Tuesday 21 Jan 2014

TheGuardian Conscience, Nurtured by Truth Monday, January 20, 2014

Vol. 30, No. 12,807

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New military structure as service chiefs take over From Madu Onuorah (Abuja Bureau Chief) S the new service chiefs formally take over the mantle of leadership today, a picture of the new military and its structure has emerged.

Those who are taking over from their predecessors are Chief of Defence Staff, Air Marshal Alex Sabundu Badeh, new Chief of Army Staff, Maj.-Gen. Kenneth Tobiah Jacob Minimah, new Chief of Naval Staff, Rear Admiral Usman Jibrin and Chief of Air Staff, Air Vice Marshal Adesola Nunayon Amosu.

Though information obtained by The Guardian from the Nigerian Army Seniority Roll Regular Combatants Officers for 2013 doesn’t show the whole picture of the seniority in the Army, Minimah is number 17.

Six persons on the seniority list who have left service include Ihejirika, who retired as COAS effective 16-01-2014, Maj.Gen. L.P. Ngubane (retired voluntarily with effect from November 10, 2013 on attaining the age ceiling 56 years for a major general), Maj.-Gen.

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President Goodluck Jonathan (third left), his wife, Patience, mother of the President, Eunice, and other dignitaries at the 2013 post national pilgrimage to Jerusalem thanksgiving service by the President at the Aso Villa Chapel, State House, Abuja…yesterday.

PHOTO: PHILIP OJISUA

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Interest groups to nominate national confab delegates From Madu Onuorah (Abuja), Abiodun Fanoro and Kamal Tayo Oropo (Lagos) RESIDENT Goodluck Jonathan is set to release by mid-February the modalities for the convocation of the proposed national conference, The Guardian has learnt.

Contrary to earlier expectations, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) or any organ of government will not be involved in the election of delegates to the conference.

Rather, delegates to the conference will come via nomina-

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• FG to release modalities for next month• No direct elections by govt’s organs • Programme may last for three months • Won’t take more than 500 representatives • To have co-chairs, co-secretaries • Afenifere group rejects Okurounmu’s report tions to the secretariat by different professional, cultural, ethnic, religious groups that will be announced later. These groups are expected to conduct their own elections and

send their chosen delegates to the conference secretariat, which will then collate the nominations.

Besides, the Afenifere Renewal Group has rejected the

recommendations of the Senator Femi Okurounmu’s Presidential Advisory Committee on National Dialogue because they will not engender the type of conference that Nige-

ria needs.

Sources told The Guardian in Abuja at the weekend that the release of the modalities for the conference, which is currently being worked out by

• Ihejirika berates northern elders over stand on anti-terrorism crusade - Page 8 • Govs, N’Assembly leaders meet over choice of new PDP chairman - Page 6

the office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), will show the timelines and specifics for the implementation.

It is expected that barring any major development, the conference will not last for more than three months.

“This is because the President wants it to be conducted within a space of three months so that the conference doesn’t affect the governance process and preparations and run-up to the 2015 elections. As the conference is on, governance must go on,” a source said.

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Monday, January 20, 2014

New military structure as service chiefs take over CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 M.B. Monguno (retired voluntarily with effect from September 23, 2013 on attaining the age ceiling of 56 years), Maj.Gen. C.O. Onwuamaegbu (retired voluntarily on October 29, 2013 on attaining the age ceiling of 56), Maj.-Gen. O.A.C.

Ariahu (retired voluntarily with effect from September 9, 2013 on attaining the age ceiling of 56 years) and Maj.-Gen. A.K. Kwaskebe (retired voluntarily on August 8, 2013 on attaining the age ceiling of 56 years).

Information obtained shows that in reality, based on laid

down Army rules, there are actually only 10 officers senior to Minimah in the ranks of major general on the date of his appointment. They include those who are his seniors either by virtue of seniority on promotion and three of his course mates who have senior Nigerian Army (NA) numbers.

Out of the seven senior officers who are Minimah’s seniors, two are already due for retirement this month of January 2014.

They include Maj.-Gen. S.U. Abdulkadir (Commander, Training and Doctrine Command) who was notified of his retirement according to the

rules and has applied for voluntary retirement having attained the age ceiling of 56 years on January 27, 2014 and Maj.-Gen. A.A. Olaniyi who is due for retirement on attaining the age ceiling of 56 years on January 29, 2014 but was granted six months extension which will terminate on July

2014 because there are special engineering projects he is overseeing for the Army.

Of the five remaining officers who are senior to the new Chief of Army Staff, two have been notified of the impending retirements and they have equally applied for voluntary CONTINUED ON PAGE 6

tions never dealt with agitations by either militants in the Niger Delta, the Odua People’s Congress, Movement for the Sovereign State of Biafra or the killings in the North Central area. It has not solved the ethnic and religious violence in the North.

“But this national dialogue is not a one bus stop programme. It will be the foundation for strengthening a better Nigeria and ensuring growth is not affected by any crisis. If we don’t fix things through dialogue and carry on with business as usual, we will never take our manifest place as the leader in the world. If we assume that if we fix the economy, all will be well, then, we are deceiving ourselves as, the economy cannot be fixed substantially when the fundamentals are wrong.

Experience has shown that ethnic nationality questions don’t go away with economic development alone. Ethnic agitations don’t get knocked off by just positive economic indicators. If it is so, why are segments of Scotland citizens within the United Kingdom agitating for independence today? You

must find a way to manage the situation. That is what the dialogue is all about.”

Though Jonathan would not give a no-go area charge to the conference, it is not expected to delve into areas that are “deemed to have been already settled. For example, no one is expected to arrive at the conference questioning the basis of the nation’s existence or asking for the dissolution of the union. For the Presidency, the dialogue is to agree on how to have a strong union.

No one is expected to come to argue for a separation. Rather, the conference is to resolve contentious issues that impede the nation’s match to greatness.”

Such issues include state creation, resource management and control, environmental challenges and religious rights and state of origin challenges.

The conference is also expected to agree on whether there will be a new constitution or whether all agreements reached by it will go through an amendment process. This decision may account for why the leadership of the National Assembly is being carried along by the Presidency in the run-up to the decision to conduct the conference and modalities for its implementation.

The source said: “This is not going to be easy. Nobody should deceive anybody. But it is a task that must have to be done. Nation building is not completed in one administration or one event alone. The conference is not a last bus stop to solve Nigeria’s problem but a pivotal driving force. This will be a momentous event in the life of this nation. And for this President, this conference is more important than the 2015 elections because if it is successful, it will herald a new era of value-oriented politics and transparency in the conduct of government business in the country. There will be an agreeable platform to move the nation from where we are right now to where we ought to be. That is the goal.”

In a statement by its Publicity Secretary, Kunle Famoriyo, the Afenifere Renewal Group (ARG) said that any conference convened based on the Okurounmu panel’s recommendations would not meet the yearnings of Nigerians.

ARG maintains its stance that the proposed conference must be that of ethnic nationalities in Nigeria.

The statement reads: “We found the recommendation that representation should be based on federal constituencies distasteful because this political structure has been used as veritable tools of injustice, social, and political discriminations that have held this country bound.

“Nigeria has six administrative regions, which have become a defining structure for

almost any national issue.

“Our recommendation therefore is that equal number of delegates should come from each administrative zone and these delegates should be selected by ethnic nations within each zone.

“We reject also the recommendation that conference delegates should be saddled with the responsibility of deciding how decisions and outcomes of the proposed conference would be integrated into the constitution and laws of Nigeria.

“This committee could not come up with any recommendation on this particular term of reference, despite the avalanche of historical antecedents in other countries, more than 1,000 presentations and memoranda, technical presentations from renowned experts and leaders, and several other consultations available to it.

“This is, to say the least, an evasion of responsibility and rejection of popular desire for a new constitution.”

In fact, according to the group, a cursory look at the 38 issues recommended for discussion by the committee is a confirmation that the country needs a new constitution, which it surprisingly shied away from recommending.

“Resolving constitutional problems in Nigeria cannot be the most difficult in the world and certainly, not as difficult as the committee, in its recommendation, wants us to believe,” the group declared.

ARG, in coalition with many Yoruba groups have recommended that the decisions and outcomes of the national conference should only be subjected to a referendum and this process should produce a brand new constitution for Nigeria.

According to the group, the national conference will be unfair when a third of the delegates are to be nominated by Jonathan.

“We therefore kick against the nomination of any delegates, whether from any public official or from special interest groups. Our stand is that every Nigerian belongs to an ethnic nation and in fact, the presidency of Nigerian Bar Association is already pre-determined on the basis of ethnicity and this has worked for them. We therefore see no reason why selection of delegates cannot be devolved to ethnic components of Nigeria.

“We believe that the proposed conference is a makeor-break issue for President Jonathan that initiated it and for Nigeria – for the President because it will be the most defining legacy of his administration and for Nigeria because only a complete restructuring can save the country from the gradual collapse buffeting all its public institutions,” the group said.

No direct elections by govt’s organs CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 The Guardian learnt that the leadership and secretariat of the conference will be balanced. There will be co-chairs and co-secretaries to balance the North/South and religious divide.

Groups expected to attend include representatives of popular and professional bodies including the Nigerian Bar Association, National Medical Association, Academic Union of Universities, labour and civil society groups, youths and women organisations, faith-based organisations, representatives of the three arms of the military, security agencies and representatives of federal and state civil services.

Other expected delegates include pensioners, representatives of the National Assembly, Nigerians in the Diaspora, representatives of ethnic nationalities and groups (Arewa Consultative Forum, Odua People’s Congress, Ohanaeze, Middle Belt Congress, etc) and elected officials at the federal, state and local council levels.

According to details being

worked out, not more than two nominations are expected from the major interest groups though others will be limited to one nomination only as what the organisers are looking for is effective and equitable representation.

As for the number of delegates being expected, there will not be more than 500. The minimum number being considered is 350.

For the 2005 political conference, only the President and the governors nominated delegates. In fact, each state governor nominated six persons.

A Presidency source said: “These groups have to decide who comes to the conference.

The President won’t. The President has taken these measures because though you may not get perfect people or have a perfect conference, Nigerians will be happier when the process is released and implemented.”

To assuage the fears of minorities, governors will be advised to take the diversity of their states into considerations when the nomination process starts. The Federal Government is going a little step further as various aggre-

gation groups are already at work in states towards ensuring that the interests of the smaller ethnic groups within them and their cleavages are not left out in the nomination.

The source said: “The goal of the national conference is to engender a greater Nigeria where equity, fairness and justice become the driving force for the good and greatness of the country. This is because Nigeria, standing as it is, will not realise its potential. What we have been having as a solution to Nigeria’s problem is a fix-and-start approach. What the dialogue will give us is fundamental in character. We have to put strong pillars to sustain the country.

“For a nation to be standing and strong, its foundation must be strong. For Nigeria, we need to get to the point where we all agree we all want to live together and state the parameters. But we need to do that. We have never had that as a nation. We’ve had always the military coming in to tinker with the constitution to assuage one issue or another. These constitu-

Monday, January 20, 2014 | 5

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News Mimiko’s second term will record more feats, says commissioner OVERNOR Olusegun G Mimiko’s second term will record more feats

President Jonathan

PDP Acting National Chairman, Uche Secondus

as it has already taken off on a promising note, Information Commissioner, Mr. Kayode Akinmade, said at the weekend.

Giving the assurance while speaking with newsmen in Akure, he enjoined the people of Ondo State to continue to support the government.

Akinmade said within two weeks of his re-election, Mimiko launched resident cards, otherwise known as Kaadi Igbeayo for the state while he also launched an ultra-modern mechanic village a month after.

He said nine modern markets have also been commissioned with more still to be inaugurated, submitting that God has been able to use the government’s poli-

PDP strategises for victory in South West From Saxone Akhaine (Kaduna), Muyiwa Adeyemi (Ado Ekiti), Niyi Bello (Akure), Lawrence Njoku (Enugu), Gbenga Salau, Tunde Akinola (Lagos), Leo Sobechi (Abakaliki) and Terhemba Daka (Abuja) OLLOWING its recent poor FSouth showing in elections in the West region and the growing disenchantment with the Federal Government among a section of the Yoruba nation, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has harped on fielding credible candidates in future elections if the party must regain its lost glory in the region.

This was the position of a group of PDP leaders under the aegis of South-West Network (SWN), which is already networking to reposition the party and change its fortunes. SWN Chairman, Senator Hosea Agboola, said yesterday that the group has resolved to assist to identify and ensure the emergence of credible candidates in all elections.

Agboola, who is the Deputy Senate Chief Whip, said in a release yesterday that they so resolved because “credible and competent candidates are crucial to victory in elections.”

In Enugu, nevertheless, the PDP has described as illegal last Friday’s suspension of five members of the state executive committee by the Chairman of Udi local council, Uche Ogbodo, for alleged antiparty activities.

According to a statement in Enugu yesterday by the state chairman, Vita Abba, Ogbodo’s action aimed to create crisis in the party, as he has no right to suspend any member.

Abba said the development fell short of the party’s constitution, which made no provision for an individual to suspend any member without due composition of party executive.

Nevertheless, more trouble is

• Shitta-Bey joins APC, as Enugu, Ondo chapters pick officers • Party rejects secret reception of defectors in Ebonyi • Katsina PDP chieftains, opposition finetune defection plans • Court can’t stop APC’s take-over of House leadership, says Rep coming for the ruling PDP, as a member of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, has declared that he and 36 others, who recently defected to the APC, would not return to the party.

In a statement yesterday, he vowed that nothing would ever make them turn back at this stage from “their journey to salvage Nigeria from the dictatorship and bad governance in the PDP.” He further noted that despite the pending court case instituted by the PDP, the APC would take over the leadership of the House of Representatives, stating that the PDP has no locus standi to institute the case because it concerns the internal leadership structure of the House, which is guaranteed by the constitution and House rules.

According to him, there is nowhere in the world that a minority party rules the parliament. However, he revealed that contrary to the case instituted by the PDP, nobody has planned to change PDP leadership in the House since all the people occupying leadership positions under the PDP platform would continue to retain their positions but in minority capacity.

He equally insisted that the judiciary cannot dictate to the legislature how to conduct its affairs as it is against the principles of separation of powers as enshrined in the constitution.

Meanwhile, the Chairman of Mega Progressive Peoples Party (MPP), Rasheed ShittaBey, has disclosed his intention to defect to the All Progressives Congress (APC) “to serve the grassroots more effectively.”

Addressing journalists yesterday at a rally organised by the APC in Surulere, Lagos, ShittaBey said he would officially resign as MPP leader during the party’s convention on February 1, and afterwards fully join the APC, where his “full potential would be deployed to the service of the people.”

And sustaining the gale of defections rocking and weakening the PDP across the country, several of its chieftains from Katsina State yesterday held a secret meeting with leaders of the opposition APC, apparently to concretise their plan of cross-carpeting.

The Katsina PDP stalwarts were led by former Minister of Agriculture, Dr. Abba Sayyadi Rumah, who met with the opposition leaders for about eight hours. Though none of the politicians who attended the meeting disclosed the details to journalists, a source said they “were not happy with the style of PDP leadership in the state and had no choice than to seek an alternative party, which informed the Kaduna meeting.”

Though Rumah, a key figure in the late Umaru Yar’Adua government, told journalists that it was just a consultative meeting, the chieftains were seen coming out of the venue holding cards bearing the APC sign and logo.

Those at the meeting included Ambassador Abdullahi Garba Aminci, Senator Abu Ibrahim, Senator Abubakar Sadiq Yar’Adua, Alhaji Abdulkadir Mamman Nasir, Dr. Badamasi Lawal, Alhaji Yusuf Suleiman and Malam Ibrahim Lawal Assalamualikum, among oth-

ers.

In Ebonyi State, meanwhile, the APC interim executive committee has declared that it would not admit willing individuals or defectors from other parties, especially the PDP, through the back door.

The declaration comes on the heels of plans by members of the State House of Assembly to defect en masse unless Governor Martin Elechi abides with his promise of automatic return tickets to the legislature as well as renewed funding of their overseas travels for seminars and workshops.

Sources within the Assembly told The Guardian that members saw in the governor’s speech that he does not reckon with them, adding that it seemed the party was not favourably disposed to granting them a second term.

The source recalled how, shortly after the proclamation of the Fourth Assembly, Elechi spoke against the high turnover of members, stating that it vitiates the training and experience gathered by the legislators, and regretting that the governor, who is nursing a senatorial ambition, seems to have abandoned his earlier stand.

While declaring that only automatic return tickets could stop their defection, the source said the members intend to meet and request the governor to approve funds for members’ international legislative seminars and workshops, adding that the outcome of the meeting would determine how soon they crossed over.

However, a former member of the Assembly and APC stalwart in the state, Mr. Patrick

Mgbebu, disclosed that though three representatives of the legislators have been discussing with the party, “nothing concrete has as yet been agreed, but we believe that after the National Assembly resumes next week, something could happen.”

Meanwhile, the Enugu State chapter of the APC, during the party’s South East Zonal meeting held in Owerri, Imo State, at the weekend, elected Mrs. Joy Ebe as chairman of its seven-man interim committee. Others were Ever Asadu (secretary), Nzube Ubasinachi (publicity secretary), Macvin Ugwuanyi (treasurer), A.C. Ude (organising secretary), Louis Okolo Jnr (youth leader) and Queen Nwankwo (woman leader).

Governor of Imo State and South-East leader of APC, Rochas Okorocha, who hosted the meeting, disclosed that the party’s membership registration would commence nationwide on January 28.

In Ondo State APC, however, it was further crisis with the inauguration at the weekend of a third interim committee within two weeks. There are now three different parties laying claim to the headship of the committee to organise and register members from the unity parties.

The latest election has the former chairman of the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), Noah Adesoji, as interim chairman, while the former state chairman of the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), Olalekan Obolo, emerged the secretary.

Others are the former state chairman of the defunct All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP), Yemisi Aladesaye (treasurer), Damilola Oluyemi (organising secretary) and Bala Umar (public relations officer).

ACN candidate in the last governorship election, Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, was the first to be inaugurated

cies to bring equilibrium to the society as children of the less privileged now rub shoulders with those of the elite in the state.

Declaring that it was no doubt a new experience in the state, Akinmade said Mimiko has been able to justify his election into office as he has fulfilled his electoral promises to the people, adding that he will continue to justify the confidence of the people in him.

“Those who knew Ondo State before he assumed office and what is obtainable in the state now will testify to the great transformation in the state,” Akinmade said, insisting that the changes did not come by accident but an outcome of the urge to serve the people to effect a change.

chairman by the national leadership of the party at a ceremony presided over by the National Vice-Chairman, South West, Otunba Adeniyi Adebayo. Barely five days after that, another faction of the party close to the elders inaugurated Prof. Adeyemi Aderoba and his team.

According to a release by Umar, the Ondo State APC Harmonisation Committee consists of 31 members, 19 of whom were present at the meeting with the three legacy parties’ state chairmen as well as their national officers.

It enjoined all to disregard earlier media publications claiming that some officers other than those mentioned above had been elected.

It further urged all council chairmen of the legacy parties to meet in their respective areas to jointly appoint two registration officers per polling unit, four registration supervisors per ward and four registration supervisors per local council, and forward their names to the APC state secretariat not later than January 22.

Meanwhile, Agboola noted that the SNW, at its inaugural meeting in Lagos last week, “expressed commitment to bridging the gap between the Presidency and South-West and readiness to provide a platform for political networking in the region.”

According to him, the group is also poised to sensitize people of the region on President Goodluck Jonathan’s transformation agenda and foster understanding and synergy between the Federal Government and the region.

Membership of the group includes former Defence Minister, Prince Adetokunbo Kayode (deputy chairman), Hon. Oluwole Oke (secretary), and Ondo ex-governorship candidate, Olusola Oke (chairman, Committee on Political Strategy/Planning), among others.

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New military structure CONTINUED FROM PAGE 4 retirements. They include Maj.-Gen. S.Y. Audu, who is due for retirement on May 27, 2014 on attaining the age ceiling of 56 years and Maj.-Gen. P.J. Isang who is due for retirement on May 21, 2014 on attaining the age ceiling of 56 years. Of the three remaining senior officers, Maj.-Gen. E.E. Bassey is to disengage from service on December 15, 2014 when he would have served his full 35 years in service. By tradition, he is expected to be notified in June 2014 to enable him to apply for voluntary retirement.

Maj.-Gen. J.S. Kwabe is due for retirement on April 2015 while Maj.-Gen. A.B. Marwa is due for retirement in February 2015.

And in the complex nature of military seniority, there are five officers who were senior to Minimah in NDA, being members of 22, 23 and 24, but are currently junior to him, having lost seniority at various times of promotions. Still in service, they are due to retire at various times between next month and later next year.

They include Maj.-Gen. D.D. Kitchener (NDA Regular Course (RC) 22 but who is due to retire on February 14, 2014; Maj.-Gen. A.M. Gana (NDA RC 23 who is due to retire on October 2, 2014); Maj.-Gen. M.B. Ibrahim (NDA RC 24 who is due to retire on July 13, 2015; Maj.-Gen. A.A. Martins (NDA RC 24 who is due to retire on January 7, 2015 and Maj.-Gen. N.O. Ojiji (NDA RC 24) who was awaiting Army Council approval to proceed on his disengagement from service on January 16, 2014, the day the new changes were announced in the military.

The three course mates of Minimah who have senior Nigerian Army (NA) numbers include Maj.-Gens. H.I.O. Ayoola, U. Buzugbe and E.B. Awala. They are all members of NDA RC 25 as Minimah.

Even in the Nigerian Air Force, the new Chief of the Air Staff (CAS), Air Vice Marshal Amosu, who is the same NDA RC 25, has nine of his senior officers still in service. They include Air Vice Marshals D.S. Dillimo, N.A. Spiff, I. Umar, C. Onyemaobi, I.A. Kure, M.M. Maisaki, M.A. Akisami and E.E. Osim. By appointing the CAS, only pilots are considered. And out of the nine, only three are pilots.

For the new Chief of Naval Staff, Admiral Jubrin, who is a member of NDA RC 24, he doesn’t have the challenge of dealing with many of his sen-

iors like his counterparts in the Army and Air Force. He has only one, Rear Admiral James Oladimeji, a member of NDA RC 23 and the current Chief of Administration, Defence Headquarters.

With the advent of democracy in 1999, President Olusegun Obasanjo appointed Lt.-Gen. Samuel Victor Leo Malu (NDA RC 3) as COAS. Malu was replaced on April 2011 by Gen. Alexander Ogomudia (NDA RC 7). Ogomudia was replaced in June 2003 by Gen. Martins Luther Agwai (NDA RC 8). Agwai was replaced by the late Gen. Owoye Andrew Azazi (NDA RC 12) in June 2006. Azazi was replaced by the late Lt.-Gen. Luka Yusuf (NDA RC 14) in May 2007 while Lt.-Gen. Abdulrahman Bello Dambazau (NDA RC 17) replaced Yusuf in August 2008 while Lt.-Gen. O.A. Ihejirika (NDA RC 18) replaced Dambazau on September 8, 2010. Ihejirika has the record of the longest serving COAS since the nation returned to democratic rule. He was in office for three years four months and seven days.

Francis Cardinal Arinze, the Prefect Emeritus, congregation for Divine Worship and the discipline of the sacraments (L), with the Archbishop of Abuja Catholic Diocese, John Cardinal Onaiyekan, at the 2014 Annual St. Paul Lecture series in Abuja on Saturday.

PHOTO: NAN

Govs, N’Assembly leaders meet over choice of new PDP chairman From Azimazi Momoh Jimoh, Abuja MID a final decision over the next chairman of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), its former Chairman, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, yesterday said that the party would have collapsed had President Goodluck Jonathan refused to stand his ground against some intrigues.

Several meetings were held last night by PDP leaders in Abuja to get Tukur’s successor with many insisting on Borno as the best state to get the position.

As at the time of filing this report last night, no conclusion had been reached, as the three North East governors were yet to agree on a consensus candidate.

But sources had hinted that Mohammed Wakil, Senator Mohammed Abb Aji and Sen-

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• How Jonathan saved party from collapse, by Tukur ator Abubakar Mahdi were the three best selling candidates.

However, a dark horse may emerge, as PDP acting chairman should all efforts to get a consensus candidate fail, another source said yesterday.

He declared that Jonathan was deliberately delaying the meeting till late night to allow the governors and other stakeholders resolve their differences.

And receiving some party associates in his residence in Abuja yesterday, Tukur said but for the doggedness of Jonathan and the wisdom he displayed in managing the affairs of PDP, the party would have collapsed because of what he described as “evil plots” by certain members to completely destroy the party.

But sources had hinted that Mohammed Wakil, Senator Mohammed Abb Aji and Senator Abubakar Mahdi were the three best selling candidates. However, a dark horse may emerge, as PDP acting chairman should all efforts to get a consensus candidate fail, another source said yesterday According to him, some members of the PDP preferred the party to be run with the mentality of business as usual, because such members were utterly opposed to any form of change in running the party.

He said that personal ambitions, crave for sudden wealth and unimaginable level of treachery usually got

the full attention of such stakeholders than anything else.

He said: “I did my best to bring PDP to good standard and international best practices on politics. I came in with the mindset to reform the party by promoting the principle of election instead of selection and the idea of consensus instead of imposition.

“Alas, I was proved wrong by those who believed that the old order in PDP must be retained, not for any good thing, but for their selfish interests.”

Tukur continued: “How could I do such a thing, when indeed, I was the one advocating change in PDP? I waged war against the idea of imposition or selection of candidates for elections in our party. We did that successfully in Adamawa and it is working. We conducted transparent elections in Anambra and the best candidate won. We never favoured any candidate during the process.

“All the same, those who benefited from the rot within the party in the past stood in our ways. My conviction is that very soon, Nigerians will know the truth. It then matters what the country would do with such truth. ”

No power shift pact in Delta, says SSG From Hendrix Oliomogbe, Asaba

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PROMINENT member of the ruling People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and Secretary to the Delta State

Government, Ovouzourie Macaulay, has denied the existence of an agreement for power shift among the three senatorial districts.

Fielding questions from reporters Asaba, Macaulay, a member of the G3, which campaigned vigorously for incumbent Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan in 2007, said that before now, he had thrown his full weight behind the emergence of a candidate from the Igbo-speaking (Anioma) part of the state which makes up the Delta North Senatorial district but was beginning to be skeptical about the agenda.

The scribe explained that he would have preferred a candidate from Delta North who has a pan-Delta agenda instead of an ethnic-based campaign with all the cacophony of power shift which almost all the candidates from the district are currently engaged in.

He pointed out that as the North was only the senatorial district that was yet to

produce the governorship of the state, as the Urhobo or Central (have had it twice through Senator Felix Ibru and Chief James Ibori) and the South comprising the Itsekiri, Isoko and Ijaw (once through Uduaghan), the Anioma people truly deserve the support of the others.

Macaulay from the South Senatorial district faulted the Anioma candidates’ campaign slogan of equity and fairness, advising that the proper thing for them to do is to mount a campaign throughout the length and breadth of the state, outlining their dreams and vision for the state .

He said he was turned off by the negative campaign of marginalisation being labelled against the past rulers of the state by Anioma candidates, stressing that it smacks of an intention to engage in vendetta against the people of South and Central districts should an Anioma person become governor in 2015.

He charged: “I was initial-

ly very enthusiastic about an Anioma governor as Delta North is the only district that is yet to produce the governorship of the state but I am afraid that they may not get the support of the other districts if they don’t change their style. There is no need for this strident cry of marginalisation. It is a pointer that the Anioma are out for a revenge mission against the other parts of the state should they win in 2015. I think the proper thing for them to do is to campaign and sell their agenda for transforming the state to the people. With the way they are going about it, I am afraid that people like us will not support an Anioma person for the governorship as we are scared.”

The secretary insisted that as an insider, he was not aware of any agreement between the Anioma and other parts of the state for a power shift, adding that even if there was one, it was crystal clear that the people and leaders of Delta North never faithfully adhered to it.

Macaulay explained during the last election in 2011, the votes of Delta Northerners were shared between Uduaghan of the PDP and Chief Great Ogboru of the main opposition Democratic People’s Party and was the reason why Ogboru won convincingly in four local councils in Delta North and ran neck and neck with Uduaghan in the other five.

He said: “If at all, there was an agreement, the proper thing to have been done for the agreement to be valid was for the people of Delta North to vote massively for Uduaghan. Since nothing like that happened in the election, such an agreement is not valid.

For the avoidance of doubt, the opposition had 12 members in the House of Assembly.”

He added that he was yet to take a political decision for the forthcoming election but will support any candidate who has a vision of taking the state to a higher level instead of a narrow selfish and ethnic agenda.

THE GUARDIAN www.ngrguardiannews.com

Monday, January 20, 2014

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NEWS Monday, January 20, 2014

S’West lawyers screen aspirants to NBA presidency

Monarchs to screen, pick candidate for Delta gov poll From Hendrix Oliomogbe, Asaba

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HEAD of next year’s A governorship election, traditional rulers from Delta North Senatorial district are to thoroughly scrutinise aspirants from the Igbo speaking part of the state aspiring to be governor.

Also, in its determination to clinch the number one position for the district, a group, Anioma Congress, has called on aspirants from Delta North to indicate interest in writing to the Congress within 30 days.

A source close to the association disclosed that the aspirants must be of relevant age, good educational background, experience in governance, acceptability, record of community empowerment/service achievements in previous offices and performance.

A meeting presided over by the Asagba of Asaba, Prof. Chike Edozien, at the weekend in Asaba said that the traditional rulers will schedule another meeting after the expiration of the deadline where the Congress, in league with the monarchs from Delta North Senatorial district, will meet to pick those that would meet the criteria of the selection committee.

The source said that the selection committee may eventually come up with only one aspirant from the ruling People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and the main opposition All Progressives Congress (APC) in the area to face other aspirants from the Central and South senatorial districts who are also angling to join the race.

From Iyabo Lawal, Ibadan HEAD of the Nigeria Bar Association (NBA) national conference, the South-West Lawyers Forum, otherwise known as Egbe Amofin, yesterday rose from its meeting in Ibadan, Oyo State capital resolving to set up a committee to screen the four candidates contesting the NBA presidency.

At the meeting were representatives of all branches of the association in the zone as well as leaders of the association in the zone, Bamidele Aiku (SAN), its Secretary, Ranti Ajeleti, and the Treasurer, Mrs. Toyin Adegoke.

The tenure of the incumbent NBA President, Okey Wali, expires in July and it has been agreed that the South-West will produce the next president.

General Manager, Human Resources, Odu’a Investment Company, Abimbola Ilori (left); Group Managing Director (GMD), Dr. Adebayo Jimoh and Executive Director, Finance and Planning, Niyi Badmus, at the GMD’s valedictory briefing announcing his retirement from the conglomerate by May 2014 at the corporate head office in Ibadan.

PHOTO: NAJEEM RAHEEM

Ihejirika berates northern elders over stand on anti-terrorism crusade From Mohammed Abubakar, Abuja UTGOING Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Onyeabor Azubuike Ihejirika, yesterday came down on a group of Northern elders, which threatened to drag him before the International Criminal Court (ICC) at The Hague for alleged violation of the rights of civilians by the military in their crack-down on terrorism in the North East.

Ihejirika who condemned the threat, said the position of the Northern Elders’ Forum (NEF) is not only demoralizing to the armed forces as they battle against insurgency in the North-East, but serves as a morale booster to the insurgents to carry out their nefarious activities.

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• ‘They should be thanking the service chiefs’ • Politicians must learn to forgive, says Jonathan The Forum, rising from its meeting in Kaduna on Friday, had, in a statement, noted that the ex-army chief and six others are to be charged for alleged extra-judicial killings by soldiers in Bama and strangulation of civilians in Giwa barrack with the use of underground detention centre.

But Ihejirika who, alongside his Naval counterpart, Vice Admiral Joseph Dele Ezeoba, was replaced on Thursday last week by President Goodluck Jonathan, told State House correspondents after attending the Aso Villa Chapel first church service for 2014 that

rather than condemning the armed forces, they (elders) should be praising them for the enormous sacrifices they are making.

Asked to react to the threat by the elders to drag him to the International Criminal Court (ICC), he described such move as misconceived and capable of demoralising soldiers who are making huge sacrifices for the nation, as well as jeopardising the war against terrorism.

The ex-army chief argued that the elders, who have not bothered with even a single condolence message to the military, should instead be

thanking the military for making the sacrifices to keep the North safe, a situation the same elders stand to benefit more from.

His words: “My reaction to that is that their statement is ill-conceived, perhaps based on some misinformation.

“The northern elders should be thanking the service chiefs, my officers and myself for making huge sacrifices, first to see that Nigeria is safe and the North in particular, since they are the first beneficiaries of the sacrifices being made.

“There is no senatorial zone in this country that has not lost personnel of the armed forces. It is unfortunate that the same elders, if they are really elders, have not cared to send a single condolence mes-

sage to the military.

“I think that their statement is discouraging and it impacts negatively on the counter-terrorist efforts because, as we speak, there are soldiers that have not had a meal since yesterday because of the peculiarity of where they are at the moment.”

Nevertheless, Ihejirika was optimistic that the fight against terrorism, which has been boosted by recent strategic measures, would very soon wipe out the insurgents.

“It has been very busy thing.

I believe that very soon, Nigerians will be very happy because we have put quite a number of structures in place,” he said.

Radio components of the Broadcasting Service of Ekiti State (BSES)?” Bamidele asked.

Bamidele added that their refusal to air paid advertorials and programmes due to what has been termed “order from above” is clearly a violation of known guidelines of the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC), thereby denying the populace the needed information aside from government propaganda.

He urged the government to stop “indiscriminate borrowings”, faulting alleged tying of the local government administration as well as the management of the federally collectible monthly allocated funds to the 16 councils to the apron string of the state government by the current administration.

He urged Fayemi to seek out-of-court settlement of the lingering litigation on the composition of the State Independent Electoral Commission to pave way for the conduct of local council

election.

Reacting, Oyebode said on the state’s debt, it is a wellknown fact that the state went to the capital market to raise a N25 billion bond in 2011, with a well structured repayment plan. About N12 billion has been repaid, while the bond money was spent on regenerative projects and massive road construction which have put Ekiti on the league of developed states. The Fayemi administration has demonstrated enormous transparency and accountability in the sourcing and disbursement of the bond money and the projects are there for all to see and feel.

“Nothing can be more mischievous than Bamidele’s take on council election in the state. For it is a wellknown fact that the administration had concluded all arrangement for the conduct of council election in the state before the PDP got a court injunction to stop it.

The case is still at the appellate court.”

Bamidele, govt trade words over governance in Ekiti From Muyiwa Adeyemi (Head South West Bureau Ado Ekiti) MEMBER of the House of Representatives and governorship aspirant in Ekiti State, Opeyemi Bamidele, has accused the state government of political intolerance.

He flayed the state govern-

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ment over the N25 billion bond it secured from the capital market, alleging that the debt had impacted negatively on the lives of the common man in the state.

Bamidele, who defected from the All Peoples Congress (APC) to Labour Party (LP) to pursue his governorship ambition, in an open letter to

Governor Kayode Fayemi, alleged that the governor and members of his cabinet constitute a threat to the realisation of a free, fair and credible election in Ekiti.

But in a swift reaction, the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Mr. Yinka Oyebode, described Bamidele’s allegations as outburst of a liar and mischief-maker.

He said: “Bamidele’s letter is a pot pourri of outright lies and deliberate distortion of issues.

He should be blamed for introducing violence to Ekiti politics. The rising tension in the politics of Ekiti started immediately he joined the race with his penchant for importing thugs from Ondo State to cause mayhem in Ekiti. He remains the greatest threat to the 2014 poll.”

Bamidele said it would be incredible, the promise made by Fayemi on his New Year message.

“I have taken my time to read through your New Year message of January 1, 2014 in which you, among other

things, expressed your concern for security of lives and property in the state while calling on all stakeholders, the people, the political elite and traditional rulers, to put all efforts to ensure Ekiti State records a free and fair 2014 election.

“How would I and my constituents believe your professed commitment to protection of property if I made statutory payments to the Signage Agency under your office to mount 16 billboards as an elected representative to wish people who elected you and I into office a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year on the 22nd of December 2013 and, in less than 48 hours thereafter, your political appointees had destroyed all of the billboards while you conveniently looked away?

“How will you explain the fact that you and your cronies are the only elected and appointed public servants or statesmen who can air their views and programmes on the Television (EKTV) and

Monday, January 20, 2014 | 9

THE GUARDIAN www.ngrguardiannews.com

Robbery kingpin, Tidjani, feared dead in prison

By Odita Sunday USPECTED trans-border Skingpin, car snatcher and robbery Hamani Tidjani, has died after 10 years in prison custody.

Tidjani, who was arrested by the police for allegedly masterminding a series of car snatching and armed banditry across the NigeriaBenin Republic border, reportedly breathed his last at 9 a.m. on Saturday.

The suspect was standing trial in Nigeria for various crimes, which he committed in the country between 1980 and 2003.

Spokesman of the Lagos Command of the Nigerian Prisons Service, Biyi Jeje, told The Guardian that Mr. Tidjani had been suffering ‘Partial stroke’ over the past nine months.

“We had given him a series of medical attention but his condition worsened. We informed the Lagos State government but they thought we were making spurious assertions,” Jeje said.

Tidjani was arrested in September 2003 and had been facing trial before a Lagos High Court on a threecount charge of conspiracy to commit robbery, armed robbery, and receiving stolen goods.

When contacted, J.H. Bashir, the deceased’s lawyer, said he was heading to the Kirikiri Prison to confirm the development.

“If it is true, then an act of injustice has been done as far as we are concerned and the Lagos State government and the Obasanjo government are the ones responsible,” Bashir said.

Defence Corps rescues man from suicide From John Akubo, Dutse THIRY-TWO-YEAR-OLD A man, Muhammad Sani, who attempted to commit suicide by setting up a bonfire and jumping into it around 10 p.m. in Fagoji Quarters of Dutse Local Council Area of Taraba State yesterday has been rescued.

Jigawa Commandant of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Mr. Muhammad Gidado, who disclosed this yesterday, explained that the suspect, who became unconscious after falling into the fire, was rushed to Dutse General Hospital for medical attention.

The commandant explained that the suspect was rescued from the fire by team of the NSCDC and police.

According to him, he has ordered for investigations to get to the root of what prompted the suspect to commit suicide.

However, Gidado said a piece of paper containing the suspect’s name and address was found where he sat before jumping into the fire.

The commandant added that the man, who is from Gandun Sarki Hadejia Village in Hadejia Council Area of the state, did not state the reason for his action.

Mbu

Amaechi

APC faults Police Commission on Mbu From Kelvin Ebiri, Port-Harcourt ITING double standard, the C All Progressives Congress (APC) has condemned the tacit defence of the Rivers State Police Commissioner, Joseph Mbu, by the Police Service Commission (PSC), saying the Commission, by its unimaginative action, was only pandering to the Presidency, which is the sponsor of the impunity in the state.

In the same vein, the party has condemned yesterday’s disruption and attack on its members at a rally in Bori, Rivers State, by suspected Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)-sponsored thugs. But the state chapter of the PDP has faulted the APC’s claim, saying that it was the Governor Chibuike Amaechi administration, Save Rivers Movement and APC, that were creating a state of insecurity to justify their call for Mbu’s removal.

In a statement issued in Lagos yesterday by its interim National Publicity Secretary, Lai Mohammed, the party wondered if the PSC understands the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as far as the role of a Police Commissioner is concerned.

“For the avoidance of doubt, we quote Section 215 (4) of the Constitution, which stipulates: ‘Subject to the provisions of this section, the governor of a state or such commissioner of the government of the state as he may authorise in that behalf, may give to Commissioner of Police of that state such lawful directions with respect to the maintenance and securing of public safety and public order within the state as he may consider necessary, and the Commissioner of Police shall comply with those directions or cause them to be complied with”.

APC said if the PSC clearly understood the stipulation, it would not only be talking of Mbu being redeployed but should by now be justifying the dismissal of the impudent police boss, who has continuously violated the Constitution not only by refusing to take lawful orders but by also constituting himself into the opposition, the de facto chairman of the PDP in Rivers.

“If the PSC wants to be truthful, it will admit that no one but the Police Commissioner has politicised his own office. It will also admit that no one has

• Trades blame with PDP over violence in Rivers asked the Police Commissioner to be the governor’s errand boy as claimed by the PSC, but to simply carry out his duties as stipulated by the Constitution. If the PSC still does not understand, it should tell Nigerians in which other state of the federation is a Police Commissioner usurping the role of the governor as the Chief Security Officer of the state,’’ the party said.

It described as disingenuous the decision of the PSC to hinge its shameful inaction in the face of the illegalities being perpetrated by the Rivers police boss on a suit against the commission and the commissioner, saying no court case has prevented the Commission from carrying out its statutory duties.

“The truth is that the embarrassing situation in Rivers has persisted because the Presidency is the sole sponsor and it does not want peace to reign. The moment President Goodluck Jonathan decides to uphold the Constitution in accordance with his oath of office, Mbu will not last one day on the job.

“The PSC that has now taken it upon itself to defend Mbu and even remind Nigerians how some people have been praising him for doing a good job all in a bid by the pliant commission to impress the Presidency - knows that this President is never hindered by a suit when he decides to pursue his own agenda, as he is doing in Rivers. In case the PSC has forgotten, President Jonathan suspended former President of the Court of Appeal, Justice Ayo Salami, from office even when his case was in court.

“In any case, one million PSCs will not have been able to save Mbu if his partisanship in Rivers has been in favour of Governor Chibuike Amaechi.

The PSC should, therefore, spare Nigerians the annoying sophistry and stop hiding behind one finger. The truth is that nothing can justify the police-backed lawlessness, harassment of innocent citizens, disrespect for constituted authority and outright thuggery being perpetrated in Rivers.

“Nigerians know the puppeteer in the Rivers crisis.

Nigerians know why the PSC has been ‘handicapped’ in

Rivers despite the unprecedented misconduct of the state police boss. Therefore, any attempt by anyone, including the spokesperson of the PSC, to pull the wool over the eyes of Nigerians will fall flat!,” APC said.

In a statement issued in Lagos yesterday by Mohammed, the party said the hoodlums, who invaded the venue of the rally by the Save Rivers Movement (SRM) in Bori, where the executives of the pan-Rivers group in Khana Local Council Area of the state were to be inaugurated, attacked those in attendance and beat up some journalists who were invited to cover the event, damaging their vehicles and equipment in the process.

It said while the attack was going on, the police - who had been formally informed of the rally and were expected to provide protection - instead gave the hoodlums a free rein, in the most egregious and open display of partisanship by an institution of the state saddled with ensuring the protection of lives and property of all citizens.

APC said the police carried its partisanship to another level when, the previous day (Saturday), they sent over 300 men to protect a pro-PDP rally that was used solely to launch a blistering verbal assault on the APC and Amaechi. The same police have offered protection for a pro-PDP group, GDI, which was holding another rally in Degema yesterday.

“Today’s (Sunday’s) attack came a week after a similar one saw Senator Magnus Abe shot by policemen who also attacked and tear-gassed innocent women and children, among others.

“As the Presidency-backed impunity in Rivers worsens, we at the APC are left with no choice than to alert all wellmeaning Nigerians, as well as the international community to call President Jonathan to order since he has refused to allow peace to reign in the state just because of his personal ambition.

“Because of the danger this state-backed thuggery can inflict on our young democracy; because of the harm being done to the polity by escalating political violence; and because of the fact that impunity does not breed peace, we will contin-

ue to cry out, hoping that reason will prevail and that President Jonathan will no longer allow his ambition to be watered by the blood of the same citizens he swore an oath to protect.

“It is clear that despite the Presidency’s silence on the Rivers crisis, it is the architect of the violence in the state and the 2014 Ekiti and Osun governorship elections and the 2015 poll are the reasons”.

The PDP in a statement by the Special Adviser (Media) to the state chairman, Jerry Needam, said yesterday’s violence at Bori, which left two Ogoni youth shot and their conditions very critical, according to reports, followed a local resistance of the APC, Amaechi and the Save Rivers Movement by the Ogoni people yesterday in Bori.

The Ogoni people had earlier resolved to reject the APC and Governor Amaechi in the area.

The resistance of the rally by the Ogoni people prompted the Chairman of Khana Council Area, Mr. Bariledum Greg Nwiedam, who has lost bearing in the area, to resort to thuggery and violence by hiring thugs who unleashed mayhem on the people from 2 a.m. to about 11 a.m. yesterday.

The heavily-armed thugs came in their numbers and shot sporadically, leaving in its trail two Ogoni youth badly shot. One was shot in the leg and another shot in the stomach.

Nwiedam had, in a radio announcement on Saturday while making public the event (Sunday January 19, 2014) said “kana aa ke, e si wee be” meaning “Khana arise, let’s go and fight”.

The aim of such provocative message was to recruit, incite and create tension and panic.

Yesterday, the PDP said the invitation of Khana people to war by Nwiedam has been manifested by the crisis witnessed in Bori.

The PDP, therefore, condemned the violence in Bori and blamed Amaechi, the APC, Save Rivers Movement and Nwiedam, who acted on the instructions of Amaechi to disturb the peace of Ogoni people, shut down churches, shoot innocent youths, wound others and destroy property of innocent people in the area.

It added: “The Rivers State

chapter of the PDP is indeed miffed at this trend, shortly after a member of the APC, Mr. Chidi Lloyd willfully attempted to kill Michael Chinda and also caused the death of another PDP member in Emuoha and a police officer.

We, therefore, call on the police to arrest Nwiedam, who on the instructions of Governor Amaechi allegedly masterminded the crisis and shooting in Bori yesterday.

This sad shooting at Bori is coming a few days after another incident in Ogun State where eight APC members were shot in an internal crisis of APC. We condemn APC’s resort to violence in Rivers State and the country.

“The PDP abhors violence and we shall continue to preach peace, unity and progress of Rivers State.

“We shall hold Amaechi and APC responsible for any breakdown of law and order in the state as a result of his quest for power.”

The Guardian gathered from eyewitnesses that the armed gunmen invaded the Anglican Church, Bori, where the rally was to hold and started shooting sporadically into the air. It was also gathered that the gun wielding youths who were said to be loyal to a notorious kidnap kingpin in the Ogoni area, destroyed canopies and chairs arranged for the rally which was scheduled to start by noon.

The incident came barely a week after the police disrupted the Save Rivers Movement rally in Port Harcourt. It would be recalled that the Senator Magnus Abe, representing Rivers South-East in the Senate was shot with rubber bullet by the police. Mbu has denied that the police in the state do not have rubber bullets in its arsenal.

Shortly after the gunmen who sent people scampering for safety, the organisers of the rally tried to re-arrange the canopies and chairs for the rally. But to their surprise, the gunmen said to be proPeoples Democratic Party, returned and chased them away.

The intensity of the gunshots, forced most people to desert some of the churches along the Bori-Kono Road. It was alleged that several persons sustained various degree of injury while trying to stay out of harm’s way.

10 | NEWS Monday, January 20, 2014

THE GUARDIAN www.ngrguardiannews.com

Kwara votes N60m to assist NECO, NABTEB students From Abiodun Fagbemi, Ilorin WARA State government has approved N60 million as registration fees for 6, 167 Senior School Certificate Examination (SCCE) students in the forthcoming National Examinations Council (NECO) and National Business and Technical Examinations Board (NABTEB) examinations.

This brings to N120 million the amount spent by the state government on payment of exam registration fees in 2013/2014.

The Governor, Alhaji Abdulfatah Ahmed who conveyed the decision via a memo to the state Ministry of Education and Human Capital Development, said the approval was given to increase access of indigent but deserving students to quality education in line with the administration’s Shared Prosperity programme.

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NAFDAC hopeful of WHO pre-qualification for Nigerian drugs From Emeka Anuforo, Abuja HE National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) will not relent in its efforts to ensure that Nigeria secures World Health Organisation (WHO) pre-qualification of some indigenous pharmaceutical companies in Nigeria, the agency’s boss, Dr. Paul Orhii, has promised.

WHO’s pre-qualification of diagnostics programme aims to increase access to affordable diagnostic technologies of assured quality appropriate for use in resource-limited settings.

The programme provides member-states, United Nations (UN) agencies and other partners with technical information and advice on the quality of currently available HIV/AIDS, malaria and hepatitis B and C test kits and technologies.

According to NAFDAC, prequalification of diagnostics is a prerequisite for UN procurement, ensuring that public monies are spent in a costeffective manner on quality diagnostics.

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Funeral rites for Ifijeh begin Feb 5

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UNERAL rites for the late Madam Elizabeth Okheren Ifijeh, 82, mother of the Managing Director and Editor-in-chief of The Nation, Mr. Victor Ifijeh, will begin on Wednesday, February 5, 2014 in Benin City, with a Service of Songs at 15, Eweka Street, off Upper Sakpoba road in the Edo State capital between 5 p.m. and 6.30 p.m., according to a statement by the family.

There will be a lying-in-state on Friday, February 7, between 12 to 2 p.m. at Oke Old site, Ora in Owan West Local Council of Edo State, followed by a wake at 6 p.m. in Ojawun-Ewai Owan East Local Council.

Ifijeh

Med-View Airline takes delivery of a modern aircraft Boeing 737-800 to boost its fleet at the Murtala Muhammed Airport at the weekend.

PHOTO: SOLA OJEDOKUN

Fashola, Oshiomhole, others urge youths to embrace politics, acquire skills From Alemma-Ozioruva Aliu (Benin City)

a mammoth gatherIersTingwasofandyouths, opinion leadpoliticians on Saturday in Benin City, the Edo State capital, as the state government at a summit tasked the youths to venture into politics, while also acquiring the necessary training and education that would empower them to become “real leaders of today and not tomorrow.”

With the theme “Nigeria’s Centenary: Defining the Issues and Setting Agenda for the Future of our Youths”, speaker after speaker believed that the Nigerian youth has been deliberately schemed out of things in the country.

Notable speakers at the event included Governor

Babatunde Fashola of Lagos State, Festus Keyamo, Dr. Joe Okei-Odumakin, motivational speaker, Toyosi Akerele, former president of the Trade Union Congress (TUC), Peter Esele, Kiri Muhammed who represented the president of Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Abdulwaheed Omar, NLC vice president, Isa Aremu and several others.

Fashola said: “If Governor Adams Oshiomhole decides to run as President of this country, he will have my vote.

He is the kind of leader that Nigeria needs. I say this because I spent five memorable years of my life in Benin City as an undergraduate and as a Youth Corps member and they were very fond memories that I hold dear in my heart till today.

“I am always looking forward to coming here each time I am invited, especially since my brother assumed office as your governor. The excitement to come here is at all time high, every time I come here, for all the right reasons, Benin City has been tremendously transformed and it has not remained the same. It has changed positively and continues to change.

Oshiomhole, in his remarks appealed to the youths not to give up on the nation, adding that the future of the country is in their hands as “foreigners can assist but cannot solve the nation’s problems. As a people what we should think about is how we get our people properly managed such that the wealth of this great country is expressed in the quality of life

of the citizen. How do we address the paradox of a nation so rich and yet its people getting poorer?”

On his part, Keyamo called for the participation of youths in the democratic process just as he urged the two governors present to pick their successors “among intelligent youths,” if they are actually the leaders of tomorrow. “Youths in Edo State have shown how to protect one man one vote.

The practice must be entrenched beyond Edo State”.

For Akerele, the youths should be inspired to take up the challenge of being leaders of the country while Esele called on the youths to brace up to the challenge of transforming the country to a better place for all.

She maintained, “2015 is a

defining moment for our generation and we must ensure that anything about us without us is not for us.”

Okei-Odumakin urged the youths not to be silent about the ills in the society, adding “when things happen and we continue to agonise without organising for a change, it’s like expecting a picture in a calendar to shed tears.”

NLC President, Comrade Abdulwaheed Omar who was represented by Alhaji Kiri Mohammed said since Oshiomhole became the governor of Edo, the state has witnessed remarkable transformation.

He suggested that Labour Advisory Council be set up by the Federal Government to reduce incidents of strike in Nigeria.

George alleges Lagos lawmakers are mere rubber stamps

By Wole Shadare and Seye Olumide ORMER Deputy National Chairman, South West Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Olabode George has berated lawmakers in the Lagos State House of Assembly as not being honest and committed to the people of the state.

This is coming on the heels of former Governor of Abia State, Dr. Orji Uzor Kalu’s description of the All Progressives Congress (APC), as an alternative to the dominance of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), especially as it will make the ruling party focus more on delivering its electoral promises to the people.

Meanwhile, the Interim Chairman of Lagos All Progressives Congress (APC), Chief Henry Ajomale has dispelled the rumour that the party has zoned the 2015 governorship ticket to Lagos East Senatorial District or any other z o n e .

George alleged that the Lagos House of Assembly, comprising of 40 lawmakers, all of whom are APC; instead of being a vibrant law-making

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• Emergence of APC good for democracy, says Kalu • Ajomale denies zoning gov’s slot to Lagos East institution and to be acting as a checks and balances to the Executive “is a mere rubber stamp, loyal to its one and only master, former governor of Lagos, Bola Ahmed Tinubu.”

Speaking with The Guardian over the weekend, George stressed the need for the people of the state to be more vigilant and be ready to ensure that true, committed and well tested representatives represent them in the next election instead of the current ones.”

The PDP stalwart also urged judges in the state, particularly those ones whose parents once served in the state judiciary and left with a good legacies, to follow the footstep of their parents “instead of mortgaging their conscience.”

According to him, “Young judges in Lagos State, whose parents were also former judges must be careful and remember the good name, which their parents bequeathed to them. It is

unfortunate some of the young judges in the state today are stooges.”

He also dismissed insinuations that President Goodluck Jonathan traded off former National Chairman of the PDP, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur because of his 2015 second term ambition, with George saying, “There is no sense in such thinking.

The Lagos APC chief described as untrue that interested governorship aspirants from the Lagos East are already scheming seriously to succeed Governor Babatunde Fashola in 2015 because it has been zoned to the senatorial dist r i c t .

Ajomale said there was no truth in the report, “the party has not yet decided. You know that we do not subscribe to the idea of zoning. Anybody is free to aspire; that is the beauty of democracy.”

Speaking with reporters yesterday on arrival from Dubai at

the Murtala Mohammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos, former Abia governor Kalu said the emergence of APC was good for democracy, adding that the main opposition party hoped to ensure democratic change in the system.

Kalu maintained that two strong political parties are good for the system, believing that the electorate would now have a choice to choose between PDP and the new party while it would also help the ruling party to ensure dividends of democracy get to the masses.

He said, “Although, the essence of APC is very good for the system; APC is heading for democratic change. If there are no two main political parties, the country will not move forward. There must be an alternative. What is happening in Nigeria with APC is not a bad deal, but rather a good deal for the poor masses of this coun-

try that should have alternatives.

“Alternative is always good in any system. Maybe the lukewarm attitude of PDP is that they feel they are the dominant party, which no one can challenge. Alternative is very essential, I support it and I will live for it and I believe we should be able to work for it.”

Kalu, however, challenged the five governors who cross-carpeted from PDP to APC to immediately return to the party and help in taking it to the next level.

The former governor also averred that he knew Tukur would throw in the towel this January because of the myriads of challenges he faced while in office.

Kalu also challenged the five governors that defected from its fold to return now that Tukur had left from his position as the chairman of the party.

He insisted that Tukur took the honourary path by resigning and assured that Nigeria would not disintegrate no matter the challenges it’s currently facing.

THE GUARDIAN www.ngrguardiannews.com

Monday, January 20, 2014 11

PHOTONEWS

Lagos State Governor, Babatunde Fashola (right) exchanging pleasantries with former Secretary General of the Commonwealth, Emeka Anyaoku (2nd left); Iyaloja General of Lagos, Folasade Tinubu Ojo (left) and Latifat Okunnu, during the seventh Annual Lagos State Taxation Stakeholders’ Conference in Lagos.

Ekiti State Deputy Governor, Prof. Modupe Adelabu (left) with the British Deputy High Commissioner to Nigeria, Peter Carter, during a courtesy call on the envoy by the deputy governor in Lagos.

First Vice President, Delta State Association of Justices of Peace, Uso Onianwa (left); the President, Anthony Idigbe (SAN); Dr. Ogagarajor and the Second Vice President, Chief Itive, at the inauguration and swearing-in of the association’s officers in Asaba, Delta State

Commissioners, Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) Board, Yusuf Abubakar (left); Dr. Michael Onyia; Acting Chief Executive Officer, Etisalat Nigeria, Mathew Willsher and Mohammed Bintube, also a Commissioner, NCC Board, at the one-day facility tour of the Board to Etisalat in Lagos.

Anambra State governor-elect, Dr. Willie Obiano (left); Governor Peter Obi and the National Chairman of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Victor Umeh, at the National Executive Council meeting of the party in Awka.

Managing Director, UAC Foods Limited, Dr. Tawanda Mushuku (left); General Manager, Marketing, Joan Ihekwaba and the Executive Director, Corporate Services, UAC Nigeria Plc, Joe Dada, at the launch of Mini Gala Sausage Roll in Lagos.

A man riding a motorcycle with his five children in Bauchi.

Project Director, Kadick Integrated Limited, Dickson Umusu (left); Sales and Distribution Executive, MTN, ‘Tsola Barrow and Chief Executive Officer, Multinet Systems Limited, MTN Trade Partner, Uzoma Obiyo, at the Induction of Trade Partners into the Fortune 100 to mark 2013 MTN Sales Conference in Lagos.

PHOTO: FEMI ADEBESIN-KUTI

PHOTO: NAN

12

THE GUARDIAN www.ngrguardiannews.com

Monday, January 20, 2014

AfricanNews Policemen implicated in S’ Africa’s massacre in new crackdown BOUT two South Africa’s A police officers that took part in the deadly crackdown on Marikana miners in 2012 were implicated in the killing of three protesters this week.

A police crackdown on demonstrators demanding the restoration of their water supply in Mothotlung, some 50 kilometres from Marikana, left three dead.

Agency reports indicated that two of the officers took part in the massacre of 34 striking platinum miners in August 2012, the City Press weekly reported.

A new development shows that struggling South Africa seems set for another year of

labour unrest in another body blow for an economy battling high unemployment and struggling to remain the largest on the continent.

But contacted for comment by the SAPA news agency on allegation against the two policemen, a police spokesman said: “Let us allow IPID (the Independent Police Investigative Directorate) to do their work... We can’t deal with senseless rumour-mongering.”

An investigation into the Marikana massacre is yet to be wound up, the South African presidency having extended its deadline to April 30.

Egypt’s charter opens road for Sisi, youths keep distance GYPT’S powerful Army E chief, General Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, is now bolstered by the approval of the new constitution, but a large number of youths who helped topple two presidents within three years shunned the vote on the new charter.

Egyptian voters approved the Tuesday-Wednesday referendum by 98.1 percent, officials announced on Saturday, and the results are seen as nod to the General to run for president.

Sisi led the overthrow of Islamist president Mohamed Morsi in July following massive protests against his one year-rule, which came after a popular uprising in 2011 toppled his predecessor Hosni Mubarak.

Youth movements at the forefront of protests that ended the rules of Morsi and Mubarak hardly objected when the military-installed authorities launched a deadly

crackdown on Morsi’s supporters.

Nor did they object when his Muslim Brotherhood movement was banned and designated a “terrorist” organisation.

But they voiced their outrage when the military-backed authorities passed a law in November banning unauthorised demonstrations.

And this appears to have been clearly reflected during the voting.

Sisi had urged the youths to participate in the referendum, saying they formed “more than 50 per cent” of Egypt’s 85-million strong population.

But Agence France Presse (AFP) reporters who toured polling stations said youths did not massively participate in the voting and analysts confirmed that many young people clamouring for change in Egypt shunned the polls.

Chief of Staff of South Sudanese government forces, General James Hoth Mai (middle), during a visit to Bor, a strategic town recaptured from rebel forces loyal to deposed vice president Riek Machar… on Saturday.

PHOTO: AFP

South Sudan, Ugandan forces recapture key town from rebels HE military authorities in T South Sudan said their forces have recaptured the strategic town of Bor from rebel forces.

Also, the Ugandan army said it had helped in the operation, while a spokesman for the rebel forces said its troops had made a tactical withdrawal.

Bor, the capital of Jonglei State, has changed hands several times in a month-long conflict that is believed to have left thousands dead.

However, talks to try to find a

ceasefire are continuing in Ethiopia.

The conflict between rebel and government forces broke out on 15 December.

President Salva Kiir has accused his former deputy Riek Machar of plotting a coup – an accusation he denies.

The dispute has seen killings along ethnic lines – Kiir is a member of the Dinka community, the country’s largest, while Machar is from the Nuer ethnic group.

Hundreds of thousands of people have been displaced by the fighting.

On Thursday, Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni confirmed his country’s troops were now fighting alongside South Sudanese government forces against the

rebels.

A spokesman for the Ugandan People’s Defence Force said its troops had helped retake Bor. “There was a lot of resistance but our force was overwhelming,” the spokesman, Paddy Ankunda, told Reuters news agency.

South Sudanese army spokesman Philip Aguer said the fight for Bor had left “many dead”, without giving figures.

Brig-Gen Lul Ruai Koang, a military spokesperson for the opposition in South Sudan, said its troops had withdrawn to reorganise.

Some refugees have moved to the Ugandan town of Adjumani, 470km north of the capital Kampala He said Bor was a “ghost

town” and no longer important.

But Col Aguer said the victory had eliminated the psychological pressure of a rebel attack on the capital, Juba, 200 kilometres south of Bor. Col Aguer also said the focus would now fall on the town of Malakal, still party controlled by the rebels, with the government forces planning an imminent attack.

But Col Aguer admitted maintaining communication with government forces there was “difficult”.

The BBC’s Mark Lowen, in Juba, says Bor has changed hands a number of times already - and it is not inconceivable that Riek Machar could mobilise his forces for another assault.

Fresh fighting in C’ Africa as presidential vote holds Eight candidates vie for interim’s head EW hostility reportedly N broke out in the strifetorn Central African Republic on the eve of an announcement yesterday of the candidates seeking to become the new interim president.

But a report by Agence France Presse (AFP) claimed that eight candidates are in the running for the interim presidency in the strife-torn country, the transitional parliament announced yesterday.

Blaise Fleury Otto, head of a special electoral commission, said 24 dossiers had been whittled down to eight according to draconian selection criteria.

They include the mayor of the capital Bangui,

Catherine Samba Panza, as well as two sons of former presidents, Sylvain Patasse and Desire Kolingba.

Ange-Felix Patasse was president from 1993 to 2003, preceded by Andre Kolingba, who came to power in 1985 in the impoverished country with a long history of coups, attempted coups and army mutinies.

Sectarian violence has gripped the landlocked country after a March 2013 coup launched by the mostly Muslim Seleka rebels, and the UN has warned that the bloodshed could turn into genocide.

As clashes raged unabated Saturday, Save the Children said a grenade attack Friday on a truck convoy carrying

Muslims fleeing to the north-west of the country had killed 23 people, including three children.

“It is a sign of the still fraught and highly dangerous situation in the Central African Republic that children and their families have been attacked and killed while trying to evacuate to safety,” said Robert Lankenau from the charity.

The Seleka were disbanded after installing their leader as president in the mainly Christian country.

Some then turned rogue and carried out a string of atrocities including killings, rape and pillage, prompting Christians to form vigilante groups in response, and plunging the country into a vicious cycle of revenge attacks.

Monday, January 20, 2014

THE GUARDIAN www.ngrguardiannews.com

13

WorldReport Syrian war, Iran to dominate Davos agenda T

HE bloody civil war in Syria and Iran’s efforts to come in from the diplomatic cold will drive the agenda next week as world leaders, business chiefs and celebrities gather in the swanky Swiss ski resort of Davos.

According to reports, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani tops the bill of more than 40 leaders and 2,000 of the world’s most powerful economic players expected at the mountainside gathering in the yearly shindig that starts tomorrow.

In what has become a tradition of its own at the World Economic Forum, burning issues other than the world economy will likely exercise the minds of the global elite during their five-day-long programme of seminars and debates.

This year, looming over pro-

• Ban, Russia laud opposition accord on peace talks ceedings will be the longawaited Geneva II peace talks aimed at ending the threeyear bloodbath in Syria which will take place at the same time in the Swiss town of Montreux.

Meanwhile, UN leader, Ban Ki-moon and Russia yesterday hailed the Syrian opposition’s decision to join an international peace conference this week as a boost to efforts to halt the Syrian war.

“This is a courageous and historic step in the interest of a negotiated political solution to a three-year conflict that has caused so much misery and destruction,” Ban said in a statement.

“I look forward to the opposition’s expedited formation of a delegation that broadly represents the diversity of the

Syrian opposition, including women,” added the UN leader, who is the convener of the conference that will start in the Swiss town of Montreux on Wednesday.

The Syrian National Coalition voted on Saturday to attend the conference that could see its representatives hold talks with President Bashar al Assad’s government for the first time.

Also, Russia’s Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov, welcoming a decision by Syria’s opposition to attend the international peace conference next week alongside representatives of a regime they seek to overthrow, said: “That is the right decision, we’ve have always said that one has to go to the forum and enter into dialogue with the government.”

“The work of the conference will be based on this, the main thing is the launch of inter-Syrian talks,” said Bogdanov, adding Russia expected such a decision from the opposition.

The most eagerly awaited guest at Davos this year is Rouhani, there to drum up international investment for his sanction-hit economy on the back of a diplomatic entente with the West.

And in one of the unlikely juxtapositions only the Davos schedule can throw up, speaking the same day will be Benjamin Netanyahu, prime minister of sworn enemy Israel.

Although the two are not scheduled to meet, anything is possible in the cushy conference corridors where leaders move freely among top bosses, Hollywood stars and Nobel Prize winners.

Last-minute guest John Kerry, U.S. Secretary of State, is scheduled to give a key address on Friday, fresh from

Police use water cannon, tear gas against protesters in Kiev ITH police using water W cannon and tear gas against stone-throwing protesters clashes yesterday raged in the Ukrainian capital, Kiev.

In a new bid to chase away the demonstrators, police used water cannon against the protestors amid temperatures of minus seven degrees Celsius (19 degrees Fahrenheit), witnesses told Agence France Presse (AFP).

More than 20 police were injured in the clashes, said the interior ministry. More than 10 police were hospitalised, four of them in a seri-

ous condition.

Many of the demonstrators wore pots and colanders on their heads while others sported ski, medical and carnival masks to mock new legislation which forbids protesters from covering their faces.

But in a sign of the protest movement’s growing impatience, key opposition leaders were jeered at during the main rally on Independence Square for their perceived inability to mount a stronger challenge to President Viktor Yanukovych.

Israel targets Gaza militant after Palestinian rocket attacks SRAELI forces yesterday carIa Gaza ried out an air strike against militant who it blamed for cross-border rocket attacks last week, with Palestinian medics saying two people, including a 12year-old, were wounded.

The so-called “targetted attack” against a man the Israeli military identified as Ahmad Sa’ad, a senior Islamic Jihad operative, was a sign of growing Israeli impatience over a recent upsurge in rocket fire out of the Hamas-run Gaza Strip, Reuters wrote.

The military said Sa’ad was personally responsible for the launching of five rockets at the Israeli southern city of Ashkelon on Thursday.

Israel’s Iron Dome missile defense system knocked out all five projectiles and the military responded with a series of strikes across Gaza, reviving memories of 2011 and 2012, when such tit-for-tat firing became the norm.

“We are determined to ensure the south remains quiet,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in public remarks at the weekly meeting of his cabinet in Jerusalem.

“We are doing this through a policy of preventive attacks and forceful retaliation against those trying to strike us or those who do so. I suggest to Hamas that it take this policy into account,” he said.

Afghanistan accuses foreign intelligence over Kabul attack FGHANISTAN’S National A Security Council, which is chaired by President Hamid

Protesters clash with during an opposition rally in the centre of the Ukrainian capital Kiev in a show of defiance against strict new curbs on protests…yesterday.

PHOTO: AFP

Iraqi forces, tribal allies attack Al-Qaeda, others N a bid to end a stand-off Ifighters with anti-government ahead of elections, Iraqi forces yesterday began a major assault on a Sunni Arab city partially in the control of rebels.

The operation, which involved police, pro-government militiamen and SWAT forces, sought to wrest back key neighbourhoods of Ramadi, the capital of Anbar province and one of two cities where the authorities lost vast swathes of territory about three weeks ago.

It came as Jordan said it would host a United States (U.S.) training programme for Iraqi forces grappling with the country’s worst bloodshed since 2008 and the ongoing standoff in Anbar, which, combined, have left more than 650 people dead this month.

Diplomats including UN

chief Ban Ki-moon have urged Baghdad to pursue political reconciliation to undercut support for militancy.

But with an election looming in April, Iraqi premier Nuri al-Maliki has blamed “diabolical” Arab countries for the unrest and focused on security operations.

Iraqi forces backed by tribesmen moved into five Ramadi neighbourhoods yesterday, with helicopters providing cover and firing on the sprawling district of Malaab at the centre of fighting between anti-government fighters and security forces and their tribal allies.

“The Iraqi army launched a large operation with helicopter cover against Daash, Al-Qaeda and terrorists in Ramadi,” defence ministry spokesman Staff Lieutenant

The Iraqi army launched a large operation with helicopter cover against Daash, Al-Qaeda and terrorists in Ramadi General Mohammed alAskari said, according to state television, employing terms frequently used by the Iraqi security forces to describe militants.

Security forces barred movement in the city as part of the operation, which targeted neighbourhoods in the south and centre of Ramadi.

The operation will seek to take back momentum from anti-government fighters, who have expanded their hold on Ramadi in the past week after police and allied tribesmen trumpeted gains there this month.

It follows an operation mounted by elite forces in the largely rural area of Albubali that security officials have described as a

militant stronghold.

Troops there have been held back, however, by the threat of snipers and antiaircraft weapons, as well as poor weather that has limited movement.

A large section of Ramadi and all of Fallujah, both former insurgent bastions close to Baghdad, fell from government control late last month.

It was the first time antigovernment fighters have exercised such open control in major cities since the height of the insurgency that followed the US-led invasion of 2003.

Fighting originally erupted in the Ramadi area on December 30, when security forces cleared a year-old Sunni Arab protest camp.

Karzai, yesterday accused “foreign intelligence services” of being behind the deadly attack on a Kabul restaurant, in an apparent reference to Pakistan.

Pakistan was the main supporter of the former Taliban regime and Afghan officials have long voiced suspicions about the connections between the hardline movement and Islamabad’s powerful intelligence services.

“The NSC said such sophisticated and complex attacks are not the work of the ordinary

Taliban, and said without doubt foreign intelligence services beyond the border are behind such bloody attacks,” a statement for the palace said.

The Taliban claimed responsibility for Friday’s suicide assault on a popular restaurant in central Kabul in which 21 people, including 13 foreigners, were killed.

Desperate customers tried to hide under tables as one attacker detonated his suicide vest at the fortified entrance to the Taverna du Liban and two other militants stormed inside and opened fire.

U.S. lawmaker faults Russia over information sharing on Sochi IKE Rogers, a key United M States (U.S.) congressman, has raised concerns that Russia is not sharing intelligence on threats to athletes at the upcoming Winter Olympics at Sochi.

Rogers, chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, said Russian authorities were clearly concerned about security at the Winter Games, having moved 30,000 troops to the area amid bombings and disrupted plots.

“But we don’t seem to be get-

ting all of the information we need to protect our athletes in the games,” he said on Cable News Network’s (CNN) “State of the Union.”

Rogers, a Republican, said the Russians’ unwillingness to share information with U.S. intelligence was “a departure of cooperation that is very concerning to me.”

“So what we’re finding is they aren’t giving us the full story about what are the threat streams, who do we need to worry about,” the lawmaker said.

14

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Monday, January 20, 2014

Politics PDP Chair: Another cycle of intrigues funds.

However, this allegation came after he failed to resign his position, as demanded by the party bigwigs, among them his home governor, Chief Orji Uzor Kalu, an influential member of the PDP then.

Now facing the prospect of going to jail, Ogbulafor threw in the towel in May 2010, thus paving the way for the emergence of Chief Okwesilieze Nwodo, a former governor of Enugu State.

But Nwodo, too, did not last on the job. Besides having some issues with the Presidency, he had clashes with his state governor, Mr. Sullivan Chime, which necessitated an action in court over his alleged non-membership of the PDP. Once again, the PDP shifted its chairmanship to the North, this time the Northeast, where Bamanga Tukur emerged in 2012.

Interestingly, Tukur did not seem to have learnt any lessons from the downfall of his predecessors, particularly the last two — Vincent Ogbulafor and Nwodo, whose problems with their state governors led to their exit from the exalted position of the ruling PDP.

By Ehichioya Ezomon (Group Political Editor) LL things being equal, a new A National Chairman of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) will emerge today, going by the words of the leadership of the party.

However, as has been shown time and again since 1999 when Nigeria returned to democratic rule, or a semblance of democracy, according to critics, things have never been equal or the same in the platform that used to pride itself as the “largest party in Africa.”

Yet, things may not be equal any time soon, considering the permutations being dished out in the runup to picking a replacement for Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, who “resigned” his post last Thursday.

Rather than going for an election — whether a mini or an emergency convention — to choose the National Chairman, the party or its leadership is talking of a consensus nominee.

And as is usual in this game in the PDP, most members are looking up to the President, as the “Leader” of the party, to pick the person for the vacant office.

Still, there are other contending forces, parading as “caucuses”, such as the powerful (before it was depleted by defections) PDP Governors’ Forum; Legislative (NASS) Caucus; Party Elders’ Caucus; NWC (National Working Committee) Caucus; Zonal Caucus and State Chairmen’s Caucus.

All these disparate bodies were reportedly meeting in Abuja yesterday to harmonise and adopt a common candidate to be presented at today’s National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting for endorsement.

As at the last count last night, the power deciders in the PDP had many names to choose from among the speculated aspirants in the Northeast of the country.

The list, which is not exhaustive, includes former Leader of the House of Representatives, Mohammed Wakil, who is reportedly the choice of the First Lady and wife of the President, Dame Patience Jonathan; and former Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Abba Gana, said to have the backing of the governors.

The list also has the current Minister of Transport, Idris Umar; Senator Abba Aji, a former Special Adviser to the President on National Assembly Matters; Senator Abubakar Madhi; Mr. Gambo Lawan, former chairman of the defunct Grassroots Democratic Movement (GDM) that rooted for the late Gen. Sani Abacha to transmute into a civilian president; and Alhaji Idris Waziri.

Others are former FCT Minister, Ibrahim Bunu; Alhaji Adamu Waziri; Dr. Musa Babayo (who got the endorsement of the Northeast caucus in 2012 but was not favoured by the Presidency, which preferred Tukur); former Bauchi State governor, Adamu Muazu; and Alhaji Habu Fari.

Prior to and shortly after Tukur’s resignation on Thursday, the choice was reportedly narrowed to Umar, whom the President preferred owing to his acclaimed loyalty to him, Abba Aji and Mohammed Wakil.

Then, another list, in the order of preference, soon emerged: Abba Aji, Gambo Lawan and Senator Abubakar Madhi.

But by last night, before a consensus pick by the contending forces, the order of preference had report-

Jonathan edly switched between Umar and Wakil, and Madhi and Gana, as preferred by the Presidency and the governors, respectively.

Thus, as things stood, any of the aspirants, even from behind, could emerge. But crucial here for the ultimate pick is the backing by Governors Isa Yuguda (Bauchi) and Ibrahim Dankwambo (Gombe); and Deputy (Acting) Governor Garba Umar (Taraba) and Deputy Governor Bala Ngilari (Adamawa).

According to a source, “President Jonathan (and the PDP for that matter) has to balance the interest of his wife against the two governors and two deputy governors’ interest,” in backing the nominee for the party chair.

As the source evaluated the scenario, “Dame Patience Jonathan’s interest is narrow and personal, while the interest of the governors is zonal and very crucial politically.”

The source plainly made up the President’s mind for him, saying: “If I were the President, I would back the governors’ choice, especially in this season of defections to the opposition All Progressive Congress (APC).”

It looks a reasonable argument, particularly against the backdrop of the PDP struggles to hold its own against the onslaught of the APC in the build-up to the 2015 general elections.

In the aftermath of the exodus of many heavyweights of the party to the opposition camp, “the last thing the PDP, and its leader, President Jonathan, would gamble with is another rancour and further division in its fold, after it managed to push aside Alhaji Tukur that many of the aggrieved former and current party leaders cited as the problem of the platform,” the source said.

“So, picking the ‘minority choice’ for the PDP chairmanship, as was the case in the past, would sound the death knell for the party,” the source added.

Which is why it’s not hallelujah time yet for the PDP because personal interest may override party interest in the unfolding drama, and the circle of mid-way replacement of the National Chairman would continue, as the following reminders indicate.

How PDP chairmen fell

HAT the national chairmanship of T the PDP is a graveyard for ambitious members of the party was again reaffirmed last Thursday.

Its latest victim was Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, an international business-

Tukur

Tukur’s exit follows familiar path

LHAJI Bamanga Tukur was elected A about two years ago for a fouryear tenure, which is renewable for

Wakil

Aba-Gana

man and former governor of the old Gongola State in the Second Republic.

The PDP has had seven National Chairmen since its inception in 1998, and of the seven, only one, retired Col. Ahmadu Ali, completed his tenure (one-term) and stepped down.

This translates into a turnover of two years for each chairman, although some of them, like Bamanga Tukur, did not last up to two years in the saddle.

Analysts are quick to point out that Ali survived the intrigues and power play in the party due to his military background, as he served when Chief (Gen.) Olusegun Obasanjo was the president.

The other past chairmen, including Chief Solomon Lar, Chief Barnabas Gemade, Chief Audu Ogbeh, Prince Vincent Ogbulafor, Dr. Okwesilieze Nwodo and Alhaji Tukur were mere “bloody civilians” who could be dispensed with, at will.

This, however, could be linked to the controversial circumstances in which they were picked in the first place.

For instance, the first National Chairman of the PDP, Chief Lar, a former governor of Plateau State, lasted less than one year in office.

Even though there was no visible confrontation between them, sources noted that President Obasanjo, who came to power on the back of the G-34 leaders that formed the PDP, wanted to control the levers of power in the party; hence, Chief Lar had to go.

He then brought in Barnabas Gemade, a current senator, whom Obasanjo used to fight his many battles with the leadership of the National Assembly, “as to who

become or replace” the Senate President or the Speaker of the House of Representatives.

However, the romance between Obasanjo and Gemade did not last through a four-year tenure because of the rancour the latter had generated in the party.

So, it was goodbye to him in the run-up to the 2003 elections, replaced by fellow Benue man, Chief Audu Ogbeh, whose tenure was also cut short by the same Obasanjo on the allegation of being a non-conformist and too outspoken, to the detriment of the PDP. Ogbeh had written a letter to Obasanjo, a copy of which he publicised, advising him to intervene in Anambra State where the then governor, Dr. Chris Ngige, was literally run out of town by his political godfather, Chief Chris Uba, younger brother to Obasanjo’s bosom aide, Dr. Andy Uba. The said letter so unnerved Obasanjo that some account said Ogbeh was “forced to resign at gun point.”

Col. Ali, who replaced Ogbeh in 2004, served out his one-term tenure, without the benefit of a second term, as dictated by the PDP constitution.

Next in line in the high turnover rate of the PDP chair was Prince Vincent Ogbulafor, a former minister, who, due to a new zoning arrangement, was a move away from the Middle Belt (North Central) to the Southeast of the country.

While other past chairmen of the PDP had issues with the President or party matters, as reason for their ouster, Ogbulafor had the distinction of being charged with stealing more than N100 million of state

another term, going by the constitution of the party.

Like several of his predecessors in office: Chief Barnabas Gemade, Chief Audu Ogbeh, Col. Ahmadu Ali (Rtd), Prince Vincent Ogbulafor and Chief Okwesilieze Nwodo, Tukur’s election was a product of alleged imposition by the Presidency.

Hence, his tenure, as those of the past chairmen of the PDP, was cut short owing to intrigues and intraparty squabbles.

His term was particularly divisive, resulting in exodus of prominent leaders of the party, including five state governors, many lawmakers and members of the National Working Committee (NWC).

Those who had left the party, and many others still within had thumped down his style of leadership and wanted him out by all means possible.

His case was compounded by his dabbling in the internal affairs of the PDP chapter in his home state, Adamawa, on the alleged ambition of his son to the governorship of the state, which he denied.

However, Tukur, an avid supporter of the administration, and the number one cheerleader for the claimed second term ambition of President Goodluck Jonathan, owed his survival of the long knives, till last Thursday, to the president’s benevolence.

Indeed, he had repeatedly said that those who wanted him out of the way were aiming to stop the president from realising his bid in the 2015 general elections.

And many of the defectors to the opposition APC were/are opposed to Jonathan’s elongation of his tenure beyond 2015.

The anti-Tukur groups also argued that remaining the chair of the PDP could short-circuit Jonathan’s ambition and possibly the party’s victory in the next general elections.

At last, their pressure seemed to have paid off with the resignation of Tukur from his post, despite reported initial resistance to throw in the towel.

The hunt now is to get a suitable replacement from among several names being bandied in the media.

Monday, January 20, 2014 POLITICS 15

THE GUARDIAN www.ngrguardiannews.com

State Police only solution to insecurity in Nigeria, says Okeke Former Chairman of the Police Service Commission (PSC), Chief Simon Okeke, has decried the burgeoning security problems in the country, telling journalists, including Chuks Collinsin Amichi, Nnewi South local government area of Anambra State, that the establishment of State Police is key to solving malaise.

He also spoke on topical issues.

said they would serve for one term only to be angling not just for a second term but a third term and possibly for life.

In the case of Abacha, Nigerians came out to support him, to serve for life; even those who are here now hawking to be great people.

People, who are making things happen in Nigeria, were behind Abacha to serve as a Military President for life. Most unfortunate!

So, it’s a great lesson to be learnt: that a good actor bows out when the ovation is loudest.

Come out when you are elected into power, do honest, credible service to the people, get things done the best way they ought to be done, and when the time is up, bow out.

OW can the worsening security situation H in the country be tackled effectively?

I wish I had a masterstroke for that; I would have given it. But I believe that those who have the command in their hand and handling national security issues may have to change tactics. This is because if you try this one (tactics) and it’s not working, you try another one. There is no ready answer, no hard and fast rules to security.

I believe that people, who are within the states that are affected, will do a great deal in solving security problems because people within each community know who is bad and who is good. That’s what Americans had seen when they embarked upon what they called community policing.

It is difficult for a stranger to know who is good and who is bad in a community; it’s only those who are members of a community that can tell who is who.

If Boko Haram people are outsiders, indigenes of the affected areas will identify them, and not the National Security Adviser in Abuja. He cannot do any magic. No. He has to work with the instrument, that is, the indigenes, who allow these people to be there. If they say no, they (Boko Haram) cannot go in there.

So, the emirs, heads of communities must be involved in identifying the suspects.

If it is possible, you get people from abroad; when they come, certainly, you will know and identify them. This is what I expect from those who are handling the apparatus of security: to intensify them in both the Army and the Police. You cannot just bring a Commissioner of Police from Amichi, or Awka to go and identify a Boko Haram man in Borno State. It is not possible. It is only people who are on ground that can do that. I’ve always advocated community and state police.

Won’t the state police be abused, as is being witnessed with the federal police?

Anybody telling you that it can be abused is not saying the whole truth. Every situation can be abused when allowed. State police can only tackle the current security challenges.

Make no mistake about that. I want you to put it clearly that I said so. State police is the answer. Let nobody deceive you.

Nigeria is the only federal-operated nation that is running a unitary police. They are postponing the evil day. They say if governors are given the control of police, they will abuse it during elections. What the hell! They are not facing the realities.

The National Assembly is there to draw the modalities and control of the system. There can always be a worked-out checks and balances for the governors. The Constitution says governors are the chief security officers in their states but they don’t have authority over the police. How then can he be the chief security officer? It cannot work at all. It’s like an emperor without an empire.

I believe that if the governors are given the full mandate to ensure the security of their states, using the security apparatus they have — the police, SSS and so on, there will be better security in the states.

I don’t buy the idea of the matter being abused. Not at all! Any situation can be abused if it is not controlled. If you give out the parameters on how they will operate, it will work out well. So, the answer to Nigeria’s security problems is state police.

There are too many arms, including illegal ones, in circulation. Aren’t you worried?

Again, too many arms are an indication of lack of confidence in the police. All these people in different departments carrying guns — the Civil Defence Corps, Road Safety, and SSS — used to be in the police; all of them were under the police in different names.

You say the police are not effective; you create an arm of the police, give it one name and pump it with money, pump it with working apparatus; why don’t you give the police full support, and working tools?

The police are always underfunded, and underpaid; very much under paid. I was the loudest advocate of increase, drastic increase in police pay package. It reached a point when

Okeke any time we had the Police Council meeting or National Economic and Intelligence meeting, and I raised my hand to talk, (then) President Olusegun Obasanjo would look through and if he saw that I was the one, he would call me ‘Mr. Police Welfare’ because I was always shouting on the need for better welfare for the police.

By the time I became the chairman of the Police Service Commission, a recruit was paid N9,000 a month. What could he do with that?

I am happy that they listened to me a bit, but still not enough.

The Nigeria Police is the least paid all over Africa, the least motivated all over Africa. I know this because I went round.

OW would react to the passage of Nelson H Mandela?

Mandela was a great son of Africa and of the world. If there is any perfection in any human being, it is Nelson Mandela. I saw that in him as a student in London. The entire period I was a student in London, I sacrificed four weeks of every long vacation to work for an organisation called Anti-Apartheid Movement. This was one of the foremost organisations in London dedicated to fighting apartheid.

And I was a student when Nelson Mandela was jailed. I remember on the day that judgment was to be passed, all the African students converged at a square; I was one of them. We kept vigil, waiting all night until the judgment was delivered in South Africa.

I was very much inspired by Mandela and what he stood for. All men are born equal, black and white. What differentiates one from the other is what are inside and not the colour of the skin.

Nelson Mandela fought group interest, community interest, and not self-interest, which we have today everywhere, especially here in Nigeria. He preached a policy of equality of all races; he fought for all races in South Africa;

so, he put his life on the line to do this. He was prepared to die for what he believed in.

When he was jailed, all efforts were made to induce him to drop the fight against the apartheid government but he said he would rather die. Even when he was at the Roben Island where he was jailed, he was induced one way or the other by the whites but he said no.

The few dedicated people like Walter Sisulu, Oliver Tambo were equally dedicated to that cause. It is an ideal zeal and life worthy of emulation. He set up a standard for all to copy in Africa; indeed, the whole world.

Look at his disposition! What endeared him to me was that, you observe that people who are great invariably are humble. It is the empty drums that make all the noise.

I am yet to see somebody who is as humble as Nelson Mandela. He’s charismatic. He smiled all the time, shaking and kissing small babies.

He was wonderful, a good man. He admitted that he was not infallible; he said he was not a saint but a sinner trying to be good. Nobody is a saint!

What lessons does his life have for African, and particularly Nigerian leaders?

You know African leaders, who have spent over 30 years in office, like President Robert Mugabe and a few others. An average, typical African will prefer to die on the job. Here’s Nelson Mandela; he came out in 1990 and took four years to do negotiations and put things in order before he offered himself for president.

In 1994, he won and there was no question of rigging; very credible election; overwhelming majority of blacks and whites voted him into power and he served for four years. In 1998, they said please, run again, but he said there were others equally capable and hence he got out of office.

Here is a lesson for Africa to learn. We have had cases of people, even here in Nigeria, that

On Mandela, here is a lesson for Africa to learn. We have had cases of people, even here in Nigeria, that said they would serve for one term only to be angling not just for a second term but a third term and possibly for life. In the case of Abacha, Nigerians came out to support him, to serve for life. People, who are making things happen in Nigeria, were behind Abacha to serve as a Military President for life. Most unfortunate! So, it’s a great lesson to be learnt: that a good actor bows out when the ovation is loudest. When you are elected into power, do honest, credible service to the people, get things done the best way they ought to be done, and when the time is up, bow out

COULD you assess the Anambra governorship election?

To start with, I am a founding member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). I still remain a faithful member of the PDP. That notwithstanding, I observed the election, and I am satisfied for once that Anambra State has shown the way to others on how to conduct oneself in an election.

No matter the allegation being made here and there by some political parties about rigging, to the best of my knowledge, this is the best election I have ever witnessed in Nigeria’s democracy.

I didn’t know Obiano till I met him for the first time on November 7 (2013) when he was presented to us — the association known as Anambra State Public Officers and Elders Forum — in Abuja. The APGA governor, Peter Obi, called us upon and introduced the governor-elect.

We invited other aspirants in other parties to come and see us and they came, but the APGA didn’t come because the aspirant and Governor Obi were answering a call in America by ASA in USA. So, when they came back, they said they would like to come and see Anambra people and we made arrangement for them to come.

There was a large turn out: Peter Obi, Victor Umeh, Uche Ekwunife, Tim Menakaya; a powerful team came to present Willy Obiano and his running mate, Nkem Okeke.

That was the first time I met them but I must tell you frankly, I am satisfied that we have these two people elected. Their profile is impeccable, very impeccable. Obiano was a product of CKC (Christ the King College (Onitsha) — and you know what CKC stands for in Nigeria or at least in Anambra State — and he came out with grade one. Nkem Okeke attended DMGS (Dennis Memorial Grammar School) — of course, you know I am a product of DMGS — and he came out also with grade one.

Then Obiano went to other institutions for higher learning; likewise Nkem Okeke. They both came out in flying colours. Nkem Okeke got PhD from Howard University, which is a very well-know institution. (Incidentally, my daughter just came out of Howard University with first class.) So, these two, if Anambra people support them, will give us what we want.

What’s you position on Anambra as oil-producing state?

When you hear that the President has declared Anambra an oil-producing state, that does not mean that automatically, dollars will start flowing into Anambra State; it takes time before it will materialise. It is when the oil in Anambra is brought out and sold that you get the money.

Meanwhile, they are still in the process of bringing out the oil. You have to sell the oil before you get the dollars. So, Anambra people need to have patience. It will come. It is not done over night. Same way with Orient Petroleum.

Do you support the planned re-introduction of tollgates on Nigerian roads?

I believe it is a result of Public Private Partnership! Government invites the private sector to do a project, and the government will want them to recover the money. Instead of making it a budgetary issue, they mount tollgates to recoup their investments.

There were tollgates before, but they were demolished. It’s a ding-dong. I don’t know, but they said it’s in vogue all over the world.

Well, even the second Niger Bridge they’ve been talking about for how many years: all through Obasanjo’s administration, the Niger bridge would be built; Yar’Adua, Niger bridge would be built; today (under Jonathan), Niger Bridge is to be built. I haven’t seen anything o!

And I fear that when it is built, there will be a tollgate to collect N100 for any person passing through with a car. My brother, this one pass me o! I don’t want to talk what I don’t know.

TheGuardian

www.ngrguardiannews.com

16 | Monday, January 20, 2014

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 Religion, unwanted in politics HE increasing recourse to religion by both the Presidency and the T main opposition party is the height of desperation which should have no place in Nigeria.

Across the length and breadth of the country, nothing seems to count anymore outside of the political permutations and calculations about 2015. But while the ruling People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and leading opposition, the All Progressive Congress (APC), strive to out-do each other, they need not bring the roof down on Nigeria in their inordinate quest for power.

The most recent manifestation of this tendency is the movement by President Goodluck Jonathan, from one church to the other, presenting ‘questionable’ scorecards and the future agenda of his government, thereby turning the pulpits into campaign grounds. It shows that the President did not go to these churches primarily to worship God. Rather, the impression is given that he went there to score cheap political points ahead of 2015.

The conversion of the churches and mosques into the new political battlefield ahead of 2015, is a dangerous adventure that must stop immediately. Not only is it completely wrong, this can also serve as a potent source of instability in the country. While he is not alone in this wrong-headed conduct, it simply shows that the President is not sufficiently tuned to the competing sensitivities of Nigerians.

Otherwise, he would have learned some lessons from the inestimable damage and setbacks that the transformation of forces of identity, particularly its ethno-regional and religious dimensions, has brought upon this country. In too many countries, the undue mixture of politics and religion has destroyed nations and such tendencies have been fingered in the ongoing war in the Central African Republic. Nigeria cannot afford to go that way.

Yet, President Jonathan is not alone in this. Some people have even argued that the President’s actions could be deemed a seemingly politically expedient response to the perceived move by the opposition APC to use Islam as a tool of mobilization in its quest to capture power in 2015.

Incredible as it may sound, such a move is totally condemnable and all involved in the callous practice or design must stop forthwith. The allegations against the opposition on this matter or its conduct notwithstanding, Nigerians understand that there is only one sitting President on whose desk the buck stops. The President is, therefore, expected to run the country, and not ruin it. He also has a responsibility to protect the corporality of Nigeria through his actions. He should be able to free himself from all forces of identity and act in the overall interests of the country. He can only do this if he learns to act presidentially, especially in the face of extreme political provocations.

More important, the relative ease with which the clergy in the churches or mosques relinquish the hallowed chambers of God’s house to politicians for political purposes is also totally condemnable. The house of God is, supposedly, a consecrated place of worship and prayer. Letting it out for political marketing in whatever form is a step towards its desecration. Let it be known to all involved in this shameful act, be they in the Church or Mosque, Pastors or Imams, or whatever designations, that no matter how hard they try, Nigeria is a multi-ethnic and multi-religious secular nation that will continue to draw strength from its diversity.

The President should lead the way by putting a stop to any campaign in a church. All political parties too should stop this dangerous trend.

Sacred places of worship, especially the Church and Mosque, should not be converted to political battlefields. Such a development harbours a lot of danger for the country, especially with the rising political intrigues and tensions ahead of the 2015 elections.

Above all else, Christian and Muslim clergy should demonstrate greater morality and courage and resist the baits of politicians to hijack the Houses of God for political purposes.

At best, the Christian or Islamic congregation should be praying for the peace and stability of the country, especially regarding the forthcoming elections. The infiltration of politics into places of worship will not only overshadow, but actually quench their light.

LETTERS

On economic revolution What is mostly needed is a SersIR:mental revolution from leaddown to the masses before any meaningful economic revolution can happen. We have to replace consumerism mentality with entrepreneurial industrialization, where we produce much of what we need from TV, cars to tractors, encourage best private schools and universities rather than send our children to wintry Harvard or Yale in USA, make the media to educate and empower people in industrial and vocational skills; encourage research and development, build research institutes and

technical universities rather than stadia and breweries, declare an industrial decade, do a computer software revolution among the youthful talents.

Also, we need to create first class reference hospitals and upgrade alternative health care infrastructure; upgrade general infrastructure, mobilize private sector, stabilize the polity through a comprehensive national dialogue, stem impunity culture from unconstitutional legislative constituency projects to power usurpation by first ladies; get

lecturers to teach and research rather than embark on frequent strikes; boost power supply, check proverbially colossal corruption through proactively focused and intrepid leadership.

Not the least is needed to boost non-oil revenue e.g. tourism, agriculture and industrial products as the real gold mine - as we join the MINT emerging nations.(Malaysia, Indonesia, Nigeria, Turkey) and with us having highest GDP in Africa. These are the real revolutions of the mind.

China, Singapore, etc have made it.

Uchekah Sanky, e-mail: thermidor@rocketmail.com

APC’s ruinous trip to Ota IR: I am no fan of President dition that you have to meet with Sbased Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, and some of the scions of their erston current performance index, I do not believe he deserves to win a second term.

However, this has more to do with the blunder of his political opponents than anything GEJ has done or is doing.

What APC did recently beggars belief and may cost them the viable opposition to People’s Democratic Party grip on Nigeria’s political terrain.

Imagine your political opponents are locked in a deadly schism. The implosions are public and comedic. One of the leaders of your party, an ex-president wrote a scathing, damning letter to his party’s current leader and made the missive public. This was before your party opponent governors decamped to your political party and made it a con-

while party. The list of the public you are asked to meet contains the folks you have successfully run against and won elections by labeling them as satanic politicians. You then sheepishly agreed to these conditions and then set out to meet with these characters at their respective abode.

The essential gripe of the arrow head of this diatribe against their sitting president by his own admission is that the sitting president allowed the opposition to win a free and fair election in his enclave when he could have rigged the election in favour of their party!

If this scenario appears to you like a bad Nollywood script and stranger than fiction, you are not alone. But sadly, it is very true.

The fledgling opposition party in

Nigeria made a serious blunder last month when it decided to meet with former President Olusegun Obasanjo.

What they stand to gain from that meeting beats me and why they trudge to his enclave remains a mystery. It is not that the governors who championed the visit have anywhere to run to if the leadership of APC refuses to meet this ludicrous demand. What is more, at the end of the meeting they gained nothing!

As Prof. Wole Soyinka rightly stated “the opposition party’s approach as [is]lacking in moral focus and tantamount to political prostitution.” It was also downright stupid and I am sure they will rue the day they made that journey to Ota. •Francis Adewale, e-mail:tioluwanimi@yahoo.com

Monday, January 20, 2014

THE GUARDIAN www.ngrguardiannews.com

17

Opinion Agro-processing, frontier for economic transformation

By Roberts Orya HE politics of global development ensures T that national self-sufficiency in basic food items is not taken as an important indicator of development. But as a development banker, I understand that there is not a great country that is not able to feed itself or prioritise ability to do so. Of course there are countries which will remain net-importers of food, for whatever reason. Such countries will however remain vulnerable to external food shocks. This can be devastating, as was seen (and thankfully it was to some extent attenuated) during the last global food crisis in 2008, which coincided with the financial market crisis. Indeed the ascension of biblical Joseph as Prime Minister of Egypt was facilitated by his perceived acumen in the design of the ancient Egyptian food policy to ensure internal food security in his host country.

It is, therefore, instructive that the economic transformation policies of President Goodluck Jonathan duly incorporate national self-sufficiency strategies in some basic food items, which will be achieved in a transition through increased production, elimination of post-harvest waste, improved storage facilities and food processing. The success of the policy initiatives is so far well-expressed in the contribution food prices have made in bringing down the inflation rate. At current 7.9% according to the National Bureau of Statistics, the Nigerian inflation is at the lowest level we have seen in decades.

Trade in Primary Produce Before export of crude oil started to generate about 90 per cent of foreign exchange earnings for the government, the profile of the Nigerian economy was such that it was agrarian even as proceeds from export of agricultural produce helped to fund the first wave of development in the country after her independence in 1960. The groundnut pyramid profiled the economic strength of the North.

Cocoa and palm oil were produced in commercial quantity in regions of the South. I remember cotton from Nigeria was something of a national flag in the international commodity market, underlining the quality of agricultural produce that was grown in Nigeria’s vast arable land.

We can only assume that the country would have transited from export of primary agricultural produce to adding value to the com-

modities through processing and packaging before we export the products, had we not happened on oil. Therefore, it would have been conjectural that our economy would be on the trajectory oil has taken it. However, unlike high level corruption that is associated with the oil industry, there was no significant evidence that proceeds from export of the agricultural produce were misappropriated in those heydays when the groundnut pyramids greeted the skylines in northern Nigeria and bagged cocoa was ubiquitous in the southern parts of the country. This is a unique differentiation of agriculture from extractive industry commodities which fuel not only corruption but conflicts also in developing countries of the world. Nevertheless, the country could not have fully achieved her revenue potential from export of raw agricultural produce; just as it is the case with major oil economies which fail to diversify into industrial activities.

Agro-processing should become a significant part of industrial activities in Nigeria. To optimise the foreign exchange income from our agricultural production, we will have to process and package, and sell excess outputs abroad once local consumption demand for a particular produce has been met.

Agro-processing is the “A” in the “MASS” Agenda of Nigerian Export-Import Bank. As early as 2009 when the executive management of the Bank, which I lead, came into office, efforts to reposition the Bank to meet the trade objectives of the Federal Government started in earnest. Accordingly, we identified agro-processing as one of the sectors to refocus the Bank’s lending and advisory support.

One of the many reasons for which we set this sectoral priority is the undoubted comparative advantage Nigeria has in agriculture. It is because of its vast land, with large portions of it arable, that Nigeria is not one of the most densely populated countries of the world in spite of the huge population that is now estimated to be over 170 million. Nigeria’s largely fertile soil, complimented by favourable climatic conditions, supports good yields for a large number of variegated and different food and cash crops. The country is home to traditional farmers. Although they operate at subsistence level, their produce nevertheless accounts for 40 per cent of the GDP. The implication is that the key resource inputs for a vibrant agro-processing industry are readily available in the country, perhaps safe technology.

Secondly, agro-processing is an important frontier of economic transformation in Nigeria. The potential results of good policies to support the sector are multi-dimensional.

The immediate gain would be saving of foreign exchange that is expended on importation of food items yearly. We already know that, including sugar and fish, we spend over $10 billion annually on importation of rice and other grains which either grow locally or can be substituted with local alternatives. The local alternatives are less appealing because of poor processing, notably, Ofada rice. Where that is not the issue, we have supply shortfall because of post-harvest yield losses to inadequate storage facility, poor transportation and handling practices, and for some produce, especially fruits and vegetables, harsh weather conditions.

Therefore, the low entry barrier for agro-processing, granted that modern packaging is very important, can reduce post-harvest losses and accelerate industrial production in Nigeria. This is important to NEXIM Bank. Part of our aid to the trade policies of the government is to invest in businesses that can help conserve foreign exchange. There is hardly any other sector that can do this better than agro-processing, particularly the food segment. NEXIM Bank has been investing in this sector. Some of the investee businesses have gained capacity to distribute their food products internationally, especially within the West African trading bloc. This is helping to realise the other part of our twin objectives which is facilitation of export revenue growth outside of the hydrocarbon industry.

The other very important impact of a vibrant agro-processing sector is employment generation. The jobs in this sector are not necessarily salaried, although, we have seen the emergence of some businesses (co-financed

by NEXIM) which collectively employ several thousands of Nigerians directly, and tens of thousands indirectly. However, a lot of the jobs to be created in this sector are for micro, small and medium scale entrepreneurs (MSMEs).

Specific Interventions and Outcomes Between 1991 and 2003, Nigerian Export-Import Bank funded the agric sector (mainly agro-processing) to the tune of N27.2 billion.

This represents 28.6% of our total credit portfolio. However, there has been acceleration in the pace of the interventions since the inception of the current executive management.

From August 2009 till date, NEXIM Bank’s intervention in the sector is total N7.4 billion, representing 21.2% of portfolio size contributed in less than five years in total 22 years of the Bank’s sectoral intervention. The modest pace of growth will be leveraged in the immediate future, as my leadership of the Bank initially prioritised audit of preceding lending practices, and we have had to put in place a robust risk management framework to ensure portfolio performance. Coupled with this, the successful businesses we have funded in less than five years provide practical knowledge of how and where we can scale up our interventions.

As I had alluded to the job-creation potential of the sector, our intervention has created and supported 16,338 direct jobs since 1991. Since 2009, direct 4,452 jobs have been created and supported.

Our facilities have mediated the generation of $219 million. In accordance with the recent growth trend, $62.3 million has been earned in foreign exchange by the businesses we facilitated.

New National Policy Fillip Under the current Administration, the Agricultural Transformation Agenda (ATA) being implemented by the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development has boosted the agric sector. One aspect of the programme entails the establishment of Staple Crop Processing Zones which will utilise private sector approach in engaging commercially-oriented rural women, youth and farmers in developing commodity value chains and in engendering broad-based growth. I see that this programme can help in incubating the cottage and SME food processing businesses, with some of them growing to attract growth capital in the coming years.

The ATA also embodies investment in infrastructure to reduce loss of produce in transit from rural, peri-urban and urban cities to markets. In line with this, some states are already coordinating plans to establish agricultural infrastructure corridors to boost transfer of produce. Here again, I see opportunities for growth of infrastructure-linked portfolio for financiers in the country. But in terms of boosting food security, conserving foreign exchange and indeed generating non-oil export income over the medium to long-term, the cassava flour milling programme will yield dramatic results.

• Orya is Managing Director/Chief Executive Offi-

Africa and the failures in Warsaw

By Bukola Saraki HAT are we to take away from the Warsaw Conference?

W For me, the message appears to be that developed Western nations want to offload reductions in Co2 emissions until they can afford it, or at best, use a market-based approach to finance climate change adaptation in developing countries.

But is this the best way forward? Won’t this jeopardise the whole essence of curbing the impact of climate change on the most vulnerable population?

The discussions on “loss and damage” mechanisms won’t even happen until 2015 and clarification on funding for the proposed $100 billion a year post-2020 fund has stalled. For now economics seems to have won over the environment.

From an African perspective, is a very narrow-minded equation.

The UNEP report released this week has highlighted how Africa is extremely vulnerable to the rise in global temperatures. It’s estimated that the costs to adapt the farming and infrastructure across the continent will be in excess of $350 billion a year. The post 2020 $100 billion a year fund wouldn’t even get close to this. But it’s not just these unaffordable costs that are the issue. Food shortages and droughts that will follow will cause frictions among already struggling nations, and conflict may follow.

The higher the temperatures rise, the greater the financial and human challenge to adapt, says the report. It argues that

present policies point to temperatures rising to 3-4C by 2100, a turn of events it claims would be catastrophic. The African Union (AU) has made a seven-point demand for a framework that recognises the vulnerability of African countries to climate change and their incapacity to adapt. They want all parties to ratify the Doha amendments in preparation for the 2015 outcome document. This demand, which I fully support, looks to avoid any failure at Paris (COP 21), where the second commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol (KP2) is expected to come into operation.

The AU demand does not have unachievable objectives. It additionally calls for institutions to administer forest related activities (under the UN REDD+ programme), and for a strategy and reporting mechanisms to control the reduction of emissions in developed countries. The finances of the green climate fund need to be used along with an implementation of the promised $100 billion Global Climate Fund by developed countries. Finally, the climate technology centre and network need to be addressed properly in order to remove bottlenecks for Nigeria and other African countries in accessing new technologies for adaptation and mitigation.

Further ideas should also be drawn into the agenda for the Paris talks. The World Bank has recommended a development called the “landscape approach” where both ecosystems and social-economic policies are strategically combined and implemented together like two sides of a coin. With this system ‘the natural capital is used, without using it up.’ This forward looking project aims to assist the development of sustainable

agriculture across the world, especially for those that will bear the brunt of climate changes. Instead of using the Warsaw Conference to push aside commitments to drive down damage, resources and knowledge should be used to find more intelligent ways of making the most of what we have and what we will have.

The G77-China group of 133 countries were right to make a stand against the non-committal of the developed nations.

We are not in the position to allow our economies to drive our environmental policies as we will bear the brunt of rising temperatures. We need firmer commitments on a global scale for not just funding to mitigate the damage but also to pursue alternative methods of agriculture, damage prevention and planning for such acts of nature that we have recently seen.

What the Warsaw Conference has highlighted is the huge difference between what the poorer nations need and what the richer nations are willing to provide. The $100 billion fund needs to be put in place in 2020, with richer nations making the commitments. The framework for the Paris talks must have the needs of the least developed nations in mind and take on board recommendations from outside organisations such as the AU and Work Bank. The damage of climate change needs to be seen not just as a short-term economic issue, but as a long-term global social problem as this is how it is seen in Africa.

• Saraki is a former governor of Kwara State and Chairman, Senate Committee on Environment and Ecology.

18 | Monday, January 20, 2014

THE GUARDIAN www.ngrguardiannews.com

Opinion Human capital development in new power industry

By Idowu Oyebanjo NE of the myriad of problems bedevilling O the Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry is the dearth of knowledge of power systems in Nigeria and unfortunately worldwide. Having an efficient and reliable power system requires dedication and hard work. To this end, there must be a clear focus on recruiting, training, and keeping the workforce for today and tomorrow. There is also the risk that developed countries will poach our engineers once they have been trained, attracting them to say the least, with offers of citizenship in “greener pastures”. Hence, a well articulated and constructive approach is required to ensure we meet this challenge and keep a sufficient level of expertise adequate for the survival of the power industry in Nigeria! How can this be done?

The foremost requirement is a regulation backed by law to ensure that various enablers are in place to support the deliberate development and optimal utilization of Nigerian human resources for the provision of electricity services in the power industry. The emphasis should be on ensuring the active participation and growth of the Nigerian Industry and citizenry in the various services and activities that will be witnessed as Nigeria rebuilds her Power Network and Infrastructure. I say active here because lazy, selfish and myopic investors will partner technical companies from the developed economies who, for many good reasons, will prefer to carry out the actual design, fabrication, manufacturing and testing of equipment from their overseas offices and locations.

This will create jobs and opportunities overseas and add little to our subject matter. With foot on the ground, business economics will prevail and within a reasonable period of time, so many companies will shift base to Nigeria to carry out

these activities and more. Of course some balance is required here as the intention is not to stifle the development of the Power Industry and this is why those who understand the business of Electricity Generation, Transmission, Distribution and Supply are required to manage the process. In addition, there is need to track, monitor, review and measure the development of this objective at every stage. Statistical methods showing status quo ante and progress in the many areas is a must.

In view of the dearth of knowledge of power systems in-country, the new owners of the Nigerian Power Assets, their technical consultants and Nigerian professionals home and abroad should be asked to submit a list of the activities that they believe would be carried out in the short and long-term in the power industry. They should equally state those activities they would be more likely to provide services for; pre-qualification and assessment of their capabilities or otherwise, to acceptable international standards. This should form a database akin to the Joint Qualification System (JQS) in use in the Oil and Gas Industry. The Nigerian Content Division of NNPC could be approached for help in this area.

In parallel, there is need to establish support industries that will sustain the operations of the electricity supply industry. For example, the stakeholders in the Power Industries could fund the operations of an association that looks after the research and development of technology, industry standards, equipment specification, power groups and Fora, conferences etc that are unique to the power industry. This is not usurping the powers or duplicating the position of Standard Organisation of Nigeria (SON) which focuses on all industries; rather, it is as described, unique to the power industry. Another opportunity exists for government or private or-

ganizations to fund accredited organizations that will provide training to international standards for Nigerians or anyone working in the power industry. The certificates issued by these organizations shall be well recognized in the power industry and could soon be a basis for assessing staff competency levels, training needs and development. In this regard, Nigeria should take the lead in establishing these organizations to service the entire African continent with a long term vision in view.

A national orientation, preferably carried out by the appropriate government agency, to educate, re-orientate, and keep Nigerians abreast of the goings-on in the Power Industry is required.

This will focus on issues of consumer interests, successful projects, energy conservation, TV adverts and educative programmes specific to the power industry, available opportunities for employments and or provision of services. Take for example, if a parent is aware that a job opportunity is available in a suitable location for his ward, the lazy individual with requisite skill and qualification would be helped to eschew laziness and pursue industriousness and dexterity.

There will be an opportunity for “expatriates” to work in the Power Industry going forward.

But the same was true when Oil was discovered in Oloibiri on Sunday 15th January 1956. What was missing is a clear focus on how to “Nigerianize” the Industry that would emerge. The result? Half baked and unqualified “Expatriates”, not qualified in their countries of origin to practise engineering, flocked into Nigeria, were trained by Nigerians only to become the managers of the sector. Also, little or no transfer of Technology and Management of the Oil and Gas Industry resulted from the nepotism, anachronism, parochialism, and political jingoism that permeated the era. To prevent the unwholesome outcome like the foot dragging we see with the Petroleum Industry Bill in the Power Industry of

the future, any expatriate coming to work in the power industry must be required to have demonstrable experience in number of years (you may wish to specify a minimum of years of cognate experience depending on skill and level of job to be carried out) relevant to the job specification, commensurate degree of education and membership of an internationally recognised professional engineering institution such as IEEE, IET etc. This is to prevent the situation which occurred in the oil industry where so called expatriates lacking requisite skills to do the job were trained by Nigerian operators in the industry only to become their managers in the course of few months down the line. In a similar vein, consultants to the Nigerian Power Industry should be so registered at an appropriate level to the services rendered. Also, every international or multi-national Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) having the intention of carrying on business in Nigeria should take appropriate steps to obtain incorporation as a separate entity in Nigeria in line with the provisions of the Companies and Allied Matters Act 1990. Attempts to maintain superficial presence in Nigeria, but carry on services using expertise from their parent companies overseas should be prevented. This will include works such as design, settings calculation, etc. There are many ways, and these are well documented, to incentivise companies, organisations or institutions that demonstrate their full support of these initiatives. These will include but not limited to giving them special considerations among bidders for jobs, deliberately asking them to carry out the tasks if they have the requisite experience, asking them to do engineering, research and development, procurement, training and other technical and non- technical services as may be required.

• Oyebanjo writes from the UK

Public view of judiciary in Rivers

By Ahams Njoku ROM the former Chief Justice of Nigeria, Hon. Justice MuhamFHon.madu Lawal Uwais to his two successors and the incumbent Justice Aloma Mariam Muktar, one question was a recorded decimal in their opinion: that the public was not only dissatisfied with the performance of the judiciary but it was also upset with the quality of judicial verdicts and the integrity of some of the men and women who serve in the judiciary.

Declaring open the 2005 All Nigeria Judges Conference in Abuja on December 5, 2005, Justice Uwais said that dishonest practices had soiled the reputation of judges and increased public reservation about the integrity of judicial officers. His immediate successor in office, Hon. Justice Salihu Modibbo Alfa Belgore in 2006 expressed grave concern about mounting allegations of corruption against judges, adding that: “as the interpreter of the law, it would be ironic for the judges to be found on the wrong side of the law by being partisan. The consequences will be serious.’’

Similarly, former Chief Justice Idris Legbo Kutigi on April 4, 2007 warned judges that Nigeria required an unbendable judiciary that will not yield to political pressure, harassment or threats from the government and civil society. Swearing in 12 new judges of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja , Justice Kutigi who took the baton from Justice Belgore said: “ We as judges are here to interpret the law, do justice between individuals, do justice between governments, do justice between government and the people without fear or favour….’’. At the start of the 2011/2012 legal year on September 19, 2011, the then former Acting Chief Justice Dahiru Musdapher also painted the same gloomy picture of the public perception of judges. Following the steps of her predecessors, the current Chief Justice Muktar during her screening exercise by the Senate in July 2012 spoke on the disturbing rate of corruption in the judiciary and without hesitation, admitted that the situation “is very bad and I am saddened by it,” promising to ensure that there would be a cleansing of the bad eggs by the National Judicial Council (NJC).

However, the Nigerian judicial landscape is still populated by upright, honest and dedicated judicial officers; but the role of some of the judges who are “more executive than the executive’’ should be identified and isolated. It is, therefore, the task of all lawyers to assist Justice Muktar and the NJC to cleanse the system. There is no better place to start than for the CJN to beam her searchlight to the unfolding drama playing itself out in Rivers State.

There is need to watch whether the forces against Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi’s administration want to use the judiciary to ground his administration by starving it of funds whereby it will be difficult to implement the 2014 budget of the state recently passed by the House of Assembly.

Notably, the Federal Government is constitutionally barred from

withholding the revenue accruing to the state, as defined in the celebrated case of Attorney-General of Lagos State v. Attorney-General of the Federation(2004) 18 NWLR(PT.904)p.1 where the apex court held that the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria has no right to withhold the payment of fund due to the Local Government Councils from the Federation Account. Briefly, following the enactment of the Creation of New Local Governments Areas (Amendment) Laws, 2004 by the Lagos State and the subsequent creation of additional councils, President Olusegun Obasanjo drew the attention of the Minister of State for Finance to the elections into local government councils by some state governments including Lagos State and directed the minister that, “no allocation from the Federation Account should henceforth be released to the Local Government Councils’’ of the affected states. Lagos State approached the Supreme Court to challenge the directive as unconstitutional.

In a unanimous decision, the court, presided over by Justice Uwais CJN (as he then was) knocked down the directive. Justice Uwais who read the lead judgment granted all the reliefs sought by the Lagos State Government. To Justice Samson Odemwingie Uwaifo: “I do not think it is appropriate to brand the Federal Government or Mr. President as a trustee in relation to the constitutional powers conferred on and excisable by them; and thereby introduce the element of personal judgment or discretion over a justiciable dispute that may arise between them and the States.

The President exercises executive powers under the Constitution.

They are, without dispute awesome powers but even so they have known limits. The exercise of the powers is kept within bounds by the intervention of the rule of law’’.

He added: “It does not appear to me that there is any power conferred on the President to decide to withhold any allocation on the basis of a conceived breach of the constitution by any of the three tiers... I conclude on the reliefs by the plaintiff (Lagos State Government) as follows: The President is not vested with power to suspend or withhold for any period whatsoever the statutory allocation due and payable to Lagos State Government...’’

Justice Niki Tobi also endorsed the lead judgment while Justice Sunday Akinola Akintan held that: ‘’Nigeria is a Federation and operates a Federal Constitution. An important attribute of a Federal Constitution is that there is there is a division of power between the centre or the Federal Government, and the States. The powers and roles given to each of the governments are as defined and set out in the Constitution. None of the governments is allowed to step out of its assigned field. If it does, whatever it does outside its assigned field will be unconstitutional and will be declared unconstitutional and will be declared null and void by the court’’. I have quoted extensively from this case to keep our judges in check so that they should not be found “on the wrong side of

the law“ as warned by Justice Belgore.

I recall the recent verdict over the leadership crisis of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Rivers, a case which ought not to have been entertained by the Abuja High Court because of a subsisting judgment of the Supreme Court which barred the courts from intra party disputes. But the judge who recently bowed out of the judiciary went ahead to assume jurisdiction even when his attention was drawn to this. Ironically, the court also rejected the erudite submission of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) that it supervised the election in question and found it satisfactory. That judgment in my view is the genesis of the crisis in the state. Till date, the Court of Appeal is yet to list the appeal for hearing .

Another area in which the judiciary in the eyes of the public must be closely watched is the ruling on the fracas in the Rivers State House of Assembly in which five legislators loyal to a Minister of State, attempted to assume majority position against 27. The five legislators which ‘elected’ their own Speaker were ready to commence impeachment proceedings against Amaechi before the vigilant Governor and other members of the Assembly moved against them. The NJC should also beam its light to the handling of the matter of Obiakpor Local Government dissolution and the House of Assembly even when the matter was before the Court of Appeal.

Without mincing word, vigilance should be our watchword in the attempt by some elements to cast the judiciary in bad light over the defection of some legislators whereby the House of Representatives was recently restrained from declaring their seats vacant.

Writing under the caption: “ Fighting Corruption in the Judiciary’’, the human rights activist lawyer, Femi Falana (SAN) as a Columnist in Thisday Newspaper, refreshed our memory on the removal of some very corrupt judges by the defunct Sani Abacha junta on the recommendations of the Justice Kayode Eso Panel, but sadly, it “did not deter others who have continued to dent the image of the judiciary and thereby erode public confidence in the judiciary.’’

As if he has the foresight of the saga of judiciary erosion of public confidence raging over Rivers State, Falana urged Justice Mukhar to ensure that “effective measures are put in place to institutionalise the reforms. The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) should collaborate with the NJC to save the legal profession from perdition.”

Falana’s warning is timely in order to avoid a replay of the ‘midnight’ judgment of Justice Bassey Ikpeme that scuttled the most transparent election of 1993, causing an unhealthy situation we are yet to recover from.

• Njoku is the Executive Director, Constitutional Watch (Conswatch), Lagos.

Monday, January 20, 2014 19

THE GUARDIAN www.ngrguardiannews.com

TheMetroSection Briefs

Up in flames again...!

Okonkwo, Otabil, Imakando, Bismark for African Apostles confab

• Death averted as fire guts fuel tanker, NNPC pipeline in Lagos

HE Presiding of the ReT deemed Evangelical Mission (TREM) Dr. Mike

By Tope Templer Olaiya FUEL tanker laden with 40,000 A litres of petrol yesterday gutted fire near the National Theatre, Iganmu, Lagos. The Public Information Officer of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Mr. Farinloye Ibrahim, confirmed this when he disclosed to The Guardian that three other tankers were engulfed in the inferno.

In another development, vandals struck again by bursting Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) pipelines along the LagosIbadan expressway, near Arepo.

NEMA was alerted and subsequently informed NNPC on the development after long cessation of their activities. The pipelines exploded as a result of activities of the vandals and there were heavy fireballs at the scene.

Fire erupted at the premises of Zoom, a telecommunications company close to the National Theatre in Iganmu, Lagos on Sunday morning, after an explosion occurred as some people were transferring fuel from one tanker into another. According to eyewitnesses, the explosion, which occurred shortly after 11am caused panic in the area as many scampered to safety.

At the scene of the fire, three petrol tankers and one trailer had been burnt by noon, while firefighters were battling to prevent the fire from spreading to the warehouse of the telecommunications company.

A security guard with Zoom, Mr. Bassey Moses, told newsmen that some people were transferring diesel when a generator they were using sparked and caught fire. “We

A view of the smoke from the burnt tanker...yesterday were told to allow them to be parking their trucks here. One of their trucks had a fault and in the process of transferring the diesel from it to another tanker, fire broke out,” he said.

According to Moses, nobody died or sustained any injury in the incident.

Policemen, who arrived the scene soon after the fire started, controlled the huge crowd that had gathered nearby, as firefighters continued to fight the blaze.

Assistant Controller of Fire, Federal

Fire Services, Mr. Ganiyu Olayiwola, said immediately he was alerted of the incident at about 11:30am, he mobilised four stations – Surulere, Ebute-Meta, Festac and Lagos Island, to the scene to battle the fire.

The rapid response of the fire fighters paid off and the inferno was prevented from spreading to other buildings around the area while no life was lost to the incident.

As at 1:30pm, firefighters were still at the scene and a huge smoke was still billowing into the sky. Eventu-

ally, when the fire was put under control, two tankers were totally burnt down while the third was partially impacted.

According to the NEMA information official, “the fire was caused by those trying to decan/transload from one tanker to the other, which should have involved the presence of firemen to be on standby in case of a situation like this, but they did not call in any firemen. We, however, thank God there was no injuries or casualties,” he said.

ASCON Oil boss, others honoured by Fashola for tax compliance

By Odita Sunday HE Group Managing Director of ASCON Oil Company, Mrs. Grace Olowofoyeku has been honoured by the Governor of Lagos State for being tax compliant.

Olowofoyeku was among three other Nigerians who bagged the individual category of the award.

She claimed the award for complying with the government in the area of taxation and she was said to have

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been committed to tax payment in Lagos 100 per cent.

In his remarks at the Event Centre, Ikeja GRA, venue of the 7th stakeholders conference on taxation hosted by the state government, Governor Fashola told the audience that by committing to the payment of tax, Lagosians have advanced the state’s budget from a paltry N14 billion 14 years ago to half a trillion annual budget in recent times.

Noting that this is the seventh time that the people

have gathered in January to talk about tax, the Governor said: “It shows the undying spirit of the people of this state that when they commit to something they deliver it”, adding, “this year, more than N467 billion was budgeted and about 70 per cent of that is now being funded by you individuals. That is the independence you have gained by taking your destiny in your hands”.

According to the Governor, while many states in the country are today borrowing

Lagos State Governor, Babatunde Fashola (SAN) (second right), former Deputy Governor of Lagos State, Alhaja Okunnu (second left), Group Managing Director ASCON Oil Company, Mrs. Grace Olowofoyeku (middle) and others at an event where Olowofoyeku and a few others were honoured for being 100percent tax compliant in Lagos...on Thursday PHOTO: ODITA SUNDAY

to pay salaries as a result of dwindling resources engendered by corruption, the State has continued to pay salaries of its workers without having to borrow money from anywhere.

“Today we are beginning to see dwindling resources to states. 400,000 barrels of crude oil is beginning to disappear. In the morning we will hear that $69 billion have not been accounted for, in the evening they would say it is now only $12 billion they are looking for. It is bad enough to look for one dollar of public fund. But the result of all these is that the resources to the states are dwindling. Some states are borrowing to pay salaries.

But your State continues to pay salaries without having to borrow money”, the Governor said.

He noted that the stakeholders’ questions on taxation have gone down drastically when compared to the early days of the conference when he had to answer over 30 questions. This, he said, shows that the idea and the compelling benefits of paying tax have become a way of life for the people of the State.

Governor Fashola shared with the audience a text message sent to him by the Director for the Department of

African Studies in the University of Oxford titled: “Lagos Taxpayers Survey and Behaviour” in which the author congratulated the state governor for being able to win the hearts of Lagosians by “providing quality public services and spending tax revenues well”, adding that “it is the best way to build the social contract between citizens and their government”.

In her presentation titled: “Women and Taxation”, former Minister of Industries, Dr. Onikepo Akande urged women to be tax-compliant.

Also present at the event were members of the State Executive Council including the Commissioners for Information and Strategy and his counterpart in the Budget and Economic Planning, Mr. Lateef Ibirogba and Ben Akabueze respectively, former Secretary General of the Commonwealth, Chief Emeka Anyaoku, former Deputy Governor of Lagos State, Alhaja Lateefat Okunnu who also received award for 100 per cent compliance in tax payment, Chairman, state House of Assembly Committee on Finance, Hon. Adefunmilayo Tejuosho, traditional rulers and market women leaders as well as other prominent individuals.

Okonkwo, Bishop Joe Imakando of Zambia, Dr. Mensa Otabil of Ghana and the chairman of African Apostles Bishop Tudor Bismark of Zimbabwe and over 50 other African church leaders from African continent to grace the 2014 edition of the Council of African Apostles Impartation Conference in Lagos Nigeria.

According to theGroup Manager, Operations, Rev. (Mrs.) Oluwayomi Uteh, said “From January 28 to February 1, 2014, the Council of African Apostles Conference begins at Protea Hotel Ikeja Lagos and on January 31, 2014, the Council of African Apostles will all gather at TREM National and International Headquarters, Anthony Oke Gbagada Express Way Lagos for the official closing of the 21day prayer and fasting for Nigeria.

The Council of African Apostles is a body comprising of Christian leaders in the Body of Christ from African Countries.

The meeting is structured to discuss specific issues that affect the church in Africa.

Dr. Okonkwo is the chief host.

The Place opens third outlet in Lagos HE Place restaurant, bar T and nightclub, has opened its third outlet at Adeola Odeku Street, Victoria Island, Lagos. The new outlet would pay more attention to consumer needs by increasing the stakes with in ambiance, exciting menus and a cozy outdoor area with an artificial garden feel for friends and family to relax and enjoy a good time.

The new outlet has its restaurant on the ground floor, a games room on the first floor, and its bar/nightclub on the second floor exquisitely furnished to give the consumer something different.

It has provision for the busy executive, the games room and its bar/lounge are open every day from 5.00 p.m.

The bar/lounge transforms to a major night club on Fridays and Saturdays with great music from top-rated DJs on the Island and live performances by “A” list artistes. It also offers an irresistible package for private party hosts and planners.

The Place holds to its special events with every Friday and Saturday in the month celebrity hosting while it hosts Phenom, Friday, January 24, 2014.

THE GUARDIAN www.ngrguardiannews.com

20 Monday, January 20, 2014

Dehumanisation in Ejigbo: Findings implicate Baba-Oloja • As Lagos Assembly orders arrest, prosecution of culprits

By Wole Oyebade HE LAGOS State House of T Assembly has directed the State Attorney General, Office of the Public Defender (OPD) and Commissioner of Police to prosecute all those involved in the dehumanisation of two women in Ejigbo area of the state.

And top on the list of alleged culprits is Baba-Oloja of Ejigbo, Isiaka Waheed, a.k.a Baba Saida, who is currently at large.

While the House ordered the police to arrest perpetrators and grant protection to the surviving victim, the Attorney General should ensure that the OPD represent the victims in court and avail them custody during investigation and trial.

The directive came at the weekend, as the Assembly’s Ad-hoc committee that investigated the matter reported its findings to the House.

In its findings, the committee established that the incident actually occurred at Oba Moruf International Market, Iyana Ejigbo, Ejigbo Lagos about a year ago and BabaOloja of Ejigbo, Isiaka Waheed, purportedly led the perpetrators.

It would be recalled that Women Arise for Change, a Civil Society Organisation (CSO) led by Dr Joe Okey-Odumakin, raised the alarm over the incident, after a video footage of the dastardly act went viral on You tube in De-

cember.

Lagos Assembly, in response to the CSO’s petition, mandated a five-man ad-hoc committee, led by Majority Leader of the House, Dr Ajibayo Adeyeye to investigate the matter.

A public hearing of all parties involved held two Wednesdays ago. The committee also placed a N1.25m cash-reward for anyone with useful information about the culprits.

Findings identified the victims as Nike and Juliana (a.k.a Julie), both daughters of Freeman Agoma (a.k.a Baba Ibeji, the palm wine tapper), along with Ajoke Agoma, a.k.a Mama Nike, wife of Freeman Agoma.

Freeman Agoma informed the committee that he paid the sum of N50, 000 to secure the release of his two daughters and wife. Juliana, however, died two months after the incident due to injuries sustained in the torture.

Adeyeye explained that the committee twice summoned Baba-Oloja, Isiaka Waheed for his alleged role in the dastardly act, none of which he honoured. Efforts to locate him, the committee said, proved abortive. The BabaOloja had vacated his house to an unknown location and has erased the title of ‘BabaOloja’ previously inscribed on the frontage of his house.

While the committee gave kudos to the CSO for drawing

NBC donates bicycles to waste collector firm in Lagos S part of its efforts at supporting the Lagos State dream of A having a better and cleaner environment, Nigeria Bottling Company (NBC) has donated about eight specially built bicycles to a waste collector company, Wecyclers Nigeria Limited, under supervision of Lagos State Waste Management Authority (LAWMA).

The bicycles, which are built with two extra rear wheels along with attached skeletal tarpaulin-covered carriages, are to serve as a means of collecting and easy transportation of waste from collection point to the centre.

The Head Public Affairs, NBC, Yanju Omolola, stated that NBC believes in the principle of sustainability and packaging waste recovery is one of the company’s focus area, which is why it has supported Wecyclers who is into the collection of waste products with bicycles to enhance the initiative.

Speaking at the handing over of the bicycles to Wecycler Nigeria Limited Yanju said NBC partnered the waste collector company last year at its commencement of operation, based on it area of focus which is on the recovery of wastes, such as empty water sachets, cans, plastic bottles and others for recycling.

The Chief Executive Officer, Wecyclers Limited, Bilikisu Adebiyi Abiola, while commending NBC for its perpetual support said: “With the donated specially built cargo bicycles, transportation of waste from house-to-house down to the centre would now be more effective for Wecycler cyclists.”

Briefs Akajiaku Ekwunoh,81, passes on R Akajiaku-Owusi Joseph Amechi Ekwunoh, of Ogboli M Olosi Village, Onitsha, Anambra State, is dead , at the age of 81.

He was the patriarch of Ekwunoh family, and is survived by wife, Odoziaku Clara Ekwunoh, and his only child and daughter, Mrs Obianuju Joe Emeh (nee Ekwunoh) who is based in the United States of America.

In a statement by Mrs Emeh, a Christian wake holds onFebruary 14, 2014, and funeral and interment on February 15, 2014, in his residence, 6A Ogboli Road, Inland town, Onitsha, Anambra State.

Ekwunoh

Okei-Odumakin and other members of the group during a protest to the Lagos House of Assembly age, especially in a place like tims at an undisclosed locaLagos. tion, citing that they were Ikuforiji added that the still feeling insecure to republic-mind really needs return to Ejigbo. orientation. He said, “if this Speaker of the House, happened in February 2013 Adeyemi Ikuforiji said the inand just coming up now, vestigation had proved bethen we are in a big problem yond doubt that the incident as a people.” was not a make-belief, Sanai Agunbiade, repreadding that it was initially senting Ikorodu I, said the difficult to belief such barpeople must collectively conbarism could happen in this demn barbarism, while the

attention to the event, it also established that the Chairman, Ejigbo Local Council Development Area (LCDA), Kehinde Bamigbetan, was unaware of the incident until December 2013 and had made efforts to ensure the perpetrators were apprehended.

Adeyeye told the House that the ad-hoc committee was able to meet with the vic-

police should do thorough investigation to bring everyone culpable in the incident to book.

Spokesperson for the House, Segun Olulade further said the LCDA chairman should also be commended for the role he played in the investigation, contrary to criticisms that he had done nothing to bring perpetrators to justice.

Why personnel on Presidential Fleet are pampered, by new Chief of Air Staff From Karls Tsokar, Abuja HE task of flying the number one citizen of a country does not only require patriotism, courage and loyalty, it is significant and important, therefore, the person responsible must be cared for considering his onerous duty.

This is the submission of the newly appointed Chief of Air Staff (CAS) Air Vice Marshal Adesola Amosu during the weekend at the Presidential Air Fleet (PAF) family get-together which held at the Air Marshal Alex Badeh Circle, Nigerian Air Force Base, Abuja. He said as “the number one unit of the Nigerian Air Force”, it is expedient for the pilots to be in the right frame of mind

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at all times to be able to work well.

Amosu said: “We must understand that the President is one of the biggest assets of the nation so, people that fly him around in the air medium must be in the best condition of mind, their families must be well catered for, when their families are well catered for they would be in the right frame of mind to do their respected duties, flying Mr. President.

“The pact of the Presidential Fleet is to convey Mr. President around the country or internationally, taking him safely and on time to various locations. To do this effectively, they must be in the best frame of mind.

We are concerned because the Presidential Fleet is the number one unit in the Nigerian Air Force, so whether they are flying or they are going social, we have to be there.” He pointed out in further justification in the presence of the National Security Adviser Colonel Sambo Dasuki and the Chief of Defence Staff Air Marshal Alex Badeh.

Corroborating his statement, the Commander of PAF Air Vice Marshal Uko Ebong said “anytime you take a machine up there, it is like a judgment day”, so it is important that unwinding moments should be created such that “we can even get to know our families

better and re-emphasize and even the bond that we have in the PAF.” While also thanking the Air Council for promoting most of them that were due, Ebong said the family gettogether is to enable the officers in the PAF and their families share in the glory of the passing year, “2013 has been a remarkable year… so we said since our spouses have been holding the home front for all of us, let us come and unwind and forget about the cockpit for just today. Get to know the families.”

The night ended with awards to deserving Officers, such as the Air Officer of the Year, Special Assistant of the Year, among others.

ALCON rewards workers, donates to orphanage LCON Nigeria Limited, opportunities of the organiment for providing the that enabled the company’s A an engineering, procurezation would continue to company with peaceful and activities and business to ment, commissioning, installation and contracting company based in Port Harcourt, recently feted its staff at its end of year dinner and award party. The event, which was put together to honour and appreciate her clients, contractors, host communities, management and member of staff for their contributions in the year under review, was also an avenue to reach out to the orphanage.

It had in attendance notable personalities, including the Amanyanabo of ancient Grand Bonny Kingdom, His Majesty King Edward Asimini William Dappa Pepple, the Vice Consulate General of the Italian Embassy, Mr. Franco Facimi among others. The event was marked with pomp and pageantry inside the Atlantic Hall of Hotel Presidential.

In his remark the Managing Director of ALCON Nigeria Limited, Mr. Stefano Piotti applauded the people of the state and the govern-

conducive environment

Piotti with some kid at the orphanage

thrive. He said with such cooperation, the strength and

soar and benefit a large number of Rivers people.

The end-of-year event also witnessed donation of N1 million on behalf of the organization to Life Time Caring Foundation, an orphanage home located in Woji, Port Harcourt. He said the donation to charity was part of ALCON’s corporate social responsibility policy and a way to reach out to the needy and under privileged in the society, in the spirit of the season.

The Amanyanabo of Bonny, King Edward Pepple, commended the company for what it has been doing in the community. He, however, taxed the company to do more, especially in the host communities. He urged other companies to emulate the example of ALCON and help alleviate the problem of unemployment in the state Highlight of the event was recognitions and award of plaques to some members of staff who stood out in their areas of work in the previous year.

HOMES&PROPERTY /31

BUSINESS INTERVIEW /56

BDRL to deliver Ado Bayero Mall, proposes multi-million naira hotel complex

Broadband revolution in Nigeria needs massive investment, right policy direction, says Wood

MONDAY, JANUARY 20, 2014

Middle income earners drive Nigeria’s $35 billion e-commerce industry

By Adeyemi Adepetun

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HE growth profile of Nigeria’s electronic commerce (e-commerce) industry, with a current value of $35 billion, has been

assessed as being driven by the middle class group.

Today, Nigeria can boast of about 300 e-commerce sites including running, konga.com; Jumia.com; gloo.ng; buyam; OLX; mygiz-

mostore.com; mystore; buyrightafrica.com; kaymu; dealdey; wakanow.com. and others.

According to analysts, the last two years had witnessed investments to the

tune of over $15 billion with a projection that in another five years, online businesses in Nigeria would have moved from the present $35 billion worth to about $200 billion.

General Manager, Human resources, Odu’a Investment Company, Abimbola Ilori (left); Group Managing Director, Dr. Adebayo Jimoh; and Executive Director, Finance and Planning, Alhaji Niyi Badmus, at the Valedictory briefing in honour of the retiring Group Managing Director, in Ibadan, at the Weekend.

PHOTO: NAJEEM RAHEEM

FGN Bonds Description

TTM

4.00% 23-Apr-2015 13.05% 16-Aug-2016 15.10% 27-Apr-2017 16.00% 29-Jun-2019 16.39% 27-Jan-2022 10.00% 23-Jul-2030

1.26 2.58 3.28 5.45 8.03 16.52

Bid Price 90.00 100.00 104.55 110.30 115.25 77.65

Yield 12.81 13.04 13.32 13.28 13.25 13.39

Offer Price 90.15 100.15 104.85 110.60 115.55 77.95

Yield 12.67 12.97 13.21 13.20 13.19 13.34

Exchange Rates as at Friday, January 17 Currency US DOLLAR POUNDS STERLING EURO YEN CFA WAUA YUAN/RENMINBI RIYAL SDR

Buying (NGN) 154.74 254.1914 210.6476 1.4836 0.3034 237.1462 25.5925 41.2585 237.4331

Central (NGN) 155.24 255.0127 211.3282 1.4884 0.3134 237.9124 25.6756 41.3918 238.2003

Selling (NGN) 155.74 255.8341 212.0089 1.4932 0.3234 238.6787 25.7588 41.5251 238.9675

e-Commerce refers to the use of communications technology, particularly the Internet, to buy, sell and market goods and services.

According to analysts, ecommerce offers a level playing ground for large businesses, as well as small and medium-scale enterprises (SMEs) to operate in the global marketplace and for regional businesses and communities to participate in social, economic and cultural networks seamlessly across international boundaries.

With the growing successes recorded in the country’s ecommerce space attributed hugely to patronage from the medium class of the economy, the low-income group has also been described as huge future potential for Nigeria.

Although, the World Bank puts Nigeria’s population at an estimate of 160 million, the African Development Bank (AfDB) said that the middle-class makes up about 23 per cent of the Nigerian population.

Managing Director of DHL Express, South Africa, Hennie Heymans, said with Nigeria’s population of over 160 million and an already

CONTINUED ON PAGE 22

Investors stake N1.16b in FGN bonds, as NSE records N18.3b turnover

By Helen Oji HE Over-The-Counter marT ket for FGN bonds, last week, recorded a turnover of 1.17 million units valued at N1.16 billion.

Similarly, a turnover of 1.514 billion shares worth N18.333 billion was exchanged in 25,016 deals last week by investors on the floor of the Nigeria Stock Exchange in contrast with 1.722 billion shares valued at N22.443 billion, which exchanged hands during the preceding week in 29,600 deals.

The drop in indices last week, may however, be attributed to the one-day holiday to commemorate Id-elMaulud celedration.

Specifically, the financial services industry (measured by volume), led the activity chart with 992.851 million shares, valued at N8.087 billion traded in 12,205 deals, thus contributing 65.59per cent and 44.11per cent to the total equity turnover volume and value respectively.

The conglomerates industry followed with a turnover of 155.994 million shares worth N1.071 billion in 1,719 deals.

The third place was occupied by the oil and gas industry, with 140.090 million

CONTINUED ON PAGE 22

Treasury Bills Maturity Date 17-Apr-14 07-Aug-14 08-Jan-15

Bid 11.20 11.80 11.90

Offer 10.95 11.55 11.65

NIBOR Tenor (Days) Call 7 30 60 90 180 365

Rate (%) 10.5833 10.8333 11.0833 11.3750 11.6667 12.0000 12.3750

22

MONDAY, JANUARY 20, 2014

FINANCIAL GUARDIAN U.S. agencies commit $2.5b to new electricity investments in Africa

www.ngrguardiannews.com

tatives of three key agencies that support the project.

For instance, Opportunity to Partner with America Companies (OPIC) has committed $1.5 billion to Power Africa for its first five years of its operation and Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) has pro-

By Roseline Okere HE U.S. initiative that aims T to double access to electricity in Nigeria and other sub-Saharan Africa has provided new investments to the fast-growing region, amounting to over $2.5 billion, according to represen-

Major Global Markets (U.S., Europe, Asia) DOW S&P 500 NASDAQ TR US INDEX

16,477.35 1,841.86 4,204.39 168.38

+60.34 -4.03 -14.30 -0.32

+0.37% -0.22% -0.34% -0.19%

FTSE 100 DAX CAC 40 TR EUROPE

6,829.30 9,742.96 4,327.50 174.10

+13.88 +25.25 +8.23 -0.37

+0.20% +0.26% +0.19% -0.21%

NIKKEI HANG SENG SENSEX

15,734.46 23,133.35 21,063.62

-12.74 +146.94 -201.56

-0.08% +0.64% -0.95%

vided $1billion to the initiative.

Also, U.S Agency for International Development (USAID) is expected to provide $285 million in technical assistance, grants and risk mitigation to assist private-sector energy transactions and help governments adopt policy and regulatory reforms to attract private investment.

Alemayehou, Andrew Herscowitz of USAID and Kamran Khan of MCC, made this disclosure in an update on Power Africa recently at the Center for Global Development, a Washington think tank.

According to Alemayehou, “we are seeing developers investing for the first time in power in emerging markets.

We’re seeing developers we’ve never seen before. We are also seeing with the private sector in Africa an Opportunity to Partner with American Companies”.

OPIC mobilizes private capi-

Currency Table Currency EUR/USD GBP/USD USD/JPY USD/CHF USD/CAD AUD/USD

Last 1.3524 1.6418 104.31 0.91150 1.0973 0.87640

Day High 1.3621 1.6457 104.47 0.91190 1.0983 0.88270

Day Low 1.3515 1.6308 104.17 0.90410 1.0922 0.87590

% Change -0.69% +0.40% -0.02% +0.76% +0.41% -0.63%

Bid 1.3524 1.6418 104.31 0.91150 1.0973 0.87640

Ask 1.3526 1.6420 104.33 0.91170 1.0976 0.87690

tal to help solve critical challenges in developing countries.

President Barack Obama announced the Power Africa initiative in June 2013.

Through a public-private approach, the scheme was scripted to increase generation capacity by about 10,000 megawatts in six partner countries with the objective of increasing access to electricity for 20 million people, improving reliability and reducing costs for African businesses.

The partner countriesEthiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Liberia, Nigeria and Tanzania and others in Africa have identified ener-

gy insecurity as a binding constraint to economic growth, said Ben Leo of the Center for Global Development.

Alemayehou also said that with a combined population of 800 million people, the countries of sub-Saharan Africa use the same power capacity, as does Spain, with a population of 45 million.

Power Africa is intended to bridge the gap between Africa’s power shortage and its economic potential by working with U.S., international and African businesses and governments to develop newly discovered resources responsibly, increase power generation

and transmission capabilities, and expand the reach of mini grid and off-grid systems.

One example is a partnership in which U.S. and Icelandic businesses have joined to build 1,000 megawatts of geothermal generation capacity, Alemayehou said.

She also said that investments in Africa’s power could add as much as two percentage points to the region’s already strong growth rate and create jobs.

The World Bank reports that sub-Saharan Africa’s combined economies are expected to grow 5.3 per cent in 2014.

Middle class driving e-commerce industry CONTINUED FROM PAGE 21 thriving e-commerce market, the country is becoming a game-changer in African ecommerce.”

Indeed, according to statistics from the Nigerian Communications Commission, Nigeria currently has about 56 million Internet users and about 32 per cent penetration.

In an interview with The Guardian, the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Gloo.ng, formerly Buycommonthings.com, Dr. Olumide Olusanya, said online business requires time, tonnes of investment and supporting infrastructure development for new technology-enabled industries such as this, to reach the levels of other climes.

According to him, electronic commerce firms should be given ample time to evolve and scale up their businesses.

“You also need to be aware that new technology adop-

tion has a typical adoption curve where you have early adopters and late adopters.

Characteristically, what you see, as was demonstrated by recent evolution of telecoms and e-payments industries in Nigeria, is that the early adopters are typically the middle-class, before these new services percolate to the general populace, who are generally more circumspect about adopting them.

“The brick-and-mortar player with the largest market share had 0.6 per cent of

the market in 2012. Gloo.ng is aiming for a one per cent market share in five years time and ultimately vaunt to a 15 per cent-market share position in the long term.

The entire market size in 2012 was $33.34 billion but is growing at a yearly clip of five per cent”, he said.

The Chief Executive Officer of Konga.com, Sim Shagaya, in an interview, also said the long-term vision of any ecommerce firm in the country is to reach all Nigerians across all economic strata.

Investors raise stake in bond market CONTINUED FROM PAGE 21 shares worth N2.529 billion in 4,101 deals.

Trading in the top three equities namely, Transnational Corporation of Nigeria Plc, First City Monument Bank Plc and Unity Bank Plc (measured by volume), accounted for 328.881 million shares worth

N1.034 billion in 1,965 deals, contributing 21.73 per cent and 5.64 per cent to the total equity turnover volume and value respectively.

Also traded during the week were 85 units of NewGold Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs) valued at N162,775.00, executed in one deal, compared with a total of 105 units of NewGold valued at N198,945.00 transacted last week in two deals.

Similarly, 2,000 units of FGN bonds valued at N2.127 million were traded last week in 20 deals, compared with a total of 2,800 units of FGN bonds valued at N2.645 million transacted during the preceding week in 10 deals.

The NSE All-Share index and market capitalisation appreciated by 0.65 per cent and 0.68 per cent to close on Friday at 41,751.55 and N13.365 trillion respectively.

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Monday, January 20, 2014

MarketReport EQUITY MARKET SUMMARY

PRIMERA AFRICA AS AT 17=1=2014

www.primera-africa.com

Monday, January 20, 2014 MARKETREPORT

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MARKET INDICATORS

AS AT 17=1=2014

PRIMERA AFRICA

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Homes&Property BDRL to deliver Ado Bayero Mall, proposes multi-million naira hotel complex Briscoe properties woos buyers to Ikeja Orchid Court Page 33 estate

Challenges of urban housing in Nigeria Page 38

Ado Bayero mall

Projects

New ECOSOC president sets agenda, to protect earthPage in 48 2014

By Tunde Alao and Emmanuel Badejo

While the mall constitutes the first phase of the development on the site, it is the intention of the owners to embark on a second phase comprising a 4-5 star hotel and an amusement park – thus providing the customers a unique blend of shopping, entertainment and hospitality experience

HE skyline of real estate T investment in the Northern Nigeria, particularly, Kano, is set to rise with plans afoot to at the last quarter of this year deliver a world class Ado Bayero Mall, located in the heart of Kano, property of Messrs. Beverly Development and Realties Limited (BDR).

Indeed, the mall, conceived by Alpine Investment Services Limited as promoter and developer, when eventually opened for business, would further drive home the reality that the Nigerian shopping experi-

ence is fast experiencing a revolution.

The Guardian had gathered that the multi-million naira project, which had had some delays, would now be ready for investors and shoppers before the end of 2014.

While the mall constitutes the first phase of the development, the second phase is a proposal to build a 4-5 star hotel and an amusement park – thus providing the customers a unique blend of shopping, entertainment and hospitality experience.

The mall, which was said to

be the biggest shopping complex in Nigeria with a gross built area of 31,000m2 is standing on a land mass measuring 10 hectares in the heart of Kano. A list of professional team, contractors and sub contractors involved in the project are: Messrs Stabilini & Company Limited, as the main contractor and Etco Nigeria Limited, handling engineering and technical aspect of the project.

Designed by Messrs Stauch Vorster Architect (SVA), Morgan Omonitan and Abe Limited are the

Civil/Structural Engineers and Project Manager respectively. Others are WSP Developments Limited, quantity surveyors & project managers ; Broll Property Services Limited, leasing agents ; KOA Cons Price Waterhouse Coopers Ltd as external auditors.

Located in the heart of Kano and already at 80 percent completion stage, the shopping complex will form part of an integrated entertainment and hospitality offering, including a 150-

CONTINUED ON PAGE 31

NITP tasked on standards as Lagos ATOPCON gets new exco Professional Practice

By Emmanuel Badejo

The erosion of standards within the town planners fold in Nigeria has been the bane of the profession and all hands must on deck to ensure that the practice of town planning is protected, by upholding laid down rules by the industry’ founding fathers XCEPT the Nigerian E Institute of Town Planners (NITP) upholds its standards of practice, the profession of town planning in Nigeria will continue to produce less quality services, which is detrimental to all stakehold-

ers within the sector.

Former president of NITP, Mr. Bunmi Ajayi, made the call last weekend, while addressing members of the Association of Town Planning Consultants of Nigeria (ATOPCON), who had gathered for the group’s 2014 Annual General Meeting (AGM), held at NITP- Joseph Awogbemi’s House, C.I.P.M Road, Central Business District (CBD), Alausa, IkejaLagos State.

Ajayi, who was asked to give goodwill message on the occasion, said standards are now being eroded within the town planning profession, lamenting it was not the way the profession started, but quickly added that all hope was not lost, if NITP and the regulatory bodies could

ensure that admission into consultancy arm of the profession is streamlined according to laid down rules.

According to him, consultancy in town planning was not for all-comers, but for those who have got the exposure and expertise to handle it. To him, many of those handling consultancy in town planning matters now stray into the field due to lack of employment.

“Many of us do not appreciate or try to forget how we began consultancy. Today many of us are going into consultancy because there was no job; some who are to be under employment to get the expertise are now calling themselves consultants.” He added that before anybody could become consultant,

such must have possessed requisite knowledge on specialization, which would in turn impact positively on the profession.

Realizing the presence of the first Vice President of NITP’s presence, Dr. Femi Olomola, Ajayi said it was time for the institute to bring back the standards, decrying the issuance of stamps to less deserving firms.

He called all to recognize the place of continuous acquisition of knowledge.

“The challenge before all of us is to ensure that we recognize the place of continuous knowledge acquisition, which will aid specialization”, adding no profession is static.

Besides, the renowned town planner

urged younger colleagues to learn from their seniors to guide them on areas of the profession not clear to them.

ATOPCON president, Moses Ogunleye, said the group’s plan was to use its branches to reach, adding at present the group has three branches including Lagos, Delta and Oyo, revealing plans were afoot to open another branch in Ondo State. “In line with the visions and aspirations of the our founding fathers, we need to strengthen our branches, a reason for a coming two-day retreat for all branch executives at Ibadan soonest.”

Olomola, who expressed delight over delight over the existing relationship between the parent body, NITP and ATOPCON, pledged

to foster closer tie even when he ascends the seat of NITP president.

First female town planner in West Africa, Mrs. Kehinde George, called on ATOPCON to engage more female town planners in the day-to-day businesses. “I am more happy to see more female practicing town planner today. I urge the consultants to reach out to more female professionals, because they can be very useful even while pregnant or nursing babies.”

NITP chairman, Lagos branch, Mr. Ayo Adediran, pleaded with ATOPCON members to initiate more ideas as well as considering closely those thing they are entitled to do as town planners, calling on them to do

CONTINUED ON PAGE 30

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Delta appoints contractors for Warri Industrial Business Park In terms of logistics, its direct access to four seaports, proximity to the Osubi Airport, access to a wide range of regional, national and international markets through multi-modal transport services, Free Trade Zone, and proximity to the oil and gas industry, further highlight its position as a worldclass industrial business park that can spike an industrial revolution in the ancient city of Warri.

By Tunde Alao OWARDS actualizing the T ambitious dream of delivering the first phase of Warri Industrial Estate, the Delta State Government has appointed Messrs CCC Construction Company and Palmyra to handle the project.

While CCC is to construct 11.9kilometres road network within the Park, Palmyra is construct a 7- Storey “Iconic Start up building”.

Targeting the commissioned of the first phase in the first quarter of 2015, the 7-storey iconic administrative building, expected to churn out about 11,000 sq metres of office space that would be available for leasing.

With a dedicated area for commercial use, residential area, recreational centres, logistics and many more, the park would, on delivery, come with world-class road network, complementary infrastructure, dedicated power stations, telecommunication network, and all facilities expect-

ed in a world-class business park.

“The need to leverage on infrastructural development through aggressive pursuit of income diversification necessitated the park,” said Helen Emore, the WIBP project director.

According to Emore, the project is a giant stride by the state government to re-direct its economy from its sole dependence on oil to other exciting opportunities such as real estate, agriculture, logistics, amongst others.

In term of logistics, its direct access to four seaports, proximity to the Osubi Airport, access to a wide range of regional, national and international markets through multi-modal transport services, Free Trade Zone, and proximity to the oil and gas industry further highlight its position as a world-class industrial business park that can spike an industrial revolution in the ancient city of Warri.

Other off-site developments aimed at increasing business opportunities at the park are

Prototype of Warri industrial business park the dredging of the channel linking Warri Port to WIBP, incorporation of a light rail between the port and park into the WIBP project, completion of rail line to Aladja by Federal Ministry of Transport and completion of UghelliAsaba Expressway.

“WIBP is a mega project estimated to gulp about $1.5 billion; however, we aim to achieve this milestone through Public Private Partnership (PPP) as we believe that this offers an exciting opportunity to every local and foreign savvy investor,” Emore continued.

Another benefit of the project, is the expected growth to expand the state’s industrial sector, create new knowledge,

new enterprises, new opportunities, and also kindle the service and commercial sectors of the economy, raising the state’s competitiveness in such industries in the global market.

This start-up building will comprise over 10,000sqm of office space available for leasing.

Construction equipments and personnel have been mobilized to site and construction work has commenced on the start-up area.

Beyond the erection of immediate physical structures on the site of Warri Industrial Business Park project, land acquisition and site preparation is ongoing; business plan/feasibility studies and development of master plan have been concluded; front-

end engineering and transaction structuring are ongoing; environmental impact assessment and sand search and geotechnical have been concluded.

Explaining the immediate benefits accrue from the project, Emore noted that the drive to build the Warri Industrial Business Park is to create a world-class industrial business park with security and ultra modern amenities that will act as a catalyst for the rapid industrial development and growth of Warri and the Niger Delta region of Nigeria.

This is by using a safe, fit-forpurpose and adequately maintained industrial environment in Warri to bring

together the private and public sectors for delivery of industrial products and services to oil, gas and other companies in Niger Delta region of Nigeria.

The park when completed, will create income multiplier effect on the lives of the people in Warri and environs, visible physical development of Warri and opportunity for the establishment of complementary companies, as well as enhancement of existing skill acquisition opportunities in Niger Delta. It will also give room for massive employment boom; enhancement and better standard of living, just as it will contribute towards the peace and security of the region.

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PRIME ESTATE

Briscoe properties woos buyers to Ikeja Orchid Court estate

By Tunde Alao F all works as planned, the Ineighbourhood low density residential of Government Reserved Area (GRA) in the heart of Lagos, Ikeja, will soon witness a boost of its housing units as a developer, has concluded plans to deliver a 25 units of exotic estate this year.

Christened as Orchid Court estate, Briscoe, a subsidiary of R.T Briscoe Nigeria Plc, and a leading real estate developer, has designed the project in seven different house style including four units of five bedroom detached house, three units of five bedroom semi-detached, six units of four bedroom triplex terrace Types one and two, six units of three bedroom duplex, three bedroom of penthouse apartment and type G consists of apartments, six units of spacious three bedroom apartments and maid room of190 square metres.

Each of the house types is with special unique view and serene spatial arrangement.

This is complemented with recreation facilities that include beautiful landscaped outdoor, children’s play area, swimming pool, recreational gym and generous terraces.

Safety of lives and properties were of paramount consideration during the planning of the estate, and as such, it features electric fence, intercom and video door phone among others.

Speaking on the project, Managing Director, Briscoe Properties, Mrs. Sade Hughes, said that the company is already well known for timely delivery of real estate products which guarantees security of investment with an unparalleled track record of high quality and an assurance of capital appreciation, especially, in Ikeja GRA, an environment she said is one of the best to live Lagos.

According to Hughes, Ikeja GRA is an exclusive residential community known for its high profile neighbourhood, natural beauty and serenity ideal for enjoying an evening after work and a safe haven for you and your family. There abound a number of nice restaurants, boutiques, excellent schools, shopping districts, vibrant natural features, and outstanding recreational opportunities.

“With an array of business and governmental functions within minutes’ drive away, Orchid Court rests comfortably in the embrace of Ikeja GRA’s natural beauty of tree-lined streets, making it the perfect haven away from the daily hustle and bustle of the Lagos Metropolis.

Investing in Orchid Court provides a prestigious new address and an enviable urban lifestyle.

“Briscoe Property’s track record of previous successful Aloe Vera Court and Heliconia Court, gated developments of terraced houses at Maryland and Yaba respectively, speaks volumes even after develop-

Prototype of Orchid Court estate a subsidiary of R.T. Briscoe Nigeria Plc ment. There have been positive feedbacks from satisfied and happy customers who are envied by others who were too late to avail themselves of the investment opportunity”, said Hughes.

She said that the location is already undergoing significant infrastructural developments from the State Government, which includes upgrade of the

road networks, drains and power integration etc. There is a window of opportunity for prospective customers to place their orders now and achieve maximum return on investment, assurance of capital appreciation and premium rental income with good rental yield in the future.

Briscoe Properties Limited was incorporated on the 25th of

September 2003 as a property management company with the name Briscoe Homes Limited. The company’s name was changed to Briscoe Properties Limited in February 2004 and the business scope was broadened to include total integrated facility management, project management, property development, and real estate sales and

leasing.

The company started under an agency arrangement brokered by its then parent Company. Since her incorporation, the company has witnessed a tremendous growth and has diversified its area of operations to include the sales and service of motor vehicles, technical equipment and real estate.

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Monday, January 20, 2014

HOMES & PROPERTY Ado Bayero Mall sets for completion in 2014 CONTINUED ON PAGE 31 200 bed 4-star hotel and an amusement centre as part of the second phase scheduled to kick off in 2014.

Some of the line shops which will be in the mall include: Samsung, Adidas, Swatch, TM Lewin, Levi/Converse, Lego, Storm, Maybrands, Casa Bella, Healthpluss, Ruff N Tumble, Electromart, Lifemate, Airtel, Etisalat, Da-Viva Office among others.

The centrally air-conditioned mall with all the bells and whistles will be comparable to any modern shopping mall in major capitals of the world. It was learnt that the mall, expected to be the first of its kind in Northern Nigeria, is poised to trigger a host of innovative developments in urban planning in and around the sub-region.

“This high-profile location guarantees easy access and visibility for all tenants and

shoppers. It is also expected to offer specialist facilities to department stores, banks, fast food outlets and restaurants, salons and any other tenant with specific needs”, said a source close to the developer.

The mall when completed would be manage by its owner, Beverly Development and Realties Limited, through a firm the source described as “a world class facility management firm”.

Monday, January 20, 2014 35

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HOMES & PROPERTY

Ashaka acquires land, plans N262m housing units HEAD of its expansion A programme , Ashaka Cem Plc, producers of

Already, the construction of 55 residential houses has begun on the land as well as a primary school, a clinic, a central Mosque and three boreholes for the communities which are expected to be completed within the next three months.

Ashaka brand of cement has acquired about 40 hectres of land for the relocation of three villages within its factory in Funakaye Local Council of Gombe State.

Already, the construction of

55 residential houses has begun on the land as well as a primary school, a clinic, a central Mosque and three boreholes for the communities which are expected to be completed within the next

Infrastructure From Ali Garba, Gombe

three months.

Speaking at the foundation laying ceremony of the project, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the company, Mr. Leonard Polka promised to ensure that high

quality materials are used in the construction of the houses.

He thanked the people of the community for their understanding in agreeing to relocate from their ancestral abode urging them to live in peace so as to enjoy more of the company’s cooperate social responsibilities.

Chairman of the board of directors of the company, Alhaji Umaru Kwairanga said the relocation of the three

villages is to make way for the expansion of the company from the present one million capacity to four within the next four months.

He said that their host communities had always remained first in what ever the company is doing , promising that his board will leave a lasting legacy for the host communities before the expiration of their tenure.

He said that as a way of empowering the host com-

munities, the board had ensured that all contractors to the project are of high standard and from among them.

The Emir of Funakaye, Alhaji Mohammed Kwairanga Abubakar also thanked the company for providing houses to the relocated villagers even as he urged the people to cooperate with the company so they can enjoy more benefits.

Gran Imperio launches ‘EssentialHomes’ product for middle-income earners Housing

By Emmanuel Badejo the middle-income Fto OR earners who cannot afford key into luxury and highearned homes coming up all over the country, a developer, Gran Imperio Group, has introduced a product, known as ‘EssentialHomes’, which is believed would meet the housing desire of this group of people.

Under this product, the developer would deliver affordable, yet classy homes to young individuals and families, with a programme

towards supporting this category of people achieve their dreams of owning their own homes.

The product is designed in one, two, and four-bedroom terrace bungalows, with exquisitely finishing, which is planned to be delivered within 180 days with air-conditioners, good quality finishes, adequate parking spaces, private garden, AstroTurf football pitch, swimming pool and other recreational facilities.

Gran Imperio Group is a holding company to Howard Roark Limited and Metropole Interproject Limited.

Speaking with The Guardian on the product last week,

Marketing Manager, HowardRoark Limited, Mr Isaac Etim, said his company, which was excited at the eventual launching the Nigerian Mortgage Refinancing Corporation (NMRC), has concluded plans to further reduce the over 17,000 housing deficits in the country, hence the launching of its new product.

According to him, pilot projects of this product, are currently on-going in 5 strategic locations in Lagos, including Southpointe Estate located on Lafiaji/Orchid Hotel Road after the Second Toll Gate on LekkiEpe Expressway; Lake View Park 11 in a close neighbour-

hood with Southpointe; Golden Leaf Estate located on the same axis; Lord’s Estate located next to Buckswood College, off Abeokuta Expressway, Ogun State, Oworonsoki Redevelopment Scheme, off Third Mainland Bridge, Oworonsoki, Lagos, and many more to come later in the year.

He revealed that one objective of this product is to provide recreational centres by way of encouraging communal living amongst homeowners.

Etim said that one exciting feature of this scheme is its relative affordability and

flexible payment system, which includes mortgage facility to be provided to buyers by GTHomes.

He added that a two-bedroom bungalow goes for N11, 950, 000 and three-bedroom for N14, 950, 000 while a buyer has to pay N17, 950,000 to own a four-bedroom bungalow with a either two and three year payment plan “Flexible mortgage options are also available from GTHomes for 5 years, 10 years, 15 years and up to 20 years tenor”, he assured, adding that a one-off payment for any of the units attracts 7.5 percent discount.

For payment in two instal-

ments within 120 days, Isaac said that, the first instalment expected to be, at least, 50 percent of the total cost attracts 3% discount while payment in 4 instalments, representing 25% of the cost within a space of 12 months, attracts no discount.

For those wishing to buy through mortgage, the payment plan for the three house-types requires 25% initial deposit or equity contribution while the mortgage bank provides loan facility on the 75% balance repayable in 5, 10, 15 or 20 years as applicable.

Continued on Page 43

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HOMES & PROPERTY Developer offers Ghana’s Ambassador Heights’s Phase II Projects FTER successfully completA ing the sale of its impressive and luxury residential development, Ambassador Heights Phase I, located at the Moevenpick Ambassador Hotel in Accra, Ghana, the developer may soon commence the sale of its second phase.

Speaking on the first phase to a group of subscribers, Sales Manager for the project, Robert Davis, said the project, which was launched on December 7, 2013 achieved record breaking price points and enjoyed strong local and Nigerian demand across its three and four bedroom homes.

Davis said: “our clients are comprised of very affluent

NITP tasked on standards as Lagos ATOPCON gets new exco CONTINUED FROM PAGE 31 more to ensure that their instruments of practice were in place.

And for those ATOPCON members, who have not been playing active role in NITP affairs, Adediran said: “We should be complementing and not competing. I urge all consultants to see and take NITP activities as theirs and therefore ensure regular and active participation.

In his speech, the immediate chairman, Mr. Adedire Moses Adebisi, said though his tenure has touched every of its objectives, there was more things to do to brighten their chances in the keenly contested industry and polity.

To him, there was need to get more information that would better shape and position the profession in its rightful place. “As we all know that information rules the world, I believe that the absence of adequate and current information has been a major setback to planning activities in this nation. We can no longer rely on indigenous information supplied by foreigners neither can we continue to adopt foreign approaches to local challenges.

“It is high time we started researches carried out by Nigerians for Nigerians as this would help us comprehend the problem better and evolve local approaches that best solve our problems, the foreign methods just being a guide. This can be effectively done by liaising with various planning institutions of learning and probably recommending areas of research that are most pressing that students can research into. In this way, current information on particular situation can become available and documented and puts planning interventions in the proactive rather than remedial position”, calling all to embrace available avenues to make planning services better rendered in all capacities.

our clients are comprised of very affluent and discerning individuals who seek the best in all aspects of life. They appreciate that Ambassador Heights is completely differentiated from any other development in the market and support our vision in creating Accra’s first and only 5 Star mixed-use development. and discerning individuals who seek the best in all aspects of life. They appreciate that Ambassador Heights is completely differentiated from any other development in the market and support our vision in creating Accra’s first and only 5 Star m i x e d - u s e development. Our local and

Nigerian clients are confident we will deliver an ownership, lifestyle, and investment opportunity unparalleled in the region.”

Ambassador Heights will be comprised of exclusive city homes immediately adjacent tothe Moevenpick Ambassad or Hotel.

Homeowners will have full access to the amenities and services of the surrounding complex; restaurants, retail, meeting and event facilities, pool, spa, fitness and more.

Davis added: “with the success of Phase I, we are seeing strong demand across a waiting list of clients for purchase of our limited Phase II inventory, which is now being released.”

Prototype of Ambassador Heights residential estate

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Monday, January 20, 2014

HOMES & PROPERTY

Challenges of urban housing in Nigeria

Imota asphalt plant waiting for commissioning

Housing IGERIA, the most popuN lous African country, is facing considerable housing challenges and is in need of sustainable housing solutions that have the potential to be scaled up to impact the almost 15 million inadequately housed people who live there.

To a large degree, many of the problems the poor face when moving to urban areas are a result of public sector failure to anticipate and respond to the increasing demand for urban land and housing. This is worsened by inadequate capacity and allocation of public resources to housing delivery.

Isolated housing projects in different parts of the country will alleviate some of this housing need. In October 2005, Habitat for Humanity Nigeria (HFHN), partnered with the MTN Foundation (MTNF), Nigeria, in a 100house urban project at Karu.

The project was successfully completed in July 2007.

The partnership between MTNF and HFHN aimed at alleviating some of the housing need in urban areas by undertaking urban housing projects in each of the six geo-political zones of Nigeria. The first zone considered was the north central zone in which Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory of Nigeria, is located. Due to the difficulty encountered in obtaining government or affordable private land in Abuja, Nassarawa state was considered due to its close proximity to Abuja.

A needs survey prior to starting the project confirmed the serious lowincome housing need in

Housing is one of the most basic of human needs. Provision of houses through the creation of mortgages is taken for granted in developed countries; however, it remains a major challenge in developing countries, especially in sub-Saharan Africa. All governments in Nigeria since independence highlighted housing as a major priority. Unfortunately for over 53 years of its independence, Nigeria is yet to develop a vibrant mortgage market.

Samson Nyam, a civil engineer by profession, who is currently serves as the urban habitat specialist at Habitat for Humanity’s Africa and Middle East area office, in this write-up, examined urban housing challenges in Nigeria.

Nassarawa state. HFHN applied for land from the state government but, due to delays in the government’s response to the land applications, an inexpensive piece of private farmland at Karu, Nassarawa state was purchased instead. (A comprehensive approach was taken in identifying the land, i.e. proximity to public transport, schools and play areas.)

The project MTNF paid for the land and legal services involved in obtaining the title for the land. However, until the time the project was completed in July 2007, the title for the land had not been obtained due to bureaucratic delays.

In a context where almost all urban housing development is focused up-market — urban housing development is carried out by private developers for the high-income population — the house design adopted was for a two-bedroom flat targeted at lowincome earners.

Considering that only a minute fraction of housing constructed in Nigeria is accessible to lower income earners, the project, even though not affordable to HFHN’s target group — the poorest of poor — is providing an affordable solution to decent housing for low- to

middle-income earning groups of NGN26, 000 pm to NGN70, 000pm (USD200 to USD500). Since the existing staff capacity of HFHN was inadequate to manage and supervise the project; MTNF funded the employment of qualified personnel.

Personnel included a registered architect as project manager; two experienced building technicians as site supervisors; and a storekeeper to ensure proper inventory of building materials and work equipments. To facilitate long-term sustainability and community transformation, training sessions in the community formation process and community management post-occupation were carried out.

Prospective homeowners participated actively in sweat equity. Most of them met each other for the first time during training sessions.

While fulfilling their sweat equity, they formed friendships even before moving into their new houses and community.

The new networks developed by these relationships increase peoples’ trust and ability to work together and expand their access to wider institutions. This new social capital is very effective in improving the management

of common resources and maintenance of shared infrastructure.

Infrastructural facilities like water and electricity were not available on the land, and the access road was inaccessible during the rainy season. Though it was the government’s responsibility to provide such facilities, discussions with government officials revealed no immediate plans to provide such facilities to the area. MTNF provided the funds to repair the inaccessible portion of the access road and for electricity and water to be provided.

The major problem faced in this project was “scope creep.” Since this was the first project in which HFH and MTNF were partnering together, the organizations did not have a clear idea of each other’s roles and expectations. Insufficient time was given to properly planning and defining the scope of the project. As a result, the scope of the project kept changing, which affected budgeting and cash flow. In fact, at one time, construction work stopped on site for two months due to cash flow problems. This was corrected by clearly defining communication channels between senior personnel of

HFH and MTNF. It was decided that details of any change in scope should be accompanied by the cost implication and agreed to by all parties before implementation.

Despite all the constraints, the first phase of the project involving the construction of 100 twobedroom flats was success-

fully completed in July 2007.

As the homeowners move into their new houses, the lessons learned by HFH and MTNF from their partnership experience in the first phase will be put to great use as they plan to implement the proposed second phase of 100 houses in a different location in Nigeria.

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HOMES & PROPERTY Borno to remove illegal structures in Maiduguri metropolis Urban Development From Njadvara Musa, Maiduguri S part of its urban renewal A effort, the Borno State Government has given a 2week ultimatum to the owners of buildings and other structures along the Airport, Maiduguri-Biu and Bulunkutu roads to remove them.

The order for the removal, according to officials is to pave way for the expansion and construction of the Airport road from 2 to 3 lane 16-kilometre proposed road projects.

Speaking recently in Maiduguri on illegal structures before the committee members on Demolition of Illegal Structures, the Commissioner for Housing and Rural Electrification, Alhaji Sugum Mai Mele, said that the illegal structures had not only obstructed the free flow of traffic and pedestrians, but also creating hinderance for the proposed expansion and constructions of Airport road from 2 to 3 lane 16-kilometre project.

“The illegal structures on Airport and Maiduguri-Biu roads and Bulunkutu wards

Developer unveils ‘rent-to-own’ home product Continued from Page 35 “Any buyer going for our 2bedroom bungalow which goes for N11,950,000.000 has to bring a 25% equity representing N2,987,500.00, leaving him with a balance of N8,962,500.00 on which mortgage is provided”, Etim explained.

On its rent-to-own product, Isaac said: “Our ‘Rent-to-Own Housing Scheme’ is a flexible housing savings scheme for tenants that are anticipating to buy their own property in the next 2 to 3 years; it guarantees rental yield to investors interested in buying our products while we provide potential tenants for their units”.

Gran Imperio has been involved in the construction of more than 2,500 housing units in Lagos.

in the metropolis are not only a misnomer, but also an aberration to the tenets of urban development”, warning that failure to remove the structures and other buildings could attract the full wrath of law.

He noted that putting up of these illegal structures by some of the residents are threats and hindrances to the expansion of Airport road, being proposed by Governor Kashim Shettima to ease traffic and pedestrian movements in Maiduguri city, adding that there are other structures that pose the same problems to both government and contractors han-

dling roads and housing projects in this metropolis,” said Mele.

The Commissioner said the state government would not condone such illegal practices because it was not in line with the state government housing policy.

He restated the government’s commitment to build more houses for civil servants to meet the United Nations Millennium Development Goals (UNMDG), on housing for all by the end of 2015.

He told the committee members that government had concluded plans to provide solar street lamps at the 1,000 Housing Estate, Maiduguri.

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MONDAY, JANUARY 20, 2014

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Developer faults arbitration order, invasion of premises Litigation From Nkechi Onyedika, Abuja

Citec filed a counter-claim for the amount it paid to FHA for the provision of infrastructure in the Gwarimpa Estate that was not carried out. However, rather than consider our counter-claim alongside the FHA’s claim, the Arbitration Panel, for inexplicable reasons refused and instead went ahead to publish an award ordering Citec to pay FHA a cumulative aggregate sum of N401,47,000 (Four Hundred and One Million, Four Hundred and Seven Thousand Naira) without regard to our counter-claim NE of the leading Real O Estate Developer in Abuja, Citec International Estates Limited (Citec), has condemned the invasion of its housing estate by, Federal Housing Authority (FHA).

The estate, Citec Mount Pleasant Estate, Mbora Abuja, was invasion was carried out last week, by the enforcement Unit of the Abuja High Court on a dawn raid to effect the recovery of a N401 million judgment debt against the company.

Besides, the law enforcement agents also confiscated the company’s vehicles and office equipment, a situ-

ation Citec’s management described as “a display of impunity and total disregard for the rule of law and due process”.

The Company has petitioned the Chief Justice of Nigeria asking her to void the alleged illegal execution of the High Court ruling since a notice of appeal had already been served on the parties.

The dispute between Citec and the Federal Housing Authority (FHA) began from Citec’s arose as a result of alleged non implementation of a tripartite agreement with the FHA and the then Ministry of the Federal Capital Territory under which the company was to build 5,000 housing units at the Mbora District of Abuja.

In fulfilment of its obligation under the agreement, FHA paid the sum of N300 million to Citec, which however failed to deliver on its obligations under the agreement.

But FHA in 2010 approached the Abuja High Court to compel the company to refund the money and the interest accrued on it but Citec applied for and obtained a stay of proceedings pending arbitration in accordance with the provisions of the Arbitration and Conciliation Act. In its decision of January 31, 2013, the three member Arbitration l Panel headed by former Minister of Justice and Attorney-General of the Federation, Chief Bayo Ojo

(SAN), awarded and directed Citec to refund the sum of N401,407,000 to FHA being the total outstanding sum plus accrued interest owed the authority by the respondent under the 2001 tripartite agreement.

But reacting to the development at the weekend in Abuja, the Director, Business Development of Citec, Mr Odunayo Bello, said that being dissatisfied with the court decision, Citec immediately filed the necessary Notices of Appeal on the 16th December, 2013 together with relevant applications seeking stay of execution or further proceeding pending the determination of the appeal; service of which were all duly effected upon the FHA. According to Bello, “rather than allow the hearing of the Appeal and our Application for Stay of Execution, FHA acting in concert with some bailiffs of Court invaded our Estate in the early hours of Wednesday January 15, 2013 with a large contingent of street urchins as well as guntoting officers and men of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corps (NSCDC), in the guise of executing the said court order”, he claimed, adding that even when their attention was drawn to the Court processes, they ignored and refused to honour the document.

He explained that Citec and FHA entered into a Tripartite

Ogun defends demolition in Pakoto community, warns land speculators Physical Planning

By Emmanuel Badejo

The demolition became inevitable following contravention of the state’s town planning law by those who chose to build on government’s land and refused to comply with all notices issued OLLOWING an outcry Flition against the on-going demoof hundreds of houses in Araromi, Ilepa-Pakoto community, Ifo Local Government Area of Ogun State, the state had risen to defend the exercise, saying it was justified and done according to the relevant laws of the state on town planning matters.

The justification came days into the commencement of the demolition exercise, which some people have described as inhumanity to humans.

Really, the ownership of the large parcel of land along Abeokuta-Lagos Expressway has been an issue between Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH) and the community for quite some time.

However, sources confirmed to The Guardian that, the Federal Government had in the 70s acquired the land for the use of LUTH’s primary health centre arm and the land had been left follow until about 10 years ago when phys-

ical developments were taking over the land.

Under the Former Governor of Ogun State, Otunba Gbenga Daniel, LUTH had taken moves to eject the residents, who alleged that the immediate past president, Olusegun Obasanjo, was the architect behind their planned demolition and ejection.

And for unknown reasons, the action was halted.

But on the eve of the New Year day, December 31st 2013, the demolition team under a cover of fully armed security men, commenced the action.

Defending the action while inspecting the site last week, Commissioner for Urban and Physical Planning, Mr. Gbenga Otenuga said the structures demolished were illegal and the exercise was done to pave way for the construction of a Federal Government-owned medical facility for which the lands had earlier been allocated.

Represented by the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry, Mr. Abiodun Adewolu, Otenuga, recalled that over 2000 hectares were initially allocated to the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH) for the hospital project, but that with the intervention of some personalities including former president Olusegun Obasanjo, a total of 270 hectares was excised and allotted.

The commissioner revealed that some deceitful land speculators however encroached

into the land and sold them to unsuspecting members of the public who later put up buildings.

Following this discovery, Otenuga said the Ministry officials swung into action and served the developers contravention notices, stop work order, quit notices and demolition order as required by town planning laws, but the contraveners ignored and refused to comply.

“We did everything necessary as stipulated by the law to stop them, having discovered that they were building on the land allocated for public use, but they ignored and refused to comply. If they had obeyed the law, this would not have happened to them”, the Commissioner stated.

He emphasised that Government derived no pleasure in demolishing properties but would not fold its arms and watch some unscrupulous elements in the society under whatever guise disobey the law particularly, in this case where the health facility, which is of international standard would be of immense benefit to people living within and outside the State.

Otenuga underscored the need for members of the public interested in erecting structures to always be wary and follow due process by visiting the nearest town planning office to ascertain the status of the land they want to buy to prevent the painful experience of demolition.

Agreement signed between Citec, the Ministry of FCT and the FHA for the construction of mass houses at the Mbora District, Abuja and that Citec executed its own part of the Agreement diligently and effectively.

He alleged that Citec and FHA have previously had an Agreement to provide infrastructure in Gwarimpa Estate Abuja, and that in furtherance of the agreement Citec paid FHA the sum of N447 Million for the provision of infrastructure that FHA insistedmust be carried out, but this was not to be.

“Citec had to spend enormous amount of money to sink boreholes and other amenities which affected the sale of the houses and led to accumulation of colossal losses to us.

“Our counter-claim arising from FHA’s refusal or failure was meant to be a set-off against their deposit of N300 Million for the Mbora project, leaving an outstanding balance of N100 Million owed

by FHA to Citec. This has always been our contention as Citec believes this is the most sensible way out of the imbroglio”, said Bello.

He said further that when parties could not agree, the dispute was referred to an Ad-hoc Arbitral Panel comprising Chief Bayo Ojo, SAN; Chief Felix Okereke-Onyeri and Chief Okey Nwagbara for determination.

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New ECOSOC president sets agenda, to protect earth in 2014 The Environment ITH the United Nations W development agenda in transition – moving from the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) era towards a focus not just on poverty eradication but also on the health of the planet – the newly-elected President of the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) pledged to continue to strengthen that body’s role as a platform for unified dialogue on sustainable and inclusive development.

“We have a very interesting period ahead of us,” said incoming Council President Martin Sajdik, who is also the Permanent Representative of Austria to the United Nations, briefing the press on ECOSOC’s priorities for 2014, which include tackling sustainability issues as well as rising challenges such as inequality, unemployment and climate change.

“We intend to put the spotlight on the final year left to achieve the MDGs,” Sajdik said, adding that ECOSOC will play a key part as the international community transitions from the MDGs to Sustainable Development Goals and a UN development agenda post-2015, he noted.

Partnerships are the only way

ECOSOC’s priorities for 2014 include tackling sustainability issues as well as rising challenges such as inequality, unemployment and climate change. to pursue sustainable development, he said, announcing that he and General Assembly President John Ash will host a two-day thematic debate and dialogue in April on the role of partnerships and their contributions to the post2015 development agenda.

Highlighting the importance of including the views of young people in the new agenda, Sajdik said he plans to work with the SecretaryGeneral’s Envoy on Youth, Ahmad Alhindawi, on mobilizing young people to come to the UN. Among his plans is a two-day Youth Forum to be held in June in New York.

Among other issues, he noted the need to strengthen the Council’s role in development cooperation – making sure that the official development assistance (ODA) flows become catalytic for sustainable development.

ODA stands at around 0.31 per cent of national income of developed countries. The target recommended by the UN is 0.7 per cent, according to ECOSOC figures.

The new President noted that

this year would be the first time the newly established High-level Political Forum holds a full session.

The Forum replaced the UN’s Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD), which concluded its work on 20 September 2013.

The Commission was formed after the 1992 United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development, better known as the Earth Summit, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, to generate action on a range of issues, including energy, oceans and sustainable consumption and production.

The Forum, under the auspices of ECOSOC, is to regularly follow-up and implement sustainable development commitments and objectives, including those related to the means of implementation, within the context of the post2015 development agenda.

Its beginning will coincide with the 2014 Annual Ministerial Review (AMR), to be held in July in New York, whose theme this year is “Addressing on-going and emerging challenges for

Ambassador Martin Sajdik of Austria, President of the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) for 2014 meeting the Millennium Development Goals in 2015 and for sustaining development gains in the future.”

The United Kingdom, Qatar, Thailand, Gambia, Georgia, Sudan, Kuwait, Bolivia, Mexico and the Observer State of Palestine will make National Voluntary Presentations during the

2014 AMR session, Sajdik noted.

Earlier in the day, Sajdik was officially elected and took over the presidency from his predecessor, Ambassador Nestor Osorio of Colombia, whom he credited for lifting the UN body to a “platform for unified dialogue on sustainable and inclusive devel-

opment.”

Outlining the priority areas on which he also briefed the journalists, Sajdik stressed that for ECOSOC and the UN overall to make a positive difference in the world, they “must adapt to the rapidly challenging conditions and rise to the level of our Charter mandate.”

Lagos inaugurates commission to tackle underground water pollution The Environment

By Tunde Alao N its efforts to protect underImental ground water from environpollution, Lagos State Government, last week, inaugurated the governing board of the State’s Water Regulatory Commission.

Governor Babatunde Fashola, while inaugurating the commission, tasked the body to drive the awareness and advocacy about the risks and benefits inherent in the conservation of raw and ground water sources and the need to protect the environment.

According to Fashola, protection of the environment was mandatory to ensure the preservation and protection of the underground water, prevent indiscriminate pollution of water bodies and discharge untreated waste, noting that all these ultimately have a long term effect on the water from the ground.

He noted that if proper attention was not taken, the situation would ultimately have effect on the kind of toxins and substances that people come into contact with, especially, in a situation by which people are still insist on burying their dead at home.

“It is unfortunate that people are still burying their dead at home and within the same distance they are sinking boreholes without realizing that they are actually taking

Officials regretted what they described as the unfortunate situation by which people are still burying their dead at home and within the same distance they are sinking boreholes without realizing that they are actually taking water that is already polluted by decomposing human waste water that is already polluted by decomposing human waste.

“Those are the realities and some of the instances of cancer that we are seeing these days and are not unconnected with some of the things we have done to our environment in terms of indiscriminate discharge of effluents and stuffs like that”, said

Fashola.

He charged the commission to note that in a world where large bodies of water reserves are disappearing, it is saddled with the responsibility of being the think-tank of the state on how to optimize existing body of water resources and in addition, to regulate the State’s Water Corporation.

The Governor was of the view

that global model for efficiency in the management of public utility, power, water and telecommunication has been the creation of competition through private sector operators in order to reduce if not totally eliminate monopolies “So, the Water Regulatory Commission as it has been since we appointed the General Manager will have regulatory power over the State Water Corporation itself over the way it prices water, over the way it produces water, over the quality of water and its fitness for human consumption and so on”, he also said.

He informed that government out of the 10-year target sets for itself out of which four

years had gone, “The six (6) years left to go is to ensure that there is a reliable water supply in Lagos and that this would come through a combination of provision of water works some of which the government is presently implementing.

These will include upgrading Ishasi Waterworks from four (4) to 12 million gallons per day; building Otto- Ikosi Waterworks, building a new Adiyan waterworks that will provide 70 million gallons per day, providing dedicated power to Lekki waterworks.

He maintained that by the time all of these programmes become fully optimal and running, there would be the bigger burden for the Water Regulatory Commission that is advocacy and education on water conservation.

“We must conserve, otherwise nothing we produce will be enough and this is part of the reasons why we are asking citizens, especially residents to register. We have decided that each resident will be entitled to a minimum of 30 gallons of water per day which is equivalent of 120 litres per day but we now need to know how many residents need that 120 liters so that we can measure the sustainability of our plan”.

He concluded that government’s expectations informed some of the reason why the State Residents Registration exercise is very important, saying similar measure intends

to capture power needs of individual, because government is developing a minimum per capital power consumption per residents per day.

“But then we now need to know how many residents need that power because we can’t provide water by guessing, we can’t supply power by guessing, as such, this is one of the works that the commission would do and which I hope you would bring your experience in the academia and the private sector to bear on the assignment”, the Governor added.

In his acceptance on behalf of other appointees, the Chairman of the Governing board, Mr. Taiwo Shebioba expressed the gratitude of the members to the Governor for his belief in them, adding that the Governor’s vision for the Lagos Water Sector rest in very capable hands.

He gave a commitment that they shall carry it forward and achieve it within the best of their abilities and thereby creating the water sector that would be the envy of other States and indeed other nations He added that the governing board members would ensure that water does not continue to feature in the list of challenges faced by residents of the state by creating the enabling environment for everybody to have easy access to the valuable resource and ensure that it is sustainable.

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Environmentalists seek improved management of water resources, climate change issues The Environment

By Emmanuel Badejo

AT the 12th Chief Shafi Lawal Edu Memorial Lecture organised by the Nigerian Conservation Foundation (NCF), last week, contributors urged better management of the nation’s water resources and issues on climate change, saying the latter has been taking its impacting negatively on Nigeria’s water bodies AKING cognizance of its T place in the nation’s economy, Nigerian environmentalists have called on government at all levels to evolve improved plan on management of its water resources, adding that the climate change challenge is already impacting negatively on the country’s water bodies.

They said this is necessary, if the country would want to see all efforts and progress made on poverty reduction targets and sustainable development sustained.

Speaking at the 12th Chief Shafi Lawal Edu Memorial Lecture organized by the Nigerian Conservation Foundation (NCF) in Lagos, a group of environmentalists decried the way water resources management is being handled by the government.

To them more attention

needed to be given to this sector as water affects almost all aspects of the economy, in particular health, food production and security; domestic water supply and sanitation; energy and industry; and environmental sustainability.

Guest lecturer at the annual lecture series, Professor Olukayode Oladipo, said that water stress was already high in many parts of Nigeria, making improved management critical to ensuring sustainable development.

The renowned climatologist, in his paper: “Climate Resilient Water Resources Management for Poverty Nigeria” in Reduction water that revealed resources underpin our quality of life and our national economy.

According to him, the sustainability of Nigeria’s economic growth and development will depend, among other things, on what happens to its water resources.

Water is to economic growth sectors and contributes to employment, job creation and gross domestic product (GDP), but, the sector is highly vulnerable to climate change and that is it was high time for clear-cut action to be taken to safe the sector from continuous collapse.

“Water management can be a catalyst for a pro-poor economic growth, particularly at a local level, where it provides vital inputs into productive activities and creates opportunities for local entrepreneurs in supplying tech-

Seeking for water to drink nologies, constructing facilities and providing services.

Thus, there is a general consensus that water management has the potential to contribute to all of the MDGs in different ways”.

Oladipo stressed that adaptation to climate change is closely linked to water resources management and its role in sustainable devel-

opment.

“Various necessary adaptation measures that deal with climate variability and build upon existing land and water management practices have the potential to create resilience to climate change and to enhance water security and thus directly contribute to development. Thus, the impera-

tive for a holistic approach and appropriate funding to tackle the challenge of climate change in the water sector cannot be overemphasized”.

He added that though Nigeria is not, on the average, a water-stressed country, but despite its enormous water potential, however, water use for agricultural,

industrial and domestic consumption in the country has been largely underdeveloped. This development, he further said is paradoxical in which its God-given abundant natural resources (in this case water) are not improving the quality of life of the people because they remain poorly harnessed and managed.

New study says lions face extinction in West Africa Conservation

By Emmanuel Badejo

About 400 adult and juvenile lions existed in the region. And the wild cats, which were originally thought to have inhabited 21 separate regions, actually exist in just four. Their range is now confined to pockets in Senegal, Nigeria and the borderlands between Benin, Niger and Burkina Faso in West Africa are on LnewIONS the brink of extinction, research suggests.

Fewer than 250 adults may be left in West Africa, and those big cats are confined to less than 1 percent of their historic range.

The new study, detailed last week in the journal PLOS ONE, suggests that without dramatic conservation efforts, three of the four West African lion populations could become extinct in the next five years, with further declines in the one remaining population, study co-author Philipp Henschel, the lion program survey coordinator for Panthera, a global wildcat conservation organization,

About 400adult and juvenile lions existed in the region wrote in an email.

The majestic lion once roamed throughout West Africa, from Nigeria to Senegal.

But as people have converted wild lands to pastureland, hunted the lion’s traditional prey — antelopes, gazelles, wildebeest, buffalos and zebras — and gotten into conflicts with the animals, the big

cat population has plummeted in West Africa.

Cash-strapped West African governments have put little money into lion conservation, in part because “wildlife tourism is quasi-absent in West Africa,” Henschel said.

And research institutions have similarly neglected the region.

“Like wildlife tourists, most

international research institutions and conservation organizations active in Africa also flock to the iconic game parks in East and southern Africa, meaning that lions faced a silent demise in West Africa over the past decades,” Henschel told LiveScience.

To remedy that, Henschel and his colleagues recently completed a massive, six-year sur-

vey of West Africa’s lions, using remote cameras, interviews with people and counts of lion tracks. The survey, carried out between October 2006 and May 2012, builds on a smaller study done last year, which found shrinking savannas for lions in the region.

About 400 adult and juvenile lions existed in the region.

And the wild cats, which were originally thought to have inhabited 21 separate regions, actually exist in just four.

Their range is now confined to pockets in Senegal, Nigeria and the borderlands between Benin, Niger and Burkina Faso.

These isolated populations are also threatened due to reduced genetic variation.

“Individuals are limited in their choice of mates, and end up reproducing with closely related individuals. Such inbreeding reduces the genetic fitness of sired offspring, which, in lions, manifests itself in lower reproductive success caused by lower sperm counts and higher rates of abnormal sperm in males,” Henschel told LiveScience.

To keep the lion from going extinct in Africa, governments and conservation organizations should boost budgets for conservation parks and personnel, to keep people from killing the lions’ prey or the big cats themselves, Henschel said.

The International Union for Conservation of Nature currently lists the lion as vulnerable in Africa. The West African lion is not considered a different species, so it is rated as regionally endangered, Henschel said.

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Shippers council recovers N220m from port operators’ fraudulent charges

By David Ogah HE Federal Government may have verified complaints of rip-off against service providers at the sea ports with the recovery of over N220 million by the Nigerian shippers council, which is presently acting as the ombudsman of the country’s shipping sector.

The recovery, which covered a period between 2011 and 2013, could have been lost to the service providers often accused of excessive charges and failure to refund container deposits collected from shippers, among many other alleged fraudulent practices through which shippers are being ripped-off at the nation’s gateways.

T

According to reports on the council’s mediation activities in the last three years, it was able to record N161.9 million, $2,000 and Drh 2,946 savings for the Nigerian shippers in 2011, $17.4 million in 2012 and N26 million, $30,000 last year.

Authoritative sources at the council said over the weekend that the savings were made possible after a successful arbitration between the two parties over 66 petitions received in 2011, 98 in 2012 and 146 complaints in 2013.

The source said of this 146 complaints the council received last year, 111 of them were settled amicably, while others are still pending with the hope of resolving them

finally early this year.

The complaints from the shippers, which led to the recovery ranged from excessive storage and demurrage charges by terminal operators and shipping lines; punitive and unjustifiable charges for stale container deposit refund; excessive and illegal demurrage charges by some off-dock bonded terminals; slow and lackluster handling of claims, including deliberate attempt to unjustifiable limit liability, by shipping agencies and terminal operators.

The shipping companies were also accused of fraud by their deliberate refusal to receive empty containers

from consignees in order to continue deductions from their container deposit, their unilateral and indiscriminate increase, as high as 900 per cent, in their rate of container deposit, imposition of indemnity requirement on consignees and unjustifiable detention of containers.

In 2012, complaints from shippers were mainly on damage cargo and refusal to pay damage claims.

“The complaints on damage cargo were much in 2012.

There was this complaint relating to damage to cargo on transit and wrong application of the per package limitation of carrier’s liability clause of Nigeria’s carriage of goods by sea Act, cap 44

laws of Federation of Nigeria, 1990 (COGSA), Article 4(5) of the Hague Rule leading to an offer of a grossly inadequate $1000 as compensation for liability for damage to cargo against $15000 which was paid to the consignees after our intervention, that is just one example of what we were able to do that year,” said our source.

In 2012, the council also received complaints on outright cargo loss, exploitative charges by groupage cargo handlers, delay by terminal operators in positioning containers for examination in order to collect rent, refusal to refund transaction balances to shippers and a handful of other complaints.

In 2013, there was a complaint on the delivery of export consignment at a wrong destination leading to unforeseen charges against the shipper, excessive delay in deconsolidation and delivery of LCL. Consignments by groupage cargo handler leading to accumulation of demurrage and rent charges and consequently loss of the cargo due to abandonment by consignees, cargo vandalisation and fraudulent cargo clearance by means of forged documents, delay in the issuance of Risk Assessment Report (RAR) leading to delay in clearing and consequently accumulation of avoidable cost against shippers, among others.

set aside some money for constant renovation and maintenance of the building.

The President General of the association, Adetunji Adesunkanmi, who performed the inauguration,

commended the teamwork of the local executive members.

He urged them to continue to stand for the right and welfare of their members so as to enhance their productivity.

Association seeks partnership with NPA for sector development HE Nigeria Ports T Authority (NPA) Chapter of Senior Staff Association of Communications, Transport and Corporations (SSACTAC), has urged the management to collaborate with the association to achieve success.

Omeiza Umar, the chapter president, said this at the inauguration of the branch secretariat located in Apapa, Lagos State.

Umar said that the union and management should not be enemies, but partners in progress that should work together to develop the organisation.

“We have the same need and aspiration. If it is good, it is good for all. Do not take the union as novice or enemy,” the president said.

He said that it would be wrong for workers or union to do anything to the detriment of the organisation because it would be like killing the “goose that laid the golden egg.”

The association president said that the secretariat inaugurated was bought in 2001 to help stabilise the future image and activities of port workers.

“With the help of past leaders, we were able to buy this property and others through the 50 per cent workers’ dues which we got after remitting to the national body,” he said.

Umar expressed optimism that if the association continued to develop, it would be able to pay stipends to workers who were on strike.

Habibu Abdullahi, managing director of NPA, com-

mended the leadership of the association for investing into property and infrastructure, noting that they had instituted a vision worthy of emulation.

Abdullahi, who was repre-

sented by Olumide Oduntan, director, Finance and Administration, said that the management would endeavour to support the association at all times.

He advised the association to

Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Enterprise Bank Limited, Mallam Ahmed Kuru (second right), discussing with some of the bank’s Executive Directors, Mrs. Louisa Uduak Olaloku (right); Aminu Ismail (left); and Audu Ibrahim Kazir (second left), at a management meeting of the bank in Lagos, at the weekend.

Govt adopts financing mechanisms to stabilise aviation industry HE supervising Minister of T National Planning Commission, Bashir Yuguda, on Friday said that the federal government had adopted mechanisms to help in stabilising the aviation industry.

Yuguda disclosed this in Abuja at the 12th plenary of the 36 member countries leading group on innovative financing for development.

The minister said that Nigeria adopted the financing mechanisms such as the air ticket levy and an effective aid management strategy under a newly reviewed Official Development

Assistance (ODA) policy.

“This is in line with our G o v e r n m e n t ’ s Transformation Agenda and Nigeria Vision 20:2020 which is the country’s long-term development blue print.

“This levy is not remitted to UNITAID to promote health causes as it is in many countries.

“In Nigeria, it is being deployed towards ensuring high safety and health standards, provision of aviation infrastructure and manpower development.

“These mechanisms have so far helped to stabilise the avi-

ation industry in terms of boosting the capacity of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority.

“We are open to collaborative funding sources for our programmes such as offered by the French Development Agency and the Bill Gates Foundation on polio vaccination.

“As an emerging economy, Nigeria occupies a unique dual position as a recipient and donor of aid. In concrete terms, we give more than we receive,” the minister said.

He said that Nigeria was committed to peacekeeping

operations, especially in the West African sub-region and was giving technical aid support through its Technical Aid Corps programme.

“Nigeria is conscious of the fact that unrelenting global economic pressures have orchestrated a progressive reduction in development aid.

“Therefore, as a recipient and donor of aid, we feel the pinch on both feet,” he said.

Yuguda also urged the group to develop a robust advocacy programme to promote the instrumentality of innovative financing for development

globally.

According to him, the advocacy programme should be done through aggressive publicity for useful expert reports in such critical sectors as education, health, food security, illicit flows and climate change.

The Minister of Finance, Mrs. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, urged the group to develop a more sustainable and innovative means of funding developments to complement the dwindling ODA to developing countries.

Okonjo-Iweala said that the group was expected to delib-

erate on Millennium Development Goals and Post 2015 Agenda as they were imperative to the global economy.

Pascal Canfin, minister-delegate in charge of development, called for the development of partnerships between the public and private sectors to mobilise more financial resources for development.

The group is aimed at establishing predictable and stable mechanisms for raising funds for development to complement the ODA.

52

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INTERNATIONAL ECONOMY Monday, January 20, 2014

Global economic outlook in 2014 A speech delivered by the Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Christine Lagarde, on the 2014 global economic outlook, at the National Press Club, Washington DC. would like to thank the Iespecially National Press Club, and President Angela Greiling Keane, for inviting me to this prestigious venue.

Let me begin by wishing you all a happy New Year. I think this is appropriate, given that we are halfway between western New Year and lunar New Year! It is also appropriate for what I want to talk about today—how the IMF sees the global economy as the wheels of time roll into yet another year.

If we think about it, 2014 will be a milestone in many respects. It will mark the hundredth anniversary of the start of the First World War, the 70th anniversary of the Bretton Woods conference that gave birth to the IMF, and the 25th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall.

It will also mark the seventh anniversary of the financial market jitters that quickly turned into the greatest global economic calamity since the Great Depression.

This crisis still lingers. Yet, optimism is in the air: the deep freeze is behind, and the horizon is brighter. My great hope is that 2014 will prove momentous in another way—the year in which the “seven weak years”, economically speaking, slide into “seven strong years”.

Is this wishful thinking? No, but it will not simply happen on its own. Getting beyond the crisis still requires a sustained and substantial policy effort, coordination, and the right policy mix. Let me talk about this—I will start with the global outlook, and then touch on the policy path I have in mind.

Global outlook and risks In just a few days, we will be releasing our updated forecasts. While our numbers are still being finalised, I will talk about the main trends as we see them.

• Momentum strengthened in the latter half of 2013, and should strengthen further in

IMF building

2014—largely due to improvements in the advanced economies.

• Yet, global growth is still stuck in low gear. It remains below its potential, which we think is somewhere around four per cent. This means that the world could create more jobs before we would need to worry about the global inflation genie coming out of its bottle.

• Even for the advanced economies, however, the outlook is still subject to significant risks. With inflation running below many central banks’ targets, we see rising risks of deflation, which could prove disastrous for the recovery. If inflation is the genie, then deflation is the ogre that must be fought decisively.

• During the years of crisis, we have relied on the emerging markets to keep the global economy afloat. Together with the developing countries, they accounted for three-quarters of global growth over the past halfdecade. However, a growing number of emerging markets are slowing down as the economic cycle turns.

• We also see risks arising from financial market turbulence and the volatility of capital flows. The reaction to the Fed’s tapering has been calm so far, and this is good news, but there still could be some rough waters ahead.

• Overall, the direction is positive, but global growth is still too low, too fragile, and too uneven. Moreover, it is not enough to create the jobs for the more than 200 million people around the world who need them.

• In far too many countries, the benefits of growth are being enjoyed by far too few people. Just to give one example: in the United States, 95 per cent of income gains since 2009 went to the top one per cent. This is not a recipe for stability and sustainability.

The policy agenda

Lagarde This all points to one thing: the need to stay focused on the policies needed for sustainable growth and rewarding jobs, which in the end are needed to make everybody better off. Let me focus on this.

We have certainly avoided a worst case scenario during the crisis, thanks to the efforts of global policymakers over the past half decade.

Central banks went above and beyond the call of duty to keep interest rates low and the financial system functioning, while governments deployed fiscal stimulus where they could.

The road has certainly been difficult, and continues to be difficult, but as Edward R. Murrow once said, “difficulty is the excuse history never accepts”. Now that the global economy looks more stable, the big priority for policymakers in 2014 is to fortify the feeble global recovery and make it sustainable.

What does this mean in practice?

For the advanced economies in particular, it means that central banks should return to more conventional monetary policies only when robust growth is firmly rooted. At the same time, countries need to use the room created by unconventional monetary policies to put in place the reforms needed to jumpstart growth and jobs.

Let me go deeper and touch briefly on the different regions.

• Growth is certainly picking up in the United States, driven by private demand, and to be helped by the loosening of the fiscal corset in the recent budget deal. Still, it will be critical to avoid premature withdrawal of monetary support and to return to an orderly budget process, including by promptly removing the debt ceiling threat.

• The Euro Area is turning the corner from recession to recovery, but growth is still unbalanced, and unemployment is still worryingly high.

Some countries are doing well, but others are still burdened by high debt and credit constraints. Monetary policy is helping a lot, but could still do more—targeted lending, for example, could help reduce financial fragmentation. The forthcoming review of asset quality and stress tests can also help, but only if they are done in an evenhanded and credible manner.

There is also a need to accelerate reforms to boost labor market participation and enhance competitiveness.

• In Japan, the initial boost from Abenomics is weakening a bit, but temporary fiscal stimulus should help offset the negative effects of the necessary consumption tax increase. The challenge is to agree on medium-term fiscal adjustments and social and economic reforms needed to strengthen growth.

Deregulating product and service markets and increasing the participation of women in the workplace would help overcome the ogre of deflation.

• What about the emerging markets? The challenge here is to navigate any bumpiness and stay strong.

Policymakers must be wary of any signs of financial excess, especially in the form of asset bubbles or rising debt. Financial regulation needs to be strengthened and implemented in order to better manage credit cycles.

And yes, many countries also could do more on the structural front to unlock their growth potential—including by tackling infrastructure bottlenecks or regulatory obstacles.

• What about the low-income countries? Here, the news is generally good. These countries have really become a bright spot. Now is the time to lock in these gains and build stronger defenses against either direct or consequential external shocks, including by raising more revenue. In addition, countries should keep spending selectively on important social programs and infrastructure projects.

• I should mention that I have just returned from the two most dynamic regions of the world—Asia and subSaharan Africa, which saw growth of 6½ per cent and five per cent last year respectively. Here in Washington DC, we sometimes forget the monumental change taking place in these parts of the world—the rise in economic power and the march of the middle class. I always come away from these regions with renewed optimism.

• We should also remember the Arab countries in transition. The Arab Spring began exactly three years ago, and as these countries grapple with the reforms needed to unleash the dynamism of the private sector and create more jobs for their young people, they need the firm support of the international community.

I have talked so far about the regions. Yet there are also many common problems that require a common resolve. Think about the legacy of public and private debt, and about fiscal and current account imbalances. Think about the reforms needed to make the financial system safer and bring it more into the service of the real economy.

Think about rising inequality, environmental degradation, and the long-term challenges of climate change.

These are not abstract challenges. It is only by addressing them that we can ensure future prosperity for all and meet the rising aspirations of our global citizens—for jobs, for security, for opportunity, for dignity.

Conclusion At the outset, I made a reference to the Bretton Woods conference and the multilateral impetus behind the founding of the IMF. To move forward, we need that same spirit of cooperation and global solidarity today.

Especially in a world as interconnected as ours, there is simply no alternative.

I believe that the IMF can play an especially valuable role here, as a forum for precisely this kind of cooperation. We have certainly played our part in the collective response to the crisis— making 154 new lending commitments and providing technical assistance to 90 per cent of our members since the onset of the crisis in 2008, and providing our best possible policy advice.

One of our strengths is that we have to look at the bigger picture—how all the moving parts fit together, how what happens in one country affects the wider global economy. This role will surely become more important with time. We need to continue to adapt and to reflect the changing dynamics of the global economy and our membership. That is why we need the continued support of our entire membership.

I will end with another icon of American journalism— and no, I don’t mean Ron Burgundy! I mean Walter Cronkite, who always end by saying “and that’s the way it is”.

Thank you very much. I am now happy to take your questions.

Monday, January 20, 2014 53

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GlobalStocks U.S. stocks record mixed fortunes amid earnings report

Traders on the floor of one of the exchanges in Europe .S. stocks fluctuated, after U the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index fell from a record, as investors weighed earnings at companies from General Electric Co. to Intel Corp. and American Express (AXP) Co. General Electric lost 2.6 per cent as margins at its manufacturing units fell short of projections. Intel dropped 3.4 per cent as its revenue forecast raised concern the personal-computer market is struggling to grow. United Parcel Service Inc. slid 1.6 per cent as it projected earnings below analysts’ estimates.

American Express climbed 4.8 per cent after reporting fourth-quarter profit doubled.

The S&P 500 fell 0.2 per cent to 1,841.52 at 1:35 p.m. in New York. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 47.62 points, or 0.3 per cent, to 16,464.63 as American Express surged. Trading of S&P 500 stocks was 36 per cent above the 30-day average during this time of the day. The market may be more volatile than usual as U.S. options contracts expire on Friday, leading investors to adjust their hold-

ings of some stocks. Markets will close on January 20 for the Martin Luther King Jr. Day holiday.

“Investors are taking cues from earnings releases,” Jim Russell, who helps oversee $113 billion as a senior equity strategist for U.S. Bank Wealth Management, said by phone.

“Just as important as fourthquarter earnings are, many investors are watching for company guidance for signs on what early 2014 will bring.

This year, we’ll see a tearing between winners and losers and we’ve seen that in this earnings season so far.”

U.S. stocks fell on Thursday, dragging the S&P 500 (SPX) from a record, as Best Buy Co. tumbled after holiday sales declined and earnings at companies from Citigroup Inc. to CSX Corp. disappointed investors. The benchmark gauge is down 0.2 per cent this year after jumping 30 per cent in 2013 for the biggest annual gain since 1997.

Five-Year Rally A five-year rally that lifted the S&P 500 up more than 170 per cent from a bear-market low has lifted equity valuations to

near the highest level since 2009. The S&P 500 trades at 15.6 times the estimated earnings of its members, more than the five-year average multiple of 14.1, data compiled by Bloomberg show.

Seven companies in the S&P 500 including General Electric (GE) and Morgan Stanley reported financial results on Friday. Per-share profit for companies in the benchmark probably climbed six per cent in the fourth quarter, while sales increased two per cent, according to analysts surveyed by Bloomberg.

“The market just can’t seem to get going this year,” Wayne Wilbanks, chief investment officer at Wilbanks, Smith & Thomas Asset Management LLC in Norfolk, Virginia, which oversees $2.4 billion, said in a phone interview.

“Earnings are OK, but for the market to go much higher, earnings are going to have to be really good.”

Economic Data Reports on Friday showed mixed data on the economy, with industrial production rising for a fifth month in

December while the Thomson Reuters/University of Michigan preliminary January index of consumer sentiment unexpectedly fell.

The pace of U.S. home construction dropped less than forecast in December, capping the best year for the industry since 2007.

The Chicago Board Options Exchange Volatility Index (VIX) erased earlier losses and rose 0.3 per cent to 12.57. The gauge of S&P 500 options known as the VIX is down 8.4 per cent this year.

Five of 10 industry groups in the S&P 500 slipped on Friday as consumer-staples and industrial companies fell more than 0.5 per cent to lead the retreat. Energy, financial and utility stocks had the best performance.

GE Margins General Electric slipped 2.6 per cent to $26.51. The company reported operating earnings per share in line with analyst estimates. Profit margins at the manufacturing divisions expanded 60 basis points, according to a presentation posted on GE’s website.

That fell short of guidance for

70 basis points of growth that Chief Executive Officer, Jeffrey Immelt, first laid out in December 2012 and affirmed as recently as last month.

Intel dropped 3.4 per cent to $25.65. The world’s largest maker of computer chips forecast first-quarter revenue that may fall short of some analysts’ estimates as corporate demand fails to reignite personal-computer sales.

Consumer notebook demand is declining in Asia, Chief Executive Officer Brian Krzanich said.

UPS (UPS) dropped 1.6 per cent to $98.87 after the shipping company projected fourth-quarter earnings that trailed analysts’ estimates. A surge of packages from online shopping just before Christmas forced the company to hire more temporary workers than planned and miss holiday deliveries.

SLM Corp. dropped 8.9 per cent to $24.72. The student lender known as Sallie Mae reported a fourth-quarter profit decline of 22 per cent.

Bank Earnings Capital One Financial Corp. fell 5 per cent to $72.62. The

credit-card lender said fourthquarter profit missed some analysts’ estimates as expenses came in higher than estimated.

American Express climbed 4.8 per cent, the most in the Dow, to $92.01. The biggest credit-card issuer by purchases benefited from a pickup in household wealth and consumer confidence that has propelled card purchases.

Sanford C. Bernstein & Co. raised its profit estimates.

Morgan Stanley added 4.3 per cent to $33.39. The owner of the world’s largest brokerage reported profit that beat analysts’ estimates as equity-trading revenue increased and earnings from wealth management climbed to a record.

Electronic Arts Inc. jumped 12 per cent to $24.04 for the biggest increase in the S&P 500. The second-largest U.S. video-game maker was rated buy in new coverage by CRT Capital Group LLC. Separately, U.S. spending on video-game hardware surged to its highest in three years in December, according to Port Washington, New York-based NPD Group Inc.

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54 Monday, January 20, 2014

Focus Nigerian airlines in death throes ?

By Wole Shadare were when Nigeria had a national carrier-Nigeria TIMES Airways and other flourishing airlines.

At another time, when the national carrier was liquidated, other private carriers took up the gauntlet to sustain the aviation sector.

But today, private airlines have shrunk to an all time low, with total indebtedness running into over N190 billion.

The fortunes of this once boisterous sector did not just dip over-night without certain predictors as would be enumerated in this piece.

Statistics from Oxford Economics puts the contribution of Nigeria’s aviation to the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) at N119 billion (0.4 per cent), with N59billion coming from airline, airports and ground services; N35 billion going directly to supply chain’ N26 billion on employees consumption and supply chain and N78 billion in ‘catalytic’ benefits through tourism (0.2 per cent).

Another statics from Aviation Benefits Beyond Borders 2012, showed that while the sector contributes 0.4 per cent to Nigeria’s GDP, Spain gives 5.2 per cent to the Spanish economy; United Kingdom 5 per cent, UAE 3.5 per cent, Canada 2.6 per cent and Germany 2.6 per cent.

To confirm that the carriers are in serious dire straits, statistics available to The Guardian puts Arik’s total debts at $600 million (N102 billion), although the carrier has disputed this claiming that it does not owe that quantum of debts; Air Nigeria $225.8 (N35 billion); Chanchangi $55 million (N9.4 billion); and IRS $55 million (N9.4 billion).

With the incessant plane crashes, airlines find it extremely difficult to convince passengers of their safety. This however adversely affects patronage; a situation that puts affected airlines in serious financial dire straits, thereby making them to close shop.

Experts are wont to agree that most of them lack knowledge in strategic management, contract negotiation, aircraft and engine lease rentals, right routes, right aircraft type and right staff skill.

As a result of the serious situation the carriers have found themselves, stakeholders in aviation at the weekend took a holistic view of the sector and came to the verdict that Nigerian airlines would continue to wallow in difficulty unless urgent steps are taken to get them out of the woods.

The experts who are airline chiefs, top managers of the aviation parastatals, aviation ground handlers, pilots, engineers and some members of the National Assembly under the aegis of Aviation Round Table (ART) highlighted the travails of Nigeria airlines and noted that the lifespan of airlines and those that are yet to be formed would continue to be less than ten years if the operators continue to apply the wrong business model, high taxes, double taxation, high airport charges, high cost of aviation fuel, otherwise known as JET A1 and the tough operating environment for operators.

In his presentation, titled, “Travails of Nigerian airlines’, President, West Africa, Gabriel Olowo described the sector as “grossly underperforming”, with a whooping indebtedness of about N190 billion.

He stated that the multiple entries of foreign airlines to many airports of the nation has done incalculable damage to the fortune of the country’s airlines, adding that the former are supposed to be allowed into one entry point in Nigeria with Nigerian carriers doing the distribution.

According to him, the principal motive of Bilateral Air Services Agreement (BASA) is reciprocity and economic balance of trade as a strong factor in national income.

Nigeria is current a signatory to 78 BASA’s, utilising 21 with reciprocity to less than five countries.

According to Olowo,“Nigeria has not been able to reciprocate traffic rights to most of the partnering countries, resulting to huge negative balance of trade against Nigeria. This has led to enormous capital flight eroding the nation’s wealth, puts strong pressure on the Naira and weakens its exchange, aids unemployment as Nigerian airlines’ growth are stunted”.

“Should foreign airlines strictly operate frequencies as stipulated on the BASA? The answer is negative because even then, Nigerian airlines have no capacity to reciprocate. By capacity, it means schedule, schedule integrity, good safety records and poor level of technology. Should the extra frequencies be removed through seasonal schedule changes? The answer is negative due to demands and political factors. Should government continue to earn the so-called royalties on BASA’s? The answer is negative. One might be tempted looking at some previous earnings, which I would like to describe as pot of porridge in exchange for the birthright.

“Assuming it is $100 paid as royalty per departing passenger from Lagos to Dubai business class for example, it is a far cry from $2660 tariff earned by the operating airline on this passenger. Commercial agreement negotiation is airline call and not that of government.”

He however called for the immediate establishment of at least three scheduled flag carriers with capacity to reciprocate

An aircraft in flight all BASA routes, stressing that the three “must be given national carrier status”, participate in BASA negotiations and commercial agreements”.

This he said would give birth to quality service delivery and healthy collaboration and competition.

“Each of the three flag carriers operating an Air Operator Certificate should build its aircraft fleet within three years to 50 aircraft starting with a minimum 30 and increased by ten annually. All the three, five aircraft scheduled airlines should be encouraged to join the pool either as lessors or operating partners”, he added.

The experts took the swipe at the Federal Government yesterday at a conference organized by Aviation Round Table (ART), with a view to proffering solutions to the myriads of problems affecting the sector in Nigeria.

Olowo, noted that deliberate effort by government on airline cost is a task that must be done for their competitive advantage.

Olowo however noted that for sanity to prevail in the aviation industry, the Federal Government must be ready to force all local airlines operating in the country to consolidate into four formidable airlines that can favourably compete with other airlines in the world.

“Government needs to provide guarantees on insurance and or aircraft lease, reduce landing and parking fees, remove multiple taxes, delete vat on domestic travel (as it is for other means of transport), single digit cost of funds and cut on fuel price”.

According to him,”Fuel is said to be about 44 per cent cost for African airlines approximately 24 per cent above world average. How can African airline emancipate this way without deliberate government intervention and yet demand for safety?

Olowo frowned at the inability of Nigerian airlines to reciprocate traffic rights to most of the partnering countries.

To him, this result in huge negative balance of trade against Nigeria, with enormous capital flight eroding the nation’s wealth which he stated puts strong pressure on the Naira and weakens its exchange,aids unemployment as Nigerian Airlines growth is stunted.

Speaking in the same vein, member, Aircraft Operators of Nigeria (AON), Mohammed Tukur said rather than royalty earnings, Nigerian flag carriers must conclude blocked seat agreement and code share agreement with reciprocal airlines to whose destinations they cannot fly immediately, adding that this will give better earnings than royalty and grow the airline.

According to him, deliberate efforts by government on airline cost is a task that must be done for their competitive advantage, through provision of government guarantees on

insurance and or aircraft lease, reduce landing and parking fees, multiple taxes, delete VAT on domestic travels , and reduction in fuel price among other.

He wondered how African airlines could emancipate this way without government’s intervention and yet demands for safety. ‘’If you are an airline, you make money and cannot show anything for it, then, there is a problem. Most of the time, they take money from the airline and divert into no- profit making ventures. They come into the sector, owe the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria and the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority heavily and disappear into thin air’’.

He said till date, aircraft importation has remained a ‘’red sea’’ for airlines to cross, adding that it takes practically every bit of fund available to import aircraft due to high tax.

On how the sector has faired in the last one year in safeguarding civil aviation, former Commandant, Murtala Muhammed Airport, Group Captain John Ojikutu (rtd) said during the auditing of airport security by the International Civil Aviation Organisation, ICAO, it was discovered that FAAN failed to provide perimeter fencing and security fencing of airports in 2004, 2006 and 2008.

He said the Category 1 safety status Nigeria obtained from the US Federal Aviation Administration was in the hope that the country would improve its security systems at the airports.

FAAN said recently that bushes at airports would be cleared to ensure full view of the perimeter, allow both the control tower, FAAN fire and rescue observation posts and aviation security patrol teams have a sweeping view of the perimeter of an airport from their duty posts.

It also declared that at every airport without fully functional perimeter fence, a security vehicle would be deployed to a point within full view of aircraft as it taxies out to take off and maintain visual scrutiny and, if necessary, respond to any situation until every departing aircraft is safely airborne.

The new measures also include, static observation posts, which will be erected at strategic locations within the perimeter fence of all airports to forestall, premeditated and unauthorized access to the airside. This will be complemented by motorized and foot patrols.

The absence of perimeter fences at most of our airports had always posed a challenge to FAAN because of the huge capital outlay required in constructing perimeter fences, some of which are as long as 40 kilometres, across the 22 network of airports across the country.

According to him, security equipment and facilities were allowed to decay and some of them abandoned, remarking that there were several efforts to build perimeter fencing at the various airports in the country, especially the major airports, but such efforts were abandoned halfway.

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Monday, January 20, 2014 55

56 Monday, January 20, 2014

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Intervie Business

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Broadband revolution in Nigeria needs massive IGERIA has had a quantum leap in voice N services. The Federal Government is now focused on delivering a robust broadband economy in another three years. How do you see this in terms of our preparedness?

Truly, there have been lots of efforts. I see Nigeria rising with full broadband penetration, based on the number of submarine cables that have landed at the shores of the country, with lots of broadband capacities.

Indeed, for Nigeria to become highly competitive in technology development, the country needs adequate broadband penetration, which must be very fast and ubiquitous in nature. The rollout must be very rapid.

Although internet penetration in Nigeria is coming up, the country needs fast Internet connectivity nationwide, and this has to do largely with the percentage of broadband penetration in the country. Having said that I want to state clearly that not one country in Africa has ubiquitous 3G or broadband country nationwide. Not even South Africa, not Egypt and not any country.

Nigeria with the enormous resources available at her shores should lead the revolution in Africa, looking at the population; regulations and available resources. With over $25 billion already attracted to the industry, which really propelled the growth in voice services and the likes, I will say the next broadband revolution would require a new $20 billion investment. It must be massive for broadband to really become ubiquitous in Nigeria.

Lately, there have been serious issues around quality of service, which have brought the ministry, Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) and subscribers against the telecommunications operators. How would you describe service quality during your tenure at MTN and now?

There is no doubt about the down turn in service quality of late. It has really deteriorated. This is traceable to three factors. The first factor is the issue of Base Transceiver Stations (BTS. There are limited base stations that could not serve the growing population of subscribers in the country. The second factor has to do with the rapid use of application data from Facebook, Twitter, U-Tube, BlackBerry service, among others, which are exerting a lot of pressure on the GSM networks.

These are all 3G applications and the demand is on the increase. In the middle of this year, MTN had 39 per cent of its base station used for 3G services, and other operators had about 21 per cent and below. In my opinion each operator needs up to 80 per cent of its base station equipped for 3G services. The third reason for poor service quality has to do with backhaul transmission.

Today network operators are experiencing tremendous transmission congestion on their networks. As at the middle of this year, about 17 per cent of MTN base stations has fibre optic connection and for a national operator like MTN, its fibre optic transmission connectivity should be above 40 per cent.

To what extent has regulation impacted on service quality?

What I noticed from that angle is that the NCC, which is the industry regulator, did not make coverage of 3G services obligatory for the telecoms operators. If there were obligations to 3G coverage, the operators could have maintained certain percentage levels of fibre capacity on their networks to accommodate the ever increasing number of subscribers and the growing demand for 3G applications. It would have been better if the operators were compelled to maintain certain level of 3G capacity on their networks, and this could have gone a long way to address the challenges.

The second thing about NCC’s policy is that it is now on the right track by adopting the ‘Open Access’ policy, which allows several operators equal opportunity to bid for spec-

Wood

PHOTOS: ADEYEMI ADEPETUN

Adrian Wood was the pioneer Chief Executive Officer of MTN Nigeria between 2001 and 2004. Under his leadership, MTN Nigeria achieved 50 per cent market share, annual revenue of $1.56 billion, and a market valuation of $4.1 billion. Before then, Wood worked in London at a European spin-off from US West; the leader of license bids in Spain (with France Telecom); Hungary (with Orange Plc); and a bid for RACAL Telecom, as well as broadband fixed wireless and Internet opportunities. Formmer CEO of the Telenor AS (the Norwegian national telecom carrier), he also became Executive Director of public-listed Matrix Telecommunications, Australia; CEO of Matrix Europe Limited; and Executive Director of Venture Management Associates Ltd, manager of public-listed CP Ventures Limited, among numerous other companies. He studied Engineering, had a degree majoring in marketing, and a Master of Commerce degree (Finance, Law majors) all from the University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia. He is currently the CEO of Brymedia Consortium in Nigeria, one of the firms currently bidding for moribund Nigeria Telecommunications Limited (NITEL). In this interview ADEYEMI ADEPETUN, he bares his mind on some germane issues around technology, telecommunications, among others. Excerpts. trum licences.

This will definitely lead to massive upgrading and expansion of the telecoms networks.

So, in my opinion, I think Nigeria needs expanded 3G coverage, and increased percentage of fibre optic transmission across networks. Again operators have to pay more

attention to the number of subscribers they can accommodate on their networks at any given time.

Before now, operators were involved in expanding their two dimensional networks to cover geographical locations, but what they need to do now is to increase the depth

of their network capacities, in order to accommodate more subscribers and more applications.

The industry, like you rightly observed is still beset with shortage of BTS and the Minister of Communications Technology, Mrs.

Monday, January 20, 2014 57

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BUSINESS INTERVIE

investment, right policy direction, says Wood Omobola Johnson affirmed this shortage. But telecommunications operators have also said that environmental challenges were more prevalent. What’s your take on this?

The issue of limited base stations must be addressed if operators must tackle the issue of poor service quality. In my view, MTN needs additional 4,000 base stations to its already existing 9,000, and Globacom needs additional 2,000 base stations to its existing 5,000. The same is pliable to Airtel and Etisalat. They all need additional base stations spread across the country.

When I was the CEO of MTN as from 2001 to 2004, I had plan to raise the number of MTN base stations to 15,000 for a period of ten years, and we tried doing that. So I think there is need for increased number of base stations across the networks. However, the operators were partially right when they said the cause of poor telecoms service was not mainly on limited number of base stations.

The reason is that the number of base stations an operator has does not really matter, but the number of fully configured base stations that are ready and able to carry capacities. A lot of base stations in the country today have less transceivers and less installed capacities. So operators must ensure full configured base stations have enough transmitting capacities.

Still on quality of service challenge, the operators were sanctioned in 2012 and the regulator have also promised to wield the big stick again anytime from now if the operators failed to meet the Key Performance Indicator index. What’s your impression about this era of sanctions?

I will not say the NCC is right in its approach of imposing fine as a measure to punish operators that operate below the Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) set by it. The regulator should distant itself from punishing success in the telecoms industry. MTN for instance has invested over $12 billion in the telecoms industry. It pays the highest amount of tax in the industry and should therefore not be compelled to pay additional money for failing to meet up set standards of KPIs. The same thing goes for Globacom, Airtel, and Etisalat. These are operators that are contributing so much to government coffers in the form of taxes and others, and should therefore be spared of anything that will make them pay additional money. They need money for their network expansion and should not be distracted in any way. So, if the regulator has only fine approach, it is invariably punishing investments and success in the telecoms industry.

The operators should rather be encouraged to expand their networks and build more base stations, and invest more in broadband.

But if there are persistent breaches of coverage obligations or persistent drop in service quality after several warnings, then fine becomes inevitable.

With over 12 years into technology and telecommunications revolution, how would you compare Nigeria with other countries around the world?

It has indeed been tremendous when you compare the growth from a meagre 400, 000 NITEL lines to over 120 million active telephone lines. It has indeed been great.

However, there could still be more improvement if the right environment is attained. So many things still need to be put in place, especially now that the country is targeting broadband revolution.

For instance, the power sector is of high priority, such that it is difficult to build industry, advance technology and attract investments, if the power sector is not adequately put in its proper place. Big investors need platforms where they can connect their big data, and where there are a lot of local energy to power them. If Nigeria is to promote its primary, secondary and service industries, it needs to develop its power sector in order to have a reliable and abundant energy that will drive development.

Another way to grow the economy is to have

Wood massive broadband rollout in the country.

This will enable multinational companies that want to invest in Nigeria to be able to connect to all their branches and head office from any location in Nigeria. When I was the Chief Executive Officer of MTN Nigeria, I was approached multiple times by the chief executives of big oil companies, asking me how they could get their production data connected to other countries where they operate. What they need is fast connectivity and this has to be enabled by reliable power sector.

Again in the area of education, universities should be able to study virtually, and this has to do with fast broadband rollout across all institutions of learning. In the area of health, we also need broadband rollout for telemedicine, where medical practitioners would be able to operate and attend to their patients even from long distant areas, to remote and urban communities. If these three areas of power, education and health are addressed, using fast broadband rollout, Nigeria will play big in the global economy.

In the build up towards broadband revolution, NCC is targeting licensing some infrastructure companies (InfraCos). How do you see this?

First of all I have to commend the NCC for that initiative because I see it as a laudable initiative that will boost speedy development in the telecoms sector.

When Brymedia bided for NITEL in February 2010, our focus then was to rebuild NITEL and make it viable. NITEL has a national network, which other operators do not have. So if NITEL was revived, it could have served as a national operator, providing national services to other GSM operators. So the plan to license InfraCos to provide national infrastructure, is a welcomed development.

But let me state here that the planned licensing of InfraCos will come with a number of risks, the first being that it will be done with huge economic investments, which could negative impact on existing operators. The NCC should be careful in

such a way that the process of licensing InfraCos will not be a means to punish already existing operators who have invested so much in rolling out their own infrastructure since the inception of GSM in 2001.

The second risk is that the planned seven InfraCos may not be able to rollout at the same pace. Some will definitely rollout faster than the others and this will create inequality in infrastructure rollout. What NCC needs to do is to ensure consistent technical rollout among all InfraCos across all regions where they cover.

What really transpired between your company, Brymedia and NITEL, in its bids to have it (NITEL)?

We actually came third in the biding exercise and when the first winner was not showing interest to pay for NITEL, the BPE called the second winner to pay and take up NITEL, but we noticed that the second winner was also reluctant to pay, we voluntarily offered to pay for NITEL and acquire it, but that opportunity was not given to us by the BPE. What BPE did after the first two operators declined making payments, was to write all bidders and informed us that it was going to cancel the whole auction exercise and then introduce the ‘Willing Buyer, Willing Seller’ approach. The BPE wrote Brymedia Consortium on August 2011, to inform us of its new approach to sell NITEL. So Brymedia was never asked to pay for NITEL after the first and second winners declined to make payments.

Today the BPE has shifted from the ‘Willing Buyer Willing Seller’ approach to ‘Guided Liquidation’ and I think that the new approach is the best process to sell NITEL. Let me also say here that among the bidders, only Brymedia Consortium paid its Bid Bond and we were never refunded after the BPE cancelled the exercise in 2011.

Why has it become difficult to sell NITEL and do you believe in unbundling the once hitherto Nigeria’s cash cow?

As at 2001, when GSM operators were licensed to compete with the existing NITEL,

the NITEL has not basic experience in digital telecommunications. Where I think government went wrong as in its inability to bring in experts with proven years of telecoms experience to run NITEL as at that time. Government however, later tried to do that with the management services agreement strategy by choosing Pentascope of Netherlands as a consortium group to manage NITEL for five years, and to turn it around and reposition it for competition with GSM operators. It later turned out that the consortium never worked in Africa before and did not have the African telecoms market experience.

Eventually they could not manage NITEL successfully and government had to withdraw the agreement it had earlier signed with Pentascope before the end of the five years agreement plan.

For instance when we set up Brymedia Consortium, and bided for NITEL in 2010, we had a combined top management team with several years of experience that have the African telecoms market experience. I have been in telecoms business since 1986, and I have worked in 22 counties, including countries in Africa and I have the experience to manage NITEL very well.

The management team of Brymedia Consortium, passed through MTN Nigeria where we held top management positions in the MTN Nigeria and the MTN Group operations.

To us, NITEL still remained a viable operator because of its assets in the area of National Spectrum licence, the SAT 3, GSM towers, Transmission towers, and Technical properties in all major cities in the country.

I think that NITEL is the only national operator that could fast-track this whole exercise of national broadband rollout.

Will Brymedia Consortium still want to buy NITEL, if given another opportunity?

We are absolutely ready to buy NITEL if we have the opportunity, because it is still viable. I don’t believe in unbundling it. It is better as a whole and I think the ‘Guided Liquidation’ is the best process so far.

58

THE GUARDIAN www.ngrguardiannews.com

Monday, January 20, 2014

Insurance NAICOM targets poverty alleviation through micro-insurance scheme From John Okeke, Abuja HE concern over increasT ing poverty level in Nigeria and the need for eradication as a means of improving the standard of living of the people has necessitated a holistic approach to tackle the problem through grassroot insurance scheme.

Nigeria with about 170 million population, there is an insurance gap of 94 per cent, which implies that the

demand created for insurance by this huge population, the insurance industry is only able to meet (supply) six per cent of these needs.

Therefore, in spite of the significant growth in the insurance industry in Nigeria, there are still yearning gaps to reach the nooks and crannies in order to ensure sustainable development in the country.

The role of insurance in the economic development of any nation is pivotal, prima-

rily to minimise people exposed to risks like illness, disability, unemployment, crime or death.

Low-income households, however, are less able to prevent and mitigate risks and so they are less able to cope with the consequences.

In Nigeria, however, there is low insurance patronage and the vast majority of the citizens are exposed to various types of risk. The resulting effects are poverty, economic insecurity, insur-

gency, and social vices.

Meanwhile, there is minimal hope for conventional insurance service to stamp their authority in alleviation of severity of poverty in the country.

It is against this background that the National Insurance Commission (NAICOM) last year launched micro-insurance and takaful insurance as one of the most effective means of reducing the vulnerability of the poor from the impacts of disease,

theft, violence, disability, fire and other hazards.

The Commissioner, National Insurance Commission (NAICOM), Fola Daniel speaking on the need for these schemes said “the financial inclusion strategy provides a road map for developing an inclusive financial system.”

According to the Commissioner: “Micro-insurance and Takaful were imperative for the commission to emphasis its commitment for driving the Nigeria Insurance industry to greater heights by “providing strategic and far reaching regulatory framework to reduce risk in our society and entrench local participation in the industry business of insurance in Nigeria.”

Meanwhile, NAICOM has stipulated the guideline for those who would like to do the micro insurance business in the industry with the minimum of N150 million to ensure the affordability and access.

World Bank in its release stated, “access to adequate insurance protection can assist the poor to achieve sustainable growth and prove them with capability to achieve a better standard of

living.

“It can mitigate the impact of personal and national calamities on the build up of assets, providing escape from the vicious cycle of poverty that engulfs each new generation.”

Mukhtar, an economist analyst also said that this method of insurance can protects against unexpected losses by pooling the resources of the many to compensate for the losses of the few adding that the more uncertain the event the more insurance becomes the most economical form of protection.

He argued that the poor are faced with many risks and are highly vulnerable to fluctuations in their income and expenses arising from health cost, property theft and fire, violence, death, disability and catastrophe.

“Micro-insurance moreover can break the cycle of poverty experience in Nigeria by providing low-income households, business and farmers with access to post disaster liquidity, thus protect their livelihoods and providing for reconstruction.

Mansard settles MTN Y’ello cover claim ARELY two months after B the launch of MTN Y’ello Cover, the affordable, air-

Director, Niger Insurance Plc, Justus Uranta, (left), Managing Director/CEO, Kola Adedeji, Chairman, Bala Zakariya’u and Company Secretary, Taiwo Otuneye, during the Company’s 43rd yearly general meeting held in Kaduna…recently.

Niger Insurance announces N10.3 billion premium IGER Insurance Plc in N the 2012 financial year posted a 32 per cent growth in written gross premium, moving from N7.81 billion in 2011 to N10.33 billion in the review period.

Its profit before tax stood at N703.49 million while retained profit to reserves closed at N776.29 million.

Shareholders of the underwriting firm got a dividend payout of three kobo, eulogising the board for sustaining its dividend tradition despite challenges in the business environment.

Consequently, Niger Insurance is looking into future having commenced discussion with a potential foreign partner that is expected to bring in additional capital, expertise and

advanced technology to drive its growth plans.

Chairman of the company, Bala Zakariya’u, who disclosed this at its 43rd yearly general meeting held in Kaduna said that that was part of the reason to increase its authorised share capital from N4.3 billion to N6 billion by the addition of N3.4 billion ordinary shares of 50 kobo each, where it secured the shareholders nod.

He said that Niger Insurance during the year under review also increased its investment income by 27 per cent, from N1.18 billion in 20111 to N1.51 billion at the end of 2012. This is as other comprehensive income grew by 620 percent to N518.09 million from N71.95

million.

The company’s total assets also appreciated reasonably at 12 per cent, from N19.96 billion in 2011 to N22.29 billion.

Zakariya’u further stated that the Company in the review year embarked on a wide range of measures designed to strengthen the company’s position in the industry and with a view to sustain good returns to the shareholders.

“The varying forms of instability in the macroeconomic environment, shrinking market opportunities caused by price wars in the industry, compelled the reengineering initiative, which was led by the board during the year.

“It incorporates and high-

lighted basic commitment to profitability by all, through an integrated market approach, cost containment, the creation of new orientation and development of the Niger Insurance identity.”

According to him, the company had segmented its products distribution outlets into corporate retail and special markets, in the context to be market driven and customer focused, rather than the discarded class delineation only, programme.

Zakariya’u assured that the new management is determined to develop enterprise-wide architecture to achieve ICT-enabled business environment for sustained growth.

time-based life insurance product offered in collaboration with Mansard Insurance plc to MTN subscribers the first insurance claim on the service has been lodged and settled.

Mrs. Abimbola Olufunke Ogunyemi, a subscriber of MTN Y’ello Cover, who on November 7, 2013, had a minor accident while trying to open a corked wine, made the claim.

According to her, the pressure she exerted on the cork caused a snap in her right wrist, making it impossible for her to use the wrist for a couple of days. She later visited a hospital, where the doctor diagnosed ‘ganglion’, which came about as a result of the force applied to the wrist.

Following receipt of Ogunyemi’s claim request on November 15, 2013 and completion of necessary documentation, Mansard Insurance made her an offer, which she accepted.

Her claim was subsequently paid on the same day her proper account details were received on December 3, 2013.

Regarding Mansard’s service delivery, the excited Ogunyemi said, ‘…the service given to me was okay. I

was impressed with the follow-up and quick response to disbursement of the fund. Thank you; I never expected anything,’ Indeed, the claim settlement is an affirmation of Mansard’s ability to fulfill her promises and the leading role MTN Business plays in making lives a whole lot brighter through products and services that are tailored to meet the everyday needs of customers, in line with the vision and mission of MTN Nigeria.

MTN Y’ello Cover offered in collaboration with Mansard Insurance is a simple and convenient way everyone on the MTN network can access an affordable life protection plan directly from their mobile phones. For just N15/ day or N100/ week, subscribers can enjoy up to N350, 000 life insurance cover for medical expenses incurred in case of accidents, and also enjoy benefits in the case of accidents resulting in permanent disability or demise.

Mansard Insurance is Nigeria’s most capitalised insurance company on the Nigerian Stock Exchange and is licensed by the National Insurance Commission (NAICOM) to underwrite both Life & General insurance business.

Tuesday, January 20, 2014 INSURANCE 59

THE GUARDIAN www.ngrguardiannews.com

Insurers face $45b claims for 2013 natural disasters N 2013, there were 296 sepIevents arate natural disaster that produced total economic losses of $192 billion – four per cent below the 10-year average of $200 billion, but above the average 259 events, according to a report by global reinsurance intermediary Aon Benfield’s catastrophe model development centre, Impact Forecasting.

The natural disasters caused total insured losses of $45 billion – their lowest since 2009 and 22 per cent below the-year average of $58 billion, according to the report.

Donan announced the upcoming launch of Donan Mobile for Apple iOS® & Android™. The free app will have access to a convenient and easy-to-use set of digital tools to support their capability to accurately and thoroughly document conditions in field inspections.

In a reversal from 2012, the largest global events of 2013 were heavily concentrated in Europe and Asia, rather than in the United States.

However, despite just 16 percent of all economic losses occurring in the U.S., the country accounted for 45 per cent of all insured losses globally due to its greater insurance penetration.

Flood events accounted for 35 per cent of all global economic losses during the year, which marked their highest percentage of aggregate losses since 2010.

Notable events included

major flooding in Central Europe, Indonesia, the Philippines, China, and Australia.

Meanwhile, severe drought conditions contributed to billion-dollar losses in Brazil, China, New Zealand, and the U.S. according to the Impact Forecasting analysis.

Aon Benfield said U.S. insured losses, at 45 per cent of the total, were in-line with the U.S. 42 per cent share of global property premium.

The study highlights that the most deadly event of 2013 was Super Typhoon Haiyan, which struck the Philippines in November, leaving nearly 8,000 people dead or missing.

“The year 2013 was an active year for serious catastrophe events but one in which the industry dodged the bullet of a single dominating insured event,” Stephen Mildenhall, CEO of Aon Benfield Analytics.

“Typhoon Haiyan, however, demonstrated the real and ever-present potential for large scale destruction.”

The May/June floods in Central Europe were the costliest single event of the year, causing an estimated 5.3 billion dollars insured loss and approximately $22 billion in economic losses.

Most of the flood losses were sustained in Germany, which also endured recordlevel insured hail losses during multiple summer convective thunderstorm events.

Fitch upgrades Old Mutual Life rating ITCH Ratings has upgradFAssurance ed Old Mutual Life Company (South Africa) Limited’s (OMLACSA) National Long-term rating to ‘AAA (zaf)’ and its subordinated debt to ‘AA (zaf)’ and affirmed its National Insurer Financial Strength (IFS) rating at ‘AAA (zaf)’.

The agency has also affirmed Skandia Life Assurance Company Ltd’s (Skandia) IFS rating at ‘A-’ and Old Mutual Plc’s (Old Mutual) Long-term Issuer Default Rating (IDR) at ‘BBB’.

The outlooks on the group’s IDRs and IFS ratings are stable. A full list of rating actions is at the end of this comment.

The upgrade of OMLACSA’s National Long-term National Ratings solely reflects a recalibration of the higher end of the South African national scale rather than any change in Fitch’s assessment of fundamental issuer-specific credit considerations.

Old Mutual’s main South African operation, OMLACSA, and its main non-South African operation, Skandia, are “Core” to the group under Fitch’s insurance group rating methodology and are therefore rated based on the credit quality of the group as a whole.

Old Mutual’s ratings are constrained by South Africa’s Long-term local currency IDR (BBB+/Stable) and Long-term foreign currency

IDR (BBB/Stable), reflecting the importance of the group’s South African business for its balance sheet and earnings. Old Mutual derives about 75% of its operating earnings from South Africa.

However, the group’s IFS rating is one notch higher than the South African local currency IDR in recognition of Old Mutual’s geographical diversification, with about one-quarter of earnings generated in the UK and Europe. The additional notch also reflects the group’s ability to share with policyholders potential investment losses on its investments in the South African financial markets, and the financial flexibility from being listed on the London Stock Exchange.

An upgrade or downgrade of South Africa’s Long-term foreign or local currency IDR could trigger a corresponding rating action on Old Mutual.

Old Mutual could be downgraded if there is greaterthan-expected earnings pressure on its South African operations from volatile investment markets, weak consumer confidence and recessionary fears. A reduction in the geographical diversification of earnings or deterioration in the quality of non-South African earnings, with hard-currency cover falling below 2x, could also lead to a downgrade.

Chairman, National Insurance Commission (NAICOM), Chibudom Nwuche (right) and Commissioner for Insurance, Fola Daniel, discussing after a board meeting in Abuja…recently.

Czech export bank, insurer targeted in police swoop WO state controlled Czech T export credit and insurance institutions are at the centre of plans to boost the country’s export growth. But an expected strengthening of their role would appear to depend on dealing with problems from the recent past.

Their mission is to go where other insurers or banks would fear to tread in a bid to boost Czech exports. State insurance company EGAP and the Czech Export Bank ( EB) are tasked with providing risky loans and insurance for projects in risky countries.

Some bad calls and losses are obviously to be counted on in such a business, especially given the fact that the two institutions have boosted their activities in areas such as Russia, former countries of the Soviet Union, and Turkey to make up for sluggish Czech exports to the European Union.

But Czech police evidently think that some of the past deals are suspicious. They swooped on the Prague headquarters of both institutions in dawn raids Wednesday.

EGAP’s spokeswoman said police were primarily interested in contracts concerning around 10 export projects, which likely included the already well publicized problems concerning insurance for a Czech exporter to build glass works in Russia and Ukraine.

Media reports suggest that EGAP might be liable for

around 2.74 billion crowns in insurance payments, including payments to the Czech Export Bank, related to the collapse of that project.

The daily Lidové Noviny reported that one of the cases under investigation is the crashed deal to sell three Boeing 737 aircraft owned by Czech Airlines to Armenian airline Armavia.

The 300 million-crown deal was financed by Czech Bank PPF but with EGAP providing the very necessary insurance against anything going wrong. The Czech Export Bank came in for some rounded criticism from the national public spending watchdog, the Supreme Audit Office, last

year in a report attacking it for making unwarranted loans of around 8 billion crowns.

It’s not too likely the police who took part in the dawn raids had read copies of that day’s Czech business daily, Hospodá ské Noviny, over their coffee. If they had, their minds might have been focused by incoming prime minister Bohuslav Sobotka’s comments that the image of the two export promoting institutions had worsened rather than improved over recent years.

Sobotka added that their activities had to be subject to maximum transparency so it was clear that loans and guar-

antees were not serving specific corporate lobbies rather than the Czech common interest. The stables needed to be cleaned out, Sobotka implied.

The incoming coalition government made up of Social Democrats, ANO, and the Christian Democrats has pledged to expand the role of EB and EGAP and use them to the utmost to help direct Czech exports away from the slumbering economies of the European Union to the high growth likes of Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa. Getting the institutions in order first would appear to be the pre-requisite for that to take place.

NCRIB appeals to NAICOM, NIA on unethical practices HE Nigerian Council of T Registered Insurance Brokers (NCRIB) has frowned at some insurance companies who undermine Insurance Brokers on existing accounts, noting that such unethical act could stall the desired progress of the industry.

The President of the NCRIB, Ayodapo Shoderu in a media chat recently in Lagos disclosed that the council had received complaints from many of its members against some underwriters who poach clients currently being serviced by them through insurance brokers According to him, “worst of

this concerns existing businesses which the Broker and the insurance company are already handling for which some unethical underwriters go at the back to collect with promises of offering the clients reduced premium.”

The NCRIB used the medium to appeal to the Nigerian Insurance Association and the National Insurance Commission to dispassionately investigate and handle the matter with a view to sanctioning the culprits, for the purpose of protecting the image of the industry and ensuring its steady growth.

While stressing that all over

the world insurance brokers occupy pivotal place in insurance arrangements, Shoderu noted that their enormous wealth of experience were usually brought to bear in assisting clients to get the best possible terms, as well as assist them in claims collection when a loss arises.

Furthermore, the NCRIB president said that the exclusion of brokers from insurance accounts left the clients with no advantage of competitiveness in services of insurance companies, in terms of the kind of insurance policy being offered, premium charged and fairness in claims settlement.

Group releases new innovation insurer suite NNOVATION Group is agility through alternative tomer choice and experi- our focus on enabling insurIlatest pleased to announce the deployment options. Many ence,” said Mike Fitzgerald, ers be future-ready,” said release of the marketsenior analyst for leading Innovation Insurer suite for property and casualty (P&C) insurers, which includes Insurer Policy, Insurer Claims, Insurer Configurator, Insurer Billing, Insurer Rating, Insurer Reinsurance and Insurer Analytics.

The new release of Innovation Insurer features enhanced support for integrated multi-channels, embedded analytics capabilities, and provides greater

of Innovation Group’s existing insurer customers have selected Innovation Insurer, or multiple components, using on-premise, hosted or SaaS deployment for the flexibility and robustness of the suite.

“Insurers continue to require business capabilities that leverage a customercentric solution design to help them transition from a product-based to an integrated multi-channel environment underpinned by cus-

Celent. “Additionally, they need alternative deployment options, including hosted, SaaS and BPaaS, to help them compete and respond to today’s every-changing insurance market.”

Innovation Insurer includes a number of new capabilities that create significant value for business users, but also in the areas of implementation and ongoing support.

“This release emphasizes

Andy Roberts, Group CEO, Innovation Group. “While replacement and transformation are a critical first step, what will help insurers stand-out in the competitive P&C insurance markets around the world is a commitment to a strong, unique customer experience foundationally supported by a solution like Innovation Insurer that will offer insurers a platform for real competitive advantage, innovation and growth.

THE GUARDIAN www.ngrguardiannews.com

60 Monday, January 20, 2014

Media

Badejo-Okusanya

Mandela

Rotimi Oladele

How to consolidate democratic culture through PR Interview

By Kabir Alabi Garba

Yomi Badejo-Okusanya is the Managing Director of one of Nigeria’s foremost public relations consulting firms, CMC Connect (Perception Managers). He is also a Fellow and Member of the Governing Council of the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR); the Secretary General of the African Public Relations Association (APRA); and a past Chairman of NIPR, Lagos State Chapter. In this chat, he speaks on how NIPR, with its new leadership, can impact on consolidating democratic culture in Nigeria among other issues of national and continental importance including the implication of the passage of Nelson Mandela on Public Relations in Africa. Excerpts: NIPR and the image of the country, how do you think the institute, with its new team headed by Dr. Rotimi Oladele, can play its role effectively?

OU can only add value when you are involved, when you are included. NIPR must get involved into mainstream of issues that are happening in the country. If you are not in the mainstream, you can’t be relevant.

Two things that NIPR needs now are: relevance and respect. Both go hand-in-hand. If you are relevant you will be respected. If they respect you, you will be relevant. We are not there at all. NIPR has been struggling with both relevance and respect. We must integrate ourselves into the mainstream of what is happening in the society. PR is not an abstract. You can feel it, see it, talk PR and even apprehend it. Our PR must be like an injection, which must be administered on someone. NIPR must undertake a PR drive for itself. What are the reputational issues in the country? There are many! So, there should a reputation summit. We should come out with index of a survey to identify certain challenges confronting the country. The government will regard us more. We should speak to issues such as corruption, bad election, industrial action and so on. We must proffer solutions. But we have been too timid. We should be vocal on national issues.

Not that we should be antagonistic, but we should begin to call a spade a spade. That way, we gain our respect, we gain our relevance.

NIPR has a decree, so, it will be difficult for

Y

any government to revoke that decree, they have to back to the National Assembly to do that. So, what do we need from the government? Government used to give NIPR subvention, which they have stopped, so, why are we timid? We don’t even need money from the government if we can organize ourselves better. At the last count, NIPR members all over the country are over 10, 000 and we keep on bringing in new people… if everybody pays his/her due regularly, we should have enough money to run the institute properly. NIPR has a critical role to play to deepen our democracy. I have always said that there are five estates of the realm, not four. And the fifth is the citizen, you can’t have democracy without the citizens, so, there should be critical citizen advocacy, which is a communication function, better anchored by PR professionals. For democracy to work, we need an informed and vocal citizens, and it is only PR that can guarantee that.

With Africa’s rich human and material resources why is it difficult for Africa to tell its story?

The international media, a lot of which are western owned, and so they will tell the story from their perspective. How many strong media organisations do we have in Africa that has global influence?

“So, until you own the factors of production, you cannot control production. It is same thing with news, until you get the factor of the news, the instrument and tools of the news, you cannot control the news. And that is what we are suffering from.”

You know what APRA doing about this?

APRA is about to formulate an idea called Campaign Africa. It is a multi-platform initiative designed to sell positive Africa.

He explains, “We are going to be talking through social media, print media, electronics and events, road shows. What we want to do is that we want to combat the negative voices that have been predominant talking about Africa. We want to make sure that for every negative, there is a positive to the extent that we would be able to rub out the negatives altogether.

“It is true that we have challenges and I am not undermining them. And I am not saying they do not exist, they exit here and in every part of the world. So when you want an imagery of Africa what you chose is of a malnourished child.” The imagery of Africa are scenes of war, deprivation. When you talk about Africa, you focus more on corruption.

“I am not saying they do not exist, the question is we can balance these things. We can paint a truer picture and that is what we are going to do.”

On the update about the desire of APRA to serve as mouthpiece for African Union (AU), he explains: “Early last year, we were part of the 50th anniversary of the AU. A PR activity was part of AU conference. Secondly, AU has told us that they have a mandate from some

With the passage of Mandela, we have lost our greatest PR icon in Africa. Mandela was undauntedly the biggest PR icon in Africa. He was somebody who was a continental brand and usually a continental brand is bigger than a personal brand. In his case, we had a situation where a personal brand was bigger than a national and continental brand. There was a lot more positive being associated with Mandela, PR wise heads of states to reposition the image of Africa.

“So, in that wise, they are willing to work with us. I must say to you that this week we have a meeting with AU to forge that alliance. This initiative of Campaign Africa, which is already a trademark, we are going to be working with the AU to jointly push it. Yes, there is a lot of progress that we have made, may be not as fast as we like to, but we have made some progress in that regard.”

APRA, in its tribute, when Mandela passed on early last December, had commented on how the late freedom fighter advanced the course of Public Relations in the continent.

YBO as the APRA’s scribe is fondly called, explains further saying, “with the passage of Mandela, we have lost our greatest PR icon in Africa. Mandela was undauntedly the biggest PR icon in Africa. He was somebody who was a continental brand and usually a continental brand is bigger than a personal brand. In his case, we had a situation where a personal brand was bigger than a national and continental brand. There was a lot more positive being associated with Mandela, PR wise.”

He continues, “when you think of Africa, you think of war, strife and stuff like that, but there is a unanimity in the strength of the brand that Mandela represented and I think it had a lot more impact on the continent and country rather than vise versa. I said this as a background to show that the impact may not be something we can feel immediately.”

For him, it is something that, over time, will be seen.

Why pondering on the question whether anything good could come out of Africa, he says, “the western world would have preferred if he came from that side of the world because they are used to celebrating people like that. It is strange that he came from Africa, Sub-Sahara.”

He reveals, “the implication is that if we are not careful there would be a lot of erosion on that brand called Africa itself because some-

body who could drive it has gone. He helped us to create a unity of purpose, vision, outlook.”

That was why when the World Cup came to Africa for the first time, they used him as an icon and, “I am sure the weight he must have brought to it must have been very significant.”

For him, the question is, what will happen to South Africa. “Mandela acted as a glue, not just for South Africa, but the whole of Africa. He could speak anywhere and his voice would command authority and respect. He could bring focus and attention on specifics that he spoke or thought the world neded to pay attention to.”

Who really now will speak for Africa or present Africa’s case at the highest of levels, the voice of Africa? Those are the PR implication of what would happen.

Did Africa realize early enough Mandela’s PR potential and leverage it to lift socio-political status of Africa?

“I think South Africa did and there was a rub off on Africa. At the time Africa, through South Africa, was bidding for the World Cup, Mandela was used as the icon and they got it.

To some extent, I think South Africa did and they used it and there was a rub off effect on Africa as a whole.”

What lessons are there in the life and times of Mandela for African leaders? “Everything! If you talk about all aspects of who he was, values he held sacrosanct. The fact that he put the state and his people before himself, which is something most African leaders today do not know.”

He said that there is a tiny line between state money and personal funds. Look at Governor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo, the two million he gave the widow, where did he get it? Is it his own money? Are you saying he took it out of his salary? Then if he took it out of the state fund there is a problem with that. Benjamin Netanyahu, Prime Minister of Israel did not attend the funeral for two reasons: they had no budget for it; two, they could not arrange security well enough for the trip. Will a governor say he is not going anywhere because there is no budget?

“They will look for the money, even if some staff will not take salary that month. So, for me, there is a lot to learn, is it about his humility, selflessness? Is it about leaving the stage when the ovation was loudest, when in Africa we have sit-tight, who want to perpetrate themselves in office? Jonathan said ‘I am a proponent of six years in office.’ By 2015, he would have spent almost six years, yet he still wants to spend another four years!

“So, you are going against your belief. The Speaker of the House of Representatives said that the body language of the President supports corruption, look at Oduahgate, Faroukgate, all the money people stole on pension, nothing has happened. Mandela lived by example, but our leaders are not living by example.”

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‘Expect roll out of community radio licences soon’ Issue

By Kabir Alabi Garba HE National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) has assured Nigerians that licences for the establishment of community radios in the country will soon be released. The Director-General of the airwaves regulatory agency, Mr. Emeka Mba gave the assurance recently in Abuja at an interactive forum with print journalists.

“Community radio licensing is something that I will leave as a legacy for my commission. The plan is to see it happen before the end of this year,” Mba said with the optimism that this year’s edition of the International Conference of Africa Broadcasters, (AFRICAST) may be used to celebrate the first batch of Community Radio licensees.

According to him, the insecurity challenge that is confronting the country “can be best addressed when we allow communities to have access to information and communication.

“It is sad to see that some communities in this part of the country do not have access to radio. The radio they have is shortwave radio that comes from France, BBC and if they have community radio broadcasters, it will enable them not only to vent but to see what is going on and identify trends and security challenges within their community.

“So, it is something that we see. Rather than people saying community radio is a security threat, we believe in the commission that it is actually going to help government to deal with the security challenges, because it exposes, as it allows people to vent their views, because it is owned by the community.

“You cannot point at the community and say community is evil or bad, so we need to have that and I am very confident from the feelers we are getting from our authority; that is something that would happen before the end of the year, as far as community radio is concerned.”

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Emeka Mba The NBC’s principal biennial conference, Africast 2014 is expected to bring the stakeholders up-to-date with the state of the industry in Africa and worldwide.

With Digital Broadcast Content: Production, Sourcing and Delivery as theme, the conference has been scheduled to run between October 21 and 23, 2014 in Abuja.

“In this edition, we shall be working with an established international programmes market organisers to introduce a programmes market to Africast 2014. It is too early to say more, but come October, where else would you rather be?” Mba said.

Another issue addressed at the briefing is the heated political climate in the country, in spite of the fact that 2015 general election is still a year away.

“The 2015 elections are still a year away, but already, the media is agog with politics. The Commission is concerned about the handling of political stories by broadcasting stations. It is important to appreciate the provisions of section 5.2 of the Nigeria Broadcasting Code, dealing with Political Broadcasts. I want to

particularly draw attention to Section 5.2.8: “In adherence to the principles of pluralism, equal airtime shall be provided to all political parties or views, with particular regard to the amount of time and belt, during political campaign periods.

Attention of broadcasters was also drawn to the provision of section 7.6.6, which stipulates that ‘The period of campaign through any broadcast media in any election by every political party shall commence 90 days before polling day and end 24 hours prior to that day.’

With just few months to the conduct of the Ekiti State gubernatorial elections, the NBC head warned broadcasting stations, especially those in Ekiti State that they must remain fair to all concerned and adhere strictly to the Code.

“We have a 24/7 monitoring programme in place, and the Commission will not hesitate to deal adequately with anyone found wanting.”

The NBC, he stated, is also concerned about the constant sharpening of skills of the industry players in line with the professional objectives of broadcasting, which demands a high-level specialisation and professionalism among broadcasters.

“The Commission is convinced that training and re-training of broadcasters is very important, and we call on broadcasting stations

and proprietors of such stations to invest more on the training of their personnel.

“On its part, the Commission has continued to hold different types of trainings for broadcasters. For instance, we held at least 12 workshops in 2013. There are more in the pipeline for up-skilling the practitioners.

“It is also concerned about reports from some stations regarding the refusal of station proprietors to pay staff salaries as at when due.

This is unacceptable and in violation with their licence conditions, which require in section 1.11 of the Code on Staff empowerment.”

Mba warned that it cannot continue, and encourages staff affected by this kind of violation to report to the Commission.

He pledged a regular engagement with the media, reiterating that an Open Door Policy in line with Civil Service Rules would be maintained at all time. “Subject to laid down procedure, my office is fully accessible to Nigerians.

My Public Affairs department is ever ready to respond to any enquiries. We are also accessible through: info@nbc.gov.ng or follow us on twitter @nbcgovng, or like us on Facebook.

“To further engage with the public on our activities, we are planning a Media Tour where we intend to actively engage the media on issues surrounding the activities of the Commission in line with its enabling laws. We also intend to continue with our Regular Quarterly Press Parley.”

EU clears Publicis, Omnicom advertising merger HE European Commission T has cleared a 26.5-billioneuro merger between France’s Publicis and US peer Omnicom which will create the world’s biggest advertising company.

With the decision, which follows a greenlight by US authorities in November, the companies pass a key hurdle to become an advertising giant with a combined workforce of more than 130,000.

The nature of the market, “the presence of other large competitors, the relatively low barriers to entry, and the

significant countervailing power of media vendors will ensure a level playing field ... after the merger,” the Commission said.

Omnicom is currently the world number two advertising company and Publicis third, and their merger will put them far in front of the current leader WPP. The merged company, the Publicis Omnicom Group will focus on digital platforms which are increasingly replacing traditional formats such as print.

The Commission, which

polices the EU’s competition regulations, said it had looked at the possible market impact in some 20 countries and found no reason to block the deal.

The new company will “be sufficiently constrained by several competitors, including large international advertising groups — such as WPP, Dentsu-Aegis, IPG and Havas — capable of meeting the more complex requirements of large advertisers with global reach,” it said in a statement.

Winners emerge in Herbal Naija promo HE second phase of the T Close-up Herbal Naija Smile promo has ended in style with

General Manager, Oracle Experience, Betty Okonoboh (left); MD/CEO, Felix King Eiremiokhae; Creative Director, Ororo Azemhbo; and Chairman, Brand Journalists Association of Nigeria, Goddie Ofose during the presentation of BJAN magazine and best effort in Innovative Experiential Marketing award to Oracle Experience in Lagos.

two higher institution students smiling home with a car each as the star prize winners.

There were also consolation prizes that included ipad and Iphones.

The two students are Obi Olivia Ebele, a student of Biochemistry at the University of Nigeria, (UNN) Nsukka and Idowu O. Habeeb, from the Department of Quantity Surveying, Lagos State Polytechnic and were at the presentation ceremony held during the week.

The Assistant Category Manager, Oral Care, Grace Onwubuemeli, said that the competition was to search for

the natural Naija smile on the Close-up herbal platform.

“Nigerians are said to be the happiest people on earth and we felt one of the ways through which happiness is shown is through smile. So, we wanted to reward our esteem customers and consumers through sharing their smile with us then stand a chance to win fantastic prizes.

“We told them to upload their smile on our facebook page, then get friends to vote for them. So the smiles with the highest votes are the ones that came up tops. Today, we rewarded our two top winners, a male and a female, that had the highest votes on the page.

“The first round we rewarded

the top twenty on the list. But this round, we are rewarding the top ten, and the top two winners get a car each and the other eight winners get Ipads, Iphones and other consolation prizes,” Onwubuemeli said.

Habeeb, who said he reluctantly participated in the contest, because he doubted the credibility of the promo, disclosed that he had to begged friends to go online to vote for him. “Now, I can say, it is real,” he said.

Ebele, who won a prize in the first round of the competition, disclosed that being part of the first round winners was an inspiration for her to aspire to aim bigger since there are bigger prizes to be won in the second round .

Change of leadership at MFWA HE Board of Directors of the T Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) has elected a new Chairman of the Board and appointed a new Executive Director for the organisation. The decisions were made at the Board’s two-day meeting held in Accra, Ghana recently At the board level, Mr. Edetaen Ojo from Nigeria has been elected as the new Chairman. He replaces Ms. Soyata Maiga from Mali, whose tenure as board Chair has expired.

Mr. Ojo, who is the Executive Director of the Nigeria-based Media Rights Agenda (MRA), is one of Africa’s leading experts on free expression, media development and access to information.

Mr. Ojo is a board member of a number of local, regional and international human rights and media development organisations including the Uganda-based African Freedom of Information Centre (AFIC) and the International Media Support (IMS) based in Copenhagen, Denmark. Until June 2013, he was the Convenor (Chair) of the governing council of the Canada-based organisation, IFEX, the world’s biggest network of free expression advocacy organisation.

At the management level, the Board has appointed Mr. Sulemana Braimah as the new Executive Director of the organisation follow-

ing the retirement of Prof. Kwame Karikari who has been the Executive Director of the organisation for the past 16 years.

Mr. Braimah has tremendous experience in free expression and media development issues and has participated in and presented papers at several international conferences on free expression and media development. In the last two years, Mr. Braimah has served as a reviewer of the World Press Freedom Index, an annual ranking of countries on press freedom, conducted by the US-based organisation, Freedom House. He currently serves on the Governing Council and the Executive Committee of IFEX.

Mr. Braimah joined the MFWA in 2010 and until his appointment, was the Deputy Executive Director of the organisation. Prior to joining the MFWA, he worked as news editor of The Chronicle Newspaper in Ghana, and part-time lecturer at the Africa University Colleague of Communications.

The Board highly commended Prof.

Kwame Karikari for his exemplary leadership of the MFWA for the past 16 years. It also commended the organisation for its tremendous efforts in promoting free expression in West Africa, particularly its work on safety of journalists and media development in Mali and Cote d’Ivoire during the political cri-

sis and in the ongoing democratic recovery processes in those countries.

The board issued a resolution at the end of its meeting in which it expressed concern about the falling standards of professionalism in media practice in the West Africa region. The Board also expressed deep concern about the serious challenges posed by extremism, terrorism and drug trafficking to media freedom and practice in West Africa and called on national governments, regional bodies and civil society groups in West Africa to work collaboratively to address the problem,” the resolution stated.

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Oil & GasWeekly Remi Aiyela, Editor-in-Chief

only if the country injects some real momentum ing and application forms for DPR licence. into the exploratory drive. However, with IOCs failing to take final investment decisions on new FG to Commence Metering Policy on 1st exploratory efforts, pending the enactment of the February Petroleum Industry Bill, and the failure of the govHE Department of Weights and Measures of ernment to award new acreage, these targets are the Ministry of Trade and Investments has looking increasingly unrealistic. confirmed that the Federal Government's new metering policy in the oil and gas industry will kick off on the 1st of February. The Director, Weights and Measures, Mr. Oluyinka Sikuade, said this during a technical meeting between officials of the ministry and the consultants handling the project.

He said the full implementation of legal meterology services in the oil and gas sector would enable stakeholders to conform with the weights and measure regulation.

He said, "We are going to look at the metering system of the operators for accuracy, equity, fairand conformity. We will take into considerOPEC daily basket price stood at $104.47 ness ation internationally acceptable error margins a barrel Thursday, 16 January 2014 for us to have fairness and justice in trading HEprice of OPEC basket of twelve crudes stood devices used by the operators." at $104.47 a barrel on Thursday, compared with JTF Deploys Swamp Buggies for Illegal $104.35 the previous day, according to OPEC Secretariat calculations. The OPEC basket price Oil Refineries Destruction HEJoint Task Force (JTF) operating in the Niger has been under pressure since the end of Delta says it will now use a new method of February but is now beginning to see a slow climb destruction of illegal oil refineries. The upwards.

Introduced on 16 June 2005, is currently made Commanding Officer of 29 Battalion of the 2 up of the following: Saharan Blend (Algeria), Brigade of the Nigerian Army, Port Harcourt, Lt.Girassol (Angola), Oriente (Ecuador), Iran Heavy Col. Olusegun Oladuntoye, said that they were (Islamic Republic of Iran), Basra Light (Iraq), deploying "swamp buggies" which will be able Kuwait Export (Kuwait), Es Sider (Libya), Bonny to crush metal tanks used in the illegal refining Light (Nigeria), Qatar Marine (Qatar), Arab Light process. The tactic of completely destroying the (Saudi Arabia), Murban (UAE) and Merey tanks will make it impossible for the oil thieves to recommence their illegal activities with the (Venezuela). same equipment.

"Based on intelligence reports; we have discovered that the war against illegal oil bunkering cannot be completed without thorough destruction of illegal refineries," he said.

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in association with

oil and gas industry and youth development. The programme is part-funded by the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR).

HEALTH AND SAFETY NEWS

DOWNSTREAM NEWS

editor@NOGintelligence.com www.NOGintelligence.com

UPSTREAM NEWS

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Eni Shuts Tebidaba-Brass Oil Pipeline TALIAN energy company Eni has closed the Ilowing flow stations on Tebidaba-Brass pipeline fola fire. The fire is believed to have been caused by pipeline sabotage. An Eni spokesman said that the company is losing 3,500 barrels per day of its 20 per cent share of the joint venture.

It is feared that up to 47,000 barrels per day may be deferred during the shutdown of the important pipeline which carries Brass grade crude for export.

"We have promptly started the shut-in operations for the flow stations related to the pipeline," an Eni spokesman said.

REGULATORY NEWS

Rivers and Bayelsa States Soku Oil Wells Dispute Continues

Camac and Allied Secure $100 Million Drillship for Oyo Field

HE dispute between Rivers State and Bayelsa T State over the Soku oil wells, which are located on the boundary of both states, continues in

OUSTONbased independent Camac Energy H founded by Nigerian, Kase Lawal, FG Lifts Ban on Bunkering in Territorial Waters spite of the matter having been ruled on by the Supreme Court. announced an important update that could OME thirty years after bunkering in Nigerian change their luck on Oyo field located offshore Sterritorial waters was banned, it has once again Amaechi issued a statement through his Chief and straddling their oil mining leases (OML) 120 been legalised. The government has announced Press Secretary, Mr. David Iyofor, in which he and 121. The company and its operator partner, US company, Allied Energy, have entered into a one-year $100m contract with Oslo-listed rig contractor, Northern Offshore to hire the Energy Searcher drillship.

Camac's Chief Executive Officer Kase Lawal said the move became necessary "to help execute the company's transformational development and exploration programme in 2014 and beyond."

The rig is to be delivered the Oyo field in OML 120 in time to start drilling during the first half of this year. The Energy Searcher is equipped to operate in water depths of up to 2500 feet and to drill to total depths of up to 25,000 feet.

The partners had previously contracted Transocean's Sedneth 701 semi-submersible rig for the drilling but problems were encountered compounding the much-delayed development of Oyo field sold by Italy's Eni in 2012.

Nigeria Accounted for 3.1% of OPEC Reserves in 2013 IN 2013, Nigeria's crude oil reserves represented just 3.1 per cent of the total reserves of the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC,) a report has said. The report showed that the country's proven reserves stood at 37.1billion last year out of the 1200 billion reserves of the organization.

According to the report, non-OPEC members had 277 billion oil reserves, representing 19 per cent of global oil reserves. More than 81 per cent of the world's proven oil reserves are located in OPEC's member countries, with the bulk of OPEC's oil reserves in the Middle East, amounting to 66 per cent of the OPEC total.

The breakdown indicated the following reserves by country: Libya - 48.5 billion; Iraq -140 billion; Venezuela - 297.7 billion; Saudi Arabia 265.9 billion; and Iran - 157.3 billion.

Others are Algeria - 12.2billion; Angola - 9.1billion; Ecuador - 8.2billion; Qatar - 25.2billion; Iraq - 140.3billion; Kuwait -101.5billion and United Arab Emirates - 97.8billion.

Nigeria is targeting 40 billion oil reserves by 2020 a feat, which stakeholders say is achievable

that it will begin to licence bunkering operators by the end of the month. Director, Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR), George Osahon, made the disclosure through a press statement saying: "President Goodluck Jonathan has approved the issuance of licenses to bunkers as part of his economic agenda".

"This will help create employment activities for Nigerians as well as act as a stimulus for growth in other sectors of the economy, including inland ports and waterways," he explained.

The DPR intends to publish guidelines in line with the Petroleum Act 1969 for licensing bunkering operations, which it hopes will net the government around N250million annually.

However Directorate of Marine Services, Nigerian Navy, Navy Captain SO Ayeni, gave an insight into how the scheme will operate.

Applications are to be submitted to the Nigerian Navy, with details of the vessel to be used for bunkering, the location, discharge point, quantity of fuel and the duration of the operations.

Operators are to source their products independently but not from Nigeria. The DPR and the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) will have to certify the quality of the products and the vessels. Bunkering vessels will not be allowed to leave the Nigerian territorial waters and they must obtain approval to move from one area to another.

Among the petroleum products currently categorised for bunkering operations under the Petroleum Act are Automotive Gas Oil (AGO), Low Pour Oil and Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG).

Bunkering is the process of supplying a ship with fuel, which the ship takes into its bunkers.

In the 1980s, the process was being abused as vessels were taking subsidised fuel on board and selling them abroad for huge profits. The government banned bunkering in territorial waters as a result, at one time even imposing a death penalty for illegal bunkering.

The DPR has advised intending operators to visit the DPR website, http://dprnigeria.org.ng/license-permit/bunkering-guidelines/ for the new guidelines on bunker-

insisted that Bayelsa State's claim to the wells were based on the 11th edition of the Administrative Map of Nigeria. He said the 2000 map had erroneously shifted the boundary between Rivers and Bayelsa States from the initial boundary between Kalabari and Nembe, west of the Santa Barbara River, to San Bartholomew River. The shifting of the boundary put the Soku wells within Bayelsa State.

According to Amaechi, in 2002, following the publication of the 11th edition of the map, the Rivers State Government, under Dr. Peter Odili, petitioned the chairman of the National Boundary Commission (NBC),Vice-President Atiku Abubakar. He said that in a letter dated July 3, 2002, the Director General, NBC acknowledged the error and apologised, saying that the corrections would be reflected in the 12th edition.

In issue is the 13 per cent derivation fund from oil revenues, which accrues to the host state.

Rivers State had commenced legal action claiming that the derivation proceeds should not be paid to Bayelsa State until the matter was resolved by the Supreme Court. The matter is now in the Supreme Court and according to Amaechi the Supreme Court deferred its decision to such a time as the 12th edition is published. They say that the Supreme Court also ruled that the derivation fund be kept in escrow pending final determination.

Governor Amaechi says that the Federal Government has released the funds to Bayelsa State contrary to the ruling of the Supreme Court. The 12th edition of the map is said to be still under production.

PTDF Awards 60 Scholarships for Study in Norway HE Petroleum Technology Development Fund T (PTDF) has awarded 60 scholarships for study in Norway. The scholars, 48 men and 12 women, will study Bachelor of Science programmes in oil related fields at Otsfold University College, Fredrikstad in Norway.

The educational programme is part of the agency's capacity development mandate for the

Fuel Tanker Explosion Kills 15 IFTEEN people have been killed in an inferno Fpetrol after a fuel tanker loaded with 33,000 litres of caught fire along the Oshodi-Apapa Expressway. The tanker crashed and exploded whilst trying to avoid potholes in the road according to eye-witnesses. Over 50 shops and 20 cars were burnt down in the blaze.

The lack of a proper rail network for freight has meant that petroleum products are transported by road. The highly hazardous cargo, coupled with bad roads, has given rise to many fire incidents involving tankers. An efficient rail network will take much of this dangerous cargo off the roads.

HEALTH, SAFETY & ENVIRONMENT NEWS NOSDRA Tests Oil Spill Contingency Plan HE National Oil Spill Detection and Response T Agency (NOSDRA) has conducted a test of its National Oil Spill Contingency Plan (NOSCP). The plan was put to the test in conjunction with Shell Petroleum Company. The NOSCP, says NOSDRA, will enable it to respond promptly and effectively to oil spills in the future.

The Director-General of NOSDRA, Peter Idabor said the test was successfully carried out after the simulationof aspill. Hesaidallthestakeholders,including the Army, the Police, the Customs and the Immigration were also involved in the operation.

ERA Urges Shell to Clean Up Ikararama Oil Spill CTIVIST group Environmental Rights A Action/Friends of the Earth is calling on Shell to clean up the oil spill, which it says occurred in November in the Ikerarama community in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State.

The community has accused Shell of being responsible for the discharge of oil from the Rumuekpe pipeline operated by Shell. They say about 480 barrels of crude oil was discharged into the environment. Shell says the clean up is scheduled for completion in April 2014. However, the environmental activist group says the clean up is yet to commence.

CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY Shell Invites Applications For PostGraduate Scholarship Scheme HELL Petroleum Development Company, Sgraduate SPDC, is inviting applications for its 5th postscholarship scheme for 2014.

Applicants must be between the ages 21 - 28 and must have a Second Class Upper Division university degree. The scheme is aimed at providing opportunities for graduates from Rivers, Bayelsa and Delta states to study courses relevant to the oil and gas industry, including engineering and geosciences.

General Manager, Nigerian Content Development for Shell, Igo Weli, said: "The feedback in the four years since the programme was launched has been impressive."

He said that under this scheme, SPDC will award 10 scholarships for a one-year Master's degree in partnership with Imperial College, London, University College, London and the University of Leeds for the academic year commencing September 2014.

He said the scheme was in addition to SPDC's regular scholarship programme, which was introduced in the 1950s through which thousands of Nigerians have been sponsored in diverse fields of study.

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Manufacturing, home-building in U.S. beat forecast churned out Fin ACTORIES more cars and appliances December and homebuilders overcame inclement weather to begin work on more homes than projected, putting the U.S. economy on a strong footing heading into 2014.

Output at factories, mines and utilities climbed 0.3 per cent to cap the strongest quarter since 2010, according to Federal Reserve figures issued on Friday in Washington. Housing starts fell 9.8 per cent to a 999,000 annualised rate following November’s 1.11 million pace that was the highest in six years, the Commerce Department reported.

Housing and manufacturing will be sources of strength for the economic expansion as gains in consumer spending propel demand for building materials, furniture and the newest model car. Another report on Friday showing employers had more openings in November than at any time in more than five years means hiring will probably rebound following a disappointing gain last month.

“When I look at 2014, I’m looking at continued solid growth,” said Michael Carey, chief economist for North America at Credit Agricole CIB in New York, who was among the most accurate forecasters of the housing and production reports over the past two years, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. Housing “is going to be a contributor to growth in the next year, clearly, and the industrial sector as well.”

The median estimate of 83 economists surveyed by Bloomberg projected U.S. housing starts would drop to a 985, 000 annualised rate.

Estimates ranged from 925,000 to 1.08 million. The Commerce Department revised the November reading up to 1.11 million, which was the most since November 2007.

Construction Climbs For all of 2013, builders began work on 923, 400 homes, up 18.3 per cent from the prior year and the most since 2007’s 1.36 million.

Stocks fluctuated between gains and losses as investors weighed earnings at companies from Morgan Stanley to General Electric Co. The Standard & Poor’s 500 Index fell less than 0.1 per cent to 1, 845.2 at 12:37 p.m. in New York.

Some U.S. trading partners are also doing better. Retail sales in the U.K. rose more than economists forecast in December, led by a surge at department stores and smaller shops during the key Christmas season.

Permits (NHSPATOT) for future U.S. housing projects declined, a sign activity may pause in early 2014, on Friday’s report also showed.

Applications fell three per cent to a 986, 000 pace in December, less than the projected 1.01 million, according to the Bloomberg survey median.

Housing’s Contribution “Housing will make a significant contribution to growth this year,” said Patrick Newport, an economist at IHS Global Insight in Lexington, Massachusetts, who forecast a decrease to 997,000. “Higher prices are bringing more

A worker at a construction site

A worker at a construction site building.”

Work on single-family houses fell seven per cent to a 667, 000 rate in December, while construction of multifamily projects such as condominiums and apartment buildings declined 14.9 per cent.

Two of four regions showed a decrease in ground breaking last month, led by a 33.5 per cent plunge in the Midwest.

Starts fell 12.3 per cent in the South, were little changed in the Northeast and rose 15 per cent in the West to a six-year high.

Weather may have played a role in setting back some builders, auto dealers and retailers as last month was the coldest December since 2009.

Snowfall was 21 per cent above normal, according to weatherdata provider Planalytics Inc. Still, labour-market gains and rising real-estate values have developers upbeat about the industry’s prospects.

Homebuilder sentiment in January held near its highest level in eight years, dipping to 56 from 57 in December.

Readings greater than 50 mean more respondents report good market conditions.

Less Confident Not all the news was good on Friday. Consumer confidence unexpectedly declined in January, a sign spending may take time to accelerate early this year. The Thomson Reuters/University of Michigan preliminary sentiment index fell to 80.4 from 82.5 in December.

“The sentiment index is still at a respectable level,” said Michael Moran, chief economist at Daiwa Capital Markets America Inc. in New York. Still “it tells us were not breaking out into new territory.”

Chillier-than-normal temperatures were less disruptive to factories last month. The gain

in production last month followed a one per cent increase in November. For the final three months of 2013, output climbed at a 6.8 per cent annualised pace, the most since the second quarter of 2010.

Consumer Spending “There’s been a pickup in manufacturing in the last couple months,” said Jim O’Sullivan, chief U.S. economist at High Frequency Economics Ltd. in Valhalla, New York, the top-ranked forecaster of production in the past two years, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.

“Certainly you have to start with the consumer in the last couple of months and there’s been a pretty strong pace in goods consumption.”

Manufacturing (IPMGCHNG), which makes up 75 per cent of total production, advanced 0.4 per cent in

December after a 0.6 per cent gain. Economists projected a 0.3 per cent increase last month, according to the Bloomberg survey median.

Factory output in the fourth quarter increased at a 6.2 per cent annualised rate, the strongest since the first three months of 2012.

Output increased last month over a broad swath of industries, including autos, appliances, furniture, home electronics and clothing.

Automakers completed their best sales year since 2007 and are upbeat about the year ahead. Dearborn, Michiganbased Ford Motor Co. (F), the second-largest U.S. automaker, plans to add 5,000 jobs in the U.S. as it introduces 16 new vehicles in North America this year.

Job Openings Ford isn’t alone in looking to add staff. The number of positions waiting to be filled

increased by 70,000 in November to 4 million, the most since March 2008, figures from the Labor Department also showed on Friday. The gain in openings indicates employers were gaining confidence in the economic expansion, a sign last month’s hiring slowdown may have been weather-related.

Payrolls expanded by 74,000 workers last month after a revised 241, 000 gain in November that was larger than initially estimated, the Labor Department reported on January 10. The jobless rate dropped to 6.7 per cent in December, the lowest level since October 2008, as more people left the labor force.

“All we need to do is get the jobs figures back up and get some more earnings growth, and that should sustain consumers at a decent pace,” said Credit Agricole CIB’s Carey.

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Controversy over alleged plan to restrict Suntai’s movement From Charles Akpeji, Jalingo CCUSATIONS and counteraccusations are flying between a group loyal to the ailing Governor of Taraba State, Danbaba Danfulani Suntai and the Acting Governor, Alhaji Garba Umar, over an alleged plan by the latter to restrict the movement of Suntai.

The group, under the aegis of the Taraba Peoples’ Vanguard (TPV), declared that it would not take it lightly with the acting governor, should anything untoward happen to Governor Suntai.

In a press statement signed by both President of the Taraba Peoples’ Vanguard, Jonah Gani and his Secretary, Shawalu Garba, the group advised Umar to, as a matter of urgency, drop this plan for peace to continue to reign in the state.

According to the press statement made available to journalists yesterday in Jalingo, the group said: “We, therefore, wish to warn very sternly that should anything untoward happen to our governor, Garba Umar should know that he shall suffer the same fate. Enough is enough.”

However, in a swift reaction, Chief Press Secretary to the Acting Governor, Mr. Kefas Sule, told The Guardian that the allegations were false, unfounded and do not hold water, stating that “How is it possible for the acting governor to restrict the movement of his boss.”

Confirming that there was a security meeting at the said date, the meeting, according to him, was normal but denied that the plan to transfer all the security aides to the governor from Government House was discussed.

According to Sule: “No such discussion was reached at the

A

security meeting. So, to be frank with you, nothing of such was discussed. And as far as I am concerned, my boss (the acting governor) is very much loyal to his principal.”

Some of the new policies, which the Taraba Peoples’ Vanguard alleged were discussed in a security meeting presided over by Umar on the 14th of this month, include plans to transfer all the security aides to the ailing governor out of the Government House.

Others plans, as alleged by the group are, “That henceforth, all visitors to the governor must be approved by the acting governor, the

Commissioner of Police or the younger brother of the governor, Babangida Suntai.”

The group expressed sadness that the acting governor could be contemplating that “Henceforth, apart from Sunday church services, he (Garba Umar) must approve the governor’s movement within and outside the state,” and that “Henceforth, all flights that would land at the Jalingo Airport must first seek and obtain landing clearance from the acting governor, etc.

The reason for the above, as made known by the group, was necessitated by the recent visit of the governor to friends and associates in

the Federal Capital Territory, which they observed has further ignited panic in the government.

The statement further reads: “Our further investigation revealed that the government was obviously frustrated because it did not know the mission or purpose of Governor Suntai’s visit to Abuja, which further infuriated them. Despite numerous media propaganda that the governor went to Aso Rock and was rebuffed, unknown to the deputy governor, Governor Suntai never went to the Aso Rock or even sought to meet the President but went on a private medical visit to his consultants

and to consult with prominent Taraba indigenes on the current developments in the state.”

The group commended the Police Command and other security outfits stationed in the state for not allowing themselves to be used by the people, whom they said, are “Bent on taking over power from Governor Suntai.

“We wish to commend the Taraba State Police Commissioner and other patriotic members of the State Security Council for their forthrightness, sense of justice and fairness in sticking to the truth under the unfavourable circumstances they have found themselves.”

HE Prelate and Moderator T of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church of Nigeria, Most Rev. Prof. Emele Uka, has commended President Goodluck Jonathan for signing into law the bill against homosexuality and same-sex marriage, describing it as a bold step aimed at reforming the society along godly ethics.

Also, the Muslim Students’ Association of Nigeria (MSAN) has lauded the National Assembly and President Goodluck Jonathan over the passage and signing of anti-gay bill into Law. A release by the Director of Information and Public Affairs of the Presbyterian Church of Nigeria, Rev. K. U. Eme, said in a statement issued in Calabar, Cross River State capital, that the Prelate described as unacceptable the increasing global incidence of ungodly sexual relations such as gay and lesbian practices (homosexuality) and the legal adoption of same-sex marriages.

Uka lamented that in the

Oyo disburses N20m grant to traders From Kehinde Olatunjo, Ibadan

OVERNOR Abiola Ajimobi G of Oyo State at the weekend kicked off the empowerment of traders in the state particularly those removed from the streets, with the distribution of N20 million grant to traders at the Scout Camp Business Complex, Challenge.

The traders were presented with cheques and certificates by the governor at a colourful ceremony held within the business complex and witnessed by members of the State Executive Council, local council chairmen and party stalwarts in the state.

Governor Ajimobi, while speaking at the occasion, said the distribution of cheques was in fulfillment of his promise to assist traders in the state in improving their trade and raising their standard of living.

Health Minister denies guber ambition From Alemma-Ozioruva Aliu, Benin City INISTER of Health, Prof.

Onyebuchi Chukwu, at the weekend in Benin City, Edo State capital, debunked rumours that he was planning to contest the governorship position of Ebonyi.

Chukwu, who was in the state capital on a condolence visit to the family of the National President of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), Dr. Osahon Enabulele, who lost his father, highlighted the numerous benefits of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS).

“It has become imperative that health insurance be made mandatory for all labour employers”, he said.

On his rumoured governorship ambition, Chukwu, who was accompanied by the Chief Medical Director, University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH), Prof. Mike Ibadin and other senior officials from the Federal Health Ministry, said: “Though Ebonyi State may have suffered neglect in the past, since the advent of civilian rule, so much development has come to the state, especially as noticed in the health sector. I do not have such ambition to run for the governorship in Ebonyi.”

M

Chairman, South-West Lawyers (Egbe Amofin) Chief Bandele Aiku (SAN) (left); Treasurer, Mrs. Toyin Adegoke and Bar Leader, Chief Oluseye Okuboyejo, at the meeting of South-West Lawyers to harmonise various candidates seeking elective posts at national level of Nigerian Bar Association in Ibadan…at the weekend PHOTO: NAJEEM RAHEEM

Presbyterian Church, Muslim group laud Jonathan over anti-gay law From Muyiwa Adeyemi, Ado-Ekiti

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United States of America alone, about 58 per cent of Americans were practising same-sex marriage with bishops and archbishops proudly being gay and ordaining ‘strange’ wedlock. Some influential countries around the world are already practising it, including UK, Canada, and France, among others.

There are over 600,000 same-sex families in the U.S. with about 115,000 of them raising children who shall eventually become homosexuals.

He stated that across the ages, the battle between good and evil had raged.

“Homosexuality, as one of the greatest human deviant behaviour, has been with man from earliest times.

Man has fought it for a long time but it refuses to die. For instance, about 40 years ago, the American Psychiatric Association listed homosexuality as a mental disorder.

Today, it is considered a normal sexual behaviour and a human rights issue.

The Prelate charged President Jonathan to remain focused and not to be

intimidated by the opposition of the Western world to his assent to the bill.

The Muslim Students’ Association of Nigeria (MSAN) also criticised Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Olisa Metuh, on his reported allegation that All Progressives Congress (APC) has Islamic agenda, describing this as high point of hatred against Islam.

Speaking at a press conference in Ado-Ekiti yesterday, the group’s National President, Mallam Sirajuddeen Abdul’Azees, also condemned the United States and European Union for their stand against Nigeria on the anti-gay Law, branding the practice as not only sinful, but also alien to African culture.

Abdul’Azees said: “The malicious allegation by a chieftain of the PDP, one Olisa Metuh, that the APC has an Islamic agenda, was not only a distortion aimed at creating confusion to achieve cheap political blackmail, but also highly Islamophobia.

“Rather than instigating

Nigerians against any religion or people, the people should have concentrated and harmonised its energy and resources to correcting its obvious challenges.

Political parties and politicians should be civilised enough to focus on issues that revolve round the betterment of Nigerians they purport to represent irrespective of faith, ethnicity, gender or geography”.

The MSSN added that it had also become evident that the PDP has strong bias against Islam with none of the recently appointed new service chiefs being a Muslim.

“We wish to also note that the recent overhaul and appointment of new service chiefs was not only lopsided, but was also insensitive to the diversity of Nigeria and negation of the all-inclusiveness with which security issues are to be necessarily addressed.”

Describing the proposed national conference as a necessary recipe that could be deployed to settle some challenges confronting the nation, the body, however,

advised that representation by any section of the country should be based on its population and voting strength.

The MSSN commended Governor Kayode Fayemi for allowing Muslim students right to use Hijab in some secondary schools in the state, adding that such gesture should be extended to other schools which seem to have been founded by missionaries “since they are now owned and funded with taxes being paid by the public.”

It frowned at the proposed return of schools to missionaries in some states, saying: “It will be a big fraud of the century should our Christian counterparts accept those schools because they had been adequately compensated when government took them over.”

The body also urged the Federal Government to devise ways to curtail the seemingly intractable insecurity in the North to forestall further killings of innocent Nigerians and show the capability of the Jonathanled administration.

Cleric warns corrupt politicians From Charles Coffie-Gyamfi, Abeokuta

ORRIED by what he W described as greedy politicians’ continuous holding the country to ransom, a clergyman yesterday warned such politicians to change their ways before destruction comes upon them suddenly.

The cleric, Pastor Bode Maxwell, who is the provincial pastor of Winners’ Chapel, Obantoko, Abeokuta branch, Ogun State, wondered how a whopping $10.8 billion could allegedly disappear from federal coffers as alleged by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, against the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC).

Maxwell was, however, hopeful that the “oppressed people” of the country, who he said, seemed helpless now, God would soon intervene on their behalf, saying: “God will disempower and destroy the people that are holding the country by the jugular”.

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INTERVIEW

Why Amaechi • The governor doesn’t like me because I refuse to fight his perceived political enemies.

• Police did not shoot Senator Abbe

Mbu

Rivers State Police Commissioner, Mr. Mbu Joseph Mbu, in this interview with ODITA SUNDAY speaks on the genesis of his problem with Governor Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi.

Excerpts: HAT led to your face-off with the W Governor?

All the propaganda by the governor is aimed at pushing me away from Rivers State by force so that a puppet that the governor can kick and shout at could be posted. Before I tell you the story, it is good for you to know my kind of person and my philosophy of life.

My name is Mbu Joseph Mbu. I am a graduate of Political Science from University of Lagos. I

joined the Police in order to serve this nation.

I was given employment with the Nigeria Customs Service, but I preferred to join the Police. I have held various appointments in the Police.

I was the Director of Police Education and under my watch, we witnessed great transformation in our schools. I have been a controversial person right from time because I am very strict. If you want to know how strict I am, you can see it from the naming of my children.

The name of my first son is Kwame Nkrumah and my second son is Patrick Lumumba. My third son is Fanon, I have a daughter named Indira, and I named her after Indira Gandhi. I want you to know who I am. I am not easily pushed over.

Our Education was almost dead. I was posted

there to change it. For three years, we brought it back. I fought contractors who took money and failed to renovate our schools. I was the Task Force team chairman, who monitored all police projects as a Deputy Commissioner of Police. If I was not trusted, that appointment would not have been given to me.

No contractor can say: “I gave Mbu N10, 000.”

I went to the United States of America for a conference and I got to know about Books For Africa programme, I brought books worth N350 million and Laptops free of charge and distributed it among our schools.

The present Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Abubakar, was looking for someone who could transform the Nigeria Police Mobile Force; I did my best there. I brought back order and discipline. Officers and Squadron Commanders who did not go on course for three years, I compelled them to go on course. I was given a commendation by my IGP. I don’t lobby for anything in the Police. But some how, the IGP transferred me to Oyo State. To be sincere, it was not easy between the governor and me for the first three weeks. But he later came to understand me. The headquarters of Oyo State Police Command was not in order. You would not even know you were passing through a Police Command.

I said: ‘why won’t armed robbers be invading Ibadan everyday. I renovated the whole place and I got a Commendation Letter from the IGP. The Commissioner of Police’s house was like a forest. I pulled everything down and with the support of the great gentleman, the Governor of Oyo State, Mr. Abiola Ajimobi, and the CP’s house has become a modern edifice. The present Chief Medical Director of UCH, Professor Alonge, did the landscaping of that house.

My relationship with Oyo State Governor I enjoyed my relationship with Governor Ajimobi. He is All Progressives Congress (APC) member, but we worked closely to fight crime in Oyo State. At 2.00am, Ajimobi would call and seek my advice and I would tell him what to do.

Up till now, my relationship with members of Oyo State House of Assembly is strong. If I am travelling to Ibadan, I buy fish for the Speaker. Even as I am here, the Speaker still sends me text messages. They are in the opposition party.

Ajimobi came out to say that I was the finest officer he had seen in the Police. If Governor Ajimobi travels, he would call me and ask for my shoe size. We were very close but he knew my stands on issues and he did not witchhunt his opponents.

He is not a tyrant. He is highly respected. He does not force people to respect him, he exudes respect. He talks to you himself. He calls me personally. I am the one who conducted the election that brought Governor Adams Oshiomhole back to power in Edo State. My IGP sent me there to do the right thing. The IGP gave me enough money and I paid everybody and I refused to collect any kobo from any politician.

My transfer to Rivers State I went for a burial in my town. When I returned, I was told I had been transferred by the IGP to Rivers State. I was not happy because I loved Oyo State. My IGP called and said I should resume immediately in Rivers and I said: ‘Thank you for the opportunity to serve’.

As an officer, you don’t query your boss over any transfer. It is against our rule of engagement. I resumed in Rivers State and thinking I was coming to work with my brother, I felt elated.

On my arrival to Rivers State, I saw a dirtylooking and shabbily dressed police officer and I asked: ‘who is that’. I asked them to call

him and I said ‘you don’t look like a policeman.

Your shoe is different, your uniform is different and you are so dirty. I ordered for his detention immediately so that he could face strict police disciplinary action. Two hours later, I received a phone call that he was the Orderly of the Secretary to the State Government. I ordered his release and warned him to change.

My observation on resumption I discovered that policemen were not controlling traffic. It was the Man O War and the Rivers State Traffic Management Authority who were doing that. I called a conference and warned officers and men to sit up or shown the way out. I said: ‘ If you are in the Nigeria Police, you must work’.

Everybody is now doing his job very well. When I came here, a very important personality in Oyo told me that the governor was his friend.

He called him on my behalf to say I was a good officer. I asked later: ‘ Have you called him and he said Yes! But he was cold. It was four months ago he told me that Ameachi told him I was posted to come and fight him.

I visited the governor, although he did not receive me very well, but I did not bother. All the Armoured Personnel Carriers were not functioning. Many patrol vehicles were abandoned. I started refurbishing them.

How my problem with the governor began A lot of things were wrong in the command when I resumed. If the governor wanted to hold a meeting with his commanders, he would ask his Aide De Camp (ADC) an Acting Assistant Superintendent of Police to call me a few hours to the meeting. I would ask: ‘Is that how you hold meetings here? The state where I came from, the personnel in the Chief of Staff’s Office would write the service commanders and attach the agenda for the meeting as well as the minute of the last Security meeting. But I have not seen it happened in Rivers State.

One day, I told his Excellency: ‘ I am not saying we should not have emergency meetings, but we should be having formal security meetings.

A meeting you would be attending with the governor, the deputy governor is not there, the Chief of Staff is not there, Special Assistant Security is not there. We just come for meeting and no one is taking minutes. We talk and talk without minutes. It is not proper.

He talks to me through his ADC. He does not call me. An ASP would call me and say ‘ something happened in a particular place, why should you allow it to happen? I would tell him to ask His Excellency whether Police are ubiquitous or ghosts? Governor Ajimobi would never allow me to face such insult from a very junior officer.

The next time that ADC called me, I warned him and threatened to visit him with police disciplinary action when next he would call to give me instructions. He stopped calling me and the governor started calling me personally.

When I came to Port Harcourt, every commissioner under Governor Amaechi had five mobile policemen and Counter- Terrorism Unit men attached to him, I withdrew all of them and gave them one conventional policeman each. The Speaker of the House had 25 policemen and I said: “We must prune them to nine.

Local Council chairmen were having seven policemen each and I saw it as an abuse. How do we protect the public if all my men are attached to politicians? Because of this action, we did not witness any bank robbery since I came till December. The governor became very angry with me, saying I was sabotaging him and I was sent to fight him. He started insulting me in the public. He told me: ‘look CP, if IGP gives instructions in Abuja, I and the Commissioner of Police would sit down and adjust it. I told him I could not do it because “I am enjoying the favours of my IGP, who is my immediate boss. I don’t want to create an issue of breach of trust because he is my boss. He treats me like a servant.”

There was a day we were to have the security

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is fighting me, by Mbu meeting. He called me and asked me to come back again for five times, as if I was his houseboy. He once told me I was sent to Rivers State to kill him. There was nothing he did not tell me and I would always keep my cool.

As all these things were going on, I never knew there was a court case between G. U. Akeh and Felix Obuah. I never knew any of them. I was coming back from a tour when the Director of Sates Security Service called to tell me that they had removed Akeh as PDP chairman and one Obuah had been asked to take over. That was the genesis of the crisis till today.

The governor created his own ‘state police’ In Rivers, we have what they call TIMARIF. It is like the LASTMA of Lagos but it operates like a state police. They harass people and extort them all over the state. We almost had problem with the military because of them. I never knew that it was our Mobile Policemen attached to them that were giving them the power. I withdrew all of them from TIMARIF and that weakened them and people were happy. The governor became more angry with me. I told him, Sir: ‘ It is not good to use us to fight your political enemies. We have a duty to protect all Nigerians, irrespective of party affiliations’. Whenever he goes out for inspection of projects, he would mandate me to go with him, I became his orderly. He would take me to inspect bridges and I kept my cool.

I have never met the supervising Minister of State for Education, Nyesom Wike. I never knew him. I only see him on television, and it was during his visit I came to know him. It is my duty to protect a Minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the governor got angry and said why should I protect him. There was never a day that Governor Ajimobi asked me why was I protecting PDP government servants. It was because of their party problem that the governor roped me into the matter and I know nothing about that. The same governor started accusing me that I leaked secrets to Abuja. I told him that we write our reports to the IGP after every security meeting. He wanted to create problem between me and my colleagues in the other services, he said that the Army Brigade Commander would now become the Head of the State security meeting in his absence, I said: ‘No’, that cannot happen in a democracy. I brought out a circular showing him that the Commissioner of Police “is the head of the other security agencies.”

I rejected that proposal. This time around, their party problem had been polarized. Some people were for Ake and some were for the other person. In the presence of my lieutenants, he told me: “My CP, if we were in good terms, I would be giving you contracts’. I told him: ‘Your Excellency, I am not interested in all these things. I don’t even have a house apart from my father’s two-storey building’.

I told him my passion was how to do the right thing always. I told him he was supposed to commend me for doing the right thing always instead of fighting me. There is discipline all over the place in Rivers State. The people of Rivers State have been supporting me. They donate a many things to us. Today, all the important people in Rivers State who were scared of coming home because of the governor’s thugs, now come home. All dignitaries of the state now come home to celebrate their birthdays. Before now, if you were an opposition to the governor, you dared not organize a party because thugs would come and deal with you. There was so much abuse of peoples’ rights in Rivers State before I came. Security agencies and human rights groups had come to investigate me and they did not find me guilty.

The governor sponsored women to come and protest that ‘Mbu Must go’, the next day, to my surprise, about 5,000 women came out to say ‘Mbu must stay’. I got information that ex-militants were going to protest, I learnt that they had matched to Isaac Boro Stadium, I sent my men to throw tear-gas canisters at them and they ran away. Somehow, they found their way around Government House, I sent my Counter Terrorism officers to cordon off the Government House and they dislodged them. I sent a text to the governor and told him my actions and he replied and said: ‘Thank you

.Picture of the Governor in Mbu’s office

A lot of things were wrong in the command when I resumed. If the governor wanted to hold a meeting with his commanders, he would ask his Aide De Camp (ADC) an Acting Assistant Superintendent of Police to call me a few hours to the meeting. I would ask: ‘Is that how you hold meetings here? The state where I came from, the personnel in the Chief of Staff’s Office would write the service commanders and attach the agenda for the meeting as well as the minute of the last Security meeting. But I have not seen it happened in Rivers State. very much’.

The IGP urged me to go back to the Public Order Act and make a pronouncement banning protest. I sent a text to the governor informing him about that and he did not reply my message. The governor called and said he was going to lead a protest against the Police. He said the police were taking sides. I don’t know those politicians he was saying I am supporting. It is a fact that the governor of Rivers State is a defector Chief Security Officer of the state but who is supposed to advise the governor? It is I and yet you are not in good terms with me. You insult wherever you see me, he disgraces me publicly. He says crime rate has increased since I came, but it is not true because statistics shows that crime rate has reduced. This is the only state that the governors’ convoy is like a gang star convoy, this is the only state that all plate numbers of the governor and other commissioners are concealed; I insisted that they must not be concealed. I pleaded with governor, I said ‘ ‘You are the elected governor of Rivers State, your supposed to be respected, but you drive like a cowboy, if you conceal all your numbers, the people will not respect you. You should hang your party flag and the national flag with the coat of arm, your symbol of authority opened for people to know who is passing by’. All the policemen attached to him behave like gods. They don’t take instructions from us. One day, the governor called and said: ‘ CP, do you know you were the first person to give query to my ADC? I said ‘Yes, he is a police officer under me and if he misbehaves, I will give him

query’. He told me, ‘Do you know you were indirectly giving me query? I said: ‘Your Excellency, I could not give you query. The boy in question is part of the police. If he misbehaves, we would have to discipline him, according to the rules guiding the job’. I don’t go to Deputy Police Commissioner (DC) to say “I want money from the governor, I do my job, I don’t beg for money.

Senator Abbe encounter We were informed that there would be rally,

but no letter was written to us for permission.

So I asked my men to take over the venue of the rally before that day. Senator Abbe met my CSP Operations at the venue and they were talking. Thugs were coming from the other side and my men had to release tear gas.The senator crossed the road and entered the church. Nobody shot Senator Abbe. He should show Nigerians the bullet wounds. The tear gas did not even touch him because he went into the church.

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Sports My boys fought like wounded lions, says Keshi HOUGH not many gave T them any chance of securing the much needed win against a hitherto impressive Bafana Bafana side, the Super Eagles yesterday rose above all odds, and put up a show-stopping performance against the hosts.

At the end of the clash, thousands of South Africans left the stadium heartbroken after their darling team had been bundled out of the championship by a very determined Nigerian side.

However, after the Super Eagles grabbed one of the quarter-final tickets in the process, Coach Stephen Keshi praised his boys saying, “they fought like wounded lions.”

An elated Keshi said he was surprised with the attitude of the players as they showed a lot of determination in the encounter, adding that he was particularly happy with the performance of the entire team.

“I think all the credit should go to the players because they fought like wounded lions. I salute the boys because they made me happy. When we lost the first match to Mali, I said it was stage fright. But as we can see, they are improving with each match,” he said.

He, however, said that he would take each match as it comes, even as he declined predicting how far the team can go.

Two-goal hero, Ejike Uzoenyi expressed happiness at the outcome of the encounter saying the team would continue to improve with each match.

“It was a wonderful match against South Africa and I think we are getting stronger with each match. I strongly believe the team will go far in this competition,” Uzoenyi stated.

Ifeanyi Ede netted from the penalty box to ensure that the Super Eagles finished second in the group behind Mali.

Bafana Bafana only needed to draw the game to make sure of their quarter-final place, and eliminate Nigeria in the process, but costly errors just ensured that they continued their poor string of results against the Super Eagles.

Nigeria’s first two were as a result of defensive errors.

The opening goal saw the back four out of position as Ede played a square pass in for Ejike to tuck away in the 22nd minute.

The second goal was an error from Moeneeb Joseph, who had replaced injured captain Itumeleng Khune in goal, as he let an innocuous ball spill out of his hands and then, as he tied to retrieve the loose ball, brought down Nigeria’s Gbolahan Salami.

Super Eagles’ striker, Ejike Uzoenyi (left) contests with a Malian player. Uzoenyi netted a brace in Nigeria’s 3-1 win over South Africa at the ongoing CHAN.

Eagles outmuscled us, Igesund admits AFANA Bafana of South B Africa coach, Gordon Igesund yesterday admitted that Nigeria’s Super Eagles outmuscled his side to claim a 3-1 win at the ongoing CHAN. Speaking at a post-match conference after his team crashed out of the tournament, Igesund said the Eagles deserved their victory as they caught the South Africans napping in the encounter.

“I am very disappointed that we are out of the competition, but I want to say that the Nigerians deserved their victory because they outmuscled us in the match. They were physical and they utilised all their chances.

They were not ready to play to the gallery but they ensured that they capitalised on our

Secure your tickets before travel arrangements, Pamodzi tells fans

mistakes to take a 2-0 lead in the first half,” Igesund said.

He added: “When it was 2-0, it was a bit difficult for us to level up but when they scored the third goal I was not really expecting much. At the time we scored our only goal, I was thinking we could make it 3-2 and level up in the dying minutes, but the Nigerians were better than us and I hail them.”

Eagles’ fans have SFIFAUPER been urged to secure 2014 World Cup tickets

Agbim will come good, Okosun assures RRESPECTIVE of what INations happens at the African Championship, Super Eagles team psychologist, Robinson Okosun has tipped goalkeeper, Chigozie Agbim to hit top form in the near future.

The Eagles skipper has

come under heavy criticism after his embarrassing performances against Mali and Mozambique, where he conceded cheap goals, the worst being a 50yard free-kick in the game against the Mozambicans.

Okusun, who stated this

English Premiership

Eto’o hattrick compounds Man United’s woes HELSEA inflicted a knockC out blow on Manchester United’s hopes of making a successful defence of the Barclays Premier League and kept their title bid on track with a comprehensive 3-1 victory at Stamford Bridge.

Jose Mourinho’s side moved two points behind leaders Arsenal after Samuel Eto’o scored a hat-trick - his fourth, fifth and sixth Premier League goals of the season in a win that keeps United 14 points adrift of the summit.

Perhaps more crucial for David Moyes and United, whose reply came from sub-

stitute Javier Hernandez, is the deficit to the Champions League qualification places.

Seventh-placed United sit six points behind fourthplaced Liverpool and fifthplaced Tottenham with 16 games remaining after seeing their seven-match unbeaten away run end.

A miserable afternoon was compounded for Moyes and United when captain Nemanja Vidic was shown a straight red card for a reckless challenge on Eden Hazard in stoppage time.

Rafael was fortunate not to follow his skipper in being

sent off for a two-footed lunge on Gary Cahill.

In the other Super Sunday clash, Emmanuel Adebayor grabbed a brace as Tottenham won 3-1 at the Liberty Stadium to add to Swansea’s relegation fears.

The striker headed Spurs into a 35th-minute lead and then tapped in their third after a Chico Flores own goal had doubled the visitors’ lead.

Wilfried Bony hit the bar and had a good penalty appeal for a push by Michael Dawson turned down in the first half, before getting Swansea’s con-

solation late on.

The win moves Tottenham up to fifth, level on points with fourth-placed Liverpool as Tim Sherwood, who opted against sticking with a 4-4-2 formation here, remained unbeaten in the Premier League since taking over from Andre Villas-Boas.

Swansea, meanwhile, remain just three points above the relegation zone and their lengthy injury list and the alarming manner in which they faded following Adebayor’s opener will be very troubling for manager Michael Laudrup.

at the team’s Garden Court Hotel, added that what is happening to Agbim is capable of happening to any player, assuring that with pep talks and monitoring, he would get over the mistakes.

Okusun also said he advised the goalkeeper not to check his Facebook account, where unfavourable comments could further affect his confidence.

“What is happening to Chigozie is usual as any player could lose his form.

He has played in top games where he has done well. We have done our part by talking to him on the need to improve his performance, which will also help the team since he is the captain,” he stated.

He also said that the keeper needed a lot of encouragement to rediscover his form and continue serve the nation.

before making their travel arrangements As the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil is the most eagerly awaited sports event this year. There is no doubt that this amazing football showpiece, hosted by Brazil for the second time after 1950,will be a truly historic celebration of football.

In Nigeria, Pamodzi Sports Marketing is the Exclusive Sales Agent for the sale of Ticket- inclusive Hospitality Packages for the 2014 FIFA World Cup. The company will offer their customers an exciting range of hospitality package options and add-on services to ensure that they experience an unforgettable 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil.

All supporters of the Super Eagles wishing to travel to Brazil are therefore made aware of the importance of first securing their tickets, either via ww.fifa.com, which is the only official source, or by buying the above-mentioned FIFAapproved hospitality packages.

Three separate categories of hospitality and six unique products, which can be combined in five types of series have been developed, and will suit the needs and expectations of corporate clients, groups and families.

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76 | SPORT Monday, January 20, 2014

Abdullahi to constitute project steering, delivery committees for National Stadium, Lagos

By Eno-Abasi Sunday

M

ONTHS after approval was sought by the National Sports Commission (NSC) for the concession of the National Stadium, Surulere, Lagos, the Federal Government last week finally granted the approval for it to go ahead with the exercise.

Director of facilities at the NSC, Ibrahim Shehu had in October last year, while appearing as guest on a television magazine programme in Lagos, informed that the outfit had written to seek permission from the Federal Government to concession the facility under the Public Private Partnership (PPP), in a bid to ensure

Minister of Sports, Bolaji Abdullahi…spearheads the concession of Lagos National Stadium

maintenance of the dilapidated iconic structure.

Shehu was, however, silent on whether the re-grassed Abuja National Stadium would still be under the watch of the Commission or would face the same fate as the Lagos stadium considering the dilapidated condition it was before it was regrassed and face-lifted to the tune of N96.6m.

On that occasion, Shehu had said, “we have written to the Federal Government asking for approval for the concessioning of the stadium. The approval, we believe would come soon and once that happens, the Lagos National Stadium would be privatised.”

However, according to a press release signed by Special Assistant (Media and Strategy), to the Minister/Chairman of NSC, Julius Ogunro, President Goodluck Jonathan approved the concession of the facility last week.

Titled, “President Goodluck Jonathan approves the concession of National Stadium, Lagos,” the release made available yesterday read inter alia “With the approval, the Minister of Sports, Bolaji Abdullahi will constitute the Project Steering Committee and the Project Delivery Committee, which will liaise with the Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission, ICRC to draw up modalities for the concessioning.

“It would be recalled that the Federal Executive Council had in September 2012 set up a Committee to look into the mode of maintenance of federal stadia and to develop a sustainable

funding framework for sports in general.

“That Committee in turn set up a Technical SubCommittee, which would in collaboration with the Bureau of Public and Enterprise (BPE) and Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission (ICRC) recommend the most viable option for the maintenance of the six federal stadia.

“The Technical SubCommittee recommended the involvement of private sector participation in the management and operations of the stadia with concessioning as the preferred and most sustainable approach. It also recommended that the concession of the federal stadia should start with National Stadium, Lagos.

“Further announcements concerning the commencement of the process would be made soon,” the release concluded.

The National Stadium, Lagos, was constructed to host the 1973 All-Africa Games. Years after its construction, the facility witnessed a gradual and systemic rot, which made it become a national embarrassment.

Ikeja Corporate Golf Challenge tees off Jan. 25

By Eno-Abasi Sunday REPARATIONS are in top P gear for the 4 Ikeja Golf Club-organised Corporate th

Golf Challenge, even as there are indications that the challenge would be a keenly contested event.

Globacom has stirred up rivalry in African football, says Adenuga HAIRMAN of leading C telecommunications company, Globacom, Mike Adenuga has said that Globacom’s intervention in the game of football in Africa has stirred up keen rivalry among individual players, national teams and clubs on the continent.

In his statement at the 2013 edition of the Glo CAF Awards held at the Eko Hotel and Suites Lagos, Adenuga said that such competition has sharpened the skills of the individual players and technical quality of play of football in Africa, thereby pushing the continent to global reckoning.

“We have done this by not only sponsoring the premier leagues and national teams in some countries, but also by encouraging the players to excel through the special recognition at the Glo CAF Awards,” he said.

Manchester City midfielder and Cote d’Ivoire international, Yaya Toure emerged as African Footballer of the Year while National Team Coach, Stephen Okechukwu Keshi emerged Coach of the Year and the Super Eagles of

Nigeria received National Team of the Year Award.

At the event attended by top sporting personalities in Sports on the continent, socialites, executive governors of Gombe and Edo states of Nigeria, Ibrahim Dankwambo, and Adams Oshiomole respectively, Adenuga stated that over the years, the Glo-CAF Awards has firmly established a pedigree as the most color-

Port Harcourt-based Joe Jakpa teeing off during the LM Open VII Championships at the Le Meridien Ibom Hotel and Golf Resort, Akwa Ibom

ful and the most credible celebration of the brightest stars in African football.

“It is an awards ceremony made in Africa to reward outstanding Africans. It is a ceremony organised with zest and panache by the highest authority in African football and sponsored exclusively by one of the most authentic indigenous African telecoms brands, Globacom,” he stated.

Students compete during a recent tournament in Lagos

Speaking ahead of the tournament, which tees off January 25, the club’s competition Secretary, Esimaje YomiEgbe, said interest shown in the event by would-be competitors has been very encouraging.

He also informed that lots of incentives have also been lined up for participants.

According to him, participating companies would be given the opportunity to display their products earlier before the competition and would also be allowed to stay and network within, and dis-

play their products a week after the event. This, he said will give the participating outfits unquantifiable marketing opportunities.

Yomi-Egbe also disclosed that the winning team, runner-up and the second runner-up would also be given free billboards to advertise their brand for one year.

“The incentives for participants are great, we are allowing them to display their brand from TuesdayWednesday and the brands advertised can remain within the club a week after the tour-

nament. And the winners will not just be rewarded with trophies, the club will give them free billboard on the course to advertise their products, he said.

The competition, Yomi-Egbe explained is a stableford event and is opened to all golfers with valid handicap within and outside Lagos, parading four-players per team.

A welcoming cocktail has been fixed for Friday, while action is expected to begin early Saturday morning.

U.S, England, Ghana, others listed for Lagos International Scrabble Classics NITED States, England, U Ghana, Scotland and Kenya have been listed for the Lagos International Scrabble Classics holding this month at the Molade

Okoya-Thomas Hall of the Teslim Balogun Stadium.

The tournament is part of the Lagos Sports Classics and is expected to attract top players from across the globe.

According to the Chairman, Lagos State Scrabble Association, Dayo Alao, the tournament would also have a special invitational category for captains of industry who are expected to pay participation fee of N50, 000 with the proceeds going into a developmental programme.

“We are not only looking at the tournament alone, but to look at how we can develop the sport at grassroots level and that is why we will be having the special category for captains of industry with the proceeds from the participation fee going into a developmental programme in schools. The winner of this

division will decide the school that will benefit from the initiative. For us, we are trying to encourage support from this professionals,” Alao said.

The World English Language Scrabble Players Association (WESPA) lists the tournament, and the Nigeria Scrabble Federation supports it.

The tournament will kick off on January 23rd to 26th with players competing in three events – masters/international, intermediate and opens.

28 games will be played across the three categories as all foreign internationals (and Nigeria-based Masters players) will play in the Masters category while the two other categories will be for non-masters local players. The dictionary for the championship will be Collins CSW12 only.

Monday, January 20, 2014 SPORT

THE GUARDIAN www.ngrguardiannews.com

77

English Premiership

Man Utd still world’s best, Moyes boasts AVID Moyes came out D fighting – insisting that Manchester United are still the biggest club in the world and the top players still want to go to Old Trafford.

The United boss, who led his side to Chelsea yesterday, also maintains they are still in the Premier League race.

Moyes said, “Manchester United are not only the biggest club in this country but the biggest club in the world.

“Some of the results have been not what you want but I wouldn’t say the aura is fading. In fact, I think the opposite.”

He accepts critics are relishing United’s struggles in the wake of Sir Alex Ferguson’s departure.

“Are people enjoying United squirming? None more so than the media,” he said.

And to those, who believe that being outside a

Champions League qualifying place will damage United’s transfer ambitions, Moyes revealed, “the amount of big players wanting to join United is incredible. Maybe players want to go for the money to other clubs but if you ask them where they really want to be – they want to wear the badge of Manchester United.

“It’s because of the club and what it stands for in world terms. Players are not looking at the share price.

They are looking at the football club.”

He refused to concede that United have given up on the title, adding, “there are plenty of games to go.”

Moyes also said Chelsea’s Jose Mourinho was wrong to suggest United would try to sell Wayne Rooney this summer.

He said, “I disagree. We’ll make sure we do the things we need to.”

Pellegrini confident of even more from Man City ANCHESTER City boss, Manuel Pellegrini saw his side bag four goals at the weekend before warning that his side is only going to get better.

Edin Dzeko, Jesus Navas, Yaya Toure and Sergio Aguero blasted the Citizens through the 100-goal barrier, having played just 22 league games, as the club maintained its pursuit of Arsenal at the top of the table.

City have been unstoppable at home in particular, having won all 11 top-flight games while amassing 68 of their 103 goals in all competition in front of their own fans.

Although Pellegrini’s men remain in second in the table, a point behind Arsenal, the Chilean tactician is confi-

M

Henry tips Arsenal for league trophy

dent of finishing on top of the pile as he insists that there is still more to come from his side.

“I think it’s very important for the team, it’s not easy to score 100 goals at this stage of the season,” Pellegrini told the club’s website.

“It reflects how we think this team must play - we must be confident in what we are doing.

“I think we are getting better as the season goes on.

“We have to play 16 more games, so we have a lot of points to fight for, we are not worried about what happens with other teams,” added Pellegrini.

“We are in a good moment the confidence of the whole squad is high. In the last month (of the season) we will be under a lot of pressure and I hope we’ll continue in this way.”

Liverpool’s Uruguayan striker, Luis Suarez (right) dribbles past Aston Villa’s defenders during the English Premier League match at Anfield in Liverpool, northwest England, at the weekend.

Liverpool can still win the premier league title, insists Kolo Toure OLO Toure believes K Liverpool can still win the Premier League title despite losing more ground on the top two after drawing at home to Aston Villa.

Brendan Rodgers men led the table at Christmas but fell off the pace after defeats at Manchester City and Chelsea over the festive period.

The disappointing draw with Villa leaves the Reds eight points behind leaders Arsenal with most now predicting a top-four spot as the best Liverpool can hope for.

However, defender Toure sees things differently and has not given up hope of topping the pile come May. “We are still in that [title race] because every team can lose points,’ he said. ‘For us we just need to think about the next game 100 per cent, try to win and be positive.

“What we have done so far

RSENAL legend, Thierry A Henry is increasingly confident that his former club can lift the Premier League title this season.

Henry has been training with Arsene Wenger’s men as he bids to maintain his fitness during the off-season in the MLS. And the Frenchman was spotted at the Emirates yesterday as the Gunners kept up their title tilt with a 2-0 victory over Aston Villa.

Henry is hopeful that Arsenal can keep up their early season form and last the pace to top the table come May. “I still watch Arsenal a lot,” he said.

“They have had a great start to the season and I hope they can keep it up.

“I would be really happy if they won the Premier League.”

no-one was expecting at the start of the season. We need to take that on board and just keep going. When you have hard times you see a strong team and we are a strong

team.

“The first half was very hard but the reaction from the team was great after going 20 down to a good Villa side – last year they won (3-1) here

and it wasn’t easy for us.

“We got a point and that showed the character of the team. We don’t want to lose and that is very important, especially at home.

We can stay up, says Solskjaer EW Manager, Ole Gunnar N Solskjaer has backed the Bluebirds to stay in the Barclays Premier League, despite them falling to the bottom of the table following a 4-2 defeat to Manchester City yesterday.

Solskjaer said, “I knew what I was up against when I came here. I didn’t come here and think everything was going to be all-singing and all-dancing.

“It is a tough league but it is five points up to number 10, so still as tight as it has been.

We have just got to make sure we keep performing like we did today.”

Cardiff’s next league game is against Solskjaer’s old club, Manchester United, at Old

Trafford.

He said, “every single one is a game you can take something from, as that might be the little point that can take you over the line towards the end.

“We will come back to Manchester in 10 days time and give it a go.”

Cardiff have 18 points from

22 games but the competition is tight and Solskjaer is fixing targets.

He added, “we can stay up, no doubt about that.

“You think 36-37 points (is safe) if you look at the history of the last few years. But we used to talk about the 40mark, so let’s make sure we get to 40.”

Everton plan for Lukaku’s goal drought ITH Nikica Jelavic at W Hull, Roberto Martinez is looking at other options in

Arsenal’s Spanish midfielder, Santi Cazorla (centre) celebrates scoring the opening goal with teammate, Olivier Giroud against Fulham during the Premier League match at the Emirates Stadium in London at the weekend.

the squad to provide additional cover to Everton’s leading goalscorer and shorthaired striker, Romelu Lukaku.

The Belgian has cut off his famous dreadlocks and showed the result on twitter.

If the resulting haircut means he looses his scoring powers, Roberto says he has plenty of options with Steven Naismith and Kevin Mirallas ready to step into the strikers role.

Cardiff City’s manager, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer reacts during the English Premier League match against Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium in Manchester, northwest England, at the weekend.

PHOTOS: AFP

78 SPORTS Monday, January 20, 2014

THE GUARDIAN www.ngrguardiannews.com

Australian Open Azarenka favoured after Williams’ shock ouster ICTORIA Azarenka has V been installed as Sky Bet’s new favourite to win the Australian Open after Serena Williams suffered a shock fourth-round exit.

Ana Ivanovic upsets prematch odds of 7/1 to beat the world number one and was out to 16/1 after losing the first set before prevailing 4-6 6-3 63.

Reigning French Open and US Open champion Williams had been odds-on to secure a sixth title at Melbourne Park but put in a below par performance amid back problems.

Ivanovic had previously failed to take a single set off the 17-time Grand Slam champion but has now been cut from 50/1 to 15/2 to triumph Down Under.

Azarenka has inherited

favouritism as she looks to lift the trophy for a third successive year, while Na Li follows at 3/1 as the highest seed in the top half of the draw, with no top 10 players in her path to the final.

2008 champion Maria Sharapova is next in line at 13/2 while Simona Halep and Agnieszka Radwanska are 14/1 and 25/1 respectively as they look to secure maiden major wins.

Sky Bet’s Ned Brooker said, “we had Serena Williams as the odds-on favourite from the start and that still didn’t stopped the punters from backing her more than any other player.

“It was a great result for the bookmakers seeing her go out as Serena is always well fancied at any event she participates in.”

Ferrer too strong for Mayer ORLD number three W David Ferrer, booked his spot in the last eight of the Australian Open after coming from a set down to beat the unorthodox German Florian Mayer.

The Spaniard needed just under three hours to book a 6-7 (7-5) 7-5 6-2 6-1 victory over the world No 37.

The key moments off the contest came during the latter stages of the second set.

After losing the opening four games of the set, Mayer recovered with two breaks of his own to level matters at 5-5.

However, from there, Ferrer stepped up his game to break Mayer to 15 in the 11th game and went on to win 14 of the last 17 games.

The 30-year-old Mayer had his serve broken three times in the fourth set, as Ferrer considerably reduced his number of unforced errors.

The 31-year-old from Valencia said, “when I lost the first set, I knew I was not playing that badly.

“In the second set I played better. In the third and the fourth sets I moved better, I made less mistakes, and I played with power in my shots.”

Ferrer will now face Tomas Berdych in the quarter-finals after the Czech eased past Kevin Anderson in straight sets.

The number seven seed won 6-2 6-2 6-3 in exactly two hours, breaking the South

African’s serve five times.

One of these breaks came in the eighth game of the second set, which produced nine deuces in a 23-point marathon.

In a contest dominated by serve, Anderson sent down 16 aces to just four from his opponent who during the third set conceded only three points from his five service games.

Berdych has not lost a set so far, and is yet to have his serve broken in 12 sets at Melbourne Park - a run of 53 service games.

Williams

How Ivanovic sent Serena Williams packing Williams was senStheERENA sationally dumped out of Australian Open in the fourth round by a resurgent Ana Ivanovic.

Ivanovic had failed even to win a set in four previous clashes against Williams, who was on a 25-match winning streak, but the 14th seed

Wawrinka in the quarterfinals of the Australian Open.

Their fourth-round clash at Melbourne Park 12 months ago, which Djokovic won 1210 in the fifth set after five hours, was arguably the match of the season.

It was also the match that convinced Wawrinka he belonged with the likes of Djokovic at the top of the game.

He went on to have the best season of his career, beating Andy Murray at the US Open to reach his first grand slam semi-final, where he again pushed Djokovic to five sets.

“I have to be ready to play another 12-10 in the fifth like

and player now, and I enjoy it much more. Maybe these years make me appreciate much more these kind of wins.”

Despite winning the first set, Williams was clearly not at her best right from the start and revealed afterwards that she almost withdrew from the tournament with a back problem.

She said, “I almost pulled out. I’m such a competitor. I probably should have. I feel she played unbelievable today. I think she went for her shots.

“It’s not like I gave her the match. I tried to fight the best I could. At least I feel good that I tried the best that I could on this day. I know for a fact I can play so much better than what I did today so,

knowing that, I’m not disappointed.”

Williams suffered the problem in practice before her third-round match against Daniela Hantuchova and her movement was not good enough to cope with sustained excellence from Ivanovic.

She stressed she did not want to take credit away from her opponent, but said, “I made a tremendous amount of errors, shots I haven’t missed since the 80s.”

It is the third year in a row that physical problems have contributed to shock exits for Williams at the Australian Open, with ankle injuries hindering her against Ekaterina Makarova in 2012 and Sloane Stephens last year.

Clash with Robert pleases Murray NDY Murray is happy to A be facing Stephane Robert in the fourth round of

Ferrer

Confident Djokovic eases through OVAK Djokovic is preN pared for another epic when he plays Stanislas

produced a stunning display to triumph 4-6 6-3 6-2.

Ivanovic said, “it’s amazing, I’m so thrilled. It’s not easy playing such a champion.

But she’s also human and I know she has a lot of pressure. I really went out there swinging. I actually believed.

I had some confidence coming into today’s match. I really did certain things extremely well and I kept her under pressure, I felt, throughout the whole match.

“I just stayed in the moment physically. I didn’t think much about the occasion and, who I was playing, because it can get overwhelming. I had to break a spell, fourth round, and what better place to do it than here against such a champion?

“I feel I’m different person

last year,” said Djokovic. “I know that he’s playing the tennis of his life in the last 15 months.

“He’s a top-10 player now.

He’s established himself at the top level. He won against some top guys in the big tournaments. He is confident. You can feel that mentally, when he comes to the court, he believes in himself more. He can win against the top guys in the later stages of events. So you cannot expect a clear favourite in that match.”

Djokovic is wrong about that, for only if he played Rafael Nadal would he not be the clear favourite.

The three-time defending champion made it 28 straight wins since losing to Nadal in the US Open final

and 24 in a row at Melbourne Park with a crushing 6-3 6-0 6-2 victory over Italian showman Fabio Fognini on Sunday.

After Nadal swatted aside Gael Monfils the previous night, it was just the message Djokovic would have wanted to send to his rivals.

He said, “I felt from the start that I’ve been elevating my game as the tournament is going on. Every match is better.

“The general feeling on the court, all the shots, using the court position really well, being aggressive, playing my style of the game. That’s what I’ve done really well today overall from the first to the last point. I haven’t allowed my opponent to come back to the match.”

the Australian Open - and not just because the Frenchman is the lowest-ranked player left in the tournament.

Murray would have expected to play either giant American John Isner or Philipp Kohlschreiber in the

Murray

last 16 but instead it will be Robert, who took the German’s place in the draw when he pulled out through injury.

Robert, ranked 119th, initially lost in the final round of qualifying and is the first lucky loser ever to reach the fourth round at Melbourne Park.

The 33-year-old had never previously been beyond the second round of a grand slam, while in his first match of the year in Brisbane three weeks ago, he lost 6-2 6-2 to British number three James Ward.

Murray said, “if he’s the first person to do it, it’s obviously a big achievement.

“I know him a little bit from when I was coming through the Futures and Challengers circuits. Obviously that was quite a while ago now. But it’s good to see. He’s 33 years old.

It could be easy to stop playing if you’re not in the top hundred or necessarily making a great living.

“But it does show if you stick at it, you’re professional, and when your chance comes you take it, you can do great things. Great for him. Good for tennis as well. He’s played six matches already. He’ll be match-tight, that’s for sure.”

Robert had initially been quite hopeful of securing a spot in the draw because he knew his countryman, Gilles Simon, was struggling with an ankle injury suffered in an exhibition match three days before the start of the tournament.

Monday, January 20, 2014 SPORT 79

THE GUARDIAN www.ngrguardiannews.com

European Round-off

Totti targets Juventus after Livorno win RANCESCO Totti is in a Fahead buoyant frame of mind of Roma’s “prestigious” Coppa Italia quarterfinal against Juventus, after a resounding 3-0 win over Livorno.

The Giallorossi enjoyed 69 per cent possession at the Stadio Olimpico on Saturday evening and denied their visitors a single shot on target, as goals from Matia Destro, Kevin Strootman and Adem Ljajic sealed a comfortable Serie A success for Rudi Garcia’s men.

Totti was enthused by Roma’s performance, which he feels sets them up perfectly for tomorrow’s Coppa

Schalke cannot afford Holtby, Keller admits Coach, Jens Keller SwithCHALKE has admitted that talks Tottenham over re-sign-

Betis’ defender, Javier Chica (left) vies with Real Madrid’s Welsh forward, Gareth Bale during the Spanish league match at the Benito Villamarin stadium in Sevilla over the weekend.

Marcelo warns Real Madrid not to relax EAL Madrid defender, R Marcelo has warned his team-mates they cannot afford to relax after Saturday’s 5-0 win over Real Betis.

Goals from Cristiano Ronaldo, Gareth Bale, Karim

Benzema, Angel Di Maria and Alvaro Morata ensured Real went level on points with Barcelona and Atletico Madrid at the summit of La Liga.

However, with their title rivals due to play on Sunday,

I tried to convince Lewandowski to join Arsenal, says Szczesny goalkeeper, RSENAL A Wojciech Szczesny admits he tried to convince Robert

field playmaker scored both goals in the 2-0 win against Fulham on Saturday.

“I think Santi’s always been a very important player for us and when he plays like he did (against Fulham) he’s one of the best in the Premier League,” Szczesny said.

Lewandowski to join the club summer. this The Borussia Dortmund striker’s move to Bayern Munich at the end of the season on a free transfer was confirmed earlier January. in Arsene Wenger confirmed the Gunners had looked into the signing of possibility Lewandowski, and Szczesny has admitted he was unsuccessful in trying to persuade his Poland international teammate to make the move to the Stadium.

Emirates Arsene Wenger confirmed the Gunners had looked into the possibility of signing Lewandowski, and Szczesny has admitted he was unsuccessful in trying to persuade his Poland international teammate to make the move to the Stadium.

Emirates “Lewandowski has been my friend for a very long time,” he told Arsenal Player after the Fulham. over victory When asked if he was unable to convince Lewandowski to join, he added, “I tried my best (to get him to join Arsenal).”

Szczesny was quick to praise Santi Cazorla after the mid- Lewandowski

the Brazil international warns Madrid need to maintain their momentum if they are to challenge for the title.

“I think that we are the ones that make matches easy or difficult for ourselves,” explained Marcelo, after making his 250th Real appearance on Saturday.

“We played before the others at the top and we know that we have to keep fighting, working hard and winning matches. We’re doing well, but we know that we cannot relax.

“It is a dream come true (to reach 250 appearances) but we have to keep moving forward to win titles.

“Our aim is always to keep improving.”

ing Lewis Holtby have stalled over the Premier League club’s asking price.

Spurs are demanding £10 million (€12m) for the midfielder but Die Knapper are not in a position to meet that figure.

“We can’t really imagine such a transfer, financially,” Keller told Bild. “Talks have not yet reached an advanced stage.”

Indeed, Schalke Sporting Director, Horst Heldt explained that the proposed deal has also been put on hold because of Spurs’ refusal to even entertain the idea of a loan until the end of the season.

“We have good contact with Lewis. He enjoyed playing with Schalke and he is not quite happy in London right now,” he revealed.

“But Tottenham do not want to let him leave on loan - that is why the deal is difficult. It makes no sense for us, spending a lot of money for a player, who we sold a year ago because his contract was expiring.

“We are currently not negotiating with Tottenham.”

Holtby has started just six Premier League games this season, and just once under new coach Tim Sherwood.

clash with Juve.

“In our league, there are no inviting opponents or easy games,” the veteran attacker wrote on his official website.

“Against Livorno, things could have been more complicated if we had not had the right application, a mixture of humility and confidence. We were good and that’s the only reason why things seemed simpler.

“Now we wait for Juventus.

Tuesday night is a challenge, but one we consider prestigious, as we look to move forward in the Coppa Italia.”

Meanwhile, Destro’s strike against Livorno was his fourth in six games, as he continues his impressive recovery from a lengthy spell on the sidelines with a knee injury.

The striker freely admits he is now dreaming of earning a place in Cesare Prandelli’s

Italy squad for this summer’s World Cup, but says that his current focus is on Juve even though he insists that Roma are not drive by a desire for revenge after their 3-0 loss to the Bianconeri in the league earlier this month.

“The defeat in Turin (against Juventus earlier this month) did not demoralise us,” Destro told Sky Sport Italia.

“We’ve played a great championship so far. (Tuesday night is) not a rematch, but it will be a great game. For me, though, it was just important to return to the Roma squad (after injury).

“After eight months on the sidelines, I don’t know when I’ll be 100 per cent again but I feel good. The World Cup is a dream, but first I will give all I have to do well with Roma.”

Totti

Hazard rules out Chelsea exit DEN Hazard has ruled out E a Chelsea exit during January or in the summer, insisting the club is the best place for him to continue progressing.

Jose Mourinho recently hailed the Belgian’s form after the midfielder equalled last season’s goal tally with his ninth of the season against Hull City last time out.

Hazard says he is aware of speculation surrounding his future, namely links with a move to Paris Saint-Germain, but is only interested in playing under the “paternal” Mourinho.

“I really understand what I have to do, be consistent and score,” he told Telefoot. “This is what I get to do now and I’m happy. Mourinho has a paternal side. He says intelligent things and gives us the desire to move forward.

“Every transfer window, people tell me that I will leave Chelsea. It is often to Paris Saint-Germain. PSG are a great club but I like Chelsea and there is no chance I will leave during January or in the summer.

“Chelsea is the best place for me to grow.”

And Samuel Eto’o is in agreement with Hazard, praising the 23-year-old’s more mature approach to football at Stamford Bridge and his ever-increasing importance to Chelsea after struggling at times during his debut term.

“He understood that being present in high-profile games is key to becoming a great player,” Eto’o added.

“He must be more decisive.

He must look at the team and where he can further improve, be it at Chelsea or elsewhere.”

TheGuardian Conscience, Nurtured by Truth

By Goke Omolade

T

HERE are nations and indeed nation-states alike and there are leaders and rulers in our contemporary world likewise. Peculiarly situated in each of these nations and their actors are each individuality of purpose as well as their foundation of existence.

Regardless of geographic proximity, economic alliance or political mutuality; no two nations or leaders are the same or equal in comparative terms. Take, for instance, the whole gamut of the United Nations (UN) where, on paper, there is equality of membership whereas on functional dynamics, each member knows its limits or range of sovereignty.

On statistical reckoning, the UN’s General Assembly has an expansive bloc of 193 members while its Security Council’s five permanent, veto-power wielders (Britain, China, France, Russia and United States, i.e. America) are a total contrast in entirety. Obviously living up to the billing of the all-symphonyknowing piper calling the tunes; the policy directions and operand of the UN system are pre-purposed by the whim and wishes of the Big Five League Players.

In normal situations, the above-listed five privileged associates of enormous power jealously guard against inter-interest collision lest the whole world suffers self-destruct as almost experienced in the 1959 Cuban missile crisis during which the then Soviet Union (SU) slugged it out with America.

Before the advent of the UN system, a failed attempt had earlier been made with the League of Nations idea which the then American Senate dismissively pooh-poohed right on its arrival and ever since has humanity contented itself with the UN status quo and just as then, individual nations have continued to behave true to type in the fervent pursuit of parochially defined nationalistic and undisguised interests. Along this slippery course, nations have stealthily stolen others’ thunders in attempts to outwit each other. Perhaps this was one solid reason why nations such as the SU through Mikhail Gorbachev’s Glasnost and Perestroika and Broz Josef Tito’s Yugoslavia by the Yugomess implosion were finished off. Such were deliberately twisted events which led to the extinction of targeted nations by the superior power of Western-induced antithetical seeds of dislocation and perhaps destruction. Even at that, what really makes respective nations tick? Take the instructive cases of the UN’s Big Five shakers and movers and some other selected nations.

Regardless of what the cynics or critics may say, America, as the sole, assertive superpower of the 21st century regulates the ethos and dynamics of the world at large and its position became so strengthened with its pivotal role in the annihilation of communism which has earned it (America) broad and wide respectability on the one hand and power of fearsome compulsion on the other. In this era of common universality, virtually every trans-national contact is dollarised and in total sum, America’s entity is decidedly operational on the clean ethics of democratic

America, as the sole, assertive superpower of the 21st century regulates the ethos and dynamics of the world at large and its position became so strengthened with its pivotal role in the annihilation of communism which has earned it (America) broad and wide respectability on the one hand and power of fearsome compulsion on the other.

Monday, January 20, 2014

governed by its historical/otherwise landmarks such as Britain’s Magna Charta (1688), France’s triplet of Equality, Liberty and Egalitarian virtues (1789) and Germany’s Iron Chancellor Bismarck’s reign (1870s).

Typically, the European ruler gets inspired by the three power-strata of first and foremost; Europe, one’s locality and the rest of Please send reactions and feedback for YOUTH SPEAK to: the world. The indelible marks of Otto von editorial@risenetworks.org and 07067976667- SMS ONLY Bismarck, Adolf Hitler; Charles de Gaulle, Vladimir Lenin/Josef Stalin while they lasted upon Europe vis-à-vis the subdued influences of Margaret Thatcher’s Britain as well as Angela Merkel’s Germany loom so conspicuously.

Boxed to a tight corner of power intrigues, the European ruler is deftly the same because for them, what comes round similarly goes across like a calculating game in a musical chair. Whereas, dealing with an American leader, you know, a priori, where you stand while it is not so with Europeans who habitually speak from both ends of their mouth!

However, traversing Europe’s historical past, the sharpening interconnectedness between its monarchical entities and its larger spectrum is still as relevant as its democratic institutions which act as checks and balances on any possible excess in the society.

The royalties’ effects in say London, Brussels, Madrid, Lisbon are so awesome that what cannot officially be quantified between democratic virtues and monarchical preferences are easily pushed to historical relics and spiritual irrelevances.

In the far-flung parts of the Asian continent, China and Japan hold sway and one remarkable feature about China is its almost monotonous Hans sub-nationality which is well over three-quarters of its entire population.

Strikingly, China within and among its society is strengthened by its identifiable similarities in norms and cultural traits. Nothing thrills the Chinese more than their unassailable and civilised past dating back to two millennia.

On its own, Japan is quite opposite to China’s near-homogeneity going by its highly stratified ethnic compositions of Aiuns, Nippon Koreans, Burakumins and beyond the glamour of its make-believe Sony, Toyota’s expanit of presidency little did he know the weight sive global sales and solid gross national values, associate freedoms and liberties.

Beneath these America’s superstructures and width of integrity and respectable aura products; Japan is well ways off-course of and resultant structures is that foundational he was bequeathing to his successive genera- sound equalities particularly because of its dynamic of pervasive merit and ample tions? Any wonder why Americans named imperial foundation. One basic factor why opportunities which it readily taps from the their nation’s capital after him or the sweet Japan has come this far in reckoning despite swell of its irrepressible immigrant citizens song on the lip of the average American is; its class discrimination is sequel to its early of various nationalities from across the God bless America! exposure to industrial advancement and The trio of Britain, France and their big democratic posturing. globe. Its collective psyche is fired by the American Dream of making the nation better uncle, Germany, largely echo the old world On a continental application, the Asian valand more secure which Americans are ever so called Europe along with their pristine ues of hard work, family ethos of acquiesproud of. Tapping from its divergent but rich antecedents of ancient civilization; and by its cence, mutual consensus are hard-core qualisocietal composition; one’s deprived back- own standards of perceived interests. Often, ties that oil the Asian engine of development ground is no barrier to one’s set-goal so long Europe’s silver lining can be gauged on and the demonstrable examples of as one is purposefully resolute to succeed by which side of the ideological divide/mercan- Singapore, Malaysia, Taiwan, Hong Kong are daring the unknown. It is in America’s own- tile it ultimately stands to gain from! In fact, noticeable cues. In fact, Singapore’s Lee Kuan designed settings that the haves-not and in sound inter-relational terms, Europe’s Yew’s numerous achievements during his wretched of the earth can boldly rise to the degree of sincerity can be measured between reign as prime minister were so monumenthe two hypotheses of Walter Rodney’s How tal and this was a pointer to forthright leaderzenith of their chosen careers.

When in the late 18th century its first Europe underdeveloped Africa (1972) and ship.

President, George Washington, declined to Martin Meredith’s State of Africa (2006).

Next comes Africa’s pitiable case since time Within each border, individual modernity is immemorial and having been enervated perpetuate himself beyond the two term-limfrom its slavery days through its flag-indeGUARDIAN,of The YOUTHSPEAK Column which is published daily is anTHE initiative pendence era, it has continued to be a dumpand powered by RISE NETWORKS, Nigeria?s Leading Youth Development Centre, as a ing ground of sortat to the world at large. substantial advocacy platform available for ALL Nigerian Youth to engage Leadership Virtually every stepespe taken has been on wrong all levels, engage Society and contribute to National Discourse ?on diverse issues footing. Take Nigeria, Africa’s self-immolate cially those that are peculiarRegarding to Nigeria. submission of articles, we welcome and its distorted writers contributions by way of well crafted, analytical and thought giant, provoking opinion history. Where does one really begin its litany of missed opportupieces that are concise, topical and non?defamatory! All articles? (which are not expect nities and near-misses? Playing back its tape ed to be more than 2000 words) should be editorial@risenetworks.org sent to To of history; would experience have been read the online Version of this same article plus past publications and to find out its more differently pleasant if it had not had contact about Youth Speak, please www.risenetworks.org/youthspeak visit and join the with Britain at the outset of its sojourn to ongoing National Conversations??. nationhood or, better still, if its early fatherfigures had been united and resolutely farAlso join our on?line conversation 21676F3E @risenetworks RISE GROUP sighted like the American leaders of the 18th century who fought London to a retreating Published by Guardian Newspapers Limited, Rutam House, Isolo, Lagos standstill? If only Nigeria had been fated othTel: 4489600, 2798269, 2798270, 07098147948, 07098147951 Fax: 4489712; Advert Hotlines: erwise by evolving out of its own pace withLagos 7736351, Abuja 07098513445; Circulation Hotline: 01 4489656 All correspondence to Guardian Newspapers Limited, P.M.B. 1217, Oshodi, Lagos, Nigeria. out external and biased forces!

E-mail letters@ngrguardiannews.com; www.ngrguardiannews.com To be continued.

Editor: MARTINS OLOJA ABC (ISSN NO 0189-5125) . gokeomolade@hotmail.com

What makes nations tick (1)