Wed 19 Feb 2014 by The Guardian Newspaper

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Wednesday, February 19, 2014

Vol. 30, No. 12,837

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Jonathan names Arogbofa, ex-general, as chief of staff From Bridget Chiedu Onochie and Azimazi Momoh Jimoh, Abuja

RESIDENT Goodluck P Jonathan yesterday appointed Brig.-Gen. Jones Oladehinde Arogbofa as his new Chief of Staff. Arogbofa, a retired officer of the Signals Corps of the Nigerian Army, takes over from Chief Mike

• Senate confirms Obanikoro, Gusau, nine others as ministers • Drops Salik, Adesiyan faces opposition over Ige’s murder Oghiadomhe who resigned last week. The new Chief of Staff to the President was born on November 10, 1952. He hails from

Akoko South-West Local Council of Ondo State. According to a statement by the Special Adviser to the President (Media and Publicity),

Dr. Reuben Abati, in addition to administrative capabilities and experience garnered from a distinguished career in the Nigerian Army, Arogbo-

fa brings an impressive array of academic qualifications to his new job. They include a diploma in CONTINUED ON PAGE 2

Arogbofa

S’West ratifies modalities for confab delegates’ selection From Charles Coffie-Gyamfi, Abeokuta

ITH the ratification of the W modalities for the selection of its delegates yesterday,

Speaker, House of Representatives, Aminu Tambuwal (left); Kwara State Governor, Abdulfatah Ahmed; former Heads of State, Gen. Yakubu Gowon and Gen. Muhammadu Buhari, during the inauguration of new leadership and public lecture organised by Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) in Kaduna… yesterday.

the South-West is now set for the proposed national conference. Rising from a meeting in Isara-Remo, Ogun State, the Yoruba Assembly on National Conference (YANC) resolved to pick two delegates from each of the six states of the South-West Zone - Ekiti, Lagos, Ogun, Ondo, Osun and Oyo. Three additional delegates will, however, be picked by the YANC led by elder statesman, Sir Olaniwun Ajayi. At yesterday’s meeting held at Ajayi’s residence were Governor Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo State, Ondo State Commissioner for Environment, Sola Ebisemi, who represented his Governor, Olusegun Mimiko and Niyi Afuye who represented his Governor, Kayode CONTINUED ON PAGE 2

Sambo, Gowon, others caution against endangering democracy From Saxone Akhaine, Northern Bureau Chief ROM Vice President Namadi FState, Sambo, former Head of Gen. Yakubu Gowon and other northern leaders came a warning yesterday to politicians not to endanger the nation’s democracy. They also urged the newly-inaugurated officials of the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) to support government in finding a solution to the problems that had retarded the development of the North, and seek ways of sustaining the region economically without depend-

ing on oil revenue. Gowon, Chairman of the ACF Board of Patrons, said at the inauguration of the new ACF leadership headed by retired Inspector-General of Police, Alhaji Ibrahim Coomassie, that for the country to develop, all northerners and other Nigerians must support the fight against all forms of insecurity. He said: “We believe the situation is not beyond redemption and so should not be allowed to

set a new national agenda of reconsideration of our unity and nationhood. “The freedom brought by democracy ...is expected to thrive on a triple foundation of liberty, justice and common decency. That is why it is said that democracy is rather a contest of ideas and reason, and not contest for survival where politicians take it out violently amongst themselves in the democracy. of name “Violence is not an element of

democracy. Only liberty, justice and common decency are true elements of democracy. We thus appeal to our politicians not to resort to violence in the name of freedom that comes with democracy.” Gowon remarked that Nigeria may be going through hard times politically, economically and socially, but that “we have resilience to tackle them successfully.” “The difficult times should spur national grandeur; bring

about good leadership and the best in every one of us, instead of the current hype in ethnic nationalism and religious bigotry that seek to promote cleavages that are self-destructive.” In his remarks, Sambo said that the Federal Government’s effort at developing the country had benefited the North tremendously. Sambo explained that “government recognises that corruption is a major constraint to economic and social develop-

NNPC, PPMC bosses proffer solutions to kerosene scarcity - Page 6

ment in Nigeria”, adding that “we are addressing and containing the challenges of corruption with the required urgency and commitment. “Some of our approaches in fighting corruption include focusing on building strong institutions, entrenching transparency and accountability mechanisms in public procurement and project implementation.” Meanwhile, the Northern Elders Council, led by elder statesman, Alhaji Tanko Yakassai, while felicitating with the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) CONTINUED ON PAGE 2

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Senate confirms Obanikoro, others CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Communications Engineering from the Rochester Institute of Technology, United States (U.S.), a Bachelor of Science Degree in Electrical Engineering and a Master’s of Science Degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of Alabama, U.S. and a Master’s Degree in Military Arts and Science from the United States Command and General Staff College, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. The new Chief of Staff holds several military honours and awards, including Mss, Fss, Fsc and Fwc, and is also a member of the Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE). His appointment is with immediate effect and he has taken up his new post at the Presidential Villa. Meanwhile, nine persons Jonathan nominated were confirmed by the Senate yesterday for ministerial appointments. Those who had the Senate’s approval included Musiliu Obanikoro and Gen. Aliu Gusau (rtd), Mohammed Wakil, Ambassador Amonu Wali, Mrs. Akon Etim Eyakenyi and Mrs. Malam Lawrencia Labaran. Others were Mr. Boni Haruna, Dr. Khaliru Alhassan, Alhaji Abduljelili Oyewale Adesiyan, Dr. T.W. Dangogo as well as Asabe Asmau Ahmed. Unfortunately, Hadjia Jamilla Salik from Kano State could not make the list as she was prevented from appearing for screening. Though the nominee was seen around the Senate alongside other nominees, she was not invited into the chamber for screening. The Senate Leader, Victor Ndoma-Egba, only informed her that her candidature was stood down. There was a strict opposition to the nomination of Alhaji Abduljelili Oyewale Adesiyan, representing Osun State. Senator Olusola Adeyeye, Osun State, coming under the Senate Standing Order 14, which has to do with privileges, had prayed the Senate not to confirm the candidate in line with the position of all the senators representing Osun State. Adeyeye said their objection was not as a result of partisan politics but on the conviction that the nominee might not serve the country well. He also recalled that the nominee was at the centre of a murder alle-

gation against the former Minister of Justice, Chief Bola Ige. His words: “I am expressing the privilege to inform this house as the one representing Osun State and also because one of the customs in this house is to make serious considerations and objections concerning any ministerial nomination. “I have approached you many times Mr. President to alert you to the objection of all three senators from Osun State to the nomination of Mr. Adesiyan. During the hearing, I also approached your seat and sought your wisdom to guide me as to when to voice our collective and unanimous objection to this nomination. “You advised I should wait till confirmation process. Accordingly, I kept my silence until now even though I have circulated the ground of our objection to members of this chamber. “I want to place it on record again that all three senators from Osun State unanimously object this nomination. I also want to place it on record that this nominee is the sixth person that was nominated by our President for appointment that required the confirmation of this Senate. “I want to place it on record that in all five previous nominations, all three of us have not only endorsed them, we have also canvassed support for them among our colleagues.” He added: “This is the first time that we are opposing a nomination brought before this Senate. This opposition is not being brought frivolously; it is not being brought on the ground of partisan politicking. “We oppose this nomination on two grounds. One, we do not believe that the interest of our country would be best served by the appointment of Mr. Adesiyan. When he met the three of us from Osun, he did just as he did when he appeared before the Senate. “He told a long story of being accused falsely in the murder of the late Chief Bola Ige and when he finished, I told him that two things are clear. First, that Bola Ige did not kill himself. Two, the dead do not talk, he will not come to tell us who killed him and as such, we will not border you about that.” But the Senate President, David Mark, had to stop Adeyeye. While accepting that

Adeyeye approached him on the issue and that he also told him he had no problem with his idea and that he could make his objections during confirmation, it was clear from the voice vote that the man satisfied the requirements of the Senate. Mark therefore urged his colleagues to put their grievances behind them in the interest of the country. “I think we must put all this behind us. This house will not become a law court where we prosecute or discharge people. If he is not prosecuted in the law court, anything we do here is just an allegation and thank God you said the issue is not really that of Bola Ige. “He did not nominate himself. He was nominated by Mr. President and we all heard the voice vote here. I think if you have an objection to the voice vote, you can call for a division but I feel that from the voice vote, it is clear that this nominee is approved by the house. “I don’t see where your privilege has become an issue here that you are coming under privileges but I allowed you. But you have gone into a lengthy explanation and has gone beyond what in my opinion, will be your own privilege in nominating somebody from your state. With this explanation, I should continue with what I am doing. So, I rule you out of order”, Mark said. The appointment of Arogbofa as Jonathan’s new Chief of Staff may have been facilitated by the Afenifere Renewal Group. His younger brother, ‘Seinde Arogbofa , a former Chairman of All Nigeria Conference of Principals (ANCOPS), is secretary of Afenifere. The new Chief of Staff enjoys close ties to notable personalities in the Nigerian Armed Forces and may be on familiar ground with his new assignment. He was retired Gen. Raji Rasaki’s Campaign Manager when the former made a foray into politics and had been one of the Principal Staff Officers to then Head of State, Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar. He also worked with Leo Ajiborisha, a former Military Administrator of Osun State. Arogbofa’s emergence as COS is seen in certain quarters as an effort to pacify the Yoruba who have felt shortchanged in key appointments by the President, particularly now that 2015 is not too far off.

S’West ratifies modalities for confab delegates’ selection CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Fayemi of Ekiti State. Others were Kole Omololu who represented former Ogun State Governor Gbenga Daniel, former Ekiti State Governor Niyi Adebayo, Chief Olu Falae, Chief Ayo Adebanjo, Gen. Alani Akinrinade, Senator Olabiyi Durojaiye, Senator Iyiola Omisore, Erelu Abiola Dosunmu, Chief Rafiu Jafojo, Mr. Fola Adeola, Prof. Oladapo Afolabi, Dr. Kunle Olajide, Alhaji Sarafa Isola, and Otunba Gani Adams. At the meeting, which lasted for about five hours, they agreed on the Yoruba agenda for the national conference. Some of the issues they discussed included the restructuring of the federation,

parliamentary system of government, resource control, revenue allocation, immunity for elected officials, proportional representation, regional police and a new people’s constitution. Addressing the participants, Ajimobi called for inclusiveness in the selection of delegates for the national conference. Ajimobi, who noted that the existing structure of the country was disadvantageous to the South-West, contended that any reasonable Yoruba person would support dialogue to develop the country. The governor told reporters that he did not attend the meeting to represent the All Progressives Congress (APC). His words: “I didn’t come here as APC. APC is not a Yoruba par-

ty, it is a national party. I’m here as a Yoruba man and all Yoruba, whether in APC or PDP or whatever, they are all represented here. A reasonable Yoruba man will always support the cause of the Yoruba and that’s why we are here.” Briefing reporters at the end of the meeting, the National Publicity Secretary of Afenifere, Mr. Yinka Odumakin, said the assembly would meet the February 20 deadline set by the Federal Government for the submission of delegates’ names. Odumakin added that a panYoruba meeting would be held on February 27 in Ibadan, Oyo State capital, to present the Yoruba agenda to the generality of the people.

Police officer, others arraigned over alleged oil theft From Abosede Musari, Abuja POLICE officer, Dodo Chilla Bulus, an Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP), is currently standing the risk of life jail for his alleged involvement in oil theft alongside 14 other persons. Bulus and others were yesterday arraigned before Justice E.S. Chukwu of the Federal High Court, Maitama, Abuja, on a 2-count charge bordering on oil theft and pipeline vandalism. Official information from the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) indicate that the accused, if found guilty, risk life in jail. “The accused person and 14 others who are currently being prosecuted by the Commission before the same court are alleged to have conspired among themselves to break crude oil pipeline and siphon product”, the commission stated. Others arraigned are Joseph Amaechi, Israel Friday, Ubadia Francis, Abayomi Adebisi, Abdullahi Idris, Samuel Job, Onah Peter Ode, Sabo TashaHassan, Abdullahi Moh’d, Abubakar Abdulkadir, Ehiogu Paul, Ibrahim Saidu, Garba Mohammed and Bartholomew Onyema.

Election tribunal orders re-run election in Edo council From Alemma-Ozioruva Aliu, Benin City HE Edo State Local Government Election Tribunal sitting in Benin yesterday evening ordered a re-run election for the chairmanship position in Esan North East Local Council. The election was between Sam Oboh of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and John Yakubu of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and Oboh was declared winner by the Edo State Independent Electoral Commission (EDSIEC). Delivering the over three hours judgment yesterday at the fully packed hall, Chairman of the three-man panel, Justice Alero Eruaga, held that evidence by petitioners’ witnesses proved that there was no collation of results at the local council election collation centre, adding that the testimonies of witnesses called by the APC candidate failed to aid his case, especially the disappearance of the 6th respondent who was the local council collation officer. “The 6th respondent is a vital witness. He would have been called. There was no collation of results. The issue of announcement does not arise. There has to be a collation before announcement.’’

Sambo, others caution against endangering democracy CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 over the inauguration of its new leadership, urged the northern group to continue to support the planned national conference as a means of finding lasting solution to the nation’s problems. In a statement issued yesterday in support of the new leadership of ACF, Yakassai said that the council “associates with the aim and objectives of the ACF and seeks to promote the ideals which the ACF stands for as the pan-Northern umbrella body.”

Wednesday, February 19, 2014 | 3

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News PDP insists on primaries in Ekiti poll •’We wont unseat deflecting lawmakers yet” From Azimazi Momoh Jimoh and Lemmy Ughegbe, Abuja (Abuja)

Reps okay cancellation of Malabu oil deal From Terhemba Daka, Abuja ITING shoddiness, the House of Representatives yesterday adopted the report of its ad-hoc committee, which called for the cancellation of the deal between the Federal Government and Malabu Oil Limited. The report, as listed on the order paper, recommended that the Federal Government of Nigeria should cancel OPL 245 recently granted to Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Company limited (SNEPCO) (50%) and AGIP (50%), as it was based on a highly flawed ‘Resolution Agreement’ entered into between Malabu Oil and Gas, SNEPCO and Nigeria Agip Exploration (NAE) with the Federal Government acting as obligor, among other recommendations.

HE Peoples Democratic C T Party (PDP) yesterday ruled out consensus arrangement to pick its candidate for the June 21, 2014, governorship election in Ekiti State, even as some aspirants mount pressure on the party’s national leadership to abandon its preparation for primaries. Meanwhile, pending the determination of a suit filed by 52 lawmakers against the leadership of the National Assembly, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has assured that it would not declare its defecting lawmakers’ seats vacant. The PDP National Working Committee (NWC) had last Thursday released a timetable, which showed that the primary election for Ekiti governorship poll would hold March 15, 2014. The aspirants seeking the consensus arrangement would meet with Muazu in Abuja tomorrow to push for the arrangement, which has already caused ill feelings and disagreement within the party.

• Seek relocation of Army headquarters to Maiduguri over terror Meanwhile, worried by the incessant attacks by suspected insurgents resulting in many deaths in Borno State, the House of Representatives yesterday passed a resolution, calling on President Goodluck Jonathan to immediately relocate the Headquarters of the Nigerian Army to Maiduguri. Specifically, the committee’s report on the oil deal suffered two setbacks previously during consideration, as some lawmakers had last week argued that the committee went outside the mandate given to it by the House, while others said they did not get copies. The development forced the Deputy Speaker, Emeka Ihedioha, to adjourn consideration of the report last

Thursday, directing that every member be given a copy each of the report. At yesterday’s plenary, when the report came up for consideration, some of the lawmakers kicked against it. Simon Arabo (PDP, Kaduna) while faulting the contents of the report, pointed out that the recommendations were not only outside the purview of the mandate given to the committee but also unconstitutional. Citing Section 4 and 6 of the constitution, Arabo argued that the report arrogated the role of the judiciary to the National Assembly, adding that the committee seemed to have played an advocate role in the whole matter. But Ihedioha, who presided

over the report consideration, called on the Chairman of House Committee on Justice, Ali Ahmed (APC, Kwara), who said much as Arabo’s observation was in order, the recommendations could be looked at one after the other and where necessary, amendments could be made. However, Kamil Akinlabi (PDP, Oyo) suggested that the word “cancel” be changed to “review” in one of the report’s recommendation that the Federal Government should cancel the transaction. He argued that by leaving the word, it would show that the House was acting as a court, contrary to the constitution. When the matter was put to vote, majority of the lawmak-

ers voted against Akinlabi’s suggestion, maintaining that the word “cancel” should remain. When put to vote, all the nine recommendations contained in the report were adopted by majority of the lawmakers present during the session. The lawmakers said the decision would enable the newly appointed Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Kenneth Minimah, not only to have a first-hand touch with the reality on ground but to also devise ways of properly tackling the challenge. Similarly, the lower chamber urged the Federal Government to liaise with the governments of Chad, Niger Republic and Cameroun to discuss ways of tackling the activities of the insurgents around the border areas.

Gunmen kill seven in Plateau From Isa Abdulsalami Ahovi, Jos USPECTED gunmen on SGyero Monday night invaded Village of Jos South Council of Plateau State and killed seven traders who were returning from a local market. According to an eyewitness, Audu James, the gunmen attacked the car in which the traders were travelling and killed them. According to him, the incident took place near a security check without any response from the operatives. However, efforts to reach the Spokesman of the Special Task Force (STF), Captain Salisu Ibrahim Mustapha, for comments proved abortive.

APC hires consultants to boost poll chances HEAD of the 2015 poll, the All A Progressives Congress (APC) has engaged prominent international political consultants, AKPD Message and Media, to boost its electoral chances in the upcoming elections. In a statement issued in Lagos yesterday by its Interim National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the party said the Chicago, U.S.based firm, is best known for its lead role in President Barack Obama’s presidential campaigns in 2008 and 2012. The party explained that the firm has also worked with key Democratic Party candidates throughout the U.S. and has a strong reputation for supporting leading populist movements across the globe. “We have been working closely with AKPD Message and Media over the past few months and we shall leverage on the firm’s skill, experience and expertise throughout the upcoming campaign cycle,” APC said.

Governor Abiola Ajimobi (second right); Most Rev. Ignatius Kattey (right); Most. Rev George Lasebikan (left); Most Rev. Nicholas Okoh (second left) and Archbishop Joseph Akinfenwa (behind Ajimobi) during a courtesy call by delegates from the Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion) to Ajimobi…on Tuesday

UN concerned at terrorists’ increasing strength From Laolu Akande(New York) and Njadvara Musa(Maiduguri) LMOST echoing the A lamentations of Borno State Governor, Kashim Shettima, that Boko Haram insurgents were more armed and motivated than the Nigerian military, the United Nations (UN) has also expressed concern at the increasing strength of terrorists. Meanwhile, to check Boko Haram insurgency through illuminating dark areas, the Borno government has provided electricity in 11 communities in the state. Speaking yesterday in Geneva, an official of the Office of the High Commissioner of Human Rights (OHCHR), Ravina Shamdasani, said the UN condemned in the strongest terms Sunday’s attack by gunmen on eight villages in Adamawa and Borno states, in which over 150 people have so far died.

• Asks govt to protect innocent citizens • Borno communities get electricity According to Shamdasani, who spoke at the regular briefing of the UN in Geneva, the armed groups (apparently referring to Boko Haram) “were extremely strong.” Reacting to the development, however, the New Yorkbased Christian Association

of Nigerian-Americans (CANAN) noted that both the Borno State government and the UN were merely echoing what had always been known and felt by the victims of the Boko Haram terrorists and to which the association had always called the

attention of anyone who cared to listen. In a statement released in New York yesterday, CANAN said “the Christian Association of Nigeria, and CANAN here in the U.S. had always called the attention of the world to the despicable terror and evil that Boko Haram represented.” CANAN said it “received

news of the governor and the UN statements recognising the evil that these terrorists represent with mixed feelings. The victims of Boko Haram terror: our brethren in northern Nigeria and other innocent Nigerians numbering more than 4,000 and their families, have always known and experienced the evil first hand.

Jonathan promises knowledge-based economy From Mohammed Abubakar, Abuja RESIDENT Goodluck Jonathan has pledged to pursue a knowledge-based economy as part of the transformation agenda of his administration. He said such an initiative would be propelled by research and innovative spirit of Nigerians. Meanwhile, the President has assured that the ongoing reforms in the Nigeria

• Assures on reforms in Customs Customs Service (NCS) were expected to usher in a new era of improved revenue base. The President made the remark while inaugurating the National Research and Innovation Council (NRIC) at the Council Chambers, State House, Abuja. The President, who is also the Chairman of the council, expressed government’s commitment to utilise innovation and

research to accelerate the nation’s scientific and technological process. He added: “You will recall that only last week, we launched the industrial policy of the country and when people talk about the educational policy, they always feel that there is a missing link between our education, products of universities or tertiary institutions and the need of

the society.” The science technology and innovation programmes, President Jonathan said, should stand as a major link between research and industrialisation, noting that “there is no country that can develop technologically if it continues to relay on primary commodities either as raw minerals or agricultural produce.

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Canada’s High Commissioner, Secretary visit The Guardian Restate plan to partner Nigeria on economy, others By Bola Olajuwon and Olalekan Okusan MPRESSED with Nigeria’s Idemocratic strides under the present dispensation, Canada has restated its plan to collaborate with the country on the economy and other sectors. The Canadian High Commissioner to Nigeria, Perry Calderwood, reaffirmed this yesterday during his visit to the Rutam House, The Guardian’s Corporate headquarters in Lagos, that his country would be willing to partner Nigeria on mines, energy, infrastructure and transportation. The envoy expressed confidence that Nigeria would continue to make progress

under the democratic setting, which he said would help to galvanise the country’s economy, noting that Canadian companies are willing to partner Nigeria in its efforts to revive its economy. “In terms of trade, over $1.5 billion is the volume of trade between Nigeria and Canada, with $1 billion from Nigeria, while Canada generates about $.5 billion. Primarily, the major export from Nigeria is oil, but there are others like cocoa,” he said. “From Canada, wheat is the biggest import, including automobile and others. “We are also looking at the mining sector in Nigeria where Canada has done

well, and we are willing to share our experience with Nigeria in this area. There is no doubt that there are potential in this area and we have capable companies that can handle this. Other areas we are hoping to collaborate with Nigeria include infrastructure, energy, transportation and a host of others.” On the Manitoba Hydro International (MHI), Calderwood expressed optimism that the Canadian firm would deliver on the power reform mandate in Nigeria, having handled a similar project in Kenya. On the 2015 poll, he said the Canadian government would be supporting the Independent National Electoral Commission on capacity building to ensure

Canadian High Commissioner to Nigeria, Perry Calderwood (left) and First Service Secretary, Foreign Policy and Diplomacy Service, Etienne Lambert, during their courtesy visit to Rutam House, Isolo, Lagos…yesterday. PHOTO: OSENI YUSUF

Stakeholders excited as govt perfects social protection policy From Karls Tsokar, Abuja berths SUSTAINABLE government A policy on social stratification, which has been in limbo since 2004, may eventually take off soon, as the validation of the draft policy was being concluded yesterday.

Said to be long overdue for implementation in Nigeria, the Minister of National Planning, Bashir Yuguda, said the country had made several short-term attempts at providing national social security through horizontal and verti-

Women coalition seeks gender balance at confab By Adeniyi Idowu Adunola ECA’s Network of Entrepreneurial Women (NNEW), in collaboration with a coalition of women associations, has called on the Federal Government to address gender equality and increase the number of women to participate at the forthcoming national conference. Speaking with newsmen in Lagos yesterday, NNEW’s 1st Vice President and head of the advocacy committee, Fayo Williams, regretted that of the 492 delegates, only about 72 or 14.6 per cent would be women. According to her, “the list excludes some critical interest groups where women are sig-

nificantly represented, especially the entrepreneurs and women in the rural areas, who do not belong to any formal group. “All effort must be made to ensure that the delegates structure is designed to foster adequate involvement as prescribed by the 1995 African Charter for Popular Participation in Development and Transformation. “Since the conference is geared towards charting a new future for Nigeria and women constitute more than half of its population, the women demand equal representation of men and women or at the very least, 35 per cent representation.”

cal dimensions of coverage. However, with “the absence of legal instrument and policy document, these interventions faced the challenges of sustainability, coordination and performance measurement,” he noted. At the two-day national validation workshop on the Draft National Social Protection Policy framework started in Abuja on Monday, Yuguda, who was represented by the Secretary to the Commission, Fidelis Ugbo, stressed the need to speed up efforts at enshrining an enduring policy “in view of the commitment given to social protection in Vision 20:2020, the first Na-

tional Implementation Plan (NIP) and the Transformation Agenda of the present administration.” The workshop, organised in partnership with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and NPC, has been in the pipeline since 2011. Noting that social protection in the country has failed to address the needs of the poor, the development partners forwarded a number of policy recommendations for government to consider and develop to strengthen that agenda. The recommendations were: developing an overarching social protection policy framework to provide clear

institutional roles and responsibilities, and laying out numerous options for social protection in the country. They also included facilitating dialogue and knowledge exchange on the different types of social protection interventions suitable in the Nigerian context, and promoting inter-sectoral and federalstate coordination, among others. According to Ugbo, “social protection is increasingly assuming importance due to the negative impact of economic and social conditions on the lives of people, particularly those liv ing on less than $1 a day.”

Five lawyers head to Supreme Court over practising fee HE contest over the legalT ity of the increased practicing fee has gone to the Supreme Court as five members of the Nigeria Bar Asso-

ciation (NBA), dissatisfied with the decision of the Court of Appeal, have undertaken to seek the nation’s ultimate arbitration on the matter. In their notice of appeal, the plaintiffs - Seth Amaefule, Amaka Aneke, Celestine Nwankwo, Charles Ola-Oni and Tayo Arojo - prayed the court to set aside the February 11, 2014 decision of the Court of Appeal, which reversed an injunction by the Federal High Court (FHC), Lagos, on the case. Respondents in the case are the NBA President, Okey Wali, General Council of the Bar, Attorney-General of the Federation, Chairman of the Lagos Branch of NBA and Chairman of Ikeja Branch of NBA. According to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos yesterday, the plaintiff had filed the substantive suit before Justice Rita Ofili-Ajumogobia of the FHC on February 18, 2013, seeking an order restraining the NBA from charging the fee, which they described as too exorbitant. Ofili-Ajumogobia had on March 28, 2013, granted an interim order for Nigerian lawyers to pay the old fee pending the determination of the substantive suit. Not satisfied with the ruling, the defendants, through their counsel, Mr. Tayo Oyetibo

(SAN), went to the Court of Appeal, Lagos, while the matter at the lower court was adjourned indefinitely pending the outcome of the appeal. The Appeal Court eventually set the FHC ruling aside on the grounds that it would occasion financial constraints on the NBA. The court also ordered that the case be re-assigned to a new judge. Meanwhile, no date has been fixed for the hearing of the appeal before the Supreme Court. In the substantive suit, the plaintiffs averred that the General Council of the Bar had, by a circular dated April 6, 2012, made an upward review of the yearly fee. According to them, by the review, lawyers who are less than five years at the bar are to pay N10, 000 as opposed to N2,000 previously charged, while those above five years are to pay N20, 000 instead of N4,000. Those above 10 years will pay N35, 000 as opposed to N7,500, those above 15 years will pay N50, 000 instead of N10,000, while SANs will pay N100,000 instead of N20,000. They argued that some lawyers would suffer hardship if they must pay the new fee.

Group urges motivation of security men to stem insurgencies From Isa Abdulsalami Ahovi, Jos N enabling environment and good motivation will boost the efficiency of the nation’s security personnel, especially in the northeastern part, where they have been battling Islamic militants, the non-governmental Centre for Development Advocacy and Dialogue (CDAD) has said. Addressing newsmen yesterday at the Moot Court of the Faculty of Law, the University of Jos, CDAD team leader, Chris Gains Iyama, reminded the Federal Government of the need for a good welfare package and salary structure for the security agencies to ensure they do not compromise their calling. Iyama stressed that the security operatives must be well equipped to adequately confront the challenges posed by the insurgency while the government should also guarantee their future and that of their children. While asking government to end the Boko Haram menace, corruption and profligacy within the shortest possible time, he also tasked government on credible leadership and accountability to make the nation’s democracy more effective favourable to the

Mark weeps over Balat’s death From Azimazi Momoh Jimoh, Abuja HE suddenness of the death of Senator Isaiah Balat yesterday was so overwhelming that his former colleagues at the National Assembly, particularly Senate President David Mark, literarily broke down in tears on hearing the news. Balat was said to have died at the National Hospital, Abuja, yesterday during a brief illness. A statement by his Special Adviser on Media Affairs, Kola Ologbondion, said that Mark lamented the death of Balat, whom he described as an astute politician, a distinguished parliamentarian, respectable colleague and gentleman.

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Wednesday, February 19, 2014 NEWS 5

APC registers 226,527 members in Ekiti

Martins laments graft level, urges return to family values

From Muyiwa Adeyemi, Ado Ekiti KITI State chapter of the All E Progressives Congress (APC) has said it registered

By Kenechukwu Ezeonyejiaku

• Year of the Family begins Feb. 27

226,527 members in the last nationwide registration exercise. The party said the figure is more than 100,000 it projected for and attributed the success to the love Ekiti people have for APC and performance of Governor Kayode Fayemi. The APC interim Chairman, Chief Jide Awe, in a statement yesterday disclosed that the highest number of members was recorded in Ado-Ekiti Local Council, with 30,070 members.

HE Catholic Archbishop T of the Metropolitan See of Lagos, Most Rev. Alfred Ade-

Aregbesola commissions new school buildings From Tunji Omofoye, Osogbo OVERNOR Rauf G Aregbesola of Osun State yesterday commissioned multi-million naira new school buildings at the Baptist Central Elementary School, Ilare, Ile-Ife, calling on the people to support the education reform policy of his administration. He reiterated the determination of the current government in Osun to take education to greater heights, saying doing so is for the good of both the children and their parents. Speaking at the event attended by the Ooni of Ife, Oba Okunade Sijuwade, top government functionaries and other traditional rulers, Aregbesola said reclassification of schools in the state is devoid of religious sentiment.

Nigerian-born Chiwetel gets BAFTA award By Shaibu Husseini HAT is obviously a confirW mation of his status as a leading actor in the world came for Nigerian-born British actor, Chiwetel Ejiofor, on Sunday as he was named winner of the Best Actor category of the annual British Academy of Film and Television Arts, otherwise called the BAFTA. Ejiofor, who narrowly missed winning a similar award at the Golden Globe held in California in January, got the BAFTA for his role as “Solomon Northup” in Steve McQueen’s 12 Years a Slave. The movie 12 Years a Slave was also crowned the best film at the BAFTA, which was aired live across the globe. Critics had picked Ejiofor to win the acting prize at the BAFTA just as they tipped the movie 12 Years a Slaveto win the coveted best picture award. They described Ejiofor’s acting roundly as ‘superb’ and the film – a 2013 historical drama that is based on the autobiography by Solomon Northup – as one of the best British films of 2013.

Ejiofor

President Goodluck Jonathan (third right); President of Actors Guild of Nigeria, Ibinabo Fiberesima and other members of the association during a visit by the Actors Guild to the State House, Abuja… yesterday.

New studies dismiss fear of power lines, phones link to leukaemia, cancer By Chukwuma Muanya with agency reports WO new studies have, T again, dismissed fear that living near power lines can lead to higher risk of developing leukaemia and that regular use of mobile phones causes headaches and cancer. According to a British study, children who live near overhead power lines do not have increased risk of developing leukaemia. Data on 16,500 children who developed leukaemia in Britain between 1962 and 2008 were analysed. The paper found no increased leukaemia risk for those living near power lines from the 1980s onwards – but a higher risk did exist in the 1960s and 70s. The researchers said the findings were “reassuring” but work was being done to understand the historical patterns. Leukaemia accounts for around a third of all cancers

diagnosed in children. Also, the United Kingdom (UK) largest programme of research into the possible risks posed by mobile phones has found no evidence that they are bad for health. After 11 years of detailed research, the Mobile Telecommunications and Health Research Programme (MTHR), has published its final report. It says it has found no evidence that exposure to base station emissions during pregnancy affects the risk of developing cancer in early childhood, and no evidence that using a mobile phone leads to an increased risk of leukaemia. They, however, said this is not the end of the matter and research will continue. Meanwhile, this research, by the Childhood Cancer Research Group at the University of Oxford, used cancer information drawn from the National Registry of Childhood Tumours. The study, funded by Chil-

dren with Cancer UK, included nearly 16,500 children born in Britain who were diagnosed with leukaemia between 1962 and 2008. They were compared with around 20,000 children who were born in the same area who did not develop cancer. “Until we can explain what caused the increased risk in the earlier decades, we can’t rule out the possibility that in some circumstances there could be a risk.” When the data for the whole period were analysed, they showed no increased risk from living near power lines. However, when the analysis was broken down into decades, an historic increased risk was seen for those born in the 1960s and 70s, who lived within about one-third of a mile (600m) of a power line. Those born from the 1980s onwards did not have an increased risk. The researchers say this “strongly suggests” there is no

direct biological effect of power lines on leukaemia risk. Kathryn Bunch, who led the study, said: “It is very encouraging to see that in recent decades there has been no increased risk of leukaemia among children born near overhead power lines. “More research is needed to determine precisely why previous evidence suggested a risk prior to 1980, but parents can be reassured from the findings of this study that overhead power lines don’t increase their child’s risk of leukaemia.” She told the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC): “I would like to stress it’s very encouraging that this study gives such reassuring information to parents. “But I have to be honest, until we can explain what caused the increased risk in the earlier decades, we can’t rule out the possibility that in some circumstances there could be a risk.”

Actors want NFC, NFVCB bosses sacked for alleged incompetence From Mohammed Abubakar, Abuja ITING alleged incompeC tence and lack of commitment to responsibilities as chief executives of film industry, the national body of the Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN) has urged the Federal Government to remove the heads of the Nigerian Film Corporation (NFC) in Jos, Plateau State and the National Film and Video Censors Board (NFVCB) for alleged incompetence and lack of commitment to carry out their responsibilities. President of the AGN, Ibinabo Fiberesima, who spoke on behalf of other actors when she led a delegation of the Guild on a courtesy call to President Goodluck Jonathan at the Presidential Villa, Abuja said their request was borne out of the desire to move the film industry to the level comparable to their counterparts in other parts of the globe. Fiberesima is the first female president of the Guild in its 15 years of existence.

“Mr. President, your Nollywood is in dire need of purposeful, practical, dynamic and experienced leadership at the helm of affairs of the two regulatory agencies whose functions border on our industry, that is, the Nigerian Film Corporation (NFC) and the National Film and Video Censors Board (NFVCB). “Those that have been appointed to run those agencies have shown lack of capacity to put the industry on the path of growth, especially in this transformational period. We implore Mr. President to review those appointments and appoint administrators with passion, zeal and total dedication to the development of the film industry,” she said. She also said the Nollywood is in dire need of a modern and responsive legal environment for it to continue to thrive and remain relevant to this administration’s transformation agenda, noting that the present Copyright Act is now grossly inadequate, particularly in digital and Internet en-

vironment. For instance, she said the criminal sanctions for piracy and other copyright infringements have become ridiculously low and no longer as sufficient deterrence to infringers. She urged the President to, more importantly, see to the full implementation of the revised National Film Policy (NFP) and to present the bill on the setting up of the Motion Picture Practitioners Council of Nigeria (MOPPICON) as an Executive bill that should speedily be passed into law. “We believe that the implementation of the revised national film policy which provides, among other things, for the setting up of community cinemas in each of the local council area of the country, the setting up of MOPPICCON and the setting up of a sustainable film fund, is the most important intervention tool that the Nigerian motion picture industry requires to address some of its structural deficiencies,” she said. The Guild also requested for

a land and a building in the Federal Capital Territory for their headquarters which will be named after Jonathan, saying the building, when provided, would save the Guild of “the avalanche of embarrassments we receive anytime we host our international friends and colleagues”.

wale Martins, has said the only way Nigeria can be free of corruption and other vices is to “return to the family values and formation.” He spoke in Lagos yesterday at a press conference on the beginning of the Lagos Archdiocesan Year of the Family 2014 with the theme: “Family as a Domestic Church”. The event will be inaugurated at the Church’s cathedral on February 27, 2014 with a Solemn Holy Mass. Martins noted that the Church is concerned about the decadence in the society which could be traced to what he described as weakened marriage and family values. He also said that the high level of corruption in the country is a result of great infidelity of the people in the values which their faith teaches. He said: “Corruption has been impeding the growth of the nation and also ensuring that the ordinary Nigerians don’t get the basic things of life and what is due to them. We in the Archdiocese are saying return the families to Christ, heal the individual families and the ‘Nigerian Family’ or nation will experience near-instant healing and restoration. Our point is simple and clear: fix the family and you will fix Nigeria and the world.” According to the cleric, “if Nigerians will go back to the family and begin to educate the family unit and also focus our formation activities in the family, I believe that in the long term, the problem of corruption would be reduced. The problem we are having with corruption in the country is because people are not being faithful to the values which their religion/faith teaches. And this is the reason we are calling everybody back to fidelity to Christ, fidelity to values of marriage and fidelity to the teachings of the Church as these, in the long term, will help solve the problem.” Martins condemned the legalization of gay and lesbian marriages by some countries, stating that it is against the law of God, nature, the teachings of the Church and the institution of family.

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NEWS Wednesday, February 19, 2014

NNPC, PPMC bosses proffer solution to kerosene scarcity From Mathias Okwe, Adamu Abuh (Abuja), Roseline Okere and Sulaimon Salau (Lagos) ROUP Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Mr. Andrew Yakubu, yesterday proffered solution to the lingering problem associated with the supply of kerosene to the citizenry. The Managing Director of the Pipelines and Product Marketing Company (PPMC), Mr. Haruna Momoh, who spoke in the same vein, believed that improved consumption of domestic cooking gas would surely reduce the demand for kerosene. The duo spoke while testifying before members of the Dakuku Peteside-led House of Representatives Committee on Petroleum (downstream) investigating supply, distribution and subsidy expenditure on kerosene from 2010 – 2013. Yakubu noted that the resolve by the NNPC to subsidise kerosene was in line with the resolution by the National Assembly to ensure availability of the product to Nigerians at affordable price. Acknowledging that the task of ensuring availability of kerosene at affordable price had been daunting, he believed that an improvement in gas consumption for domestic uses would remove the pressure from kerosene and ensure its availability in due course. Depot and Petroleum Products Marketers Association (DAPPMA) on a separate occasion canvassed a paradigm shift where an alternative energy source such as LPG should be developed to replace kerosene to address the seeming crisis surrounding the product. Yakubu, who disclosed that gas consumption had increased from 65,000 – 121,000

• Why it is sold above official price, by corporation • Implores consumers to switch to cooking gas • Reassures adequate fuel supply to Lagos, environs metric tonnes in 2012, noted that the product would be less attractive to those that indulge in the smuggling to neighbouring countries if security agents ensure strict surveillance of the country’s porous borders. He said he was privy to the fact that a total sum of N8.49 billion was expended to subsidize a total of 5,015.413.022.06 trillion litres of kerosene as well as 15,177,76,123 trillion litters of fuel that were imported into the country within a period of

months. The PPMC boss explained that but for the activities of pipeline vandals, the state of disrepair of pipelines and depots spread across the country, smugglers, industrialists and those who adulterate the product to sell it as automatic gas oil often referred to as diesel, there would have been enough kerosene for domestic use in the country. Assuring that PPMC was leaving no stone unturned to fix

the pipelines and the depots as part of on-going effort to bridge the gap in supply of kerosene, he expressed optimism that by the time the 800,000 metric tonnes on the use of domestic gas is attained, the over-reliance on kerosene by the citizenry would reduce drastically. Meanwhile, shortage of petroleum products in the storage tanks due to importation hiccups and vandalism may have thrown the nation into another round of hardship through fuel scarcity at filling stations. Investigations by The Guardian yesterday showed that the scarcity being experi-

enced in some parts of the country, particularly Lagos and Ogun states, was triggered by fuel rationing by marketers who have been complaining of shortages since the beginning of the year. Some filling stations visited in Lagos were under lock and key, while others were selling with few pumps amid long queues. Sources from the importers linked the shortage to lack of fuel importation since the beginning of this year, due to non-issuance of import permit by the Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency (PPPRA).

Kaduna grieves over Balat’s death From Saxone Akhaine, Northern Bureau Chief ADUNA State was yesterday thrown into mourning following the death of the Special Assistant to the Vice President, Senator Isaiah Balat, yesterday. Balat was said to have died at the National Hospital, Abuja, after suffering from an undisclosed illness. Governor of Kaduna State, Mukhtar Ramalan Yero, expressed shock and sadness over Balat’s death. In a statement by the DirectorGeneral, Media and Publicity, Malam Ahmed Maiyaki, the governor described the death of Balat as a big loss, not only to his immediate family and Kaduna State, but to the entire country. Governor Yero said: “This unfortunate demise of Balat is coming at a time that our state and indeed the entire country needed his experience and patriotic zeal the most. We have lost a rare gem who dedicated his lifetime to the service of fatherland and humanity.”

We won’t unseat defecting lawmakers yet, says PDP From Lemmy Ughegbe, Abuja ENDING the determination of a suit filed by 52 lawmakers against the leadership of the National Assembly, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has assured that it would not declare its defecting lawmakers’ seats vacant. The plaintiffs, led by Senator Abdullahi Adamu, are praying the court to stop the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from declaring their seats vacant. Defendants in the suit are the PDP, the Senate President, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur and INEC. When the matter came up yesterday, counsel to the PDP, Chief Joe Kyari Gadzama (SAN), said there was never any threat to declare their seats vacant. According to him, “there is no justiceable cause of action. They should have waited until their seats are declared vacant before coming to court.” Gadzama contended that the plaintiffs in the case lack the legal right to come before the court with the suit. Therefore, he prayed the court to strike out the suit for lack of merit and uphold his submissions.

Governor Rauf Aregbesola (left) and the Ooni of Ife, Oba Okunade Sijuwade, in his palace during the official commissioning of Baptist Central Elementary School in Ilare, Ile-Ife, Osun State… yesterday

Aregbesola to receive INL Man-of-the-Year award on Friday SUN State Governor, Rauf O Aregbesola, will on Friday, February 21, 2014 receive his award as the 2013 Independent Newspapers Limited (INL) Man-of-the-Year. The investiture, which will hold at Convention Centre of Eko Hotels & Suites, Victoria Island, Lagos, will be attended by prominent citizens from all walks of life in the country. According to a statement signed by Editor, Daily Independent, Rotimi Durojaiye,

the reason for the award was to celebrate the governor for his exemplary performance in office, especially for outstanding accomplishments with his educational reform programmes, which include the innovative application of the tablet of knowledge, Opon Imo, which will lead to the emergence of a whole cadre of youths equipped to play pivotal role in a modern economy. The event will commence

with a lecture to commemorate Nigeria’s centenary celebration with the theme: “Nigeria: A background glance and the next 100 years,” to be delivered by legal icon, Prof. Itse Sagay. Three eminent persons have been selected to do a 15minute critique of Sagay’s presentation. They are Governors Babangida Aliyu of Niger State and Rochas Okorocha of Imo State as well as Mrs. Bisi Fayemi, First Lady of Ekiti State.

Oshiomhole appoints VC for AAU From Alemma-Ozioruva Aliu, Benin City

FTER almost three years in Aacting capacity, Edo State Mimiko seals deal with IITA, FUTA on agriculture Governor, Adams Oshiomhole cultural venture. yesterday confirmed Mrs. N line with its policy of of FARA, Dr Yemi Akinbamijo He noted that the three agric Cordelia Agbebaku as the subIship strengthening partnerand Dr Ayo Ajayi of FUTA villages built by his adminis- stantive Vice Chancellor of the with reputable estabsigned for their respective eslishments in the agricultural sector with a view to encouraging youth in modern agriculture and boosting food production, the Ondo State government has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the international Institute for Tropical Agriculture (IITA), Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa (FARA) and the Federal University of Technology Akure (FUTA). Governor Olusegun Mimiko with his Special Adviser on agriculture, Engineer Ademola Olorunfemi signed on behalf of the State government, the Director General of IITA, Dr. Nteranya Sanginga, Executive Director

tablishments. The partnership agreement signing ceremony took place during Mimiko’s inspection visit to the IITA premises in Ibadan where he and his entourage were received by its Sanginga and his management staff. Dr. Mimiko, while addressing the board of directors and management staff of the institute at its conference centre, said that his administration had invested huge amount of money in agriculture, stressing that it will leverage on the technical know-how and expertise of the institute to improve the level of productivity and attract youth in lucrative agri-

tration in the three senatorial districts of the State with all conveniences required the support and technical knowhow of reputable agric establishments. The governor, who stated that 45% of total cocoa output in Nigeria comes from Ondo State, noted that the State government had in the last years committed huge financial resources towards subsidizing agric inputs including tractors and seedling. While commending the vision for establishing the institute, Mimiko promised to put on ground a practical and actionable plan that will make the partnership successful.

state-owned Ambrose Alli University (AAU), Ekpoma. He said the decision was borne out of the fact that the vice chancellor has brought stability and development to the university. Agbebaku was appointed in acting capacity after a visitation panel to the school discovered that there was no comprehensive record of students’ population and inadequate management of the school’s finances and abuse of contract award processes. The governor made the disclosure when he received traditional rulers from Edo Central Senatorial District who were at the Government House, Benin City where he said, “we are confirming the Vice Chancellor of Ambrose Alli University.

Wednesday, February 19, 2014 NEWS

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Minister lauds Anambra’s economic growth rate From Uzoma Nzeagwu, Awka HE Supervising Minister of National Planning Commission (NPC), Ambassador Bashir Yuguda, has commended Anambra State for what he called the impressive increase in her Gross Domestic Product (GDP), which according to him, is growing comparable to those of some African and Caribbean countries. Yuguda, who is also the Minister of State for Works, made the commendation during the presentation of the Pilot Survey Findings on the State GDP to the members of Anambra State Executive Council at the Governor’s Lodge, yesterday just as he attributed the rise to Governor Peter Obi’s efficient implementation of the Anambra State Integrated Development Strategy (ANIDS). He stated the state GDP has grown from N735.80 billion in 2009 to N1.005 trillion in 2011, representing about 40 per cent growth, adding that data were generated from Agriculture, Industry and other services using production and income approaches, with Agriculture recording 30 per cent, industry four per cent and service sector 60 per cent.

NOA urges moral rectitude in youths From Abiodun Fagbemi, Ilorin IMING at restoring moral A rectitude in the country, the National Orientation

Court fixes March 18 for trial of Lagos Trade Fair ex-workers By Yetunde Ayobami-Ojo USTICE Kudirat Jose of a Lagos High Court sitting in Ikeja yesterday fixed March 18 for commencement of trial of five former staff of the Lagos International Trade Fair Complex, who were charged for allegedly stealing N274 million belonging to their employer. The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) arraigned Bassey Eyamba, Francis Dajilak, Lazarus Okocha, Barnabas Kolo and Eunice Okafor on a 20-count charge bordering on conspiracy and stealing. All defendants, however, pleaded not guilty to the charge. EFCC counsel, Mr. Anslem Ozioko, alleged that the defendants fraudulently obtained various sums of money belonging to their employer by renting and selling some plots of land owned by the complex.

Managing Director, THE ABRAAJ GROUP, Ragheb Rami (left); Minister of Trade and Investments, Olusegun Aganga and Group Chief Executive Officer, THE ABRAAJ GROUP, Arif Naqvi, during a courtesy visit to the Aganga in Abuja

Council clarifies tariff policy on new car imports From Itunu Ajayi, Abuja HE National Automotive Council has described as unfounded the concern raised by the Freight Forwarders Association of Nigeria (FFAN) that the New National Automotive Industry Development Plan (NAIDP), as announced by the Federal Government, will stem the inflow of used vehicles into Nigeria and, therefore, deny them their main source of income, causing massive lay-off of its workers. In a release made available to journalists in Abuja yesterday by its Director of Policy and Planning Luqman Mamudu, the council said the association has been misinforming members of the public through an online publication by listing factors that will stem inflows to include 150 per cent hike in tariff on used vehicles, smuggling, and possible diversion of second-hand vehicles to neighbouring ports. Commenting on the possible impact of restriction on used vehicle imports on Nigerians generally, the association had expressed worry that Nigerians cannot afford new cars if produced locally, that tariff hike will and has already led to price hikes for existing stock of vehicles in

Allays fear of job loss Nigeria even before the policy takes effect and doubted the capacity of existing local automotive plants to meet demand. It, therefore, advised that original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) should invest in Nigeria first before requesting protection. In order to clarify some of the issues raised by the association, NAC explained that the National Automotive Industry Development Plan (NAIDP) was well thought out with all the concerns raised in full focus. It noted that investment in the automotive industry is capital intensive and most OEMs go to countries where investment environment is right and a country whose borders are as wide open with lowest tariff compared to economies with automotive agenda. On the issue of 150 per cent tariff, NAC said such tariff never existed, adding that all used vehicles will be imported but valued as new ones and depreciated by 10 per cent annually for cars and 20 per cent annually for commercial vehicles. It said it is the residual value that is subject to 35 per cent duty and

35 per cent levy respectively. The release read in part, “Both new and used vehicles will continue to flow into Nigeria form of Semi Knocked Down and Completely Knocked Down (SKD/CKD) and who else will clear them if not members of the association? What has simply changed is the type of cargo. The local manufacturers will still import New Fully Built Units (FBUs) twice the number of SKD/CKD and all will be cleared by the association members.” It said the policy is simply designed to ensure that a larger proportion of automotive vehicle import is in the form of Semi Knocked Down (SKD) and Completely Knocked Down (CKD) form and duties are crashed to average of seven per cent for SKD and 0 per cent for CKD to encourage this, adding that the whole idea is to create jobs for Nigerians. NAC said New Fully Built Units (FBUs) at concessionary import duty rates by assemblers to bridge possible gaps in supply will continue in order to control possible price rise. On the issue of affordability, the policy makes provision for a Credit Purchase Scheme to be funded from sources including existing NAC fund, and levies

Stakeholders want legal action over assault on journalists From Joseph Wantu, Makurdi ORRIED by the incessant harassment of journalists by some security agents, participants at a one-day workshop in Makurdi have called on the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) to do everything within its legal boundaries to ensure that any individual or group that brutalizes any media practitioner is made to face the full wrath of the law to serve as a deterrent to other potential offenders. This call was contained in a communiqué issued at the end of the one-day workshop with the theme: “Promoting Safety For Journalists and

Combating Impunity in Nigeria”, organised by the NUJ in collaboration with UNESCO held at the NUJ House in Makurdi, Benue State capital. The communiqué, which was signed by members representing the various security agents, the civil society and the media, maintained that there were glaring acts of impunity in the Nigerian society by both the government agencies and the general public and decried the negative effects of these vices, especially on the journalists. They called on the Nigerian Legislature to introduce new legislation that would expressly provide for the safe-

ty of practising journalists, stressing that there was urgent need for civil society groups to also come together and provide a common front in the fight against impunity on the practising journalists in the county. “There is need for enlightenment programmes for both the general public and security operatives to ensure adequate support for practising journalists since both of them are working for the general good of the society.” The communiqué, however, pointed out that even as there have been appreciable improvement in the relationship between journalists and security personnel in

the country, there was still much room for a better synergy. While urging the NUJ to monitor the implementation of the United Nation’s resolution on promoting safety for journalists in the country, the communiqué stressed the need for journalists to take full advantage of the existing insurance programme as a buffer against unseen professional hazards. It further stressed the need for an urgent massive capacity enhancing programmes for practising journalists so as to reduce unethical practices, which sometimes give room for attacks from belligerent persons.

charged on imports in order to offer Nigerians opportunity to buy new cars on credit at single digit interest rate for upward of 48 months. It said smuggled vehicles would sooner or later become unattractive because those who buy them will certainly no longer be able to obtain numbers plate from Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) nor Vehicle License from various state vehicle registration offices.

Agency (NOA) has suggested that character aspect of learning at the nation’s tertiary institutions should henceforth be a factor for consideration by organisations in employment of fresh graduates. NOA Director General, Mr. Mike Omeri, said yesterday during a students’ reorientation programme, christened, “Do The Right Thing: Transform Nigeria”, held at Kwara State College of Education, Ilorin, the absence of attitudinal transformation among the nation’s youth, if left unchecked, would give Nigeria a bleak future among the comity of nations. Fresh graduates may henceforth collect certificates that rate their academic grades simultaneously with their moral performances during the duration of their studies, adding, “This is so because knowledge, skills and competence without character do not make a whole man.” Omeri, represented by Kwara State Director of the NOA, Mr. Felix Olowookere said, “this programme is particularly geared towards strengthening the dialogue between young people, policymakers and the rest of society to promote meaningful engagement at different levels. We must start appreciating the importance of learning, especially the character aspect of it in all our graduates of tertiary institutions of learning while considering them for jobs.

8 | Wednesday, February 19, 2014

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PHOTONEWS

Ondo State Governor, Olusegun Mimiko (right); Executive Director of Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa (FARA), Dr. Yemi Akinbamijo; Special Adviser to the Governor on Agriculture, Ademola Olorunfemi and the state Head of Service, Toyin Akinkuotu, during an inspection tour of the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) farm site at the end of the conference on Advances in Agribusiness and Crop Production research in Ibadan.

President, ISACA Lagos, Peter Ineh(left); a participant, Evelyn Afemikhe; the first guest speaker, Wilfred Ojo and second guest speaker, Malachy Anekwe, during the ISACA Lagos Conference on Fundamentals of Information Systems Audition in Lagos. PHOTO: SUNDAY AKINLOLU

Minister of Agric, Dr. Akinwunmi Adeshina (middle) during the launching of 800 motorcycles for 37 Agricultural Development Partners (ADPs) to improve Agricultural Extension in Abuja. With him are Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Mrs. Ibukun Odusote (left) and Director of Extension, Damilola Eniaiyeju.

Administrator, Grace Schools, Mrs. Tokunbo Edun (left); recipients of 2014 annual indigent scholarship award, Rukayat Oseni, Emmanuel Emejuru, Umuani Yusuf and the Principal, Ronald Cilliers, during the presentation of the award in Lagos.

National President, Association of General and Private Medical Practitioners of Nigeria (AGPMPN), Dr. Anthony Omolola (left); Head, Clients Relations Manager, GlobeMed Nigeria, Cosmas Ime Inyang; Chairman, AGPMPN Lagos State, Dr. Adeyeye Arigbabuwo; General Manager, GlobeMed Nigeria, Darien Oussama; Patron, AGPMPN, Dr. Ore Falomo and Medical Director, GlobeMed, Dr. Tinuola Akinbolagbe, at the AGPMPN general meeting where GlobeMed showcased its services to the association in Lagos.

Communications Manager, Schneider Electric, Anne Ezeh (left) presenting gifts to Manager of Love Home Orphanage, Hephzibah Itimi and HR Executive of the orphanage, Abisola Akinbo, during the Valentine visit to the orphanage at Magodo in Lagos.

MD/CEO Union Trustees Limited, Olufunke Aiyepola (left); Group CEO, UBA Capital Plc, Oluwatoyin Sanni; MD/CEO Stanbic Nominees Limited, Segun Sanni; MD/CEO First Trustees Nigeria Limited, Adekunle Awojobi and the MD/CEO Skye Trustees Limited, Funmi Ekundayo at a dinner held in honour of Oluwatoyin Sanni on her recent appointment as Group Chief Executive Officer of UBA Capital in Lagos.

Managing Director, Afriwork Engineering Service, Victor Onwuasomba (left) Minister of Power, Chinedu Nebo; Head, Financial Institution West Africa, Standard Chartered Bank, Olukorede Adenowo and Deputy Managing Director, Marubeni Engineering West Africa Limited, Ryota Ito, during the Nigeria Power Investors Dinner in Abuja.

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WorldReport British suspect planned attacks on U.S., UK, France targets RITISH national, Jermaine making material that inB Grant, on trial in Kenya ac- cluded batteries, wire, amcused of planning an attack, monium nitrate, lead nitrate,

Anti-government protesters clash with police in the center of Kiev yesterday.

PHOTO: AFP

Five killed in Kiev clashes as security forces issue ultimatum S anti-government protestA ers battled riot police in Kiev in the first outbreak of violence in weeks, five people were yesterday killed and scores injured. Police said five civilians have died in clashes that prompted the city to shut down the subway system and issued a grave warning to protesters, with riot police troops massing near the Independence Square protest hub. Medics working at field hospitals run by the opposition earlier said that three protesters died of gunshot wounds and that around 150 others were

injured, of which some 30 were in a serious condition. Yanukovych’s ruling Regions Party said that an employee at its headquarters was also found dead after protesters briefly seized the building. Police said that 47 servicemen had been injured, including five with bullet wounds, as parts of Kiev resembled a war zone with demonstrators and security forces fighting pitched battles in locations close to Ukraine’s parliament building. Security forces issued an ultimatum warning that they would use “grave actions” to

restore calm if unrest persisted until 18.00 (1600 GMT). Kiev also shut down vast subway network for the first time in the three month-long crisis. “If unrest continues we will be forced to take grave actions,” Ukraine’s interior ministry and state security agency warned in a joint statement. Riot police had succeeded in forcing protesters back into their camp on Kiev’s iconic Independence Square after heavy reinforcements arrived. Yesterday marked the first violent clashes since midJanuary in the Ukrainian capital, which has been wracked

German court jails Rwandan mayor on genocide charges German court yesterday A sentenced a Rwandan Hutu to 14 years in jail for his role in the genocide of Tutsis in Rwanda in 1994, ending Germany’s first trial related to the mass killings in central Africa. Onesphore Rwabukombe, who has lived in Germany since 2002, was a mayor in north Rwanda at the time of the genocide in which an estimated 800,000 people were

killed in 100 days. The presiding judge at the court in Frankfurt said in his verdict that while Rwabukombe did not kill anyone, he oversaw and assisted in the murder of at least 450 men, women and children at the Kiziguro church compound in east Rwanda. Judge Thomas Sagebiel, who had heard more than 100 witnesses over three years of

hearings, described scenes of slaughter committed with machetes, sticks and hatchets, which Rwabukombe helped to direct, even driving militia men to the site of the ongoing massacre in his own pick-up truck. “Germany is no safe haven for perpetrators in international law, that is the message that goes out from today’s verdict,” said lead prosecutor Christian Ritscher.

Poland charges suspected paedophile cleric Roman Catholic priest susA pected of sex offences against children in Poland and in the Dominican Republic, has been charged yesterday by Polish prosecutors. The 36-year-old Polish priest, who was arrested on Monday, is identified only as Wojciech G for legal reasons. He faces up to 12 years behind bars if convicted. He has been accused of alleged sexual relations with minors under the age of 15 — two in Poland and two in the Dominican Republic where he

served in the central city of Santiago, Dariusz Nowak, a spokesman for prosecutors in Warsaw, told reporters. Wojciech G, who has flatly denied any wrongdoing, is also alleged to have possessed child pornography. In an October 2013 interview with Polish media, he suggested he had been set up by drug gangs in the Dominican Republic. Polish prosecutors began independent investigations in September into the allegations against him and also 65year-old Polish archbishop,

Jozef Wesolowski, who served as a papal envoy in the Dominican Republic’s capital, Santo Domingo. Authorities there also suspect Wesolowski of having sex with boys. Pope Francis suspended him from his duties as papal nuncio and summoned him to the Vatican in August last year. Nowak said on Monday that “all documents from the Dominican Republic were transferred to the Vatican”, though Polish prosecutors continue to investigate the case.

by anti-government demonstrations since Yanukovych in November rejected an EU pact in favour of closer ties with historical master Russia.

was targeting British, French and United States interests, a London detective told the court. Kenyan police suspect, Grant, from east London, has ties to the Somali al Shabaab rebel group blamed by the authorities for a string of attacks in the port city of Mombasa, the capital Nairobi and in the remote hinterlands bordering Somalia. Steve Ball, a London police forensic examiner, said officers had retrieved files gathered from several websites, including instructions on making chemical bombs and literature related to jihad, from a memory device belonging to Grant. “There were documents recovered from the disk which called for Muslim faithful to attack Egyptian, British, French and American interests, and their partners,” Ball said in a report he read out to the court as evidence. Kenyan police had requested London police’s help in the investigation into Grant. He denies the charge against him of planning an attack after being found with bomb-

acetone and hydrogen peroxide when he was arrested in 2012 in Mombasa. Ball said the documents they found did not specify where the targets were. Kenya is still reeling from an al Shabaab attack on a luxury shopping mall in Nairobi, popular with foreigners, where at least 67 people were killed in September. Among the documents recovered in the disk was one labeled “Mujahedeen Explosive Handbook” and another titled “Explosives Introduction” which referred to bomb attacks in Somalia, Syria, Yemen and Afghanistan, Ball said. “These files speak for themselves and show the person’s interest in the construction of an improvised explosive device ... and with the chemicals, files show intent to obtain the materials to make such a device,” Ball told the court. “The majority of the documents found on the disk are ideological and extreme in their views, and tend to advocate for the taking up of arms in the name of jihad.”

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Politics How to take Edo to the next level, by Iduoriyekemwen Associates fondly call Mathew Iduoriyekemwen ‘Major’, a sobriquet he acquired from the days that he was the majority leader of the Edo State House of Assembly. The politician and businessman spoke to Foreign Affairs Editor, Oghogho Obayuwana, recently on the jigsaw that Edo politics is becoming and how to fit in the parts to get to the next realm of development. Among others, he disclosed that Edo is breathing life into a national plan of action being unfolded. He also fielded questions on the place of industrialisation in the calculation of political elite, youth empowerment and economic transformation at the grassroots, as well as why Nigerians must continue to support President Goodluck Jonathan.

HY would a former majority leader in the W Edo House of Assembly and a representative of the state on the board of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) remain in the party when it now seems to be the fashion to be out of it? Iduoriyekemwen gave what appeared a wellrehearsed response, calmly saying, “I am a party man. I always believe in the big picture. I like to build, not to pull down. I firmly believe in the political party. “First, you know the underlining reasons any man of integrity will consistently belong to a party. The party ideology, its programme and plan for the electorate are what keep you in a political party. “I subscribe to egalitarian principles and I see the PDP as a party with the goodwill to take Nigeria to the Promised Land. I see PDP as the political party that can take Nigeria to where we ought to be within the comity of developed nations, both politically and economically. “So, when people elect to move here and there, Nigerians should find out their motives. If the roof of your father’s house is leaking, you fix it, you do not abandon it and join outsiders to destroy the house. “I believe that people who jump boat are likely to end up destroying the other ship that they have jumped into. So, it is not a question of mundane loyalty but about commitment to what I know the party can deliver if unfettered.” But then, he was reminded that those who are joining or forming other parties have advanced what many seem as good reasons for trying to shoot the PDP down; and that these people cite bad governance for their jumpboat action. “No, things have to be put in their proper perspective. Politicians in our clime sometimes speak carelessly whenever they see what appears to be the bandwagon of the moment. We understand this and cannot be distracted. “You know politics is about who gets what, when and how. But I tell you; it is also about who has the staying power and political actors who always stay connected with the people and who always put the people first. “I believe in the programme and aspiration of the ruling national party — the PDP. We have our own problems and issues but tell me which organisation and group doesn’t? It all boils down to management and vision — the way the PDP came about, the vision of its founding fathers and so on. “I have been here from the very beginning. We all know the story of the evolution of the PDP, with men and women of proven record of service - Obasanjo (Olusegun), Ciroma (Adamu), Ekwueme (Alex), Anenih (Anthony), Awoniyi (Sunday), Gemade (Barnabas) and all those who have remained within the party. “These are nationalists and members that can take Nigeria to the path of positive development. “Now, no matter the challenges we face as a nation, the PDP has set out people-oriented plans and a proper roadmap that guarantees good governance. “There are a whole lot of issues, which informs my refusal to accept that it has performed poorly since the emergence of the democratic process. It is a collective responsibility to be able to show cause and why Nigerians must continue to have faith in democracy and the several advantages of democratic rule. “Today, I have firm belief that with all of us remaining generally in the party, our collective integrity and desire to right whatever wrongs of the past would ensure that PDP takes Nigeria to the dream land.” Now, what does he think about the relative positive transformation that the Edo State has witnessed under the leadership of Governor Adams Oshiomhole, given that the incum-

Iduoriyekemwen bent’s party dethroned the PDP and may continue to reap residual electoral benefits... Adamant about the “good things” still to come from the PDP, he said: “I try not to dwell on this issue. People are generally comfortable with the level of development in the state under Oshiomhole. “The vast majority just want to wait for the end of the administration and then a hand over. Then you can talk about a robust assessment. It is premature now to give a categorical assessment. “But I can tell you that the PDP stands in good stead to retake Edo and put the heart beat into the mainstream of Nigeria’s national politics. “I tell you, moving Edo forward means industrialising the state; it means taking care of the security problem in a sustainable manner; it means youth empowerment, it means an integrated rural development. “It means developing the agrarian sector and using it to earn foreign exchange; it means ensuring that in real terms, Edo becomes a tourism heaven. “What have I also been saying? Increasing the revenue base of the state. And all of these can happen. It can be made possible.” In Nigerian politics, money often times becomes central to the ability to keep party structures and even to do basic politicking. How, therefore, can a sane politician survive? Keeping a straight face, Iduoriyekemwen’s response to this was revealing: “First is the goodwill of the people and in terms of finance, I do not lack in that regard. Politics is one aspect of my life; business is another. I have companies that I manage and run. “Here (interview venue) is an on-going hotel project. Hopefully, we will be through with this at the end of the year. “As you may have heard, I am also into real estate and construction. I am a supplier of building materials; that has largely to do with my import business. You can, therefore, refer to me as a jack-of-all-trades and master of many. “It is for this reason that you may see me getting contracts from government and private individuals and I have also shown competence in project delivery and handling sublets. “It is better for me this way rather than making politics my source of revenue. I am a politician because I want to be able to deliver more

to the people.” On his relationship with the chairman of the PDP Board of Trustees, Chief Tony Anenih, he maintained: “Politics is all about having a contract with the people. I see it as a productive social relationship. It is the same with party leaders. “You mentioned Chief Anenih in particular. I have a father and son relationship with him. He has the greatest respect for me. “I care less when people call me Anenih’s boy. I am privileged to be associated with him and I make sure that I do not abuse that privilege and confidence built over time. “It is given that everybody has political leaders and mentors. In the days ahead, events will prove to Nigerians that the PDP is still strong in Edo despite everything and 2016 would be the litmus test. On his thoughts on philanthropy, community development, people empowerment, Iduoriyekemwen said: “I normally do not like to give visibility to that sphere of life. It is just about being myself and being helpful to my people. “I am a defender of the cause of the people. So, naturally, I do things that people say oh, he is a philanthropist. I try to assist people. I am talking about when you do things because it is the right thing. “God who is all seeing, has a way of making other persons assist you according to the law of sowing and reaping. I believe in giving. “Yes, I am also passionate about community development and the need to be the keeper of one’s neighbour. I believe that the reason for anybody to aspire to be in government is service. “So, if you are not passionate about developing your community and bringing the good things of life to your home, you have no business in politics. I am talking about impact that is not just felt but seen by everybody. “For me, commitment to community development is total. It encourages human capacity building, etcetera. It should be the bedrock of everybody in government or people who seek relevance in government.” He was also forthcoming on rumours revolving around his political ambition, current moves to bring back Edo into the PDP and allied matters, stressing that, “every politician is ambitious.” But he qualified this. “I have spoken against

inordinate ambition over time. Look, I dared to contest the PDP primaries the last time and those events are issues of history. “As an active politician, the issue of ambition is innate and depends on circumstances. It is not just about Edo but we are participating in the national plan of action. The important thing is to remain connected to the people. “Some of us have remained relevant. At inception of our democracy, I have been a key player. You know I was the majority leader of the Edo House of Assembly in 1999 and 2003 before being appointed into the NDDC (Niger Delta Development Commission) board. “We have been involved, participated in and then conducted elections that led to the emergence of the late Umaru Yar’Adua and the Goodluck Jonathan campaign in Edo 2007. “Check the records, I have been a key leader in all of these. So, when you also ask me to confirm rumours about my governorship ambition, all I can tell you is that it is premature for now. The governorship election is in 2016. “I have come to realise that most people who go to the market early usually do not get there because of lack of a long-term plan. Anything can happen. “You know in 2012, I aspired for the PDP governorship candidacy. That is history now. Let’s just see how the politics of Edo plays out. If God says, then at the appointed time, you get there. God will make the difference.” Speaking of his dream for Edo State within the national political index, Iduoriyekemwen paid tributes to Governor Oshiomhole’s efforts but states clearly the milestones ahead. “Let’s us start with the present state of development. Governor Oshiomhole has started by trying to develop infrastructure, the roads, etc., and then also to beautify the state. Many things have been happening and motorbikes were stopped, for instance. “Now, I look around, and I have said, I hope to see an industrialised Edo State. Geographically, it is the gateway to all the other parts of Nigeria. There is a huge tourism potential. “While growing up, this part of the old Bendel State was always calm. In the developed world, you find this natural segmentation in that some parts of a country are known for industries, tourism, agriculture and then you can say this particular area is predominately civil service. “My wish is to work for a situation where we can have adequate security. That is how we can make the state investor-friendly and the multiplier effect will take people off our streets. “I am talking about a place where you can holiday in. Take the Emir of Qatar who abdicated the throne for his son; we all know that the man took Qatar from a bankrupt economy. Today, it is one of the fastest growing economies. This has happened through sheer ingenuity. “I see the potentials in Edo. The agrarian potential, the capacity for industrialisation is high. We have untapped wealth. So, if leaders mean well, the task is to harness the resources so that we can be self-sufficient. “We cannot run away from the political party in providing direction. I agree with you that the parties in Nigeria have not found any distinct ideology; they are, indeed, not running on ideology. “But you heard me talking about a national plan of action. There is a rebirth we are working on for the PDP not only in Edo, but also Nigeria. I will not open up much on that now. “But let us all remember; we cannot overlook the personal touch: the personal capacity to set meaningful goals and achieve same; the capacity, will and courage to serve the people.”

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Wednesday, February 19, 2014

TheGuardian

12 | Wednesday, February 19, 2014

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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 And the killings continue… HERE seems to be no end to the sorrow, tears and blood flowing in the country. While the government claims to have done so much to end the carnage, the killing two days ago of over a hundred Nigerians in Borno State by the Boko Haram insurgents, following several similarly gruesome killings in the past, is an indication that the haemorrhaging is doing great damage to this country. Borno State Governor Kashim Shettima stated the obvious when he said that the nation is at war. What is better known but not said is that the nation is not winning the war, and the new wave of killings is indeed fuelling anxiety as to whether the fight against terrorism would ever be won. This is sad and seems to call into question all the efforts of the administration. No doubt, the snowballing activities of the insurgents have had far-reaching effect on the image of the country and, logically, have hampered local productive forces and the inflow of direct foreign investment. President Goodluck Jonathan focused on this subject, the other day, during the decoration of the newly appointed service chiefs, namely, Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Air Chief Marshal Alexander Sabundu Badeh; Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Kenneth Tobias Minimah; Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Usman Oyibe Jibrin; and Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Adesola Nunayon Amosu. In his exhortation to the service chiefs, the president stressed the need to avoid failing the country, and expressed the hope that the new service chiefs would work as a team to be assisted by the intelligence services in the war against terror. While mindful of the efforts of the president in tackling the menace of Boko Haram and other insurgent activities elsewhere in the country, he ought to be reminded of this newspaper’s position that though the war against terror would not be a quick-fix, yet it is winnable. It must also be stressed that the underlying political intent of the insurgency must be identified and addressed. The need for inter-service cooperation and a central command for the operations against the insurgents cannot be over-emphasised, as well as the need to equip the troops with sophisticated weapons, not second rate or worn equipment in ways that put them at a disadvantage in combat. Finally, the importance of winning the minds and hearts of the affected communities has been too often repeated and it has not lost its currency even today. It is important to underscore once again some obvious limitations to the fight against terrorism. Whether admitted or not, it is clear even to the layman that there is no cohesion in command due to regrettable and unnecessary inter-service rivalry. There is equally a suspicion that certain actors engaged in the war against terror are there for selfish profiteering. For this set of actors, the longer the crisis, the better. Above all, the nation’s porous borders compound the manoeuvrability of the insurgents. Given all of this, certain lines of actions are easily discernible which must be pursued. The synthesisation of command in the operations against the insurgents is imperative. The commander of the troops on ground should be given the liberty to draw up his rules of engagement/order of battle. Equipping the troops for better performance must be fast-tracked and done in a transparent way while transnational cooperation with Nigeria’s neighbours should be concretised and made operational in order to cut off the rear guard of the insurgents. Meanwhile, bureaucrats are known to have exhibited the worst form of tardiness on matters of national interest while enamoured of pecuniary benefits that go with international transactions. Therefore, those entrusted with strategic responsibilities in the fight against terror must be people with the highest professional and personal integrity. On his part, the President should give all hands engaged in the on-going war the resources they need to achieve set goals. President Jonathan has urged the service chiefs to go on and win the war against terror and, if the chiefs did not appreciate the enormity of the task before them, the killings a few days ago ought to drive the message home better. Nigeria is bleeding profusely. Nigerians want peace and an end to blood-letting and wailing.

LETTER

Rivers CP must display integrity IR: Many Ikere-Ekiti Shave sons and daughters greeted with a generous outpouring of congratulatory messages the just-announced posting of Mr. Tunde Ogunsakin as Commissioner of Police to Rivers State. That’s how it should be. But many of these messages, in the main, have been full of hackneyed prayers and sentimental greetings. These are not enough. Let us all wake up to the fact that Mr. Ogunsakin’s posting is not just another routine arrangement. He is being sent to a virtual battleground in a state where a costly but absolutely unnecessary war has been waged for the past many months, a senseless war that has shown no signs of abating. You don’t require a soothsayer to tell you that, from the way things are going, the fate of Nigeria’s present democracy may well depend upon how the delicate war in Rivers State is handled. We are seeing in this state the acts of arrant stupidity, intolerance, and misuse of the so-called ‘Federal might’ that have been the bane of Nigeria’s

You don’t require a soothsayer to tell you that, from the way things are going, the fate of Nigeria’s present democracy may well depend upon how the delicate war in Rivers State is handled. We are seeing in this state the acts of arrant stupidity, intolerance, and misuse of the so-called ‘Federal might’ that have been the bane of Nigeria’s several unsuccessful attempts at democracy. Once again, the monster is at our door. But as usual, we do not seem to see it. several unsuccessful attempts at democracy. Once again, the monster is at our door. But as usual, we do not seem to see it. People of our land, shine your eyes... Ogunsakin will need all the courage, wisdom, hindsight and foresight he can muster to succeed in his new assignment. He must display a vital measure of that virtue that is in short supply in contemporary Nigeria: Integrity. A healthy dose of the proverbial positive stubbornness and moral nerve that typified Ekiti character in the past will be an absolute must in the new assignment So, compatriots, I say: mushy felicitations and ethnic backslapping will not do for the new Rivers Commissioner of Police.

He will need the benefit of our wise counsel, honest admonition, candid comments, and objective appraisal. Yes, our goodwill too – which he cannot afford to take for granted. So to Ogunsakin, our new Commissioner of Police to Rivers State, I say: please be careful of the incubus called the Nigerian Factor. Never forget to think about life after power/after office. Remember the town from which you come. May your baton be brave but kind. May your medals shine without blinding the people. May your gun only respond to the extermination of evil. May you prove a true descendant of Ajolagun (the Ikere hero who danced through battle and emerged unscathed). •Niyi Osundare, New Orleans, USA

Wednesday, February 19, 2014

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Opinion Microeconomics of banking, high lending rates By Temitope Oshikoya T has generally been observed that lending Iingrates in Nigeria are very high. Maximum lendrates to productive sectors of agriculture and manufacturing, in particular, small and medium enterprises (SMEs), are as high as 30%. The issue of high lending rates has been a subject of much public discussion especially in the context of macroeconomic and monetary policy. This article brings a perspective relying on the microeconomics of banking, micro-foundations of finance and financial economics and their implications for bank behaviour to the public discourse on high lending rates. The article also draws from expertise as an economist and a chartered banker with hands-on banking experience, and high level policy exposure, having interacted with governors of central banks of several African countries. Macroeconomic Consequences of Financial Imperfections Based on the foregoing expertise and experience, the first observation is that economics tends to abstract from the real world, while banking and finance face the real world. There is an implicit economic model behind every macroeconomic policy and aggregate economic behaviour, whether it is explicitly stated or not; and whether the policy makers or the general populace understand it or not. Macro-modeling analyses aggregate economic components including consumption, investment, export, and imports; their determinants and response to fiscal, monetary, exchange rate and trade policy instruments, as well as data constraints and statistical estimation methods. Macro-economists in government and in academia, including a few doctoral students, spend considerable time in building various forms of macro-models. I, myself, also built one for the Nigerian economy. The process of building a macro-model is a very intensive and extensive exercise. A macroeconomist also examines aggregate products, labour, and financial markets. In each of these markets, it is assumed that the markets function well and that buyers buy less

when prices rise (a downward sloping demand curve), while sellers sell more when prices rise (upward sloping supply curve) until the market clears with buyers and sellers reaching equilibrium prices. In abstracting from the real world, what is important, in the case of financial markets within macroeconomics, is the aggregate amount of funds for investment in the economy. Different financial instruments (equities, loans), markets (banks, securities), and structures do not matter and are aggregated within the investment and savings, money – demand and money – supply paradigms. In the real world financial markets, the response to policy instruments and shocks may differ among bank loans, bonds and equity. Within the banking industry, economic agents from different sectors – consumer, corporate, SMEs, public sector – facing different constraints will also respond differently to shocks and policy. Commercial banks are also not passive aggregate agents. As a result, the aggregate supply, demand and price for investment loans will not be properly defined and behave in accordance with the traditional macroeconomic framework. Credit Market and High Lending Interest Rate The second observation is that high lending rates may serve as a signaling mechanism and barrier to entry in the credits market. Bank interest rates may be sticky, varying less than market interest rates, due to information asymmetries, adverse selection, and moral hazard leading to backward bending supply of credit, unlike an upward sloping supply curve found in macroeconomics. In this context, the market does not clear and credit rationing emerges as the supply of credits by banks is far lower than the demand for credit even at high lending rates. In the real world, banks ration credits by randomly selecting their loan applicants, even when there is high demand for loans at higher lending rates. Information asymmetry occurs because borrowers know much more about their projects or business prospects than the lenders. Banks use screening to solve the problem of adverse selection – distinguishing good credit from bad credit, or not knowing which

customers will pay back their loans; and monitoring to resolve moral hazard – that those who take loans will actually pay it back. Banks maximize their profits by choosing their level of risks and setting their lending rates, taken as given the rates set by other banks in the credit market, while they set the quantity of deposits in the deposits markets, taken as given the return demanded by depositors (See Xavier Freixas and Jean-Charles Rochet: Microeconomics of Banking). The seminal works of Joseph Stiglitz on information asymmetries contributed to his winning the Nobel Prize in economics. The CBN published data on lending rates charged by Nigerian banks actually conform to this microeconomics of banking framework. For the sake of analysis, Nigerian banks are classified into three groups: the first tier group comprises the six largest banks; the second or mid-tier group consists of the next six largest banks; and the third tier group is the bottom six banks. Three banks are excluded as two of them are foreign-owned, with small retail network, while one is a new entrant. The average savings deposits rate among all tiers is about 3.6%, which mirrors the average cost of funds, as demand deposits rate is generally negligible. The 3rd tier banks’ cost of funds will be higher due to relatively more reliance on fixed deposits. There is, however, a marked differentiation in lending rates among the three tiers. The average prime and maximum lending rates to manufacturing among the 1st tier bank group are 15% and 24% respectively; for the mid-tier banks, they are 18% and 25% respectively; and for the 3rd tier banks, they are 24% and 30% respectively. The lending rates differentiation are a reflection of the higher cost of funds to 3rd tier bank, low deposits volume capacity due to lack of economies of scale, economies of scope, network externalities, and required higher return for higher risk appetite. These lending rates differentiation also reveal three other key points. The prime rate among the 1st tier banks can be considered as the underlying true reflection of optimal lending rates given the current inflation rate

and Monetary Policy Rate (MPR). The prime rate of 15%, given that demand deposits rate is negligible, can be derived as the weighted average sum of savings deposits rates (3.6%) and time deposits rate (8.4%), which mirrors the inflation rate, and a mark-up margin of about 3 to 4% for operating costs. Alternatively, the prime rate of 15% is the sum of the MPR (12%), which is set above inflation rate, plus the mark up for operating costs of 3 to 4%. Another way to look at is the sum of the risk free rate, proximate by Federal Government bonds, about 12% and risk premium. A prime rate of single digit can be achieved, with a concerted focus on reducing its components. If inflation rate continues to trend downward, and fiscal dominance of monetary space is reduced, the MPR would likely come down, and as the shared services initiative come on stream, operating costs should also come down. Second, the dark matter is the spread between the prime rate and the maximum rate. Interestingly, while the 1st tier banks have lower prime lending rate, the spread between their prime rate and the maximum lending rate is about 10%; double that of the 3rd tier banks. For the 2nd tier and 3rd tier banks, the spreads are 8% and 5% respectively. The higher spread between the prime rate and the maximum rate among the 1st tier banks is a reflection of the signalling and screening device, which drives a wedge between prime lending rates for high-end corporates, with relatively and easily monitored big ticket transactions, and the maximum lending rates for other customers at the lower-end such as the SMEs. Thus, although the 1st tier banks may have lower maximum rates than the other groups, there is no guarantee that every loan applicant from the SMEs and retail customers will necessarily obtain credits at those rates. On the other hand, the 3rd tier banks are likely to rely more on these sets of customers, but charge up front a higher prime rate, which is almost the same as the maximum lending rates for the 1st tier banks, plus mark-up for operating costs, further raising their own maximum lending rates. • To be continued tomorrow. • Oshikoya PhD, is an economist and a chartered banker.

Debriefing mutual suspicions with frankness By Cornelius Omonokhua N January 28, 2014, the President of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) convened an interactive session of prominent Muslims and Christians. It was so amazing that many professors and respected Muslims from different states of the Northern part of Nigeria responded to the invitation. At about 2.45 p.m., the hall in the Transcorp Hilton, Abuja was full. The journalists from the different print and electronic media were not left out of this extraordinary convention of the two religions. The meeting started with prayers and the introduction of participants. Preliminary remarks were made and the President of CAN, Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor stated his reasons for calling the meeting. His affirmation that he loves Muslims and the corporate existence of Nigeria storms the hall like an earthquake. Silence visited the hall akin to the loud silence of the desert monks. This silence was broken by Malam Ashafa who said, “Before we begin this conversation, let us agree that we shall be frank. Let us agree that we shall not deceive one another”. The whole assembly agreed to be frank in telling the truth about how Muslims and Christians feel about the operations of each other. The president of CAN defined his concept of dialogue as “putting our cards on the table” and talk frankly. Almost every participant at the end of the meeting accepted that the meeting was a good beginning and a taste of the many good things that would happen between the Christians and the Muslims in Nigeria. The resolutions at the meeting indicated that Christians and the Muslims need each other for the promotion of peaceful coexistence in Nigeria. The fruit of the meeting shows that there is a lot Muslims and Christians can do together to resolve the security challenges in Nigeria. However, the truth and frankness of the meeting revealed the following suspicions: • Intra Christian Suspicion • Intra Muslim Suspicion • Muslim-Christian Suspicion Intra-Christian suspicion: Some Christians feel betrayed and threatened by Christians who are involved in dialogue with Muslims. The feeling is that some churches who claim to know how to dialogue with Muslims are insensitive to the massacre of Christians who are being slaughtered and deprived of the free-

dom to worship in the terrorist empires. On the other hand, some Christians who are in dialogue with Muslims perceive Christians who do not see anything good in Muslims as extremists who do not understand the principles and the scriptural mandate of dialogue. This intra-Christian suspicion needs urgent healing at the level of CAN to show the frankness of the new dawn of dialogue. Intra Muslim suspicion: There appears to be some divisions in the Muslim community. For instance, in Pakistan, the Sunnis are killing the Muslims of other sects who do not believe in their ideology while in Nigeria many Muslims do not accept that the Boko Haram sect has anything to do with Islam, yet the members of Boko Haram kill some Muslims who deny that members of Boko Haram are Muslims. There are also some Muslims who do not see any reason why a Muslim should dialogue with a Christian. This intra-Muslim suspicion also needs urgent healing at the level of the Supreme Council of Islamic Affairs (NSCIA) Muslim-Christian suspicion: At the meeting of January 28, 2014, a Muslim was frank enough to tell the president of CAN that before the meeting, he hated him with passion but having heard him speak, his negative opinion about him has changed. Some Muslims gave their different testimonies of how badly they feel about the attitude of some Christians. Some were very positive about Christians. They testified that they are what they are today, because they attended Christian schools. Some Christians also narrated their bitter experiences with Muslims and why they do not think of having anything to do with some Muslims. Some went as far as saying that the feeling among some Christians is that some religious riots and violence are planned in the mosque. The meeting was adjourned with serious hopes. The résumé of the next meeting would be a further exposé of what the Christians do not frankly like in the Muslims and what the Muslims do not frankly like in the Christians. It is hoped that this would enable both religious adherents to “put their cards on the table” to find common grounds in the concerns of Nigeria, namely, the transformation agenda. It is hoped that the Christians and the Muslims who were involved in this conversation have reached a point where they can continue to “Think Nigeria” which was the

theme of the meeting. This meeting, if sustained would be a miraculous breakthrough for Muslim/Christian relations in Nigeria. The mutual suspicions expressed overtly or covertly are sustainable in the face of the recurrent insecurity saga in the world. The argument goes beyond misunderstanding, misinterpretation and misrepresentation in a situation where some people are in a dialogue conference room while houses of worship and worshippers are in flames somewhere in the same country. These suspicions will end if Peace-builders of all the religions take the message to the real physical actors of violence and terror. Otherwise, the argument that we are dialoguing with the wrong people who are harmless remains sustainable. The only argument that can negate these suspicions is witness of life where every suspect would practically show a deeper commitment to peace building at all levels. Very often, the vision, mission and objective of some Christians and Muslims appear to exclude God in their mode of operation. This is shown when talents and proficiency are politicised by men and women of God who should show the way to paradise and the kingdom of God. Nigeria should look up to the religious leaders in thinking a robust nation instead of seeing religion as the problem. Christians and Muslims should take seriously the scriptural dictum, “physician heal yourself”! Given the extent to which security has been wounded in Nigeria, everything about dialogue, local or national could end in verbosity unless the North agree to have an intra-North dialogue and be frank about the root causes of the violence that is tearing the region apart. Their frankness about it could bring about a lasting and permanent solution. Let the other regions and zones do the same to proffer solution to their endemic problems. Then, the national dialogue will have a clear focus, mission and vision. Majority of Nigerians are either Muslims or Christians not withstanding the existence of the traditional religions. The time has come for us to move towards the Kingdom of God that has no divisions. • Fr. Omonokhua is the Director of Mission and Dialogue of the Catholic Secretariat of Nigeria, Abuja and Consultor of the Commission for Religious Relations with Muslims (C.R.R.M), Vatican City.

THE GUARDIAN www.ngrguardiannews.com

14 Wednesday, February 19, 2014

Opinion Oduah: Between performance and vested interest By Ikeogu Oke HE recent exit of Stella Oduah as Minister T of Aviation calls for sober reflection on the significance of competence and the achievements that should naturally flow from it in the Nigerian system. In the heat of the crisis that threatened to cast her ministerial tenure in a bad light, I published a newspaper article calling for restraint in what I saw as a premature call for her removal from office by her detractors and their agents. I had no doubt, and I say this with every sense of responsibility, that some vested interests were behind some welloiled publicity machinery orchestrating those strident calls for her removal. I was critical of those calls because those behind them did not seem to mind that Oduah had not been given a fair hearing, as it should be in a civilised setting. And I thought that, even if their charges against her were found to be true, we might yet have to consider other factors like her unprecedented achievements in office, so we do not become guilty of the folly of casting off the baby with the bathwater. I also thought of Chinua Achebe’s description of ours as a country “where merit is quite often a dirty word”, which makes my nerves tingle each time I recall it, and the result that ours is still largely a country in the unrelenting grip of mediocrity, where the very few who can do their job well as Oduah evidently did as Minister of Aviation are seen as a threat by the majority who wallow in ineptitude. And they – the inept majority – are the vectors of the Nigerian disease we ourselves have diagnosed as the Pull Him Down (PHD) Syndrome, whose virus we have genetically engineered in our laboratories of ethnic malice to target efficient and well-meaning people and ensure they are pulled down from office in no time. A president comes on the scene with a plan to positively transform our country, begin-

ning with its power sector, and almost simultaneously a bombing campaign is begun by some of our citizens, foisting a bogus clime of insecurity on the country to ensure that he never concentrates to implement the plan. And if the highest person in the land could be targeted with this efficiency destroying virus, who could be safe that means well for the country? I also thought of Nelson Mandela backing President Clinton as the controversy raged over his moral infraction with Monica Lewinsky and his justifying his stand with the declaration: “Our morality does not allow us to desert our friends.” Then I thought of the millions of our compatriots far more experienced about life than me, who still revere Chief Obafemi Awolowo despite his travails in public life that led to his unjust incarceration; a man whose mastery of the art of politics and the science of social engineering, resulting in his many great achievements as a leader, might have made him the target of envy and conspiracies from his less endowed and underachieving contemporaries. And so I knew that, though unpopular, my solidarity for Oduah in her own travails, expressed in that article titled “Oduah: Justification for bullet-proof cars” in one of its publications, did not lack respectable precedent. And I believed that her retention as Minister of Aviation was the best thing for our country, because it is easier to correct a minor mistake by one public servant than to change a national habit of inefficiency, which she proved possible through her inspiring achievements as Minister of Aviation. Her performance as Minister of Aviation was stellar (no pun intended). It evokes the reconstruction of a dead and decayed sector from its lifeless bones and the breathing of new life into it so it lived vi-

brantly and resplendently as it should and never had. There’s hardly any airport in Nigeria today that was not impacted by her vision as a reformer, and which through her transformative work does not bear eloquent testimony of President Jonathan’s good sense in appointing her as Minister of Aviation. But my favourite of all the airports she transformed was the Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Lagos. Easily Nigeria’s prime airport, it was in a decrepit, shame-inducing state when last I travelled from it to South Africa before her tenure, and my shame was amplified when I compared it to the Oliver Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg upon my arrival. Today, thanks to her good work, the quality of the infrastructure at the airport can be equated with those in other international airports worldwide. The first time I was at the local airport in Lagos after its departure lounge was reopened following its closure for reconstruction during her tenure as Minister of Aviation, I wondered where she got all the wide beautiful space she created in the interior of the lounge, which was always crammed, dirty and chaotic before the reconstruction. At the commencement of the refurbishment of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, under her tenure, I thought it was a needless and wasteful venture, that the airport was already looking its best. But with the completion of the work, I saw the sense of the refurbishment in the far improved appearance of the airport, and realised that airport facilities can be improved even beyond their “best” appearances by someone with good taste. Perhaps the most significant transformation that occurred in our aviation sector during her tenure was the upgrade of the Akanu Ibiam Airport, Enugu, to an international airport, with reciprocal upgrade of

the facilities. It was historically very important, as it provided the people of southeastern Nigeria with decades-long overdue international airport, and dramatically improved their direct access to international trade. And they trooped out gratefully, with their state governors, to witness the commissioning of the upgraded facility. Perhaps they can only feel such deep joy and gratitude again at the commissioning of the long-promised but yet elusive second Niger Bridge, or the swearing-in of a Nigerian President from their part of the country. From Calabar in the deepest south to Sokoto in the farthest north; from Port Harcourt to Yola to Kaduna to Jalingo; from Jos to Minna to Maiduguri; our airports became better for feeling her transformative touch. I recall asking a friend and compatriot of my generation why it is so difficult to fix Nigeria. “The problems are overwhelming,” he said. “Where do you start? Power? Roads? Water?” Oduah proved that Nigeria can be fixed by tackling the problems sectorially, and with courage and persistence. Her Aerotropolis Project, by which she meant to convert the largely bush areas around our airports to business and tourism hubs, also proved her to be a pragmatic visionary. She may have fallen short of perfection, but I dare say that in barely three years as Minister of Aviation she impacted our aviation sector more positively than all her predecessors, setting a very high standard of performance in the sector. And now that she has exited, her successor will need to match or better her performance. Otherwise it might prompt questioning if her exit was in our best interest as a nation, even though we hardly regard performance as a priority in public office. • Oke, a writer, poet and public affairs analyst,

Pitfalls Oduah’s successor must avoid By Kayode Adewunmi T last, President Goodluck Jonathan did the ‘needful’ on A Wednesday, February 12, this year, when he finally ‘reviewed the appointment’ of the controversial Aviation Min-

ister, Ms. Stella Oduah. Nigerians had actually lost hope that the indicted minister would ever be sanctioned for the infractions she committed while holding the fort at the very sensitive Aviation Ministry. Incidentally, she had the tacit support of some Nigerians who believed that she was the best thing to have happened to the country’s aviation sector in decades. Oduah was appointed minister by Jonathan in July 2011, partly because of her ‘Neighbour 2 Neighbour’ exploits, which many believed contributed in no small measure to Jonathan’s ascendancy to the Presidency. She, however, appeared to have been carried away by her closeness to Jonathan and the wrong belief that “this is our government”. The event of February 12, this year, must have taught many people a bitter lesson that there is a limit to human endurance and that life itself is transient. Even the Holy Bible does not say “Love thy neighbour more than yourself” but rather says “Love thy neighbour as thyself”. There was no way Jonathan could have loved Oduah more, politically, than himself in the permutation towards the critical 2015 elections. With the N255 million bullet-proof car scandal, appropriately tagged “Oduahgate” and other controversies she was enveloped in, Jonathan needed to shed weight for his second term ambition and the likes of the former Aviation Minister would have to be the first among the casualties. Humans only know today, but tomorrow belongs to God. She has also not denied many other allegations against her either. The much-touted remodelling of airports, which attracted a lot of hype days to her removal, amounted to a waste of public funds through colourful newspaper adverts and propaganda. Many critics have argued that apart from the fact that the process of awarding the various contracts for the remodelling was questionable, the quality of job done was low. Oduah and some of her lieutenants made mockery of court orders and quarrelled with almost all the concessionaires in

the aviation industry, making some intending investors to think twice about the sector. FAAN officials, in a show of shame, actually carried out physical attacks on some concessionaires by physically ejecting them from their investments at the airports, despite subsisting court orders. They seemingly forgot that the only permanent thing in life is change and that one day, they would be consigned to history. Agreements duly signed by the Federal Government and some investors in the aviation industry were scantily respected. The “powerful woman”, as some preferred to refer to her during her tenure, was further accused of peopling agencies under the Aviation Ministry with persons of her ethnic stock to the detriment of meritocracy and Federal Character. Many officers have no office space till date. Surprisingly, every act of impunity perpetrated by the regime was stoutly defended by people who know next to nothing about the aviation sector. Even when the bullet-proof car scandal first broke out, they defended the minister blindly, saying the scandal never happened, only for the woman to appear in the House of Representatives shortly after to chastise them for talking about what they knew nothing about. Such was the level of confusion in the ministry that many Nigerians and foreigners lost confidence in our aviation sector. Stella Oduah’s exit should pave the way for the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to investigate activities at the Aviation Ministry under her tenure, with a view to cleansing the place and bringing to book everyone that was involved in mismanagement or corruption. This would be another way of building confidence in the system. However, whoever is succeeding Oduah must avoid the pitfalls she put herself and totally rebuild the sector. Such a person must first be a man or woman of impeccable character, who must not have his or her eye in every pie and who has a knowledge of the way the aviation industry operates. He or she must also have the ability to listen to professional advice from the many experienced aviation professionals in the country. Oduah’s successor, who must combine both “native intelligence” with sound education and exposure, must shed weight in all the aviation agencies that are carrying the excess loads forced on them in the immediate past, as many

people who have no business in those agencies are there. Those who are relevant must be trained in the modern art and science of aviation operations to make them meet the challenges of the 21st Century, while those who are not relevant to the workings of the agencies must be shown the way out. Besides, her successor must respect all the agreements signed with various concessionaires in the aviation sector, seek legal advice on every of their provisions before taking informed decisions that will be beneficial to both the government and the concessionaires. He or she should be more of a listener than a talker. Where there are issues of disagreement in the various agreements inked with concessionaires, such should be resolved using the mechanisms provided for in the agreements in order not to put the sector in jeopardy. Oduah’s successor must be a highly detribalised Nigerian, who must be ready to break the cycle of ethnic appointments that has been sustained in the aviation sector for a long time now by putting round pegs in round holes, irrespective of where such pegs come from. Also, her successor must not interfere in the affairs of the aviation agencies, an act frequently perpetrated under Oduah with impunity. The agencies must be allowed to perform their duties of policing the aviation sector as is the standard practice the world over. With this, many Nigerians and the international community will, again, start having confidence in the sector. Such a successor must also be a man or woman of honour, who should be prepared to obey court orders, whether favourable to the ministry or not, because it has a lot of implications when government officials ridicule the temple of justice with their actions and inactions by asking the judges to go to hell with their orders. Moreover, Oduah’s successor must review all the contracts that were not transparently awarded for the remodelling of the airports; find out whether they followed due process and scrutinise the jobs already done whether they are of standard quality and report whoever is found to have contributed to the circumvention of the process to the relevant anti-graft agency. These measures will boost Nigeria’s chances of having a crisis-free aviation sector that all Nigerians will be proud of.

THE GUARDIAN www.ngrguardiannews.com

BUSINESS Wednesday, February 19, 2014

Business CPC bares fangs on Coke over production By Femi Adekoya

OLLOWING its findings NBC, CCNL affirm adherence to best practices Fregarding over a consumer complaint The Director-General, CPC, Citing its power to sanction, products manufac- Coca-Cola Nigeria Limited tured by Nigerian Bottling Company (NBC) under the licence and authority of Coca Cola, the Consumer Protection Council (CPC), yesterday sanctioned the organization for non-compliance with established safety standards and regulations. But, in a joint statement yesterday, Nigerian Bottling Company Limited (NBC) and Coca-Cola Nigeria Limited (CCNL) said the incident being referred to by CPC, was an exemption rather than the rule stressing that the company had always adhered to best practice in its production. Indeed, the CPC directed

and the Nigerian Bottling Company to subject their manufacturing processes to the Council’s inspection for a period of 12 months to ensure compliance with laid down safety standards and regulations, while demanding necessary compensation for the consumer and civil penalties as deterrent to other manufacturers. The directive came on the heels of a recent investigation by the CPC, which revealed that cans of sprite manufactured by NBC under the licence of Coca-Coca Nigeria Limited, were unwholesome for human consumption.

Mrs. Dupe Atoki, during a press briefing on the ‘Investigation into Violation of Product Quality Standards by the Nigerian Bottling Company and Coca-Cola Nigeria Limited’, in Lagos yesterday, explained that the move became necessary to protect consumers from harmful products and practices in the markets. According to her, the agency’s concern is for the health of Nigerian consumers who may suffer injuries from the consumption of products that do not meet the required safety standard or health regulations.

the CPC boss noted that as a parastatal under the supervision of the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment, it is empowered by the Consumer Protection Council Act Cap 25, LFN 2004, to, among others, provide speedy redress to consumers’ complaints, remove hazardous products from the market, cause an offending company to protect, compensate and provide relief to injured consumers, encourage the adoption of appropriate measures to ensure that products are safe for intended use, ban the sale of products

Director, Department of Petroleum Resources, George Osahon (right); Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Petroleum, Danladi Kifasi; Group Managing Director, Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Andrew Yakubu; and the Managing Director Pipelines and Product Marketing Company (PPMC), Prince Haruna Momoh, during a three-day public heaing on expenditure, supply, distribution and subsidy onkerosene at the National Assembly, Abuja yesterday. PHOTO: LADIDI LUCY ELUKPO

NAICOM ties sector’s robust investment profile to reforms By Joshua Nse HE privitisation of government enterprises, reforms initiated by the National Insurance Commission (NAICOM) to instil transparency and accountability in the conduct of insurance business, may have influenced the increasing profile of local and foreign investors into the insurance sector. The Commissioner for Insurance, Fola Daniel, speaking at a media roundtable in Lagos explained that the large market in Nigeria and investment opportunities in oil and gas sector and life assurance have also sustained the upbeat of interest of investors. He said that the reforms principally centres on the enforcement of the 2003 Insurance Act, as hitherto operators were carrying on business as if there was no regulation and guidelines guiding the conduct of busi-

ness operation in Nigeria. For instance, he said, the commission last year enforced section 50(1) of the Act, which states that “the receipt of insurance premium shall be a condition precedent to a valid contract of insurance and there shall be no cover in respect of an insurance risk unless premium is paid in advance’’ with effect from 1st January, 2013. According to him, the commission stood its ground to enforce the law because of huge premium collectables, inability to settle claims as and when due, cash flow problems and more importantly the industry lost credibility among the insuring public. As a result of this reforms, he said, the industry profile has improved considerably because of improvement in cash flow of insurance companies, insurers are now able to pay claims as and when

due, the Commission and NIA Complaints Bureau has also been helping to settle some of the disputed claims, and public confidence in the sector has improved and insurance consumers are now willing to buy insurance. He said “The Nigerian insurance industry has witnessed tremendous changes in recent times owing to the new reforms embarked upon by NAICOM. These reforms include the introduction of Risk Based Supervision, migration to International Financial Reporting Standard (IFRS) from the Nigerian Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (NGAAP); market conduct reforms, claims settlement reforms, financial inclusion, etc, all geared towards developing the industry and improved the general perception about insurance”. Daniel said: “Suffice it to say that these reforms are in line with the Federal

Government’s vision 2020: 20 policy of deepening insurance penetration to become the insurance industry of choice among the emerging markets in terms of capacity, safety, transparency and efficiency.” Last month, the management team of United Kingdom base Prudential Life Plc visited the commission, seeking avenue to invest in the industry. Other recent acquisitions in the industry include full acquisition of majority stake in Oceanic Life Assurance from Ecobank by Old Mutual Group, a South African base conglomerate; ADIC Insurance taken over by NSIA participations S.A. Holdings, UBA Metropolitan Life by UBA Capital Holding Limited/MMI Holdings, FBN Life by FBN Holdings/SAMLAM Group S.A. and Mansard Insurance by Assur Africa Holdings.

which do not comply with safety or health regulations, undertake investigation of consumer abuse and prosecute violators of all enactments for protecting consumers. She explained: “Pursuant to a consumer complaint received by the Consumer Protection Council regarding two half empty cans of Sprite, products manufactured by the Nigerian Bottling Company Plc under the licence and authority of Coca Cola Nigeria Limited, the Council in accordance with the Consumer Protection Council Act commenced an investigation into the complaint on the 6th day of September 2013 and gave notice thereof to the Nigerian Bottling Company Plc and Coca Cola Nigeria Limited. “The Council set up a Panel which invited both companies to provide any responses or positions they wish to take regarding the complaint, and provided them repeated opportunities to make representations, provide information and address sundry issues arising out of the complaint and their operations. While the Nigerian Bottling Company cooperated with the Council in the investigation, Coca-Cola Nigeria Limited, in contravention of applicable law, elected to adopt a rather hostile and flagrant approach to the Council and its proceedings by failing, refusing, neglecting to attend, make depositions or produce documents in its possession.” She added, “The Council had, prior to this complaint, been inundated with similar situations and other complaints, such as; rusty bottle tops, rusty cans and foreign particles in beverage products of the Nigerian Bottling Company under licence of Coca-Cola Nigeria Limited. The panel, after five hearings, held between September 2013 and February 2014, substantiated the allegation of product defect and violation of the Consumer Protection Council Act. “Though the investigation was premised on two halffilled cans of Sprite, it led to a plethora of findings, among which are: that the cans of Sprite are products of the Nigerian Bottling Company under license of Coca-Coca Nigeria Limited; that the cans of sprite were defective and had health and safety implications for consumers; that the Nigerian Bottling Company does not have a detailed written shelf life policy for dealing with expired products; and that the Nigerian Bottling Company’s grievance resolution policy does not cover instances where the consumer suffers physical injury from consumption, or compensation in instances where replacement will be inadequate.” Other findings, according to the CPC, are that the NBC’s supply chain management does not extend to retailers who the bulk of Nigerian consumers buy their products from; that the NBC’s traceability policy fails to effectively address the real purpose as

the company often relies on information as to the place of purchase of the product. The DG stated, “In view of all these, the Council made far reaching recommendations for system change in the Nigerian Bottling Company and Coca-Cola Nigeria Limited. To this effect, it has issued an Order, which gives clear directions for standard compliance in all areas that the companies have been found wanting. “The Order requires the Nigerian Bottling Company and Coca-Cola Nigeria Limited to: subject their manufacturing process to the Council’s inspection for a period of 12 months to ensure compliance with safety standards and regulations; formulate and make available to the Council a Shelf Life Policy within 90 days to facilitate the removal of expired products from the market.” The CPC boss, however, said that Coca Cola and the NBC had been directed to pay compensation to the consumer whose complaint triggered the investigation. “The CPC has ordered Coca Cola Nigeria Limited and the Nigerian Bottling Company to: “review within 90 days their Grievance Resolution Policy to address compensation for injuries, or compensation in instances where replacement will be inadequate; review their supply chain management policy within 90 days to include retailers in order to minimise the distribution of defective, non-conforming or expired products; review within 90 days their traceability policy to make it easier for the companies to track their products without necessarily requesting purchase information from the consumer; compensate the consumer whose complaint necessitated the investigation; and pay civil penalties to act as deterrent,” she noted The DG added that the Order of Council had been served on NBC and Coca-Cola Nigeria, pointing out “it is worth noting that disobedience to the Order of the Council is punishable, upon conviction, with three years jail term or a fine.” The NBC and CCNL however noted that they cooperated with the Council in the course of the investigation and provided the information available to it in varying respects including but not limited to quality assurance, product handling and consumer complaints resolution processes which have been updated over the years. They said: “As responsible organizations, NBC and CCNL take all matters relating to products very seriously and remain committed to maintaining the highest international quality management and food safety standards and certifications. Because consumers are at the heart of everything we do, both organizations also take a responsive approach towards satisfying customers and consumers. “Nigerian Bottling Company Limited and Coca-Cola Nigeria Limited hold the Council and, indeed, all regulators and stakeholders in high esteem and will continue to work with them to make any necessary improvement”.

THE GUARDIAN www.ngrguardiannews.com

Wednesday, February 19, 2014

CBN insists microfinance banks are strong, refutes shutdown saga By Chjijioke Nelson HE Central Bank of T Nigeria (CBN) said the state of microfinance banks in the country is strong and without trace of panic in the financial system. The apex bank was reacting to a recent newspaper story (not The Guardian), insinuating that about 600 Microfinance Banks (MFBs) were facing imminent shutdown. The report had said that

sources in the apex bank confided that “many of the MFBs have voluntarily shut down. Some are looking into the merger and acquisition deals as advised by the CBN. By the time the CBN looks into their 2013 accounts, it will take decisive actions on the MFBs. The CBN dealt with a number of them last year when it looked into their 2012 accounts.” It also estimated that about 600 of the over 800 microfinance banks presently in the

country will be pruned down. But the Director of Other Financial Institutions Supervision Department (OFISD), CBN, Olufemi Fabamwo, lamented that the bogus and spurious claims made in the report defied the usual professional ethics of factual and balanced reporting, which are the hallmarks of finance and business journalism. He therefore, dismissed the story as totally untrue and

All MFBs are examined at least once a year, while some are examined more than once, depending on the exigencies of the situation, with follow-up visits to ensure that examiners’ recommendations are implemented and corrective actions taken by the operators of the MFBs to sustain stability in the microfinance space. misleading, reaffirming unequivocally that the CBN is generally satisfied with the state of the microfinance industry and the financial condition of the microfinance banks. According to him, the story of the imminent shutdown of 600 MFBs should be ignored and urged journalists to always crosscheck and confirm their story with CBN’s Corporate

Communications Department or any other relevant authority before publishing. Fabamwo further stated that such a callous and rash misinterpretation of the policy direction in the microfinance sub-sector could obviously result in the de-marketing of microfinance banks and thus, undermine public confidence, which is capable of precipitating

panic withdrawals by depositors and investors in the MFBs. He therefore urged members of the public to ignore and disregard the false story, noting that the microfinance sub-sector has been effectively regulated by the CBN and jointly supervised by the CBN and the Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC). He added that all MFBs are examined at least once a year, while some are examined more than once, depending on the exigencies of the situation, with followup visits to ensure that examiners’ recommendations are implemented and corrective actions taken by the operators of the MFBs to sustain stability in the microfinance space.

Hyundai Motor partners Stallion Group to manufacture vehicles in Nigeria An impressive range of has a rich heritage and a YUNDAI Motor H Company, one the Hyundai passenger models reputation for quality when world’s foremost vehicle including the i10, i10 Grand, it comes to its automotive

Head, Consumer Protection Council, Lagos Office, Tam Tamunokonbia (left); Director-General, CPC, Dupe Atoki; and Director, Legal, Barr. Emmanuel Ataguba, during a press briefing on the investigation into the violation of product quality standards by companies, in Lagos

manufacturers has associated with regional conglomerate Stallion Group to manufacture Hyundai passenger and commercial vehicles in Nigeria from April 2014. Hyundai Motors Nigeria Ltd - a division of Stallion Group - already represents Hyundai’s range of passenger and commercial vehicles in Nigeria, and operates an ultra modern vehicle assembly plant in Lagos, Nigeria. Hyundai’s foray into this critical sub-Saharan market follows the announcement of a new auto policy in Nigeria, which is intended to spark a major advancement of the country’s automotive industry, and see it emerge as a key regional player.

i10 Grand Sedan, ix35 SUV and the Elantra will be assembled in Nigeria by Stallion at its world class facilities from April 2014. With regards to the Korean manufacturer’s commercial segment offering, assembly of models including the Hyundai County Bus and the Mighty Truck has already started. Head of Hyundai Africa and Middle East Headquarters, Tom Lee, comments: “This agreement with Stallion Group represents a major step forward for Hyundai Motor Company’s expansion in to Africa, and our ability to cater to the needs of customers, not only in Nigeria, but around the country as a whole. The Stallion Group

offering – something that mirrors Hyundai’s brand values – and we are looking forward to a long and successful relationship.” Commenting on the announcement, Sunil Vaswani, Chairman of Stallion Group said “We are pleased to have tied up with Hyundai which is amongst the world leaders in automotive industry. Stallion is sincerely committed to investing in the industry, aligning well with Nigeria’s policy initiatives and socioeconomic objectives. Hyundai’s entry at this stage will be a critical catalyst to develop the auto industry eco system, complementing the other prime brands we are associated with”

Wednesday, February 19, 2014 17

THE GUARDIAN www.ngrguardiannews.com

TheMetroSection Are all hopes lost...?

Briefs Agwuncha, 69, passes on HE death has occurred of T Mrs. Maria Nwarie Agwuncha (nee Ekejimbe) at the age

• Community decries delay in handing over IPPC to new investor

of 69. She will be buried on Friday, February 21, after a funeral Mass at her compound, Ejighinadu village, Awka Etiti. She is survived by her husband, John Agwuncha and children, Ogochukwu Agwuncha, Ebele Agwuncha and Chigozie Agwuncha.

By Joseph Onyekwere UNUSA Adebayo Banjo is a titled Y Chief in Iwopin, a sleepy community located close to Ijebu waterside area of Ijebu North Local Council in Ogun State. As a community leader and the Baba Isale Adinni of Iwopin, he is worried about the teeming population of the unemployed youths in the community and, like others, prayed for Divine intervention, given the rural nature of the community. But his prayers appeared to have been answered when Beulah Technical Services Limited (BETCO), an indigenous company chaired by elder statesman, Dr. Tunji Braithwaite intervened and bought 100 per cent shares of the only industrial enterprise in the community though one that had long been dormant and moribund - Iwopin Pulp and Paper Company Limited (IPPC). IPPC, a privatised paper mill industry in the community, was badly run and left in a comatose state before BETCO intervened under the privatisation policy of the federal government. Like every other member of the community, Banjo heaved a sigh of relief, hoping that by the coming of the new owners, the worrisome population of the unemployed in the community would be drastically reduced. But his hopes as well as that of others now appeared dashed. Many years after the sale, in addition to a Federal High Court order, the Federal Government is yet to formally hand over the firm to the new owners for resuscitation. “We have many of our youths who are graduates who are unemployed. We were elated when the new owners bought the place. Though the company, which started around 1975 folded up, it did not give employment to our youths at the senior cadre. They only employed labourers even when we have a lot of graduates who are qualified and are capable of being in the management cadre. So we were not happy with that management. That is why we are rallying round Dr Braithwaite, who is well known for his love and concern for the masses in this country. He has promised to engage our people. We are giving him full support.” “The association of land owners and the entire community of Iwopin will remain peaceful and law abiding. We will create a harmonious conducive environment for the prospective investor and the company. Also, the security of the staff and all the people coming in

Agwuncha

Amurawaye for burial URIAL rites for Madam B Comfort Itunuola Amurawaye, who died at the age of 85, will hold tomorrow and Friday. Meanwhile, a service of songs holds at 17, Ileteju Street, Ogori, Kogi State at 6.00pm, while thanksgiving service Hholds on Sunday at St Peter’s Anglican Church, Okesi Ogori, Kogi State at 10.00am.

The mill are guaranteed. We are looking forward for the quick handing over of the IPPC to BETCO,” he enthused. Banjo is not alone. Olatunde Abubakar, the Chief Imam of Iwopin is also a sad man. His sadness stems from the fact that the moribund company, in the process of sale 10 years ago, is yet to come alive due to the inability of the government to hand over the firm to the new owners. “The government are the ones delaying us now because they are yet to hand it over to Dr. Braithwaite who bought it. He has paid all the money required of him to the government and we don’t know why they are delaying us. We are seriously waiting for the government. The place is just like Lagos, if you visit it, you can pass from the sea. So we are calling on government not to frustrate us any longer.” Following the successful bidding made by BETCO, the Bureau of Public Enterprises on April 14, 2003 sold 100 per cent shares of IPPC to the firm.

Trader docked for allegedly raping a 13-year-old girl

As a result, the firm was directed to fulfill certain obligations such as producing the duly executed Forestry Concession Agreement between the governments of Ogun and Ondo States and IPPC in respect of 39, 000 hectares of Pulp Producing Trees planted specifically for IPPC. It also includes the payment of compensation to Iwopin landowners on which the IPPC premises is located, making payment of the final emoluments to IPPC staff so that BETCO would not inherit labour or union disputes as well as completing the exchange and execution of IPPC shares sale/purchase agreement. The firm duly complied with the obligations. The project is expected to employ about 800 different cadres of Nigerians, including the host community such as graduates, artisans and general labour. Unfortunately, the project had been protracted over the past 10 years and had seen some past BPE senior executives investigated by the Economic and

Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), while some bankers were tried and jailed for criminal offences. The hand-over, which is a mere formality, like the goddot, has been waited for endlessly, despite a court order dated December 6, 2013 to that effect. The land approximately occupying about 1,000 hectares was the first paper mill established to serve the needs of the West African sub-region for the production of white bleached paper. According to a source who is familiar with the development but would want his name off-print, the Director General of BPE has directed that the hand-over should take place. But that is yet to happen. As it is, both the new owners and the community are upbeat and are wondering why the delay in formally handing over the firm to BETCO. Hopefully, the affected agencies would do the needful and put smiles back on the saddened faces of

RIMAN holds workshop ISK Management AssociaR tion of Nigeria (RIMAN) in conjunction with FMO - Dutch Development Bank and Sustainable Finance Advisory (SFA), London, United Kingdom will tomorrow and Friday hold a two- day training workshop on Sustainable Banking: Environmental and Social Risk Management at Canton Concourse, 12, Landbridge Avenue, Oniru Estate, Victoria Island, Lagos It will be directed by the Managing Director, Sustainable Finance Advisory U.K, Carey Bohjanen.

Ikokwu for burial HIEF (Mrs.) Margaret C Nwanyidinma Ikokwu, “Anuenyi” (nee Obinwa), who

Photonews

died on December 15, 2013, will be buried on Friday February 21, in Oba, Idemili South Council Council of Anambra State. She was born on September 13, 1913 to Cornelius and Hanna Obinwa of Isu Umuezegbute, Oba. She studied General Nursing and Midwifery at the Iyienu General Hospital, Ogidi, near Onitsha.

By Yetunde Ayobami Ojo

Ojaokomo, told the court that the defendant lured OR allegedly raping a 13- the complainant into his year-old girl, a trader, apartment and forcefully Christian Chigbo, was on had carnal knowledge of yesterday docked before a her. Lagos Magistrate Court sit- Ojakomo said the incident ting in Apapa. happened on February 6, at Chigbo, 28, who resides on the defendant’s residence. No. 54A, Isikalu Street, Olodi He said the offence contraApapa, Lagos, is facing a vened Sections 135(1) and 137 two-count charge of indeof the Criminal Code Law, cent assault and unlawful Lagos State, 2011. defilement before Chief The Chief Magistrate AdeMagistrate Oluyemisi Ade- laja, granted the him bail of laja. N100,000 with two sureties He pleaded not guilty to in like sum, and subsethe charge. quently adjourned the case The prosecutor, Superintill March 3,2014 for mentendent of Police, Soji tion.

Amurawaye

The burnt Tick wood and Carpenter section of Sango Plank Market (Iso Pako) Ibadan, Oyo after Monday’s fire PHOTO: NAJEEM RAHEEM

Ikokwu

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18 Wednesday, February 19, 2014

Briefs Grand Lodge donates N1m to hearing impaired school By Joe Adiorho ELL -MEANING Nigerians and philanthropic organizations W have been enjoined to spare a thought and extend charity to the less-privileged and impaired members of the society who are craving for love and help. The District Grand Master of District Grand Lodge of Nigeria S.C., Otunba Joseph Ogunfunwa, made the call yesterday at the Wesley School 2 for the Hearing Impaired, in Surulere, Lagos, where the Lodge made a donation of N1 million to mark its 60th anniversary in Nigeria. He said that it was compulsory for the organization to visit charity homes regularly to dispense love and aids to the less-privileged. “The lodge committee for such venture decided that the Wesley School 2 for the Hearing Impaired should be chosen for the anniversary visit because it is convinced that whatever is given to them is wisely managed.” He explained that funding special schools where everything is free for the inmates, should not be left for the government alone as the weight would be too much to bear, but that well meaning Nigerians with the means should spare a thought and render help. Handing over the cheque of N1 million to the Principal of the school, Brother Charles Iain Wolrige Gordon of Esselmont, the Grand Master Mason of the Grand Lodge of the Scotland, the parent body of the one in Nigeria, said that the lodge was formed ostensibly for the care of the less-privileged members of the society, among others. The Principal of the school, Mr. Solomon Adeoye Ade expressed the appreciation and gratitude of the school and that of the Lagos State Government, recalling that in 1984, the Lodge also made a donation of a 16-seater bus to the school.

Comfort Olanrewaju dies at 80 death has occurred of Madam Comfort Omoriyeba TA HE Olanrewaju (nee Awakan) at the age of 80. Christian wake holds on Friday, February 28, at St. Mary’s Primary School, Isalu, Iseyin, Oyo State at 5.00p.m. She will be buried on Saturday, March 1, after a funeral service at Emmanuel Baptist Church, Ojubaba, Iseyin, Oyo State at 10.00a.m. Guests will be entertained at the Muslim Grammar School. Saki Road, Iseyin at 1.00p.m. He is survived by children and grandchildren among whom is Olanrewaju OlaOlanrewaju jide Festus.

Aig-Imokhuede, Okei-Odumakin for Social Media Week RIENDS Africa in partnership with Social Media Week FAdvocacy Lagos will hold an exciting session tagged “The Power of Using Social Media” on Friday, February 21, 2014 at 10:00am at Four Points by Sheraton, Oniru, Lekki, Lagos. Dr Joe Okei-Odumakin,; Mr Aigboje Aig-Imokhuede; Mo Abudu and Gbenga Sesan will speak at the event.

LASU resumes Feb. 24, students, activists storm Lagos Assembly over fees hike By Wole Oyebade TUDENTS of the Lagos State Sstormed University (LASU) yesterday the Lagos State House of Assembly in protest against hike in school fees and alleged insensitivity of the State government to their plight. The scores of angry protesters, accompanied by members of the Joint Action Front (JAF) and Education Rights Campaign (ERC), stormed the Assembly around noon, singing anti-government songs, raining invectives and unprintable words on members of the Lagos Assembly, for allegedly taking sides with the Executive to foist on them “the highest school fees known to any stateowned university in the country.” Their several attempts to break into the Complex were foiled by armed policemen. The students who had earlier marched across some parts of Lagos before getting to the House, first denied audience to the receiving lawmakers, led by Deputy Speaker of the

House, Taiwo Kolawole. But when they finally did, they ended up insulting Kolawole and his team. One of the protesting students called the lawmakers “bad heads” adding that, “we are ready to do everything to frustrate any ambition you may have in 2015.” Others warned that if the state made them dropouts from school, they would remain alive to taunt and hurt children of the rich in the society. They threatened never to allow peace in the institution until the fee hike regime was reversed. It would be recalled that the Babatunde Fashola-led administration had increased the school fees of the institution from N25, 000 to between N193, 750 and N348,750 depending on the courses registered by the students. Some of their placards on display read: “Education is a right not a privilege”; “Adequate funding of education is nonnegotiable” and “Reverse the fees now,” among others.

Besides registering their displeasure over fee hike, the students have also threatened that all students of the institution would resume on February 24, as opposed to partial resumption earlier planned by the school authority. National Coordinator of Education Rights Campaign, Hassan Soweto, who spoke on behalf of the students, lamented the harrowing experience of indigent students in paying such exorbitant tuition fee of N250,000, adding that it was the root cause of the current crisis in LASU. It would be recalled that the university has been in a tensed atmosphere since January 23, 2014 after the closure of registration portal by the school management, which led to students’ violent protest and indefinite closure of the school. While recalling the intervention of the Lagos State House of Assembly to broker peace since the closure, Soweto noted that the lawmakers had been biased in their judgment, which laid all the blame on

students rather than address the under-lining causes of the face-off. Soweto said: “I want to tell you that the hike in school fee in 2011 is the cause of the recurrent crises in LASU. The fee is one of the most expensive one in the entire country,” he said. Also speaking, the Secretary General of Joint Action Front (JAF), Abiodun Aremu said, “the House has constitutional responsibility to reverse the fees. We are passionate to be here today because we know the lawmakers were beneficiaries of public education.” In his response, the Deputy Speaker, Kolawole Taiwo said it was unfair for the protesters to lay claim that the house had been one-sided in the way it had handled the case. He said the lawmakers passed resolution for the reopening of the portal to allow students who were yet to register to be given the opportunity.

MTN thrills youths at Valentine Day’s party Consumer Marketing, Kola Oyeyemi, said: “We at MTN are IT was a night of splendid committed to greatly impactand memorable entertaining lives. We love the youth of ment at the weekend as the this country and we want to telecommunications giant, create a platform where this MTN, hosted thousands of love from us to the customers Nigerian youths at a Valenand also amongst the custine Rave party held at the Eko tomers themselves can be celeHotel and Suites, Lagos. brated with good music.” The event was marked by “ Nigerian youths have chosen good music and a convivial to be here over other places setting, as the young and not- tonight, they want to have fun too-young Nigerians came on Valentine night. We promout to take advantage of the ised a lot and we are indeed deplatform to give and receive livering on our promises,” he love in an atmosphere of fun added. and excitement. As Nigeria’s popular DJs Speaking on the reason for dished out monster hits from the event, General Manager, their wheels of steel one after

By Adeniyi Idowu Adunola

the other, the crowd roared in delight. Led by Jimmy Jatt, each DJ proved his mettle to convince the audience they were worth all the hype and praises that were heaped on them prior to the event. Others on the wheels of steel mixing, blending and scratching to the delight of the excited crowd were Big N, Caise, Neptune and Obi. One after the other, they churned out heart thumping numbers from the past, the not-too-distant past and the raves of the moment. Then came the performances by the best of Nigerian musicians. Sound Sultan did not fail

to impress as he and his crew rocked the staged, effectively setting the tone for other performances. Then came Chidinma (a.k.a Miss Kedike) who held the ageless crowd captive as she thrilled the crowd with her sing-along signature track “Kedike”. Then came Praiz. As soon as he started singing “Oshe”, the crowd erupted in recognition of the track, which is one of those currently ruling the airwaves. After that came the ‘First Lady’ of Nigerian music scene - Tiwa Savage and her sultry dancers. Like those before her, she also did not disappoint, as did her best to wow the crowd.

Brief Regina Azuh, 92, for burial Friday HE death has occurred of T Madam Regina Mgborie Azuh of Abuedo Quarters in Ubulu-Uku, Delta State, aged 92. Until her death in December 2013, she was the Mama General of the Catholic Women Organization, St. Michael’s Parish, Ubulu-Uku, Matriarch of Agwume family, Umu Ojuko Obi, Agbonta Idumu-Ede, and Head of Umu-Anugwe Wives Association, Abuedo, Ubulu-Uku. Burial rites begin on Thursday, February 20 with a Christian wake at her compound in the evening, followed by interment on Friday immediately after a funeral mass at St. Michael’s Catholic Church, beginning at 10.a.m, while an all night social wake follows from 8p.m. Traditional burial rites hold on Saturday and thanksgiving mass on Sunday.

Azuh

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Money Proper credit management holds ace to financial sector abuses, says Onalo Dr. Chris Onalo is the founding father and at present, the Registrar/Chief Executive Officer of the Institute of Credit Administration (ICA). In this interview with CHIJIOKE NELSON, he spoke on credit risks and abuses in the system, strategic position of the profession to redress the system and the economy at large. Excerpts. How would you describe the operational profile of ICA? CA is the only body for credit professionals- people that carry out credit management functions in different organizations and sectors of the economy. The body was founded in 1992, while the process of legalizing its existence took off the same year. This lasted for 12 years before its approval by then Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Federation. However, the process was marred by opposition from other indigenous professional bodies, which saw its emergence as competition. But at the end, the authorities declared that there was no contradiction whatsoever in the registration of ICA. In other countries of the world, there are national bodies in charge of credit administration. So, why the difference in our country? By 2009, we became successful in our craving for royal charter, because that is what everyone was always asking for. The National Assembly, fortunately passed the bill for ICA to be a chartered institute. Of course, we have high profile council members and our membership is great too. How far does ICA go in developing its members? Basically, the role of a professional house for experts is to develop its members- keeping them abreast with trends. In developing credit professionals, the institute, naturally must maintain consistent capacity building for its members through regular seminars, workshops and conferences. The process is unlike the university where you pass through and never go back there again, but one that you look up to for regular updates and knowledge, until there is no more existence of either the institute or the professional. The typical credit administrator is robust, current and extremely awashed with knowledge of trends in the field. What opportunities are there for your professionals and where can they be found? Opportunities for members of the institute are enormous. Credit management is the mother of all other professions. I mean that every aspect of human endeavour is given to economic activity, that is, in an effort to satisfy your needs and wants, you must ask for credit somehow and someday. This will either be to borrow from lenders or you go to the manufacturers to look for credit purchases- to get bigger quantities of the products. So, whether one is an engineer, politician, scientist, lawyer, or whatever, one must need credit. Therefore, credit management is a profession that prides itself as mother of all other professions and opportunities abound for every professional in the field, like being a credit manager, analyst, clerk, director or whatever. In all the institutions, there is no place you can’t find a job requiring a credit professional like government agencies, multinationals and private sector organisations, which require the facilitations of or flow of credit. Also, in a credit driven economy where almost everything is associated with post-payments, the profession is involved. Even credit reporting firms, rating agencies, credit monitoring, credit insurance, credit mitigation, services, debt recovery services, training in credit management, among others. All over the world, credit professionals are known as people who move the economy. Many of our ICA members have had to travel to Canada, UK and United States, carrying our certificate and getting the jobs. Of course, they are in high demand in developed economies, either at consumer, commercial, financial and/or public sector levels. How has the absence of the credit reporting system affected credit administration? In Nigeria, the challenge is either because we seem not to know it or display attitude that does not suggest we really want to know it on the one hand or we are in hurry to grab a thing and quickly want to put it in a practice without any consideration. That is my assessment of how things work in this country and at the end, nothing worked well. Credit reporting system in Nigeria as it is now, stemmed from the idea of introducing a mechanism that will curtail credit abuse, in a particular sector of the economy. The primary purpose of a credit bureau is to look at the broader spectrum of the credit behaviour of the citizenry. But what we have is biased towards one sector and presumed that every person will not keep money under the pillow, but must have an account with a bank. So, the consequent borrowing by many and abuse of the credit without a system to check the behavior brought about credit bureau. Tracking credit history is good, but then, we may not achieve the main objective if the infrastructure that enables the credit reporting

Onalo system to fly is not put in place. The national identity scheme is up till now a big question, the power supply to sustain the system and unhindered industry cooperation is another one. In fact, information flow from one industry or company that could be volunteered to the bureau is still a critical issue. But issues are muddled up here unlike in other places. However, it is a good starting point despite the hiccups, because we can now build on it. For me, I am yet to see any tangible contribution of the system in the management of credit, particularly in the banking industry. The banks themselves are not even contributing to the success of the system and the regulator seems to be handicapped too, though it should not have been the role of the regulator to midwife the existence of the credit reporting system. How has ICA strategised to improve on the data challenges in credit reporting? The institute is the umbrella body for credit management activity in the country. But the institute is working to bring together all sub-sectors in credit industry. For example, professionals in credit bureau, financial services, manufacturing, services, consumer credit unit, among others, must come or belong to the national body– ICA. There, we will discuss different sectoral challenges and how to mitigate them. If data supply or management is a challenge to whatever sub-sector, there would be solutions proffered. This is the strategy of ICA to grow all the sub-sectors, but with unique mention of data collection, we can only appeal to all the participating institutions to give it out as ideal recourse. Credit bureau, like I said earlier, should be wholistic. For example, a multinational in oil and gas sector said that the level of credit default in the sector far outweighs that in the banking sector. But how many people know about this revelation? This underscores the fact that there is need for more credit bureaux with specialty in various industries. Again, another opportunity for credit professionals. How far has the organised private sector been identifying with ICA? According to Toyota, ‘good thinking, good product’. In my opinion, the identification of ICA by all sectors of the economy is not an issue. This is because, until you tell somebody I am here, nobody will know that you are there. We have membership cutting across all sectors of the economy. We guide against a particular sector dominating our membership, so that we don’t lose focus and prove false to our claim of a national body for credit management. So, we have manufacturing sector, which workers on credit desk unit are members of ICA. From the chief executive down to officers, we have our members in all sectors, including government agencies. Today, ICA is third largest in the world in terms of membership in comparison with U.S and UK. This position is boosted by the quality of our training and development, contributions to national debate, presentations, and monthly journals, which make us more visible. What is your view of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMES) in Nigeria? SMES in Nigeria are suffocating and not in the mainstream policies of the country. They are not yet defined in the policy focus of various governments. If however, it is, they have not come to

terms with what is appropriate for SMEs growth and development and its sustainability. They are in a pitiable condition in Nigeria, yet they form the nucleus of the economy and binding forces holding the economy together. When people are given to entrepreneurship, they want to be independent and selfemployed, create job for others and wealth mutually. Such a nation can hardly go bankrupt. But unfortunately, every successive government in Nigeria is yet to sit down and draft SMEs into position of importance for economic growth and development. I have taken time to look at various manifestos of political parties that produce leadership for the country. To my surprise, non has anything for SMEs, except in one line in PDP manifesto, which had a mention of SMEs development and that is where it ended. How it would be achieved was silent. This means that we have not dreamt of a good leadership that will develop the economy. SMEs need to be given a purposeful attention and programmes that will put them into partnership to develop the country. All over the world, it is known that SMEs always lack, not being in a position to provide what conventional commercial banks require to provide them funds for either stability or expansion. In other parts of the world where SMEs participate actively in economic growth, government sets up institutions that stand as guarantor to SMEs. The Federal Government must go back to the drawing board and establish what may be called credit guarantee corporation. This would specifically meant to guarantee loans or credit instruments, which SMEs require to grow their initiatives. At this point, it is left for SMEs with commercially viable ideas to do business plan and appraisal by the corporation and bank. How would you assess the nation’s macro-economic policies? At the macro level, it still boils down to what we earlier said that the country’s economic system has been battered over the years. It certainly will take a whole lot of efforts to fix it given the accompanying challenges. We have to move along with the private sector, which must wake up to effectively collaborate with government to make a change. For any economy to thrive and create certain advantages- growth that is reflecting on people and employment generation, there must be enabling environment and infrastructure. There are people with innovative ideas in this country, but suppressed by leadership’s selfish disposition. Sometimes, you begin to find that the country is dragged backwards to dark ages, with our greatest enemy- corruption, reigning with impunity. The country is still waiting for the right leadership because virtually everything is here. These have affected our macro economic policies. Look at our spending, how much has been voted to capital expenditure and how much of it was actually implemented in 2013? The issue of infrastructure has been over emphasized, but not much have so far been done. From ICA perspective, what role has the subsisting interest rate played? High interest rate is usually an enemy to credit advancements. Cross-matching high rate with other running costs put production cost higher, a situation, which does not result in growth for manufacturing concerns, especially in our clime. It is a discouraging factor to the real sector. Interest rate policy of the CBN should be in a way that commercial banks can lend at a lower rates, but sometimes, it has not played out well due partly to inherent huge profit appetite. This is because even when interest rates are low, banks factor in many other things that will still push the cost high. However, some of the funds that banks have are costly, to be fair with them too. Moving forward, there are funds that are cheaper, which banks can source and one of them is the pension fund. But again, banks are not doing enough about distilling risks in certain sectors. All they say is that some sectors are risky, but an in-depth analysis of the sectoral risk is not available. For every risk, there is a sunny side of it. This can be an advantage to some of them that can embark of research or commission credit administrators to understudy the risk for them. How would you describe the problem surrounding the nation’s budget system? It is an issue known to everybody, which I don’t intend to overemphasis. Nigeria is known for poor budget implementation and we need a radical leader to change the trend. It’s amazing that we travel to other countries and read about them, but only to come back to plot evil against our own country. The idea of not implementing the budget, that is, not spending people’s money for the people is a crime in itself, because we have to develop and we have no other country we can call our own. So, if you have a budget with various sectoral allocations to the identified needs and failed to give out the money or divert it through whatever “smartness,” it is an evil and that is what we have been known for over the years now. This year’s budget proposal is still fresh in our minds with over bloated recurrent expenditures and that is where our issues start. We may excuse the current government for the acclaimed wage bill, but how sure are we that the total recurrent expenditure profile is free

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CITN raises concern over tax’s roles in 2014 budget Stories by Chijioke Nelson HE Chartered Institute of Taxation of Nigeria (CITN) has raised alarm over the “quiet role” that taxation was assigned in the nation’s 2014 budget. The institute also noted that budget periods are always dominated by bickering over “who gets what”, while the critical issues of shoring up the nation’s revenue through effective tax system are constantly ignored. The President of CITN, Mark Anthony Dike, who made the position of the body known at the its seminar on the 2014 federal government budget, said that desired budget implemen-

tation that has eluded the country for long is always hinged on fund paucity, while the avenue to increase the revenue is left undeveloped. “You would agree with me that this pertinent issue has bedeviled the process, such that successive budgets have not been significantly implemented to a satisfactory level especially the capital element of the budget. “This brings up a lot of tough questions begging for answers, as every year, figures running into trillions of Naira are reeled out, but sadly, the effects on socio-economic development are left to be seen. “But of concern to us at the institute, is the neglect of the critical role of tax revenue in

achieving the goals of any budget. More often than not, what occupies public discourse is the constant bickering between the executive arm of the federal government and its legislative counterpart- the National Assembåly, on the appropriate benchmark price for crude oil. “Sadly, strategies to shore up tax revenue are seldom discussed. Even more worrisome is the huge revenue losses resulting from the implementation of waivers, concessions and exemptions. “These waivers, which are granted on items with little or no benefits to the economy cannot be justified on any reasonable grounds. It is even wor-

Standard Chartered’s operations support 1.9 million jobs, contribute $10.7 billion in Africa TANDARD Chartered Bank’s Africa operations have been assessed as supporting 1.9 million jobs and contributing $10.7 billion to the sub-Saharan economies, according to a study called Banking on Africa. The independent study on the social and economic impact of the bank’s operations in Africa, with respect to value addition to the economy and support for trade and employment, was released on Monday. The report put together by a Visiting Fellow at the Centre for Global Development in Washington DC, Prof. Ethan Kapstein and founding partner of Steward Redqueen, an environment, social and governance consultancy firm, Dr. René Kim, said that has impacted on the continent’s workforce and economy directly and indirectly.

According to them, the financial institution also supports sub-Saharan trade worth $7.2 billion, equivalent to 1.2 per cent of the region’s total international trade and $1.8 billion of tax payments to governments, equivalent to 1.1 per cent of total receipts of governments in the region. The study also took a closer look at the social and economic impact of its operations, particularly in Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, and Zambia, showing that it contributes $2.1 billion of value to Nigeria’s economy, equivalent to 0.8 per cent of GDP; 396,000 jobs related to the bank’s activity, representing 0.4 per cent of Nigeria’s labour force. In Ghana, it contributes $1.4 billion of value to the economy, equivalent to 3.4 per cent of GDP; 283,000 jobs related to its activi-

ty, representing 2.7 per cent of the labour force. Kenya gets a contribution of $2 billion to the economy, equivalent to 5.5 per cent of GDP; 323,000 jobs related to the its activity, representing 2.9 per cent of the country’s labour force. Reacting to the report, the Group Chief Executive Officer, Peter Sands, said: “As this report shows, banks can play a vital role in supporting sustainable economic development in the communities where they operate. I am proud that Standard Chartered has contributed to Africa’s development over many years and we will continue to focus on supporting businesses’ growth - which creates jobs improving people’s lives and encouraging trade and the creation of wealth.”

risome that such waivers further reduce the funds available to implement the budget, resulting in deficit financing. This accounts for the huge level of domestic and foreign debts with a provision for debt servicing put at N712 billion in this year’s budget. “Our goal for putting in place this programme is geared towards looking at the budget from the angle of a tax professional and to enable us make informed comments and suggestions towards ensuring that the budget is analyzed for better implementation,” Dike said. Also, Dr. Abiola Sanni, an associate professor of Law in University of Lagos an expert in Law of Taxation, who enumerated the serial waivers in tax-

able items, said that it was still worrisome that there was no standardisation in the tax provisions of budget speech. “For some years, no reference whatsoever to tax matters has been made and where there are, they vary in degrees. While there is no violation of Section 82 of 1999 Constitution, however, the departures have deeper implications for the development of a sound budget process in Nigeria. For example, the early publication of the budget in the newspaper focused on the narrow negative reports. “Every budget speech should contain minimum tax contents on tax revenue receipt and estimates, the proposed tax policy direction, among

others, while priority should be given to amendment to tax laws. They should be prepared in advanced and passed at the same time when the Appropriation Act is passed. “Public discourse of tax provisions should be robust and well coordinated. I hope CITN will make this a yearly event. It should also be directed at state budgets.” However, the Partner and Head of Tax, PwC, Taiwo Oyedele, in his analysis titled: 2014 FGN Budget - Analysis and Tax implications, noted that taxation played several key roles in the budget of country, which included reliable source of revenue; attracting investment; and stimulating growth of the economy.

IFC extends $5m lifeline to AB Microfinance HE International Finance “The activities are critical for “Supporting AB Microfinance T Corporation (IFC), a mem- helping people with low- Bank is consistent with IFC’s ber of the World Bank Group, incomes engage in economic core strategy to improve finanhas signed an agreement to provide financing of $5 million (N800 million) to AB Microfinance Bank. The loan was aimed at increasing access to finance for micro, small and medium enterprises, which will promote financial inclusion, job creation and growth of the Nigerian economy. IFC had in 2008, provided an investment of a similar size to the financial institution, but the new investment will help AB Microfinance Bank to build on its demonstrated success in offering financial services to new market segments and entrepreneurs serving the base of the economic pyramid.

activity to sustain livelihoods and gain access to basic goods and services. “Improving access to financial services for Micro Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) would hasten growth in the informal sector. Our partnership with IFC will help soften bottlenecks on loan acquisitions and enable us provide growth opportunities for MSMEs and lower income clients to foster job creation and economic growth, the Managing Director, AB Microfinance Bank, Mattias Grammling, said. But the IFC Country Manager for Nigeria, Solomon Adegbie-Quaynor, added:

cial inclusion and contribute to economic growth. IFC’s investment will provide term funding in Naira to make local currency more readily available from AB Microfinance to entrepreneurs. “This loan will increase access to finance and empower entrepreneurs and microbusinesses, whose credit needs are today primarily met outside the formal banking sector.” He noted that IFC promotes financial sector diversification through new products, including trade finance, housing finance, insurance, small and medium enterprise finance, and increased power generation and distribution.

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i-Tech&Telecoms ‘More spectrum licences coming’ By Adeyemi Adepetun LTHOUGH it currently holds a Second NaA tional Operator (SNO) licence, Globacom Limited will today and tomorrow battles Bitflux Communications Limited in Abuja, for the sole ownership of the 2.3GHz spectrum licence. This is even as the minister of Communications Technology, Mrs. Omobola Johnson has said that more licences will soon be issued. Johnson, while speaking to The Guardian on Monday, in an interview, also allayed any fear on the 2.3GHz spectrum auction, whose price is put at N3.69 billion ($32 million). She said the processes will be very transparent. Currently, three Internet Service Providers, Spectranet, Direct on PC (DoPC) and Mobitel provide data services on the 2.3GHz band. These service providers, however, operate with a 20MHz bandwidth each. DoPC got its licence in 2006, while Spectranet and Mobitel were awarded in 2009. Prior to NCC’s decision to auction the remains of the 2.3GHz spectrum, the trio of the ISPs had engaged in intense lobbying to get the Federal Government to allocate the remaining slots on the 2.3GHz frequency spectrum to them, to enable them offer innovative broadband services in Nigeria, rather than throwing it open for a competitive bid. Rather, the Federal Government through the NCC, after consultations with industry stakeholders decided to auction it, stressing that the ISPs didn’t really do much with the spectrum they held. Going forward, Johnson promised that whoever wins the licence is expected to work with President, Association of Telecoms Companies of Nigeria, Lanre Ajayi (left); Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Communication Technology, Dr. Tunji Olapo; Minister of Communication Technology, Mrs. Omobola Johnson and President, Nigerian Computer Society, Dr. David Adewunmi at the broadband both the ministry and NCC on last mile connectivity for improved broadband connectiv- Campaign unfolded by the broadband council in Lagos, on Monday. ity. Ltd. Those are companies that are the hopes of Nigeria. “2.5GHz is coming, the digital dividend will According to her, the performance of the bid the industry when the prospects of a well manAdenuga, in July 2011 also made a $450 milcome up in 2015. So it is important for us to enwinner will be evaluated after 12 months to aged broadband landscape is considered”, he lion bid to purchase the moribund Nigeria sure that all our spectrum auctions are very see if such firm has really rolled out as stated. Telecommunications Limited (NITEL). The transparent and credible.” planned, transforming to better broadband Omo-Ettu, who said he is not registering any deal, however, failed to sail through due to the Just like the minister said more auctions are connectivity in the country. protest against Globacom, “but a strong feelNigerian factor.’ coming, Airtel Nigeria seems to be looking at Johnson said though the broadband peneReacting to the emergence of Globacom and ing against monopoly. future spectrum auction in the country. tration is the country currently stands at be“We have been boxed into an ugly corner Bitflux limited as prefferd bidder for the Airtel Chief Executive Officer, Segun Oguntween six and seven per cent, the ministry is and I will feel thoroughly ashamed if NCC does broadband licence, a former President of the sanya stated in Lagos that the telecommunicaworking with all stakeholders to ensure that not offer a satisfactory explanation on how it Association of Telecommunications Compathe National Broadband Plan 2013-2018 imple- tions firm decided to back down from the has managed the industry to end this journey nies of Nigeria (ATCON), Titi Omo-Ettu said the 2.3GHz spectrum preferring to wait for the mentation is achieved. here so early. announcement that two firms for being the 700MHz spectrum of digital dividend that To ensure that the plan is monitored, she “I know many who would ask whether there only shortlisted bidders to participate in the would be available to operators come 2015 after said the Broadband Council was set up in 2013 is anything legally wrong in Globacom pick2.3GHz frequency auction shocked him. migration from analogue to digital broadcastto ensure proper monitoring of the Broading up the available license and my answer “Baring the NCC giving a good explanation ing must have been successfully implemented band Plan implementation. will be that the purpose of regulation goes far that I am unable to forecast at this moment, I in Nigeria. On the two firms battling to become wholeam surprised that the lack of interest shown in beyond playing legally but more with the On the bidders, Bitflux is said to be a Consorsale broadband provider in the country, the need to examine legal, moral and developthe license tells a very bad story of the industium of VDT Communications Ltd, Bitcom Sysminister said, “the two firms are credible and ment objectives, make interventions and go try. And that our Second National Operator is tems Ltd and Superflux International Ltd, would have capacity and the wherewithal to also on the list and on its way to cornering the ahead to legislate what ordinarily would end hoping to use the licence reposition the sector. roll-out as fast as they can. So we shall conlicense into its bouquet of licenses gives some up having an industry where the yawning Globacom is owned by one of Nigeria’s oil tinue with the auction. gaps between peoples and classes are truly worry. magnate, Otunba Mike Adenuga, who got the “As far we are concern, this has been a very closed. Of course we cannot pretend that it is “I have done some industry search and found SNO license in 2003. The firm, which started optransparent process to date. We shall conthat those who constitute Bitflux Communica- all good that our Second National Operator for erations on August 29 in 2003 currently, has tinue to be transparen”, she stated. tions Ltd are young enterprising Nigerian pro- eight years has no known rollout of Fixed servAccording to the minister, NCC is also ensur- about 25 million subscribers, which makes it fessionals who have made a point of excellence ices and you wonder what the whole essence the second biggest operator in Nigeria by maring that this process is very credible because of regulation is about. “Nothing may be in the industry although are far away from ket share. GLO also built an $800 million high“there is going to be many more spectrum wrong legally, nothing may even be wrong being money bags. I understand Bitflux is a capacity fibre-optic cable known as Glo-1, a auction. This is just one out of the many that morally, but something must be wrong with Consortium of VDT Communications Ltd, Bitsubmarine cable from the United Kingdom to are coming. us as a nation’, Omo-Ettu stated. com Systems Ltd and Superflux International

Nigerians want good telecoms service, not sanctions, says ATCON By Adeyemi Adepetun with agency report HE Association of Telecommunications Companies of Nigeria T (ATCON) has said that Nigerians would rather want the telecommunications operators in the country to improve on their services rather than seeing them sanctioned by the regulator. ATCON President, Lanre Ajayi, who stated this in Lagos, on Monday, at the new broadband campaign forum organised by Ministry of Communications Technology and the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), noted that it would be better if the challenges operators face were tackled adequately. Ajayi, while commending the Ministry of Communications for reaching a truce with the Lagos State government on reduction in Right of Way fees in the state, reckoned that if such could be replicated by other states in the country, it will bring about infrastructure roll out that will boost services. According to him, challenges including multiple taxation and regulation; vandalism; erratic power supply among others are still issues to contend with, “sanctions should not be over used. It should be the last option.” The ATCON boss however, called on the operators to embrace co-

• Backs NCC on exercise of regulatory powers location, saying co-location is a great success factor to achieving broadband penetration and improve telecommunications services. Meanwhile, at the weekend, Ajayi, while speaking to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), urged the House of Representatives to encourage the NCC to exercise its regulatory powers. According to him, the regulatory body was made up of professionals who understood telecommunication laws. It will be recalled that the House of Representatives recently mandated its Committee on Communications to review the prequalification criteria for companies, which is participating in the proposed auction of the 2.3GHz broadband spectrum by the NCC, which holds today and tomorrow in Abuja. The House said that the 2.3 GHz broadband spectrum, which NCC valued at about N3.6 billion was a national communication asset, stressing that the criteria should have included that bidding companies be listed on the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) and subject to regulatory authority of the Securities and Ex-

change Commission (SEC). However, Ajayi said that the Communications Act, which established the NCC as Nigeria’s telecom umpire, made the commission to enjoy some levels of autonomy. “I am not sure the House has that kind of power. It has power to make the law but not power to interpret the law. The interpretation of the law is within the purview of the court. I have not seen any law that says you have to be on the Stock Exchange before you can be licensed to operate a telecom service,” Ajayi said. According to him, it is not appropriate for people to interfere in the operations of the regulator, except where it is obvious that something wrong is being done. NAN reports that the House of Representatives’ decision was fallout of a motion on the planned NCC auction moved by the Vice Chairman, House Committee on Capital Market, Chris Azubogu (APGA-Anambra). Azubogu said that most of the major players in the industry - MTN, Airtel, Etisalat – which indicated interest to participate in the auction, were privately held companies. He said that those telecommunication companies were not publicly listed companies.

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VConnect eyes Ghana market, lists 950,000 businesses in Nigeria By Adeyemi Adepetun S part of its expansion drive, Nigeria’s local search engine, VConnect will soon be exploring market opportunities in Ghana. VConnect, which claims to be the seventh most visited site in Nigeria, said it has listed about 950,000 businesses on its website. According to the co-founder and General Manager of VConnect, Deepanker Rustagi the firm’s entry into the Nigerian market has left positive footprints, following its strong level of acceptance which has seen it surpassing its target by a sharp 160 per

cent growth in all parameters last year, including revenue, traffic, topline among others. Rustagi said the lack of a formal system of street numbering and unavailability of a working postal system are some of the setbacks the company experiences. He however, stated that VConnect would not rest on its oars until all SMEs in Nigeria are empowered and taken to the peak. Meanwhile, he said the firm is already making plans towards extending its reach beyond the shores of Nigeria. According to him, by May 2014, the firm would pitch its tent in Ghana, where a similar

shortfall of business information has been noticed. “Africa is set to witness another new media powerhouse in a few years’ time, as VConnect will not only attend to all business information needs in Nigeria, but will become a Pan African solution provider,” said Rustagi. He disclosed that VConnect.com developed a user-friendly mobile WAP site because statistics have shown that a huge percentage of website visits are done via the mobile phone, adding that the company also recently launched its Android and Blackberry Applications. On the firm’s achievements so

far, Rustagi said “due to the galloping development of ICT worldwide, SMEs in West Africa face the formidable task of surviving and competing in a global market, thus the presence of a local search engine like VConnect.com which has

a wider reach, would help deliver unprecedented opportunities to the businesses. It will be interesting to see how this startup would expand geographically in other parts of Africa.” The VConnect Co-Founder

noted that the SME sector has been a direct beneficiary of these positive spin-offs, especially with the efforts the firm, stressing that it has help to put them on the map so those interested in their products and

WhatsApp claims 50b messages sent daily on its network VER The Top (OTT) mesO saging service, WhatsApp says that it now has over 430 million active users each month, which makes it the world’s largest dedicated mobile messaging platform. At the DLD conference in Germany recently, WhatsApp CEO, Jan Koum, also revealed that the network now processes around 50 billion messages per day. He said that the messaging statistics is broken down into around 36 billion outbound messages and 18 billion inbound messages every day. That sort of number puts WhatsApp ahead of the estimated global daily text messaging volumes. It also puts the recent revelations that the USA spy agency, the NSA is trawling 200 million text messages per day into some perspective. That’s 200 million out of 50 billion text messages, plus 50 billion WhatsApp messages, plus how ever many tens of billions sent by all the other OTT platforms. Already, global expenditure on telecommunications operator messaging services, including SMS and MMS was said to have declined for the first time in 2013 following its peak in 2012. According to Strategy Analytics operator revenue from

messaging services fell by almost four per cent last year to just below $104 billion. The report noted that continued intense competition for subscribers between operators combined with the fast growing popularity of OTT instant messaging services like WhatsApp, Line Messenger and Tencent’s WeChat drive a 20 per cent fall in global operator messaging revenue by 2017. Furthermore, Strategy Analytics explained that the projected 20 per cent decline in messaging revenue by 2017 would be more pronounced in regions with the greatest penetration of smartphones and data users, like North America and Western Europe, where SMS and MMS expenditure will decline by 38 per cent and almost 28 per cent respectively. Director, Wireless Media Strategies (WMS), Nitesh Patel noted: “The fast rising popularity of smartphone messaging applications, both from smartphone vendors Blackberry and Apple, and independent messaging applications like WhatsApp, Line Messenger and WeChat, is significantly hurting both operator messaging volumes and revenue. While SMS volumes remained flat in 2013, operator revenue from messaging declined by almost

four per cent.” Strategy Analytics believed mobile operators must act on a number of fronts in order to mitigate the decline in messaging revenue, including bundling SMS into integrated price plans. Director, Media & Apps, David MacQueen added: “While RCS/ RCS-e enables mobile operators both to evolve mobile messaging beyond SMS and MMS and keep operators relevant in mobile messaging, it will not offset the current decline in messaging revenue. We forecast that by 2017 there will be just below 180 million users of RCS/ RCS-e based services. “However, RCS/ RCS-e messaging will contribute little direct revenue for mobile operators. To offset lower consumer spend levels, carriers should aim to tap opportunities such as mobile marketing, or increase innovation by opening up SMS platforms to businesses and the developer community.”

Glo targets more subscribers with new service S part of its resolve to alA ways provide cutting edge quality services to its subscribers and meet their social, psychological and inspirational needs, national telecom operator, Globacom has launched the Daily Inspiration service on its Interactive Voice Response (IVR) portal. Available only by subscrip-

tion, the service uses an outbound dialler to call out to subscribers at a specific time each day to deliver fresh and invigorating content that edifies the soul and spirit. Some of the contents available on the portal are Christian inspirational messages, Islamic Duaa, Hilarious Jokes and the Couples Arena. Globacom’s Head of VAS

and Data Services, Segun Adeyemo said the service is targeted at youths and middle-aged subscribers and will cater to their social, religious and psychological needs. “While we currently offer products and services directed at the physical and economic needs of our subscribers, this special service will focus on their religious and social needs, thereby making them well rounded, fully inspired and unlimited in their daily pursuits,” he said. Adeyemo explained that the service is available to all subscribers who dial 549 or the specific code for the service they require to register. The subscriber only needs to follow the voice prompts after dialling to register for a selected service at the cost of N50 per week. Thereafter he/she receives a voice call daily that delivers the specific content subscribed to on the bouquet. To ensure that the content is delivered at the desired or appropriate time, the subscriber has the option to choose a time slot during which the content will be delivered. The time ranges from 6.00am to 9.00pm every day.

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Airtel rewards ‘Google Cloud App Developer’ challenge winners By Adeniyi Idowu Adunola IRTEL Nigeria has rewarded some young Nigerians A who excelled in the just-concluded Airtel/Google cloud applications development challenge.

Representative of CWL Limited, Idowu Odujobi (left); Channels/Alliances Manager for Africa, NettApp, Andre Swanepoel; representative of CBC Limited Niyi Ogundare; Chief Executive Officer, Westcon Africa, William Oduol and representative of BDPR Limited, George Ajayi at the Westcon and NetApp partner summit in Lagos.

‘Global cloud services spending may hit £141b by 2017’ By Bankole Orimisan LOBAL spending on cloud infrastructure and services is expected G to reach $235.1bn (£140.5bn) by 2017, according to IHS Technology. And spending this year alone will increase by 20 per cent compared with 2013, up from $145.2bn last year to $174.2bn in 2014. Overall, the organisation suggests that spending will triple between 2011 and 2017. “The robust growth will come as an increasing number of large and small enterprises move more of their applications to the cloud, while also looking at data analytics to drive new insights into consumer behaviour,” said IHS analyst Jagdish Rebello. “With the cloud touching nearly every consumer and enterprise around the globe, spending for cloud-related storage, servers, applications and content will be dedicated toward building a framework that is rapidly scalable, highly dynamic, available on-demand

and requiring minimal management.” IHS talks of a “new cloud paradigm” that will underscore company management and consumption of data. However, the company also warns the industry that, while spending is clearly rising, there are a number of factors not yet properly addressed in the IT industry to smooth the arrival of cloud. Security, mobile data use and privacy remain major concerns and inhibitors to growth, says ISH that must be tackled. While Microsoft, Apple, Amazon and Google are now all operating huge and largely successful cloud operations, the real competition will be between smaller, more bespoke services as Barracuda, Dropbox and others as they vie for position and grow via acquisition - both friendly and hostile. IHS calculated that there were some 630 million-customer subscriptions to cloud platforms in 2013, and estimates that this will rise to 730 million this year

While announcing the winners in Lagos, The Director of Products and Services, Maurice Newa, said Airtel is committed to discovering talent hence its decision to partner Google in the app challenge. He said: “The Google cloud development challenge was an initiative Airtel Nigeria identified as very impactful thus threw its full weight behind it because of our commitment to creating credible platforms for the development of local talents and also providing Nigerian youths with plethora of opportunities to succeed.” Jambite online prep school app fetched the duo of Aneke Chidindum and Nosa Harry Belvi the third position while Mapplusyou app secured Adewale Obadimo and Ayodele Adebayo the second place slot. The star prize of N1 million went to Femi Taiwo and Tunde Owokoniran with Funnyleni app. The challenge, according to the organisers, was aimed at testing the knowledge of Nigerians and indeed Africans on how well they know the web, in various categories such as social & entertainment; education, business & non-profit. Programme Manager Outreach, Sub-Saharan Africa, Google, Chukwuemeka Afigbo averred that “one thing Google hold dear is the importance of the web and the importance of the Internet is the relevance of the web.” Afigbo observed that the importance of the app challenge was to encourage young Nigerians to get creative with the web and to encourage best practices amongst best app users. He noted that the winning apps were based on relevance to the Nigerian environment, originality and the responsiveness of the app to different screen-size phone, tablet or regular screen. Aneke Chidindum, developer of the Jambsite online prep school app, explained that the idea behind the app is to create an avenue where web users can learn various subjects and assess one’s self instead of the usual social media which gets heavy visitors on a daily basis. The second and third place winners were rewarded with N500, 000 and N250, 000 respectively.

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EU ‘plans single telecoms regulator’

VDT communications graduates more Modular Engineers’

cle “apparently refers to an earlier draft”. it said the plans would only regulator to cover all 28 mem- become clear when adopted as a final proposal on 10 September states. The new regulator could take ber. The EU Commission is alover some of the responsibili- ready working on proposals to create a single telecoms market ties of national watchdogs, in Europe. like Ofcom in the UK. Neelie Kroes, the EU telecoms The Commission told the BBC that the proposal was “not commissioner, is in charge of drafting them. a finished document”, so it Under the plans, European could not confirm the details. telecoms companies would get But a leak to the Financial access to all 28 member states. Times appears to show that They would be required to offer such plans have been under EU-wide mobile packages and consideration. The document, produced by would no longer be allowed to levy roaming charges. the Directorate General for The industry has been heavily Competition, says “a true panopposed to this idea, which EU regulator would be the would lose them billions of most effective solution to repounds in revenues. move national divergences”. The UK regulator Ofcom said it suggests that any new regit could not comment on the ulator would take over some powers from national bodies. proposals, as it had not seen “Advancing further towards them. However, a spokesman told a true single market would require gradually moving away the BBC: “Neelie Kroes has alfrom the present status quo of 28 national regulators,” it says. in a statement, the Commission said the newspaper arti-

By Bankole Orimisan HE leading Broadband Communications firm, VDT Communications, has passed its second batch of successful candidates from the organisation’s Modular Trainee Engineers’ programme into the Nigerian market. The Managing Director/ Chief Executive Officer, VDT Communications, Biodun Omoniyi, at the graduation ceremony held in Lagos over the weekend said: “The VDT Modular Trainee Engineers’ programme was necessitated by the need to contribute our quota as part of our Corporate Social Responsibility activity, to reduce the teeming population of unemployed youths in our country.” Omoniyi, now called on the government of Nigeria, education administrators and corporate organizations both in the private and public sectors to join hand and do much more to close the gap between theoretical and practical experience in our education system. According to him, such a move is imperative to give applicants in the country the much-needed practical experience that would increase their employability, thereby significantly reducing unemployment in Nigeria. He pointed out that though the percentage of unemployment in Nigeria is very high with 23.9 per cent all time high as at January 2012 with over 16 million able Nigerians unemployed, a closer look at the issue however, indicates that a good percentage of unemployment in Nigeria is heightened not only by lack of jobs but also lack of experience and competency on the part of the applicants, adding that a good number of applicants especially in the area of technology lack practical experience.

HE European Commission T is thought to be considering a plan for a single telecoms

Six couples win infinix Mobility Valentine promo ix couples, including a jourSwifenalist, Lanre Odukoya and his Omolayo, have emerged winners in the infinix Mobility consumer promotion tagged “Share the Love” Valentine promo. The Promo, which ran between January 27 and February 12, 2014, was designed to reward the customers of infinix phones for the Valentine season. To qualify for this promo, a consumer needed to buy any of the infinix smartphones: x502 (Alpha Marvel), x402 (Alpha Diamond) or x570 (Alpha); write a short love note to their partner, post the love note on the infinix Facebook page (www.facebook.com/infinix Mobile) or drop with an infinix in-store rep while indicating the iMEi of the phone bought and their contact details. Customers with the highest likes on Facebook and the customer with the best love note submitted at the infinix instores were selected. At the prize presentation that coincided with Valentine’s day in Lagos, the Odukoyas’ won the grand prize of an all-expense paid weekend getaway at a beautiful resort in Lagos. Mr. & Mrs. Kingsley Efe won a dinner at an exquisite Chinese restaurant while Mr.& Mrs. Sylvia Sanya, Mr.& Mrs. Steve Adams and Mr. & Mrs. Kaycee Oguchi won the consolation prize of free movie tickets. After receiving the prize, Odukoya, who works with the recently launched newspaper in Lagos, expressed his gratitude to infinix Mobility for the opportunity to go on a second honeymoon in one month. He said: “This is very interesting to me. i got married just about one month ago. Though i didn’t have a quality time for my honeymoon because of some personal issues i had to attend to immediately after the wedding, i am excited about this wonderful opportunity to have a second shot at honeymoon in just one month after the wedding.” Speaking on how he participated in the promo, Odukoya said: “We wanted a good phone and we both went out shopping. After buying the infinix phone, we were informed about the promo and decided to participate.

ready made it clear that there is no need for a single telecoms regulator.” But the Commission is playing down any apparent differences between the Directorate General for Competition and Ms Kroes. it said that Ms Kroes had been drafting the proposals “in close co-operation” with other departments. Analysts say they are not surprised by the idea of a single telecoms regulator for the EU. “it is a logical step. it does make sense,” said Dario Talmesio, principal analyst from informa Telecoms and Media. But the idea leaves many questions. in particular, it is unclear how any such regulator might allocate the use of the spectrum in any individual country. Up to now, spectrums have been seen as national assets, which governments like to control. “To British citizens, it would

be like a single regulator deciding how to use North Sea oil reserves,” said Talmesio. Mobile phone operators face less regulation outside the EU European mobile operators already feel aggrieved by the weight of regulation coming out of Brussels. Equivalent markets in North America, Latin America and Asia are much less tightly regulated, leaving operators like Verizon, AT&T and China Mobile with much greater profitability. “The tone of regulation has driven European operators to a point where they feel they can’t defend themselves,” said Shaun Collins, of the telecoms consultancy CCS insight. Some fear they are now vulnerable to companies with deeper pockets. One example is the recent take-over bid launched by Mexico’s America Movil for the Dutch operator KPN.

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‘Nigerian apps now competitive globally’ Huawei Service Delivery Platform, (SDP) is an end-to-end business solution, which enables operators to build their own Digital Shopping Mall and facilitate service innovation combining Telecom and Internet services to deliver a converged experience with lower Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) and faster service time to market. The platform has also been fully endorsed by the industry; according to Gartner’s market analysis report for 2010, Huawei competes in the global SDP market share. MTN Nigeria has adopted this technology to deliver service through its Value Added Services (VAS) segment and lead the delivery of a new digital world to its subscribers. In this interview with ADEYEMI ADEPETUN, Kelvin Fangkai, who manages the Data Hosting Services for Huawei believed that Nigerian apps are now competitive; stressing that telecoms firms, such as MTN are reshaping the mobile content and VAS landscape in Nigeria. Excepts AN you narrate your experience operating in Nigeria’s mobile C content and VAS segment? We have seen the MTN callertunez make a very big impact within the Nigerian market. This is a ring back tune service that provides major content in this market. The other content carried by Short Message Service (SMS), Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS), Wireless Application Protocol (WAP) or the smartphone apps provides more channels for people to access information and this is the weak part of the market right now which explains why we availed MTN of our service delivery platforms. MTN is the first telecommunications operator to enter the market and provide new services for subscribers and we have found the experience very useful to us. We can see services like the mobile newspaper gaining traction, which is MMS based as opposed to the WAP based which was in the market before. The experience has been interesting and worthwhile with greater potential of growth with the firm. How would you assess current level of local mobile applications development? The local apps aren’t doing badly at all. Take the mobile karaoke app, Songstar for example. We have seen a huge number of people embrace this app and they love it. Interesting in China, we have a similar app. It allows people to sing from anywhere- restaurant, bus; it’s a lovely idea. The social media and communication apps like BBM are big. In China, we have WeChat, which I found out has also been launched in Nigeria already. This is a good development. Sadly, Nigeria hasn’t latched on to the gaming segment of the app industry. There are lots of gaming applications in the market but no local content from Nigeria. The business model is also interesting – you can have free games that allow people to use the game for free; and then after a while they pay to continue to use the game or to purchase something in the game. Mobile app developers in Nigeria can tap into the potentials available in the gaming segment. In my short time here, I have found out that Nigerian app developers are very creative. They have shown me very interesting demos – quiz games for children, language learning apps. The User Interface is also easy for customers to understand. In China, they have the technological edge. They know how to maximise the smartphones, hence you find developers there building solutions that help people get the best out of their devices. We have an application that helps you to call a Taxi and make the payment to the driver. All you do is to send a request and the nearest driver to your location is there to take you out and you pay into the driver’s account without paying physical cash. This is a very convenient app that can also be deployed in this market. We have a service, Infosearch, currently running on the MTN network - you dial 411 on your phone, you can get a taxi driver’s information with which you can contact a cab driver. In the future, all you would need is to just send a text message, the driver would contact you and the payment is done via mobile money. Would you say Nigeria has the local capacity to effectively support the growth and development of mobile content and applications? Definitely. In fact, Nigerian content is being sold to a lot of countries in the West African sub-region. There is a Service Provider (SP), who just sold its content to Ivory Coast. Our customers in Ghana, Cameroon, Benin, Togo have urged us to introduce Nigerian content providers to their markets. The capability to create content is here - to create the information that people need. Nigeria also has the capability to develop services. I have no doubt that the market would expand via the efforts of these local SPs. How did your relationship with MTN begin? This Service Delivery Platform relationship between MTN and Huawei started in 2012. It’s a Group signed contract- MTN Group signed the contract while we implement the platform across its sub-networks with the biggest one being MTN Nigeria. Interestingly, MTN Nigeria is the first sub-network to launch the SDP across the 14 sub-networks that we cater to. Can you describe the nature of the SDP? The acronym, SDP means Service Delivery Platform. You have the service, which all mobile users enjoy. There is also the platform that helps to deliver service to end users. In the early days, operators used short message gateways to help the SPs deliver their value added services to the subscribers. All the SMS gateway did was to deliver the message but right now the SPs have more requirements that the SMS gateway can’t handle. For example, what if as a SP, I want a discounted service, or bundle a group of services as a package or, in need of a Service Level control? The question then is can your platform deliver these? The SDP is a unified platform that meets all of these requirements with unparalleled convenience. In terms of the relationship, here is how it works: you have MTN in the centre, Huawei provides the platform to the operators while it cooperates with its partners, the SPs. With MTN championing value added services in Nigeria, how will this advantage impact on the development of mobile applications

and related content for mobile users? Many users don’t have a lot of resources. They may not know how to fully access information. The more information is available to people the better the quality of their lives. It’s just common sense. What we have found out in Nigeria is that a lot of people don’t yet enjoy this access to information. In order to bridge this knowledge gap, MTN uses its platform and resources to help people, which explain why they are always the first to launch innovative services as we have seen with Afrinolly, Dobox and others. Some of the services MTN has launched may be profitable in the short term, or never turn a profit, however, they continue at it to help provide information and content for end users. This is great in my opinion. How do you keep up with the trends in the industry? Right now, we can hear the sounds. The smartphone has become very popular. Also in the next two to three years, the feature phone would also remain popular. Based on this, we are developing smartphone based platforms but then we won’t abandon the feature phone market. We need to continue to innovate, that is how we stay in the game. For example, there are applications based on Interactive voice response (IVR), Unstructured Supplementary Service Data, USSD which can also deliver content and information to the end user. How do you think Nigeria can build more capacity in this area of specialisation? There is a fresh graduate in Hosting Service, which is my department, who is currently doing his NYSC with us. This guy is a raw talent. Our technical teams can communicate with him smoothly on techie stuff and he has got a good knowledge base as a fast learner. His dream is to join the world biggest software company, Google. I look at that kind of guy, he’s got the capability and he’s just one out of many that I’ve encountered. They have got a bright future ahead of them. At Huawei, we help to hone their skills so that they gain the required expertise needed in their core areas. As you might have noticed, the government is hosting a lot of innovation conferences. These are useful platforms for these developers to pull together and share experiences and knowledge. We would also like to provide our capabilities to help local companies grow their competencies and develop the industry. The SDP platform also has features to help them in this regard. What structure have you put in place to share the experiences and expertise you have garnered working with major operators in the country’s telecoms sector? At Huawei, we are very open and receptive to accommodating talented young people from various spheres. We want them to learn something from us. In Nigeria, we have two training centres. We also have

local and remote resources. Our telepresence systems help you to communicate with experts in China or anywhere else on the globe and you can talk to them face to face via this network. We also have local teachers and invite leading experts from Dubai and other places to the annual developers’ conference, which we

Fangkai

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Wednesday, February 19, 2014

Maritime Addressing waiver concerns under new Cabotage Act regime

Umar

By Moses Ebosele ENURE of waivers to forT eign vessels operating on Nigerian waters took the centre stage at the weekend in Lagos as the Federal Ministry of Transport (FMT) formerly flagged-off the process for the review of some sections in the Coastal And Inland Shipping (CABOTAGE) Act, 2003. According to the Act, which was enacted on April 30, 2003, foreign vessels are not allowed to partake in any domestic coastal trade except a waiver is granted by the Minister of Transport Speaking at an interactive session with various stakeholders in Lagos, the Minister of Transport, Idris Umar said the federal government is addressing relevant aspect of the law as part of measures to boost local capacity in the sector. He urged stakeholders to make constructive suggestions on the way forward, adding that meetings and consultations are ongoing. According to the minister, President Goodluck Jonathan is doing everything possible to push through various reforms in the sector. “The reform has commenced. The industry is key. There is no sector that the

president is not passionate about. Meetings and consultations are going on”, Umar added. Making reference to some sections of the policy guidelines for granting of ministerial waivers, Umar told the gathering which comprised of Nigerian Ship Owners Association (NISA), Port Consultative Council, representative of Nigeria Shippers Council, Insurers, Nigeria Merchant Navy Officers & Water Transport Senior Staff Association, among others that the aim of the exercise is to boost “maritime development. In his submission, the Director-General/ Chief Executive Officer of Nigerian Maritime Administration & Safety Agency (NIMASA), Ziakede Patrick Akpobolokemi, said the agency has experienced several challenges in the enforcement of the Cabotage Act 2003. Represented by the Executive Director, Maritime Safety & Shipping Development, Capt Bala Agaba, Akpobolokemi said the interactive forum will help in the development of standards, codes of practices as well as monitoring capabilities of operators, enforcement agencies and

financial institutions. Akpobolokemi said: “It will also help the establishment of a comprehensive and up to date database, infrastructure for information exchanges upon which Cabotage administration and enforcement can be processed”. He added: “The guidelines are meant to recognise and address the concern of operators in the domestic coastal trade in line with the provisions of the Act. The need for cooperation, exchange and supply of information amongst relevant Government Ministries and Agencies is emphasised As the key to the successful implementation and achievement of the objectives of the Cabotage in our determined effort to ensure the success of the Cabotage regime”, said Akpobolokemi. Chairman of Nigerian Ship Owners, Chief Isaac Jolapamo, who spoke on behalf of members of the group, accused the federal government of allegedly not doing enough to lift activities in the maritime sector. According to Jolapamo, the sector is yet to feel the impact of the last Presidential retreat on maritime, adding that “a law that has been around for ten years is not working.”

Akpobolokemi Capt Niyi Labinjo, who spoke in a similar vein, advised the federal government to involve members of the association in the process of granting waiver. Under the proposed review, Labinjo urged the ministry of transport to refer applications for waiver to the association for necessary advised, “stakeholders are part of granting waiver because it is our job that you are giving out.” Former Director-General of NIMASA, Ade Dosunmu, emphasised the need for Nigeria Maritime Data Bank where information relevant information are stored. He described waiver has a catalyst for the development of the sector, pointing out that the minister should be commended for coming up with the proposed review of the guidelines. Group Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of Japaul Oil & Maritime Services Plc, Jegede Paul urged the ministry of transport to curb capital flight through the proposed review. Jegede said: “If the money stays in Nigeria, a lot of problems will be solved. We need a reform so that our brothers and sisters can get jobs in this country. Waiver should be tenured. We need

a reform that can enable incentives for those who want to invest in ship building”. Some stakeholders who spoke with The Guardian identified lack of capital as the main problem facing local investors in the sector. Under the proposed review, the applicant shall collect a Cabotage waiver form (CW1) from the Cabotage Services Department of the agency and on completion return same to the department at least 60 days prior to the arrival of the vessel in respect of which the application is being made. Also, “each completed application with requisite documents shall be submitted to the Cabotage Services Department electronically through the dedicated website or physically by visiting the agency. “The Cabotage Services Department shall, within a period of 48 hours of receipt of Cabotage waiver application, cause a Notice of Cabotage waiver application to be published in the agency’s website. The said publication shall request for notifications of objections to be made within seven days of the publication. “The Cabotage Department shall within a maximum period of nine days of

receipt of Cabotage waiver application”. On the grant or refusal of waiver, the minister shall within 14 working days of receiving the recommendation of the Cabotage waiver application from the agency and other due consideration do the following: *Issue a Cabotage waiver certificate specifying the type of vessel, duration of waiver and description of contract for which the waiver is granted or *Refuse grant of the waiver applied for. Jolapamo said: “The stakeholders already know that maritime development is not on the agenda of the present administration, the bottom line here is that a law that has been around for 10 years and it’s not working, the guideline is not a priority, our priority today is a maritime reform that will show that this government is sincere in developing the sector” He added: “If we continue to have the waiver, we will continue to have the same problem, today, our members have in excess of $3 billion as bad debts in Nigerian banks alone, 50 percent of us are out of business, we need to go back, for some of us to keep standing, you need to do more”.

Wednesday, February 19, 2014 MARITIME 37

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NIWA proposes code for inland waterways, appoints transaction adviser for port concessioning By Moses Ebosele S part of measures to A enhance water transportation, the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) has concluded plans to launch a Code for the regulation of inland waters. Meanwhile, the federal government through NIWA has commissioned an Indian firm, Messrs Green Stratus Consulting as Transaction Adviser for the concessioning of Onitsha and other River Ports. Speaking at the just-concluded 2014 stakeholders’ Conference on the economic use of the Onitsha River Port, NIWA’s Managing Director Mrs. Inna Ciroma said that the Code is long overdue. Ciroma explained that the Code will also serve as a guide, law on the use of the waterways for operators. She explained that the need to regulate the use of the nation’s waterways cannot be overemphasised considering the security challenges that have been facing the nation in recent times. Stakeholders in a com-

minique issued at the end of the forum urged the Federal Government to come up with legal and administrative framework that will help bring to light the enabling environment that will encourage businesses to thrive at the Onitsha River Port. The conference also adopted the following resolutions: Commended the federal government for the huge investment expended on the dredging of the Lower River Niger and the successful completion of the Onitsha River port to facilitate intermodal transport system for evacuation of both cargoes and passengers in view of the economic advantages; Urged the federal government to guarantee safety through an effective roundthe-clock patrol by joint Military Personnel and application of other safety measures to safeguard lives and property; Recommended that the federal government come up with legal and administrative frame work that will help bring to light the

enabling environment that will encourage businesses to thrive at the Onitsha River Port; Urged the Federal Government to hasten the setting-up of the administrative delivery team with members drawn from various related organisations for the quick take-off of operations at the River Port; Noted the importance of synergy between the federal government and the Private

Sector under a Public Private Partnership (PPP) and encourage re-doubling of efforts at concessioning of the River Port. Emphasised the need for constant upgrading of Maritime and Port infrastructure to enable the investors take optimal advantage of Anambra State’s expansive coastline in areas of shipbuilding, Dockyard Operations, Metal fabrication, dock labour,

warehousing and recycling plants, among others; Urges the federal government to be consistent in updating transport Policies to facilitate long term planning and sustainable economic returns for the investors; Commended some investors that have blazed the trail in transporting their cargoes through the inland waterways and urged them to sustain that choice;

Noted the importance of moving goods and services through the inland waterways which will help to decongest traffic on road and give added benefits in terms of cost and safety. The event was attended by the Minister of Transport, Idris Umar, represented by the Permanent Secretary, Nebolisa Emordi, an engineer, the Deputy Governor of Anambra State, Emeka Sebondo, among others.

Container ship

Senate committee lauds NIMASA on budget implementation By Moses Ebosele HE Senate Committee on Marine Transport has commended the budget implementation of Nigerian Maritime Administration & Safety Agency (NIMASA). Speaking on behalf of members of the committee who visited NIMASA on Monday as part of its oversight functions, Chairman of the committee, Hajia Zaynab Kure said available information indicates that the agency was on the right track. Kure, who spoke after the presentation of NIMASA’s Director-General/ Chief Executive Officer, Patrick Akpobolokemi said: “with your explanation, we felt you are comfortably doing well and we believe that you are happy doing what you are doing.” During his presentation, the NIMASA boss said among other infrastructure development, the agency has made available fund to four universities where it introduced maritime institutes. He said: “We have awarded contract for the installation of radars and GNPS in our

entire domain, and in the next few months, we should be able to capture vessels that operate in our maritime domain and that will increase our anti- piracy war, oil theft campaign and help stop all illegalities in our maritime domain”. He also briefed the committee on the agency’s resolved to develop capacity building in the sector within and outside the country.

‘Additional capacity, essential to consistent growth in container volume in Nigeria’ O meet the consistent T growth of container volume in Nigeria, there is need for additional capacity, the Managing Director of CMA CGM Delmas Nigeria Limited, Peter Bleasdale, has said. Bleasdale, who spoke recently also explained the benefits of private investments in port development. Excerpt: What informed the decision to acquire 25 per cent stake in Lekki Port? Despite improvements in service levels at Apapa and Tin Can Island ports, additional capacity is essential in order to

meet the challenges set by the consistent growth in container volumes into Nigeria. CMA CGM believes that the Lekki project offers a positive and sustainable solution to these challenges. What value are you bringing into port operation in Nigeria? CMA CGM,in addition to being the third-largest global container operator , has significant experience in port operations at various major terminals worldwide, and can certainly help to ensure the success of this exciting major new facility for the Nigerian market.

How soon can the Lekki port become operational? First phase of the container terminal is expected to start operations in quarter one in 2017. Is CMA CGM looking at other possible areas of investment in the maritime sector in Nigeria? CMA CGM has invested already in new larger vessels in order to meet the demands of this dynamic growing market, and will continue to monitor possible investment opportunities. How will you describe port

operation in Nigeria? Ship productivity has of course improved since the federal government liberalised port operations in 2006,but the container dwell time remains the highest in the region and infrastructural problems at the existing port facilities, such as access roads , are still to be fully addressed. This is partly why CMA CGM believes that new Lekki facility is a wonderful opportunity for Nigerian customers to improve supply chain times by getting the cargoes to their final destination far quicker.

NCS targets 1,000 PAAR documents daily By Moses Ebosele ORE than 800 import documents are being processed daily by the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) under the recently introduced Pre-Arrival Assessment Report (PAAR). According to the Deputy Comptroller of Customs, Information and C o m m u n i c a t i o n Technology, Yusuf Bashar, the development is an improvement over about 230 applications, which the

agency started with recently after taking over the destination inspection of imported goods from three service providers. He explained at an interactive session recently that , the target of the NCS was to process 1,000 applications daily, adding that the current figure had matched the maximum number of import applications collectively being handled by all the three former service providers on a daily basis.

Bashar said: “There is a great improvement. We started with about 230. At the close of work last Tuesday, we processed 839 PAARS. All the three service providers had handled a maximum of 800 daily. “Our target is to do up to 1,000 daily. We are pushing the bar every day to reach the target. If we are able to generate 839 PAARS daily, it means the compliance rate is improving. We can only generate the PAAR if they are

sending in good documentation and everyone is doing its own bit.” To facilitate prompt and uninterrupted scanning of containers under PAAR, NCS unveiled a five year development plans. Under the agenda, not less than 50 scanners will be deployed at various locations nationwide coupled with sustained training and awareness campaign. According to the Comptroller General of

Customs (CGC), Alhaji Dikko Abdullahi Inde, the proposed scanners are expected to complement the existing 21 scanners inherited recently from Destination Inspection service providers. Dikko who spoke in Lagos recently also pledged the commitment of NCS to ensure adequate enlightenment campaign was carried out across the country, adding that the new regime is scheduled to save time and reduce transaction cost.

NPA, Navy to beef up security on waterways By Taiwo Hassan HE Nigerian Ports T Authority (NPA) has pledged its support to the Nigerian Navy on issues of safety and security on Nigerian territorial waters. Managing Director of NPA, Habib Abdullahi gave this assurance in Lagos while receiving the Flag Officer Commanding Western Naval Command of the Nigerian Navy, Rear Admiral S. Alade, who paid him a courtesy visit.

He said the authority will continue to collaborate with the Nigerian Navy on matters relating to maritime security. Abdullahi, who was represented by the General Manager Marine and Operations, Mohammed Bulangu, recalled that NPA and the Navy have a long history of mutual and beneficial relationship which has enhanced positive development in the maritime sector. He explained that as an

organisation that is committed to safety and security in the maritime sector, NPA will always support all agencies operating in the ports in order to ensure effective and efficient Port operations. Earlier, the flag officer who assumed office recently said he decided to pay a courtesy visit to NPA as part of his familiarisation programme with other agencies in the sector and that he has come to NPA because the Authority is a major stake-

holder. Alade thanked the Authority for its support to the Navy over the year, especially the provision of patrol boats and pledged the commands readiness to cooperate with NPA in the maritime industry. Meanwhile, NPA has commenced the transfer of overtime containers from the various ports in Lagos to Ikorodu Lighter Terminal so as to de-congest the Lagos ports. Overtime containers are

loaded imported containers that over stayed beyond the 28 days period allowed by law. The Port Manager, Lagos Port, Nasir Anas Mohammed, explained in Lagos recently that the exercise was aimed at decongesting the port and make port activities free for business operations. His words: “Moving the overtime containers from the terminals here to Ikorodu lighter terminal is meant to ease the conges-

tion which has lingered on for a little period of time. The overtime containers have caused space constrains inside the terminals and since all the aspects must work together to attain the port operations goal, the movement becomes important and most needed.” Mohammed explained that the movement had created space for newly imported containers that would be processed for importers.

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38 Wednesday, February 19, 2014

Industry ‘Financial inclusion, multi-stakeholder partnership key to SMEs’ growth’ Stories by Femi Adekoya OR Nigeria to develop a FEnterprises resilient Small and Medium (SMEs) base, it is necessary to evolve a holistic approach to financial inclusion strategies and multistakeholder partnership for the industry, stakeholders have said. Specifically, the stakeholders advocated the establishment of an organic coordination among regulations, policies, and the elaboration of both financing and supporting infrastructure involving all players in this field, including policymakers and regulators, academies, financial institutions, and SMEs. The stakeholders, comprising of a task team on Special Industrial Intervention Project, in a strategy paper on how to achieve Nigerian economic industrial boom via SME transformation, noted that though small businesses serve as stimulators of domestic demand through job creation, innovation, and competition, they were yet to stimulate desired growth in the economy due to various challenges. Following a research conducted on improving SMEs’ profile in the country, the group noted that its proposals of policy-oriented measures at the national level 38are expected to indirectly accelerate Nigerian economic rebalancing. The group said: “The dynamism of the solution we are bringing on board the Nigerian government is designed to provide technical assistance to the generality of SMEs and real sectors of the economy. Given the diversified nature of SMEs, there is no one-size-fits-all financing solution hence SME solutions must be dynamic. If trade partners, especially developing

economies like Nigeria, continue to fall into chronic economic slumps as a result of global imbalances, and consistently rely heavily on extraregional imports it will never reach its desired growth pattern and growth potential. “To this end, the Task team shall create a robust, resilient, and growing industrial base and prioritise a bouquet of policy agenda in Nigeria. Fostering small and medium enterprises (SMEs) as growth entities, rather than weak entities, at the national level is a key issue for realising a balanced regional economy in Nigeria with a direct oversight function from the Presidency.” On the need to foster a unique cluster solution, the group added that SMEs should be empowered to operate effectively in the cluster market in order to improve the business efficiency of smaller export-oriented manufacturers. Advocating improved strategic policies, the group said: “National policies on SME finance basically comprise two layers of financial inclusion strategies to account for these different types of SMEs. One includes policies for developing the banking industry for SMEs, which aims at social stability and poverty alleviation through enhancing access to finance for low-income households and stability-oriented SMEs. “The other includes policies for scaling-up funding opportunities for SMEs, which aims at macroeconomic stability and sustainable economic growth through enhancing access to finance for growthoriented SMEs. “Although both sets of policies are critically important for the development and welfare of Nigeria, the latter policy approach is rather crucial

to create and stimulate the growth cycle of SMEs toward a resilient national economy. The policies for scaling-up SME finance will be addressed in a holistic manner that goes beyond conventional discussions of SMEs’ bankability.”

The group further proposed the creation of SME Development Centers that will focus on SME Intervention. According to the group, the Mechanism to be deployed shall enable Growth-oriented SMEs to pursue management

efficiency and technological innovation, and flexibly shifting market strategies to overcome their financial difficulties. “Taking account of the longterm growth trend of African economies, the number of growth-oriented SMEs is

expected to increase and they will seek increased access to the formal financial system. Thus, enhancing financial accessibility through diversifying financing instruments and infrastructure is critical to supporting growth-oriented SMEs,” it added.

Melvina Edeoghon (left) Managing Director, Zenon Laboratories & Chemical Industries Limited, Gabriel Edeoghon handing over an award of KIA Piccanto Car key to the best distributor of the year, the Managing Director, PICO Investment, Mr. Charles Isintume and Director of Operations, Zenon Laboratories & Chemical Industries Limited, John Edeoghon during presentation of gift ceremony to distributors of the firm at its head office in Lagos.

Nigeria, Lithuania seek improved bilateral ties ILATERAL ties between the B Republic of Lithuania and Nigeria may receive a boost with plans to open up fresh investment opportunities in agriculture, especially in the food processing and value addition sector. Although the volume of trade between Nigeria and Lithuania remains low efforts are underway to increase the synergy between the countries in order to boost trade ties between both countries. Honorary Consul, Republic of

Lithuania, Goodie Ibru explained during the 2014 Lithuanian National Day celebration in Lagos recently that Lithuania is well known for its agricultural activities and competences and would partner the federal government in its efforts to diversify the nation’s economy from oil and gas. “Most of the perishable food crops produced in Nigeria rot away as a result of lack of food processing facilities in the country. Lithuania is calling

on Nigerian entrepreneurs to partner it on areas of food processing so as to prevent food wastage and huge economic loss. “This will help to save Nigeria’s foreign exchange which it uses to import food. Nigeria has no business importing food because a huge part of its land is still uncultivated. A strong partnership between Lithuania and Nigerian entrepreneurs will help to correct this,” he said. He noted that currently, the

volume of trade between Nigeria and Lithuania was still low but stressed that as time went on, Nigerians would begin to see and understand the importance of synergising with their counterparts in Western Europe thereby boosting trade between both countries. “Nigeria has a diplomatic tie with Lithuania but we do hope that in the nearest future, we would have a full diplomatic tie by establishing an embassy here in Nigeria,” he added.

Improved real sector to drive business process outsourcing in Nigeria To address the growth of A its teeming unemployed youths as well as attain the desired real sector growth, there may be a need to enhance business process outsourcing operations (BPO) in the country, stakeholders have said. However, for the services sector to grow, develop and contribute to the GDP of the country like its counterparts in China and India, there is need for a strong collaborative effort between government and the industry leaders in the private sector. The role of government in this initiative, stakeholders contended, is to provide an enabling environment with necessary incentives that will motivate both local and foreign entrepreneurs to invest

in the sector. Specifically, the stakeholders comprising of the Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC), Association of Outsourcing Practitioners of Nigeria (AOPN), and Nigerian Association of Information Technology Enabled Outsourcing Companies (NAITEOC) among others, emphasized the need to overhaul the service culture in the country in order to promote investments in the real sector. According to them, effective service delivery remains a key part of manufacturing process that cannot be ignored, especially as government seeks to drive its diversification agenda. Speaking on the theme, “Harnessing the outsourcing

potential for export: The way forward” at an interactive forum organised by the Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC) for outsourcing stakeholders in Lagos, recently, the Executive Director/Chief Executive Officer of NEPC, Olusegun Awolowo said with an advantage of a teeming youthful population, Nigeria is ready to harness the opportunities in the services export sector as part of efforts to boost nonoil sector base of the economy. Awolowo, who was represented by a Director at the agency, Henry Otowo, added that the council would collaborate with the stakeholders to aid profitable partnerships that will drive the services sector of the nation.

According to him, untapped opportunities for services export abound in the financial services, educational services, information and communication services as well as entertainment sectors. Also, President, AOPN, Dr. Austin Nweze added saying: “Nigeria has not been able to capture the services sector in its Gross Domestic Product (GDP), despite it being the future. The services sector is key because every product carries with it a service and this should be incorporated with every manufactured product to drive it in the global markets.” To attain the desired growth in the services sector, the stakeholders in a communiqué issued at the end of the

forum sought government’s intervention in giving adequate attention to BPO as a viable means of diversifying the economy. Indeed, they urged the NEPC and NITDA to put in place incentives in form of grants, tax incentives, free trade zone status, funds, shared resources (bandwidth, software applications, establishment of ICT villages, other inkind support) for the development of the sector. “The forum agreed that skilled expertise in the services sector must be harnessed and further developed through continuous training to build up the critical mass of knowledge experts. Also, training and capacity development must be embarked upon for the teeming

Nigerian Populace to engender a service culture. “Furthermore, the forum advocates the need to put in place enabling laws, rules and regulations that will govern the practice of outsourcing in Nigeria; as well as governance systems and regulate standards. It also called for the immediate recall of the Outsourcing Bill presently before the National Assembly to ensure a comprehensive review of the proposed legislations ensuring it is in line with global best practices. The stakeholders agreed to advocate local content and more patronage by Government establishments and corporations of Nigerian service providers instead of favoring only multinational and foreign organizations,” the communiqué read.

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ENERGY Wednesday, February 19, 2014

Uduaghan, others at the fair

Amaechi

Chevron’s GMoU with Niger Delta communities N this piece, Cleopatra Eki, examines the Global Memorandum I(CNL) of Understanding (GMoU) between Chevron Nigeria Limited and its host communities, saying it has boosted development in the Niger Delta area. NINE years ago, communities close to Chevron Nigeria‘s (CNL) operations in the Niger Delta were not exceptionally different from others in the region. They were described as ‘Chevron’s projects’. The communities did not take ownership of the projects because some people felt they were imposed on them, even when they were executed based on requests by some community leaders. Today, the story is different. All the projects executed in the communities through a Corporate Social Responsibility-based Global Memorandum of Understanding (GMoU) pioneered by Chevron Nigeria Limited (CNL) are now referred as ‘community’s projects’ and they have everybody’s buy-in. According to Hon. Stanley Benibo, Chairman, Kula Regional Development Committee (RDC), the projects executed since the advent of the GMoU were ‘selected by the people, executed by the people and for the people.’ He made the comment during a GMoU Fair and Exhibition programme organized in Abuja by the NNPC/Chevron Joint Venture on February 6-7, 2014, for the RDCs to celebrate successes recorded in the implementation of the GMoU and share best practices. Kula RDC, which is in Rivers State. It is one of the eight community-based development organizations known as RDCs or Regional Development Foundation (RDF) which signed the GMoU with Chevron. The other RDCs or RDFs are Itsekiri, EgbemaGbaramatu (Delta State); Idama (Rivers State), Keffess, Dodo River (Bayelsa State)’ Ilaje (Ondo State) and Jisike (Imo State). The state governments of the RDCs or Foundations are signatories to the GMoU. The NNPC/Chevron Joint Venture signed GMoU with the RDCs and RDFs between 2005 and 2006, in line with its commitment to building partnerships that improve the lives of the people in communities close to our operations and beyond, according Mr. Joe Jakpa, CNL Port Harcourt Area Manager. He said The GMoU empowers its member communities to identify and determine their developmental needs using the funds provided by CNL while the government ensures that the governance and control measures which guarantee that approved projects are executed with financial transparency and accountability, are strictly followed. The GMoU fair and exhibition witnessed an outpouring of praises by top government and Non Governmental Organizations (NGOs) officials and community leaders. At the opening day of the event, both Governor of Delta State, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan and his Imo State counterpart, Owelle Rochas Okorocha commended the significant and enviable community development achievements recorded on the GMoU since it was initiated in 2005. Uduaghan said the results achieved by the GMoU have surpassed the state government’s imagination. “The GMoU involving us, NNPC/Chevron and our communities have succeeded beyond our imagination.” The governor said that the theme of the GMoU Fair, “Enhancing Sustainable Community-Driven Development Through Partnership, Transparency and Accountability,” was very apt as it would afford all stakeholders, including the government, evaluate and assess the contributions of each of the Regional Development Committees (RDCs), the strength and weakness of the GMoU, the development strides in the various communities and serve as a peer review forum for meaningful and sustainable development of the communities. On the implementation of the GMoU, Governor Uduaghan said the people of Delta State are happy with the successes it has achieved and elated to be part of the GMoU process because it has provided an enabling environment for investors to carry out their business and simultaneously take care of the interest of its citizens. “The Chevron GMoU process has gone a long way in achieving its objectives. It has heralded an era of accountability and transparency that now pervades the administration of community resources”, he said. He pledged the state government’s readi-

ness to partner with all stakeholders of the GMoU to curb oil theft incidents. Owelle Rochas Okorocha of Imo State, represented by the State Commissioner for Petroleum Resources, Prof. Oke Okoro, said Chevron has done so well for the oil producing communities by pioneering the GMoU. “The communities which belong to the RDCs have enjoyed unprecedented development since the GMoU was introduced and everybody is happy,” he said. In a paper titled Promoting Peace and Dialogue, presented by Prince Philemon Esbiesuwa, pioneer chairman, Ilaje RDC, he stated that GMoU has transformed and made great things to happen in the communities compared to when the oil companies were dealing directly with the communities, noting that money meant for development was always alleged to have been share by community leader and elders. “GMoU is a good policy of promoting peace through dialogue with the communities and stakeholders.” He said the essence of the paper is to state that development cannot be achieved without enabling environment, stressing that peace is very necessary for development to thrive in any community. “GMoU process has a dispute resolution mechanism and a peace committee that is set up to address conflicts disagreements, misunderstanding and disputes between any community or their representatives and the company.” He said. Dr. Ikeh Tolar, the pioneer chairman of Egbema Gbaramatu Central Development Foundation said the implementation of the GMoU has translated to improved understanding between the NNPC/Chevron Joint Venture and the communities.”The GMOU process has helped to build a bridge of understanding, trust and commitment to improving the quality of life of the people while also creating an enabling operating environment for Chevron”, Dr. Tolar staerd. The Chairman/Managing Director of Chevron Nigeria Limited (CNL), Mr. Andrew Fawthrop while speaking at the event reiterated Chevron’s commitment to building partnership that resolutely improve the lot of people in the communities it operates, saying it is in line with the company’s corporate vision to be the global energy company most admired for encouraging participatory partnership among communities, development organizations and government at various levels. Fawthrop gave the assurance, saying, “ NNPC/Chevron Joint Venture is a major producer of oil and gas, our partnership initiative is anchored on productive engagements with the government, communities, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and other stakeholders” He added that since the adoption of the GMoU as a model for engaging communities bordering Chevron’s operations, it has continued to elicit global acknowledgement on account of its developmental track record, saying that one important index of success attributable to the GMoU model is that the communities are quite assuming a prominent role in driving their own development in recent times. From 2005 when the first GMoU was signed to 2013, NNPC/Chevron Joint Venture has funded the RDCs with several billion of Naira. The money was used by the RDCs to execute infrastructure and non infrastructure projects that were identified in a series of Sustainable Livelihoods Assessments (SLAs) conducted by them. Some of the projects provided by the RDCs are skills acquisition and empowerment initiatives, block of flats, town halls, cottage hospitals, jetties and concrete bridges, scholarship and micro credit programmes, guest houses, boats for transport, water facilities and skills acquisition training centre. Others are provision of books, science laboratory and furnished classroom blocks. The projects, as noted by some of the beneficiaries, have brought remarkable improvement in the socio-economic lives of people living in communities close to Chevron’ operations in Nigeria. Since the GMoU community development concept was introduced by NNPC/Chevron Joint Venture, the model has become a buzz word of sorts among organizations in reference to their community development strategy. Speaking on the GMoU, Chevron’s General Manager, Policy, Government & Public Affairs, Deji Haastrup said: “Apart from delivering on its core objective of oil and gas production, Chevron -

fully supported by its Joint Venture partner, the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) - is an industry leader resolutely committed to using the GMoU to build partnerships that add significant value to communities where the company operates, in line with the vision of being the energy company most admired for its people, partnership and performance.” Haastrup explains that Chevron’s community engagement programs are strategic investment in the future of communities and the company’s business in Nigeria, as is the case in other operations. “Our ability to build mutually beneficial long term relationships is enhanced by investments that simultaneously provide lasting community benefits and direct business value. This approach involves working cooperatively with governments, communities, non-governmental organizations and aid agencies to assess and understand socio-economic conditions,” According to him, Chevron’s three primary focus areas for community investments are: Improving access to health care needs; enabling education and training opportunities and promoting sustainable livelihoods. “Each element helps contribute to socio-economic progress. Improving the quality of life in communities where we operate requires having access to healthcare, food, water, housing, sanitation and other basic needs and Chevron leverages its funding, organizational capability, technology and personnel to support community,” he emphasized. The objectives of the GMOU as elaborated by Haastrup include; “Ensuring participatory partnership of key stakeholders; fostering community ownership of development projects; improving sustainability of programmes; creating a more stable peace and consensus building process; institutionalizing the culture of transparency and accountability and addressing economic empowerment expectations in the communities.” Obviously, the GMoU is largely seen as a veritable instrument for bringing sustainable development programmes designed to stimulate economic growth, reduce poverty, create local jobs and enterprise, build human capacity and help communities that are healthy and peaceful with sustainable stability. To consolidate and enhance the benefits of the GMoU, the NNPC/Chevron Joint Venture has continued to increase its funding of the GMoU process since it was established in 2005. In the past six years, the eight community clusters have received and used billions of naira for various infrastructure projects and programmes for the benefit of their people. Investigations reveal that several projects have been implemented by the eight Regional Development Committees administering the GMoU on behalf of the communities. The list is extensive among which are: Opuama health centre, Benikrukru multi-purpose hall, Benikrukru fish farm, Kokodiagbene foot bridge, Perewo water project, housing units at Ode Ugbo, foot bridges and town hall at Molutehin, six classroom block at Makaraba and Teachers quarters at Opuedebubor. Others include six solar-powered water projects at Izombe, Eziama town hall, Okwudor town hall, Ekewell market stalls, Izombe cottage hospital, Idama road/drainage network, renovation of Idama health centre and Idama secondary school building, Ogidigben housing units, Dodo River cottage hospital (one of the biggest in Niger Delta), Ebrohimi concrete jetty and walkway, Benikrukru poultry project, Obaghoro housing units, Izombe electric transformer, Idama electricity project and 365 KVA generator, Egbema-Gbaramatu and Idama boat transportation projects, Micro-credit schemes in the various communities. Available reports from Chevron indicate that as at the end of 2010, the GMoU has generated over 200 projects in more than 400 communities, villages and chiefdoms and benefited no fewer than 600,000 community members. Also commenting on the impact of the GMoU on the communities, Edmund Doyah Tiemo, the immediate past Chairman of the Egbema-Gbaramatu Community Development Committee, (EGCDC) noted that when the GMoU started in 2005, one of the significant changes that occurred was improved relationship, a better understanding of the feelings of each other “The GMoU is building a bridge based on trust and commitment on the part of the main stakeholders. The company has been faithful in meeting its own part of the agreement,” he said.

Wednesday, February 19, 2014 ENERGY 43

THE GUARDIAN www.ngrguardiannews.com

Focus: Specialist investment company creating opportunities for Nigeria oil, gas sector As Nigeria is set for another marginal field licensing round, the need for adequate financing by prospective investors cannot be over emphasised. Shortage of capital, technical expertise and lack of international understanding of improvements on the ground are holding Nigeria back. What can be done to unlock this potential? PERATING companies O have typically held licenses in marginal assets for 10 years or longer, but have struggled to raise sufficient capital to develop these assets effectively. In cases where operating companies have managed to raise development capital, a lack of technical expertise has prevented these companies from exploiting the full potential locked within these assets. In recent years, International Oil Companies (IOCs) increasingly are moving offshore in search of bigger discoveries, as assets in their portfolio near the end of their field life. While these marginal assets are no longer economically attractive to the oil majors, they offer a significant opportunity to investment companies that have access to a sufficient source of funding and the technical expertise required to identify and evaluate these opportunities. There has been an emergence of a new breed of company that recognizes the challenges of the marginal oil and gas space and have developed the business strategy and team that can benefit greatly from the opportunities at hand. First ME-A Resources Limited (ME-A) is an upstream oil and gas investment company that focuses on alternative funding of marginal oil and gas assets across the Middle East and Africa. The Chief Executive Officer of the company, Adam Habib stated: “Marginal assets are immediately attractive to us because of the proven reserves and flow rates. This allows us to bypass the costly and binary risk associated with exploration. “Furthermore, there is an abundance of marginal opportunities available, with reportedly 180 alone in Nigeria, estimated to contain over 2.3 billion barrels of oil in place”. Marginal assets are at the development stage where wells have been drilled and oil has been found in the ground; however, a second stage of capital is required to take these assets into production. This is often the point at

Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke which operating companies are forced to halt the production process and seek additional funding. So, if these assets are sitting tight with oil in the ground waiting to be drilled, why have operating companies struggled to acquire funding; surely investors should be knocking at the door? A simple answer to this is that traditional lenders, such as financial institutions, lack the level of technical expertise required to evaluate these assets, understand the risk and recognise the opportunity. Habib noted that the opportunity lies when you bring a technical oil team together with the financial knowhow. “ME-A brings together a highly experienced oil team with investment bankers from top tier financial institutions”. He added: “Funding is obviously a major requirement, but our research supports the basic premise

that being successful in the marginal oil and gas sector also requires technical expertise to pick the right assts and an opportunities. Further to this, it is now possible to maximise recovery through Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR) techniques”. EOR techniques are increasingly popular processes being used by oil companies to increase yields and maximize recovery, particularly in the Middle East where new discoveries are increasingly rare. As a result, ME-A has put together a team of experienced financial and technical experts to work together on the assessment, development and financing

The opportunity lies when you bring a technical oil team together with the financial knowhow.”

Habib

“In recent years, International Oil Companies (IOCs) increasingly are moving offshore in search of bigger discoveries, as assets in their portfolio near the end of their field life. While these marginal assets are no longer economically attractive to the oil majors, they offer a significant opportunity to investment companies that have access to a sufficient source of funding and the technical expertise required to identify and evaluate these opportunities.” of marginal assets in the regions of choice, such as Nigeria. Given the number of attractive opportunities in Nigeria needing this exact combined set of financial and technical expertise, specialist investment companies such as ME-A are set to benefit from and contribute towards the minor and marginal oil and gas sector, if such relationships can be nurtured. So, how has Nigeria encouraged these partnerships? With global energy demand expanding rapidly and new discoveries becoming increasingly rare, Nigeria is one country that has recognised this challenge and has taken lengthy meas-

ures to remain independent and serve its own demand. Nigeria’s introduction of the Petroleum Industry Bill will encourage indigenous companies to develop marginal assets by giving them first consideration in the award of oil blocks and licenses and will offer a regulatory framework determined to tackle challenges facing the Nigerian oil and gas industry such as political risk and oil theft. While foreign companies may be skeptical of entering the Nigerian upstream under these teams, it provides a fantastic opportunity to partner or farm-in with indigenous operating companies and benefit from the

local knowledge and network that they can offer. Investors cannot ignore the facts; the Nigerian marginal oil sector boasts untapped resources of 2.3 billion barrels of oil, which can be accessed and exploited through smart financing models offered by investment companies like ME-A. Habib believes the framework created by Nigeria will encourage the market to look beyond the traditional financing models and see the opportunities available with its strategy. ME-A is confident that investors will recognise the value that combining technical and financial expertise can bring to the marginal oil and gas sector.

THE GUARDIAN www.ngrguardiannews.com

Wednesday, February 19, 2014

Benefits of royalty financing in upstream oil, gas sector and gas space in the Middle East or Africa. The structure is however, wellknown and proven in the U.S and has been popular with investors for the past 100 years, delivering strong returns of between 9 to 18 per cent in US dollars terms on US based upstream oil and gas investments even during these low yielding years since the financial crisis. So, how does it work? Royalty financing provides the investor with a fixed percentage of future oil revenue from all the production in a given block or field. Such a fixed percentage of revenue is far more attractive than simply a fixed percentage on a loan amount (the case for banks). It is also more attractive than a percentage of net operating income (the case for shareholders). Not to be left out of some equity upside, royalties often come with enhanced returns linked to the long-term equity price of the company that owns the block or field. So as you can see royalty fi-

nancing has the protection of being debt with the future upside of capturing equity like returns. Seeking to protect their investors, however, many of these newcomers will only lend money to opportunities where the underlying asset has cash flows. Although, beneficial to the investors in the company, this requirement can restrict the number of opportunities, which can approach companies like ME-A for financing. Chief Executive Officer of ME-A, Adam Habib stated: “We wanted to use our extensive experience in finance combined with technical oil and gas experts, to craft a truly unique exposure for investors who wish to invest in upstream oil and gas. As always, cash flow is king and companies can only realistically get financing for asset that are either producing or are close to production”.

“The global trend for investment companies to replace banks is now well established in many sectors. The regulatory focus and increased capital requirements for banks are forcing them out of many markets. Investment companies like ME-A are stepping in to pick up the business. These newcomers are sleek, low-cost, high-return investment companies with specialized teams focusing on specific business lines and market opportunities. Unlike the banks, these companies are not required to hold significant amounts of capital so they are well-positioned to deliver outstanding returns for their investors if they get the strategy right.”

President Goodluck Jonathan ANY banks have little lending caM pacity in their upstream oil and gas businesses. Local and international banks are reluctant to increase their exposure to the sector – resulting in a stalled production capability. The knock on effect is missed revenue targets for the Nigerian government as tax revenues hoped for a not realised. A further drain on new capital is the drive by the International Oil Companies (IOCs) who are divesting their stakes in Nigerian oil fields. Among the IOCs that have sold their stakes in shallow water assets in Nigeria, Shell, Total and Chevron are three major companies that have sold stakes worth $6.5 billion in 2013. Oando Energy Resources will soon take over ConocoPhilips energy business in the country in 2014, a deal that has been estimated at $1.7 bil-

lion. Reports also indicate that IOCs are keen to sell their stakes in a further 13 Nigerian oil blocks. All of this is in the context of a world where there is a limited supply of capital globally (let alone for Nigeria). Where is all this capital going to come from? How will minor upstream oil and gas producers raise money in this race for capital? BGL Group along with Greenwich and Afrinvest, recently invited The Guardian to observe a presentation by ME-A Resources (ME-A) in Lagos. ME-A is a newcomer to the market and part of the global trend of ‘alternative lenders’ stepping forward and replacing the traditional lenders (banks and insurance companies). As an investment company, it offers alternative debt financing

“ME-A is an investment company that offers alternative debt financing for minor and marginal oil and gas companies across the Middle East and Africa. ME-A combines teams of experts in the fields of oil & gas and finance to take advantage of this opportunity There is a significant funding gap for these asset owners due to a lack of bank lending and alternative financing. ME-A has the expertise required to pick the right assets, and to unlock value from these opportunities; providing attractive returns for investors. ME-A’s Board focuses on cashflow generation and rapid capital return to its investors as its key priorities.”

to upstream oil and gas producers. Head of Corporate Finance at BGL, Dafe Oraka stated: “I am extremely excited to be working with ME-A and their unique investment opportunity. Investors in ME-A will gain exposure to the oil sector in Africa and the Middle East without carrying many of the inherent risks typically associated with upstream oil and gas investing.” The global trend for investment companies to replace banks is now well established in many sectors. The regulatory focus and increased capital requirements for banks are forcing them out of many markets. Investment companies like ME-A are stepping in to pick up the business. These newcomers are sleek, low-cost, high-return investment companies with specialized teams focusing on specific business lines and market opportunities. Unlike the banks, these companies are not required to hold significant amounts of capital so they are well-positioned to deliver outstanding returns for their investors if they get the strategy right. Like ME-A many of these newcomers utilize tried and tested techniques of investing, bringing them to new markets where these proven structure are less common. ME-A for example uses royalty financing to lend to its upstream clients. Royalty financing is an alternative and unique investment strategy currently not offered in the upstream oil

George Osahon, Director, Department of Petroleum Resources

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Wednesday, February 19, 2014

MarketReport EQUITY MARKET SUMMARY

AS AT 18-02-2014

PRIMERA AFRICA www.primera-africa.com

THE GUARDIAN www.ngrguardiannews.com

MARKET INDICATORS

Wednesday, February 19, 2014 CAPITAL MARKET 51

AS AT 18-02-2014

PRIMERA AFRICA

Equity market sustains positive outlook By Bukky Olajide HE equities market closed today on a positive note, as NSE ASI appreciated by +0.02per cent to close at 38,972.56 basis points, compared with the appreciation of +0.51per cent recorded previously. Its Year-to-Date (YTD) returns currently stands at 5.70per cent. Market breadth closed negative as Oasisisin leads 26 gainers against 30 losers topped by UNILEVER at the end of today’s session- an improved performance when compared with previous outlook. Market turnover closes negative as volume traded depreciated by -15.04 percent against +27.54 percent upbeat recorded in previous session. Skyebank, Zenithbank, and FCMB were the most active to boost market turnover. Zenithbank and Guaranty top market value list. For sectoral indices, NSE Oil records +2.39 percent to top the sectoral performance among others while NSE LII is the worst hit with -0.21 percent loss recorded yesterday. The overall direction of the market during the review week was dictated by the release of January 2014 inflation figures (headline: 8.0 percent); the FGN primary market bond auction and, OMO bills auction. At the Over-TheCounter[OTC] market, there was sustained intraday volatility as prices moved up and down in reaction to the prevailing market forces and dynamics. Following the auction, prices declined further as yields converged with the outcome

For sectoral indices, NSE Oil records +2.39 percent to top the sectoral performance among others while NSE LII is the worst hit with -0.21 percent loss recorded yesterday. The overall direction of the market during the review week was dictated by the release of January 2014 inflation figures (headline: 8.0 percent); the FGN primary market bond auction and, OMO bills auction. of the auction. If this trend is sustained into the week ahead, DunnLorenMerrifield analysts anticipate a reversal when yields move into the attractive territory on the back of renewed interest and demand. In line with the prevailing policy stance, persistent liquidity tightening was maintained in the week as N200.0billion worth of OMO bills with tenors ranging between 134days to 147days were offered whilst N123.05billion was sold at a marginal rate of 12.20 percent across board. Total subscription was N177.48billion. Analysts however noted that the low subscription relative to the offer amount is an indication of a very tight liquidity on the back of the CRR debit that took place in the last few days, which subdued the effect of the OMO bills that matured during the week and also observed that there were little or no sales at some of the auctions.

Nigerian Breweries records N269b turnover NTERNATIONAL analysts Ireleased have described the just 2013 results of

What Happened? The NSE All-Share index gained by 2bps (0.02%) and closed at 38,972.56. This represents a year-to-date performance of - 5.70%.. Market Capitalisation also appreciated 0.02% to close at N12.530 trillion. Total value traded decreased 22.20% to N4.22 billion and total volume traded decreased 15.04% to 475.60 million units. Where? At the close of trading, the banking sector represented 67.18% of the total market value traded, while the breweries sector represented 5.51% The Top 5 stocks as a % of total market value traded were: ZENITHBANK (21.02%), GUARANTY (12.96%), FBNH (11.39%), ACCESS (6.82%) and NB (5.52%). On a volume basis, the Top 5 most traded stocks for the day were: SKYEBANK (58.05m), ZENITHBANK (42.98m), FCMB (39.18m), AFRIPRUD (37.68m) and FBNH (37.05m)

Nigerian Breweries Plc as impressive, especially given the pressured consumer environment in Nigeria. BPI Capital, Africa, the South Africa-based investment analysts, said the 13 per cent EPS growth recorded by the company “was far ahead of expectations while the 50 per cent increase in dividend is a big surprise”. Nigerian Breweries Plc on Thursday announced a turnover of N269 billion and profit of N62.2 billion for the 2013 financial year. The audited result shows that the Company’s turnover increased by 6.3 per cent from 2012 while Profit increased by 11.9 per cent over the same period. The company’s operating activities increased by seven per cent while profit after tax grew by 13 per cent being further impacted by lower financing costs. Details of the financial result made available on the Nigerian Breweries Plc corporate website www.nbplc.com also revealed that the company maintained its leadership position in the market in

spite of the challenging operating environment in 2013. The statement signed by the Company Secretary and Legal Adviser, Nigerian Breweries Plc. Mr. Uaboi Agbebaku said the Board has recommended the payment of a total dividend of N34, 032, 169, 944.00 (thirty four billion, thirty two million, one hundred and sixty nine thousand, nine hundred and forty four naira only), that is N4.50 (four naira fifty kobo) per ordinary share of fifty kobo each. This shows a 50 per cent increase over the N22.6bn dividend or N3 per share declared for the 2012 financial year.” In a newsletter signed by Claire te Riele, CFA Research Analyst, the BPI Capital Africa review also said “the result highlighted an exceptional management team and superior brand portfolio. Key standout from the results was the very strong cash flow generation. Net cash from operations after working capital changes grew 44 per cent and represented 46 per cent of revenue and despite significant capex (12 per cent of revenue) free cash flow was up three times and represented 26 per cent of revenue.’

THE GUARDIAN www.ngrguardiannews.com

Wednesday, February 19, 2014

Midweek Arts

Tiwa Savage performing with her crew at the event. Davido thrilling the crowd with his best tracks

A Valentine Rave with the stars in Lagos By Chuks Nwanne CCORDING to history, Valentine’s Day or the Feast of Saint Valentine is observed on February 14 each year. It is celebrated in many countries around the world, though it is not a holiday in most of them. The feast began as a liturgical celebration of one or more early Christian saints named Valentinus. Several martyrdom stories were invented for the various Valentines that belonged to February 14, and added to later martyrdoms. A popular hagiographical account of Saint Valentine of Rome states that he was imprisoned for performing weddings for soldiers, who were forbidden to marry and for ministering to Christians, who were persecuted under the Roman Empire. According to legend, during his imprisonment he healed the daughter of his jailer, Asterius. An embellishment to this story states that before his execution he wrote her a letter signed ‘Your Valentine’ as a farewell. Today, Saint Valentine’s Day is an official feast day in the Anglican Communion, as well as in the Lutheran Church. The Eastern Orthodox Church also celebrates Saint Valentine’s Day, albeit on July 6 and July 30, the former date in honor of the Roman Presbyter Saint Valentine, and the latter date in honour of Hieromartyr Valentine, the Bishop of Interamna (modern Terni). But in Brazil, the Dia de São Valentim is recognised on June 12. The day was first associated with romantic love in the circle of Geoffrey Chaucer in the High Middle Ages, when the tradition of courtly love flourished. In 18th-century England, it evolved into an occasion in which lovers expressed their love for each other by presenting flowers, offering confectionery, and sending greeting cards. Valentine’s Day symbols that are used today include the heart-shaped outline, doves, and the figure of the winged Cupid. Since the 19th century, handwritten Valentines have given way to mass-produced greeting cards and currently expensive gist items. This year, different event were organised in Nigeria to mark the Lover’s Day. For instance, in Lagos, which is regarded as the Capital of Entertainment in Nigeria, the line up of events was massive. However, it was the much-anticipated Valentine Rave Party organised by MTN Nigeria, which actually set the tone for this year’s groove. Staged at the Expo Hall, Eko Hotel, Victoria Island, the gig, which took place on February 14 (St Valentines Day), brought together fun lovers from different walks of life, who converged at the massive event place to be part of the all night groove that lasted into the early hours of the following day. Indeed, it was a night of good music and unprecedented celebration of pure love, as young Nigerians came out in their numbers to take advantage of the platform to share love.

HE night commenced with a special red carT pet reception that saw different shades of fashion, especially among the ladies, who came

with fabulous outfits. For a young fashion designer, attending the event is enough opportunity to build a comprehensive catalogue. Though there was no colour code, most couples came in a touch of red, which is the traditional colour for Valentines Day celebration globally. From the red carpet session, guests were ushered into the Expo Hall, where the DJ belted out ‘Rich and Famous’ singer, Praiz (left); Chief Marketing Officer, MTN, Larry Annets; and General Manager, hits after hits to the admiration of fun lovers, Consumer Marketing, Kola Oyeyemi at the MTN Valentine Rave Party in Lagos. who could not wait to dig it on the dance floor. From the concept, the night was designed to be we really appreciate it”. the awesome platform for the young Nigerians a form of battle of the DJs, with the likes of DJ On the significance of the event, General to express themselves, the event was another Jimmy Jatt, DJ Big N, DJ Caise, DJ Neptune and DJ Manager Consumer Marketing for MTN, Kola opportunity for the telecommunication compaObi and others on the ‘Wheels of Steel’. You need- Oyeyemi informed that, ‘we at MTN are com- ny and other sponsors to shower free gifts on ed to see how the DJs battled to outdo one anoth- mitted to greatly impacting lives. We love our guests. From goodie bags to recharge cards, er at the groove that saw some electrifying per- customers; we love the youth of this country guests smiled home happily. As part of the formances from notable Nigerian music stars on and we wanted to create a platform where this event, a raffle draw was conducted and some parade. love from us to the customers and also lucky winners got prizes such as high-end For sure, DJ Jimmy Jatt was in his best element as amongst the customers themselves can be cel- smartphones, iPads and much more. he belted out hit after hit. However, each of the ebrated with good music”. One of the lucky winners of an ipad, Andrew DJs gave a good account of themselves, as the On the impressive turnout, Oyeyemi noted, Esihemomoh, a Logistics Officer by profession, audience danced and cheered in excitement. “the bulk of Nigerian youths have chosen to be expressed his surprise at the unexpected gifted. First on stage was Naija Ninja, Sound Sultan, here over other places tonight; they want to “Wow! All I can say is a big thank you to MTN. who treated the gathering to the best of his have fun on Valentine night. We promised a lot I’m really overwhelmed by this extravagant disrecordings. Described by many as one of the and we are indeed delivering on our promis- play of love. I was planning on gathering most talented acts in the country, the Festac Boy es.” resources to get one for myself and here it was performed tracks from his old albums before Apart from investing resources in providing given to me. I love you MTN,” he exclaimed. sampling some of his latest songs. As always, Sultan performed some of his politically motivated tracks which made him popular in the industry. After him came Kedike singer Chidinam, who got the crowd singing along; she had an impressive outing. Since her emergence as the MTN late renowned playwright Nigerian spirit that we Project Fame winner, the petit singer has been By Felix Kuye Prof. Chinua Achebe and oth- admire at IDL, and by extenmaking noticeable impact in the industry, colS Nigeria celebrates its 100 ers who belong to their sion, this lounge believes in. laborating with major artistes. For sure, her years of nationhood, the genre are very conspicuous. We are proud to celebrate efforts earned her Kora Awards. International Distillers One time MTN Project Fame contestant and X3m Limited (IDL) has launched an Also being celebrated are them. We say thank you to Nollywood stars, including our stars who have made us Music artiste Praiz got the ladies feeling love. In initiative to celebrate fact, some of them, who had perhaps taken a Nigerians, dead and alive, who Olu Jacobs, Mercy Johnson proud, and we say ‘Yes You moment to rest, jumped to the stage, as he ren- have made the country proud and many more, just as Kanu Can’ to those who are still dered his hit track Oshe. Praiz, who recently col- through their giant strides in Nwankwo, Victor Ikpeba and striving. We may not be there laborated with Awilo Longomba, is surely one of their various field of endeav- Stephen Keshi are among the yet, but we believe the possimany achievers from the bilities are endless. the leading lights in the Nigerian music industry; our. sports arena. Singers whose Mercy Johnson noted: he is a true musician. Essentially, the company images are also on display at “Indeed, this lounge serves as The first lady of Nigerian music Tiwa Savage also moved to immortalize the beautifully decorated an inspiration to those who did not disappoint the audience. Alongside her Nigerian achievers in the energetic dancers, the ‘latest wife in town’ started fields of sports, music and lounge include Ebenezer step into it. It gives you hope Obey, King Sunny Ade, Fela when you see the Kanu out by singing a love song to all the guests saying, Femi Nwankwos, Genevieve “my husband allowed me to come out here on a film, academic, military and Anikulapo-Kuti, governance, among others. Anikulapo-Kuti and Onyeka Nnajis, Mercy Johnsons and Valentine’s night because you are all special.’ At what is now known as the Onwenu. many others in there. IDL is The surprise of the night was international Launching the ‘Spirit of preaching hard work. You music star, Mario Winans, who performed to the ‘Spirit of Naija’ bar, a state-ofexcitement of the guests. “I’m so happy to be with the-art lounge at the corpo- Naija’, Managing Director of work hard, this is what you you guys, and I promise to keep coming to rate headquarters of IDL in IDL, Mr. Patrick Anegbe, said are going to get. It really gives Nigeria because I love you guys,” the obviously Ikeja, Lagos, images of found- the idea is to celebrate the you the urge to do better. It is ing fathers of the nation, undying spirit of Nigerians exciting to see brands that excited singer told the crowd. including Chief Obafemi to succeed despite the myri- are dedicated to doing this. NDEED, it was a night where love was displayed Awolowo, Dr. Nnamdi Azikwe, ad of challenges facing the IDL is also making us proud.” in varying ways. Daniel Babatunde, a Digital Sardauna of Sokoto and Chief individuals and the nation, Among those that attended Strategist, who came with his partner of two Anthony Enahoro are gleam- and to encourage the youths the event were leading movie years, said, “Seriously, it was an awesome ing to the admiration of those to emulate them. Producers, Charles Novia, moment for me and Shade; music really gives who patronize the entertain“These Nigerians have Chico Ejiro, Chisom Mbong, you a mode of expressing yourself and we were ment-filled spot as good lead- indeed conquered within Fred Amata, Emeka Ossai, able to expressly display our love to ourselves. ers worthy of emulation. the country and beyond the Collins Onwochei, and The brands were also obviously in mood to show Pictures of Nobel laureate, shores. This is the true Godwin Sagbama. love and commitment to us the customers and Prof. Wole Soyinka and the

IDL celebrates Nigerian achievers A

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Front row: Professor Kyari Mohammed, Professor Bolanle Awe, Professor Ayo Banjo, Professor Ade Ajayi, Chief (Mrs.) Ade Ajayi, Professor Michael Omolewa, Professor Kunle Lawal, Professor Ayo Ogunye and Professor Tijani, Back row: Mrs. Yetunde Aina (nee Ade Ajayi) Mr Dipo Ajayi, Professor Jide Osuntokun at a meeting in Ibadan, in May 2013. PHOTO: Najeem Raheem

Upbeat swing for Life and Career of J.F. Ade Ajayi By Kabir Alabi Garba LL is now set for the release of the comA pendium that documents domestic and professional life of Emeritus Professor Jacob Festus Ade Ajayi, most distinguished and accomplished historian of Africa as well as international scholar of great distinction and repute. The book, which will be published by Bookcraft Nigeria based in Ibadan, is scheduled for launch on Monday, May 26; the day Ajayi will clock 85. Entitled J.F. Ade Ajayi: His Life and Career, the book has professors Michael Omolewa and Akinjide Osuntokun as editors. Both were former students of Prof Ade Ajayi. Contributors are top intellectuals including Prof. Adetowun Ogunsheye, first woman professor in Nigeria; Professor Ayo Bamgbose, recipient of the National Merit Award; former vice-chancellor of University of Ibadan, Professor Ayo Banjo; associates and friends of Professor Ade Ajayi such as Prof. Ayo Ogunye, Prof. Segun Oke, Prof. Akin Mabogunje, Prof. Bolanle Awe, Prof. Peter Adeniyi, Prof. Tunji Oloruntimehin and Chief Ebenezer Babatope; former head of the Department of History, University of Ibadan, Prof. Tayo Adesina; and of Lagos, Prof. Funke Adeboye; Africanists based in Europe, Canada, United States, Malaysia including Professors Jim Morrison, Judy Peel, Lalage Bown and Dr. William Rea. “I urge everybody to wait so as to see the picture that the book seeks to paint of Professor J. F. Ade Ajayi, doyen of historical scholarship in Africa and former chairman of the United Nations University, Japan, an academic par excellence,” said Prof. Omolewa in a chat with The Guardian. He explained further, “we now have 30 chapters written by different authors, looking at when he was born on May 26, 1929 in his town of Ikole Ekiti, growing up at the school – St. Paul School, and when he was of secondary school age, he moved on to Christ’s School Ado Ekiti in 1940. He stayed in Christ’s school for just one year because he took the Igbobi College entrance examination. He was in Igbobi College throughout 1946, and from there, he moved on to Yaba High College. The specialist in all these areas are the people that wrote the story, for instance, the Yaba College experience of his life has been written by Prof. Festus Ogunlade, who is the leading authority in that subject. For Igbobi College experience, we find Prof. Ayo Banjo, a leading Igbobian, who was also a university vice-chancellor, writing, and of course, we find Prof. Osuntokun writing, as well as Dipo Ajayi, who is intimately connected with him, writing on his primary school days.

Prof. Gabriel Eyenchoi, from Makurdi, writing for him as a young boy and one Prof. Reran from University of Lester who had lived in Ikole for a year, writes about his experience in Ikole. “Moving on to the university, we have Prof. Lawal, Prof Tayo Adeshina former head, department of History, Ibadan writing on that and of course we have the experience of him in UNILAG, where he was vice-chancellor from 1972 to1978, we find those who are writing – those

who were professors at the time, planning officers, administrators and those who are student officers at the time writing about the experience of what the man did at transforming that university as a landscape. One of the chapters is how Ajayi integrated the University of Lagos into the world class university system and then from there, his exit back to Ibadan teaching all over again producing professors of history such as Prof. Adeboye, Prof. Kunle Lawal and many more

Ozzy Agu joins AfricaMagic’s 53 Extra HE newest addition to T AfricaMagic’s sensational red carpet series, 53 Extra, is none other than the charismatic Ozzy Agu. Agu will be bringing his easy style to the chic lifestyle programme. He will join the radiant, resplendent Eku Edewor front and centre to take DStv viewers through all that’s glittering on the African entertainment scene. Agu is well educated, well travelled and above all, well and truly in love with his fun new television job! Born in Texas, but equally at home in Enugu, Agu holds a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration and spent his early postgraduation years working for the United States’ Peace Corps based in Thailand. It was here, as the director of a Thai Youth Development Workshop that he committed to his so far ignored love for acting. He subsequently enrolled at the New York City campus of the American Academy of Dramatic Arts, where he appeared in several stage productions. He t h e n went on t o appear in vari-

ous theatre productions in New York, including Central Park SummerStage series. He also worked on the production and promotion crew for several films, including Stacie Passon’s Concussion starring Robin Weigert and Andrew Dosunmu’s Restless City. Now, with his new role on 53 Extra, Agu is once again in the spotlight, and couldn’t be happier about his good fortune. Speaking about his new job, a beaming Agu says, “It is surely by divine grace that I am in this position

today. I can’t even begin to articulate how grateful I am. I can’t wait to dive right in, learning all about interesting personalities, latest events and happenings on the African continent. I’m thrilled I get to share all that with viewers at home. Bring it on, 53 Extra!” On what the audition process was, Agu says, “It was nerveracking! It felt like the whole of Africa was lined around the audition hall. I kept doing little things like humming, and counting the birds in the sky to distract myself from the nerves. Luckily, when my turn came around I was reasonably calm. I did my thing, and as they say, the rest is history. There were 34 birds that day, but some may have been recounts. So, with the new host ramping up the energy, loads of glamour and of course, some of Africa’s biggest stars on screen, make sure you tune in to watch 53 Extra every Monday at 19:30 CAT on AfricaMagic Entertainment (DStv Channel 150/151).

and then being recognised with honorary degree in Birmingham and Lester, Ibadan his alma mata and how he is now a community man, a chief, he makes his library accessible to everyone and continue to serve people, offering advice to people, to government and so on, and living a contended life. He has done his best and it is left for people to find out if his best is good enough, and he is satisfied eating his pounded yam and bush meat occasionally, drinking his tea as usual. That book is being published by bookcraft that has published books for Wole Soyinka, Olusegun Obasanjo, and Chinua Achebe. By the grace of God, the book will be launched at the 85th birthday of Ajayi in May this year; the family is still yet to give us the exact date because all the authors and professors who have contributed are hoping to book their flight to celebrate him. Prof. Ogunye and Prof. Gbadamosi of the University of Lagos wrote one of the best chapters; it is a brilliant resume of all the man had stood for. I am writing on his family life, how he met his wife in April 1942, he didn’t know how to approach a woman because he spent all his time reading, but somehow, God helped him out, and he got engaged to the woman, married her three years later, and they started having children and the woman has been a pillar of support throughout and it has been a very successful love story. I was able to tell that story along with Dipo Ajayi, the brother of Prof. Ajayi himself, I think people will enjoy the contributions of emeritus professors Banjo, Bamgbose and then, the first female professor in Nigeria, Prof. Ogunseye, and of course, the most celebrated woman professor in Nigeria, Prof. Awe and other celebrities: Akin Mabogunje, they have made contributions to this beautiful piece and I hope everybody will own a copy and join in celebrating the man that has been called the Mandela of academic and intellectual development of modern Africa.” On the irony that while the great historian is being celebrated, secondary schools in Nigeria today are no longer teaching History as a subject to student, Omolewa said, “That, I think, is the question individuals are asking, the Historical Society of Nigeria is asking too, the History of Education Society of Nigeria and communities are asking that how can this happen, why would this type of tragedy happen and so I think the answer is blowing in the wind like one negro spiritual put it, I believe that something will have to be done at some stage and it has to start at some place. The fact that a historian is being celebrated, that itself will speak volumes when the book arrives because we have three leading historians and historiographers, Prof. Oloruntimilehin, Prof. Osuntokun, Prof. Tijani, who address themselves of the issues of the study of history.”

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PROFILE

NEWSEXTRA

Emefiele and Zenith Bank’s march to greater heights

Juror sets aside N212.2b London court verdict against Akingbola

Ibidokun Olubukola Olaniyi x-rays Zenith Bank’s continuous rise in the banking world and the role of its managing Godwin director, Emefiele, in the success story ODWIN Emefiele is a G University of Nigeria, Nsukka trained astute banker and also a Harvard University trained financial strategist. He graduated as the best MBA student (Finance) from UNN after obtaining a Second Class Upper degree in Banking and Finance in 1984. He went on to deepen his knowledge of Macroeconomics at Oxford University having obtained various qualifications and Executive Education studies in Negotiation, Strategy, Leadership, Critical Thinking, Delivering Value/Profit from Harvard University, Stanford University and University of Pennsylvania (Wharton Business School). Emefiele who joined the bank since inception was appointed Deputy Managing Director in 2001. Prior to this appointment, he was the bank’s Executive Director in charge of Corporate Banking, Treasury, Financial Control and Strategic Planning. He has over twentythree (23) years banking experience. He became the Group Managing Director/CEO on August 1, 2010 He took Zenith Bank to another high last year when he became the first GMD/CEO in the banking industry to achieve N100 billion after tax profit in a financial year: 2012. He is an astute manager of people and resources and a corporate governance savvy professional banker who has earned several personal and corporate endorsements and achievements. Emefiele is a man who is an expert in forecasting and takes steps, leveraging on his excellent acuity and calculated-risktaking skills to crystallize any benefits from existing and future opportunities. Zenith which by balance sheet size and other positive financials has shaped and is shaping certain critical aspects of developments in the sub-sector is in sheer entrepreneurial energy and verve a bank without equal and one which has taken after its lead-manager. The several achievements of Zenith Bank Plc since he took over stand him out as an accomplished banker and erudite manager of human and material resources. His capacity for leadership and eye for growth opportunities is evident in Zenith’s performance and geometric progression on a number of parametres. A system’s person and unassuming achiever, Emefiele knows and understands banking and the unique Nigerian economy like the palms of his hands. He had been part of the core people who built the Zenith culture, and understands the direction of the board and shareholders of the bank viz-a-viz the realities and focus of the larger economy. He knows and understands that the responsibility to deliver is non-negotiable. Before he came into banking he was a university don at the

University of Nigeria Nsukka and the University of Port Harcourt, where he lectured in finance, bank management and insurance. He is a banker whose years of experience are backed by sound academic knowledge of the job he is engaged in. He is a dyed-in-the-wool banker, very steadfast at what he does and has remained strong in the Zenith tradition of producing results. And those results have been manifested in the laurels and recognition that the bank has received both locally and internationally. Currently, Zenith Bank is the largest bank in Nigeria and the seventh largest in Africa by tier-1 capital. Forbes & CNBC Africa ranks Zenith Bank as the third biggest company in West Africa. Capital Finance International (CFI) adjudged the bank the ‘Best Commercial Bank in Africa’. World Finance voted the bank as the best Nigerian Bank in Corporate Governance in 2013. The Corporate Governance award is in recognition of the bank’s ability to set an industrywide example of best practices in Corporate Governance. The bank was evaluated on a wide range of criteria that included quality of policies and procedures, quality of disclosures, elements of innovation in Corporate Governance practices and excellence in stakeholder relationship management. In 2013, Zenith Bank was recognized as one the 20 Global super brands and KPMG rated the bank as the ‘Best CustomerFocused Bank.’ In January 2009, the bank was adjudged to be the “Most Customer-focused Bank in Nigeria,” according to a survey conducted by KPMG. The survey which focused predominantly on corporate customers of banks, including companies in a variety of sectors, found that customers were most satisfied with the services offered by Zenith Bank. The bank was rated as the “Best Bank in Nigeria in 2012” by BusinessDay Newspaper following a survey of all the banks in Nigeria. Zenith Bank also won ‘Bank of the Year Nigeria 2013’ by The Banker Magazine, a publication of Financial Times of London. Nominees for The Banker award were judged by their ability to deliver shareholders’ returns and gain strategic advantage in terms of market visibility and positioning. According to The Banker Magazine, Zenith Bank was selected based on the overall performance of the institution and the opinion of leading financial analysts from the world’s financial markets. The award also indicates the level of trust and confidence on the brand and is a testament to the strong management, sound business model and prudent risk approach of Zenith Bank Plc. Zenith Bank has greatly impacted banking in Nigeria, literally lifting the sector from the era of over-conservatism to one of healthy conflict and dynamism, characterised by a culture of excellence and global best practices. This has been achieved through a combination of the power of vision and a skilful union of banking expertise and cutting-edge technology to create products and services that meet and anticipate customers’ expectations. Under his leadership, Zenith Bank has grown its agric loan portfolio, ranking among the highest contributors in growing the industry agric portfolio

By Bertram Nwannekanma ITING lack of jurisdiction, a Lagos High C Court, Igbosere yesterday set aside an exparte order registering a £654 million (N212.2

Emefiele, MD/CEO from 1% in 2010 to over 4% in 2012. The bank also took active part in financing some of the power projects that changed hands from government to the private sector investors. With this in mind, Zenith Bank’s contributions to Nigeria’s macroeconomic growth are seen to be very commendable. The bank is adjudged to be of incredibly high standard not just on a national level but an international one. Testimony to Emefiele’s leadership qualities is a succession of excellent ratings from local and international agencies. Zenith Bank ranks among the world’s 500 valuable brands. Brand Finance Plc ranked Zenith Bank as the 11th most valuable brand in Africa. Zenith Bank has a culture of retaining and rewarding its senior management and had never hired any director level staff from outside. All its directors evolved through the ranks and are insiders who are literally embodiments of the Zenith philosophy. This has ensured and sustained a culture of commitment, loyalty and consistency as well as ownership of the ideals of the Zenith brand. Under Emefiele’s watch, Zenith Bank shares currently trade on the London Stock Exchange (LSE) following a listing of the $850 million worth of its shares at $6.80 each in a major step aimed at improving liquidity in the stock through Global Depository Receipts. Impressive performance parameters such as these are an eloquent indication of Emefiele’s rare penchant for banking and unflinching ability to mitigate existing inefficiencies that often exist in business. Speaking at a forum on 2014, he says, “year 2014 is obviously a harbinger of change in several aspects of our endeavours and it is not unlikely that even business-to-business and business-to-customer interactions will be recalibrated. The reform in agriculture and power will begin to take roots and positively impact Nigeria and the citizenry and at Zenith, we are well poised to take advantage of opportunities there-from in a manner that would support the Nigerian government determination to ensue and sustain achievements in the social and economic realms of our livelihood.” He says, “We will leverage on new experience gathered, knowledge acquired and successes achieved but in large part, we shall make conscious effort to contribute to the overall development of the economy the best we can. We shall focus on creating greater mileage from our engagements through a deliberate diversification of our approaches, expectations and focus. “

billion) judgment delivered against a former Managing Director of the defunct Intercontinental Bank Plc., Mr. Erastus Akingbola by a London court. In a landmark decision delivered yesterday afternoon, Justice Candide Johnson held that Access Bank’s move contravened provisions of the Reciprocal Enforcement of Judgment Act 1958 and declared that the court lacked jurisdiction to register the judgment. Justice Burton of the High Court of Justice, Quench’s Bench Division, Commercial, London ordered Akingbola to pay Access Bank Plc the sum of £654 million (about N212.2 billion) over alleged infractions committed when he was in charge of the defunct bank, now Access Bank. The judgment delivered in July 2012 had found Akingbola allegedly liable of causing substantial loss to the defunct bank to the tune of N212, 294,089,160.15 when the Nigeria Stock Market collapsed, which it ordered him to pay personally. Justice Burton said although there was no evidence that he participated personally in the share purchase as the CEO “on balance of probability” he must know about it. Consequently Access Bank sought to execute the judgment in Nigeria and on July 2, 2013 brought an ex-parte application to the court to register the judgment as a judgment of the Lagos court, a request granted by the court on July 4, 2013 but swiftly challenged by Akingbola in September 2013. Akingbola in an application dated September 27, 2013, filed by his lawyer, Chief Wole Olanipekun (SAN), before Justice Candide-Johnson of the same court, is seeking to quash the registration of the foreign judgment for lack of jurisdiction. Olanipekun had argued that the judgment creditor (Access Bank) failed to comply with condition precedent before the registration could be completed. Olanipekun submitted that Section 251 of the constitution vested jurisdiction on Federal High Court and not on state High Court. He also submitted that the suit filed in London by the judgment creditor was before a Commercial Division of the court, which is equivalent of Federal High Court in Nigeria.

Besides, Olanipekun argued that the judgment of the foreign court, which was registered was not certified in compliance with the rules of the London court, hence it was invalid. He further argued that the judgment debtor (Akingbola) was not put on notice before the registration of the foreign judgment was done. Citing plethora of legal authorities, he prayed the court to allow the application and set aside the ex-parte order. However, counsel to Access Bank, Dr. Konyinsola Ajayi (SAN), in his counter affidavit, dated October 10, 2013 informed the court that effort by the court bailiff to serve Akingbola before the registration of the judgment proved abortive as he allegedly evaded service. On the issue of jurisdiction, Ajayi submitted that the proposition that only the Federal High Court has jurisdiction to register foreign judgments should be discountenanced as the state High Court had unlimited power to look into it. He argued that Registration and Enforcement of Foreign Judgments, Cap 175 of 1958, and Section 272 of the constitution empowered the state High Court to adjudicate on the matter. On the issue of certification of judgment, Ajayi submitted that it would be against public interest if the court refused to enforce a “money judgment.” Ajayi, therefore, urged the court to dismiss the application and allow the registration of the judgment. But in the judgment, Justice Johnson explained that the subject matter of the judgment, which was alleged unlawful share purchase orchestrated by the bank and Akingbola’s breach of statutory duties as director of defunct Intercontinental Bank Plc were matters relating to the provisions of the Companies and Allied Matters Act (CAMA), which the British judge admitted he relied totally on but which only Nigerian courts and specifically federal high courts could properly exercise jurisdiction. The judge added that since federal high courts alone have exclusive jurisdiction on CAMA-related cases, his court could not have entertained the claims leading up to the judgment and consequently could not register same as that would make it a judgment of the court.

‘Economic summit’s recommendations will tackle education sector’s crises’ By Chijioke Nelson HE Supervising Minister of National Planning Commission, Ambassador Bashir Yuguda, yesterday said the outcome and recommendations of the 20th edition of Nigeria Economic Summit, tagged “Transforming Education through Partnerships for Global Competitiveness,” may serve as master plan and guide towards ending the sector’s lingering crisis. The minister, who disclosed this at the inauguration of the Joint Planning Committee for the yearly event, being organized by the Nigerian Economic Summit Group (NESG), slated for March 18 to 20, will focus on the education sector, which holds the key to transformational national development and our ability as a nation, to compete in the global economy. Yuguda added that the current administration is committed to improving the education sector with a view to ensuring that Nigeria pupils and students can compete in the global market place. “Government will continue to ensure that it is represented at the committee by sen-

ior level officials. It is also my expectation that the committee will take appropriate steps, including interactive sessions with committee of the National Assembly and the sub national governments to further deepen the public sector participation,” he said. According to him, the outcome of the economic summit, in form of recommendations, would be a master plan and guide to effective solutions to the lingering education sector crisis in the country. The minister noted that the summit usually attracts policy makers, top government officials, the organized private sector, academics, civil society organisations and international investors, among others. Yuguda, while inaugurating the committee, said that government had realized the strategic contributions of the group and recommendations that always emanate from each of the previous submits, which have helped in shaping the nation’s economic policies. The minister, however, noted that some successes recorded in the agriculture transformation agenda were

part of the detailed discourses and recommendations from the previous edition of the summit, which were focused on the sector. “It is reassuring to note that the summit (previous one) was highly successful and its key constituent with the decisions reached at a recent meeting of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) in the regard.” However, the Director General of NESG, Frank Nweke Jnr., said he firmly believed that leadership and followership are shared responsibility; hence members of the group, which comprise top chief executives, realized that their businesses are at stake. He noted that the group is not an influencing agency, but concerned one, which must join others in holding government accountable as equal stakeholders and these form motivating factors in its quest for public policy contributions. He added that the highlight of this year’s economic summit would include a breakout session, which allows participants to join in designing the public policy and solutions that would be recommended to the government.

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Sports FIFA may move Super Eagles’ group games from Curitiba, Cuiaba ORLD football-governW ing body, FIFA, could be forced to move Super Eagles’ Brazil 2014 World Cup games from Curitiba and Cuiaba to other venues following the centres’ inability to meet the deadline for completion of the stadia. Nigeria, Iran, Bosnia and Iran are in Group F and they are expected to play a game each in both Curitiba and Cuiaba. The Super Eagles are billed to meet Iran in Curitiba on June 16 and tackle Bosnia in Cuiaba on June 21. FIFA was expected to announce yesterday whether it would pull the plug on Curitiba and move its four group games to other cities. Also, a report suggested that the fire at the still-unfinished Arena Pantanal in Cuiaba caused far more damage than initially reported, and Recife announced it won’t fund the Fan Fest, an integral part of the World Cup since its success at the 2006 finals in Germany. Curitiba’s Arena de Baixada is so far behind schedule that it has missed every deadline, according to FIFA Secretary

General, Jerome Valcke. In January, Valcke said the stadium didn’t need to be finished by yesterday but those in charge of its construction had to show signs of progress. In a joint statement released last week, the state of Parana, the city of Curitiba and local club Atletico Paranaense, said everything that was needed had been done and the stadium would be finished in mid-April, two months before the start of the tournament but three after FIFA’s original deadline for work at all stadiums to be completed. Reuters reported on Sunday that state prosecutors in Mato Grosso state found the October 25 fire had caused damage that would “compromise the overall stability of the construction,” which is now scheduled to be finished in March. The Curitiba stadium project has been hit by financing and construction delays, with organisers facing a race against time to get it finished for the June 12 to July 13 World Cup.

Eagles may play Portugal before Mundial Injury threatens Dike’s selection HE Nigeria Football T Federation (NFF) has proposed a World Cup warm-up against Portugal. The African champions have confirmed only next month’s friendly against Mexico as a warm-up game for Brazil 2014. However, Chairman of the NFF Technical Committee, Chris Green has now said another match against Portugal could well be on the cards. However, Green said the game would only hold if Portugal accepted the arrangement. “We are considering playing a friendly with Portugal, they play like Argentina and Bosnia-Hezegovina. But for the friendly to come to life, Portugal have to accept and be interested,” Green said on Brila FM. Nigeria has also been working on another test game against Croatia. Nigeria is drawn against Argentina, Iran and BosniaHerzegovina, while Portugal are pitched against Ghana, Germany and United States of America. Meanwhile, Bright Dike has suffered an injury that may rule him out of the World Cup in Brazil. The 27-year-old striker tore his Achilles tendon for the second time in three years

during a Toronto FC training session on Monday. Dike, who was set to play for Nigeria against Mexico in a friendly on 5 March, wrote on Twitter that Monday was the “worst day of my life.” The NFF said Dike’s injury is a massive blow. “It is such a shame that we have lost a player of his calibre for the friendly against Mexico and possibly the World Cup,” NFF’s spokesman, Ademola Olajire told BBC Sport.

Super Eagles during a training session before a World Cup qualifier in Calabar.

PHOTO: AFP.

Eagles’ door not shut on any player, says Shorunmu By Alex Monye UPER Eagles goalkeepers’ trainer, Ike Shorunmu, says Chief Coach, Stephen Keshi will still consider players outside the Mexico international friendly squad for the Brazil 2014 World Cup. Shorunmu told The Guardian yesterday that selection of players for the World Cup would depend on individual star’s club form, as well as performance in the various friendly games arranged for the team

ahead the Mundial. He revealed that the since the team qualified for the World Cup the Eagles’ technical crew has been monitoring Nigerian players’ performance in their various clubs, adding that the coaches have compiled names for the final camp ahead the competition. “The Eagles coaches want to assemble the best Nigerian players for the World Cup, which means the squad is not only for those listed for the game against Mexico.

“We have other criteria for assessing the players’ readiness for the championship. “These include their current performance in their various clubs, attitude and commitment displayed on the field of play. But current form is the most important factor that who makes the team,” he said. Shorunmu added that Super Eagles Team B Captain and goalkeeper, Chigozie Agbim, is still part of the Eagles’ World

Lagos International Polo Championship gallops off AGOS polo enthusiasts Lbeginning are in for a swell time from today when the gladiators gallop off in search of laurels at the 2014 Lagos International Polo Tournament holding at the Ribadu Road, Ikoyi home of the game of kings. The twin-phased tournament will begin with a game between Lagos Bonhams and Lagos Valkyrie, which is one of the four matches scheduled for today. The Stream A match is part of the Dansa Cup challenge in the tournament, which has MTN and GTB as major sponsors. Other games will see Lagos

Sao Paolo battle Unity Polo, who qualified at the expense of Badboys, in the second match of the day in Stream A, while Ibadan A and Kano Tripple K will confront Kano Titans/Ibah and Ibadan B respectively in Stream B to round off the day’s activities. The first week of the tournament runs from February 19 to 23 where four of the nine titles will be decided. The trophies at stake are the Open Cup, Beginners Cup as well as the Oba of Lagos Cup are up for grabs. In other matches listed for the first week, six Lagos teams will have their repu-

tations at stake when the Open Cup commence on tomorrow. Lagos Ashbert 98.1 and Lagos Kashton/Lintex will tango while another Open Cup match will see Lagos Ironclad/Taleveras size-up Lagos Shoreline. The contests will be preceded by matches in continuation of the Dansa Cup preliminaries. The final week, which runs from February 26 to March 2, will see teams battle in the Low Cup and the prestigious Majekodunmi Cup. The Independence Cup, Lagos Governor’s Cup and the Italian Ambassador’s Cup will also

be at stake. The tournament, which is regarded as the biggest in the calendar of the Nigeria Polo Federation, also has Veuve Clicquot, Union Bank, Chapel Hill, UBS, Caverton Group, Dansa Foods Ltd/Dangote, Southern Sun Hotel, Smooth FM, Beat FM, Delaney and Avlon Group as co-sponsors. The tournament’s Deputy Manager, Seyi Oyinlola has revealed that fans will see an improved format from the previous editions, adding that different sponsors are responsible for different aspect of the tournament.

Cup plan, saying he has no intention of inviting a new goaltender to the team.

Back to school: Mustard takes Rowing/Kayak coaches to class Africa’s Craig SningOUTH Mustard will, beginfrom today at the Boardroom of the Nigeria Olympic Committee (NOC), tutor Nigerian Canoeing/Kayak coaches on the latest updates in the sport. The course, which will end on February 21, is aimed at updating the coaches on the modern technicality of the sport. The Project Officer of the course, Augustine Odijie, said yesterday that coaches would benefit from the course because of the ever-changing world of technology and scoring systems. ‘’Mr. Mustard is one of the gurus of the sport and he will impact on the Nigerian coaches. This is one course that many coaches can take advantage from,” Odijie noted. The Nigeria Olympic Committee (NOC) alongside Canoeing/Kayak Federation is packaging the coaching course.

Wednesday, February 19, 2014

THE GUARDIAN www.ngrguardiannews.com

SPORT 61

High Performance programme

I am not a magician, America’s Taylor tells Nigerian athletes By Gowon Akpodonor EWLY appointed head of the High Performance programme for Nigeria sports, America’s Angie Taylor, says the country would only reap from her sojourn if only the athletes showed seriousness in their duties. Sports Minister and Chairman of the National Sports Commission (NSC), Bolaji Abdullahi, recently handed Taylor the plum job with the mandate to produce medal-placing positions in various Olympic sports for the country. The NSC also appointed Eric Campbell, also an American, to work with Taylor to design and run programme for the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN). But their employment has not gone down well with some Nigerian coaches, who are of the opinion that a Nigerian should have been considered for at least one of the positions, referring to the minister’s position when the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) wanted to hire Belgian coach, Tom Saintfiet, as Nigeria’s technical director. Both Taylor and Campbell were at the Ijebu-Ode Stadium at the weekend, where the AFN held its first programme of the year. Speaking with The Guardian, Taylor, who claimed three long jump titles for USA in addition to her championship title in the 100m and hurdles events in her senior year, said that Nigeria’s success with the High Performance programme

• AFN angry with US-Embassy, Egwero tasks Jonathan on reception for athletes would depend largely on the athletes. “Nigeria is a country with great talents in athletics, weightlifting, wrestling, boxing, Taekwondo and others. But the High Performance system we are talking about is a scientific way of getting the best from the athletes during competitions. “They (athletes) have their part to play here. They have to be dedicated, disciplined and show determination always. I am not a magician but I am very sure the system will take Nigerian sports to a greater height in a few years to come,” she said. But some Nigerian coaches are yet to come to terms with the Sports Minister on appointment of Taylor and Campbell, arguing that it was a complete waste of public fund. “I don’t see any reason for bringing these two Americans to run a High Performance centre here in Nigeria. We have capable hands to do the job, but the minister won’t look at their direction. We may not get anything good from this system at the end of the day, but let’s see how far they can go,” one of the coaches told The Guardian. Among the athletes, who took part in the over distance races was sprinter, Ogho-Oghene Egwero, who expressed disgust over the way and manner the Presidency is rewarding sports people in the country. “As an athlete, you will like to

be rewarded by your country, especially if you do well at international competitions. But if the reward is going the way of certain people alone, then, it becomes a big concern for people like me. “I have heard series of complaints from the junior athletes who came top at Mauritius 2013 Africa Junior Athletics Championship and even weightlifters to the last Commonwealth Championship in Malaysia, over refusal to host them. It should not be footballers alone because we are all Nigerians,” he said. Meanwhile, the leadership of the AFN is said to be unhappy with the American Embassy in Nigeria for allegedly refusing to issue entry visas to three athletes, who have been given scholarship to study and continue their sports career in that country. According to an official of the AFN, those refused visas include Africa junior high jump queen, Ese Brume and Africa youth sprint champion, Divine Oduduru. Efforts to speak with officials of US Embassy on the issue yesterday could not yield fruit.

By Adeyinka Adedipe ALENTED footballers have T been offered the chance to take their career to the next

Sapele 2014 Nigeria’s Centenary Golf Championship

Orubebe Invitational Championship partners Sapele Golf Course O ensure the success of T Nigeria’s centenary anniversary celebrations at the Sapele Golf Course, the local organising committee (LOC) of the first Elder Godsday Orubebe Invitational Championship has signed an agreement with the Sapele Athletic Club 1913, venue of the competition. The invitational Golf Championship, the first of such gathering in Sapele, has generated a lot of interest among participants, sponsors and sports enthusiasts. Billed to tee off on February 22 at the prestigious club located on No. 4 Dafinone Way, Sapele, Delta State, the competition has the trappings of an international gathering, with the organisers and sponsors sure

of delivering a championship worthy of the ancient city of Sapele. According to Mary Oyibocha-Agbajoh, who is the Senior Special Assistant (Special Duties) to Delta State Governor, Emmanuel Uduaghan, as well as the chief organiser/initiator of the event, efforts have been made to ensure that participants at the event, including players and fans, ‘will have a reason to want to come back for the second edition of the competition.’ She disclosed that the former Minister of Niger Delta, Elder Orubebe believes that “it is only logical to despise not the days of small beginning, we must move to develop the Sapele golf course that developed most of us to what we are today.’ ’

Chinese Taipei’s Peng bows to Quadri at ITTF World Tour in Qatar Wang-Wei Peng at the ongoing match at 11-8. By Olalekan Okusan HAT looked like a tough task on paper was yesterday surmounted by Nigeria’s Aruna Quadri, who overcame highly-rated Chinese Taipei’s

MDG, Fashanu institute football challenge for youths

level as the office of the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) and former Wimbledon star, John Fashanu, have started a football talent hunt in Abuja where 30 Nigerian footballers would be selected to go to Europe. The programme, which began on Saturday, saw about 1000 footballers storm the Area 3 Abuja playing center for the screening exercise, which ended yesterday. The Senior Special Assistant to the President on MDG, Dr. Precious Gbenol said the programme is part of the activities meant to take the Nigerian

Orubebe.

Nigeria’s Ogho-Oghene Egwero takes the lead in the 100m first round event at the London 2012 Olympics Games. He wants President Goodluck Jonathan to reward other successful sportsmen as he is doing to footballers.

She adds, “the Orubebe golf competition will be an avenue for golf lovers to commemorate the centenary celebration of the unity of our great nation, Nigeria.

youth off the streets and empower them, adding that they have discovered that football is an easy way through which youths could easily achieve their aim. Gbenol said the programme was not a one-off thing as they intend to do several more in the next two years and revealed that President Goodluck Jonathan is interested in the affairs of the youths, which informed his support for the programme. Meanwhile, former Chief Security Officer to late Head of State, Sani Abacha, Al Mustapha, who is also partnering the programme through his pet project, Al Mustapha Peace and Unity Development Initiative (ALPUDI), is happy with the response of the youths to the programme. “This is an excellent turnout and it shows the enthusiasm in our young ones. It tells you a lot about their willingness and confidence to take any opportunity that comes their way. And to the organisers, you can see the commitment and seriousness to get the qualities required and if this continues, they are going to take the right talents to Europe,” he added.

International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) World Tour tagged: “Qatar Open holding in Doha. But it was not the same story for his compatriot, Kazeem Makanjuola, who was pummeled by Singapore’s Zhaoxu Xin in the first group match of the men’s singles event. A determined Quadri never allowed what befell him in Kuwait to affect his performance in Qatar, as he ensured that his teenage opponent never had an upper hand in the explosive encounter. From the start of the game, Quadri never hid his intention to make a mark in the competition as he won the first matches at 12-10, 11-5. But the Chinese Taipei star recovered to win the third match at 13-11. Quadri, however, increased the lead with another 11-4 win. Not ready to surrender the game to the Nigerian, the Chinese Taipei teenager again claimed victory in the fifth

Fired by the determination to ensure that he matched his words with action, Quadri wasted no time to end the encounter by winning the sixth match at 11-6 to record a emphatic 4-2 win. Quadri’s last group match will be against Portugal’s Joao Montiero today to decide the eventual winner of the group that will compete in the main draw. “I am happy that I won the match in a four-set battle. I noticed a little improvement in my game, but I am yet to receive service very well,” Quadri admitted. He added: “I had never played against the Chinese Taipei player before and I was a bit jittery before the match but after picking the first five points in the first match, my nervousness disappeared. This alone gave me the confidence to put more efforts. I am excited and I look forward to my next game on Wednesday.”

AIS dominates LAISC basketball tourney MERICAN International A School (AIS) beat Greensprings School to the titles in the boys and girls events of the basketball event of the Lagos Atlantic International School Conference. To emerge as champion, AIS came from behind to defeat Greensprings School, Lekki, in an entertaining final, which ended 34-26 in favour of the American kids.

Minister of Health, Prof. Onyebuchi Chukwu (standing), NMA President, Dr. Osahon Enabulele (left) and other dignitaries at the opening ceremony of the maiden NMA Doctors’ Games, tagged Eket 2014…yesterday.

From the start of the encounter, Greensprings looked good to carry the day, but the tide turned against them when the American boys capitalized on their fouls to lift the trophy. Before berthing in the final, AIS and Greensprings had overwhelmed Atlantic Hall and Anthony campus of Greensprings with big margins. Also in the girls’ event, AIS confirmed their supremacy over Atlantic Hall with a 30-26 win. Besides ruling in the two events, the most valuable player (MVP) awards were won by Alex Ukpong and Kiki Faul of AIS, while Greensprings dominated the selected All Star team of the tournament. According to the acting coordinator of the competition, Oluseyi Oyebode, the tournament was aimed at encouraging friendship among the schools as well as the students, adding that there are plans to organize other events in football, tennis, swimming and a host of other sports.

62 | Wednesday, February 19, 2014

THE GUARDIAN www.ngrguardiannews.com

Cricketweekly Ahead Malaysia 2014 WCL Division Five Championship

NCF sad over ‘government’s treatment,’ as team departs for Sri Lanka on Friday • NSC: We have not abandoned cricket By Christian Okpara RESIDENT of the Nigeria P Cricket Federation, Emeka Onyeama is a sad man. Onyeama, who has overseen Nigeria’s promotion from the World Cricket League (WCL) Division Six to Division Five, is saddened by the ‘attitude’ of the National Sports Commission (NSC) to Nigeria’s quest for promotion to Division Four, which battle will begin in Malaysia early next month. The national team is currently in Abuja preparing for the Division Five Championship slated for Malaysia, but Onyeama is pained that even with all the federation has done to ensure that Nigeria is well represented in the comity of cricket-playing nations, the ‘NCF has not raised a finger’ in support of their efforts. Speaking to The Guardian yesterday, Onyeama said he was downcast because the ‘NSC has shown that it is only interested in football and nothing more.’ He said, “sports is for the development of the youth and the country and it is not only about football. But this government has shown that they do not care for anybody else except footballers. “We have had several meetings with the Minister of Sports, the Director General and Dr. Bolaji Ojo-Oba, but they have not helped us in any way. “We have even gone to the extent of begging them to give us only N10 million so that we will make it up to prepare and travel for our championship, but they are not doing anything.’’ Onyeama lamented that the situation has become so bad that Nigeria would depend on the magnanimity of the International Cricket Council (ICC) to survive in Malaysia because the resources at the federation’s disposal will not be enough for a competition as big as the WCL Championship. “We will be beggarly in Malaysia because the ICC policy is to feed teams only on match days, but we will plead with them to feed Nigeria throughout our stay there. “We appeal to President Goodluck Jonathan to rescue us because we are representing Nigeria in Division Five in our centenary year and you know cricket is as old as Nigeria.’’ Onyeama called on the Federal Government to con-

cession cricket to private individuals if it cannot fund the game, adding, however, that the process should be preceded by the provision of world standard facilities in line with the current status of Nigeria in the cricket world. “When we qualify for Division Four, all the big teams will start coming to Nigeria to play against us and that requires world standard wickets and other facilities. These facilities can only be provided by the Federal Government.” Onyeama said Team Nigeria has been funded by such individuals ‘as Dr. John Abebe, Chief Philip Asiodu, myself and Toye Timinadi, among other individuals.’ He added, “we are travelling to Sri Lanka for a training tour on Friday and there is no single contribution from the NSC. We have bought the tickets and in the delegation are our technical director, coach, 14 players and some journalists.’’ Reacting to the NCF’s lamentations, Julius Ogunro, who is an aide to the Sports Minister, Bolaji Abdullahi, agreed that the NSC has received the cricket federation’s proposal for the championship, adding that the Commission was looking into it. He added, “we are very much aware of the importance of the championship, but our constraint is that we have not received any money from our allocation this year and we cannot give what we don’t have. ‘We will definitely attend to their proposal as soon as we get the fund. The usual thing is for Federations to source for money for their events and get the refund later. “The minister is interested in every sport and he will be happy to see Nigerian cricket among the elite nations of the game.” While in Sri Lanka, Nigeria will train and play some friendly games in Colombo until March 3 when they will depart for Malaysia for the WCL Division Five Championship scheduled to hold from March 4 to 14. Competing at the WCL Division Five Championship against Nigeria are Malaysia, Jersey, Cayman Islands, Tanzania and Guernsey. The teams will vie for the two qualification slots for the Division Four League, the third and fourth placed

teams will remain in Division 5 up till 2016, while the fifth and sixth will be demoted to Division 6 championship, which holds in 2015.

Kunle Adegbola protests a ‘wrong call’ during Nigeria’s final game of the 2013 ICC WCL Division Six Championship against Argentina. Nigeria will begin a training tour of Sri Lanka on Friday ahead of the Malaysia 2014 WCL Division Five Championship.

Wednesday, February 19, 2014 SPORTS 63

THE GUARDIAN www.ngrguardiannews.com

UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE I respect Wenger, says Pep Guardiola

We are mentally prepared for Bayern, says Wenger RSENAL manager, Arsene A Wenger feels that simple philosophy of tackling each match as it comes will serve his side well in today’s Champions League against the defending champions, Bayern Munich. “We have gone for a policy that is to just take care of the next game, because the confidence level is so important to go into the big games that you want to build your strength up by winning every single game,” said the Gunners boss. Arsenal were handed a European masterclass by the Bundesliga giants when beaten 3-1 at home in the same stage of the competition 12 months ago. However, the Gunners responded with a superb 2-0 win in the Allianz Arena against the side, which would go on to win the Champions League at Wembley. Wenger believes Arsenal will have learned much from those encounters. “I think we know them better, individually the players,” he said. “We will be in a better condition hopefully, because last year was after the disappointment of losing against Blackburn (in the FA Cup), to play Bayern three days later it was very difficult for us.

“I think in the league as well we were in a much more difficult position. (Now) we are mentally better prepared to go into a game of that stature.” Meanwhile, Bayern Munich playmaker Xherdan Shaqiri will miss today’s Champions League clash with Arsenal after suffering a thigh injury in Saturday’s win over Freiburg. The Switzerland international scored twice in the 4-0 victory but limped out of the action just after the hour mark and Bayern confirmed after the match he would not be fit for either today’s last-16 first-leg trip to Arsenal or next weekend’s league match against Hannover. The reigning European champions said on their official website: “Xherdan Shaqiri scored his first Bundesliga brace in the 4-0 victory over Freiburg, but there was a bitter aftertaste to the afternoon for the Swiss schemer as he was forced off with injury after 61 minutes. “A post-match medical showed that the player ruptured a muscle in the back of his right thigh. “Shaq will now definitely miss the Champions League round of 16 first leg away to Arsenal on Wednesday and the following Sunday’s Bundesliga trip to Hannover.”

AYERN Munich coach Pep B Guardiola says he holds Arsenal boss Arsene

No way…Arsenal’s Wilshere seems to tell his Bayern Munich challenger when they met last year in the Champions League. They will battle again at the Emirate Stadium today

Arsenal will be tough, says Muller Munich midfielder BAYERN Thomas Muller says they are

Beware of Balotelli, Costa warns teammates TLETICO Madrid striker A Diego Costa admits his side could be in for a bad night if they underestimate the threat posed by Mario Balotelli and AC Milan in the first leg of their Champions League last 16 tie. The Spaniards make the trip to the San Siro today having bounced back from their second league defeat of the season at Almeria by beating Real Valladolid 3-0 on Saturday night. That was Atletico’s third victory in four league games and lifted them level on 60 points with Barcelona and Real Madrid at the top of the Primera Division standings. Milan, in contrast, have struggled domestically and are down in ninth place in Serie A, 31 points behind league leaders Juventus. However, Atletico would be foolish to take the seven-time European champions lightly, according to Costa. “We expect a very difficult but beautiful game at the San Siro,” he told www.marca.com. “In order to achieve something positive, we will need to do our best. Milan have a lot of tradition and know how to play these type of games. We will have do a great job against them.” Atletico, coached by Diego Simeone, have advanced to the knockout phase of the competition for the first time since the 2008-09 campaign and have not progressed to the quarterfinal stages since 1997. “We know how much this game means for Atletico and our fans,” Costa said. “This is a big game for us and Atletico is a top team that has to play in these type of games.” Costa, who scored four goals in

three games to help the team finish top of their Champions League group, sees AC Milan striker Mario Balotelli as his team’s biggest threat. “Balotelli is one of the best strikers in the world,” Costa said. “Our defenders know this and

will keep a close eye on him.” Balotelli scored his 10th league goal in Friday’s 1-0 triumph over Bologna. The outcome allowed the Rossoneri to bounce back from their 3-1 defeat at Napoli, Milan’s first league loss under coach Clarence Seedorf.

Diego Costa has warned that Balotelli and his teammates will be difficult to beat

prepared to “go to the pain barrier” in today’s Champions League match at Arsenal. The European champions have lost only once in 34 games going into the first leg of the last-16 tie - but Muller says they are wary of the Gunners. “It’ll be a tough game in London - we know we’ve got to go right to the pain barrier,” said the Germany player. “We’re off to London feeling good and with a great run under our belts.” Since former Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola took over in the summer, the Bundesliga

champions have enjoyed an extraordinary run of form. Their only two defeats this season have come against Borussia Dortmund - in July’s curtain-raiser to the German season, the DFB Super Cup - and against Manchester City, in the final round of Champions League group games. They lead the German league by 16 points, having managed 19 wins and two draws - and their goal difference column reads 57 for and nine against. The Bavarian giants have faced Arsenal in the last 16 of the competition on two other occa-

He said focus would be the key to sustaining a good run of form in all competitions. “There is no special way to do more or less, when you behave like a professional you have to continue what do you do through the whole season so you are ready for

sions - last season and during the 2004-05 campaign. Last February, Bayern, then managed by Jupp Heynckes, secured an impressive 3-1 win at the Emirates Stadium before suffering a 2-0 defeat at home in the second leg. They went on to beat Borussia Dortmund in the final at Wembley in what turned out to be a treble-winning season. Bayern also had the better of the Gunners nine years ago, when two goals from Claudio Pizarro helped the German club, under the guidance of new Fulham manager Felix Magath, to record 3-2 aggregate win.

Thomas Muller

…Focus will be the key— Mertesacker efender Per Mertesacker has warned that Arsenal D must be ready to “switch on” to the task of tackling Bayern Munich in today’s Champions League tie.

Wenger in high esteem as he prepares his side to face the Gunners at the Emirates. The two sides meet today in the first leg of an eagerly anticipated Champions League last 16 clash. Defending champions Bayern knocked Arsenal out at the same stage last year, but Wenger’s men are enjoying an excellent season, sitting second in the Premier League and through to the last eight of the FA Cup. The London club is also unbeaten in its last 13 home matches, of which 10 have been wins, making Guardiola cautious. “My opinion on Arsene is that I have a lot of respect,” the Spaniard said. “His teams have his quality and I have to admire the quality of my opponents. We are going to play one team that has all the season been up (leading the league), so now they are third or second in the league, but in the beginning (they were) there. “It is a typical team that always puts in a good performance in the Champions League. The last eight, nine or 10 years they have been in the Champions League and they are a special team with (Santi) Cazorla, (Mesut) Ozil, (Jack) Wilshere, (Alex) Oxlade-Chamberlain, (Aaron) Ramsey.

these big clashes,” he said in the Arsenal matchday programme. “It is it is just up to you to continue what you have done - the concentration, the tension and the atmosphere will be bigger than normal, but I am still relaxed because we have had heavy schedules through the season and we have been able to pick one game at a time and think ‘the next game is the

really important one’. “If there are four big games coming up, you have to isolate each game and take one at a time. “You have to switch on quickly and try to switch off for maybe 24 hours and then (get) switched on again, that is really important during heavy schedule. “I think our group of players has the potential to do it and we have shown that through the season we have the ability to make these games special for us.”

TheGuardian

Wednesday, February 19, 2014

Conscience, Nurtured by Truth

By Chiedu Uche Okoye

‘

KNOW that this letter will come to you as a Ianymore surprise since letter writing is not the fad in Nigeria. In fact, nowadays, Nigerians seldom write letters home to their parents. We are in the internet age, so they post their thoughts on Facebook and Twitter, or YouTube and send messages via them. Sadly, in Nigeria, the art of letter-writing is dying with its concomitant effects. Many job-seekers who are university graduates do make a mess of letter-writing when they are asked to write application letters for jobs. It is that bad. Before they write such simple letters, they consult English Language text books or they will enlist the help of those who will write the letters for them. But, daddy, things are changing for the better in our country now. You have been yearning for news about Nigeria since your transition to the spiritual dimension many years ago. Daddy, the good news is that the Obasanjo clan has revived the art of letterwriting in Nigeria. They wash their dirty linens in public via open letters. Now, millions of Nigerians are emulating them. This will have a salutary effect on our dysfunctional educational system as people busy themselves reading books that cut across various disciplines so as to become good letter writers. But, daddy, my purpose of writing this letter to you is to relay to you the happenings in our country, Nigeria, which will determine its future. Chinua Achebe, the inimitable, story-teller, diagnosed Nigeria as having leadership problem. That problem hasn’t abated. Rather, bad political leadership is the bane of Nigeria. Before 1999, the military misruled Nigeria for the greater part of her independence years. Obasanjo, as our president, frittered away the opportunity given to him to take Nigeria to a great technological height. He reportedly pumped billions of naira into the power sector without much to show for it. During his eight-year stay in office, he failed to rehabilitate the road that leads to Ota, his home town. His successor, Alhaji Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, died while in power. Daddy, now, an Ijaw man in bowler hat from the oil rich marshy creek of Bayelsa is the president of Nigeria. We voted him into office because his tale of poverty resonated with us. He regaled us with how he walked bare-footed to in the scorching African sun. Nigerians believed him that someone of their background had emerged at last. And, he appears to have the virtues of simplicity and humility. His fishermen kinsmen are happy that one of their own is now controlling the affairs of Nigeria. Whether others are happy is a mute point. So, now, the Niger-Delta region, which used to be a theater of war, has become relatively peaceful. The government has granted the militants amnesty, and many of them are studying abroad or learning some trade in some foreign countries. But, the northern region, especially the

‘

But, daddy, my purpose of writing this letter to you is to relay to you the happenings in our country, Nigeria, which will determine its future. Chinua Achebe, the inimitable, story-teller, diagnosed Nigeria as having leadership problem. That problem hasn’t abated. Rather, bad political leadership is the bane of Nigeria.

’

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A letter to my father on the state of our country

Sadly, our political leaders are busy mapping out strategies on how to win elective posts in 2015 instead of thinking out ways on how to diversify our economy and create job opportunities for millions of unemployed Nigerians. Some rebellious members of the PDP have defected to APC where they can achieve their political goals. However, PDP and APC are much of a muchness; no ideological differences exist between them. Now, the number of APC members in the National Assembly has swelled.

’

North-East, is the hot-bed of violence now. A mini-civil war is raging there with its disastrous effects. A group called Boko Haram

has been attacking public buildings and churches and killing people relentlessly since 2009 in the north. Members of this

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group are opposed to western civilization, and they want the enthronement of Islamic theocracy in Nigeria. Perhaps, President Jonathan’s occupation of the highest political post in Nigeria is their grouse, too. They once asked him to convert to Islamic religion as a condition for their putting down their arms. The Federal Government has failed to dislodge and defeat the Boko Haram insurgents despite the fact that a state of emergency has been declared in the northern states of Borno, Yobe and Adamawa. In the South-East, kidnapping wealthy people for ransom is a booming and thriving business. Not a few Nigerians had been kidnapped; and, they didn’t regain their freedoms until they paid millions of naira as ransom. So, our political elite lives behind fortresses guarded by private security men, and drive in bullet-proof cars. More so, no day passes without tales of armed robbers’ savagery and banditry flooding our social media and airwaves. These days, armed robbers storm banks, and rob them unchallenged for hours. Insecurity of lives and property pervades our country now. But, the upsurge in criminal activities may not be unconnected with the high unemployment rate in Nigeria. An adage says that an idle mind is a devil’s workshop. Millions of university graduates cannot find lucrative employment after leaving the universities many years back. Many who have jobs are under-employed. Is this unpalatable situation not a recipe for the escalation of criminal activities? Sadly, our political leaders are busy mapping out strategies on how to win elective posts in 2015 instead of thinking out ways on how to diversify our economy and create job opportunities for millions of unemployed Nigerians. Some rebellious members of the PDP have defected to APC where they can achieve their political goals. However, PDP and APC are much of a muchness; no ideological differences exist between them. Now, the number of APC members in the National Assembly has swelled. The PDP rump is trying to pick up the pieces of its existence. But, the exchange of threats between pro-Jonathan people and the antiJonathan group is heating up the polity. It’s a portent of doom for us. Nigerians are watching the unfolding events with bated breath. The situation is a cliffhanger. • Okoye, lives in Uruowulu-Obosi, Anambra State. 08062220654.