARCELONA Assistant B Coach, Jordi Roura feels his the refs (in this season’s) side has been made to suffer Champions League,” the 45from poor officiating in this season’s Champions League.

The Blaugrana were hammered 4-0 by Bayern Munich at the Allianz Arena on Tuesday night, courtesy of a Thomas Muller double and goals from Arjen Robben and Mario Gomez.

However, Roura was left fuming after Gomez’s goal was allowed to stand despite the player appearing to be offside, and claims for a foul on Jordi Alba in the build-up to Robben’s goal were also turned down.

year-old told reporters.

Despite the misfortune at the hands of officials, Roura was quick to pay tribute to a scorching display from his German counterparts on the night.

“The first thing we have to do is to congratulate Bayern,” he said.

“They’re very strong, a great team. Bayern played a great game, they were better team.

In the first half, we competed well, but in the second half we lacked power.”

Xavi, Pique rue Barcelona’s ‘worst result ever’ AVI and Gerard Pique X have described Tuesday’s humiliating 4-0 defeat at the hands of Champions League semifinal opponents Bayern Munich as Barcelona’s “worst result ever.”

The loss at the Allianz Arena was the biggest in the competition’s history at the lastfour stage and represented the Blaugrana’s heaviest away defeat in European competition. The club’s chief playmaker admitted afterwards that the Catalans could have no complaints about the final scoreline.

“It’s the worst result ever,” Xavi told reporters. “They were better - and I don’t mind saying that.”

The Spain international also conceded that the Liga leaders have little hope of turning the tie around in the second leg at Camp Nou next week.

“It’s almost impossible,” Xavi said. “But we must try to,

for this club and for everyone.”

Defender Pique was distraught with his side’s showing on Tuesday that saw them suffer a 4-0 beating in the Champions League at the hands of Bayern Munich.

“They were quicker, stronger and played better football,” Pique told TV3.

“They were the superior team. (Wining the tie) is almost impossible. We will have to turn around and go out and win the next match for our fans.

“We have been given a refresher.”

Gomez’s tap-in - which put Bayern 2-0 up - appeared to be offside while Muller fouled Jordi Alba for Robben’s goal but the former Manchester United center back did not want to lay the blame on officials.

Pique insisted, “the referee did not have any influence on the result.”

He told television channel TV3, “there’s not much you can say, they’ve been faster, stronger and played the better football.

“We mustn’t talk about the referee, I don’t think he had any influence (on the result).

It’s almost impossible for us.

“They’ve been better than us, we need to congratulate them and show our best in the return leg while thinking about finshing the league as soon as possibile. We are Barca, we must go out at the Nou Camp to win the game for our fans.”

Barca could clinch the Primera Division title this weekend if they beat Athletic Bilbao at San Mames and nearest challengers Real Madrid slip up at local rivals Atletico.

Bayern Munich’s Dutch midfielder, Arjen Robben (centre); celebrates scoring, during the UEFA Champions league semi final first leg match against Barcelona in Munich, southern Germany on Tuesday.

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THE GUARDIAN, Thursday, April 25, 2013

THE GUARDIAN, Thursday, April 25, 2013

79

TheGuardian

Thursday, April 25, 2013

Conscience, Nurtured by Truth

By Oluwafunmilayo Oyatogun ’VE just finished a 1-litre carton of a popular IEvery brand of fruit juice; this one is a berry mix. empty juice carton is an opportunity to practise my basketball skills, perhaps regain my old glory of being able to dunk anything into anything. I go close enough to throw the juice carton into the dustbin and realise that it is full and needs to be emptied into the larger dumpster. There are things like fish entrails in there, a discarded battery, faulty electronics, shoes worn out beyond repairs and this juice carton. It’s refreshing to rid the house of unused and unusable items and it’s almost a necessary part of the day to throw such things away.

But, where is away?

The moment I stepped into Dustbin Estate, Ajegunle, ‘away’ came home. I visited Dustbin Estate in February with a group of women from my church here in Lagos. When we were told that there were people, in this city, living on top of trash heaps, we empathised with them but never fully grasped the reality of people living on trash piles. In fact, we saw it as a fair exaggeration and a charity opportunity. Then, we got to the estate and there were indeed people living on trash heaps. Like every other place, life goes on as normal; children make toys of whatever they find around them, grocery kiosks are set up in strategic corners, and lean pet dogs run around. We even stumbled across a cow, perhaps belonging to a resident meat seller. The place is closer than skin to those who live there; it is where they bathe, sleep, eat, wake-up and learn about life. Worst of all, it is what becomes normal to many of them.

Even though Dustbin Estate may be a prime background for a documentary, a poster-child for the filth of Ajegunle living and an epic storyline for Nigerians and their famed resilience (or what I’d rather call generational conditioning to suffering and smiling), it is also a pitiful representation of our country, Nigeria. Dustbin Estate is a snapshot of our Dustbin Nation.

One of the biggest flaws in our social reconstructive efforts is the conspicuous absence of environmental reconstructive efforts. What we fail to realise is that attaining social justice is incomplete, in fact, impossible, without attaining environmental justice. We have externalised our negative contributions to the environment and we simply refer to them as ‘away.’

The methods of delivering environmental messages have long evolved because the problems have long evolved, and continue to do so.

Environmental issues are now social issues more than they are issues about the planet.

In hinging our environmental discussions on trash in Nigeria, we meet at a fine junction between injustice towards the Earth and injustice towards people. Marjora Carter, one of the phenomenal environmentalists to emerge from the Bronx, and founder of Sustainable South Bronx, famously said that environmental justice demands that no one should live with more environmental burdens and less environmental benefits irrespective of age, class, gender, socio-economic status, etc. But in Dustbin Estate, people live with heavy environmental burdens BECAUSE of who they are in society. They sleep and eat in trash that they did not create…that they cannot create. Their children play in what’s left of the wealth that eludes their parents.

We’re talking a lot on social media, especially Twitter. Twitter, the popular micro-blogging platform, was aptly likened to a ‘village town hall meeting’ and to a ‘bizarre radio channel’.

Yet, we’re not “talking enough trash.” We’re quickly running out of time. This is neither a

One of the biggest flaws in our social reconstructive efforts is the conspicuous absence of environmental reconstructive efforts. What we fail to realise is that attaining social justice is incomplete, in fact, impossible, without attaining environmental justice. We have externalised our negative contributions to the environment and we simply refer to them as ‘away.’ The methods of delivering environmental messages have long evolved because the problems have long evolved, and continue to do so.

Environmental issues are now social issues more than they are issues about the planet

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We’re talking but not enough trash

doom prophecy nor a pep-talk, it’s a reality check. We don’t have enough time to continue to wallow in reclining development, in environmental unsustainability, in environmental injustice and in poor education. So, we must re-orient ourselves, starting with our young ones. In Nigeria, it is difficult to relate to snowmelt in the North American Rocky Mountains, as disastrous as that is, and depleting wildlife in the Amazon, as damning as that is for us, but we can relate to children, shoveling for old syringes and scraps of metal

instead of grasshoppers and Ixora flowers. We can relate to Makoko, to Ogoni, to Dustbin Estate and to Bagega. If we can relate to one, we can relate to all because environmental problems are connected with one another: Climate change with floods, pollution with depletion of wildlife, and so on. They are also connected with other things: Climate change with climate change refugees, pollution with loss of livelihood, and so on.

I recently founded a youth-run organisation, called Bailiff Africa, and the goal is to some-

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Environmental justice demands that no one should live with more environmental burdens and less environmental benefits irrespective of age, class, gender, socioeconomic status, etc. But in Dustbin Estate, people live with heavy environmental burdens BECAUSE of who they are in society. They sleep and eat in trash that they did not create…that they cannot create. Their children play in what’s left of the wealth that eludes their parents

where, somehow, marry youths with art, culture, literature and media and use whatever baby they produce to educate on environmental issues as they relate to Nigeria and Africa.

Several Nigerian youths are doing things in their own way but for the same purpose. Yet, we aren’t enough. Top-down and bottom-up sustainable development must meet half-way.

We’re “talking trash” too, through our weekly discussions titled Bailiff Issues on Twitter via the hashtag #BailiffIssues. Every Wednesday, we gather online at 6 p.m. until 7 p.m. with a featured panel to discuss environmental issues pertinent to Nigeria and Africa. We are young Nigerians imploring other young Nigerians and Africans to join us as we undertake an environmental revolution. This generation has been handed over so much technology, educational opportunities, information and even problems.

But for every problem we’ve been handed over, we’re very much equipped to create a solution.

When we’re 50 or 80 years old, when we’re feeble and frail, we will have absolutely no excuse in the eyes of history not to have made an impact around.

So whenever you throw something away, think about it for a minute, “where is away?” Think about those before the product, behind it and beyond it. Think about who really paid for your product and with what they paid for it. Then start “talking trash”.

•Oyatogun is the founder and CEO of Bailiff Africa.