Friday January 24 2014

TheGuardian Conscience, Nurtured by Truth

Friday, January 24, 2014

Vol. 30, No. 12,811

www.ngrguardiannews.com

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APC orders members to block Jonathan’s bills rom Azimazi Momoh Jimoh and Adamu Abuh, Abuja OUTRAGED at what it considered as President Goodluck Jonathan’s encouragement of lawlessness in Rivers State, the All Progressives Congress (APC) yesterday urged its members in the National Assembly to block all his legislative proposals.

Such proposals include the President’s request for the passage of the 2014 Budget and the confirmation of all nominees to military and civilian positions.

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Jonathan speaks at Davos -Page 24

• Directs stoppage of 2014 budget, confirmation of service chiefs, ministerial nominees • Urges resort to self-help if ‘impunity’ persists • Lauds Amaechi’s courage despite ‘serial unprovoked assaults’ • PDP accuses opposition party of inviting anarchy According to the APC, this should be the position “until the rule of law and constitutionalism is restored in Rivers State in particular and Nigeria in general.”

The members of the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the opposition APC gave

these directives yesterday as they rose from an emergency meeting in Abuja.

In a statement issued at the end of the meeting at the party’s secretariat in Abuja, the party specifically directed its members at the National Assembly to ensure the block-

President Goodluck Jonathan (right); Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of Nissan Motors, Mr. Carlos Gbosen and Chairman, Stallion Group, Mr. Sunil Vaswani, at the on-going World Economic Summit at Davos, Switzerland.

ade of the 2014 Appropriation Act, the confirmation of the service chiefs and ministerial nominees until impunity allegedly being perpetrated by the People’s Democratic Party (PDP)-led government stopped.

The statement read out to re-

porters by the party’s Interim National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, also directed its members across the country to resort to self-help if the impunity persisted.

The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has described the directives by the APC’s as a direct

call for anarchy and a vindication of its (PDP’s) earlier position that the APC is out to destroy the institution of democracy and the unity of the nation.

PDP National Publicity Secretary, Chief Olisa Metuh, said last night that with the antipeople directives, Nigerians could now see that the PDP was not crying wolf when it alerted that the APC did not mean well for the nation.

The PDP said: “In asking that service chiefs should not be confirmed by the Senate, the APC has revealed its devilish plot to undermine the nation’s security system, create a state of anarchy and pave the way to unleash mayhem on the people.”

Chieftains of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari and Chief Bisi Akande, during the National Executive Committee meeting of the party in Abuja…yesterday.

PHOTO: NAN

N’Assembly debates 2014 budget next week From Bridget Chiedu Onochie and Terbemba Daka (Abuja) O allow for quick pasT sage of 2014 Appropriation Bill, the two Chambers of the National Assembly will next week begin de-

bates on the budget.

Meanwhile, screening of Service Chiefs by the Senate has been referred to committees on Defence, Army, Navy and Air Force. They were mandated to expedite

• Senate refers screening of Service Chiefs to committees • Decries alleged mismanagement of AMCON Fund • Reps probe resettlement of persons displaced from Bakassi legislative actions on it and submit report within one week.

In a related development, a bill seeking to amend Asset Management Company of

Nigeria (AMCON) Act, yesterday scaled second reading on the floor of the Senate, but senators decried the alleged ineffective use of N5.6 trillion pumped into the Corporation by Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).

In the same vein, the House of Representatives has mandated its Committee on Special Duties to investigate the controversial issue of omission of persons in the resettlement of displaced people CONTINUED ON PAGE 2

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Friday, January 24, 2014

Police commission promotes 23 officers From Karls Tsokar, Abuja

HE Police Service ComT mission (PSC) has approved the promotion of 23 officers to various ranks in line with the recommendation of the Inspector General of Police.

A statement by the spokesman of the Commission issued yesterday in

Abuja Ferdinand Ekpe said, “six Deputy Commissioners of Police have being elevated to commissioners.

They include Hurdi D. Mohammed, Aminchi Samaila Baraya, Usman Alkali Baba, Tijani Baba, Mohammed

Mohammed and Victor Onofiok.”

He said nine Assistant Commissioners of Police were promoted to Deputy Commissioners, and they include Ajani Babatunde Olasupo, Olukolu Shina

Tairu, Omololu Bishi Shamsiden, Issac Akinmoyede Olutayo, Aminu Pai Saleh, Makama Usman Hamisu, Okon Ene Etim, Chris Mbazor and Aminu Koji Kwabe.

Also promoted are eight

Chief Superintendents of Police promoted to Assistant Commissioners of Police, included are Alonge Adebowale, Augustine Ogbodo Nwuka, Polycarp Dibia Chilaka, Bello Olanrewaju Tajudeen,

David Dangiwa Dantata, Jahun Mujinyawa, Anthony Okon and Babagana Adam Zannah.

The statement said: “All the promotions are with effect from January 21, 20140”.

Senate refers screening of Service Chiefs to committees CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 of the disputed Bakassi Peninsula.

The committee is to submit its findings to the Parliament within four weeks.

Senate President, David Mark, who announced this yesterday shortly before commencement of the day’s plenary, following a letter to that effect from the Senate Leader, Victor Ndo-

ma-Egba, (Cross River Central), said debate on the N4.6 trillion proposal will take place between Tuesday and Thursday next week.

Mark therefore urged his colleagues to prepare for an exhaustive debate that would lead to its quick passage. Consequently, a register has been opened to take names of senators that will be willing to contribute during the three-day debate.

Debate on 2014 appropriation was expected to top agenda as senators resumed from their Christmas and New Year break. It was not explained why the issue failed to come up in their first week of resumption.

President Goodluck Jonathan, had, through the Minister of Finance and the Coordinating Minister for the Economy, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, presented a budget estimate of N4.6 trillion to the National Assembly for the 2014 fiscal year.

Also, the Senate referred consideration of the request of President Goodluck Jonathan for confirmation of Col. Umaru Faruk Ahmed (rtd), a nominee from Katsina State, for appointment as a member of the governing board of Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission, to its Committee on Works with a mandate to submit report in seven days time.

Efforts by Senator Kabiru Gaya (Kano Central) to reject the appointments of the Service Chiefs were unsuccessful.

Gaya, who raised a Point of Order 53 of the Senate Standing Rule, had argued that President Jonathan violated the law by appointing and giving portfolios to the Service Chiefs before submitting their names for confirmation.

He argued that the President ought to have nominated and submitted their names to the Senate for approval before appointing and assigning offices to them. He also demanded to know what happens to them in a situation where they fail the screening.

Mark, however, ruled him out of order on the ground that assigning portfolios to them does not automatically confirm them. He added that that was the reason military bosses have not been decorated formally to suit their new offices.

Chairman of the House Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Zakari Mohammed, at a press conference yesterday disclosed that members of the Parliament only received copies of the budget Bill yesterday (Thursday) and would use

the weekend to thoroughly study the details.

“Members have gotten copies of the proposed budget and they will use this weekend to study the document. We hope that it will go through second reading and be committed to the committee by Tuesday next week.

We will look at it deeply so that at the end of the day, we will get a working budget.

We will ask questions where necessary”, he stated.

The House spokesman also dismissed suggestions in some quarters that the National Assembly was responsible for the delay in the presentation of the 2014 appropriation bill and blamed it on the failure of the Executive to submit the Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) in June as required by law.

Titled, A Bill for an Act to Amend Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria Act 2010, the bill, among other benefits, seeks to establish a corporate entity with a well constituted Board of Trustees drawn from CBN, eligible financial institutions, National Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC) and Ministry of Finance, to make regulations for the supervision and management of AMCON fund.

Sponsored by the Chairman, Senate Committee on Banking, Bassey Otu, the bill also sought to prohibit any board member or an employee of AMCON from being directly or indirectly involved in the purchase of assets acquired by the corporation.

Otu also said the amendment bill sought to empower AMCON to acquire assets that are already subject to litigation if there is no valid court order restraining it from doing so.

Most of the senators who contributed to the bill lamented that a few years after it was set up, AMCON has failed to live up to its objective of recovering toxic debts owned by some commercial banks.

The Senate Committee on Banking to which the bill was committed was therefore asked to find out the exact amount pumped into AMCON by CBN, how it has made effective use of it as well as how much it has recovered.

While insisting that the committee must investigate what AMCON had done with the N5.6 trillion, Senator Ita Enang said the sum exceeded Nigeria’s yearly budget with the allegation that since the company commenced operations, it has failed to recover up to 15 per cent of the entire mon-

ey.

He therefore advised the committee to examine the functions and operations of AMCON, noting that it is disheartening that the organisation appeared to be failing in spite of the amount committed to it by CBN, which was not free money but rather a loan meant to be paid back to the Federation Account.

In his remark, Senate President, David Mark, said the toxic debt that AMCON was mandated to manage was not yielding any fruitful result and the Federal Government is now asked to subsidise it.

He stated that those found culpable in such fruitless exercise must be punished.

The committee is expected to report back to the Senate in two weeks The decision to investigate the activities of the Presidential Committee on the Resettlement of Bakassi people was taken following the adoption of a motion introduced by Robinson Uwak (PDP, Akwa Ibom) on the urgent need to direct the Presidential Committee to review its report in order to be inclusive of the aboriginal inhabitants of the peninsula.

Leading the debate on the motion, Uwak noted that the report by the Presidential Committee submitted to the Vice President does not include the planned resettlement of the original inhabitants of Bakassi Peninsula, who are of Ibibio, Obolo, Ilaje, Eket, Ijaw, Oron and Okobo origins, including Igbo traders.

He explained that “there is a difference between the people of Bakassi Local Government of Cross River State and aborigines of Bakassi Peninsula who are of Ibibio, Obolo, Eket Oron Ijaw Ilaje, and Igbo origins, from such communities as Okobo (Okobo tribe), Oron (Oron), Mbo (Oron) Udung Uko (Oron), Urue-ofong Oruko (Oron), Uruan (Ibibio) Nsit Atai (Ibibio), Esit Eket (Eket and Obolo”).

According to him, these people constitute the majority of people displaced when the Nigerian authorities ceded the Bakassi Peninsula to the Republic of Cameroon adding that the implementation of the Presidential report has been proposed in the 2014 budget.

The lawmaker expressed worry that the implementation of the proposed budgetary implementation will cause harm and exclude Nigerians who ought to be included in the resettlement by the Federal Government.

He also expressed concern

that “the people of Okobo, Oron, Ijaw, Eket, Obolo, Ilaje, Ibibio, Ijaw and Igbo traders who still have their means of livelihood in the peninsula are being ill-treated, maimed, abused and unfairly taxed by the Cameroonian gendarmes.

According to him, these people constitute the majority of people displaced when the Nigerian authorities ceded the Bakassi Peninsula to the Republic of Cameroun, adding that the implementation of the Presidential report has been proposed in the 2014 budget.

The lawmaker expressed worry that the implementation of the proposed budgetary implementation will cause harm and exclude Nigerians who ought to be included in the resettlement by the Federal Government.

He also expressed concern that “the people of Okobo, Oron, Ijaw, Eket, Obolo, Ilaje, Ibibio, Ijaw and Igbo traders who still have their means of livelihood in the peninsula are being ill-treated, maimed, abused and unfairly taxed by the Cameroonian gendarmes.

“The action of the Camerounian authorities are contrary to a bilateral agreement signed by Nigeria and Cameroun and also contrary to the provisions of Articles 2,4,5,6 and 21 of the Banjul Treaty (African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights), agreed to by all members of the African Union.

He, therefore, sought the leave of the House to prevail on the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice to take legal action against the Republic of Cameroun for breaches of African Human Rights Law relating to the unfair taxation of Nigerians still living in the Peninsula.

Supporting the motion, chairman of the House committee on Foreign Affairs, Nnenna Elendu-Ukeje (PDP, Abia) said there was need to invite the Presidential Committee on Resettlement of the Bakassi people as well as the minister for Foreign Affairs to explain to the House the state of the programme.

In his contribution, Raphael Nnanna Igbokwe (PDP, Imo), submitted that the appropriate thing to do was to investigate the Presidential Committee before seeking legal action against the Camerounian authorities.

The Presidential Committee led by the Deputy Governor of Cross River State, Mr. Effiok Essien Cobham, last year submitted the report of its findings to the Vice President, Namadi Sambo.

Friday, January 24, 2014 | 3

THE GUARDIAN www.ngrguardiannews.com

News ‘N113b required to complete East/West road’

Why Nigeria needs to establish diaspora commission, by envoy

From Bridget Chiedu Onochie, Abuja

• Flays foreign interference in anti-gay law

INISTER of Niger Delta, EldM er Godsday Orubebe, yesterday disclosed that the com-

From Terhemba Daka, Abuja HE Nigerian Ambassador T to the United States, Prof.

Ade Adefuye, has appealed to

pletion of 338 kilometer East West Road would cost additional N113 billion.

Orubebe, who appeared before the Senate Ad-Hoc Committee on Subsidy Reinvestment and Empowerment Programme (SURE-P) also assured that if the fund is made available, the project, which is already 66.6 per cent completed, would be delivered by the end of the year.

The contract which was awarded in 2006 at the cost of N197 billion was later reviewed upwards to N349.8 billion in 2009.

Court frees three suspected B’Haram members From Lemmy Ughegbe, Abuja OR want of prosecution, FAbuja the Federal High Court Division yesterday ordered the release of three persons suspected to be members of the Boko Haram sect.

Specifically, the government has failed to prefer any charge against Mustapha Yusuf (a.k.a Habib), Ismaila Abdulazeez and Ibrahim Isa Hayafu three months after their arrest and detention. Justice Gabriel Kolawole ordered security agents to release them.

They were among six people arrested by the State Security Services for being members of the proscribed Boko Haram sect.

But the three others were not so lucky, namely Dr. Nazeef Yunus, a lecturer in the Kogi State University, Ayingba, Umar Musa and Salami Abdullahi.

NIMC establishes enrolment centres in councils

By Adeyemi Adepetun HE National Identity ManT agement Commission (NIMC) has begun establishment of enrolment centres in the 774 local government Councils for the issuance of the National Identification Number (NIN).

The deployment, according to the Director, Corporate Communication of NIMC, Anthony Okwudiafor, yesterday, will be in three phases with the first Phase covering 220 local councils across the country.

Okwudiafor informed that the commission had conducted a survey of the state of readiness of the office spaces provided by the council areas to enable it determine how to effectively deploy the equipment for enrolment to commence immediately.

He noted that most locations are either inadequate or fell below the minimum standard the commission has set for an enrolment centre, stressing that this accounts for the reason the deployment will be in phases to allow for time to get the council chairmen to provide assistance or for the commission to source funds to do the needful.

Executive Director, Editorial Operations, Mr. Isaac Ighure (left); former Managing Director, News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), Mrs. Oluremi Oyo; Acting Managing Director, Otunba Jide Adebayo and Executive Director, Finance and Accounts, Mr. Jones Agolabi at a send off party for Oyo in Abuja … yesterday.

PHOTO: NAN

Crisis brews in teaching hospitals over alleged plan to privatise units From Iyabo Lawal (Ibadan), Inemesit Akpan-Nsoh (Uyo), Chuks Collins (Awka), AlemmaOzioruva Aliu (Benin)

• Strike paralyses activities in hospitals • UUTH to begin kidney transplant

S the health sector grapA ples with the debilitating effects of the ongoing three-

Chief Medical Director, Prof.

Ettete Peters yesterday while speaking with journalists in his office in Uyo. To meet the expected challenges, he said management would soon send a team of medical doctors to India for training.

The Chairman of JOHESU in the Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital, Nnewi, Comrade Gerald Adinma, who spoke with journalists yesterday at the hospital premises in Nnewi, condemned the attitude of the Federal Government towards agreements it “willingly” entered into.

Adinma, who addressed journalists alongside the union’s Secretary, Mr. Daudu Samaila and other exco members, stated that the current warning strike may transform into an indefinite

day warning strike by the Joint Health Sector Unions (JOHESU) over alleged non implementation of the agreement it entered with the Federal Government, a fresh crisis appears to be brewing over alleged plan to privatise some departments in referral hospitals nationwide.

Also, the alleged jumbo pay approved for the medical doctors has stoked pent-up anger within other unions in the sector.

Meanwhile, in its effort to discourage medical tourism abroad, the management of University of Uyo Teaching Hospital has concluded plans to commence kidney transplant.

This was revealed by the

strike if the government fails to change its attitude for the better, at least in the interest of the poor masses.

He said the rumoured plan to privatise or sell off the franchise of the laboratory, pharmacy and the account departments in teaching hospitals would be met with stiff resistance.

According to Adinma, if the Federal Government is planning to save cost through privatisation, it should start with the medical doctors who go home with jumbo salaries outside having their private hospitals.

The JOHESU chief, who said the purported selective privatisation would be counterproductive, recalled that when the security, laundry and catering departments were privatised, it was the

same big men doctors that were given the contracts to manage those departments.

He appealed passionately to the President Goodluck Jonathan led administration to learn to keep agreements it entered into to prevent unnecessary industrial actions which have the capacity to compound the nation’s woes.

He cautioned the Federal Government against leaving the health care of the people to the forces of demand and supply. It should not be operated with the sole aim of making profit, the welfare of the people should be paramount in decisions and policies.”

A visit to Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital Nnewi revealed that the strike has paralyzed activities.

New patient were not being admitted while the inpatients and out patients were simply left to their fate as the junior staff go about discussing in groups.

S’South, S’East professionals want canfab to produce new constitution

By Seye Olumide HE South-East South-South T Professionals (SESSP), has stressed the need for Nigeria to hold the national dialogue before conducting any other general election in the country.

The group, an association of professionals from the South East and South-South geographical zones, said President Goodluck Jonathan and the National Assembly should appreciate the fact that sovereignty lies with the people whom they represent in their various political capacities and that “it is the wish and desire of Nigerians to dialogue, and the outcome of the dialogue must be used to draft a new constitution, which must also be subjected

• Dialogue holds before next elections to a referendum.”

Addressing a press conference in Lagos yesterday, the President of the group, Emeka Ugwu-Oju, said anything contrary to what the people of Nigeria want “would not be accepted. Our representatives in government cannot continue to behave as if they hold the sovereign power or have the final say.”

According to him, “Nigeria is again at the crossroads with respect to addressing critical success factors for the socio-political and economic emancipation of its people.

Today, we are faced with challenges of endemic poverty, insecurity of lives and property, infrastructure decay,

very high unemployment, high re-current expenditure of government and wasteful government spending, youth restiveness, criminal and terrorism insurgence, food insecurity, environmental degradation and others.

“The root cause of Nigeria’s problems, fundamentally, is its faulty governance structure. Up until 1966, post-colonial Independent Nigeria was governed by the National Constitution, which was negotiated and agreed upon amongst its founding fathers. It was a Nigeria governed along the principles of fiscal federalism, comprising strong regional governments

of the north, west and eastern Nigeria, forming the national parliamentary government.

Suffice it to repeat that Nigeria experienced its best during this brief period, with the growth performance of especially the South Eastern region, placing Nigeria amongst the fastest growing nations in the world.”

Ugwu-Oju said to address some of the critical issues holding down the growth and progress of Nigeria “SESSP had in the past proffered solutions, especially in terms of fashioning out a marshal plan with funds to redirect the energies of the restive youths of the Niger Delta at first, and then later, the restive youths of the Northern Region.”

the National Assembly to facilitate the setting up of a commission where Nigerians in the Diaspora could channel their skills and resources for the development of the country.

This is coming barely two days after President Goodluck Jonathan sought the approval of the National Assembly to increase Nigeria’s Diaspora Bond by $200 million for the financing of development projects in the priority sectors of the economy.

The National Assembly had, while endorsing the 20142016 Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) last year, approved $100 million Diaspora Bond as initially proposed by the President, but in the letter addressed to the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, last Tuesday, Jonathan explained that going by the interest already demonstrated by Nigerians, the amount had to be increased to a maximum of $300 million to be able to service intending investors.

Adefuye, who fielded questions during an interaction with members of the House of Representatives Committee on Diaspora in Abuja yesterday, disclosed that the over four million Nigerians living in the United States alone were waiting for the establishment of the commission to enable them link up with their ancestral homes in order to invest in the economy of the country.

The Nigerian envoy disclosed that the country’s trade volume with the United States of America currently stands at $48 billion, pointing out that the trade volume with the U.S. as at 2010 was just about $18 billion. He said the increase was a result of the good working relations both countries have enjoyed over the years.

He said members of the Nigerian community have distinguished themselves in every recognised profession in the U.S. and are willing, through the establishment of a platform, to invest same, especially in the area of skills and resources as well as influence, to grow the economy back home.

“We are trying to make efforts to link them and make them aware of opportunities back home by doing things like the creation of an institution or a body that will aid them in channeling their resources and lead them to areas where their resources can be utilised.

“We need the establishment of a diaspora commission, and one of what it will do is to link Nigerians abroad with the situation at home and provide a process whereby they can be easily participated in development endeavours.

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THE GUARDIAN www.ngrguardiannews.com

Friday, January 24, 2014

Assembly summons commissioner, others over LASU protest

By Wole Oyebade EQUEL to the protest staged by students of Lagos State University (LASU) on Wednesday and the breakdown of law and order in the institution, the Lagos State House of Assembly has summoned the Commissioner for Education, Jumoke Oladunjoye, Special Adviser to the Governor on Education, Lateef Olukoga, and the management of the school.

Also summoned were five representatives of the Student Union Government (SUG) and three representatives of the Students’ Ruling Council, all to appear at an emergency plenary holding this morning.

Speaker of the House, Adeyemi Ikuforiji, said their invitation became necessary to find amicable solution to the faceoff between the school and the students, and to return sanity to the campus.

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Amaechi-led NGF decries lack of consultation on budget From Karls Tsokar, Abuja ONCERNED at the continued postponement of the National Economic Council (NEC) meeting and the failure to carry the states’ chief executives along in the 2014 budgeting process, a faction of the Nigerian Governors’ Forum (NGF) has described both situations as “disturbing” and “disappointing.”

Factional Chairman of the body and Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi while reading the communiqué at the end of their meeting yesterday at the Rivers Gover-

C

• Condemns continual postponement of NEC meetings nor’s Lodge in Abuja, expressed dismay that “governors are invited to Abuja for National Economic Council meetings only to be told of its cancellation, usually on the eve of the meeting without any reason.”

He regretted that “there are issues of urgent national importance that ought to have been addressed at the meeting. Consequently, we have a 2014 national budget without input from the states, resulting to a lack of sense of

ownership of the budget process.”

Noting that the forum would hold a “special retreat” in Lagos later in March to further the implementation of the 2013 to 2015 strategic plan on peer learning and polio eradication and acknowledge, the flaws in the plan and the need to improve on the feedback mechanism in its implementation, Amaechi said there was need for them to focus more on agriculture,

security, education and anticorruption strategies.

Meanwhile, the group called on the Minister of Finance and the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) to, as a matter of duty, brief governors on the non-remittance of the accruals from the sales of petroleum resources into the Federation Accounts.

The forum, according to the communiqué, reiterated that “the NNPC and the Ministry of Finance are obliged to

Students shut varsity From Willie Etim, Yenagoa NGERED by an alleged hike in their school fees, students of the Federal University, Otueke, in Bayelsa State yesterday shut down the institution in protest.

The protesting students, who barricaded the roads leading to Otueke community and the institution, described the increase from N55,000 to N85,000 as arbitrary and lacking in proper management conduct.

Starting as early as 7a.m on Wednesday, the protest led to the closure of some businesses in the area. Academic activities were suspended as the irate students declined to enter into discussion with the institution’s management.

The students further contended that the increase in tuition is not commensurate with the facilities available, as they study under very tedious conditions, without electricity and water.

Contacted on the development, the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Mobolaji Aluko, denied that the school raised fees, explaining rather that it was the fees advertised by the university during admission.

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Court reserves judgment in NBA’s appeal

By Joseph Onyekwere HE Court of Appeal, Lagos T Division, yesterday reserved judgment in an appeal filed by the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) challenging the ruling of a Federal High Court restraining it from implementing the newly introduced practising fee for lawyers in the country.

Justice Shagbor Ikyegh reserved judgment, having taken arguments from counsel to parties in the suit. Justice Rita Ofili-Ajumogobia of the Federal High Court, Lagos, had in a preliminary ruling ordered the NBA to revert to status quo pending the determination of the substantial suit filed by some lawyers.

brief the governors formally on the non-remittance of $49.8 billion into the Federation Account. In the absence of the National Economic Council meetings, the platform for resolving these issues becomes non-existent.”

While expressing further concern at the developments in Rivers State and the attendant controversies over the deployment of the police, the forum urged President Goodluck Jonathan “to call for a meeting of the Police Council to discuss this and other issues.”

A French soldier taking part in ‘Operation Sangaris’ and standing guard at the PK 12 crossroads in Bangui interrogates a young anti Balaka Christian militiamen in the majority Muslim PK 13 district of Bangui, yesterday. Central African Republic’s new interim President Catherine Samba-Panza warned there were not enough international troops to restore peace in her country, as she prepared to assume office today. Her comments came the day after UN officials urged African nations to reinforce the military mission or risk a descent into genocide.

PHOTO: AFP

Kaduna PDP defectors return, others join From Saxone Akhaine (Kaduna), Leo Sobechi (Abakaliki), Samson Ezea (Lagos), Terhemba Daka (Abuja) Charles Coffie Gyamfi (Abeokuta), Azeez Olorunlomeru and Tunde Akinola (Lagos) OLLOWING the change of Fweek, leadership earlier this major political realign-

• DPP disowns rep over defection • Bamidele officially decamps to LP • APC suspends senator for alleged anti-party activities • Hoodlums invade lawmaker’s office in Ogun •Awujale’s peace meeting with Amosun, Osoba deadlocked

ments have started favouring the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) which chieftains in Kaduna, who recently defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC), yesterday returned to the ruling party.

Besides, other aggrieved PDP members who had hitherto left the party but did not join any other party also returned, saying that they should be accepted as prodigal sons, who discovered that they took a wrong decision by leaving the party in the first instance.

Among the decampees who dumped the APC were Kennedy Musa, former Kaduna ANPP State Secretary, Peter A, former Kaduna ACN Secretary, Samaila Gandu (Sarkin Gandu Zaria), and former ACN House of Assembly aspirant, Mordecai Ibrahim.

Others were Abdullahi Awo, Ahmed Chikaji, Bilkisu Zailani, Rebecca Nuhu, Inuwa Ahmad and Charles Taylor.

Former senatorial aspirant, Alhaji Huseini Dembo, was also among the returnees and requested that he should be accepted back alongside his

teeming followers.

According to Dembo, who spoke on behalf of the decampees and returnees, they all decided to join or return to the PDP after discovering that APC cannot rival the ruling party in the state.

However, the Chairman of the Democratic People’s Party (DPP), Gen. Jeremiah Useni, yesterday said the defection of one of their members in the House of Representatives, Suleiman Kwande, to APC does not have the blessing of the party.

According to him, the lawmaker, who defected on Tuesday on the floor of the House, acted contrary to the party’s instruction to defect to the PDP. A letter to the Speaker, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, who presided over the session yesterday, partly read: “This is to inform you that he does not have my backing, he was directed to declare for the PDP.” Also yesterday, the Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on

Legislative Budget and Research, Michael Opeyemi Bamidele, in a letter read on the floor by the Speaker, officially notified of his defection to the Labour Party (LP).

Opeyemi, who was a member of the APC, had earlier relinquished his position as chairman of the Ekiti Caucus of the House in order to pursue his governorship ambition in the state.

In another development, the Deputy National Chairman of the APC (South-East), Senator Annie Okonkwo, was yesterday suspended from the party during its Interim National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting in Abuja.

According to a member of the NEC, Okonkwo was suspended on the allegation of anti-party activities, especially his role in the governorship election in Anambra State last year.

A six-man disciplinary committee, led by Senator Kabiru Gaya, with Dr. Muiz Banire as secretary, has been set up to investigate Okonkwo and re-

port back within three weeks.

Okonkwo, who stepped down for Senator Chris Ngige ahead of the APC governorship primaries in Anambra last year with the offer to serve as the Director-General of Ngige Campaign Organisation, resigned from the position before the election, citing irreconcilable differences with Ngige.

Reacting to the suspension, Okonkwo said he did not know why people like to cause trouble for the party, saying: “It is not for me to say whether there is a script or it is a sign of creeping rascality.

I am watching the whole thing.”

Meanwhile, the in-fighting among the Ogun State APC continued yesterday as thugs invaded the Ota office of Senator Akin Odunsi and beat up his secretary, Miss Kemi Afolabi, while his administrative officer, Olasunkanmi Olayode, managed to escape.

The Guardian learnt that the hoodlums invaded the senator’s office at No.87, Igan-

mode Road, Ota, yesterday morning and beat up Afolabi with sticks. An eyewitness said the thugs ransacked the office and damaged equipment and furniture, after which they fled.

Meanwhile, a meeting convened yesterday by the Awujale of Ijebuland, Oba Sikiru Adetona, to reconcile the APC feuding leaders was deadlocked.

Awujale, who is also the Chairman of Ogun State Council of Obas, held a secret meeting in his palace in Ijebu Ode with Governor Ibikunle Amosun and a national leader of the party, Chief Segun Osoba, over the crisis rocking the APC in the state.

A palace source, pleading anonymity, revealed that the monarch summoned the meeting with the two gladiators, whose supporters had been at loggerheads over the control of party machinery in the state, with a view to reconciling them, but the parties could not reach any settlement.

Sympathisers later rushed the injured Afolabi to a private hospital in Sango-Ota for treatment. The motive for the attack and the identity of the thugs were yet unknown.

A statement by his Senior Legislative Aide noted that Afolabi was still receiving treatment at a private hospital in Ota, adding that the at-

tack was politically motivated.

The lawmaker further noted that the spate of violence against the National Assembly members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) across the state in recent times proved the desperation of some elements to intimidate people into undue acquiescence.

While deploring “this barbaric descent to violence for political reasons,” he implored APC members and the people of Ogun West to go about their normal duties and maintain calm, assuring that “the will of the people shall prevail.”

Reacting on the issue, however, the council boss, Mr. Rotimi Rahmon, urged a thorough investigation into the incident, saying: “It could be an orchestrated attack. We cannot continue to hide under the political situation to gain undue attention. I am demanding a complete investigation and whoever is caught should be made to face the law.”

The State Police Command’s spokesman, Mr. Muyiwa Adejobi, who confirmed the incident, disclosed that the Police Commissioner, Mr. Ikemefuna Okoye, had ordered a fullscale investigation into the matter and assured that the perpetrators of the act would be brought to book.

THE GUARDIAN www.ngrguardiannews.com

Friday, January 24, 2014 NEWS | 5

Bank absolves self of blame in N963.7m subsidy deal

Jega warns political parties against ballot box snatching

By Bertram Nwannekanma

From Saxone Akhaine, Northern Bureau Chief

• Stands by decision on de-registration

S the nation’s electoral body attempts to device an antidote against election rigging, Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Attahiru Jega, has again warned politicians to rule out the possibility of ballot box snatching in the 2015 general elections, pointing out that such practices will render the votes of erring political parties invalid.

Jega gave the warning yester-

day at the closing ceremony of the retreat organised for Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs) and other top management staff held in Kaduna.

He remarked that the era of ballot box snatching has gone in the Nigerian electoral procedures, while adding that “the new system of digitised electoral procedure has made it impossible for carrying ballot box from one polling station to another, because

PROSECUTION witness, Mr. A Uchenna Adobaka, at the ongoing trial of an oil marketer, Rowaye Jubril, at a Lagos High Court, Ikeja, over an alleged N963.7 million subsidy fraud, yesterday told the court that Spring Bank was not physically present to witness transactions in the subsidy deal.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had charged Jubril alongside his company, Brila Energy Limited, for obtaining the sum of N963.7 million subsidy and for purportedly importing 13,500 metric tonnes of premium motor spirit (PMS).

At Jubril’s trial yesterday, Adobaka, a deputy manager, Energy Group of Spring Bank, told the court presided by Justice Lateefat Okunnu, that the bank only relied on documents supplied by the marketer.

Community sets ablaze five houses of suspected kidnappers From Hendrix Oliomogbe, Asaba VER five houses of susO pected kidnappers were set ablaze yesterday at Ogwashi Uku, Aniocha-South Local Council of Delta State, by irate youths and angry towns people, as the police killed three notorious kidnappers in the community last Wednesday.

The police may also have recorded a major breakthrough in the war against kidnapping and armed banditry in the community following the killing of the three kidnappers.

Delta State Police Acting Public Relations Officer, Mr. Charles Muka, gave the names of the suspected kidnappers as Ahijo Onyeama Biggy (Alias 100) (24 years); Eze Ogugua (21) and Lucky Onochie (24) in Asaba yesterday.

Muka explained that the kidnappers were shot and seriously injured during an attempt by the police to rescue an 81-year-old kidnap victim, Pa Norbert Okafor, of Umudei Quarters, Ogwashi Uku, who was abducted at dawn last Thursday on his way to church.

Anyim stops sack of Achugbu From Emeka Anuforo, Abuja ECRETARY to the GovernS(SGF), ment of the Federation Anyim Pius Anyim, has nullified the suspension of Managing Director of the Rural Electrification Agency (REA), Mr. Kenneth Achugbu.

The Senator Jonathan Zwingina-led supervisory board of REA suspended Achugbu two days ago, alleging poor implementation of the agency’s budget.

But a letter from the SFG sighted by The Guardian in Abuja yesterday, directed Achugbu to ignore the action of the board and immediately resume.

The SGF’s letter nullified the suspension, stressing that the government had not taken any action to suspend the management of REA. The three-paragraph letter described the suspension as illegal, noting: “The purpose of this letter is to confirm that there is no decision of government in this regard...the board has no power to sack the management of REA.”

A

henceforth, every polling booth will have a specialised digital number and all voting cards for that particular station will carry the digital number.”

“When you register in poll booth ‘A’, your registration number is one; everybody that registered there will carry number one, which means that polling unit is ‘A1’.

If your polling unit is ‘B’, you have ‘B1/1-500’. If your voting card is registered under ‘B’

unit and it finds its way into ‘A’ unit box, that vote automatically becomes invalid.”

“It pays for people contesting election to ensure that they play by the rules of the game, because when you snatch box from one polling unit to another, you stand the chance of losing the votes’ count as they will all be declared invalid.

With this new system and other initiatives put in place by the Commission, 2015 will witness a hitch-free election, even though I cannot assure you of absolute perfection as

Benue lawmaker alleges plans to destroy Tiv race From Joseph Wantu, Makurdi ITING unending attacks that have claimed hundreds of lives, a lawmaker representing Makurdi in Benue State House of Assembly, Mr. David Iorhemba, has alleged plans by some people to allegedly annihilate the Tiv nation. He called on the Federal Government to stop Fulani herdsmen from carrying out the killings.

Expressing his fears to journalists yesterday in Makurdi, Iorhemba said he was particularly grieved over the rising

C

casualty figure of daily attacks, maintaining that it is disturbing and completely unacceptable.

The lawmaker, who went down memory lane, traced the crisis between the two tribes to 2011 election, maintaining that it assumed a different dimension as the Fulani herdsmen invaded Tiv settlements with sophisticated weapons to allegedly shoot, scare and kill the people in a manner that depicts they have an agenda.

While regretting that the

white paper on the Benue/Nasarawa states joint committee on the crisis, headed by Hon. Titus Upaa, never saw the light of the day after the committee submitted its report, the governorship hopeful said the reports of another committee headed by the Ter Makurdi, Chief Sule Abenga, could yield positive result.

“In as much as I do not want to trade blames, my worries are that the impunity with which the Fulani operate this time around is different. I

Rivers NBA divided over non-appointment of CJ From Kelvin Ebiri and Ann Godwin (Port Harcourt) HERE appears to be a split T in the ranks of Rivers State branch of the Nigeria Bar Association (NBA), with a group of lawyers under the aegis of Forum of Concerned Lawyers of the Nigerian Bar Association, Port Harcourt branch, yesterday staging a protest, urging the state government to appoint a Chief Judge for the state.

However, Chairmen of Port Harcourt, Ahoada, Isiokpo, Bori and Degema branches of NBA maintained they are seeking ways to resolve the issue amicably, especially as the matter has become a subject of litigation in court.

Justice Peter Agumagu was last year appointed the acting Chief Judge by the state government, but his duration expired in November 2013.

Some inscriptions on the placards of the protesting lawyers read: ‘Don’t politicise the judiciary’, ‘Amaechi the only man with three powers’, ‘Worgu Boms must go’, ‘Worgu Boms resign or follow the law’, ‘Operation 271, subsection 4’, ‘Rule of law, not rule of man’ and ‘Amaechi leave judiciary out of politics, swear-in Chief Judge’.

Meanwhile, the lawmaker representing Port Harcourt Constituency, Victoria Nyeche, said the protesters were members of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and card-carrying members of Grass Root Development Initiative, a political group loyal to the Supervising Minister of Education, Nyesom Wike.

She noted that they were sponsored political group who should not be taken seriously, adding that NBA in the state has over 4,000 members while the protesters were less than 40 people.

However, the state NBA Chairman, Lawrence Oko-jaja, in a statement said, “The pro-

testers were not lawyers, but hired persons, as the association did not mandate them to carry out any protest.”

He added, “We strongly believe that conciliation is the best approach in resolving the impasse but it must be made clear that the role of the NBA is to make recommendations as to the appointment of a chief judge based on the list of candidates submitted to us; that is where our role ends, we are not the appointing authority.

“As the first step in resolving the impasse we sought audience with the Governor of the State, Chibuike Amaechi, who expressed his views on the matter. We are in the process of reaching to other institutions involved in the process,” he added.

However, Secretary of the NBA, Kingsley Chukwu, said the protest was a worthy cause because the forum was condemning impunity in the state.

Meanwhile, a faction of the PDP in Rivers State led by Mr. Godspower Ake, has accused the lawyers who protested the non-appointment of a Chief Judge in Port Harcourt yesterday as agents of destabilization.

The faction’s spokesman, George Ukwuoma-Nwogba, said the decision of the lawyers to disobey the directives of the state chairman of the Nigerian Bar Association, not to embark on the protest and coupled with their call for the resignation of Mr. Wogu Boms, the state Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, has further betrayed their source of protest.

Ukwuoma-Nwogba accused the lawyers of working for the Grassroots Democratic Initiative, which it said had been commissioned to destabilise the administration of Governor Chibuike Amaechi “by all means possible.”

According to him, the leader of the protesting lawyers is a well-known GDI member, sympathizer and one of its legal counsels and so, sees nothing good in neither Governor Amaechi nor Boms.

think it is high time government called them to order, otherwise the Tiv people are heading towards total annihilation”.

He said as a legislator, he has moved several motions on the floor of the Assembly about the crisis in which a lot of resolutions have been taken and intimated too that he has as well been providing relief materials to the affected people; just as he said he requested for security to be stationed at the flashpoints of Yogbo, Udei and Tsekereke.

Iorhemba, who reiterated his call on the state government to create camps in crisis-prone areas to accommodate the people that are still displaced, further appealed to Governor Gabriel Suswam to do more by ensuring that the displaced people go back to their ancestral homes.

we are learning day by day”, Jega said.

On the issue of de-registration of political parties, Prof.

Jega explained that the Commission stands by its decision, even though the matter is before a court and the final decision will be the outcome of the case.

The INEC boss, however, expressed his Commission’s readiness to be an unbiased umpire in the 2015 elections and to also ensure that everybody plays the game by the rules.

He explained that the retreat organised by the Commission was put in place as a means of deliberating and finding ways to correct the past mistakes the Commission made during previous elections.

According to Jega: “We came together to brainstorm on problems encountered by the Commission in previous elections and after three days’ deliberation, we concluded that some of the major problems facing the Commission include the delay in the supply of voting materials to polling units, competent personnel and security coverage for the staff.”

Jega, however, noted that the Commission alone could not deliver the desired free and fair elections without the collaboration of other agencies and stakeholders.

“We in the Commission cannot solve this problem alone.

We need the collaboration of other agencies like the security and the Presidency to ensure that funds are made available at the right time for the right purpose.”

TheGuardian SUNDAY, JANUARY 26, 2014

Rancour In National Assembly NE week of legislative rascality in the House. In spite of the court order restraining the leadership of the House of Representatives from effecting changes in its leadership, lawmakers still went ahead to poke fun and jabs at the rules of the House, thus overheating the system. There is ceasefire now, but for how long?

Join us as we take a look at the week’s events in the House and when next the fire will ignite.

O

FESTERING POLITICAL VIOLENCE IN OGUN STATE

House in one of its rowdy sessions

FTER The PDP’s eight years of ‘terror,’ it was A thought that the ‘progressives’ who are now in government would know better. Now they are working hard to surpass the PDP in the use of ‘snipers’.

ADAMU MUAZU:

BUSINESS:

ENIAL, purposeful G and humble. Yet, the trouble with PDP is

The real reason why electricity is going down, down, down!

a handful. Will the former governor of Bauchi State change the course of this failing game for the ruling party?

IBRU: Cleric thumbs up for President Jonathan on Anti-same sex Law.

The Guardian On Sunday is new, fresher, bolder; a delight to behold and more importantly, reader-friendly! Book a copy today.

THE GUARDIAN www.ngrguardiannews.com

Friday, January 24, 2014 NEWS | 5

Bank absolves self of blame in N963.7m subsidy deal

Jega warns political parties against ballot box snatching

By Bertram Nwannekanma

From Saxone Akhaine, Northern Bureau Chief

• Stands by decision on de-registration

S the nation’s electoral body attempts to device an antidote against election rigging, Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Attahiru Jega, has again warned politicians to rule out the possibility of ballot box snatching in the 2015 general elections, pointing out that such practices will render the votes of erring political parties invalid.

Jega gave the warning yester-

day at the closing ceremony of the retreat organised for Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs) and other top management staff held in Kaduna.

He remarked that the era of ballot box snatching has gone in the Nigerian electoral procedures, while adding that “the new system of digitised electoral procedure has made it impossible for carrying ballot box from one polling station to another, because

PROSECUTION witness, Mr. A Uchenna Adobaka, at the ongoing trial of an oil marketer, Rowaye Jubril, at a Lagos High Court, Ikeja, over an alleged N963.7 million subsidy fraud, yesterday told the court that Spring Bank was not physically present to witness transactions in the subsidy deal.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had charged Jubril alongside his company, Brila Energy Limited, for obtaining the sum of N963.7 million subsidy and for purportedly importing 13,500 metric tonnes of premium motor spirit (PMS).

At Jubril’s trial yesterday, Adobaka, a deputy manager, Energy Group of Spring Bank, told the court presided by Justice Lateefat Okunnu, that the bank only relied on documents supplied by the marketer.

Community sets ablaze five houses of suspected kidnappers From Hendrix Oliomogbe, Asaba VER five houses of susO pected kidnappers were set ablaze yesterday at Ogwashi Uku, Aniocha-South Local Council of Delta State, by irate youths and angry towns people, as the police killed three notorious kidnappers in the community last Wednesday.

The police may also have recorded a major breakthrough in the war against kidnapping and armed banditry in the community following the killing of the three kidnappers.

Delta State Police Acting Public Relations Officer, Mr. Charles Muka, gave the names of the suspected kidnappers as Ahijo Onyeama Biggy (Alias 100) (24 years); Eze Ogugua (21) and Lucky Onochie (24) in Asaba yesterday.

Muka explained that the kidnappers were shot and seriously injured during an attempt by the police to rescue an 81-year-old kidnap victim, Pa Norbert Okafor, of Umudei Quarters, Ogwashi Uku, who was abducted at dawn last Thursday on his way to church.

Anyim stops sack of Achugbu From Emeka Anuforo, Abuja ECRETARY to the GovernS(SGF), ment of the Federation Anyim Pius Anyim, has nullified the suspension of Managing Director of the Rural Electrification Agency (REA), Mr. Kenneth Achugbu.

The Senator Jonathan Zwingina-led supervisory board of REA suspended Achugbu two days ago, alleging poor implementation of the agency’s budget.

But a letter from the SFG sighted by The Guardian in Abuja yesterday, directed Achugbu to ignore the action of the board and immediately resume.

The SGF’s letter nullified the suspension, stressing that the government had not taken any action to suspend the management of REA. The three-paragraph letter described the suspension as illegal, noting: “The purpose of this letter is to confirm that there is no decision of government in this regard...the board has no power to sack the management of REA.”

A

henceforth, every polling booth will have a specialised digital number and all voting cards for that particular station will carry the digital number.”

“When you register in poll booth ‘A’, your registration number is one; everybody that registered there will carry number one, which means that polling unit is ‘A1’.

If your polling unit is ‘B’, you have ‘B1/1-500’. If your voting card is registered under ‘B’

unit and it finds its way into ‘A’ unit box, that vote automatically becomes invalid.”

“It pays for people contesting election to ensure that they play by the rules of the game, because when you snatch box from one polling unit to another, you stand the chance of losing the votes’ count as they will all be declared invalid.

With this new system and other initiatives put in place by the Commission, 2015 will witness a hitch-free election, even though I cannot assure you of absolute perfection as

Benue lawmaker alleges plans to destroy Tiv race From Joseph Wantu, Makurdi ITING unending attacks that have claimed hundreds of lives, a lawmaker representing Makurdi in Benue State House of Assembly, Mr. David Iorhemba, has alleged plans by some people to allegedly annihilate the Tiv nation. He called on the Federal Government to stop Fulani herdsmen from carrying out the killings.

Expressing his fears to journalists yesterday in Makurdi, Iorhemba said he was particularly grieved over the rising

C

casualty figure of daily attacks, maintaining that it is disturbing and completely unacceptable.

The lawmaker, who went down memory lane, traced the crisis between the two tribes to 2011 election, maintaining that it assumed a different dimension as the Fulani herdsmen invaded Tiv settlements with sophisticated weapons to allegedly shoot, scare and kill the people in a manner that depicts they have an agenda.

While regretting that the

white paper on the Benue/Nasarawa states joint committee on the crisis, headed by Hon. Titus Upaa, never saw the light of the day after the committee submitted its report, the governorship hopeful said the reports of another committee headed by the Ter Makurdi, Chief Sule Abenga, could yield positive result.

“In as much as I do not want to trade blames, my worries are that the impunity with which the Fulani operate this time around is different. I

Rivers NBA divided over non-appointment of CJ From Kelvin Ebiri and Ann Godwin (Port Harcourt) HERE appears to be a split T in the ranks of Rivers State branch of the Nigeria Bar Association (NBA), with a group of lawyers under the aegis of Forum of Concerned Lawyers of the Nigerian Bar Association, Port Harcourt branch, yesterday staging a protest, urging the state government to appoint a Chief Judge for the state.

However, Chairmen of Port Harcourt, Ahoada, Isiokpo, Bori and Degema branches of NBA maintained they are seeking ways to resolve the issue amicably, especially as the matter has become a subject of litigation in court.

Justice Peter Agumagu was last year appointed the acting Chief Judge by the state government, but his duration expired in November 2013.

Some inscriptions on the placards of the protesting lawyers read: ‘Don’t politicise the judiciary’, ‘Amaechi the only man with three powers’, ‘Worgu Boms must go’, ‘Worgu Boms resign or follow the law’, ‘Operation 271, subsection 4’, ‘Rule of law, not rule of man’ and ‘Amaechi leave judiciary out of politics, swear-in Chief Judge’.

Meanwhile, the lawmaker representing Port Harcourt Constituency, Victoria Nyeche, said the protesters were members of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and card-carrying members of Grass Root Development Initiative, a political group loyal to the Supervising Minister of Education, Nyesom Wike.

She noted that they were sponsored political group who should not be taken seriously, adding that NBA in the state has over 4,000 members while the protesters were less than 40 people.

However, the state NBA Chairman, Lawrence Oko-jaja, in a statement said, “The pro-

testers were not lawyers, but hired persons, as the association did not mandate them to carry out any protest.”

He added, “We strongly believe that conciliation is the best approach in resolving the impasse but it must be made clear that the role of the NBA is to make recommendations as to the appointment of a chief judge based on the list of candidates submitted to us; that is where our role ends, we are not the appointing authority.

“As the first step in resolving the impasse we sought audience with the Governor of the State, Chibuike Amaechi, who expressed his views on the matter. We are in the process of reaching to other institutions involved in the process,” he added.

However, Secretary of the NBA, Kingsley Chukwu, said the protest was a worthy cause because the forum was condemning impunity in the state.

Meanwhile, a faction of the PDP in Rivers State led by Mr. Godspower Ake, has accused the lawyers who protested the non-appointment of a Chief Judge in Port Harcourt yesterday as agents of destabilization.

The faction’s spokesman, George Ukwuoma-Nwogba, said the decision of the lawyers to disobey the directives of the state chairman of the Nigerian Bar Association, not to embark on the protest and coupled with their call for the resignation of Mr. Wogu Boms, the state Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, has further betrayed their source of protest.

Ukwuoma-Nwogba accused the lawyers of working for the Grassroots Democratic Initiative, which it said had been commissioned to destabilise the administration of Governor Chibuike Amaechi “by all means possible.”

According to him, the leader of the protesting lawyers is a well-known GDI member, sympathizer and one of its legal counsels and so, sees nothing good in neither Governor Amaechi nor Boms.

think it is high time government called them to order, otherwise the Tiv people are heading towards total annihilation”.

He said as a legislator, he has moved several motions on the floor of the Assembly about the crisis in which a lot of resolutions have been taken and intimated too that he has as well been providing relief materials to the affected people; just as he said he requested for security to be stationed at the flashpoints of Yogbo, Udei and Tsekereke.

Iorhemba, who reiterated his call on the state government to create camps in crisis-prone areas to accommodate the people that are still displaced, further appealed to Governor Gabriel Suswam to do more by ensuring that the displaced people go back to their ancestral homes.

we are learning day by day”, Jega said.

On the issue of de-registration of political parties, Prof.

Jega explained that the Commission stands by its decision, even though the matter is before a court and the final decision will be the outcome of the case.

The INEC boss, however, expressed his Commission’s readiness to be an unbiased umpire in the 2015 elections and to also ensure that everybody plays the game by the rules.

He explained that the retreat organised by the Commission was put in place as a means of deliberating and finding ways to correct the past mistakes the Commission made during previous elections.

According to Jega: “We came together to brainstorm on problems encountered by the Commission in previous elections and after three days’ deliberation, we concluded that some of the major problems facing the Commission include the delay in the supply of voting materials to polling units, competent personnel and security coverage for the staff.”

Jega, however, noted that the Commission alone could not deliver the desired free and fair elections without the collaboration of other agencies and stakeholders.

“We in the Commission cannot solve this problem alone.

We need the collaboration of other agencies like the security and the Presidency to ensure that funds are made available at the right time for the right purpose.”

TheGuardian SUNDAY, JANUARY 26, 2014

Rancour In National Assembly NE week of legislative rascality in the House. In spite of the court order restraining the leadership of the House of Representatives from effecting changes in its leadership, lawmakers still went ahead to poke fun and jabs at the rules of the House, thus overheating the system. There is ceasefire now, but for how long? Join us as we take a look at the week’s events in the House and when next the fire House in one of its rowdy sessions will ignite.

FTER The PDP’s eight years of ‘terror,’ it was FESTERING thought that the ‘progressives’ who are now in POLITICAL government would know better. Now they are VIOLENCE IN working hard to surpass the PDP in the use of OGUN STATE ‘snipers’.

O

A

ADAMU MUAZU:

BUSINESS:

ENIAL, purposeful G and humble. Yet, the trouble with PDP is

The real reason why electricity is going down, down, down!

a handful. Will the former governor of Bauchi State change the course of this failing game for the ruling party?

IBRU: Cleric thumbs up for President Jonathan on Anti-same sex Law.

The Guardian On Sunday is new, fresher, bolder; a delight to behold and more importantly, reader-friendly! Book a copy today.

THE GUARDIAN www.ngrguardiannews.com

6 | NEWS Friday, January 24, 2014

Lagos may shut Ladipo auto spare-parts market again

By Emmanuel Badejo ARELY a year after Lagos government closed down the Ladipo Auto Spare Parts Market in Mushin Local Council Area of the state for violating environmental law, indications have emerged that the government may wield the big stick on the market again.

Apparently worried by the continuous failure on the part of the traders to keep to the agreement signed last year before the market was reopened, Governor Babatunde Fashola directed the authorities’ surveillance on the market.

Commissioner for the Environment, Mr. Tunji Bello, who led the government’s team to the market yesterday, said he had been asked by the governor to come and take on-the-spot assessment of the market.

Bello, who did not have any presence of the traders in his team, expressed disgust at the failure of the traders to keep to agreement, part of which said the markets should not to allow trading or activities on the expressway.

Accompanied by state officials, the commissioner personally reprimanded some of the traders and technicians, who displayed their wares by the roadside.

Speaking with The Guardian, Bello said: “We are here to conduct survey of the market. The governor directed that I should lead the team of surveillance. My brother, can you see the nuisance here? These people like whipping up sentiments. But we want the world to see that there is nothing attached other than maintaining law and order in the state”.

He added that when the market was shut last year, “many well-meaning Nigerians intervened and we eventually reached a compromise with the marketers to keep the area clean in line with state’s environmental law”. Bello said that rather than keep to the pact, that accord was always being breached.

Asked what would be the next line of action, Bello

B

said he would report to the governor, who he noted, would direct on what next to do, but vowed: “Certainly, the government would take appropriate action as and when due.”

On why the state Kick Against Indiscipline (KAI) could not curtail the traders, Bello said the body may not have the capacity to deal with the problem, adding that government would act appropriately.

In January last year, the

government closed down the market reputed to be West Africa’s largest auto spare-parts market over what it described as proven cases of environmental nuisance and abuse of public installations.

Officials of the Lagos State Taskforce on Environmental and Special Offences (Enforcement) Unit sealed off the multi-billion market almost one week after inspecting it and established gross abuse of public infra-

structure and utilities.

Chairman of the taskforce, Mr. Bayonle Suleiman, had said then that the state government had issues with the market, ranging from hooliganism, lack of toilet facilities, degradation of the environment with diesel and fuel products. He added that the traders in the market formed another government.

He explained that the taskforce officials came to the

Corporate Affairs Manager, The Guardian, Bolaji D’Amelda (left); The Editor, Martins Oloja; General Manager, Guaranty Trust Bank, Group Head, Corporate Communications/External Affairs, Lola Odedina; Chief Operating Officer, Red Gecko Public Relations Limited, Cornelius Onuoha and Head, Media & Events, GTB, Babajide Sipe, during a courtesy visit to The Guardian, Rutam House…yesterday PHOTO: FEMI ADEBESIN-KUTI

Dickson lauds appointments of Mu’azu, Tukur as PDP, NRC chairmen AYELSA State Governor Governor, Daniel Iworiso party, we are all comfortable smooth and peaceful conB Seriake Dickson has de- Markson, would bring their with him, because he has an duct of the process, which scribed the emergence of Al- wealth of experience to bear amiable record of achieve- saw the emergence of the haji Ahmadu Adamu Mu’azu as the new National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Dr. Bamanga Tukur as the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC’s) helmsman as a positive development and a good omen to the goals and aspirations of both entities.

The duo, according to a statement signed by the Chief Press Secretary to the

in their respective positions.

Dr. Mu’azu, during his tenure as governor of Bauchi State, did not only reposition his people for greater economic and infrastructural development, but also laid the foundation for the PDP to remain the dominant party there, the statement said.

“As governor of the President’s home-state and as a

ments as governor and has remained a strong party person, always working for the success and progress of the party,” Dickson said.

While expressing hope that the PDP, under his leadership, will become even stronger and better focused as a family with common goals and unity of purpose, the governor commended members of the party for the

Offa ruling house goes to Supreme Court over judgment From: Abiodun Fagbemi, Ilorin HE Olugbense Ruling House in Offa, Offa Local Council Area of Kwara State has, through its counsel, John Baiyeshea (SAN), filed a motion on notice before the Supreme Court, seeking the court’s order to compel the Court of Appeal sitting in Ilorin to stay further proceedings in the application for injunction/stay of execution of the judgment of the appellate court in Appeal No. CA/IL/71/2012, which was delivered on July 9, 2013.

The ruling house is also seeking an order of the apex court to direct that all pending applications before the Court of Appeal, Ilorin Division, be transferred to the Supreme Court for determination aside the apex court making such further order as deemed fit in the circumstances of this case.

T

market two weeks ago, but the leaders of the market did not show up.

“There are serious trading activities going on in the streets and there are lots of shanties here. We will make sure that this time around, proper sanitation is done by the traders before this market will be re-opened and they have to submit to the chairman of Mushin Local Council Area,” the task force boss said.

Baiyeshea, in his argument through the 27-paragraph affidavit deposed to by Saka Keji, added that this became necessary considering the fact that, “the present applicants had written a petition to the Chief Justice of Nigeria alleging bias against the panel of justices, praying that another panel be constituted to hear the two motions for injunction/stay of execution and the pending cross-appeal filed on behalf of Prince Abdulrauf Keji and Alhaji Mufutau Gbadamosi”.

He noted: “Upon being informed of the petition, the lower court on October 14, 2013, adjourned the 1st-4th appellants’ motion filed on July 25, 2013, sine die pending response of the CJN. “Under the circumstances and facts stated above, the

lower court is functus officio and cannot entertain the motion”.

He added that “On January 13, 2014, when applicants’ counsel, Toyin Oladipo, attempted to inform the court that all the records had been transmitted to the Supreme Court and the appeals entered at this court, the presiding justice threatened him with contempt and ordered him to sit down.”

In addition, Baiyeshea, in his 22-point ground of the application, maintained that “the applicants, having raised the issue of bias against the justices in their petition to the CJN and the president of the Court of Appeal, did not expect that the justices would go on with the matter having regard to the general circumstances of the case.”

He, however, lamented that “the justices overruled Toyin Oladipo and heard the application in which only one of the counsel to the respondents addressed the court while the former informed the court that he could not go on with the application.”

He said that “On a cursory look at the rules of this court, it was discovered by applicants’ counsel that by Order 8 Rule 11, this application can be made to this court irrespective of the applications before the lower court”, adding that a motion dated and filed on January 5, 2014, had to be filed at the lower court to ask the court to declare that it is functus officio and cannot even deliver the ruling, having regard to the fact that the appeal is already before this court.”

new chairman.

Expressing his unalloyed support for the new chairman, the governor said, as a state where the PDP is well rooted, we are going to give our new party chairman all the needed support to succeed, especially with 2015 around the corner.

The Bayelsa State governor also commended President Goodluck Jonathan’s choice of the erstwhile chairman of the PDP as the NRC chairman, submitting that his experience in the public and private sectors would assist in revamping the corporation.

Describing Alhaji Tukur as a faithful and progressive party man, who has at various times jettisoned selfish motives and worked diligently for the overall benefit and progress of the PDP and the country, Dickson stated: “It is a thing of joy that as a political party, we have people like him, whose maturity and loyalty to the party has continued to endure over the years, hence our prayer is that God will grant him good health and wisdom to continually render quality service to the nation, even as chairman of the NRC. Dickson expressed hope that the new chairman would bring his long-standing experience in the private and public sectors to bear in his new position.

SERAP faults Jonathan’s claim at world forum From Kanayo Umeh, Abuja

HE Socio-Economic T Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has faulted President Goodluck Jonathan over his statement at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, to the effect that “corruption was not the cause of all the problems confronting Africa.”

The President was quoted to have said: “In terms of security, Boko Haram is the biggest challenge we have at the moment.”

In response, SERAP, in a statement yesterday signed by its Executive Director, Adetokunbo Mumuni, said: “The statement by the President shows clearly that this government has not come to terms with the reality of massive corruption at the highest level of government and the devastation and suffering it has caused millions of innocent Nigerians.”

The group noted: “The evidence of corruption and under-development is staring this government in the face. Staying silent or simply wishing the problem away cannot be the way forward. What more will it take to convince the President that corruption is this country’s biggest problem, and that effective action is urgently required to end it, and address impunity of perpetrators?

“Hospitals without drugs, bad roads, poor electricity supply, contaminated and undrinkable water, collapsed educational system alone provide strong evidence of the devastation that missing $400 billion of public funds have done to this country”.

Furore in Anambra kid’s parliament over speaker’s publication From: Uzoma Nzeagwu, Awka PEAKER of the ChilSAnambra dren’s Parliament, State, Uchime Ken Michael, yesterday survived an impeachment by members of the House following what they termed ‘unhealthy publication’ he made on behalf of the Parliamentarians against the state government and Governor Peter Obi. It was gathered that members expressed their dissatisfaction with the manner and language with which the Speaker attacked the state government during their first sitting for 2014, at the Cana House, Awka, during which Michael narrowly escaped impeachment.

Chairman of the Ethics, Rule and Business Committee, Francis Okoli and two ambassadors representing Anambra State Children’s Parliament at the national level Abuja, Stanley Onyemechalu and Chidera Obi, moved a motion that saved the Speaker as they called on the House to work together to save the situation.

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Friday, January 24, 2014

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Friday, January 24, 2014

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PHOTONEWS

Executive Director, Operations and Services, Premium Pension Limited, Kayode Akande (left); Chief Executive Officer, Wilson Ideva and Executive Director, Business Development and Investment, Adamu Mele, during a media tour/conference on the “ Giant Strides in Premium Pensions” in Abuja.

PHOTO: LADIDI LUCY ELUKPO

Ekiti State Deputy Governor, Prof. Modupe Adelabu (left) addressing teachers of Ado Ekiti Grammar School, during a visit to the school.

Chairman of Odu’a Group of Companies, Dr. Isaac Folorunso Akintade (left); Group Managing Director, Dr. Adebayo Jimoh; Managing Director, Lagos Airport Hotel, Kayode Adenigba and Chairman of Lagos Airport Hotel, Rokeeb Adeniji, during the familiarisation visit of the company’s chairman with other members of the board of directors to Lagos Airport Hotel, Lagos.

Kogi State Governor, Idris Wada (middle); Commissioner for Water Resources, Hadiza Onotu (left); Chairman, Adavi Local Council, Salihu Adaviruku; Speaker, Kogi House of Assembly, Momoh Jimoh Lawal and Commissioner for Rural Development, Umar Mohammed, during the flag-off of 500 motorized water pump borehole systems to aid the provision of water to rural communities at Adavi Local Council, Kogi State.

Lagos State Commissioner for Science and Technology, Adebiyi Mabadeje (left); Chief Marketing Officer, MTN Nigeria, Larry Annetts; General Manager, Products and Services, MTN Nigeria, Ugonwa Nwoye and Chief Executive Officer, CcHub, Bosun Tijani, at the launch of MTN CcHub Mobile Experience Centre in Lagos.

Director, Brands and Communications, Etisalat Nigeria, Enitan Denloye (left); Acting Chief Executive Officer, Etisalat Nigeria, Matthew Willsher; Faces of Etisalat Easyflex, Genevieve Nnaji and Hakeem Kae Kazim and Director, Consumer Segment, Oluwole Rawa, at the Etisalat Easyflex New Bundles for High PHOTO: SUNDAY AKINLOLU Value Segment in Lagos.

Pastor-in-Charge, Holiness Model Parish, Isheri-Magodo, Olaitan Olubiyi (left); Chairperson, All Nigerian Conference of Principals of Secondary Schools (ANCOPSS), Solabomi Fadola; Baale of Isheri, Albert Oluwole Bankole; Principal, Isheri Grammar School, Mojisola Aluko and Pastor-in-Charge of The couple, Ejiga and his wife, Oluwaninsola Osisanya flanked by groom’s parents, Mr. and Mrs. Peter Lagos Province 37, Adewole Jaiyeoba, at the official dedication and presentation of renovated techni- Opaluwa at their wedding in Ikorodu, Lagos. cal workshop block of the school in Lagos.

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Friday, January 24, 2014

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WorldReport ECOWAS, INTERPOL, EU move against organised crime in West Africa

By Bola Olajuwon ERY soon, contraventions V of West African porous borders and Sahelian region by organised criminals may be over.

A prelude to achieving this objective was the official launch of West African Police Information System (WAPIS) Programme Office in Abuja on Wednesday.

The WAPIS Programme Office is a partnership initiative by the International Criminal Investigation Police Organisation (INTERPOL), Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the European Union (EU).

According to the three bodies behind the initiative, it is part of ongoing collaborative efforts by the organisations

The programme is designed to build the capacity of member states through the setting up of databases for information sharing and exchange on issues relating to criminality at national and regional levels, and the possibility of an inflow and outflow of the information at global levels through INTERPOL tools. in effectively fighting transnational organised crime in the region through sharing of informations on criminal activities as a key element of efficient modern policing.

While declaring the office open for operations, the ECOWAS Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security, Mrs. Salamatu Hussaini Suleiman, said: “One of the main challenges in fight-

ing transnational organised criminality is inaccurate statistics and data on reported occurrences.

“In an attempt to address this vacuum in the region, ECOWAS in collaboration with INTERPOL and through the funding of the European Union in 2012 launched a Programme known as the West African Police Information System.”

Continuing, Suleiman said

the programme “is designed to build the capacity of member states through the setting up of databases for information sharing and exchange on issues relating to criminality at national and regional levels, and the possibility of an inflow and outflow of the information at global levels through INTERPOL tools.”

The ECOWAS Commissioner noted that the dynamics of globalisation has made the fight against transnational criminality more challenging for law enforcement agents around the world, “especially in our region where we have limited human and technical capacities to effectively control our large frontiers.”

Yanukovych wants Ukraine’s lawmakers to meet on crisis FTER five days of deadly A clashes between protesters and security forces, Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych yesterday demanded an extraordinary session of parliament to ease the crisis in the country.

The three main opposition leaders were to hold crisis talks with Yanukovych, as world boxing champion and UDAR (Punch) party leader Vitali Klitschko brokered a truce in the violence between protesters and police.

Speaker Volodymyr Rybak said parliament would discuss the protesters’ demands for the government’s resignation and the annulment of a controversial anti-protest law at a session expected next week, the presidency said in a statement.

But he did not mention early

presidential elections, a key opposition demand.

Meanwhile, the last Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev yesterday appealed to Russian President Vladimir Putin and United States President Barack Obama to broker peace talks to end the deadly violence rocking Ukraine.

“I am sure that you are capable of achieving this aim. The sides fighting each other must sit down together for talks,” the 82-year-old statesman said in an open letter published on the website of his Gorbachev Foundation.

“Vladimir Vladimirovich, Mr. Obama. I ask you to find the opportunity and take a decisive step to help Ukraine to return to the path of peaceful development,” he added, using a respectful form of address to Putin.

UN envoys meet Syrian foes to salvage talks NITED Nations (UN) envoy U met delegations from Syria’s government and its foes on Lake Geneva yesterday, to salvage peace talks after an acrimonious start by focusing on local ceasefires and prisoner swaps rather than a political deal.

The first day of the talks on Wednesday was dominated by fierce rhetoric from President Bashar al-Assad’s government and its foes. Brought together for the first time in almost three years of war, each accused the other of

atrocities and showed no sign of compromise.

Despite the bitterness, officials still hope they can salvage the process by starting with more modest, practical measures to ease the plight of millions of people on the ground, especially in areas cut off from international aid.

“We have had some fairly clear indications that the parties are willing to discuss issues of access to needy people, the liberation of prisoners and local ceasefires,” UN envoy Lakhdar Brahimi said.

Britain’s second royal baby is Mia Grace RANDDAUGHTER of G Queen Elizabeth II, Zara Phillips, has named her new

Head of the Ukrainian opposition UDAR (Punch) party, Vitalii Klitshko (middle) with protesters at a barricade in the centre of the city in Kiev after he brokered eight-hour ceasefire following talks with radical protesters and armoured security forces on the frontline of the clashes…yesterday.

PHOTO: AFP

Renewed fear of repression in Egypt three years after Mubarak N Saturday, Egypt will O mark the third anniversary of the uprising that drove dictator Hosni Mubarak from power.

But a heavy-handed crackdown following the army’s ouster of his successor, Mohamed Morsi, is raising fears that the repression of the old regime is returning, experts said yesterday.

One of them, Michael Hanna, an expert on Egypt with The Century Foundation think tank, said “formerly discredited elements of the old regime capitalised on the post-Mubarak transition, particularly the stewardship of the Muslim Brotherhood.”

“Not only have they been rehabilitated, they are now ascendant,” he said of the

interior ministry, which runs the police and was influential at almost every level of the state at the height of its power under Mubarak.

After the military’s July removal of Morsi, an Islamist who was Egypt’s first freely elected president, the new regime jailed him and suppressed his Muslim Brotherhood in a bloody campaign

that has killed more than 1,000 people in street clashes and put thousands more in jail.

It has also turned its sights on protests by liberals and secularists who were the driving force behind the uprising against Mubarak.

The army ousted Morsi last summer following mass street demonstrations demanding his resignation.

French forces launch anti-terror operations in Mali GAIN, French forces yesA terday carried out two night-time counter-terrorism operations in rebel-infested northern Mali.

According to a foreign military source in Bamako, French troops targetted the Movement for Oneness and Jihad in West Africa (MUJAO) and the Signatories in Blood, an armed unit founded by fugitive jihadist commander Mokhtar Belmokhtar.

“We do not have a death toll yet... It is clear that MUJAO fighters, heirs of Abou Zeid and Belmokhtar’s (unit) are in the viewfinder,” he said.

“They are trying to rebuild.

Perhaps they even have military equipment from Libya,” he told Agence France Presse (AFP), adding that the operations were still ongoing yesterday morning.

Algerians Abdelhamid Abou Zeid and Belmokhtar

were leaders of Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), which, along with MUJAO and other Islamist groups, occupied northern Mali in 2012 before being driven out

by French-led troops.

Abou Zeid was killed in fighting led by the French army in the Ifoghas mountains in northern Mali in late February last year while Belmokhtar remains at large.

An African military source

in MINUSMA, the United Nations peacekeeping mission in Mali, confirmed the operations near the desert caravan town of Timbuktu and in the Ifoghas mountains.

“There are air and land resources. This is not the largest military operation since the liberation of the cities, but it is necessary to ensure that terrorists don’t rebuild,” he said.

daughter Mia Grace, the champion equestrian eventer and her rugby star husband, Mike Tindall, announced yesterday.

Phillips, 32, gave birth to her first child last Friday.

Mia Grace arrives five months after Britain’s other royal baby – Prince George – born to Phillips’ cousin Prince William and his wife Kate.

Tindall, a former England centre, posted on his Twitter page: “For everyone who has asked... our daughter’s name, it’s Mia Grace Tindall.”

The baby is 16th in line to the British throne and is a fourth great-grandchild of the queen.

Phillips won the eventing world championship in 2006 as well as a silver medal at the London Olympics in 2012.

Her husband currently plays for and coaches English Premiership club, Gloucester.

Indian woman gang-raped on orders of village court N the orders of a village O court, a 20-year-old woman in eastern India was yesterday reportedly gangraped by 13 men as punishment for having a relationship with a man from a different community.

The woman, who is now recovering in hospital, told police she was assaulted by the men on the night of January 20 in Birbhum district in West Bengal.

Police said that her male companion was tied up in the village square, while the assault on the woman happened in a mud house.

“We arrested all the 13 men, including the village chief who ordered the gang rape.

The accused have been produced in court which remanded them to jail custody,” Birbhum’s Superin-

tendent of Police, C. Sudhakar, told the Thomson Reuters Foundation.

India toughened laws on sex crimes in March last year following the fatal gang rape of a physiotherapist on a moving bus in Delhi in December 2012.

The case led to nationwide protests for better security and has helped sparked national debate about gender inequalities in India.

The issue was highlighted in local media again last week after a 51-year-old Danish tourist was gang-raped in central Delhi by at least five men whom she had asked for directions.

The West Bengal victim’s family told media that she was assaulted because the court believed she had violated the rules of her tribe by falling in love with a man from another community.

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Friday, January 24, 2014

Politics Defection gale hits Edo PDP From Alemma-Ozioruva Aliu, Benin City HE past week was not a pleasant one for the TWhile Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Edo State. its national leadership was battling for the survival of the party, the loss of two prominent leaders and thousands of their supporters to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) compounded its woes in the state.

More disastrous is the defection of PDP’s only elected councilor in Ogbonna Ward 4, Etsako West Local government council of Edo State, Mr. Peter Akhugie, to the APC. Incidentally, the state chairman of the PDP, Chief Dan Orbih, is from the same ward and that was the only ward out of the 10 in the council that the PDP had a seat.

At the defection venue, Akhugie said he decided to dump the PDP for the APC due to “my conscience because I want the best for my people and not deceit.”

He added: “PDP leaders are using us to make money for themselves rather than for the people. But we have said no; enough is enough. We want to join Oshiomhole to make our state and council better for our people.”

It was a vintage Adams Oshiomhole, who personally received the defecting councilor and his supporters in Ogbonna, taking the PDP and its leadership to the cleaners.

According to the governor, the birth of the APC “has changed the face of politics in Nigeria and Nigerian politics will never be the same again.”

He described the defection of the only PDP Oshiomhole councilor in the council as a political earthand attractive. In the past, only the children quake.

“I have come not only to welcome Peter into of the rich attended beautiful schools .

“Politics is about the people, it is about deour fold, this local government is now 10/10 exactly the same way it is 18/18 in Edo State after velopment, it is not about sharing rice and sugar during election periods.”

my election,” he said.

He iterated that his administration would “And that is to recognise that our strength is not in empty rhetorics, making promises that emphasis development, “the right of the child to good schools, the right of the woman to we will not keep.

“I have come to assure the people of Ogbonna clean water, the right of our people to good that we have done one borehole before, we will roads.”

“Even after my tenure, we will have APC govdo another one.”

Oshiomhole specifically promised the people ernments that will continue to work for our that the state government would immediately people,” he said, with an accompanying deploy the Rapid Response Agency (RRA) to “amen” from the crowd.

“By the time I am out of government, I will be sink a second borehole in the community, to be proud to go round Edo State to say, ‘this is piped to various quarters.

“When you were not with us, we did a borehole what I did’ and my successors on APC platand now that you are with us, we will do more,” form will build on where we stopped,” he said. he stressed.

Meanwhile, barely three days later, the state The governor told the crowd that his government would continue to extend development secretariat of the APC was besieged by thouto every nook and cranny of the state, irrespec- sands of supporters of the PDP from Edo South senatorial district, as a three-time tive of political party divide.

“The weapon we have against the PDP is our de- member of the House of Representatives unvelopmental efforts and they have no answer to der the PDP, Mr. Ehioge West-Idahosa, formerly joined the APC. it,” he said, amid applause.

The defectors were received by the state In“Each time they plan at night but in the day time, God will destroy their plots. ” terim Chairman of the APC, Mr. Osaro Idah Oshiomhole continued the onslaught: “I want and other party leaders, including former and to assure Edo people that APC is on a liberation present lawmakers both at the state and namovement and there is no going back; what is tional level, members of the state executive council and his numerous supporters. dead is dead.

On his part, West-Idahosa, who, a few months “Now that PDP is pronounced dead in sin, they will not resurrect. There is no resurrection for ago, formerly sent his letter of resignation PDP. from the PDP to its leadership, said he left the “While Dan Orbih’s people are moving to a pro- party and went under to strategise and align gressive party, he remains in Benin, telling lies with the progressives.

He said: “If I see my friends in the progresto people but politically, he is finished at sives arena, who am I to remain in the reachome.”

The governor said the APC was on a liberation tionary arena?

“How many persons have been sent to the movement and there was no going back.

“I ask that we rededicate ourselves to the serv- House three times; what will I do with all the ice of the people,” he said, adding, “Nigerian knowledge I have acquired? That is why I depolitics will never be the same again. cided that it is time for change.

“We will work for the development of the “We have established a reputation of service to the people. One man dictatorship is gone and state and together with the state government, today, our people are free and free for good.” we will get to the Promised Land.”

In his remarks, Osaro Idah said the APC The governor said his government would continue to build and rehabilitate more schools would soon begin membership registration “because education is the foundation for our and that there would be no hoarding of membership cards but “we will give everybody tomorrow.”

“We will make our schools the most beautiful equal opportunity.”

APC falling apart in Edo, says Ordia Clifford Ordia, an engineer and Chairman of the Upper Benue River Basin Development Authority, secured in 2007 the senatorial ticket of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), to represent Edo Central senatorial district, but the mandate was allegedly handed over to another aspirant in controversial circumstances. A major player in the private sector, has provided succour to the people of his district, and wants to expand the scope of his responsibilities by representing them in the Senate in 2015. He spoke to newsmen, including Terhemba Daka, in Abuja, on assorted issues, including the chances of the PDP in Edo State ahead of the 2015 elections, imposition of candidates by political parties, the performance of President Goodluck Jonathan, and his plan for his people if elected.

WHY do you l want to represent your people in the Senate?

HAvE done my best as a private person. Like you know, even if I have all the billions in the world, I will not be able to reach out to everybody.

When you look well, you will realise that huge resources abound in this nation. You have to find your way to the corridors of power to be able to reach out to as many citizens as possible.

God has blessed me and with my wealth of experience in the private sector, I know what it takes to be a senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. I know what it is to add value to life and bring development to the people. These are parts of the reasons that informed my decision to represent my people.

Edo Central appears to be the only stronghold of the PDP in Edo State. How do you intend to ensure that the party maintains this position?

We are predominantly PDP in this senatorial district. Like you are aware, if I am produced as the senator to represent my people, that will fur- Ordia ther strengthen our base.

As you know, the All Progressives Congress tension.

(APC) is already falling apart. When they see Even at that, consensus can only work when somebody that can perform as a senator, those there are no dissenting voices. If there are, then that have left the PDP will come back. everyone should go to the primaries.

As you can see already, many of them are com- Since the APC has promised some defecting ing back. I am 90 per cent certain that we will be lawmakers automatic tickets, won’t the PDP adopt the same strategy in 2015? victorious come 2015.

If you use the last local government elections in I do not think the PDP will want to do such a the state as a yardstick to measure what to expect thing. To start with, do they know the quality in 2015, does PDP stand any chance? of those that are defecting?

I do not think we should use that election as a These are politicians that might have been rebasis. Nobody wants to imitate what is wrong. jected by their people. They are sure they will Maybe Adams Oshiomhole was able to influence not be reelected again. These people just want the outcome of the election because he is the to crumble democracy.

As a chairman of a federal board and a PDP governor of the state.

INEC is a national electoral umpire and it will stakeholder, how would you rate the performnot succumb to the whims and caprices of any- ance of President Goodluck Jonathan since he body. I am very convinced that we will have a free assumed office? and fair election in Edo State come 2015. President Jonathan has done extremely very What new things are you planning to bring on well. This is the president that is very calculaboard for the people of Edo Central where you tive. He has no time to be distracted. Nigerians should allow the president to do his work. come from?

The main function of a senator is to make laws Before President Jonathan took over, traveling for the good governance of this country. When through Nigerian roads was a nightmare. The Esan people see their son contributing robustly roads are now in good shape. If Nigerians can to debates that will change the fortunes of this just support the president’s dream for this country, he will transform everything. country, I think they will be proud.

As a senator, you carry out oversight functions. Look at our airports. Positive changes are takI intend to do that creditably. I am coming from ing place. In the area of electricity, you see what the private sector and I know what is expected of President Jonathan has done. me. Beyond that, I intend to bring some devel- People find it very hard to praise those doing opmental projects to Edo State that will create the work in this country. I am not saying we do not have problems anymore, but he has perjobs.

As a senator, my mandate will not be to give fish formed so well and he deserves our praises.

In government, nobody can get it 100 per to my people; I will teach my people how to fish.

A time has come in this country when people, cent. Before long, those areas that are yet to rewho understand what service means to the peo- ceive attention will be adequately attended to. ple, should be elected into positions of author- If President Jonathan decides to run today for a second term in office, many Nigerians will ity.

The position of a senator should not be given to support him. I will personally support him. people who have not been tested. Under my Who, actually, is Clifford Ordia? tenure, Esanland will experience true change I was born on May 19, 1960 in Esan Central Loand development. Under my tenure, there will cal Government Area of Edo State. I graduated not be any case of poor representation; there will from the Ambrose Alli University (then Bendel State University) in the mid 1980s with a debe joy in the morning.

How do you tackle the issue of imposition of can- gree in Civil Engineering. didates by the PDP, as was the case in the past? After working with Shell Petroleum Nigeria I think this practice of issuing automatic tickets Ltd after my NYSC, I resigned in 1991 and to people should be done away with. It is capa- formed my own company, a major player in the construction business. We have executed ble of scattering the party.

Automatic ticket issued to candidates is an aber- projects for major oil companies and for the ration to our democratic system in the PDP. federal government. I have risen to the peak in If you want to issue an automatic ticket, you my profession. have to call a general convention where the de- As a private citizen, I have provided two funccision will be taken, and I am convinced it will tional boreholes in my community. In terms not scale through. We should do away with it; it of education, I have been giving assistance to does not promote democracy. people in my senatorial district.

If automatic tickets will guarantee peace and As part of my social welfare programme, and oneness in the party, shouldn’t it be practised? because of my decision to help the underprivA consensus is different from an automatic ileged in the society, the Rotary Club honoured ticket. The party has no room for an automatic me.

I believe in adding value to the society. I alticket.

It can be understood if you talk about consensus ways want to uphold the biblical injunction, arrangement that will go a long way in reducing which charges us to always be our brother’s

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Friday, January 24, 2014 POLITICS | 11

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APC’s communique at NEC meeting in Abuja COMMUNIQUÉ ARISING FROM THE 8TH MEETING OF THE INTERIM NATIONAL EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE OF THE ALL PROGRESSIVES CONGRESS (APC) THURSDAY, 23RD JANUARY, 2014

HE APC Interim National Executive T Committee held its 8th regular meeting today. In attendance were General Muhammadu Buhari Rtd, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu, the Governors of Rivers, Lagos, Edo, Nasarawa, Kwara, Borno, Adamawa, Yobe, Sokoto,Ekiti,Ogun and the Deputy Governors of Oyo, Imo, Kano and Zamfara and other Party leaders.

The meeting was chaired by the Interim National Chairman, Chief BisiAkande and attended by the full complement of the Interim National Executive Committee along with the leadership of the APC in the two chambers of the National Assembly.

The National Executive Committee of the APC commended the courage, maturity and political sagacity of Governor Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers State in the face of serial unprovoked and unwarranted assaults on his person, his constitutional rights and those of the Government and People of Rivers State. The conduct of Governor Amaechi represents our Party’s maturity and compliance with the rule of law in response to escalating impunity. The APC is very proud of him.

Any cursory observer of events in Rivers State since February, 2013 will be left in no doubt as to the culture of lawlessness and impunity being promoted and supported by the Presidency, and Jonathan executed by the State Commissioner of Police Joseph Mbu, who has become the de facto military Governor of Rivers State and sole administrator of the PDP in the State.

A few instances of the brazen lawlessness and violations of the Constitution will suffice here – the forceful dispersal of 13,201 newly recruited teachers in the Port Harcourt Stadium using tear gas; blockading the entrance to the Government House in Port Harcourt and forcing the State Governor to use another entrance; preventing an aircraft chartered by the State Governor from taking off, alleging that the Governor was trying to smuggle out a legislator wanted by the Police, no apology was offered to the Governor, the disruption of a peaceful rally during which Senator Magnus Abe was shot with intent to kill; the several disruptions of Save Rivers Group rallies, and the unlawful detention of anybody perceived to be a sympathizer of Governor Rotimi Amaechi, while allowing proJonathan an Anti-Amaechi groups to organize rallies unmolested.

The National Executive Committee of Buhari the APC has now resolved that if this acts of impunity and lawlessness continue unabated and the Police persists in being as an enforcement arm of the PDP to the detriment of our members, it will have no alternative than to ask our teeming members all over the country and especially in Rivers State to take whatever steps that are necessary to protect their lives and property.

Following on the forgoing and in view of the joint resolutions of the National Assembly on Rivers State, and other constitutional breaches by the Presidency, the APC hereby directs its members in the National Assembly to block all legislative proposals including the 2014 Budget and confirmation of all nominees to military and civilian positions to public office until the rule of law and constitutionalism is restored in Rivers State in particular and Nigeria in general.

Alh. Lai Mohammed Interim National Publicity Secretary Mark All Progressives Congress (APC).

Tinubu

Tambuwal

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12 | Friday, January 24, 2014

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Conscience Nurtured by Truth

FOUNDER: ALEX U. IBRU (1945 – 2011) Conscience is an open wound; only truth can heal it. Uthman dan Fodio 1754-1816

Editorial Poor performance in WAEC exams HE steady decline in the performance of Nigeria’s children in the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE), had once risen from the level of surprise to one of outright national shame. The results of the November/December 2013 edition released the other day, as a matter of fact, showed an even more significant decline when compared with those of the preceding three years, thus raising the phenomenon to one of a national crisis. This is dangerous and requires urgent rescue operations. The embarrassing poor results, which have become perennial, merely however, re-affirm the systematic failure of the country, as there has been consistent failure in governance, in attitude to work and in all other areas. Mass failure in all examinations with little or nothing being done to address it, would be no more than one more in a diary of failures if it were not about the nation’s children, hence the future. This is one crisis too many and must be arrested.

According to the National Office of WAEC, which announced the results, 308, 217 candidates registered out of which only 296,827 candidates sat for the examination. Out of this number, 86,612 candidates representing 29.17 per cent obtained credits in five subjects and above, including English language and Mathematics.

Five effective credits inclusive of English Language and Mathematics is the minimum requirement for admission into university. Consequently, those who could not obtain five effective credits may have to re-sit the examination if they desire to apply to a university.

A total of 299,784 candidates, representing 97.26 per cent, had their results fully released while 8,433 candidates or 2.74 per cent had a few of their subjects still being processed due to errors. The results of 36,260 candidates, representing 12.88 per cent, were withheld due to examination malpractice. The national office lamented that despite the council’s zero-tolerance for examination fraud, there has been an increase in the use of mobile handsets by candidates during examinations for various malpractices.

For some time now, poor performance of candidates in public examinations has been the order of the day. In 2011, 139,827 candidates representing 36.07 per cent recorded five effective credits including English Language and Mathematics.

In 2012, 150,615 candidates representing 37.97 per cent scored similar results.

The 2009 May/June examination showed that only 356,981 candidates, representing 26 per cent of the 1,373,009 candidates who sat for the examination, obtained five effective credits. The worst result so far was recorded in the May/June examination of 2008 in which out of a total of 1,369,142 candidates, only 188,442 candidates, representing 13.76 per cent obtained five effective credits and above.

Failure is due to many factors. These include poor funding of education; lack of adequate teaching infrastructure; neglect of basic primary education; failure of parents and wards; poor training of teachers; incessant strikes by teachers; lack of interest on the part of government in education and the general malaise in the system. Last year, the former Minister of Education, Prof. Ruqayyatu Rufa’i celebrated 39 per cent pass rate as a great achievement!

There, of course, can be no magic to enhance the performance of candidates in examinations when the entire system is in tatters. The school system, after all, is part and parcel of the larger Nigerian system.

Of particular concern is the collapse of the public school system, with the result that parents who can afford it take their wards to private schools, which are not better as most are there just to make money. The trend is disturbing.

Government must do something urgently to remedy the situation in order to avert the unpleasant implications for the youths and the future of the country. It is the future of the youths that is being destroyed with the on-going missed opportunities to lay a solid foundation for their lives.

The absence of effective inspectorate division in the school system is one of the ills that must be corrected. Poor investment and lack of development in most schools are terribly unacceptable reigning norms which must now be reversed.

It must be stressed that the United Nations recommended at least 26 per cent of the national budget to be invested in education. Here in Nigeria, the investment hovers around a meagre 13 per cent, among the least in sub-Saharan Africa.

Besides, there has been a total erosion of the value system. The culture of get-richquick, fuelled by greed and wrong example from the nation’s elite is pushing many youngsters to shun the rigour of education and, instead, look for easy way to wealth. This is ominous.

There is no doubt that the education sector is in crisis. And to address it, there should be an Emergency Education Development Agenda that sets targets over a given period of time. This should be followed with massive funding of education at all levels. If that were the main programme of a government, it would be applauded as a worthy effort to rescue the future of this country.

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LETTERS

Why Jonathan will win in 2015 This (Anti-People Cabal) SflashIR:group called APC is simply a in the pan. When the chips

are down, there will be unprecedented rancour in their rank and file. I can assure that the euphoria in this APC will soon be over and the bitter truth will stare them in the face.

One thing is certain about this APC: they act on emotions like King Herod. They are so overjoyed since the defection of the five over-ambitious former PDP rebel governors. Very soon they will know the truth.

This APC is filled with overambitious and corrupt politicians. It is clear that power at the centre at all cost is their mission. That is actually their ideology. They have nothing to offer Nigerians. That is why, for the sake of seeking power at the centre, Buhari is ready to work together with Tinubu. But that is not the issue. The issue is that this APC may be tempted to present a ‘Northerner’ as their presidential candidate in 2015.This will confirm the suspicion of the clamour for power to the North by all means.

The North has been in power for 39 years out of 53 years of nationhood. Yet the North has the highest illiteracy rate. It is ravaged by cholera, polio, and meningitis every year.

It took the bold and honest intervention by President Goodluck Jonathan to establish the Almajiri Schools for the Northerners. He established more universities in the North than all former leaders put together. Apart from General Gowon who established the universities in Sokoto, Maiduguri,

Jos, Ilorin and Kano in February 1975.

The Northern elite like Buhari, Ango Abdullahi, Adamu Ciroma, Junaid Mohammed, Rabiu Kwankwaso believe in mass illiteracy of the people so that they can perpetually enslave them and use them during violence.

With the defection of saboteurs and fifth columnists from the PDP, the coast is clear for Jonathan to clinch the PDP ticket for the 2015 election. We want

to still affirm that in a free and fair election in 2015, the president will win squarely, far better than in 2011.

Despite the detraction by Boko Haram insurgence which was deliberately created by the Northern elite the Jonathan administration has performed very well in all facets of national development. He deserves and will surely get our votes again next year.

•Ndiameeh Babreek, e-mail: ndidi90call@gmail.com

Shouting down the Holy Spirit IR: Shouting down the Holy SPentecost Spirit as if it is the day of is the rave in many churches. Participants brazenly endeavour to ritualize the occasion when truth was manifested to believers to show the clarity of God. This is an act of vanity. A group of zealots cannot pretend to meet the biblical sanctity to come together to stage the spiritual phenomenon. One shouting all through the night to call down the Holy Spirit will cause sore throat and severe tiredness through the day, at best, a psychological release. God is not so far away that He cannot hear the divine mediation of a saint. God is in the forefront of your presence and your life will be an embodiment of miracles when you observe Him. Looking up to man to bring down the spiritual light from heaven is like believing in magic.

God did not create man to understand His ways. Trusting your life in the hands of another to make your problems disappear is reck-

lessness. One is inclined to believe that the punishment will be greater for the megalomaniacs who sell fantasy to the searching souls.

An Igbo adage asks the question: a doctor that cures dysentery where does he put his buttocks. It is the flare of ambition that blinds some gifted people to cross the boundary of glory.

It is as simple as a rose to see the love of God. The glimmer of beauty like stars dotting the blue sky caresses the rough places. Nature can testify that the Holy Spirit is ever present whether you shout down from heaven or whisper from the deepest valley. It is a struggle to walk the barren desert.

The sparkle of a falling spring is divine. The creator made both the desert and the spring to serve His purposes. Shine your eyes in the light of the sun and you will find peace in your journey. Bang not your head against a rock to find water. It is free.

• Pius Okaneme, Umuoji, Anambra State.

THE GUARDIAN www.ngrguardiannews.com

Friday, January 24, 2014

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Opinion Third Vatican Council: Satire to hoax

By Francis Ikhianosime EORGE Orwell is a neo-classical writer famed G for satires, and legendary among these works are Animal Farm and Nineteen Eighty-Four. In my secondary school days, my Literature teacher used them as a template to expose the features of a satirical literature. I learnt that a satire is sardonic in character. It has a strong vein of sarcasm and frequently used are parody, burlesque, exaggeration, juxtaposition, comparison, analogy and double entendre. As a weapon, it has a “militant irony”. Satires take a grain of truth, and do something to perverse or confuse it, by making it more black-and-white or greyer. This is the case with the Third Vatican Council that has hit the rounds in the last one month.

The fake story circulating, hits at Pope Francis on Social media and the Internet and there have been over 10,000 shares on Facebook and counting. The fake story is traceable to the blog “Diversity Chronicle” which posted the charade on the Catholic Church and Pope Francis on December 5, 2013, with the title: “Pope Francis Condemns Racism and Declares that All Religions are true at Historic Third Vatican Council”. When this post first hit the social media, it went agog with the Pope being calumniated as an Anti-Christ amongst others. This did not give me a serious nudge as the Catholic Church down memory lane has past more fierce ages of rocks, but, She, being the “Rock of Ages”, has never been overcome. I do not see the Catholic Church quivering at unfounded, unintelligent and frivolous claims which are aimed at travesty and tawdry popularity. Just about every Pope has been given the tag, AntiChrist, the recent past being Pope Emeritus, Benedict XVI. Protestants from Oliver Cromwell to Ian Paisley have consistently asserted that the Bishop of Rome was an Anti-Christ. All these are strings of the gates of the underworld, even when they come with the convoluted interpretation of Scriptures as their support, certainly, the gates of the underworld have not and cannot prevail against the Church as promised by Christ to Peter and invariably his successors (cf.Matt.16:18).

Nonetheless, I started taking the issue very serious, when it was being heavily feasted on by many unscrupulous minds, and even attempting to make facts out of the fiction – a case of irreconcilable epistemology. It became more bemusing for me, when Pastor Chris Okotie hooted most of his self-styled judgment on this that “Catholics would go to hell and the Pope is an anti-Christ”. In the first instance, playing God

is an effective testimony of a laughable falsehood and an aggressive inauthenticity; a selfweb Pastor Okotie was caught.

Notwithstanding, Justus Nwakanma tried umpiring this polemic in a piece in The Guardian of January 12, 2014 with the title: “Between Okotie and Pope Francis”. He tried to surmise reasons for Pastor Okotie misjudgement, yet, he, too like many others are under the gullibility of the claims in point. The misgivings are in the following range: that there is a third Vatican Council which was ended on December 5, 2013, that Pope Francis at that Council made some claims especially about no longer believing in a Literal Hell, that an atheist himself could make heaven, hell being a literary device, and a lot more libel.

All these and the purported words of Pope Francis are the satirical excerpts from the “Diversity Chronicle” blog. Sadly, Justus Nwakanma who began like an unbiased umpire, ended up contracting the disease, he himself was about to cure, by falling prey to the amusement of the same pun-players. He seemingly concedes by saying: “Concerns have been raised as to whether this raft of revolutionary irrationalism coming from the Pope is real or fake. But since there has been no official denial (to the writer’s knowledge) from the Vatican, it is reasonable to conclude that whether he is speaking ex cathedra, or not, Christendom should not at all be silent or relapse in muted applause of a seeming infraction of its principles and teachings.”

“Diversity Chronicle” is a satirical blog created

by Erik Thorson and according to him, it is for personal amusement. On the disclaimer page, Erik Thorson noted emphatically, that the content on his blog is “largely satirical”. The author of the blog based his writings on the quote of Georg Christopher Lichtenberg: “I ceased in the year 1764 to believe that one can convince one’s opponents with arguments printed in books. It is not to do that, therefore, that I have taken up my pen, but merely so as to annoy them, and to bestow strength and courage on those on our own side, and to make it known to the others that they have not convinced us.” (cf. http://diversitychronicle.wordpress.com/disclaimer/).

Erik Thorson is not concerned with perpetuating truth of passing right information per say, but just to annoy and create a literary comical satire. So, why should the Vatican meddle in what from the beginning, the author consented to as a satirical and a comical spree? If the Vatican condescends to responding to this shoddy claim, it would only amass to fostering the mediocrity. Dan Brown in his popular suspense,

The Da Vinci code, made a disclaimer that his work was an art of fiction, hence, the Catholic Church and Christendom at large was not too perturbed with the mountains made out of his molehill.

The issues generated from this blogger post are very revealing and stunning. The point that many have had to swallow and appropriate claims to the Pope on this account, uncovers the fact that, we live in a “generation of unverifiability”. Verifiable statements of the Pope could be seen in the Vatican’s site (www.vatican.va), in L’Osservatore Romano; an official Weekly Newspaper of the Vatican, in official documents of the Church like: Motu Proprio, Instructio, encyclicals, decrees, declaration, Apostolic Letters and Exhortations, etc. and not in individual blogs. There are many things that are exalted without any prune or poke at the source.

People arrogate to themselves a position and a title they don’t occupy or have and no one verifies.

A man walks up to a Police Officer and declares an intimidating personality and without verification, he is granted access on that account. People forge certificates of academic qualification and without verification; we accept their evidence and place them in power. The foolery just continues in a sad vicious circle.

The unfortunate reality this mirrors is the richness of our naivety. Sadly too, it is a pointer to the degenerated paralysis of reading in our today’s society. This issue is not making many rounds in the Oriental world the way we have been fooled by its contents here. If the foundation of a thing is false, then, the conclusion cannot be anything but false.

There is no way falsehood can give birth to truth.

This is just the problem of religious propaganda.

While freedom of speech accommodates the freedom of dissent, the onus of right judgment is incumbent on the one absorbing it or not. One can only be fooled, if he/she chooses to be fooled. But to play the fool is a freedom for anyone. There are people who want to make mockery of our religious beliefs but it becomes mockery when we accept them as facts to be contested or accepted.

There is another point that makes the satire all the more funny. It is the buzz about the Third Vatican Council. The Catholic Church has had only two Vatican Councils: the first convoked was by Pope Pius IX on June 29, 1868 and after a period of planning, formally opened on December 8, 1869 and adjourned on October 20, 1870. The Second Vatican Council opened under the pontificate of Pope John XXIII on October 11, 1962 and closed under Pope Paul VI in 1965. These were the last two Ecumenical councils held of the twenty-one Ecumenical Councils held in the Church’s history so far. An ecumenical council is a conference of ec-

clesiastical dignitaries and theological experts convened to discuss and settle matters of Church doctrine and practice in which those entitled to vote are convoked from the whole world and which secures the approbation of the whole Church. Thus, it is not a council that could be convoked in a short period of time. It usually takes a period of more than two years as preparatory period leading to the eventual conference. In which case, it involves the world and the publicity is often too overt not to have been noticed or known. The blog claimed that the Third Vatican Council was concluded within six months of meeting. This is unimaginable.

The teaching authority of the Pope is not in question. The Catholic Church remains a conscience for the world. The teachings in the Church are not formulated the way public policies are made. They do not rest on personal policy preferences of the Pope’s opinion. They utterly rest on revealed truth that is not open to change by human beings, yet, knowable by all as true, even by the light of natural reason and the voice of conscience. The Catholic Church is termed archaic and too conservative because of this. But Truth is immutable. It does not change with weather or circumstance. The Ten Commandments are very old, yet they are as obligatory as they were over 2000 years ago.

That is because the norms are true even by natural law. Man-made laws in the Church can change but, those that are divinely revealed cannot. Donald Cardinal Wuerl, the Archbishop of Washington corroborates this in better terms, “The Church simply cannot declare that abortion is acceptable or a good thing, no matter how popular that cultural belief might be, even among some Catholics. It cannot simply announce that there are no moral parameters to human activity. Neither the Pope, nor bishops, nor a majority of faithful can declare that the unjust taking of what belongs to others – stealing – is morally acceptable or a good thing.” The Pope cannot deflect from the Tradition of the Church in matters of Faith and Morals to teaching his personal opinion. His task is to pass it on and that is the meaning of Tradition, “handing it on”. Thus, the thoughts about the Third Vatican Council and all the farce of Pope Francis’ alleged unorthodox teachings are products of a cheap satire which are nothing but a hoax.

• Ikhianosime is a Catholic Priest of the Diocese of Auchi and Secretary of the Diocesan Clergy.

Aregbesola: Taking governance to the next level

By Foluso Aminu BLARING transistor radio began relaying some news items A in which the governor’s name was mentioned. The two fellows stilled themselves to listen: “Governor Aregbesola has doubled the amount paid all government workers for the 13th month salary…”

“Kin mowi? Did I not say it just now? This man has spoiled our business.” It was the first fellow. “ O pari, this one has come to turn things upside down,” replied his colleague.

But all around them were shouts of joy.

What manner of people are made sad by people’s joy?

The energy with which Aregbesola carries on people-oriented programmes is a constant source of sadness for weaklings whose only mission in politics is to corner the public treasury and enslave their own people. Aregbesola is Spartan disciplined, not given to drinking or smoking; such a combination is a guarantee for success. When such a disciplined mind is coupled with intelligence and abundant energy, you have a “Power House”.

Unfortunately in our world, which is still low on the level of evolution, such powers can be used for good or evil.

Aregbesola is different. He’s among those rare human blessings who direct their tremendous energy towards the good of man; builders-up not tearers-down. All sane societies who desire progress treasure – and nurture – such assets, no matter their foibles as humans. Societies that fail to nurture such men do so at their own peril. Aregbesola is suffused and driven by the spirit of Awoism: democratic socialism. Armed with his sixpoint Integral Action Plan “to eliminate poverty, unemployment, hunger and promote education and communal peace,” he has tackled challenges in the State of Osun head-on.

First, Aregbesola made “Omoluabi” slogan of his government.

Omoluabi is the quintessence of the Yoruba person; a person of impeccable integrity. By holding up the Omoluabi concept as something to strive for by citizens of the state, Aregbesola addresses a fundamental necessity of true development: The refinement of the human mind. A truly great nation or state can only be built by men of character, integrity. Aregbesola noted that no matter the investment by a government on infrastructure, if the moral of the people is not invested in, it will be in vain because uncultured people will destroy any good thing that the government might have done.

In line with this philosophy, the governor has waged an all-out battle against corruption in his government. One result of this is the doubling of the tax revenue accruing to the state. This was achieved through the blocking of leakages in the tax collection process.

As part of efforts to reduce unemployment, Aregbesola established the Omoluabi Garment Factory. Besides encouraging the production and use of local materials to make school uniforms and other apparels in the state, it will ultimately train 3,000 persons to be tailors and provide employment for thousands of Osun residents.

The target, according to the governor, is to make the factory the most productive in West Africa.

Under the the Osun Youth Employment Scheme – O’ YES – thousands of youths are being trained in different vocations to make them not only independent but also employers of labour. Recently, 410 youths graduated as farmers from the Osun-Odua Farmers Academy. These youth farmers are to enjoy a year tax holiday as a way of enabling them to stabilise and grow.

The announcement of the 100 per cent monthly basic as the 13th month salary is unprecedented in the state. And it was announced on a day another unprecedented gesture was extended to workers: vehicle refurbishing loans to no fewer than 9, 435 workers.

Speaking on the third anniversary of the Administration, Special Adviser to Governor Rauf Aregbesola on Environment and Sanitation, Mr. Bola Ilori, commented: “Aregbesola is indeed a blessing to the State of Osun, going by what we are witnessing today. In just three years, infrastructural developments are massive, road constructions are going on in all nooks and crannies of the state.

“Efforts on cleaner environment have reduced hospital patronage for diseases-related cases by 50 per cent, face-lifting of our environment through urban renewal programme is on, farmers are getting soft loans and other inputs to carry on their businesses.

“No single case of flooding has been reported since the government started dredging of streams and rivers in the floodprone areas when it came on board; schools are being constructed everywhere, enabling environment is being created for investors.

“Jobs are being created, modern markets are being built and a whole lot more like that. The governor has indeed done well and we can only continue to pray for him for more success.”

You must also have heard of Opon Imo, that computer device for students in the State of Osun. It is unprecedented in the whole of Africa. It is yet another clue to how Aregbesola’s mind works.

While lesser minds divert state money into buying bullet-proof vehicles and allied frivolities, this beared visionary looks far ahead into the future.

Spare no pity for those pitiful fellows under that weatherbeaten umbrella. They won’t survive the gale that now threatens. It will sweep off all the dead woods of the past to usher in a new dawn of which prodigies like Rauf Aregbesola are the prophets…

• Aminu, former Chief of Staff to Chief Adefarati, former and the late Governor of Ondo State, sent this piece from Ibadan.

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THE GUARDIAN www.ngrguardiannews.com

Friday, January 24, 2014

Opinion Amosun, the modernizer at 56

By Soyombo Opeyemi OW fortuitous did the decision to go for a H bank draft turn out to be. I had not used the monetary instrument in over two decades as far as I could recall. Then we literally went with our mats to Sabo, Yaba branch of a first generation bank. Obtaining a bank draft was a whole day affair, in the era of tallies. The harrowing experience was exacerbated by the sheer volume of the patrons of the bank.

So I was not prepared for any time-wasting this time. My plan was to apply for the draft and come back another day to pick it. But the bank official mumbled some words. “Did you say I should wait?” I asked. “Yes, you just need to wait for a few minutes!” Pleasant surprise! In less than 10 minutes or so, I was already descending the stairs of the Abeokuta branch of the bank, transported with joy!

My mind raced immediately to our urban renewal efforts in every part of the state, especially Abeokuta vis-a-vis the earlier criticisms of the opposition. But these people said Amosun should have repaired and maintained the existing ‘face me I face you’ roads instead of constructing modern highways! Just like expecting the Bank to continue the use of tallies or provide comfortable seats for customers in order to cushion the trauma of having to spend the whole day to obtain a bank draft!

I must confess that I was jolted to the marrow when, upon the inauguration of the current government, I had the first-hand experience of crisscrossing Abeokuta. Why should a state capital look so ancient? The roads were so narrow that they could hardly accommodate pedestrians let alone automobiles, and the houses built so close to the roads such that a man in his bedroom could actually exchange handshake with passengers on these prized opposition motorways!

Let me say in passing that the state capital is usually the first point of contact for investors and those who transact business with govern-

ment. The impression they gain matters a lot.

Show me your state capital and I will tell you the kind of people you are. I am not an indigene of Abeokuta but people should not play politics with development. At any rate, the ongoing massive construction in other cities of the state has shut the mouths of critics.

The gods are not asleep after all. Last December, I saw some of these detractors cruising along the international standard highways in Abeokuta, such as the Ibara-Totoro road, Onikolobo-Omida motorway, Abiola Way, etc.

I saw them also on the first overhead bridge. I had thought they would avoid the use of the modern infrastructure in protest and instead pass through their famous ‘face me I face you’ roads that were yet to receive the bulldozers.

So the saying is true: Everybody likes good things!

Some of their supporters threw night parties close to the illumination provided by the lights on Amosun roads. Yes, it is good to enjoy night life; the siege is over; the climate of fear has been removed. We all know what Ogun was before May 29, 2011.

I do not know when last you saw any of the model schools being constructed across the state. These are 21st Century structures that are reshaping the landscape of Ogun. If Ogun State were a commodity quoted on the Nigeria Stock Exchange, its share price would have grown geometrically from early 2012 when Amosun succeeded in fighting insecurity, which had made the state a no-go-area for investment, to a standstill. The number of industries springing up in the state in the last two years is phenomenal. The Business Day award to Ogun as Nigeria’s fastest-growing economy is a testament to the position of the gateway state and the value of its stock in the Nigeria Stock Exchange under the leadership of Senator Ibikunle Amosun.

It’s not been a rosy story all along. No one would have anticipated that the practice of our so-called federalism would degenerate to the

point that the Federal Government alone would corner such a gargantuan amount from the Federation Account while the pittance being shared by the 36 states would not be guaranteed. But for the financial re-engineering of the Amosun government, which is to ensure that the state depends less and less on the Federation Account, one would have imagined the crisis that would have resulted from the drastic fall in the monthly federal allocation.

The monumental debt inherited by the administration has also continued to exact its toll on the purse of the state. Imagine what a huge difference the billions of naira spent so far to offset inherited debts or the humongous sum expended on the very latest technology of Armoured Personnel Carriers, security vans, gadgets and personnel to contain the insecurity foisted on an otherwise peaceful state would have made in the implementation of our limited free health policy!

Although the extremely poor women, under the Gbomoro initiative, get more than the free ante-natal care initially promised (in addition, they receive free transport money and free ‘mama kits’), it is the wish of the governor that the scheme progresses faster and covers more areas and others entitled to free health.

Whereas no government in the world (developed or developing) ever fulfils all its promises or achieves all its intentions 100 per cent – however well-meaning – Amosun continues to strive to ensure that all his programmes are substantially accomplished. Wherever possible, he can surpass expectations such as he has done in security architecture of the state; free education, which has led to remarkable increase in enrolment figures (he only promised Affordable and Qualitative Education); road infrastructure, which beats the imagination of all and financial sanitation, which has raised the IGR from N700 million inherited to a record four billion at some point without

putting additional yoke on the people but just essentially blocking the drains in the old system and encouraging people to pay their tax in accordance with the extant law – this has inevitably led to regular payment of salaries in spite of the fall in the constitutionally guaranteed income from the Federation Account and fulfilling our obligations to contractors and banks without any default or piling up debts for future generations as the won’t of some leaders.

How can one forget the unprecedented investment in land-clearing equipment by this government in preparation for mechanised agriculture, the first of such quantum purchase since the creation of Ogun in 1976? Space will fail me to talk about the model Farm Settlement Scheme that will soon be launched. Graduates of Agriculture, according to the Commissioner for Agriculture, Mrs. Ronke Sokefun, have been admitted for the pilot scheme. These are budding entrepreneurs that will add to the over 45,000 direct and indirect jobs generated by the Amosun administration...

SIA couldn’t have made any major promise on power considering the stranglehold of the Federal Government on the sector, backed somehow by the constitution. But realising the hopeless situation of small scale businesses across the state, he purchased and distributed 500 transformers in one iconic gesture. I’m yet to hear of such quantum of supply by any government in Nigeria in one fell swoop. All these account for the popularity of Amosun in every nook and cranny of the state. Politics is already in the air. It’s so easy to forget that these groundbreaking achievements have been recorded in less than three years out of a mandate of four years!

Millions of cheers to The Modernizer, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, as he attains the age of 56 tomorrow.

• Soyombo writes from Abeokuta (densityshow@yahoo.com)

Same-sex marriage and Anglican Church (3)

By Sunny Isu • Continued from yesterday T can be deduced from this arrangement that celibacy can never be a hindrance to those who were not ordained in the Priestly Order of Melchizedek in so far as they genuinely want to serve God in that capacity, the Church can always grant dispensation as it was the case when Prince Charles committed adultery, the Church of England usually headed by the monarchy expressed grave reservations as to the acceptance of an adulterer King as its head. In protest, more than 300 Anglican Priests decamped to their mother Catholic Church and an enthusiastic Cardinal Basil Hume welcomed then back “home” and went ahead to validly ordain them under a special papal dispensation. We could still site more examples such as when the Late Bishop B.C. Butler converted from the Anglo-Catholic wing of the Church of England (Anglican) to the Roman Catholic Church to become a monk of Downside Abbey (and its Abbot) and John Redford, a former Anglican Deacon who was ordained a Catholic Priest in 1967, now the Parish Priest of Hersden Canterbury. Under the present arrangement, Anglicans can be received into the Catholic Church as a group while retaining their distinctive patrimony and liturgical practices, including married priests.

In fact, if celibacy as Christ said is “for the sake of the Kingdom of God”, why should anybody oppose it for those who freely chose that path. During the recent Synod on the Middle East held in Rome, the Pastor of Catholic Coptic Church said that admitting married priests “will not resolve the problem of vocations and it will not resolve the good or bad behaviour of a priest.” We have also seen cases of married Protestant clergymen (like Bishop V. Gene Robinson) who divorced their wives and became gays. How can we explain that type of ungodly and irresponsible behaviour from some married clergymen in the West?

Knowing that Jesus prayed for Christian Unity, the Catholic Church believes that it really can happen not by our own human effort but by the promptings of the Holy Spirit, not even by the Anglican-Roman Catholic Commission or other ecumenical commissions. In fact, the spiritual wealth of the Church was partly mentioned by the highly respected (in Anglican circles) former Anglican Bishop, Jeffrey Steenson, who converted to Catholicism in 2008 without waiting for the outcome of the

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Anglican-Roman Catholic Commission on ecumenism. This is how it was reported in a London tabloid: “As an Anglican, I would take in hand, for instance, The Catechism of the Catholic Church and ask, could my church have produced a work so penetrating and comprehensive? No, it has neither the capacity nor the confidence to speak its mind in such a way. Why? Because it has deliberately cut itself off from the apostolic tradition. Pope Benedict XVI has called for the Church to engage in a hermeneutic of continuity and this is an enterprise of extraordinary spiritual power. His Wednesday audiences are astonishing, as he opens up the rich treasury of Christian thought and faith, and invites all to participate. For those who yearn for a living encounter with the apostolic tradition, the impact of this is transformative.” What influenced his conversion were the monumental writings of our beloved Pope John Paul II which the Holy Spirit led him to read. Hear him: “In the quiet of my study, what kept me focused and connected were the writings of John Paul II. He is my Pope too.”

The ex-Anglican Bishop of London, Monsignor Graham Leonard (now a Catholic), in underscoring the importance of the papacy wrote: “What is essential about the Petrine primacy (the place of Peter Mt. 16:18; Jn.21:17) is not the honour, but the jurisdiction. This is so because it is about defending the truth.

The primacy of the Pope is essential for the Church because it is a divine institution. It is also essential to achieve real unity among the churches.” A similar point was made by St. Iraeneus, a disciple of St. John the Evangelist at the beginning of the second century: “All churches everywhere must listen to the Catholic Church in Rome because in it resides all the Apostolic Tradition.” Professor John Macquarrie, one of Britain’s most distinguished and well loved Reformed Theologian, and a member of the rapidly spreading Ecumenical Society of Blessed Virgin Mary (ESBVM), wrote in his book Mary For All Christians (pg.94): “We say that ‘we believe in the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church’, we acknowledge it to be the people of God, the Body of Christ, the Temple of the Holy Spirit, and we are told in the New Testament that ‘the powers of death shall not prevail against it’(Mt.16:18).

In spite of all its sins, the Church remains God’s Church, and cannot utterly depart from him. In that sense it is indefectible.

The Pope still remains a moral compass in today’s rudderless world where even the world powers are busy fighting for “gay rights” (whatever that means!), in a world where sports and film lovers are beginning to have sympathy for their “idols” who are homosexuals. This calls for real concern in a world that is in-

creasingly becoming secularised. Perhaps, the recent excommunication by Pope Francis (through the Archbishop of Melbourne, Denis Hart) of Fr. Reynolds, an Australian Priest who supports the ordination of women and same sex-marriage sends a clear message to those who erroneously think that Pope Francis will change the age old strict apostolic teaching of the Catholic Church. And so those who want a Church that will ensure fidelity to the word of God and not compromise with the world (1Jn4:6), the Catholic Church is where they can berth home and dry with the Basque of St. Peter amid the waves of faith and history.

Most observers believe that there can be no stopping the wind of change and the renewal of Anglicanism which was started by the “Oxford Movement” in 1883, led first by Edward Pussey and later by John Henry Newman (who later converted to Catholicism and ordained a Cardinal afterwards) with a view to a reunion with the Catholic Church. We pray that the current spirit of reconciliation sweeping through the Anglican Communion will make every Anglican, whether from the High Church (with solemn worship), or Low Church (the evangelicals), or Broad Church (midway between High and Low or Via Media) to seek a better understanding of their Mother Catholic Church and embrace the pristine universal faith as a house divided against itself cannot stand (Mk.3:25; 1Cor.1:10). This article is borne out of the great respect and love I have for Anglicans and that is why I attend their harvests and Carols. Only Jesus can bring about the unity of His flock which he earnestly prayed for in John 17: 10,“That they may be one” under one flock with one shepherd.

On our part, the Catechism reminds us that “the Church must always pray and work to maintain, reinforce and perfect the unity that Christ wills for her…The desire to recover the unity of all Christians is a gift of Christ and a call of the Holy Spirit”(CCC820). No wonder, the Psalmist minced no words on the pristine value of unity: “How good and pleasant it is when brothers live together in unity”(Ps133:1). Pope Benedict XVI in his address to delegates of other ecclesial communities on April 25, 2005 said: “It requires persistent prayer and with one heart, in order to obtain from the Good Shepherd the gift of unity for his flock.” May the Holy Spirit bring this about in Jesus’ Name!

Can you please say Amen to that! Shalom!

• Concluded.

• Isu, Fellow, Chartered Accountant, wrote in from Abuja.

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Friday, January 24,

15

Business Nigeria, others plan new bank for joint gas projects

By Chijioke Nelson, with agency reports NDICATIONS have Ination emerged that the 13Gas Exporting Countries Forum (GECF) may soon set up a new bank to finance its joint projects The decision was reached after a discussion by the group, which the new head of the groupMohammad Hossein Adeli, from Iran disclosed.

Jonathan to commission new ethanol plant in Ogun

The members of the group include Nigeria, Algeria, Bolivia, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Iran, Libya, Oman, Trinidad and Tobago and the United Arab Emirates.

Others are Venezuela, which controls 62 per cent of world gas reserves, Russia and Qatar, the two largest exporters in the GECF, according to a report Adeli said in interview yesterday from the group’s headquarters in Qatar’s capital, Doha, said the bank was discussed at an earlier meeting of the 13-nation group, but has not been followed up recently.

“The idea of helping each

other in investment, in financing projects, and in long-term plans for investment is something that has already come up,” he said.

Adeli, who replaced Russia’s Leonid Bokhanovsky, as the Secretary-General of the GECF at the start of the year, is seeking to foster closer cooperation just as international rivalry increases.

Qatari liquefied natural gas is competing with Russian pipeline exports in Europe. LNG shipments planned for the second half of this decade from the U.S. may disrupt established suppliers to Asia.

Though GECF has some-

times been dubbed the “gas OPEC,” it hasn’t sought to influence prices by adjusting production, as the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries does with crude oil and such minimal interference in the market is unlikely to change, Adeli said.

“I have not seen attempts by any country to go in this direction. Given the nature of the gas, it’s not possible,” he said.

Adeli, Iran’s former deputy foreign minister and central bank governor, told reporters after his election in Tehran, last year, that he wants to help his country become a “major player among the gas exporting

countries.”

He said that he will represent all GECF members and not his country, adding that “Iran is not leading this organization.

I am leading this organization.”

Iran’s own efforts to export LNG to world markets have been hampered

by U.S. and European Union sanctions that have limited access to technology and international expertise.

The country is forced to burn off billions of dollars worth of the fuel produced from oil fields each year because of lack of infrastructure to bring it to market, according to the World Bank’s Global

Gas Flaring Reduction Public-Private Partnership.

According to him, in “few months” the GECF will increase transparency by starting to issue regular reports on subjects including supply, prices, shale gas, developments in different countries, and hub pricing, “This is our intention, to indigenously develop our own views about gas,” and then share them with the public, he added.

International oil companies including Royal Dutch Shell Plc (RDSA) and Exxon Mobil Corp. (XOM) have been invited to a meeting with the GECF at the end of this month, he said.

RESIDENT Goodluck Jonathan will on Thursday P next week, commission a multibillion naira ultra modern ethanol manufacturing plant in Igbesa, Ogun State.

The commissioning ceremony, which will also have in attendance, former President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo and the host governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, will also be witnessed by captains of industries and other eminent personalities in the country.

The plant, built by Allied Atlantic Distilleries Ltd (AADL), a subsidiary of the Lexcel Group, is the first of its kind in Africa, as it will produce ethanol, a major component in the production of spirit, using cassava.

Dropping the hint in a statement, the Production Manager of AADL, Sowemimo Michael said the establishment of the new plant by his group would herald a new dawn in the manufacturing of wine and spirit in the competitive Nigerian market.

“This is certainly the beginning of a new dawn in the wine and spirit industry in Nigeria, and we are setting the pace in line with our company’s objective to remain the numero uno (number one) in the nation’s distillery sector”, he said.

He added that the new plant has further reinforced the company’s objective to remain the market leader, not withstanding competition in the distillery sector as no other distilleries have distillation plants in Nigeria, not to talk of extracting ethanol from cassava.

The company currently produces beverages, wine and spirit with the aid of a distillation plant.

The factory has installed capacity for 240,000 tonness of cassava per day at an average of 10 tonnes per hour.

The new factory will enable Grand Oak Limited (GOL), also a subsidiary company of Lexcel Group, to have a direct and assured source of raw materials for the production of its products. The factory will also guarantee GOL consistent quality products and regular availability of its products.

Commissioner For Finance, Ogun State, Mrs. Kemi Adeosun (left); Commissioner for Budget and Planning, Mrs. Oluwande Muoyo; and Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Alhaji Yusuph Olaniyonu, at the Ogun State’s 2014 budget breakdown session in Abeokuta, yesterday.

Ogun unfolds implementation agenda for N210b budget

By Ade Ogidan, Business Editor GUN State, yesterday, O unfolded plans to step up its ‘‘rebuild’’ agenda, through a robust programme of infrastructure renewal, with the approved N210.3 billion 2014 budget.

Specifically, the state, with its five cardinal programmes in view, plans to spend N44 billion or 21 per cent of the budget on education; N34.7 billion or 16 per cent on rural and infrastructure development employment generation; and N26.7 billion or 13 per cent on affordable housing and urban renewal.

Also, the state has allocated N21.1 billion or 10 per cent or the budget on healthcare delivery; and N10.5 billion or

five per cent of the total expenditure on agricultural production and industrialisation.

The State’s Commissioner for Budget and Planning, Mrs. Oluwande Muoyo, during the budget breakdown session in Abeokuta, said the expenditure profile would be derived from three sources. They are N84.2 billion or 40 per cent from Internally General Revenue (IGR); N70.3 billion or 33 per cent from federation account; and N55.8 billion or 27 per cent from capital receipts.

Muoyo however disclosed that preference would be given to the completion of ongoing projects, with emphasis being placed on sectoral budget, which pro-

motes further synergy of related agencies.

She explained that the relatively low allocation for agriculture and industrialisation was based on the expected high inflow of private investments in the two critical sectors. ‘‘Ogun State has emerged investors’destination. Much is expected this fiscal year from private investors, as they jostle to take advantage of the enabling environment provided by the state. So, the strategic focus of the government would be on further improvement of infrastructural facilities and businessfriendly policies for accelerated development and growth of the real sector,’’ she said.

Therefore, the commission-

er said the state has embarked on the acquisition of additional 10,000 hectares of agricultural land for allocation to investors to promote large scale farming; expansion of cocoa, oil palm, cotton, kola and cashew plantations; replication of Owowo model farm estates in Ogun East and Ogun West; and production of seeds and seedlings for distribution to farmers at highly subsided rates.

Besides, Muoyo said the N33 billion to be expended on rural and infrastructural development projects for employment generation would be vigorously pursued in the fiscal year. These include construction of Papalanto to Ilaro road; Ijebu Igbo Town Road; and Adatan

Enugada Road.

Also on infrastructure development, she listed construction of at least two roads in each of the 20 local government areas; pursuit of planned preventive maintenance strategy; construction of rural roads in collaboration with local governments; provision of additional boreholes and at least 100 additional buses; launching of additional 250 Igba Otun taxis; and provision of essential infrastructure at Olokola Free Trade Zone.

Muoyo told the cheering audience that power generation and distribution would also be pursued this year to further promote productivity and entrepreneurship in

CONTINUED ON PAGE 16

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BUSINESS Friday, January 24, 2014

CBN approves new fiscal guidelines for automotive industry

By Taiwo Hassan HE Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has announced the T approval of new fiscal policy for the automotive industry with effect from October 9, 2013.

According to a statement from the apex bank and signed by Director, Trade and Exchange Department, Batari Musa, on Tuesday evening, all automobile dealers are henceforth required to bring the new fiscal policy to the attention of their customers for strict compliance.

The CBN said for motor vehicles category, all e-Forms ‘M’ and LCs must be established and the last shipment date evidenced by bills of lading dated on or before January 10, 2014.

For instance, Fully Built Unit (FBU) cars falling under H.S Code 87.03 shall attract a duty of 35 per cent and 35 per cent levy; while Fully Built Unit

(FBU) commercial vehicles falling under H.S. Code 87.01, 87.02, 87.05, 87.06, 87.16 shall attract 35 per cent duty without levy.

Also, local assembly plants shall import their, Completely Knocked Down (CKD) at 0 per centa; Semi Knocked Down One (SKD) H.S. Code 87.06 at five per cent duty.

The statement noted that local assembly plants shall import FBU cars at 35 per cent duty and 20 per cent duty for

commercial vehicles without levy, respectively in numbers equal to twice their imported CKD/SKD kits.

For tyre industry, the CBN said that Form ‘M’ and Letter of Credit must be established and last shipment date evidenced by bills of lading dated on or before January 10, 2014.”

The apex bank however, said duty payable on tyres will now be harmonized, with car tyres H.S. Code 4011.1000.00 attracting 20 per cent duty and five per cent value added tax;

Lorry/Bus tyres H.S. Code 4011.2000.00, 20 per cent duty and five per cent VAT. Also, importation of machinery and equipment for tyre production is now duty free.

The CBN also said pioneer status is now given to all tyre plants; and local tyre manufacturing plants are to import tyres at five per cent duty in numbers equal to twice their production for two years from the date of commencement of production.

To control under declaration

of vehicles value to reduce duty paid, the statement said that the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) should publish the price of new vehicles annually; and provide a transparent benchmark to determine the value of used vehicles.

The NCS shall use the value of a new vehicle depreciated by 10 per cent per annum implying a 10-year period for cars and by seven per cent per annum implying a 15-year period for commercial vehi-

cles.

It however added that in either case, depreciation should never be below 30 per cent of the value of new vehicle equivalent.

To effectively combat smuggling, monitoring and control of used and grey vehicles imports, to also facilitate the resolution of consumer complaints, the statement said all vehicle dealers and importers for sale to the public shall be licensed by the National Automotive Council.

Ogun unfolds 2014 budget CONTINUED FROM PAGE 15 the state.

She added: ‘‘With the remarkable achievements recorded in 2012 and 2013, the Ogun State Government is poised to consolidate on the progress made so far.

These are achievements that are the catalyst for rapid socio-economic growth that have already resulted in employment generation, poverty alleviation and improved standard of living for the good people of Ogun State. The 2014 budget therefore indicates the policy direction to be pursued in the 2014 fiscal year. ‘‘At the budget presentation to the House of Assembly on November 19, 2013, we gave details of the performance as at September 30, 2013. That was 64.2 per cent. We expect that the year-end figure, which is currently being finalised, will show further improvement.'

Lead Consultant/Chief Executive Officer, Thistle Praxis Consulting, Ms Ini Onuk (left); Head of Focal Point, South Africa, Douglas Kativu, and Chief Risk Officer, Access Bank, Gregory Jobome, at the just concluded G4 Sustainability Reporting Guideline Training Workshop at the bank’s head office in Lagos, yesterday.

‘Decline in FDIs may retard growth in market capitalisation in 2014’

By Helen Oji Direct Investments Fto OREIGN (FDIs), which are expected boost activities on Nigerian Stock Exchange, may decline in 2014 as US winds down quantitative easing, the Managing Director, Financial Derivatives Company, Bismarck Rewane has said.

This, according to him, may result to a lower growth in the

market capitalisation of the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) in 2014.

Addressing participants during the 2014 Investors’ Forum 2014, organised by Investment One Financial Services Limited, tagged ‘2014- Market outlook and investment opportunities in a crucial year’ held in Lagos yesterday, Rewane predicted that market capitalisation would

appreciate by about 28 per cent against 47.49 per cent growth posted in 2013 due to some various eminent economic factors.

According to him, the monetary policy committee adjustments would lead to higher interest rates and depreciation of Naira in every markets in the economy, as well as reduction in savings for investment purpose.

Other factors that would affect investment IN 2014, according to him include increased government spending ahead of 2015 elections, decline in oil revenue, insecurity, high unemployment and high income inequality.

The Financial Derivatives boss, while speaking on the theme, 2014- The fiscal, monetary and political view (local & international), explained that review in cash reserve requirement on public sector funds would affect banks profitability as N750 billion of broad money supply would be ‘quarantined’ from the banking industry.

He however allayed investors’ fears of possible market crises as experienced in 2008, noting that, government had established some institutions such as NDIC, AMCON among others to avert similar occurrence.

“Now we have AMCON, NDIC and others. Crises is inevitable

but if there is any, the fallout would not be as devastating like the one of 2008.The NCM is more interconnected today and the risks are totally different”.

He urged investors’ to invest in companies’ with strong fundamentals, adding that, insurance, building materials and banking sectors would dominate activities in 2014.

The NSE Executive Director, Market Operations & Technology, Ade Bajomo who explained that the Nigerian capital market is the second largest market in Africa with approximately N5 million investor, however stated that there was need for the NCM to be transformed from being a frontier market to an emerging market.

He pointed out that indices have shown that the growth recorded in sub-Saharan Africa would continue in an upward trend.

Bajomo, therefore, explained that the NSE was poised to leverage on this anticipated sustainable growth in Subsaharan Africa to transform the market to become globally competitive and viable in terms of wealth creation in 2014.

According to him, there would be an expansion of the policies and strategies of 2013: targeted business development, enhanced regulatory programs, 21st century technology strategies, enhanced market structure, and investor protection initiatives, buttressed by vital market development efforts, especially in the areas of strengthening corporate governance framework and making zero tolerance to market infractions deeper in the entire capital market.

Friday, January 24, 2014 17

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TheMetroSection LASU students go on rampage • Protest stalls second semester’s examinations, school closed indefinitely

By Tope Templer Olaiya and Laolu Adeyemi NIVERSITY authorities yesterday shut U down the Lagos State University (LASU), Ojo campus, indefinitely after violent protests by students over closure of registration portal ahead of the 2012/2013 rain semester examinations. The closure of the portal prevented affected students from paying their school fees, an essential prerequisite before sitting for the examination.

The protest, which began on Wednesday when angry students blocked the LagosBadagry expressway, took a violent turn yesterday as students went on rampage, destroying properties and disrupting exams scheduled to begin yesterday.

This was on the heels of the Vice Chancellor, Prof. John Obafunwa’s refusal to re-open the registration portal for 1,292 students left to register for the second semester examinations because they couldn’t raise the new N250, 000 school fees before the deadline day.

In a swift reaction, members of the Lagos Protesting students State House of Assembly have summoned the Commissioner of Education, Mr. Yinka riageway, stopping the passage of vehicles.

Oladunjoye, management of the university They had gathered for over nine hours on and the Students Union Government (SUG) Wednesday in front of the university’s Senover the students’ protest. ate building, where a marathon meeting Mr. Wahab Alawiye-King, Chairman, House was ongoing to consider the re-opening of Committee on Education, Science and Techthe online portal. nology, brought the notice to the House at Apparently let down by the decision of plenary yesterday, under matter of urgent university management not to reopen the public importance. Alawiye-King (APC-Lagos portal, disenfranchising 1,292 students from Island II), appealed to the school authority sitting for the examinations, leading autoto reopen the portal for two days, to enable matically to a carry-over and loss of an acathe students register for the examination, demic session, excluding the six months so as to halt the current crisis. lost to last year’s ASUU strike, a full blown The issue generated a heated debate at the riot erupted yesterday. plenary, as the lawmakers saw the issue Students who went into the examination from different perspectives, which almost hall were injured by their protesting colresulted in an open disagreement. The leagues, while exam materials were deSpeaker, Mr Adeyemi Ikuforiji, was comstroyed. The VC wasn’t spared also as his car pelled to call for a short adjournment to enwas destroyed by rioting students who are able the legislators resolve the issue at a insisting that the portal must be re-opened parliamentary session. before examinations could commence.

Ikuforiji, however, announced the deciA 400-level student, who preferred sion of the lawmakers to invite the menanonymity, said the implication of the clotioned stakeholders to plenary, to brief the sure was that affected students would not House. be allowed to sit for the second semester The students, who were protesting what exams, which will automatically fetch them they described as exorbitant school fees and an extra year in school with an additional levies, made bonfires across the dual carpayment of new school fees.

Protesting students vandalising a car “We are fighting for their right since the VC is proving to be unreasonable. We resumed barely two weeks ago from a fivemonth ASUU strike and they hurriedly set exams date and asked us to make complete payment of our school fees before the exam without considering the short notice,” he said.

He urged the Lagos State government to come to the rescue of children of the masses, who couldn’t meet the deadline provided for them.

During the course of the protest, students moved en-masse towards the administrative block of the school but anti-riot policemen drafted to maintain the peace on campus prevented them from gaining entrance into the building.

This resistance degenerated into chaos and the protest turned violent. While some were trying to force the gate open, others were busy destroying cars suspected to be owned by the management. At the end, two Toyota Corolla cars belonging to the authorities were vandalized beyond repair as the students registered their anger.

This made the policemen release teargas canisters into the air to disperse the

PHOTOS: LAOLU ADEYEMI

protesting students, leaving many of them injured in the ensuing melee.

However, an attempt to get the Registrar of the institution proved abortive as his telephone was switched off as at the time of filing this report.

But in a statement released yesterday by the management, it said out of the 12,858 duly registered full-time undergraduates, 11,566 students registered their courses online, while 1,292 students did not. “To put the records straight, the university authority gave the affected students ample time to register their courses online between March and July 2013.”

“At various times, the management was magnanimous enough to extend the registration period for the concerned students but regrettably, these set of students did not utilise the opportunity provided to do so.”

“The few students who did not register approached the management by way of protest to re-open the registration portal a day to the commencement of the examination. The university authority felt the request came rather too late and could disrupt the smooth conduct of the exami-

Harvest of criminals by police in Edo From Alemma-Ozioruva Aliu, Benin City

T was a harvest of criminals for the Edo State Police Command this week as the Commissioner of Police, Folusho Adebanjo paraded 60 suspected criminals including a 33-year old man, Justine Oliseh, for allegedly engaging in sexual intercourse with five under aged boys. Others included suspected cultists, kidnappers, armed robbers and attempted murderers.

Also paraded for child defilement was 60-year-old Benjamin Amadin, who was accused of defiling a nineyear old girl, around Orobator, Benin-City.

Oliseh who confessed to sleeping with boys, however, said he had defiled only four in the past, as against five being alleged against him, saying he resorted to the act after being jilted by girlfriends.

He said: “It’s about four of them. What happened was that when my girlfriend broke my heart, I tried another; it was the same, so I de-

I

cided to stay by myself (masturbation). At first, I was doing it on my own before I now started sleeping with the children. One of them is 11, another 12 and the other one, 14 years old.

“They always come to greet me and I usually apply cream.

It was on January 1, that I was caught. The community gathered and beat me and took me down to Eyaen Police Station before I was transferred to state headquarters.”

Amadin denied having sexual intercourse with the nineyear-old girl.

He said: “I just lost my wife.

My wife died in September 2013 and I just finished her burial. Because I did not pay four months house rent, the woman that collects the rent now lied on me. I am innocent.”

Also displayed by the police boss were a large cache of arms and ammunition which included live bullets, cartridges, Magazines, AK 47 rifles, locally made pistols, pump action rifles and several items.

Adebanjo, however, said there was reduction in the crime rate in the state, which he said has led to the United Nation delisting the state from among states with violent crimes in Nigeria.

The police boss appreciated the Inspector General of Police and the state government for achieving crime reduction just as he commended the people of the state who he said had been forthcoming with useful information to the police to check crime and criminal activities.

The state government has invested heavily in supporting security agencies in the state with the launching of a joint military and police anticrime outfit, “Operation Thunderstorm.”

Adebanjo also said there was a drop in crime rate in the state by 260 from 1,876 in 2012 to 1,616 in 2013.

On crime rate in the state in 2013, the Command said the issue of kidnapping dropped from 104 in 2012 to 88 in 2013 adding that the percentage drop in crime in the state was

7.4 per cent from 53.7 in 2012 to 46.3 per cent in 2013.

“Without God all we do is in vain. I want to thank Him for the achievement we have recorded. I also want to thank the Inspector General of Police.”

“I want to state that Edo State is gong to be very tough for criminals in 2014, we are going to be very hard on criminals especially interstate criminals that move from other states to Edo state to commit their nefarious activities. It is not going to be easy, we are going to go after them and get them down. Let them take my word for it and for the local criminals, I want to warn them not to collude with outsiders to come and destroy Edo state because we will also get you. You should either leave like what I said when I resumed in February or repent of your evil ways if not you have been warned.”

“We also want to thank the press, we have enjoyed your cooperation and I hope you will continue to support us,” he said.

Some of the arms and ammunition recovered from the hoodlums

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18 Friday, January 24, 2014

Police smash cement stealing cartel in Rivers

By Odita Sunday

HE Rivers State Police T Command has smashed an armed robbery gang that specializes in attacking cement trucks on the highways and diverting them to unknown places.

Spokesman of the Command, Mr. Ahmad Mohammad, who disclosed this to The Guardian yesterday, noted that sequel to the reported case of armed robbery leading to hijacking and stealing of Dangote truck with registration number KMC 175 XB fully loaded with cement along Elingbu/Eneka road of Port Harcourt, the gang responsible for this crime has been arrested.

He said the suspects were arrested by the police patrol team at Ikot Ekpene, Akwa Ibom State, where the truck was diverted and the cement was being discharged.

“Kingpin of the gang is the truck driver, Abubakar Hassan, while the receiver of the stolen goods is Benjamin Ndarake Frank, a cement dealer. Others involved in the crime are Joshua Udoh Akpan, Onyeka Edogu, Jamilu Ibrahim and Masir Haro.

“The truck and 816 bags were equally recovered. Investigation so far reveals conspiracy between the

The suspects

The truck they diverted

Borno Legions lament non-payment of 30-month pension arrears by Federal Government From: Njadvara Musa, Maiduguri HE Borno State chapter of Nigerian Legion has demanded for the immediate payment of its 30month pension arrears by the Federal Government, as the review of pension for retired soldiers has not been done for the last 15 years.

Addressing newsmen yesterday in Maiduguri during the distribution of grains and relief materials to widows in the state, Chairman of Nigerian Legion, Alhaji Mustapha Aliyu, said its members were suffering in silence, without addressing the

T

non-payment their 30month pension arrears that run into millions of naira in Borno State.

He said apart from nonpayment of pension arrears by government, these ex-service men were prevented from being engaged as security guards at commercial banks and other government agencies in the state.

His words: “Let me use this opportunity to call on the Federal Government to meet our five-point demands on payment of our pension and gratuities, recruitment into Nigerian Armed Forces, employment and regular review of

Borno State government has assisted the Legion with land and other facilities, including relief materials being distributed to widows. The Federal Government should redeem its pledges on the payment of our 30-month pension arrears... our pension that will keep mind and soul together for

peaceful retirements of all ex-servicemen in this state.”

He said as the Borno State government has assisted the Legion with land and other facilities, including relief materials being distributed to widows. The Federal Government should redeem its pledges on the payment of our 30month pension arrears, while members of Nigerian Legion are also included into the Nigerian Armed Forces recruitment exercise committee.

Rselief materials distributed to the widows included 100 bags of maize and 100 wrappers.

truck driver, the receiver and the remaining four to divert the truck on the pretext of armed robbery. It also revealed that the sum

of N1 million exchanged hands amongst the syndicate,” he said.

He noted that suspects would soon be charged to court.

Brief Firm donates ambulance to FRSC

By Taiwo Hassan S part of its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), Toyota (Nigeria) Limited has handed over one unit of Ambulance vehicle to the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC).

At the presentation of the vehicle at the FRSC headquarters, Abuja, the company's Executive Director, Kunle AdeOjo, said the essence of the donation was an expression of Toyota (Nigeria) Limited’s support for the Commission in its relentless resolve to deliver prompt and quick response to victims of road crashes across the breathe of the country.

Ade-Ojo, while presenting the vehicle to the Corps Marshal Federal Road Safety Corps, Chidoka Osita, who was represented by the Deputy Corps Marshal (Administration & Human Resources), Adei Abu, explained that TNL deemed it possible as a matter of fact to render its own support to FRSC..

He, however, called for all hands to be on deck so that the crusade embarked upon by the FRSC against the menace of road crashes, which inadvertently leads to unwarranted deaths is successful.

While receiving the key of the Ambulance on behalf of FRSC, Abu commended the management of Toyota (Nigeria) Limited for the kind gesture and promised that the vehicle would be committed to very good use so that the purpose for which it was donated could be achieved.

He charged other well- meaning corporate organisations as well as individuals to emulate this show of philanthropy

by Toyota (Nigeria) Limited so that FRSC could win the battle against carnage on Nigerian

A

Right activists commend ban on smoking in public places in Lagos

By Wole Oyebade NVIRONMENTAL right activists yesterday commended E the Lagos State House of Assembly on the passage of the bill prohibiting smoking in some designated public places in the state.

The activists, under the aegis of Environmental Rights Action/Friends of the Earth Nigeria (ERA/FoEN) said the move reflects the genuine yearnings of Lagos citizens for a healthy and safe environment.

The lawmakers passed the bill after it scaled through the third reading on Monday. It currently awaits the state governor’s assent to become law.

The bill prohibits anybody smoking in all public places including libraries, museum, public toilets, schools, hospital, day care centres, public transportation and restaurants, among others, and states that the penalties for smoking in a “no-smoking area” will be N10, 000 or imprisonment for a term not less than one month and not exceeding three months or both.

Under the law, any person who repeatedly violates the provisions shall on conviction be liable to a fine of N50, 000 or six-month imprisonment or both, while any person, who smokes in the presence of a child shall be liable on conviction to a fine of N15, 000 or imprisonment for a month or both.

It is also illegal for individuals under the age of 18 to buy or sell cigarettes and other tobacco products.

ERA/FoEN said on Wednesday that the bill “is timely, lifesaving and represents a bold step that other states of the federation should take a cue from to save Nigerians from the assault of the tobacco industry.”

ERA/FoEN Director, Corporate Accountability & Administration, Akinbode Oluwafemi said it was a good start for the state.

His words: “Our robust and sustained engagement with the Lagos State House of Assembly and the Ministry of Health to get the bill passed has paid off well. It is our strong conviction that passing the bill is a major step towards finally putting in place a comprehensive law that prioritises public health over illicit profits,” he said.

Continuing, Oluwafemi said: “This development is particularly heartwarming to Lagosians whose children have been the target of British American Tobacco Nigeria (BATN) through subtle marketing and secret smoking parties.

“It is our firm belief that when Governor Babatunde Fashola (SAN) appends his signature, the law will check the clandestine attempt by BATN to make Lagos the corporate headquarters of its deadly merchandise,” he said.

Oluwafemi added that the National Assembly should take a cue from the Lagos Assembly by passing the National Tobacco Control Bill (NTCB) into law to ensure uniform laws that would nip the gale of deaths that tobacco products have unleashed on Nigerians.

“We are in solidarity with the Lagos House of Assembly in urging Governor Fashola to quickly assent to this life-saving bill. The House must also halt BATN plans to build its four million pound headquarters in Lagos. Lagosians totally reject this Greek gift which will only bring death and destruction,” Oluwafemi said.

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Weekend How weak opposition encourages mediocrity

Revue P. 35 Autowheels P.43 Best of luxury SUV cars on parade

Ugbomah @ 73‌ In conversation with the oracle of Nigerian showbiz

Business Travels P.46

Nigeria’s airports and perimeter fencing challenge

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Good governance: Citizens bemoan Absence of a viable opposition in the political arena has been touted as the major reason why bad policies of the federal government have often been unchallenged. Even with the emergence of the APC in recent time, Nigerians are still not convinced that any serious changes will take place soon, write SEYE OLUMIDE and WOLE OYEBADE

Nigerians voting during an election FTER long years of military rule, Nigerians A heaved a sigh of relief when democracy eventually berthed in May 1999. But the achievement had come at a huge cost. Five years before then, there was the freest election ever held. The 1993 Presidential election produced a winner, Chief Moshood Kashimawo Abiola, of the then Social Democratic Party (SDP), who defeated Alhaji Ibrahim Bashir Tofa of the National Republican Convention (NRC).

But the military government, under General Ibrahim Babangida (Rtd) annulled the election, plunging the country into a dark abyss that eventually consumed Babangida himself, forcing him to “step aside” for an interim government hurriedly constituted on August 26, 1993, with Chief Earnest Shonekan in charge.

The rest is history.

But the whirlwind that dislodged the powerbrokers of that period, leaving a devastated economy in its wake is still being felt today. Whereas, the military has been variously condemned for “misgoverning” the country and entrenching the culture of corruption, Nigeria’s balance sheet, even after 14 years of democracy, still contains the anomalies associated with military rule.

The economy has only improved on paper domiciled in the Ministry of Finance’s library, but the effects are lacking in the public space.

Much of the roads are still bad. Education sector is in tatters and Nigeria is now believed to have the highest number of out-of-school children – 10.5 million – in the world. Regular electricity is still a mirage. The rate of unemployment has skyrocketed, families are under serious strain, there are now more divorce cases due to economic crisis and the security situation is still unpredictable. And then, corruption, which many allege was foisted on the country by the military, has been found to have germinated and given

birth to many children even under the politicians.

Worse still, all eyes are now set on the 2015 elections while the country suffers. The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), which had been in power since 1999, is being blamed for the sorry state in which the country has now found itself.

Some stakeholders have argued that the major reason why the PDP has continued to rule the country “with impunity” is because of the lack of credible opposition. Whereas, in the United Kingdom, the Labour Party acts as an effective watchdog against the ruling Conservative Party. In the United States, the Republican Party effectively challenges the ruling Democratic Party on major policies, and occasionally rattles the government.

Until the emergence of the All Progressive Congress (APC), an amalgamation of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) and the All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA), effective opposition, capable of keeping the PDP in check had been lacking.

For instance, in 1999, only three political parties featured in the presidential election.

But in the 2003 version, the number of political parties had increased to 23. Again, in the

2011 edition, the number increased to 58 parties.

Political pundits have argued that some of those political parties were the creation of the ruling PDP, just to weaken the rank and file of the major opposition parties. In many cases, the so-called founders of some of the new parties were aggrieved former members of the PDP, who left the ruling party to form their own clique.

Until the emergence of the APC, former governor of Old Kaduna State, Alhaji Balarabe Musa and former vice presidential candidate of the CPC, Pastor Tunde Bakare had at different fora, submitted that none of the existing parties could, on its own, defeat the PDP at the centre unless they merged Musa had said: “Unless there is a working relationship and credible alliance, the PDP, as it were is not what a single party can on its own defeat in any general election.” Bakare had also posited that the initial motive behind the coming together of the CPC and ACN was to have a kind of agreement between the North West and the South West for the first time, with the aim of defeating the PDP. Sadly, the cleric, who moved the motion for the merger is now doubting if the motive behind the merger could produce the expected objectives, with the way things are going within the APC. He decried the “greed” and “desperation for power without objective purpose.”

Politicians don’t think like Statesmen. Some of them are in politics and their belief is, ‘let us secure power first and then we start thinking of how we correct anything.’ They say, ‘until we secure power, we cannot change politics, so, whomever we will fraternize with, let us fraternize with them. Whatever the objectives are, when we get there, then we shall be able to change things.’ That is the way politicians think. If the objective, as they said, is simply to take over power and they have not shown us - I am talking of all the parties now - exactly what change they would bring, then I will rather counsel you (Nigerians) not to expect any change. It would be business as usual

Rather than hope for a real change in governance with the emergence of the APC, stakeholders are now expressing the fear that the APC has not shown any evidence that of how it intends to deliver the democracy dividends Nigerian have been waiting for if it secures political power. The exchanges so far between APC and the PDP have focused more on the crisis in Rivers states, than on critical deficiencies in the economy that are affecting peoples’ lives.

Bakare captured the mood of the general public when he said: “Politicians don’t think like Statesmen. Some of them are in politics and their belief is, ‘let us secure power first and then we start thinking of how we correct anything.’ They say, ‘until we secure power, we cannot change politics, so, whomever we will fraternize with, let us fraternize with them. Whatever the objectives are, when we get there, then we shall be able to change things.’ That is the way politicians think.”

He added: “If the objective, as they said, is simply to take over power and they have not shown us - I am talking of all the parties now - exactly what change they would bring, then I will rather counsel you (Nigerians) not to expect any change. It would be business as usual.”

But Senator Gbenga Ashafa, representing Lagos East Senatorial District on the platform of the APC, believes the ongoing relationship between his party and others “is the best means the ruling PDP could be defeated in 2015.”

To him, the alignment is geared towards “salvaging the nation from misgovernance of the past 14 years of the PDP-led government.” He noted that the wind of change was already blowing, pointing to “the

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absence of credible opposition

Mu’azu mood” in the Senate, “which is not any different from what was witnessed in the House of Representatives, where lawmakers are leaving the PDP in droves to join the APC.” He continued: “To my knowledge, at least 22 senators from the PDP will be moving to the APC. I’m not too sure about the numbers because so many things would have come in before that ultimate decision is made. But at the last count, we’ve been able to pinpoint 22 of the PDP senators and what that means is that there is every likelihood that the APC will hold majority just like what we are witnessing in the House of Representatives. We are hoping very much that, that is what will happen when we resume.”

“An average Nigerian is seeing hope in that party (APC). And I pray that when that time comes, this country will be saved, by the force, movement and collective efforts that Nigerians are making at present to ensure that power is taken from the centre by the APC that is supposed to do the right thing, and that will do the right thing.”

Against the background the squabbles within the PDP, which led to defection of some governors to the APC, PDP’s spokesman, Olisa Metuh told journalists recently that, despite the challenges facing the PDP, the APC should not be regarded as a viable political party.

His words: “The APC as presently constituted has no capacity, no power to have any influence whatsoever in the challenges in the party (PDP) and they have no consequences whatsoever and we do not pay any attention to them. They have no power, no influence, no position, no capacity to influence anything that is happening in the party. What is happening is purely an internal party dispute that we are trying to resolve and the APC is insignificant and unimportant in the scheme of things. We do not pay attention to the APC as a body and the individuals therein. They are of no consequence whatsoever.

He continued: “The present crisis rocking the PDP has shown clearly that we do not have credible opposition party in the country. There’s no viable opposition in Nigeria politics. Definitely we have issues and few challenges. The issues have been PDP and about PDP (and) so long as we are able to resolve our differences we will still fight our interest on a common front.

But Chief Bisi Akande, APC’s Interim Chairman, presented the party’s manifesto not too long ago. It contained a sevenpoint programme, covering electricity generation, war against corruption, food security, integrated transport network and free education, devolution of power, accelerated economic growth and affordable health care.

The programme envisions a progressive state anchored on social democracy. The chairman projected that electricity generation and distribution would shoot up to 40,000 megawatts up from the current 3,311 MW through renewable energy sources such as coal, solar and wind.

Akande also stated that, as a change agent, the APC would halt the “dangerous drift of Nigeria into a failed state,” with a conscious plan for a post-oil-economy. According to him, “the country can only succeed when all of us have equal rights, where no one is above the law; where the culture of impunity is abolished and where there is a level playing field.” The APC, he stressed, would restructure the country and devolve powers to the units with the best practices of federalism and wage a stringent war against corruption.

APC envisions a national infrastructural development programme through a private-public partnership, involving the construction of 4,000 kilometers of “super highways;” the revitalisation of the railway system, with a projected building of 200 kilometers of rail lines yearly.

Akande

Musa

The APC as presently constituted has no capacity, no power to have any influence whatsoever in the challenges in the party (PDP) and they have no consequences whatsoever and we do not pay any attention to them. They have no power, no influence, no position to influence anything that is happening in the party. What is happening is purely an internal party dispute that we are trying to resolve and the APC is insignificant and unimportant in the scheme of things. We do not pay attention to the APC as a body and the individuals therein. The present crisis rocking the PDP has shown clearly that we do not have credible opposition party in the country. There’s no viable opposition in Nigeria politics The party also promised that it would devote 10 per cent of the country’s yearly budget will be devoted to education. On health, it plans to reduce infant mortality rate to three percent by 2019 and maternal mortality by more than 70 per cent, while it pledges to provide free antenatal care for pregnant women and free health care for babies and children up to school going age. Free health care “would also be provided for the aged and people living with HIV/AIDS.” The missing point is how the party intends to carry out its envisaged plans.

A Lagos lawmaker representing Apapa I constituency, Olumuyiwa Jimoh, noted: “Since independence, we realized that we have been in one spot and not moving. So many promises have been made but not fulfilled. The Federal Government, under the kind of federalism that we are run-

Bakare ning, determines a lot of things. Our party (APC) did come out with a lot of things in its’ manifesto and programmes that can accommodate and take care larger percentage of the Nigerian people, in what you can call utilitarianism. “ Our manifesto is ideological, but PDP has no ideology.

Although, they have argued that not having an ideology is also an ideology. “And I agree that their ideology is that they don’t have ideology. But if you lack ideology, you lack everything. It is this ideology that comprises all your programmes.

“That is why you could see that Rauf Aregbesola in the State of Osun is implementing the party’s programme. Also look at what Babatunde Fashola is doing in Lagos, despite the huge population of Lagos. The same for Fayemi in Ekiti, despite little resources at his disposal. These are the things that make us different from others.

“Those who decided to form alliance with us saw what our people have done. If the second republic had continued, the whole country would have been in United Party of Nigeria (UPN), because free education, free primary health among others were also demanded by people in North. But it is a matter of time with APC. They need to convince the people that it is not a religion-based party, nor based on some sentiment. Nigeria will overcome all that. We have actually left Egypt, just that we have not arrived in Jerusalem.”

On why even the local councils across the country, especially in Lagos and other APC controlled states have failed to deliver democracy dividends to the masses, Jimoh said: “The kind of autonomy that the federal government is talking about is not the kind that is needed. There is a difference between autonomy and independence. The LGAs need independence but under the Nigerian constitution, the local government is the creation and baby of the House of Assembly in the state. It is these Houses that should formulate policies that will regulate happenings in the LGAs. But it is not the same here and that is the problem that we have.

“The predicament in Lagos State is different. I’m from Apapa, and our population there is 1.2 million. What is allocated for such local government like Apapa is what another with less than 200, 000 population gets. How can you then justify the spending and the effect of what is been collected from the Federal allocation.

“I will give you another example. In the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH) here, whenever anyone is sick in other states of the Federation, they come here because of the free facilities for the elderly and children. This puts our facilities under stress and we are not able to get the result that is intended. That is why we are encouraging Lagos residents’ registration.

“The allocation to our local government is too poor.

Allocation depends on local governments and it is not regular. Some local governments like Ikorodu get zero allocation.

Check the records. The reason is that we are still using some of the leftover of the military. Ikorodu, during the military era, was not as populated as it is now. It is one of the few local governments that moved from rural to urban by the semi-urban process. It is the same allocation that they are getting when they were just 5000 that they are still getting till date. So it is a big problem for them. They just pay salary of workers and nothing left for development. That is why we are clamouring for true federalism.

“Do you know that some Local governments get N5m monthly, while some get up to N25m. It varies and it depends on the local government. More so, it is not stable, but dependent on what the federal government declares as the profit for the month. government like Obasanjo and Jonathan don’t actually know what the country generate, but just take the figure that is declared for the month.”

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BusinessRound-Up CHINESE INVESTMENT IN S.AFRICA NOT TO BE TAKEN AT FACE VALUE HINESE investment is rising in nese investors explore the possibil- trial parks and beneficiation centres,” considering the nature of the workity of being able to revive the area’s Frontier Advisory CEO Martyn Davies force, the culture of the workforce, and C South Africa but one must be often the lack of skills we have." told CNBC Africa. careful of exaggerated investment deep gold mines. figures, Martyn Davies had said.

This follows a recent report that claimed more than three billion rand would be pumped into Klerksdorp in South Africa, as Chi-

“To talk about a three billion rand investment in the pipeline, I think that’s a bit of an exaggeration, somewhat of a mirage if you ask me. I’ve heard so many times talk of indus-

“I think the intent is to be applauded but ultimately when it comes to the implementation of these things, particularly in South Africa, it’s very challenging. [This is] particularly

Davies added that Chinese investors, as well as others, often see the phenomenal potential the country has, but that is it was possible that the potential somehow distorts their views of the economics of this country.

Climate change. PHOTO: Getty Images

ROBERT L GREENHIL

By Farhaanah Mahomed HIS YEAR’S World Economic Forum Davos event will highlight big health and environmental challenges of the 21st century.

The 44th World Economic Forum (WEF) four day annual meeting taking place in Switzerland, will see various global leaders discussing the need to redesign health systems, medical breakthroughs as well as the economic and societal impact of health.

“The time is right to elevate the conversation on health,” said Robert Greenhill, managing director and chief business officer at WEF. “For the past few years, the critical state of the financial system absorbed much of Davos participants’ attention. This year, there is a sense that the global economy is out of intensive care and embarking on rehabilitation. As we ask how metaphorically to improve the economy’s health, literally improving the population’s health is a good place to start.”

The summit will sharpen the awareness for health as a cross sector challenge in societies.

It will address the economic value of health, identifying innovations and new business models, regulatory frameworks and incentives for healthier cities.

In addition, climate change and related impacts such as extreme weather events, food crises and water crises will also be among the most pressing global economic risks.

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Health And Environment Key Topics At WEF 2014 “Failure to act on climate change in a timely manner, and at the scale required, has the potential to be a significant drag on global growth prospects. Many development advances of the 20th century, such as food security, global health or poverty reduction, could be undermined,” said a statement released by WEF. This year’s annual meeting will hold a record number of 23 sessions dedicated to climate Getting fit and healthy.

PHOTO: Getty Images change, resource security and sustainability.

According to WEF, Ban Ki-Moon, the United Nations secretary-general and Christiana Figueres, 7 STEPS TO STICKING TO YOUR executive secretary of the United Nations FrameNEW YEAR’S RESOLUTIONS work Convention on Climate Change, have agreed with WEF to jointly advance public-priBy Farhaanah Mahomed vate cooperation on climate change.

EOPLE CONSTANTLY set themselves up for “The goal of the collaboration is to mobilise, failure by trying to stick to complex New support and enhance cooperation at a global Year’s resolutions. level during 2014-2015,” continued the state“New Year’s resolutions, usually there’s a whole ment. bunch of them. You make them too compliKi-Moon stated that he is looking forward to the cated and dramatic and therefore you’re setcollaboration and that it will help accelerate acting yourself up for failure so we need to bring tion at this year’s United Nations Climate Sumit back down to being simple. A more consismit in September. tent approach is always key,” Lisa Raleigh, A “I look forward to the collaborative efforts and South African wellness expert told CNBC Africa solutions to address the climate challenge that in an interview. will emerge from the World Economic Forum Raleigh believes that people today are always 2014 in Davos,” said Ki-Moon. looking for a quick fix to getting fit and “Initiatives by the public, private and civil socihealthy. ety partners are essential to stimulate low-car“I think we are the era for quick fixes. We want bon growth and lead to more resilient things now, we want results instantly and so economic development. They will help taking a pill or a potion is going to be more atheighten action and ambition during 2014 and at the Climate Summit I am convening in SepTO BE CONTINUED tember.”

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In association with

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Slow Growth In OnLine Start-Ups In Africa

By Dara Rhodes FTER A DECADE of rapid urbanisation and strong economic growth, Africa’s GDP is expected to grow to at least 5 to 6 per cent by 2025.

As there is currently only 16 per cent of Africa’s one billion people online, the internet’s transformative potential on the continent has plenty of room to explode. Thus, there is a growing interest from venture capital investors in the continent’s online space and Internet Gateway Device Protocol (IGDP).

“I came to Nigeria in 2010. Then there were no real funded companies and there were no real stories. Fast forward [to] 2013, we had a record year in terms of companies getting money. The whole excitement started going beyond the tech blogs and into the actual mainstream press,” Jason Njoku, CEO of Iroko TV told CNBC Africa.

According to Mckinsey’s global institute report, 167 million Africans currently use the internet and Iroko TV is the continent’s biggest play into online consumption as it provides Africans in the diaspora with Nollywood films. The company was also able to secure 8 million US dollar funding in late 2013.

“Raising money is a yardstick. You don’t raise for raising money sake, you literally raise money to do something. From the original stance, we told investors, when we first got funded in 2011, and even in December, the same story. There is going to huge broadband penetration over the next five years in Africa, especially in Nigeria,” he said.

The media company which was founded in 2010, received its funding from venture capital investors and it core investors are Tiger Global, Kinnevik and Rise Capital.

“We feel that entertainment forms a big part of that, so our view is that if we yield the right products to entertain Nigerians, we should be able to build a relatively large business. Today only 3 per cent of our revenues actually come from Nigeria, so we still have a very long way to go. The 8 million dollars is to help us build a better Nigerian business,” he explained Njoku believes that venture capital investors look out for honesty and credibility before investing in young online start-up companies. The success of the company has given rise to a new breed of online start-up companies.

“My story is a bit of an anomaly, but in reality, it should be much more common,” he added.

A

167 million African’s are currently online.

PHOTO: GETTY IMAGES

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INTERVIEW

President Jonathan speaks at Davos World leaders gathered on Wednesday to discuss the forces shaping our world amongst other important matters at the World Economic Forum being held in Davos Switzerland. The yearly event with the theme: Reshaping of the world: Consequences for Society, Politics and business, ends today and brought together global influential figures in international trade, business, finance and politics to deliberate on the matter. CNBC Africa’s BRONWYN NIELSEN caught up with President Goodluck Jonathan in an exclusive interview to discuss the threat of terrorism groups to the Nigerian economy, the 2015 elections, youth unemployment and other economic issues.

HE Northern part of our country is highly populated and there are quite a number of young people so you can easily brainwash them to do what is not right. Though they come under a religious platform, we believe that some other interest, political and otherwise is also there. Some disgruntled elements also use it as a way of expressing their anger. On the whole, we are improving the educational system, I opened 12 new universities in the whole country and out of these 12, 9 are located in the northern part of the country. Naturally, the Federal government doesn’t participate in basic education that is, the first 16 years of education in our country but because of the challenges we have in the north, we are intervening robustly.

We are making agriculture a business. Only on Monday this week, I launched what we call, dry season farming. This is concentrated in the North to make sure that we grow food and create a middle level human power which will trickle down to create wealth for the people. Of course, from the statements made from the people themselves, we really see that the…

Before we move onto the agriculture, the election campaigns are beginning, obviously you will have elections in early 2015 so the first question I’m going to ask you is, whether you are standing for a second term?

I’m not going to talk about whether I’m standing for elections or not because it is not in line with our laws. INEC have a time frame within which each candidate is expected to declare. If you declare before that time, you are actually contravening the Nigerian laws. So I wouldn’t tell anybody that I’m contesting or that I’m not contesting. It’s not proper for me to do that. It’s not proper for any Nigerian to declare any interest now because that means you are contravening the electoral law. When you talk about the elections, 2011, I contested. I became a president once the late president died and I took over by virtue of our constitution. We had challenges. I

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can say that I was just a president standing on one leg because I wasn’t formally elected but still I promised the world that we must make sure that our elections are free and fair. At the end of that elections both local and international observers said that yes that was the first time that Nigerians had conducted elections that were free and fair.

You are going...

Let me conclude. Then I was a president standing with one leg. I’m telling the world now after I have been formally elected as the president of the country, the 2015 elections will be free and fair, will be credible and will be peaceful. Though we know there are flash points now, of course in any developing nation we have those feelings, a lot of noise, but before the middle of this year, most of this will die down and the world will know that Nigeria will again conduct elections that will be free and fair.

At the world economic Forum, financial inclusion and economic inclusion have taken central stage, how important is this for Nigeria?

It is key, it is key and the government is already taking a lot of steps. If you look at the revolution in the agric sector, it’s for economic inclusion. We are now creating middle level man power. Young graduates who ordinarily before this time, take their certificates and look for paid jobs are now going into agriculture. They have been given facilities by government and in terms of general investment, we have what we call the YouWin program where we are giving a number of young people who have small businesses or that want to expand or they just want to come into business, facilities. These are grants, not loans, because most of them cannot access loans from banks because no collateral to back up the loans. For us to get a new breed of entrepreneurs that will

grow to become the Dangotes of today, Government must assist them and that is being coordinated by the Finance ministry and we have launched three phases now. First was both young boys and young girls, second was dedicated for only women because we noticed that in the first phase more men had more opportunity because they were assessed based on merits, there was no discrimination and we realised that you must encourage women. So, in the second phase, the competition was just amongst young ladies and we are coming out with a third phase for men and women. With what we call Nagroprenuers, that is young people in agric business, these two programs are geared towards creating middle level man power for this country so that each of them should employ between five to 15 employees and that is a multiplier effect in terms of job creation. In terms of facilities also, on Thursday last week, we launched what we call the Nigerian Mortgage Refinance Company, a company that will be properly capitalised with assistance from Government so that it can lend money to the primary mortgage institutions so that they will lend money to estate developers so that people will own the houses at a very cheap rate and some people have already benefitted from the preliminaries we have done, and their statements are quite encouraging. With these programs we believe that in the next three years or so, in Nigeria, there’ll be the multiplier effects and the issue of accommodation, job creations in terms of wealth will revolutionise.

As you said, you are making efforts to diversify Nigeria’s economy away from economic dependence on oil but Nigeria is still the biggest exporter of oil on the African continent and we have tabled this issue about the

STRUCTURAL PROBLEMS PLAGUE NIGERIA’S 2014 FISCAL BUDGET The Nigerian Federal Government plans to spend 4.6 trillion naira for the 2014 fiscal year and has said this year, it will focus on housing to help create more jobs.

With the wages and Bills in the 2014 budget up by about 1.72 trillion naira from 1 trillion in 2013, many are concerned than the government is spending more on recurrent expenditure that capital that actually affects the average Nigerian. Notwithstanding, due to oil theft and lower custom duties, the overall budget is lower than that of 2013.

“I think the problems of our budget are structural, this problem of recurrent to capital ratio, is a structural problem and I’m actually a bit surprised that the financial minister and the government have just realised those structural problems,” Opeyemi Agbaje, a policy analyst and the CEO of RTC Advisory told CNBC Africa.

Nonetheless, he believes that Nigerians have been inconsistent in their expectations as they advocated for higher wages and are unhappy with the recurrent expenditures.

“So it’s clear, if you advocate higher wages, you must not be surprised when recurrent expenditure arises. You cannot be. If you support subsidies, you cannot be surprised if recurrent expenditures do not fall,” he said.

Despite this, many Nigerians still feel that the 27 per cent given to capital is far too minor compared with the 73 per cent delegated to recurrent spending. However, Dr Abiodun Adedipe, economist and CEO of Adedipe & Associates doesn’t believe this is the case.

“I see it totally differently and I say that with all sense of responsibility. Having the privilege to serve on the Federal Government’s committee that looked at this problem specifically between October 2010 and March 2011,” Adedipe told CNBC Africa.

The minister of Finance, Mrs Ngozi OkonjoIweala said in her that the country’s budgets need to be restructured as its present structure is why the recurrent expenditure is on the rise.

“There is a whole lot more to the problem of recurrent expenditure in Nigeria, than merely personnel expenses,” Adedipe added.

20 per cent of production that you are losing daily, what are you doing about it sir?

Basically, the common answer is corruption.

Yes, there must be corruption and there’s corruption in Africa, there’s corruption in Nigeria.

I have never denied that but the thing is that, corruption is not the major thing that is creating the limited growth of our economy. Corruption is there and government must fight corruption. The Government must work with the people to fight corruption so that is it and we are doing our best and we will continue to do our best. We must collectively reduce corruption, no doubt about that but what I’m saying is that, the vandalism of the gas lines, for example, our power sector, we are moving on, but not too long ago, over one month period, the major gas lines that take gas from the Niger Delta to the power plant were vandalised up to 25 points. When people vandalise crude oil pipelines, they steal the crude oil and sell it.

Probably, you’ll say the security agencies are corrupt. That’s why couldn’t arrest the people.

They were bribed and so on. But why should you vandalise a gas line? That tells you that some criminal elements either for political reasons or for some other reasons, are deliberately trying to pull the government down, otherwise, why would you go and blast a gas pipeline?

I think it’s also important just to get your thoughts on Sanusi Lamido Sanusi who is the Central Bank Governor in Nigeria. There have been news reports that you did ask him to resign, I believe that you have put that behind you and you are both working together. Is that the reality?

The central bank of any country is very sensitive so I wouldn’t want to discuss the issues of the Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria. We are discussing, we’ll get over it.

Just one final question, you are going to leave Nigeria as one of the biggest economies, on the African continent what are you most excited about today?

I’m quite pleased but the key thing is not that we have a big economy, to me, any economic growth that doesn’t translate into wealth creation is meaningless to me.

S.AFRICA'S TIGER BRANDS TO ACQUIRE KENYAN FIRM

By Reuters OUTH AFRICAN food company Tiger Brands said on Tuesday it had agreed to buy a Kenyan company in a 25 million US dollar deal.

South African food company Tiger Brands said on Tuesday it had agreed to buy a Kenyan firm, identified by a newspaper as milling and confectionery company Rafiki Mills, in a deal likely worth 25 million US dollars.

South Africa's Business Day newspaper earlier reported Tiger Brands, a maker of bread and breakfast cereal, had agreed to acquire Rafiki for 25 million US dollars, quoting corporate affairs group executive Alex Mathole.

Mathole confirmed in a statement that an agreement had been signed, but declined to provide further details.

The acquisition of Rafiki, the fourth-largest miller in East Africa's largest economy, would be the latest move by Tiger Brands to increase its presence in fast-growing sub-Saharan Africa.

The company acquired 63 per cent of Nigeria's Dangote Flour Mills for 188 million US dollars. It already has a presence in Kenya through its Haco Tiger Brands unit.

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Tiger Brands is set in increasing its presence in fastgrowing sub-Saharan Africa.

PHOTO: Tiger Brands

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Friday, January 24, 2014

NIGERIAN AVIATION INDUSTRY AT RISK OF BEING DOWNGRADED

NIGERIAN TELCO'S TAKE DIFFERENT APPROACH TO FREE ONLINE FEATURES

By Dara Rhodes N February 17, the O US regulatory aviation body is expected

By Dara Rhodes ELECOMMUNICATION companies in Nigeria plan to block T over-the-top content services over concerns of revenue loss.

Free online features such as Google Hangout, Skype and Tango have been blamed for the 20-30 per cent drop in their revenues on international calls and messaging in 2013 and may soon be cut.

“There’s nothing stopping them legally, this isn’t a problem that only African Telco’s are having, this is a problem that Telco’s all over the world are having. Over the top services like Facebook are replacing traditional telephone calls,” Seyi Taylor of Techcabal told CNBC Africa.

Mobile service provider executives around the world are showing increasing concern about over the top voice and messaging apps because, according to a survey by Mobile Squared, these apps affect traffic for almost 75 per cent of mobile service providers operating in 68 countries.

“With video calls, things are significantly cheaper, the cost is bundled under your data plan and people prefer to use these services, so it’s a global problem that all Telco’s are facing.”

According to Taylor, despite this, there are opportunities for Telco’s however, they will have to make significant changes to the way they approach the market.

“There are three simple ways that I think Telco’s tend to respond, one of them, is to try and block. It hasn’t worked very well. I’m not aware that it has started happening in Nigeria but there have definitely been threats about it happening,”

Telco's are the forefront of the growth of internet in Africa.

PHOTO: Getty images he explained.

Taylor also believes that another way Telco’s all over the world have responded to this growing threat is by, trying to create their own over-the-top services to compete with the existing ones, however, this has been very difficult.

“Africa is a bit different because it is one place where Telcos have pushed the growth of the internet, they are at the forefront of the growth of the internet. Whereas in some other developed companies, you have pure broadband companies, in Nigeria, in Africa, you do tend to have mobile internet as the predominant source of internet,” he added.

Last year, MTN acquired a 33 per cent stake in Africa Internet Holding (AIH) the parent company of Jumia, one of Nigeria’s leading online retail stores and Taylor believes this is the way Telco’s need to go.

“One of the ways the Telco’s can respond to the over-the-top threat, and this is what seems to work, is to invest in compa-

KENYA’S EDUCATION REFORMS POSITIVE BUT NEEDS FURTHER PUSH

By Wilhelmina Maboja ENYA’S government dedicates over 30 per cent towards K education but the country’s system is still in need of a number of remedies.

Freight wagons on a rail line.

PHOTO: Getty Images

JOINT VENTURE SET TO BROADEN AFRICAN RAIL LEASING TRADE

By Wilhelmina Maboja NEW partnership will soon provide cost-effective and inA ventive leasing solutions to the African rail industry.

Grindrod Freight Services (GFS) has partnered with Pembani Remgro Infrastructure Fund (PRIF) to form this joint venture.

“The joint venture company will be instrumental in providing funding options for customers looking to buy or operate wagons and locomotives manufactured or refurbished by Grindrod, as well as other OEMs,” said GFS CEO Dave Rennie.

GFS is a subsidiary of Grindrod Limited, an integrated freight and logistics business in South Africa. PRIF invests equity in infrastructure and related opportunities across the African continent.

The new company, which will be called GPR Leasing Africa Limited (GPR Leasing), will be based in Mauritius. It will be 55 per cent owned by GFS and 45 per cent by PRIF. In the world’s developed rail markets, up to 60 per cent of rolling stock is leased. GPR Leasing aims to replicate this on the continent through joint venture, targeting the local South African leasing market.

GPR Leasing has so far secured orders for 31 locomotives, all of which have either been built new or refurbished by Grindrod.

“Grindrod locomotives are 30 per cent to 50 per cent cheaper upfront than other diesel-electric locomotives in the market.

The proven track record of the locomotives and their exceptional performance mean that funding institutions are keen to finance them,” said Rennie.

“In addition to this, Grindrod’s track record of successfully maintaining our locomotives in Africa’s most challenging environments makes our offering robust.”

According to the statement, Gridrod’s rail customers will be able to access operating lease solutions through GPR Leasing for main-line locomotives, shunting locomotives and wagons.

These will all be for the freight market.

“We have been able to leverage the strong relationships of the stakeholders to access competitive funding. This translates to competitive lease rates for competitively priced locomotives.

It’s an exciting proposition,” said Herc van Wyk, CEO of PRIF. “This transaction represents an integral part of PRIF’s strategy to be the infrastructure fund of choice for private companies looking for a partner with whom to invest in opportunities that have arisen as a result of Africa’s fast economic growth.”

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“Education continues to be a priority for Kenya, and the biggest landmark is that Kenya joined the other countries of East Africa in 2003 by having free primary education,” of Uwezo Kenya director John Mugo told CNBC Africa.

“That policy, which was a presidential decree of the then- National Rainbow Coalition government, actually went on to raise the access of education and we saw around two million children who are out of school joining especially primary school.”

Mugo added that continuing with the reforms for access, another policy following 2008 of free day secondary school was implemented. The policy allowed for the state to fund tuition costs for public secondary schools all over the country.

Expanding access has been one of the biggest policy reforms for Kenya, and the plan continues to gain momentum.

“We have also seen limitations, in that when you look at some parts of the country, especially the arid North and the urban informal settlements, we see that up to nearly two million children are still out of school, and these are the children of school-going age,” Mugo explained.

“When it comes to the policy reforms around quality, we know that poor quality of primary, secondary and even university education has been a key concern.”

Mugo added that learning assessment surveys across the country revealed a roughly 70 per cent gap in learning outcomes at every schooling level. This means that roughly 70 per cent of children were not learning in accordance to the expected levels.

“We have had a lot of expanded access to university education over the recent years, but of course our quality of university education has been a key concern. Various reports indicate that swelling classes that are not matched by the investment in resources has led to the deterioration of quality at all levels,” said Mugo.

“A lot of debate has been on revitalising skills education or Technical, Vocational Education and Training, and we have seen various policy reforms around this.”

A learner in a classroom.

PHOTO: Getty Images

in Nigeria to assess the aviation sector.

Despite efforts being made by the Federal Government of Nigeria, the country’s aviation sector is still plagued with probNigeria currently has a category one status. lems and there are concerns that the sector may be downgraded due to safety issues, high taxes and high cost of aviation fuel.

“As far as I’m concerned, category one has never really benefitted Nigeria. We really don’t need it. We spend a lot of money putting things together to get category one and what benefit is there,” Pekun Sowole, Aviation lawyer from Jurislaw legal practitioners told CNBC Africa.

The country currently has a category one status and is supposed to be enjoying benefits such as lower insurance premium and cheaper aircraft leasing, however, Sowole, is certain that whether or not the country retains the category one status or gets downgraded is not the real issue.

“If you continue to have air crashes, your insurance premium is going to go up. So whether you have category or one or two, it doesn’t really matter,” he added.

Nonetheless, if the country’s status is downgraded to category two, Nigerian airlines may not be able to fly to the US and this is the biggest source of concern in the industry especially for Arik Airlines as it flys directly to New York.

“In the worst case scenario, you would have to fly to Dakar, do security checks and go to the US. I think what we should say is, if we get downgraded, and our airlines can’t fly to the US, your airlines can’t fly directly to Nigeria. You’ll also go to Dakar, do custom checks before you come to Nigeria,” he said.

In spite of these developments, Sowole believes that a lot of airlines still want to come to Nigeria to operate to become carriers- even in the domestic sector- but the government will need to get their act together to allow them in.

STRUCTURE NEEDED BEFORE KENYA BEGINS OIL EXPLORATION

By Wilhelmina Maboja ENYA'S oil discovery K is a game changer but a number of structures need to be implemented for locals to benefit from the extraction.

“We’re not reinventing the wheel. We have a lot of examples to learn from. I believe that the An operating rig during oil exploration. likes of Norway a good PHOTO: Getty Images example that we could look at in the way we manage our oil. The management of that sector is very key to our development and future,” NSE Securities business development manager Samuel Gichohi told CNBC Africa.

Sharing the proceeds of new oil discoveries with the Kenyan people will be a priority for government, potential investors and beneficiaries.

“I think there’s going to be a rush. There’s going to be a lot of foreign direct investment going into that area. It’s not just for the oil, it’s for whatever other services that support that sector going forward,” Gichohi added.

Potential sectors that could benefit from Kenya’s oil discovery include the electricity sector and manufacturing sectors, which will be necessary for operation.

The retail sector could also benefit, as businesses are likely to take the opportunity to set up shop near the oil exploration parameter.

Employment could also be on the upswing as a result of the new demand for labour. “[It’s very important] to make sure that even the land policy around there is very well taken cared of,” Gichohi explained.

Last year, Tullow Oil had to shut down for roughly two weeks as locals demonstrated because the oil company had allegedly not employed enough Kenyans for one of their projects in the country.

The year 2013 also saw significant government involvement in the industry through the introduction of royalty rates in the mining industry.

“I think it was a good thing, to make sure that we didn’t have speculators who would go and hold [oil] blocks and not do anything. The government has a lot to gain from that. It’s a good thing that it’s happening sooner rather than later. In most of the other countries, the oil was found and the locals came to realise that they were short-changed much later in the picture,” said Gichohi.

He added that the new laws and policies in the pipeline will therefore significantly help locals have a voice and give them the opportunity to benefit from the discovery. “[With] the land policy, it’s very important to make sure that people don’t start going and buying pieces of land there and holding it for speculation purposes. There’s a lot that the government needs to do,” Gichohi added.

“They need to make sure that they do it right from the word 'go' rather than the knee-jerk reactions we’ve seen with our governments and the delayed responses to such issues.”

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Friday, January 24, 2014

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Friday, January 24, 2014 ARTS 27

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Theatre

The four young superstars that emerge from Saro the Musical

Kakadu nightclub bevies strutting their stuff

PHOTO: CHARLES OKOLO

Opportunities, challenges for Nigeria’s Broadway-style Theatre after Saro…, Kakadu…

By Anote Ajeluorou HESE are interesting times for Nigerian theatre. Almost from the blues in a space of a few months, the country can now boast of two Broadway-style big Theatre productions comparable to any around the world. This is something to cheer about. It says a lot about the talent, tenacity and can-do spirit of Nigerians.

Although, sadly, regular theatre is struggling to establish itself, a few individuals have kept faith with their passion for stage performances and are doing everything to push the boundary forward.

While producers in the regular theatre may be groaning, actors and other technical personnel in that area are beginning to sing hurray with the arrival of the Musical Theatre genre.

Indeed, opportunities now abound for practitioners in this sector, especially for the bold and the daring like the Bolanle Austen-Peters and Uche Nwokedis of this world.

Until recent years, Musical Theatre was a phenomenon usually associated with such world acclaimed cities as New York, London and the likes. Broadway Theatre was alien to Nigeria’s theatrical scene. But then comes Fela! on Broadway to rewrite the rules; it first had its run in the regular Broadway theatres of New York and other U.S. cities. The producers, perhaps eager to show off what they’d done with Nigeria’s music icon, Fela Anikulapo,

T

brought the show to Lagos, with the lavish support of former Lagos State governor, Sen. Ahmed Tinubu. The novelty of the show and its transformation of their ‘own’ Fela into a theatrical colossus long after he passed on both fascinated and excited Lagosians and they thronged the Eko Hotel venue of the show to see for themselves the magic oyinbo had made of their Fela.

It was a great show and it became the talk of town. But the show had sour moments for Nigerian theatre professionals and even laymen alike that saw it. It was some sort of effrontery to theatre professionals’ intelligence as well as a slap on their faces. How on earth did the Fela they all jointly claim ‘ownership’ be imported back to them from America to buy with scarce Naira when they should have been the ones exporting him to Americans to repatriate some dollars back home? Why did nobody think of putting Fela on stage? Why did nobody think of the huge cultural phenomenon that Fela still embodies years after he passed on as to convert him into cultural capital for the theatre? Why was it that even the lead cast wasn’t a Nigerian but a Senegalese? And importantly, was what was offered as Fela the ‘real’ Fela that they knew so well? Did it realistically capture the true essence of the enigmatic music maestro and self-styled Abami Eda, the Strange One of the famed Koolo Labito or Kalakuta Republic or Egypt 80 Band?

Fela! on Broadway show in Lagos presented a moment of sobering soul searching for the-

atre professionals. There was no hiding place for them after they had been exposed or even shamed by the affront of such infliction from outside. Theatre wasn’t the first to suffer such reversal of fortunes. Locally produced raw materials are routinely taken out of the country and turned into finished goods that are again brought back (imported) for Nigerians to buy at ridiculous prices because the country’s manufacturing sector is in comatose. Even the country’s crude oil is taken outside for refining and then shipped back as finished products before consumption. But those are spheres of industrial sector that have shown Nigerians for their irredeemable penchant for things foreign and a lack of investment in local technological talent that is equally abundant. Surely, the sphere of cultural production should be different given the immense talent it boasts, and its seeming individually applicable production dynamics!

Indeed, the cultural, the artistic or creative sector, although largely ignored by big financial players, which only enjoys grudging patronage, has turned out different. It has long been blazing the trail to silence every doubting Thomas, with the literature forever in the forefront followed by the film. Now, there are two great Broadway-style Musical Theatres that are exportable

anywhere to thrill hard-nose types. With Saro the Musical and Kakadu the Musical, Nigeria’s theatre cannot only be said to have come of age (it did a long time ago) but it now has offerings to rival the very best anywhere in the world from New York to London.

And the two musicals rely on what is abundant in Nigeria – the simple act of storytelling infused with the theatrical, which are also in surplus all round! It’s the stuff musicals are made of – that ability to tell a story with a deft interplay of music, dance and choreography, the story of a journey from a certain point to another in such a manner that the ordinary takes on the magical and fantastical.

That is musical; that is what Bolanle Austin-Peters’s Saro the Musical and Uche Nwokedi’s Kakadu the Musical are about; that is what they have done and will continue to do to tell a different and extraordinary story about how much ability Nigerians have if given even a slim chance. and Kakadu… are two great SwhoARO… musical performances and audiences saw the two productions will continue to relish the wholesome experience they offered. Their settings are basically Lagos, although Kakadu takes viewers to the horrors of the battlefronts in war torn Biafra and back again to Lagos.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 28

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...Opportunities beckon for musical CONTINUED FROM PAGE 27 Saro… tells a fairly uncomplicated story of four ambitious young men on a mission to seek their fortune in Lagos armed, as they were, with their talent in music.

Lagos becomes the mecca for them, just as it still is today for a majority of Nigerians, who troupe in daily to find their bit of luck in whatever field. They arrive Lagos and are captivated by the wonder of the famed city, as they experience its ugliness and then goodness in alternate turns in realising their ambition in super stardom in time in the most dramatic manner.

But that is Lagos for the daring and the ambitious. There’s a healthy dose of love, just as the performance takes the audience through Nigeria’s musical journey from the 1950s through to its current, vibrant hiphop scene. The producers keep faith with Nigeria’s indigenous music all through, as something deserving of amplification. Saro… is a work of ingenious storytelling and fantastic dance and choreography that captures in totality the spirit of Lagos, the restless city by the lagoon.

Kakadu… also has about the same starting point, but this is Nigeria’s Lagos in the 1960s and a country’s early life as an independent country from colonial rule.

There’s unbounded optimism, as shown by the incomparable social life encapsulated by the most vibrant nightclub in town, Kakadu located in Yaba. It’s the prime place to hangout. Anybody who is anybody goes to Kakadu, as vogue music from around the world gets the magic touch, with the manager and band leader Lugard Da Rocha lending his incomparable expertise. There are women aplenty in all their coquettish glory that attracts the men in droves; Kakadu is the irresistible honeypot for Lagos’ men and women.

Even newly arrived folks from the interior cannot but be drawn to its welcoming embrace.

But then the cord of euphoria snaps, and the newly independent country just after five years, goes up in flames. Kakadu… is deeply political as it is an exceptional cultural production. This is what extends its frontiers, as a musical also of dark, sombre political attraction. There’s a marvellous blend of the sunny social and hideous political in a dynamic mix in an unforgettable era, with the poorly managed political overwhelming the social to climax in a tragic denouement of a war that nobody needs, a war fought to a bitter end. It is a war that changes all calculations of an emerging country and cuts short its ability to transit into a full-blooded nation that the entire world once awaited, an incubus still weighing the country down over 50 years on.

While there are perfect performances in acting, dances, choreography and overall plot management, the two musical the-

atres suffer some technical hitches that producers would do well to correct in subsequent productions. The major technical problem with Saro the Musical is sound.

Admittedly, Oriental Hotel, venue for its first production, isn’t a proper stage for play production coupled with the fact that not all the speaking roles had microphones strapped on. The first day was awful, but as the days progressed to the third day it ran, the sound came off fairly well.

Whereas Kakadu the Musical got it right on the sound score, the same cannot be said about its videography. Saro’s videography was apt; from village to the city scenes and the flashback to the slave era, the producers had it all planned out beautifully, with a personnel brought in from the U.K. for effect. But Kakadu’s videography was amateur and needs improvement. It came off as a typical home video experience. The scene with the guns of war booming should have been made more realistic, with appropriate footage either of that war or other wars to complement it.

other cultural aspects as fitting subjects for musicals. Such subjects should not be too difficult to find in such cities as Ibadan, Benin City, Warri, Enugu, Calabar, Jos, Aba, Port Harcourt, cities that are known to have had a nightlife, and colourful personages as fitting subject for musical theatre. Even more colourful perhaps would turning a typical indigenous, local music type into a musical before we all forget we had any of value worth the attention of the world!

In any case, what is clear is that once Nigerians have started a thing they never look back until they would have exhausted all there’s to be had. So, too, would the lot of musicals on the scene be if given the support they ought to have, particularly funding.

So, indeed, let this humongous fad run its course, and audiences would be the better for the exhilarating experience.

ELL, then, after Saro the W Musical and Kakadu the Musical, what is next for big, Broadway-style Theatre for Nigeria? This is the challenge together with funding. Given the bandwagon effect that has become the craze for Nigerians, it’s certain other musical theatre productions would follow.

But in what directions?

Here, are some expos that might be of help for those willing and daring to take on the challenge of expanding the frontiers of musical theatre in the country.

For a start, there would seem to be that unfinished business with the cultural icon, Fela Anikulapo. Did Fela! on Broadway do him justice in all his glory as music iconoclast and first class rebel and socio-politiSaro… and the many colours of Nigeria on display in Lagos cal campaigner? Hardly! It will not be surprising, therefore, to have a fine title, as Kalakuta the Musical! That would perhaps hopefully capture all that Fela stood for, all he fought for in his unrelenting quest to free the Blackman from the burden he bears. No doubt, Fela’s colourful lifestyle, in all its idiosyncrasies, is enough material for two or three musicals.

But beyond Fela, would-be producers could look beyond Lagos to other cities and bring to fruition some Kakadu nightclub in its heydays

Nigeria’s flambouyant colours continue in Saro the Musical

A disillusioned Lugard da Rocha after the civil war that left Kakadu empty

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Friday, January 24, 2014 ARTS 29

Film Nollywood joins fight against human trafficking Stories by Shaibu Husseini HE stage appears set for Nollywood to join T in the fight against human rights violations with ambassadorial appointments given to some major players in the sector recently by the National Human Rights Commission, NHRC, recently in Abuja.

Nollywood stars Zach Orji and screen goddess Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde including music star Zakky Azzay among others were all made Ambassadors by the commission as part of events marking the International Human Rights Day last month.

The deal was facilitated by Next 2 None support initiative, an NGO that has been on ground against human trafficking for years.

It was a visibly elated Zach Orji who remarked that the appointment was another call to duty. “This is another call to duty to serve humanity, on another level, and I am proud to be involved in it. Nigerians need to know their rights and when they are trampled upon. There is a lot of ignorance in the areas of human rights among the people, which is why I commend the Executive Secretary of the National Human Rights Commission, Prof.

Bem Angwe, for the vibrancy, the awareness he has brought to the issue of human rights in recent times since he became Executive Secretary. Also, I thank President Goodluck Jonathan for giving the commission the express mandate to sensitize the populace on human rights, which is how a responsible president acts.”

The Nollywood star said he was ready for the new responsibility. “Yes, I am ready. This Ambassadorial appointment has really fired me up,” he concluded.

Screen diva Omotola on her part said she was also ready. She said advocating for the rights of others, has always been her calling. “I know the value of people; there are some fundamental things that can’t be taken away from

people that are why I have always spoken out against injustices and other forms of human rights abuses.”

Bruno Iwuoha, Nollywood actor and one of the people recognized by the commission said Nigeria has done well in the area of human rights so far.

The Next 2 None Ambassador described his experience working with the NGO as worthwhile. “Working with Next 2 None has been a worthwhile thing; it’s been really challenging working with an organization that is fighting human rights abuses across the country, enlightening people on what their rights are using entertainment personalities. It’s been great.”

Actor Larry Koldsweat who was also recognized at the event was full of praises for the NGO and commission. “It is a new dawn for Nigeria, let it be heard that the journey to making Nigeria human rights abuse free began today” the actor enthused.

In a related development, Next 2 None has unveiled Abuja based Oak Cliff Global Synergy Limited as the partner and financier of the movie project. Obu told newsmen during the week that the company has thrown its weight behind the production of the movie on the evil of human trafficking that will feature a top Hollywood star and numerous Nollywood stars. Obu disclosed that the movie would be shot across locations in Nigeria, South Africa, Europe and America and that it is a collaborative initiative between Next 2 None support initiative and the National Human Rights Commission as well as other international rights bodies.

Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Oak Cliff Global Chris Uziewe in a chat said the effort that Next 2 None has put into the fight against human trafficking and other forms of abuses is the reason the company is partnering in the production of the international movie. He assured of the full

Sam Obu and popular Nollywood actor Keppy Ekpeyong Bassey involvement of the company in the production of the movie as it meets their corporate social responsibility objectives. He said: ‘’I am aware that Next 2 None have carried out a scientific research through a committee of Professors drawn from different universities in the country and are now set to shoot a movie. We are

very pleased to enter into this partnership and I believe it is good for the image of our company as this forms part of our Corporate Social Responsibility, CSR. We are an international company and this movie is an international movie so naturally, we should work together.”

A film narrative on Oba Ovonramwen, 100 years after ILM, history and books have Ftionship. always maintained a close relaMost filmmakers source materials that they recreate from historical accounts and from books. Moviedom is replete with works that are inspired by historical accounts or books that have been written on a given subject or personality. Films like Half of a Yellow Sun, Aba Women Riot, Dazzling Mirage and The Concubine, are works that were inspired by historical accounts or books.

The history of the ancient Benin Kingdom –the story of how the British government under the leadership of Vice-Consul Phillips conquered and occupied the Kingdom in 1897 and how the revered Benin Monarch Ovonramwen Nogbaisi was dethroned and sent on exile, has attracted the creative interest of notable Nollywood practitioner Lancelot Oduwa Imaseun aka D’Guvnor. It will be recalled that the story of Oba Ovonramwen who later died while in exile in Calabar had earlier caught the interest of two playwrights- Professor Ahmed Yerima who wrote Trials of Oba Ovonramwen and the late Professor Ola Rotimi who wrote Oba Ovonramwen. Both plays are still being widely read and performed.

But Imaseun’s ‘Invasion 1897’ will be the first narrative on the subject on film and the Edo born filmmaker declared at a world press conference held last week to coincide with the Centenary of the death of Omo N’oba Ovonramwen in exile (the Oba reportedly died on January 14, 1914), that he was ready to tell the world the true story of how the British forces ‘invaded Benin’ and turned things around for the once

powerful and prosperous Benin kingdom. ‘’I used the word Invasion instead of massacre because the white men invaded Benin’’ Imaseun said at the crowded conference that attracted mostly beat journalists and some notable stakeholders in Nollywood, including his co-producer Famous Otakponmwen, celebrated Nollywood director Chico Ejiro, former President of the Association of Movie Producers (AMP) Madu Chikwendu, current President of the AMP Zik Zulu Okafor, Founder of the annual Abuja International Film Festival Fidelis Duker and the Founder of Eko International Film Festival Hope Obioma Opara.

Though still in post production, “Invasion 1897” is based entirely on the invasion of the Benin Kingdom, the reported looting of the priceless ancient artifacts of the Benin kingdom and the event that led to the

dethronement of Prince Idugbowa who ruled Benin with the name Ovonramwen Nogbaisi.

However, Imaseun said that the movie is more than a story of the fall of the last African empire. He stated that the movie was also about a cultural movement for the restoration of the great bronze artworks of Benin and the reparation for the massive looting of the kingdom. Imaseun said he decided to make the film to remind the world that the western powers have ignored the calls for reparation several years after the African World Reparations and Repatriation Truth Commission demanded that reparation be paid to Africa.

Similarly, Oduwa said he was happy to make the film, which he said would highlight the continuity of the cultural heritage of the classic Bronze Art of the Benin Kingdom. ‘’We went to the place

Lancelot on location of invasion 1897 and poster of Invasion 1897

where those priceless materials were made and commissioned them to make real Benin bronze artworks just so as to show that we have continued that tradition. We got them to make a complete boat made of Bronze’’ he said.

Imaseun’s colleagues and journalist at the conference commended the director of some of Nollywood’s critically acclaimed movies like Adesuwa, and Ebuwa for the effort he put in the movie that parades an international cast, including famous British actors Rudolph Walker and Charles Venn and top Nigerian actors including Charles Inojie, Paul Obazele, Segun Arinze and the late Justus Esiri.

But what is the budget of the movie, a journalist asked Imaseun, who was flanked on the left at the venue of the conference, by Mike Omorogbee who played the lead role of Oba Ovonramwen? ‘’I cant readily put a figure to it because we are still spending as we are in post production’’ Imaseun said.

Continuing he said ‘’ although the initial budget was $2 million, but the production has gulped more money because we used authentic props, costumes and set both here and in London. Besides we worked with a large cast and crew of over

1000 people and you know what that is, in terms of fees, accommodation and welfare. We are currently at the stage of final post-production and so we are still spending’’.

Billed to be premiered in October 2014, Imaseun who revealed that the movie was produced with ‘the invaluable support’ of Senator Daisy Danjuma, South Atlantic Petroleum Limited and Capt (Dr.) Hosa Okunbor, the Chairman of FEVA TV in Toronto, Canada and his managers, J2konsult in the UK, however hinted that a premiere in Benin, Edo State would precede the world premiere of the movie that Lancelot says has so far been endorsed by the Benin Monarch, Oba Erediauwa 1, who also honoured Imasuen with the 2013 Oba Erediauwa Excellence Award.

Some critics at the premiere who are familiar with the story of O b a Ovonramwen say they cant wait to see if Lancelot Imaseun exercised artistic liberty in recreating the story of the revered Monarch. But they commended Imaseun’s courage in daring to make such a challenging historical film.

30 ARTS Friday, January 24, 2014

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Sound n’ Screen Janelia...

Home girl drops Sexy Nana

By Chuks Nwanne AVING spent weeks in the studio with her producers, cooking up fresh beats, Nigeria-born-United States-based singer, Janelia has dropped her latest single, Sexy Nana. In the new single, the Nigerian-American singer worked with one of Nigeria’s finest producers, Young D, who added Naija vibes into the mix.

Already, the song is gradually picking up on air with the buzz visibly felt on the streets and online. In the new track, the diva sang on about being the Sexy Nana to the man that is turning her on.

Done with the audio version, plans are afoot for the shooting of the video, which is expected to be done in the United States, with Hollywood, California and Washington DC on the card. Either way, Janelia promises that the music video for will be ‘super-hot and super sexy.’ Her music could be described as a beautiful fusion of Soul and Afro-Pop. The daughter of an American father and a Nigerian mother, Janelia was born in Houston, Texas and grew up in Nigeria. She brings a unique multi-cultural vibe to Soul music, which she playfully calls JaneliaSoul. She is bilingual and enjoys writing songs and singing in both English and Yoruba.

Though she honed her musical skills in the United States, where her professional career began, Janelia’s passion for music actually started during her primary school days in Nigeria. While in the US, she toured as a backup singer with several national and international acts and then ventured into having her own band.

Janelia, who presently lives and shuffles between Baltimore, MD USA and Lagos, Nigeria, has continued to make a name for herself on the American, Nigerian, and global music scenes, performing in clubs, festivals, and other venues all over the United States and Nigeria.

While she’s well established in the U.S., Janelia finally had the chance to conquer the hearts of the people of her homeland when she released a disc featuring three mixes of This Is The Life and Get On Down on Nigeria’s Tema Sounds in 2007. This Is The Life is Janelia’s heartfelt reflection on the magic we can find in everyday life and not taking it for granted, was an instant hit, selling over 100,000 copies and, perhaps more importantly, forging a deep connection with the Nigerian culture.

Prior to that, she had released her full-length debut, I’ll Be Waiting, in 2004 Prior to the release of Sexy Nana in the New Year, the singer had dropped Love Song in Yoruba and Omo Oba Remix, the music video, which was ranked in the top 10 video countdowns on some of Nigeria’s prominent music stations; it was number 4 on Sound City and number 9 on Africa Independent Television (AIT). Besides, Love Song in Yoruba airs on BET International and is also being transmitted in over 35 countries in Europe, the Middle East and Africa, especially on the AfricanMagic channel.

A multifaceted artiste, who is able to move fluidly between genres, Sexy Nana has the contemporary sound of Afrobeats known worldwide as Afro-Pop; as an artiste, she has crossover appeal, which helped her to secure fans for herself not only in the United States

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and Nigeria, but throughout the globe.

Some of her recent performances include the Face List Awards in New York, a performance that saw her pay tribute Angelique Kidjo, with a soulful acoustic version of Agolo.

She was also a headliner at Recher Theater in Towson, MD and was also feature-opening act for many national acts of various genres. It would be recalled that Janelia had played major gigs such as the Havanna Festival, Artscape, the Detroit World Music Festival and others. She has also performed at the Africa Malaria Day Benefit Concert in Washington, DC, where she helped raise funds and created awareness for Malaria treatment and prevention in Africa.

Meanwhile, her musical influences are as diverse as she is; they include Sade, Mariam Makeba and Fela Kuti.

She is currently recording a new album and shooting music videos for her new and upcoming releases. In this new work, which is slated to be released mid 2014, she is expanding her sound as she further explores Afro-Pop, while infusing it with her original soulful vibes.

“My new album will be a beautiful fusion,” she boasted.

Upbeat swing for AFRIMA 2014 N a bid to celebrate the rich musi- contacting us to be a part of this Iented cal heritage of Africa and her tal- ennobling awards project,” he artistes, as well as open a said.

New York leg of ‘On the Way to AFRIMA Concert’ must hold in a venue like Barclays Arena,” said fresh window for them to reach Dada, a Public Relations and Ms. Adenrele Niyi, AFRIMA Proout to the international commubrand communication profesgramme Director. nity, a new award project, All Africa sional, revealed that the New York Meanwhile, the concert will Music Awards (AFRIMA) has come concert will hold at the prestifeature 80 per cent performance on stream. As a prelude to the con- gious 15,000 capacity Barclays from some of our best talents in tinental showpiece, the organisers Arena, the landmark indoor enter- Africa and 20 per cent performhave conceived a live music containment space in Brooklyn, New ance from international artistes. cert tagged, On The Way To AFRIMA, York, where international music “Our host for the concert will billed to hold in New York, United superstars such as Beyonce, Jay Z certainly be one of the top names States of America. and Youssou N’Dour have played. from contemporary pop culture In preparation for the event, a The arena also hosted the 2013 or TV/movie. We are in talks with reputable US-based live event pro- MTV Video Music Awards and is a artistes’ managements and the duction team, last week, visited the regular venue for NBA games. artistes too. It is guarNigeria office of PRMAfrica, the “The pool of anteed that this conproducers of AFRIMA, to deliberate the cert, as well as other on how a partnership between African Diaspects of AFRIMA both interests could bring about aspora liv2014, would be memosuccessful build-up edition of the ing in the rable,” she assured.

New York concert.

US is stagCo-producer and According to the CEO of the outfit gering and Regional Director, and executive producer of the proj- add to that East Africa, AFRIMA, ect, Mike Dada, “the meeting was the number Mr. Michael Strano held behind closed doors and of nonreiterates the while PRMAfrica does not want to African fans uniqueness of the disclose details of who we are dethe contiawards. liberating with or what has been nent’s music “The African condiscussed thus far, I can say we are artistes have tinent has had her excited the momentum is building in America, fair share of for 2014 AFRIMA. Many stakehold- then you’ll awards events. ers and practitioners in the music get a better However, AFRIMA industry both within Africa and understandstands out by being outside the continent are already ing why the

Michael Strano

the only one that would honour music professionals who operate behind the scene, hitherto ignored perhaps because other event organisers largely see their activities as trivial.

For the first time, honour would be accorded to song writers and music/entertainment journalists,” he said.

Aside from the New York gig, there will also be concerts in other African cities such as Douala, Kampala, Dakar, London, Paris and Johannesburg, before the main event to be hosted in Nigeria.

Aside from the entertainment angle, All Africa Music Awards 2014 will provide opportunities to showcase the strength of Africans for global competitiveness and project our musical and cultural values from our perceptive in an unambiguous manner that reflects our heritage and bright future. Besides, AFRIMA’s highpoint rests on the plan to collaborate with the African Union, AU, to foster unity, peace and love among African nations.

The live awards event will be broadcast to 700 million viewers across the world on 109 TV stations in 84 countries.

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Revue

Zik Okafor; Chief Eddie Ugbomah; Oronto Douglas; Tony Umez; Teco Benson and Kanayo O. Kanayo at a dinner… in Lagos

Ugbomah @73… In conversation with the oracle of Nigerian showbiz

By Chuks Nwanne O matter which side of the divide you belong, in discussing the business of filmmaking in Nigeria, Chief Eddie Ugbomah (OON) remains a force to reckon with. Aside from being among early filmmakers, who pioneered the country’s motion picture industry, Ugbomah still remains very visible in what is now known as Nollywood today, even at 73.

Although some younger filmmakers in Nigeria, who have little sense of history, tag him as ‘old school,’ in advanced countries such as the United States of America, a filmmaker of Ugbomah’s caliber and achievement is seen as a doyen.

A typical Lagos boy, Ugbomah is a mobile encyclopedia; he has a vast knowledge, especially in the field of filmmaking and show business generally. All you need do is ask him one question and be ready for a paper presentation straight off the cuffs! That’s the man, Ugbomah, for you. At every gathering of creative minds, he finds time to transfer knowledge to younger practitioners, whom he regularly accuses of being averse to knowledge. As he prepares to mark his 73rd birthday this year, Ugbomah is seriously worried about the future of the industry and wants to leave something tangible behind for the generation to come.

The Boy is Good, as admirers fondly call him, (was one of his films in the 1980s), Ugbomah was born in Lagos and attended St Mathias, Lagos, Abbott Elementary School, Sapele, before heading for Lagos City College. A lover of knowledge, Ugbomah left Nigeria for London at young age. He first enrolled at the Tottenham Technical College, London, and then went to City of London University, before heading for London Film College. Fascinated by television, young Eddie enrolled at the Television School, Holborn, and later attended School of Journalism and Mountain View Arts College, High-gate, London.

While in the United Kingdom, Eddie set up

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the first Afro-Caribbean Drama Group and an agency for casting Africans, Asians and AfroAmericans in both TV and screen movies. In fact, it was his versatility that earned him a job at the ITV London for his practical experiences, where he met with lots of TV stars. At that time, he ran a popular nightclub at Dalston Junction, Hackney, North London, where most visiting Nigerian bands performed. By 1962, he became the first ever-black model in England.

By the time he returned to Nigeria in 1975, it was difficult for him to get a job with any media house. He reminisces, “They all refused to give me a job because they said that I was too qualified.

Today, most of them are dead, with some rotting away. Maybe, one or two of them are still living as sad old men. Today, I’m happy that they were not allowed by God to destroy his plan for me.

Armed with experiences he garnered in the U.K., young Eddie went into promotion of concerts with the likes of Millie Small, Chubby Checker, Danny Williams and Soul Messengers and later took the Funkies to Europe. Along the line, he joined Alhaji Danjuma Aminci Construction Company, where he played a vital role in growing the outfit. Again, tribalism became a big issue.

As he recalls, “When Ambassador Dan Suleiman introduced me to Alhaji Danjuma, I lifted his briefcase company to a four storey construction firm that built part of Jaji Staff College, Nigerian Defence Academy Extension, Ilorin Military Water Works and Ojo Barracks. After making this company rich, I was called ‘Nyamiri’ (Igbo man) by the friends of the chairman”.

Determined to pursue his film career, Ugbomah left and set up Edifosa Entertainment, a platform that promoted concerts within and outside the country. It was also on this platform that he made his first movie, The rise and fall of Dr. Oyenusi, a hit movie of the 1980s.

“I thank God I was able to move on with my passion. When I left the construction firm, the entire company collapsed due to bad management.

Today, I’m still waxing stronger and all the men who squandered all the cash I made for the com-

pany are dead or living dead”.

A former Chairman of Nigerian Film Corporation NFC), Ugbomah was also a consultant and adviser to the National Film and Video Censors Board for seven years.

While at the NFC, he conceived the idea of a laboratory to enable practitioners process their films locally. However, the initiative stalled due to change in government.

As he recalls, “At NFC, I had ambition and plan, but it was a political position. I was there just for a year and half. By the second year, Tony Momoh left and Akinyele came in, as Minister of Information. He was not convinced that that laboratory is viable and so they didn’t buy my ideas. I went there to make films for Nigeria but they didn’t let me run the place. Now, the ‘thieves’ we have in government wanted that place to go down”.

What was their reason?

“Don’t forget they used to take their films overseas to process and so that lab stopped working; they wanted me and that lab dead at all cost. I know a big advertising agency that wanted to shoot an advert of 60 seconds for $60 million. He was siphoning money from some Lebanese people at that time. Unfortunately for him, I was called by the Ministry of Finance to look at the budget and I said, ‘if it is speed boat they want, we can get one at Onikan.’ So, I cut the budget down to $60 thousand”.

According to him, some of the archival film negatives from 1945 to 1982 belonging to Nigeria are still wasting abroad. In fact, efforts Ugbomah made to get Nigerian government to retrieve the films abroad were sabotaged, as he notes, “The civil servants told Tony Momoh that we don’t need them and if we did, they would have been brought back. Some of these materials are our history, which are lying fallow at the Film Corporation Archive hall; they have allowed them to wreck; no air-condition!

Now, young filmmakers, do they know that there is an original story of the Emir of Sokoto there? The Making of Nigerian Independence… In there are lots of negatives, which they can use today to print and turn to DVD”.

For Ugbomah, it is high time Nigerian filmmakers began to take epic film production seriously, which he said would preserve the history and heritage of Nigeria as a country.

“There are 774 local governments in Nigeria”, he says. “They all have 774 epic stories yet untouched; nobody has touched the true history of Usman Danfodio, Adaka Boro and others. Look at an epic, which I have been trying to shoot, Aba Women Riot… This was a period when the women of this country fought for their rights because they were not going to allow the white man count them like goats, neither will women pay taxes. We need to get stories like these to the world to see.”

As part of his birthday celebration in July, Ugbomah has resolved to finally put Aba Women Riot into a film, with the hope of partnering with some state governments, saying, “I’m calling on the Abia State governor Theodore Orji and Akwa Ibom State governor, Godswill Akpabio to come onboard and support this film initiative. This incident happened in their domains and an opportunity to preserve that part of history. I’m using this opportunity to reach out to them to support this movie. Soon, we are going to reach them officially”.

According to the veteran filmmaker, distribution remains a major challenge for filmmakers in the country, noting, “In our time, distribution was a headache and I have shot about six home videos. Unfortunately, I don’t know the right word to use, but I will say that the marketers hate me; they have refused to distribute my films. But there is

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Oracle dreams big for Nigerian showbiz CONTINUED FROM PAGE 35 one trick I played after I shot my last film, Black Gold. (Peter) Odili and (James) Ibori premiered it and gave me the money to cover the shooting. I got the money and threw it under my bed. I am not going to kiss anybody’s bottom to sell my films. I don’t want anybody to come and tell me, ‘Oga, it didn’t sold,” he comically aped the bad English spoken by most film marketers.

But preserving our history in films, according to Ugbomah, is a huge task that must be done, calling on both government and filmmakers to rise to the challenge.

“I have had the opportunity of meeting young people and I ask them, ‘do you know Oliver d’ Couqe’? And they said ‘no.’ If you look at it, they don’t want to know because there is no institution where they can go and learn these things. We don’t even have the history of Nigerian journalism and this is what we should ensure we do. I have spent over 10 million of my money creating 134 portraits of moviemakers right from the days when Awolowo said that his television station is the best in Africa and Zik said, ‘No, mine is second to none’.

Tagged Moviemakers Hall of Fame, the initiative was influenced by the Black Filmmakers Hall of Fame in Oakland and the American Movie Hall of Fame in Washington DC. The Nigerian version was created by Ugbomah to celebrate the prime movers of the industry.

He simply argues, “We need to document our stars in the movie industry and we need libraries and galleries to do so. I’m doing a new one called Music Makers Hall of Fame. I travel a lot; I see the world and Nigeria is part of this world and these are the histories. I remember there was a big programme in Abuja and they were talking about fame and entertainment. At the high table, they brought the directors-general and ministers; we artistes were on the floor. I was the only person in that gathering with an Officer of the Order of Niger (OON) award and I wasn’t recognised; I stood up and walked out. If you don’t appreciate yourself, who is going to appreciate you? I have received about five awards; even with the OON, I don’t get value for it. What is the value for the awards? I don’t get money for it and I have served this nation faithfully”.

It is the hope of Ugbomah that with the Hall of Fame project in place, Nigerian artistes will someday be recognised for their role in propagating the culture and tradition of Nigeria.

Unfortunately, the project has been struggling for lack of sponsorship, as he notes, “I’m not a rich millionaire, but I’m using my resources to sustain the initiative because I believe in it. I have been approached by parastatals to give them the Hall of Fame, but I cannot give the Hall of Fame to CEBAAC; they should come and say, “Chief, how much have you spent to set this up; take this amount and we make you a life creator so that people will know that you started it’; that’s all. If you’ve seen the portraits, I financed them with my money; those in other countries do not have two heads.”

He continued: “The Hall of Fame is a big proj-

Ugbomah and Rita Dominic

ect, which cannot be handled by an individual.

I can show you three letters I have written to Minister of FCT, Abuja, Mr. Bala Mohammed asking for a land to build a movie house. The leaders of this country are ‘sick in the head’ and if you abandon this Hall of Fame tomorrow, a child will ask you someday, “What is Village Headmaster?” By now, such programmes should be turned into DVDs for the younger generation to see what has been done in the past”.

To Ugbomah, tribalism is a major hindrance to the growth and development of Nigeria’s creative industry.

“Do you know that this country called Nigeria is sick with tribalism? That’s what is killing the creative arts. Art is about language and here in Nigeria, Yoruba, Igbo and Hausa filmmakers don’t corporate. I happen to be the Chairman, Board of Trustees for the producers and directors. Whether you like it or not, I’m Nollywood!

The day they gave the name Nollywood, I was there and I fought against the Indian woman who said, “We have Hollywood and Bollywood why don’t you have Nollywood?” I said that is copying, but all the young boys said, “No, Chief, we like it like that!” and that is how that name come to stay. Nobody has ever registered that name Nollywood; it doesn’t belong to anybody that is why everybody insults it”.

For the veteran filmmaker, every creative mind should have some level of radicalism, as he puts it, “The genuine creative people all over the world are radicals - the Wole Soyinkas, Chinua Achebes, Oshofisans… they are activists and see things ahead of time”.

Indeed, Ugbomah is a typical example of a radical filmmaker, especially with his movie, The Masks, which talks about the stolen artifact from the Benin Kingdom.

“Do you know that the movie made the mask to be sold back to Nigeria? Did I get any ‘thank you’ from Nigeria? I shot a film in 1978 called Oil Doom, where are we today? I want to shoot a film now, because I don’t just shoot; I don’t read an English novel and ask girls to wear sitthrough dresses and lipsticks. I shoot film for the world, authentic contemporary movies that help preserve our history.”

Using America as a yardstick, the Delta State native said, “Look at American films; only one American will come out with a balloon and kill all the Chinese; that is the creativity of America. Then our brothers and friends go on television saying ‘yeah men’; who do you blame? I blame the elders like me, who are not keeping anything for the younger generation.

We have a society that doesn’t understand the position and power of creativity and culture of arts”.

AS for the film fund provided by NEXIM Bank, which has been difficult for most Nigerian filmmakers to access, Ugbomah sums it up thus, “NEXIM is sick in the head. Here was President Goodluck Jonathan giving us, not even his money, but World Bank money ($200 hundred million). He should have looked around and find those, who deserve that money for their achievements not how many billions you have in the bank. I spent over N800 million making films; I’m a poor man now. So, I want to turn all my films into DVD.

Yet, I have to look for $2 millions to achieve that because there is no equipment here to do such unless I go to America or South Africa”.

From his tone and body language, the bureaucracy in government, which he said has denied the industry needed infrastructural development, visibly frustrates Ugbomah’s efforts, as he says, “Right now, we are negotiating with Bayelsa State government; I brought some Americans, who want to build a film village in Bayelsa, Asaba, Abuja or Lagos. A woman there (one Mrs. Brown), who is the Commissioner for Culture and Tourism, has been holding us down for the past 90 days. After keeping four Americans in Sheraton for 90 days, she was telling me, “We don’t want any design; we want you to look at that of South Africa”. I said to her, “Madam, this people work in Hollywood Universal Studios.’ She made me look like one schoolboy; they just talk to you anyhow. I don’t think that woman will be in Seriake Dickson’s next government. Because I didn’t go to bow down to her; by age, I’m as old as her father.

Even her personal assistant refused passing the letter to her after reading them. Like I said, I’m proud of this industry and proud to be a Nigerian, but I’m not going to take any insult from any ‘temporary big man”.

If given the opportunity, Chief Ugbomah will shut down all pay TV companies in the country, because as he sees it, “They have ruined this industry; there is no future for the Nigerian movie industry, as long as AfricaMagic is existing. You sit down seven days a week to watch films free. Now, people don’t have films to give to them, so they clean the old ones and play them again. Who are they paying royalty to?”

So what’s the way out?

“We should shut them down because they know how to maneuver us. Let these South Africans go home. I want the government to place a decree asking them (South Africans) to go home. All the stations are now hooked to DSTV; they can’t afford digital equipment.

The same thing should be applicable for film producers. If you cannot direct an epic movie, let about four producers come together to do it”.

There has been agitation for the establishment of a Motion Picture Council (MOPICON), just like the Advertising Practitioners’ Council of Nigeria (APCON), which has been on for years. Does he think MOPICON will enhance the film industry?

“The word ‘film’ or ‘art’ has never come from the children of those in power. In those days, nobody from the north was in film. I remember I did my film The Mask and as a Chairman of the Film Corporation, I wanted to use the National Theatre and a boy did his school project; five governors wrote it off, six states sponsored it but they never came to ours. I had made eight films at that time, so they are the ones behind the film fund and MOPICON. Now, you get a waterman from where he’s swimming and make him the MD of Film Corporation, how can it progress? As for the endowment fund, the industry is not united”.

ON for the Centenary Celebration, Ugbomah asks, “Who are they carrying along? What is the background of those they are carrying along? The government forgets those who have created the roads, which the present generation is plying. Has Edem Duke cared to know where Ola Balogun, Eddie Egbomah, or Jabadu is?”

Though the younger generation of Nigerian

Ugbomah filmmakers seems to have taken over control of film business, Egbomah and other veterans still find ways to come together for the sake of the film industry.

As he notes, “We have what we call ‘Elder’s Forum,’ where we meet once in two-three months. But most of them have very poor income; things are not smooth with them and so since they don’t have enough money, they don’t have a say in the movie industry.

The other time, I celebrated my birthday about 250 people were present, over 200 people were my friends, and about 50 were from the industry. What then is the future when they look down on elders”.

Meanwhile, ahead of his 73-birthday celebration, Ugbomah is planning a bumper programme to mark his day, which will also include film production. According to him, “I’ve paid my dues in the industry and I think it’s time for my colleagues and friends to come out and celebrate me now that I’m still alive. I’ve written a letter to by governor friends – Fashola, Uduaghan and Oshiomole – they have to come onboard and celebrate me. The Ministry of Culture and Tourism and all the parastatals should support this celebration. Very soon, the planning committee will unveil details of the event”.

Not minding the challenges, Ugbomah feels fulfilled as a filmmaker, as he asserts, “Yes, that is why I want to leave something behind, and that is the essence of my creating this Hall of Fame. As a filmmaker and a human being, I believe God has been gracious to me. I have 13 children; 11 are graduates, what more do I want? I am so fulfilled but the country has not fulfilled my industry’s needs; that’s why I keep pushing”.

Out of his 13 children, only one seems to be interested in toeing Ugbomah’s line. “Yes, the 12th child is the only one, who has decided to take my career path. Among all my children, she is the only one, who has seen the agony I have gone through in promoting show business in Nigeria. My last wife died 12 years ago and so I am a widower. My daughter, who cooks for me would be leaving for Ibadan to study. So, I’m left with my last son at home.

Most of my kids don’t come back to Nigeria.

They say Nigeria is too dangerous and I tell them it is because they read papers too much”.

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Literature Exciting books of 2013 and shape of 2014

By Anote Ajeluorou AST year, Nigeria’s rating as powerhouse of L African fiction grew phenomenally with the publication of some very influential books; they seem poised to set the pace for what to expect in 2014. Virtually all the usual suspects and many others brought out books that engaged critical attention. Not least among authors that seized the literary imagination by the scuff of the neck was the famous pioneering trio – Profs. Chinua Achebe, JP Clark and Wole Soyinka.

The late Achebe blazed the trail with his highly controversial memoir on the Nigerian Civil War, There Was A Country: A Personal History of Biafra. It ended being his swansong. A few months later, he was to join his ancestors in faraway United States, where he’d lived for several years. The furore the book generated had never been seen before (only Achebe’s A Man of the People came close way back in 1966, perhaps because of its prophetic tone and outcome); it came as a shock to many, especially in a country that had reputedly shut its doors to books. Achebe’s book easily became an instant bestseller, with pirates going to work and flooding the highways, with vendors shoving copies in the faces of passersby and motorists alike.

Towards the end of the year, Soyinka came out with a satirical play, Alapata Apata, which takes a swipe at the two political power brokers of Ogun State before Governor Ibikunle Amosun’s ascendancy. Black Africa’s first Nobel Laureate also continued with his interventions series, Interventions III – CULTS: A People in Denial. The two books were presented at the maiden edition of Ake Book & Art Festival held in Abeokuta.

Then came Clark, who at 80 is still active like his peers. His two plays, The Two Sisters and The Hiss were put on stage at his birthday celebration in December 2013.

In October at Port Harcourt Book Festival, Elechi Amadi came out with his science fiction

work, When God Came. Following from Imasuen’s scifi work To Saint Patrick a few years ago, Amadi’s new work will serve to swell the rank of that genre. Also, Dada Books also came out with another scifi work, Lagos 2060, a collection of short stories by different authors, which futuristically projects Lagos and Nigeria into a workable, livable place for all but also with the attendant anxieties of a fast-changing landscape.

Within the same period, fast-rising Chimamanda Adichie came out with her fourth book on America’s race politics and the plight of many immigrants. Americanah was easily a bestseller and masterpiece of fictive engagement. The novel plumbs the depths of immigrant issues, particularly as they affect Africans in the West, as the example of the two Nigerian lovers in the story shows. And like Achebe’s There Was A Country: A Personal History of Biafra, Adichie’s Americanah also sold out.

In the same year, Eghosa Imaseun came out with his second novel, Fine Boys, a novel that highlights the vexing issue of cultism in Nigerian universities and how they spiral out of control, with the attendant fatalities.

Tade Ipadeola’s The Sahara Testament also came out and became the prize-winning book of the year for the lawyer-poet. It won The Nigerian Prize for Literature, the yearly prize worth US$100,000.

The short story genre also made a strong entry last year. Apart from Lagos 2060, other collections include Molara Wood’s Indigo, Igoni Barrett’s Love is Power, Or Something Like That and Nelson Publishers Ltd, with its New Nigerian Stories imprint, Dream Chasers, edited by Adewale Maja-Pearce, were the new entrants to swell the fictive space.

While fiction dominated the literary landscape, with the short story genre coming tops, drama and poetry were a bit mute.

Arrow of God@50 Celebration logo, with Prof. Akachi Ezeigbo (far left); Committee Chairman, Dr. Wale Okediran; committee member and Association of Nigerian Author Vice President, Denja Abdullahi and ANA Lagos Chairman, Femi Onileagbon at the unveiling last year… in Lagos O, what will the literary outlook of 2014 be like? That may be difficult to say for now. But what is certain is that as usual, the literary scene will continue to be vibrant, as more writers will try to bring out new works. With The Nigerian Prize for Literature worth US$100,000 that will soon advertise for entries for its 2014 competition season in March, with drama taking centre stage, just as entry for the Caine Prize for African

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Amalgamation… Myth, reality since 1914

By Florence Utor ERHAPS the decision by British colonialists to amalgamate the Southern and Northern protectorates of Nigeria in 1914 was made out of selfish motives. But the fact remains that the entity called Nigeria emerged out of that contraption and has since remained one, despite all its ethno-religious, cultural and political complexities that have defied its managers.

It may then be reasonable to say that Nigeria was actually a product of accidental union agenda that was mooted and executed by Lord Frederick Lugard, the then leader of the colonial authority. It was Lugard, who wrote Dual Mandate, the official document, which validated the amalgamation process.

With Nigeria poised to conduct a national conference to possibly review its governing process, the book, Amalgamation and its Enemies: An Interpretative History of Modern Nigeria (Obafemi Awolowo University Press Limited, Ile-Ife; 2013), edited by Professor Richard Olaniyan, could not have come at a better time. The book essentially provides refreshing angles for historians, scholars and indeed the Nigerian populace to understand the impact of the amalgamation on the people, and equally assess how successive local administrations have managed the gains or otherwise of the exercise.

The book, which is a product of well-researched articles from eminent scholars and academics, reflects on diverse thoughts and ideas on the knotty subject of Nigeria’s contentious union. In the foreword written by Emeritus Professor Tekena Tamuno, the issue of amalgamation and other

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aspects of Nigeria’s history are better understood in the context of the people, their culture and beliefs.

Said Professor Tamuno, “In the light of my own studies, what has been seriously in contest is not necessarily the territorial integrity and sovereignty of the Nigerian state... but the soul of the people in her’’.

Based on the foregoing, the various scholars also air their views on the same subject and almost conclude unanimously that the problem really is not in the geographical composition of Nigeria, but in the way and manner by which the people are ruled or misruled.

First is the paper ‘The Amalgamation, Colonial Politics and Nationalism’, in which the duo of Profs Richard Olaniyan and Akin Alao remind Nigerians that the amalgamation project was primarily proposed to ensure that the imperial possession in Nigeria yielded the maximum benefit to the crown and its government in Britain. Nevertheless, the two scholars acknowledge the fact that the bane of political representation in Nigeria is the inability of the state system to evolve or develop a method that would ensure equitable distribution of resources among the various ethnic and interest groups.

In the second essay, ‘A Review of Studies of Dysamalgamation in Nigeria’, Ehimika A Ifidon argues that the issue of Nigeria’s amalgamation was actually greater than Lugard himself. He reasons that by trying to impose the indirect rule which he adopted in the Northern part of the country on the Southerners, Lugard himself, between 1900 and 1906, inadvertently exposed the success of the

system to serious jeopardy.

Whereas in the fourth chapter, ‘The Political Economy of the Problem of Nigerian Statehood’, Profs Adigun Agbaje and Adewale Adebanwi contend that economic interest was what prompted the British colonialists to amalgamate two culturally different entities together to make up Nigeria. They however caution that the process could have been free of criticisms if the governments that succeeded colonial rule worked assiduously to uphold Justice, Human rights, People’s sovereignty, Empowerment and Accountability.

In their views, only a truly democratic dispensation, which can guarantee benefits of statehood, can bail Nigeria out of its present crisis.

Similarly, chapter five ‘The Historical Sociology of the Problem of Nigeria Statehood’ sees Prof.

Dauda Abubakar tracing Britain’s

interest in Amalgamation to economic benefits. The scholar also laments however that despite Nigeria’s huge economic and geographical size, the country and its people continue to wallow in poverty due to rudderless leadership. He also notes that the unity of Nigeria can only endure when various groups that make up the union begin to feel that they are part and parcel of the existing national bargain, and that they are not discriminated against in access to power and resource distribution.

In chapters six and seven respectively, two essays, ‘Renegotiating Political Space: Minorities, Border Disputes’ and ‘Inter-Communal Clashes and Ethnicity, Religion and Politics in Nigeria’, explore the origins of social, religious and ethnic crises in the country while the sixth chapter by Leo E. Otoide describes the amalgamation as ‘a colonial fiat’ that sought to weld into one several distinctly different groups whose autonomy had been in existence for centuries. The seventh chapter by R.T Akinyele also identifies the disparity in the cultural backgrounds of groups that were merged together by the colonialists. It asserts that the fundamental problem of Nigeria is not ethnicity or religion in themselves, but the politicisation of these same elements for selfish reasons, noting, “Once the politicians perceived that the masses were beginning to see through the smokescreen of ethnicity they have been using as cover, they increasingly turn to religion to achieve their purpose. This explains the high incidence of religious crisis in Nigeria since 1982”.

Writing closes end of January for those with published stories in collections and journals, writers will have a full season as usual to express themselves expansively.

However, what writers lack for now, apart from more quality publishing outlets, with a passion to market literary works, are exposures to writing resorts, fellowship, grants, scholarships and prizes. While the Dr. Wale Okediran-inspired Ebedi Writers Residency Programme in Iseyin, Oyo State, is a laudable example that gives writer space and serenity to write unencumbered, Nigerian writers need more of these outlets to excel in their craft. But even without these, 2014 will not look less productive, as Nigerian writers have learnt to peel canes from palm trees with bare teeth to weave their baskets! What fine basket 2013 was for those whose hearts didn’t faint.

Songs of Africa

By Seun Akala

Africa sings!

A warm melodious song With sonorous voices I heard the soft sounds Felt the warmth And healing power Africa sings!

The songs of love She sings of hope And beauty She pours our her soul Her heart of gold Africa sings!

She sings a traditional song The beauty of her soul The blossom of her land Wealth and beauty Culture and tradition All in plentiful tongues Africa sings!

Even barren Sahara blossoms Lake Victoria is rhythmic The land gives out Stars of Africa Softly, the sun smiles down on her And heavens rain blessings Africa! Blessed Africa!

THE GUARDIAN www.ngrguardiannews.com

38 ARTS Friday, January 24, 2014

VisualArts In Lagos, Post-Oil City images raise

By Tajudeen Sowole HE challenge of tomorrow’s big cities, T which is the focus of an ongoing show, titled Post-Oil City: The History of the City’s Future, at Goethe Institut, Lagos Island, alerts city designers about widening urban and shrinking traditional sources of energy.

Presented in different media such as photography, drawing, digital imaging and video, the show, which has been described as a tour exhibition by the organisers, coincidentally, is making its Nigerian stopover in Lagos, where the government is currently facing the challenge of replacing antiquated and decaying infrastructures as a result of its megacity project.

The exhibition, according to Goethe Institut, is organised by the Institut für Auslandsbeziehungen (ifa), Stuttgart, in co-operation with ARCH+, Zeitschrift für Architektur und Städtebau, Berlin.

From buildings that factor climate change into design concepts to public transportation facilities that conserve energy, the show samples tomorrow’s projects being carried out in cities such as Abu Dhabi, New York, Curitiba, Dubai, Berlin, Mumbai, among others.

Speaking at the opening, Mareike Borgdstedt of Goethe Institut said the show presents innovative projects in Asia, Africa, and the Americas that address urgent questions of post-fossil fuel in urban cities.

Some of the issues addressed by the exhibits include challenge of growing urbanisation where too many people are concentrated on shrinking spaces, particularly in a transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy. Pertinently, the organisers ask: “How will the use of renewable energies affect urban metabolism and the politics of sustainability and mobility?”

However, the much-projected green environment compliant buildings appear to have taken a queue from past designs of the mid-20th century, so reveals the contents of a stand at the immediate entrance of the Lagos City Hall venue of the show.

Tagged Adaptation to the Climate, it’s a 1964 architectural umbrella or adjustable canopy, which most of the modern and 21st century climate change compliant designs have adapted.

A step further into the exhibits comes an example of how to apply native contents in creating architectural masterpiece, yet proffering solution to climate change challenge. Placed under Vernacular Principals, the works show an Egyptian example in architect, Hassan Fathy’s (1900-1988) concept of Arabic architecture blended with modern concept.

Quite interesting, some of the designs

During the opening of the exhibition.

Solar-powered umbrellas for Masdar City Abu Dhabi, UAE PIC: Courtesy of LAVA. across the Arab world till today have the Fathy-style contents. In fact, a text attached to the work, notes that Fathy tries “to make traditional solutions workable for the present.” Basically, the works from the stand explain how the Arabs — modern and contemporary designers — create ventilation for dry and arid regions.

Other sections of the exhibition that show innovations in cities like Berlin, New York and few European cities, perhaps, should not come as a surprise given the antecedence of the developed world in futuristic facilities.

But from Curitiba, Brazil comes an example of mass transit, the likes of which Lagos State Government is gradually introducing into the complex environment in Nigeria.

For Curitiba’s BRT- innovated in 1975 with 25, 000 passengers per day, it’s now a success story as 75 per cent of the population, according to the exhibition, commutes in the bus transit to and from work, culminating in “2.3 million passengers, daily.”

The challenges of the Curitiba transportation authority is not exactly highlighted in the exhibition, but it could have provided a window to appraise the Lagos Lagbus and Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (LAMATA) BRT schemes. The twin mass transits were established since the period of former Governor, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and currently spreading to some axis in the state under the current government of Babatunde Raji Fashola. Burdened by the state-federalcontrolled highways, as well as the informal

transportation and improperly organized, but powerful, commercial bus associations, the Lagbus and LAMATA BRT is still facing a herculean task in spreading across the state.

In other climes where regional or state-federal dichotomy work for the common good of the people, Lagos, a city of population explosion, would need the Curitiba example more, particularly to reduce vehicular traffic congestions and air pollution from automobiles. Currently said to be moving an ‘estimated 300, 000 passengers daily” just on the Ikorodu Road-CMS-axis, the LAMATA BRT appears not doing badly since 2007 when it was formally launched by Fashola.

On fossil fuel pollution-free environment, Post-Oil City features an irony: one of the richest oil producing countries, UAE is designing a model city of 100 per cent renewable energy.

Described as one of the most ambitious future city projects of the 21st century, Masdar City, in Abu Dhabi, is designed to be powered by renewable and pollution free energy. The city, which started in 2008, is also fashioned after what the promoters described as “traditional Arabian city.” It’s an automated city where fossil-fuel automobiles, for example, are not allowed. Major source of transportation is Personal Rapid Transit (PRT), something like the executive version of BRT, but automated or driverless.

Quite thoughtful of the Arabs, the post-fossil oil would not obliterate a region that has supplied energy to the rest of the world for more than half a century. The ongoing Masdar City project is aimed at also suppling the world non-fossil fuel energy.

“The models of the Masdar Plaza and Xeritown give an idea of how sustainable urban planning in Arab cities nowadays can look like,” part of the exhibition statement reads.

Noting that more than half of the world’s population live in cities, the organisers argued that the effects of climate change on urban life can no longer be ignored.

For the gathering of the show’s contents, “11 current projects in the field of sustainable urban planning with 9 from the past,” forms the body of works that stress a link between modern and contemporary designs.

Other experiments shown include Xeriton, Dubai, and the NEST project in Ethiopia as well as “renaturalizing New York’s High Line, and building a network of electric cars with battery switch stations in Israel.”

Also of note is a current project said to be doing “several interactive projects giving communities on both sides of the Taiwan Strait the chance to directly experience new measures in urban design and energy production.”

THE GUARDIAN www.ngrguardiannews.com

Friday, January 24, 2014 ARTS

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From studio to gallery, Madu ‘Reconnects’ for art appreciation on Lagos Mainland has crossed her way of progress as a full time studio artist. And now, adding the business of gallery, she has no doubt of making the desired impact.

For her mother, Mrs Mojisola Otuyelu. who recalled that “I was not impressed when she insisted on art,” it”s a different story. “I am happpy for her, I requested for an assistance from my husband who gave us the space.”

Madu”s father, Chief Olayinka Otuyelu, a legal practitioner, seemed to have been supporting her daughter from the onset. “When she chose art, long ago. I encouraged her,” he said.

Promoting art appreciation across the spheres of the Nigerian society, Madu argued cannot be done in isolation of governments’ input. The artist pointed out what she described as government’s inadequate policies as the bane of art development.

“Also government’s inconsistent policies which placed people with little or no knowledge about art to run the affairs of culture and art based organisation is not helping individual efforts.”

She also chided the professional bodies of artists for doing “ more harm to the development of visual arts as the structure is not coordinated to drive the body to the next level.” Madu cited lack of “access to fund” as a major challenge of artists and gallery owners.

Stories by Tajudeen Sowole art from exclusivity to LsionIFTING broader appreciation is the pasthat drivesthe artist Olayemi

Madu’s new awakening, beyond the studio.

For her new ‘love’, the artist divides her time between studio and promoting art appreciation, so suggests Reconnect Art Gallery, a focus on art in the Mainland axis of Lagos State.

The gallery is also designed to, particularly, promote diverse artists and art enthusiasts as well as collectors that would complement the mainstream art spaces of Lagos and Victoria Island.

Located on the ground floor of an office complex along Herbert Macaulay Street, Ebute Meta, Lagos, its opening, recently, indicated that artists and connoisseurs would not exactly miss so much of the well-established art out- Dr Kunle Adeyemi (left), Olayemi Madu and Prof Abayomi Barber lets of Lagos and Victoria Islands – two axis that are widely considered as Nigeria’s art sured that Reconnect “will take visual art from An unapologetic mascu-feminist, Oshihub. Clearly, the mission of Madu’s Reconjust mere mentions to elaborate books and nowo, in the piece titled Contemplation nects is to meet a broadened scope of art apcatalogues presentation with critical essays (mixed media), strengthens his lead as an preciation in Nigeria. and well- informed art reviews.” artist who has painted more women themes For example, works on display during a visit It is not, however, enough to populate a than any Nigerian artists. to the gallery, few days before the opening, gallery with good and appreciable art: but And when artists argue that female forms included that of master surrealist, Abayomi nsuring patronage particularly in the area of or anatomy is painterly inexhaustive, OshiBarber; prolific painter, Kolade Oshinowo; Lagos not known to thrive in art could be an nowo seems to be confirming this much in printmaker, Kunle Adeyemi and the sculptor up-hill task. Madu agreed that “many NigeriContemplation as he picks his subject from Adeola Balogun. And adding a balance to the ans lack the idea of the purpose of art.” rare profile angle. But the painting serves collection were paintings and mixed media She seemed well prepared for the chalmore for fashion theme, bringing out an unworks of Rasheed Amodu, Lekan Okeshola, lenges given the usual smartness in the resilience iro-buba Fatai Abdulkareem, Mike Obi, Adetula Adepassion. dresses and perhaps pushing it for corporate nuga, Ayoola Sobade and Dayo Adeyemi.

Setting up a wears.

Other works included those of Olufemi gallery, she exAdeyemi’s Stilt Dancer (Ageere), a mixed Awoderu, Oladipupo Adesina, Biodun Okeplained cannot media of serigraphy, block print and paint makinde, Olusegun Oduyele, Bashir Kalejaiye reminds visitors to the gallery of a vanishing be removed and Blessing Ibe. from her long kind of masquerades that were regularly In Barber’s skyline Garden of Eden (Oil on held belief in seen on the streets of Lagos during the 1970s Canvas, 2010), a work that bode on imageries the power of art through 1980s. hid in the green of the foreground as well as and as a career.

Having gone conservationist in recent in the depth of the skyline. Barber’s fictitious Madu recalled times, Balogun’s themes keep exploring the or imaginary ‘Eden’ is not exactly the comhow she stood world of animals as he brings into the Reconmon Adam and Eve impressions that many her ground nect space, another piece titled Escapades artists over the ages have rendered. For the against efforts from his bull series. From bull to equestrian, Octogenarian’s impression of Eden, it capto stop her from and some species of birds, Balogun has been tures what the garden probably looked like studying art. using his metal and shredded sculptures to before the Creator added humans and other And having promote conservation. living elements. passed through Madu’s preparedness to face challenges is And that the painting is dated four years such a hurdle, also not in doubt, particularly acknowledgback adds to the recent increase of the graduating ing the fact that improved artistic contents is artist’s new works in the art markets. Barber, from University raising the bar in the business of gallery. She 85, currently appears to be churning out of Uyo, Akwa noted that art exhibitions in Nigeria “have more works, dated as close as 2011 and 2012, Ibom State, in evolved from just showing indiscriminate, and mostly for at art auctions.

1999, nothing undocumented collections of works,” and asGarden of Eden, by Abayomi Barber

Onwuka’s Diary Pages of Africa’s struggle against the bad, oddity of relationN Nyemike Onwuka’s fourth solo IAlexis exhibition, Diary Pages, just held at Galleries, Victoria Island, Lagos, the dilemma of Africans in sustaining cultural values was among the dominant themes.

More pertinent of the artist’s thoughts in the current reality, for example, in Nigeria, is the issue of aligning sexuality within a reasonable limit of acceptance as against oddity in the choice of partners.

From multiple husband to underage girl marriage, Onwuka expresses what he discloses as some of the notes from his dairy, over the last 11 months. In some of the 20 works he showed, the artist collapses his jottings into the body of work. And perhaps, significantly, at a gallery where he was the first artist shown when the space opened as Homestores Gallery in 2011.

One of Nigeria’s young artists who are consistent in representational modernism, Onwuka, has however, established himself as a painter with distinct identity through the technique of aging his canvas. Within this identity, every theme of his exhibition attempts the separate the previous outings from a current show.

His Diary Pages is not different, though he boasts that“I am still consistent with my rustic canvas.”

The theme of the show is not exactly far from people’s record keeping attitude, even in the age of smart phones, which even offers a

digital diary. A look into an artist’s diary could be of interest, may be from a fresh perspective. “These are my thoughts over the past 11

Just So I Thought is from Nyemike Onwuka’s Diary Pages

months,” Onwuka explains.

Of all the choices of sex partners that people make, the most complex area is a woman having multiple male partners. In one of Onwuka’s work titled Polyandry, the artist argues that such behaviour is un-African.

Like the ongoing issue of same sex partners, it does appear that Africans have imbibed the habit of tracing “unpopular sex behaviour” to the west. One woman to more than one husband, Onwuka argues, is not African.

He notes that “Polyandry is a trend in the west,” warning that “it’s now creeping into the African environment.”

But if the line between polyandry and promiscuity is a thin one, it could be very difficult to trace its origin to the west or any culture outside Africa. It’s as contentious as same sex.

Perhaps with the exception that same sex has been with us in Africa for a while, but not same sex marriage.

Indeed, Onwuka’s Diary Pages may just be similar to that of every Nigerian who keeps abreast of recent issues of sexuality in the country. From an alleged plans of the Upper Chamber of the national assembly to legislate on marriageable age for a girl child, to the recent signing of law

prohibiting same sex marriage, Nigeria is faced with sexuality ias an engaging issue.

While sympathisers of same sex marriage are voiceless in the deafening applause for the passage and signing of the law, the issue of what makes a girl underage for marriage divides Nigerians across religious and ethnic lines. For diverse reasons, it seems that everyone who contributes to the debate has taken a hardline position.

And just when one thought feminism, from Onwuka’s perspective ends on the canvas, the artist too takes a stand on the underage marriage debate. He expresses his view in the work titled If Only I Had A Choice.

In 2011, Onwuka’s Moods was used to formally opened Homestores Gallery, showing paintings, mixed media and drawings, that stresses his identity.

After training at Auchi Polytechnic, Edo State, Onwuka went for further skills acquisition when he studied Character Animation at Witwatersrand University, Johannesburg, South Africa in 2008.

Two of his past shows included Lines and Forms at Sachs Gallery, Victoria, Lagos, and Elegant Urban Decay at Arc Gallery, London, UK.

THE GUARDIAN www.ngrguardiannews.com

40 ARTS Friday, January 24, 2014

ArtHouse Naija Stories’ collection for launch at British Council

AIJA Stories (NS) Publishing Limited in collaboration with N the British Council invites the general public to the launching of its branded Naija Stories fiction books. 14 titles will be premiered, 10 of which are collections of short stories from its popular website, www.naijastories.com. The launch of the 14 titles is the first step in NS’s efforts to make reading fun, accessible, and affordable. NS Publishing is dedicated to developing and distributing Nigerian literary content through paperbacks, e-books, apps and audio through channels and at costs within the reach of ordinary Nigerians, as nurturing writers and readers will contribute to the development of engaged, empowered and educated Nigerians.

Date is Sunday, January 26, 2014 at The British Council, 20 Thompson Avenue, Ikoyi Lagos. Time is 2 - 5pm. Books will be available for sale as well as Naija Stories T-Shirts.

ANA Lagos’ Vintage Wine, Fresh Blends holds tomorrow

SSOCIATION of Nigerian Authors (ANA Lagos) invites the A general public to her January episode of Vintage Wine, Fresh Blends (VWAFB) book reading, which will hold every

last Saturday of the month and feature a prolific and acclaimed writer. The Vintage Wine for the month of January is the editor-in-chief of The Nation, Mr. Sam Omatseye, author of Crocodile Girl, who will share experiences with young, creative minds. Date is Saturday, February 25, 2014, at National Library, Opposite Old Casino Cinema, Alagomeji, Herbert Macaulay Way, Ebute Metta. Time is 3pm.

In February, ANA Lagos will Professor Akachi AdimoraEzeigbo, an event also scheduled to go on live television, as the association’s attempt to ensure aspiring writers (Fresh Blends) drink from the fountain of knowledge provided by established and experienced writers (Vintage Wine).

Friends Club opens at Silverbird Galleria today

Galleria on Ahmadu Bello Way, Victoria Island, SfansILVERBIRD Lagos, will open its doors today from 4pm to welcome to the formal opening of Friends Club located on the 2nd floor. A statement from its publicist, Chief Macualay Okolugbo of Delight Productions Ltd, said Friends Club will offer first class entertainment and touristic attractions to its patrons. It’s managed by Mr. Anthony Trimnell, who ran a chain of bars and entertainment centres, and just returned from the U.S., has promised to ‘bring my dynamic experience in tourism business and clubbing to Nigeria’. Patrons at the Friends Club this weekend will be treated to a starstudded performances by such stars as DJ Humility, U and many others.

Compiled by: Florence Utor

A scene from Lancelot Oduwa Imasuen’s historical film, Invasion 1897, on the exiled Oba Ovonramwen Nogbaisi of ancient Benin Kingdom

Censors Board approves 36 films HE National Film and T Video Censors Board (NFVCB) has approved 36 films for December 2013 out

of which are 17 Hausa, eight Yoruba, six English, two Bini, two Igbo and one Efik languages movies. The classifica-

tion categories range from “12” – “18” out of which one film Unsung Heaven is rated “12” and 16 movies classified

Educating the populace through drama L Drama Society recently U staged No Niger No Benue and thrilled audiences every

a national conference today that has become a hotly debated subject.

Sunday last December at UL Drama Society comprises Terra Kulture, Victoria of writers, actors, musicians, Island, Lagos, with sterling artists, technicians, directors performances. The play and curtain pullers who focuses on an imagined engage in continual learning national tragedy, the kidnap for the head, heart and hands of Nigeria’s Head of State, with developed interests spanand how for four days, the ning the corporate, academic country tethered on a and entertainment spheres, precipice. The questions and showcased their talents in raised in the play are not too drama production in Iron dissimilar to the questions Sharpens Iron-style. They also many Nigerians currently publish poetry and host semiseek answers to in calling for nars on presentation skills.

Ogun state National Association of Nigeria Theatre Art Practitioners (NANTAP) newly elected officials

… And Stella Charles Is Miss Heritage Nigeria 2013 HIDINMA Stella Charles, a 300 level stuC dent of the University of Abuja, has emerged as Miss Heritage Nigeria 2013.

Cast and crew of No Niger No Benue

“15”, including Attajiri (Hausa) Bakin Zinare (Hausa) Derayo (Yoruba) Ugomma and Awanokheni (Bini).

19 movies are classified “18” including Ahunna the Keke Rider (English), Egun Iboji (Yoruba) Olanma na Emenike (Igbo) Ola Ada Eze (Igbo), Native Warrior (English) Gadon Hali and Izaya (Hausa).

A statement from Mr. Caesar O. Kagho, Acting Head, Corporate Affairs, said for the movies classified “15”, the consumer advice is “imitable technique”, “strong language” and “violence”; and for those classified “18”, the consumer advice is “sex”, “strong language”, “high drug use”, “rituals” and “strong violence”.

she said.

According to the queen, who sees her mother as her role model, her parents were Representing Adamawa, Stella beat 27 very supportive in her bid to become Miss other contestants to the crown. The wellHeritage Nigeria. attended event held at the prestigious When asked whether she would embark Ladi Kwali Hall, Sheraton Hotel recently. on any pet project during her reign, the The new queen is the third person to charming lady said she would use her reign emerge Miss Heritage since three years of to promote Nigerian culture and heritage its inception. As the winner, she got a among youths, especially those in primary brand new car, a trip to Ghana and South and secondary schools. “I’m going to proAfrica, with a cover page appearance on mote and preach to them about the imporSurf Magazine. tance of our culture and heritage and the The excited queen revealed after the con- rich cultural values Nigeria is blessed with. I test that she was deeply touched and sur- would promote child education in Nigeria,” prised when she made it to the top five, Stella said. and eventually, emerging winner. She also She also promised that her reign would be said that she bought the form like every unique, as Miss Heritage happens to be a other contestant, but never expected to pageant that promotes African culture, trawin the contest. dition and heritage.

“All I did was to prepare well for the conAlso speaking to the media immediately test and prayed for success. I give all the after the pageant, the CEO of Caires thanks and praise to God for my victory,” Grooming Agency, founder of Miss Heritage

Awards and Miss Heritage Nigeria, Ms Chinor Emeka, said that her organisation basically has set out to groom youthful men and women on how to easily discover their talents and improve their public images in terms of dressing, speaking and comportment for self actualisation.

Stella

THE GUARDIAN www.ngrguardiannews.com

Friday, January 24, 2014 41

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Friday, January 24, 2014 AUTOWHEELS 43

THE GUARDIAN www.ngrguardiannews.com

AutoWheels Best of luxury SUV cars on parade

2014 BMW X5

2015 Lexus lx 570 F you’re looking for a luxuIheadspace ry car that offers a bit more (or maybe more room for the kids), or you’re planning a long trip but want to do so in the utmost comfort, there are numerous options out there.

While large sedans still have their place in the market, luxury Sport Utility Vehicles have offered a larger, roomier alternative, if you don’t mind sacrificing a few MPGs in the name of leather seats and wood trim.

Noticeably, the industry is dominated by the German brands, despite America’s appetite for large cars.

However, the Japanese brands have likewise made moves into the market. So whether it’s a backroads trail or the concrete jungle, here are eight luxury SUVs that will move you and your posse in the most exclusive style.

While Porsche purists balked when the Cayenne was first revealed, it may have been the best business decision for the company: the Cayenne has made the brand far more widely accepted and given the sports car company some serious family cred.

The Audi’s Q7 is first foray into the full-size SUV market, and although the third-row seat is reportedly “cramped”

2015 Cadillac Escalade (as per Edmunds), the car’s “well-crafted interior and autobahn-bred high-speed stability” should make up for the lack of leg space in the third row.

The Cadillac Escalade is quite possibly the most familiar example of a luxury SUV, at

least domestically.

The Escalade comes with a rather extensive list of standard features, and General Motors’ potent 6.2 liter V8.

It’s also one of the few options for a luxury SUV from American manufacturers in a field largely dominated by

the Germans.

On that note, here is another German luxury SUV that has done exceptionally well for itself: the BMW X5. Available in a variety of trims, the Beemer offers a “luxurious and comfortable interior, a huge list of features, and

steadfast high-speed stability,”a seemingly common theme for the cars of German make.

The Lexus LX is a comfortable, roomy SUV that has its underpinnings based in Toyota’s SUV and off-roading division.

This means the LX is very off-

road capable, but “unless you utilise this capability, it’s hard to justify a purchase when there are more spaceand fuel-efficient choices,” Edmunds explains.

Regardless, when Lexus crafts a comfortable car, no corners are cut, and no expense is spared.

On the subject of off-roading, here is the Land Rover’s Range Rover. Repetitive name aside, the Range Rover offers arguably the most important aspect of a luxury SUV: a nice place to be inside. And it does this very well. Edmunds calls the interior “magnificent” and if you have the means — the $99,100 means, that is — you can spring for the supercharged version. Otherwise, the base model hovers around $82,650.

Infiniti JX Though the Infiniti may not match its luxury brethren for power (there is no V8 option), it hits all the right notes for a luxury SUV: easy access to roomy third row, plenty of high-tech safety and creature comforts, and plush ride quality. Unless you were planning to take your SUV to the track or log a quick quartermile, the Infiniti is perfectly capable of meeting all your comfort needs.

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THE GUARDIAN www.ngrguardiannews.com

Friday, January 24, 2014

Firm takes delivery of 2014 Ford Ecosport

By Taiwo Hassan

RISCOEFORD Limited, a B division of R.T. Briscoe Nigeria Plc, authorized dealer of the Ford brand of cars in Nigeria, has taken delivery of the first batch of the 2014 model of Ford Ecosport compact Sport Utility Vehicle (SUV).

The latest 2014 Ford Ecosport was built on Ford’s global B-segment platform, as it is meant to deliver the agility and fuel efficiency of a small family car with the flexibility, spaciousness, high driving position, and go anywhere appeal of an SUV. The all-new EcoSport offers a range of efficient powertrains, including the 125PS 1.0-litre EcoBoost petrol engine, International Engine of the Year, and a 110PS 1.5-litre petrol engine expected to deliver classleading fuel efficiency in Nigeria.

Compact and agile, the allnew Ford EcoSport is also full of innovative technologies and features, thus bringing together features not normally found in this segment.

The car also offers a driving experience with a superior standard of onboard connectivity, safety and convenience.

One of the highlights is the award-winning SYNC driver connect system with voice

2014 Ford EcoSport

control. More than four million vehicles are currently on the road with SYNC technology.

Ford forecasts that nine million additional vehicles will

be equipped with SYNC by 2015 globally, as it deploys the Ford-exclusive system in products such as the new EcoSport.

Powered by the Microsoft

General Manager, Marketing Coscharis, Motors, Abiona Babarinde (left); Director, Sales, Intercontinental Lagos, Kumar Krishna and General Manager, Jaguar Land Rover, Sales, Coscharis, Ufuoma Umukoro, at the signed partnership agreement between the two companies on Range Rover car, in Lagos.

Windows Embedded Automotive Platform, SYNC has created the “upgradeable car”, allowing new features and improvements to be seamlessly integrated at the same pace as consumer trends and preferences.

SYNC sets the trend for a hands-free, voice-activated future.

It helps drivers keep their hands on the wheel and eyes on the road as they choose their favorite music and make calls on a mobile phone.

EcoSport’s voice-activated audio system features a CD/MP3 player, USB slot, iPod connectivity, Bluetooth connection, auxiliary slot and a 3.5-inch LCD screen. Voice controls will be available in various languages, depending on the region.

The EcoSport also offers other key features, including Ford push-button start, keyless entry, electric powerassisted steering, automatic headlamps, and rain-sensing wipers. EcoSport has a number of driver assist features, including Anti-Lock

Braking System, Electronic Stability Program, Hill Launch Assist and rear parking sensors.

Climate control and comfort The all-new EcoSport offers an advanced climate control system, providing efficiency and comfort, including electronic air-conditioning with individual controls for the driver and passenger.

The all-new urban SUV features improved versions of creative solutions, such as the cooled bin inside the glovebox and storage underneath the passenger seat.

Green and efficient Energy efficiency is one of the highlights of the all-new EcoSport.

The goal set by Ford in the EcoSport’s development was to become the segment leader in fuel-efficiency with its various engine options.

The availability of an all-new 1.0-liter, 3-cylinder EcoBoost engine, to be a benchmark in fuel economy, and flex-fuel options in Brazil is part of Ford’s global strategy to offer various motor choices to meet the needs of each region.

Efficiency is present in all aspects of the vehicle’s design. The SUV’s body was specially developed, including the use of new materials and designs to make it much lighter and resistant.

Advanced Safety The new EcoSport was designed to meet the strictest safety standards in the markets in which it will be sold. Its high-resistant body with optimized weight, developed with design tools and advanced software, combines programmed energy impact absorption zones with an extremely rigid protection cage to protect occupants.

The chassis’ stability and robustly built body with high torsional rigidness for occupant protection are part of the features, which give the EcoSport the confidence of a true SUV. The vehicle also offers an advanced package of safety features to help drivers prevent accidents and to protect passengers, including dual front airbags (for driver and front passenger) and side curtain airbags.

24-hour operations since 2010 to meet demand, and where the 100 per cent elec-

tric Nissan Leaf is also made.

Around 286,000 Qashqai cars were built last year, with production numbers expected to

be similar in 2014.

Nissan builds two other models at the plant - the Note and the Juke.

Nissan’s new Qashqai boosts UK jobs new Nissan model has A come off the production line in a move which will help create 500 new jobs at the Japanese car giant’s UK plant in the coming months.

The second generation Qashqai is built in Sunderland, where the workforce is set to increase to more than 7,000 for the first time.

The plant makes a car every 61 seconds and exports the Qashqai, Nissan’s best-selling model in Europe, to 132 countries around the world.

Nissan’s Chief Performance Officer, Trevor Mann said: “The Nissan Qashqai blazed a trail when we started production in 2006. It invented the Crossover segment, pro-

pelled the Nissan brand in Europe to a new level and helped our plant in Sunderland to set new standards in productivity and quality.

“The new Qashqai, with its bold design and segmentleading technology, will once again elevate Nissan to a new level, as the benchmark for the second generation of Crossovers and our flagship model in Europe.”

Asked about the UK economy, he added: “Unemployment seems to be down year on year, almost on a monthly basis, which is sign that the economy is recovering and perhaps the Government policies are working.

“It just goes to show if you

can get a competitive manufacturing operation driven by great products, as we are here, there is room for growth.”

Prime Minister David Cameron said: “It’s great news that the new model Qashqai is rolling off the production line in Sunderland.

Nissan supports 40,000 jobs across the UK, and when you add that to the half a billion pound investment that Nissan have made in this country for this new model, it shows how our long term plan is giving companies the confidence to invest and create jobs in Britain.”

The new Nissan Qashqai is built on Sunderland’s Line 1, which has been running on

2014 Nissan Qashqai

Friday, January 24, 2014 AUTOWHEELS 45

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BMW i3 electric car: the ultimate driving machine among the EVs N an August earnings conIChief ference call, Tesla Motors Executive Officer, Elon Musk was asked about for his thoughts on BMW’s new allelectric car, the i3. Musk broke out laughing.

He eventually pulled it together enough to say, “I’m glad to see that BMW is bringing an electric car to market.

That’s cool. There’s room to improve on the i3 and I hope that they do.”

Well, BMW has an answer, and it’s better argued than Musk’s point.

In an interview at the 2014 Detroit Auto Show, President and Chief Executive Officer of BMW North America, Ludwig Willisch explained to Business Insider why the i3 is “the ultimate driving machine among the EVs.” When we asked Willisch how the i3 compares to the Model S, he started off by explaining how BMW makes its little elec-

tric ride. “You need to look at the whole concept,” he said.

“We start off by producing carbon fiber in Moses Lake, Washington, with hydropower. Then we use fully recyclable materials to build the car.

We build the car with wind power. So the whole production cycle is fully sustainable.”

Meanwhile, he said, “others build electric cars the conventional way,” he said, adding, “you need to look at the carbon footprint of the whole thing. I would dare say that nobody’s at this point in time where we are, as far as the whole production process is concerned.” (We got Willisch to mention Tesla by name only once.)

Tesla has never talked much about cutting emissions in the production process.

In a 2010 blog post, VP of Manufacturing Gilbert Passin explained that Tesla uses powder paint instead of tradition-

al liquid paints, to “substantially reduce factory emissions” without compromising on quality. We reached out to

Tesla spokespeople for comment, but got no reply.

The i3 will hold its own on the road, too, with a price tag well

below that of the Model S. Willisch said. With a body made of carbon fiber reinforced plastic, the i3 weighs in

under 3,000 pounds. The Model S tips the scale at just over 4,600 — that’s a lot for a sedan.

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Friday, January 24, 2014

BusinessTravel

A perimeter fence of an airport

Nigeria’s airports and perimeter fencing challenge

By Wole Shadare OR airports around the Fbeenworld, security has always a top priority. One area that has not been tackled by some governments is the provision of perimeter fencing.

Yet, in comparison to the much-publicised initiative occurring in Nigeria’s terminal building, the perimeter fencing has been largely neglected and this poses serious challenges to safety and security.

How has Nigeria managed this challenge? As we know, in most cases where airports do have full fence coverage, their perimeter must be protected.

Most of Nigeria’s airports lack adequate security equipment, from perimeter fencing to operational vehicles and inadequate personnel.

Many of the airports have their perimeter fencing projects terminated and some of the airports, like the one in

For effective protection of the airport, areas on both sides are expected to be clear, for example, there should be no climbable objects, bushes, trees or parked vehicles nearby in order to maintain the effectiveness of the fencing, facilitate surveillance of the perimeter and reduce unauthorised individuals’ ability to find cover near the perimeter.

Benin do not have perimeter fencing at all. The ones in northern parts of the country need urgent security fencing in addition to the perimeter fencing because of the menace of terror organisations.

Perimeter fencing surrounding an airport can be used to deter and delay unauthorised individuals from accessing sensitive areas of the facility.

Perimeter barriers can also include natural barriers such as body of water, and can serve as a visual and psychological deterrent.

For effective protection of the airport, areas on both sides are expected to be clear, for example, there should be no climbable objects, bushes, trees or parked vehicles nearby in order to maintain the effectiveness of the fencing, facilitate surveillance of the perimeter and reduce unauthorised individuals’ ability to find cover near the perimeter.

While developed countries have their airports properly fenced in line with the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) standards, many countries in Africa, including Nigeria are yet to take such safety meas-

ure.

The incident involving a stowaway, Daniel Oikhena some months ago is a huge testimony to how virtually Nigerian airports are dangerously exposed to threats.

The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority of Nigeria (NCAA) is yet to certify any of Nigeria’s airports, owing to some perceived deficiencies in virtually all the aerodromes.

The terrorist threat is of prime concern at every major airport. Across the media and in the average person’s mind, the threat lies inside the terminal where security officials must be ready for any eventuality.

However, there is another, possibly more probable, threat. While security inside the terminal focuses on catching a terrorist trying to board an aircraft, the physical security of the airport complex requires officials to prevent intruders from sabotaging airport infrastructure.

The security of facilities, infrastructure and strategic assets at airports and in the immediate vicinity is an integral part of a total aviation security model.

Enhancing the perimeter security posture at airports provides a solid foundation for protection and continuity of operations.

As threats continue to evolve, airports require advance planning, paired with processes for developing valid operational requirements. This must be accomplished through flexible interoperable communications, effective response planning and hardened physical and electronic protection.

Former Commandant of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, Group Captain John Ojikutu (rtd.) told The Guardian that over the years, government had failed to build perimeter fencing at the airports and also failed to train adequate number of aviation security officials to man the terminals.

Ojikutu said it was due to luck rather than organised security programme that had protected the airports from high security infractions that could endanger the lives of passengers and other users of the airports.

Ojikutu said: “Right from the time I have been at the airport,

I have always been talking about one single line of security, whether you are Custom, whether you are Immigration or whether you are State Security Service (SSS), just one single line of control, that is exactly what the United States Federal Airport Administration (FAA) did, or what we now call the Transport Security Administration (TSA) immediately after the 9/11 attacks.

“The 9/11 taught them a lesson. Before then, everybody was working at cross purposes, they have them just as we have them at the airport but right now where they have the TSA, if you enter any U.S. airport today, you see everybody is one, whether you are in Custom, Immigration, SSS, you see them all one.”

TSA which is more or less part of what they call border security, they have border security, have their Immigration, they have the Customs too like we do here even the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA), but they all wear the same uniform. The only difference you are going to see in them are the badges, if you look at the badge, you will see TSA:

Customs, TSA: Immigration, TSA: Port Police, TSA: DEA and so on that is what you see there and that is the only way to coordinate information sharing by bringing them together so that they do not work at cross purposes, and for the past several years we have been working hard on how to bring them together, and we write reports what is done or what they do with that report I will not know,” he said.

Thirteen years after the terrorists attacks on September 11, 2001, airports in the United States and across the world have steadily increased their security measures.

Today, most major airports are equipped with hi-tech luggage scanners and full body x-ray machines.

Tens of thousands of trained security personnel occupy airport terminals to ensure the safety of passengers.

Terminals and passenger concourses are now designed and built or retrofitted to accommodate the extra floor space, loading space, scanning equipment and other requirements necessary for this effort.

Nahco aviance donates to SOS children’s village IGERIAN Aviation N Handling Company Plc (Nahco aviance), last week extended its philanthropic gesture to the SOS Children’s Village, Isolo, Lagos when it donated food and baby items as well as cash to the village.

The Managing Director/ CEO of the company, Mr. Kayode Oluwasegun-Ojo who led the

Nahco aviance team to the village said that the gesture was part of the corporate social responsibility of the company and promised to do more.

Mr. Aboyeji Buraimoh, village director and Dr. Bolanle Nasar, head of Social Work welcomed the Nahco aviance team to the village. The village

management thanked the company for the donation and sought for collaboration on developmental projects, empowerment and employment opportunity to the qualified children of the village.

The Nahco aviance team was later taken round some homes in the village. The village currently has 99 children

in its care.

Among the items donated are bags of rice, beans, garri, cartons of beverages, milks, diaper, noodles, vegetable oil, sugars as well as cash.

This is the third time within a month that Nahco aviance will be donating items to organisations. It had earlier donated a defibrillator to Bi-

Courtney Aviation Services Limited and other items to Abuja children’s home.

Other members of the team were the Head of Enterprise Risk Management, Ona Peters, Maduemesi Uche, Stakeholder and Corporate Governance manager and Abiodun Oyebade, Cargo Relationship manager.

BUSINESS TRAVEL Friday, January 24, 2014 | 47

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Emirates celebrates 10 years of operations to Nigeria

By Wole Shadare HEN it commenced W flights services to Nigeria ten years ago, Emirates, a global connector of people and places never imagined that the Dubai-Lagos route would be a gold mine; one that would bring a huge return on

investment so fast, increasing its seven weekly frequencies to almost 14 every week. That is the story of Emirates Airlines, one of the biggest carriers in the world.

Further testament to the growing importance of Nigeria as a key Emirates market, Emirates Holidays, the

tour-operating arm of Emirates, last month opened a dedicated retail office and call centre in Lagos in partnership with Tour Brokers International (TBI) Ltd, who was appointed Preferred Sales Agency (PSA) for Nigeria.

The carrier disclosed that it would celebrate ten years of

successful operations in Nigeria this month, during which time it has carried more than 2.6 million customers on the route, becoming the airline of choice for many in the country.

Emirates started operations to Nigeria on January 2, 2004, with four flights per week from

Dubai to Lagos linked with Accra in Ghana, using an A330200 aircraft. Lagos became Emirates 73rddestination in its network and its 10th in Africa.

Today, Emirates flies to over 140 destinations across six continents, 25 of which are in Africa.

In 2005, just over a year after Emirates’ launch in Nigeria, it increased services from four to six flights a week, and following steady growth and demand, it became a daily operation in October 2005.

On January 1, 2006, Lagos was delinked from Accra and became a direct service to Dubai. On February 1, 2009, a second daily service was introduced and today each flight is served with a Boeing 7773000ER. The Boeing 777-300ER is the backbone of the Emirates fleet, efficient to operate and popular amongst customers.

“Emirates is all about connecting people and places and as Nigerians love to travel, explore the world and make new experiences, we are proud to have played a major role over the past ten years in connecting Nigerians, whether for business or leisure, to our everexpanding worldwide net-

Emirates A380 airplane

ICAO, IATA, confirm 2013 as safest year for global aviation

By Chika Goodluck-Ogazi HE International Civil T Aviation Organisation (ICAO) and the International Air Transport Association (IATA) have confirmed that 2013 was the safest year ever recorded in terms of fatalities for scheduled international air transport operations in a data jointly released by the bodies.

The international bodies stated that although the number of aviation accidents involving fatalities remained steady at nine during 2013, adding that, fatalities themselves were down, a significant of 53.5 per cent from 2012, dropping to

only 173 compared to 372 the previous year.

Using 2010 as a baseline, the report noted that fatalities had fallen by a whopping 76 per cent and 2013 represented the third consecutive year in which air transport fatalities have continued to decrease.

According to the Secretary General, ICAO, Raymond Benjamin: “These results are no surprise given the level of commitment our sector demonstrates, year-in and year-out, to improving the safety of the global air transport network.

“Recent years have seen a tremendous increase in the

level of cooperation and partnership on aviation safety priorities and we are now seeing the fruits of these efforts born out by these remarkable 2013 outcomes.”

The groups stated that the Middle East had no fatal accidents, Africa and the Asia/Pacific each had one, Europe had two, and the Americas saw the highest number with a total of five fatal accidents in 2013. Also of note was that of the nine total fatal accidents worldwide, seven occurred during the approach or go-around phases of flight.

The President of the ICAO

British Airways launches kits for first premium travellers

By Chika Goodluck-Ogazi RITISH Airways has B launched a package for its First Class customers called Amenity Kits that would be given to them onboard.

However, the airline has created two classic new soft bags featuring its signature, ‘To fly, To Serve.’ coat of arms. The kits include a range of specially tailored products for men and women.

Designed with the customer in mind, the new collection from Aromatherapy Associates and The Refinery will offer solutions to inflight problems such as jetlag and dehydration and, the airline has also included additional useful items such as deodorant and hairbrush or comb and a pen.

The Head of Product and Service, British Airways, Kate Thornton said: “We know from our research that our customers who travel in Frist Class want really useful, good quality toiletries by well known British brands on board.

“We also know they don’t always want to be carrying lots of little bottles on the

flight themselves so the amenity kit is really important. What surprised us was the simplicity of the items they feel is missing from the traditional wash-bag.

“Deodorant is a good example, as is a decent hairbrush or comb. And a soft bag they can re-use for make-up, toiletries or carrying valuables or medicines. We took that research and have developed our new First in-flight amenity kit based on it, in partnership with Aromatherapy Associates”, added Thornton.

Aromatherapy Associates First Class wash bag for women: Firming Eye Serum (5ml) to plump, firm and add moisture to the eye area.

Triple Rose Renewing Moisturiser (15ml) to provide essential moisture and leave skin delicately scented Orange Flower Hand Lotion (15ml) to keep hands nourished and soft Hydrating Renewing Rose Cleanser (15ml) to help thoroughly clean and rehydrate the skin.

The Kit also includes a Deodorant Stick, Lip Balm Stick, Cotton Wool Pad, Toothbrush/Toothpaste and combined Hairbrush and mir-

ror.

The Refinery First Class wash bag for men: Revitalising Moisturiser (15ml) to firm, hydrate and completely refresh Eye Gel (5ml) to cool and restore the delicate eye area Shave Gel (30ml), for a soothing and close shave. This Kit also contains a Lip Balm Stick, Deodorant Stick, Razor, Brush and comb, Toothbrush/Toothpaste and pen.

Meanwhile, the Co-founder & President of Aromatherapy Associates, Geraldine Howard said: “We’re thrilled to have worked in partnership with British Airways to design a really fantastic collection of products for their discerning First passengers to enjoy.

“Not only have we created products that smell wonderful, so are a joy to use, we have focused on delivering an edited range that really delivers results. As a regular air-traveller, I know all too well the perils of being air-born for long periods of time and each of the products is designed to deliver moisture and radiance to the skin, so passengers can land looking and feeling freshfaced.”

Council, Dr. Olumuyiwa Benard Aliu said: “Safety is ICAO’s guiding and most fundamental strategic objective.

“ICAO and IATA, together with a wide range of partnering organisations who are contributing to our cooperative

international safety programmes, will continue to coordinate the investment and collaboration needed to ensure that air transport remains the safest means of rapidly moving people and goods worldwide.”

work through our Dubai hub.

We look forward to continuing our growth in Nigeria by providing the best possible travel experiences and value for money,” said Manoj Nair, Emirates regional manager for West Africa.

“The arrival of Emirates was a big boost for the local travel industry, as it opened up new links and opportunities for business and leisure travel.

Dubai in itself has also become a very popular destination for Nigerians over the year and today we are a key market for the airline in the Africa region,” said George Ikpekhia, the Airport Station manager at Emirates office in Lagos, who has been with the airline since the start of operations.

Emirates currently employ 83 Nigerian nationals across its business in Nigeria and Dubai.

Emirates SkyCargo, the freight division of the airline, also played a key role over the past ten years in facilitating trade between Nigeria and its trading partners in the Emirates network.

In 2013 alone, more than 12 000 tonnes of cargo, ranging from household goods to pharmaceuticals and construction equipment, was imported into Nigeria using Emirates SkyCargo services.

Passengers on-board Emirates flights can experience the airlines award-winning service by its multi-national cabin crew, ice entertainment system with 1500 channels of on-demand entertainment and gourmet cuisine. Emirates also offers passengers very generous baggage allowances of 50kg in first class, 40kg in business class, and 30kg in economy class.

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Friday, January 24, 2014

FridayWorship

By Afis A. Oladosu

In the Name of the Almighty, the Beneficent, the Merciful “…When I am ill; He cures me-” (Q26: 80) RETHREN, a couple of weeks ago, the Friday Sermon was dedicated to issues which affect our spiritual and physical wellbeing. In an essay entitled: “On Infertility and Prostrate Issues,” I recalled the miraculous intervention some of our brethren have received when they seek recourse to the Qur’an. I also shared the advise of an elderly “mother” of ours on how to prevent the development of prostrate enlargement.

A week ago, Friday Sermon was dedicated to the birthday of Prophet Muhammad. In that sermon, I mentioned that unlike others before him, Prophet Muhammad’s whole life is full of lessons for humanity no matter the age or stage. No matter your station or destination in life, you have an exemplar in the life and times of the last Prophet sent by the Almighty to the world.

Brethren, these two sermons have, like others before them, occasioned some passionate rejoinders. I received queries from brethren who wanted more explanations on some of the issues that the sermons touched on.

One of such queries came from a compatriot who wanted to know whether the Quran could cure AIDS. A reader sent a text to request for advise on what verses of the Quran he should read to cure a strange tissue which is growing in the intimate part of his body. My brother, Saeed, wondered why, despite his importance, some Muslims still refuse to join their

B

“Surely, the religion with Allah is ISLAM,complete submission”... Qur’an 3:19

Response to questions on AIDS and strange growth in the body (1) brethren in celebrating Mawlid Nabi.

Brethren, an elderly compatriot called to enquire about how he could go about observing his daily prayers while in an aircraft traversing the unknowable horizons and in one of the highest altitude across the Atlantic.

Brethren, I have since offered humble perspectives and responses to some of these queries directly to our respected brethren. But today, and due to their pertinence, I wish to ventilate some of the latent issues in some of the questions adumbrated.

Let me begin by reminding my brother that the Quran was not revealed specifically to cure humans of their physical ailments. Rather, the glorious book was sent down to Prophet Muhammad to cure humans of their spiritual ailments (Q10: 57). It was revealed to assist humanity establish a righteous community, to lead a peaceful and prosperous life here on earth preparatory to that in the hereafter.

Brethren, the Quran is not a book of astrology or medicine though medicine and astrology enjoy patronage in its horizon. The Quran is not a book of geography though cartographers could take their first lessons from its perusal.

A careful reading of the book, however, compels the conclusion that the Quran contains references to healing

of human ailments. Two of such verses are Quran 17:82 and Quran 26: 80.

One way by which healing takes place using the Quran is its recitation, the sound that its reading produces in the reader or hearer’s ears. In the course of recitation the sound created by the Divine words of the Quran comes in contact with the cells in our body.

Human cells, scientists would argue, are programmed by the Almighty to vibrate in a precise system, and the smallest negative change in this vibration would lead to illness of some parts or the whole parts of the body. Thus one critical approach to its cure is that the damaged cells should be vibrated to restore balance to them. Here comes sound therapy. It is said that once cells in the body are vibrated, they trigger a computer-like element deposited by the Almighty in us, which controls and directs the cell of our body to begin to function positively and restore its healthy condition.

Dear brethren, it bears no reiteration that the whole of the Quran is meant to provide succour and sanctuary for humans from the vicissitude of life.

There are reports on how those who lived with the Prophet of Islam availed themselves of this opportunity. In previous sermons, I specifically called our attention to the latent powers in the verse of the throne, Ayat Al-Qursi,

(Q2:255). I equally made reference to healing powers of Chapter 112 of the Quran.

However it bears no repetition to say that no matter the choice and condition, utmost care needs to be taken not to reduce the Quran to medicine or see it as an alternative to the latter.

In other words dear brethren, seek recourse to the healing properties of the Quran without neglecting the opportunity and the progress orthodox medicine has achieved.

Having said that, I should remind us that as believers, the Quran should be our companion in times of ease before we begin to approach it times of disease. Cultivate the habit of reading it every day so that when afflictions come, a single verse that you deploy to confront a particular challenge could become magical.

Now brethren, let us try and address some of the queries I mentioned above. One of the most dreadful diseases plaguing human societies today is HIV/AIDS. The disease is a constant reminder of the Prophet’s statement which reads: “…Beware of five practices, which would lead to five afflictions. I take refuge in Allah that you may not be hit by them: whenever lewdness spreads among people such that it is regarded as a common practice, plagues and new diseases which

did not exist before will spread among them. Whenever people engage in fraud while measuring weights (when buying and selling), they are like to be overcome by poverty, their provision will decrease and their ruler will be unjust...whenever people renounce their commitment to the Almighty and His Messenger, they will be governed by an enemy who is a stranger to them and who will take away some of what they possess…”

Now a brother who is afflicted by the HIV virus needs to seek help from medics in town. He needs to avail himself of the various government-sponsored health programs, which are designed to weaken the virus and thereby deter its deleterious effects on the physiology of the carrier. He should see the drugs as ordinary causes (asbab); that the real healing lies with the Almighty. A brother or sister who becomes a carrier by accident, not as a result of promiscuity or adultery, should see the affliction as a test from the Almighty. He should bear it in mind that for every pain he suffers here on earth, he shall be recompensed for it in the hereafter.

Such a brother should engage in a lot of istigfar (seeking of forgiveness from the Almighty). While taking the prescribed drugs, he should engage in the recitation of the Quran in such a way that the sound from the recitation could penetrate his ears into his body. The verse of the throne, (Q2:256) would become handy in this instance.

As for the brother who sought my opinion on the possible cure for a strange tissue that is growing in the intimate part of his body, he is advised to buy Golden Seal (a herbal product) and begin to drink it regularly. In addition to that, he could, in a state of purity, begin to recite the verse of the throne on the spot.

(08122465111 for texts only)

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Friday, January 24, 2014 | 49

“

DIARY

The Second NIGERIA LEADERHIP SUMMIT jump starts an entrepreneural revolution in Nigeria

“

Nicholas Okoye at the EMPOWERNIGERIA launch

I am very excited about the level of success and interest EMPOWER NIGERIA has generated in just these few m months, the practical solutions which we have developed for youth empowerment in Nigeria has shown clearly that The Nigeria Leadership Summit is not just another talk shop. EMPOWER NIGERIA will continue to grow to directly address the needs of entrepreneurs of all sizes in Nigeria on the four strategic areas of engagement which include, funding, skills, bankable business projects and affordable business premises, and it is our hope that the EMPOWER NIGERIA initiative will form the basis for an Entrepreneurial Nation, which in turn will guarantee a brighter future for millions of our unemployed young people across all of Nigeria.

Eloka Umeh CEO Century Power, Cedon of Gemetric Power, Nicholas Okoye, Rumundaka CEO bulk Trader, Femi

Evelyn Oputu CEO Bank of Industry and Nicholas Okoye CEO ANABEL GROUP

L-R; Oby Ezekwesili, Ernest Shonekan, Nicholas Okoye, Ernest Azudialu, Edem Duke, Ifie Sekibo

Nicholas Okoye, Chief Emeka Anyaoku Chairman Empower Nigeria, Dr ABC Orjiako

L-R Tunde Folawiyo, Bisi Onasanya, Goodie Ibru, Cheif Emeka Anayoku, Nicholas Okoye

Tunde Folawiyo CEO Folawiyo Group with NICHOLAS OKOYE CEO Anabel Group

Bisi Onasanya CEO First Bank, Goodie Ibru, Dr ABC Orjiako, Nicholas Okoye

cross secion of the crowd, students of Westministe College

MORE ON PAGE 52

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Friday, January 24, 2014

MarketReport EQUITY MARKET SUMMARY

AS AT 23-1-2014

PRIMERA AFRICA www.primera-africa.com

Friday, January 24, 2014 MARKET REPORT

THE GUARDIAN www.ngrguardiannews.com

MARKET INDICATORS

AS AT 23-1-2014

51

PRIMERA AFRICA

IHS Nigeria delists from the Exchange

By Bukky Olajide Nigeria Plc (IHS) has ItheHS joined the delisting train in Nigerian Stock Exchange.

The company, which owns and manages mobile-phone towers in three African countries, increased the price its offering shareholders as it plans to delist from the Lagos-based bourse, agreeing to pay N4.35 naira a share at a meeting held yesterday in Lagos.

Its Chairman, Bashir Ahmad El-Rufai said that the initial offer was N3.70 naira. IHS’s shares rose the most in a week, advancing 4.8 percent to N3.30 naira by the close of transactions yesterday.

IHS is withdrawing from Africa’s second-biggest exchange after it raised $1 billion last year to more than double its assets.

The company is also giving investors the option of remaining shareholders in closely held parent, IHS

Holdings, and said in a letter distributed at the meeting it probably won’t pay dividends for at least five years as it focuses growth.

IHS Holdings signed an agreement on December. 20 to buy MTN Group Ltd.’s towers in Rwanda and Zambia, a total of 1,228 sites. The company said in July it raised $522 million in new capital, $280 million in debt and $242 million in equity in the preceding year to fund its expansion across Africa.

The group plans to own or manage 20,000 towers by 2016 from the current 8,500 towers in Nigeria, Cameroon and Ivory Coast, Chief Executive Officer, Issam Darwish said in an August. 5 interview. The company rents out its towers to several mobile operators at a time, cutting their capital costs.

According to a shareholder, Emmanuel Dike Itipah, It’s a fair offer, as every investor is always looking forward to returns.

PZ Cussons records N32.4b half year revenue

By Helen Oji Z Cussons Plc has posted a P revenue of N32.4 billion in its half year operations, against N31billion posted in 2012.

Specifically, the company’s performance for the half year ended November 2013 showed a revenue of N32.4 billion, higher than N31 billion posted in the comparable period in 2012 while profit before tax stood at N3 billion, compared to N2billion achieved in 2012.

According to a statement posted in Nigerian Stock Exchange website, its profit after tax increased to N2.3 billion, from N1.5 billion posted in 2012.

Cost of sales rose to N23.5billion, from N23.3 billion achieved in 2012 while total comprehensive income of the company stood at N2.3 billion, compared to N1.5 billion posted in the previous year.

The directors of the company are recommending an interim dividend of N19.91 kobo.

The date of closure of register for members is third and fourth February , 2014 while payment is due for February 12, 2014.

The company had, last year, declared of a profit after tax of N5.32 billion for the financial year ended May 31, 2013 while the company’s shareholders approved a dividend payout of N2.2 billion, representing 56 kobo per share for the 2013 financial year.

According to the company’s financial results for 2013, the dividend represents an increase of 30 per cent on the previous year’s dividend.

Chairman of the company, Prof Emmanuel Edozien attributed the growth in the company’s profitability to its innovation, success in delivering valued Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) in

The company had, last year, declared of a profit after tax of N5.32 billion for the financial year ended May 31, 2013 while the company’s shareholders approved a dividend payout of N2.2 billion, representing 56 kobo per share for the 2013 financial year. the personal and home care segments as well as the drive to move its portfolio from commodity based products to high value branded ones.

He explained that though competition remains a threat to the business, resulting in a drop of one per cent in the company’s turnover from N72.2 billion in 2012 to N71.3 billion, its profitability grew by 102 per cent from N2.4 billion to N4.9 billion.

Edozien noted, “Though the top line results are not in line with our projections, the choice of investing in volume growth and improving the cost structure during the year, gives us the confidence that this will put our company on the right footing for profitable growth in the future.

“We leveraged our investments in supply chain and manufacturing to improve margins while maintaining the quality of our products.

The company has continued to invest in improving operational efficiency to optimize the cost base and improve consumer experience.

“In line with the strategic plans and direction in the forthcoming financial year, we are optimistic that we will deliver the targets. The initiatives taken to improve supply chain and efficiency in the production process will ensure a flexible and competi-

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DIARY

Hon Abike Dabiri Chairman House of Rep Committee on Nigerians in Diaspora

Alex Otti MD Diamond Bank

Oby Ezekwesili former Vice President of the World Bank, former minister of education

Evelyn Oputu CEO Bank of Industry

The Second NIGERIA LEADERHIP SUMMIT December 9, 10 and 11, 2013, will not be forgotten in a hurry by the thousands of Nigerian youths that trooped out to participate in an event like no other in the history of Nigeria’s events, summits and conferences.

While over 4000 delegates showed up, twenty four thousand followed the summit online, and over 50 speakers participated, making the Nigeria Leadership Summit to hold the record of having the most worldclass speakers in one venue. he Nigeria Leadership Summit WAS FIRST HELD AT THE ORIENTAL HOTEL LEKKI IN 2012, WHICH HAS MADE THE HOTEL a home for the project in 2013. The curtain raiser for the event was the opening remarks from His Excellency Chief Ernest Shonekan GCFR, the former Head of State of Nigeria, who drove the point home about the need for a complete focus on entrepreneurship as a solution for Nigeria’s redevelopment. Chief Edem Duke, the Hon Minister of Culture, Tourism and National Orientation, who saw opportunities in the arts and entertainment industry, which could be expanded to include more and more young people from across the country, also echoed his words. Duke felt that more and more Nigerian youths were finding very interesting and viable self-employment opportunities in the arts and entertainment field, assuring that his Ministry would be working closely with the Anabel Leadership Academy to uncover even more opportunities going forward, that could be offered to thousands of Young people in a formal setting.

Mrs Oby Ezekwesili, the former Vice President of the Word Bank for Africa and former Minister of Education in Nigeria, spoke passionately about the need for continuous education for the entrepreneurs in Nigeria, and outlined some over looked opportunities for technical training and assistance which could be captured by passionate entrepreneurs. Ezekwesili was clearly a favourite of the young crowd as they clapped and cheered at all her conclusions and gave her a standing ovation on final conclusion.

The Convener of the Nigeria Leadership Summit Nicholas Okoye gave reasons for making a personal investment in the public education of the Nigerian youth in Leadership and strategy and how far this journey has taken him and his Anabel Leadership Academy. He recalled his investment in a Radio program, which ran throughout the year of 2013 and generated over one hundred thousand listeners, and additional investment in more Leadership and Strategy Summits and retreats planned for 2014. He praised the support of

T

the Corporate Institutions that supported the efforts to keep the Nigeria Leadership Summit alive and gave the delegates a sneak preview of the EMPOWER NIGERIA summit and conference, which was to be launched on December 11, being the final day of the Nigeria Leadership Summit.

In his remarks, Mr Ifie Sekibo, the Managing Director of Heritage Bank expressed a great pleasure for being a part of the Nigeria Leadership Summit and stated that his Bank has already taken the bull by the horn by shaping loans and lending for Small and Medium Enterprises in Nigeria. Sekibo restated his commitment to growing the SMEs in Nigeria and congratulated the Anabel Leadership Academy and its founder Nicholas Okoye for being a shining light and example for Youth Empowerment in Nigeria, and leading the drive to transform Nigeria’s perception of youth unemployment altogether.

A major highlight of the first day of the Nigeria Leadership Summit was the inspiring rags to riches story of Dr Ernest Azudialu Obiejesi, who recounted his humble beginnings of selling small items in Onitsha to setting up Obijackson Trading Company, which eventually became the Obijackson Group that now includes NEST OIL plc and thirteen other companies; including Upstream Oil and Gas assets, Gulf Stream Corporate Jet and Helicopter services, Shipping and Dredging. Many of the youths in attendance could relate with his story of humble beginnings as it meant that they too could make it big in Nigeria someday. His presentation was clearly in a class of its own.

HE FIRST DAY rounded up with a Power panel T discussion, which centred on the transition of power industry as a whole and provided delegates with a deep insight into the power reform agenda of the Goodluck Administration and the measures and milestones that have been met so far. Panellists included Rumundak Wonodi the Managing Director of the Nigerian Bulk Electricity Trading Company (Bulk Trader), Kola Adesina Group Executive Director of Sahara Group owners and operators of Ikeja Distribution company, Chukwueloka Umeh CEO of Century Power Generation Limited, a division of the Obijackson/ NEST OIL Group, and Femi Solebo the CEO of Notore Power. Sam Onyemelukwe the Country Manager for TRACE Urban gave the participants an insight into the opportunities in the entertainment industry from a music perspective.

Day two, the 10th of December 2013, started off with a powerful new perspective on Leadership presented by Chidi Okoro the Managing Director of GlaxoSmithkline, who has recently resigned his appointment with the Global giant for new opportunities. A powerful, informative and rich panel on women in business kicked off

Ifie Sekibo Managing Diector Heritage Bank

after Mr Okoro, with key input from some of Nigeria’s most successful women in business.

The panel included Celine Loader former Chief Marketing Officer for First Bank and currently Executive Communications Consultant to the Central Bank of Nigeria, Fifi Ejindu Chief Executive of Starcrest Group, Mrs Adenike Ogunlesi CEO Ruff and Tumble, Ronke Ademiluyi CEO Rukkies and Udo Okonjo CEO Fine and Country West Africa. The panel provided women participants with the much-needed insight in doing business as a woman in Nigeria as well as the unique opportunities that are open to women all across Nigeria.

Hon Abike Dabiri, Chairman of the Federal House of Representatives Committee on Nigerians in the Diaspora, provided keynote address on women and Entrepreneurship opportunities. Prof Pat Utomi equally made an insightful addition to the business environment of Nigeria segment and gave the audience a detailed look into the challenges of entrepreneurship and how working together we could easily overcome those challenges. The Managing Director of Diamond Bank Dr Alex Otti provided the delegates with the Diamond Bank journey into supporting SMEs and Entrepreneurs and how they have been able to develop a fool proof plan of support and development that works.

HE HIGHPOINT of the three day Summit T came on the 11 of December at the Intercontinental Hotel Victoria Island, when a comth

pletely new set of delegates were pre-screened and selected to participate in the EMPOWER NIGERIA CONFERNCE and launch of the Initiative under the distinguished Chairmanship of His Excellency Chief Emeka Anyaoku GCVO, the former Common Wealth Secretary General. The

EMPOWER NIGERIA ABC Orjiako, Emeka Mba, Nicholas Okoye, Chief Emeka Anyaoku, Minister of Tourism, Edem Duke and Martin Agbaso

day started off with a keynote presentation by the Chairman himself, Chief Emeka Anyaoku, who clearly outlined his support for EMPOWER NIGERIA, which he recalled is designed to promote the creation of one million jobs over the next three years. He said that by promoting Entrepreneurship, EMPOWER NIGERIA has struck an accord with the youths of Nigeria, which is guaranteed to provide hope and support for thousands in the months and years ahead.

The Managing Director of the Bank of Industry Mrs Evelyn Oputu, made a personal appearance and stated that the Bank of Industry was very happy to partner with the Anabel Group and EMPOWER NIGERIA, because as she put it, “our goals and objectives of creating jobs and promoting Entrepreneurship among the youths are aligned.” She made it clear that many more incentives and support programs from the Bank of Industry for members of the EMPOWER NIGERIA initiative will continue to be announced throughout the year, as the partnership between the Bank of Industry and the Anabel Group continues to evolve.

The Chairman of SEPLAT Petroleum Development Company, Dr ABC Orjiako, in his address, gave a deep insight into the drive to become an entrepreneur in Nigeria and why persistence was very important for any one that was hoping on becoming an entrepreneur. He stated a resounding commitment of the SEPLAT Corporation for EMPOWER NIGERIA and ensured the he would personally seek to identify more and more areas that operations of SEPLAT and the entire Oil industry could benefit from the major ingredients of EMPOWER NIGERIA, which is youth empowerment and entrepreneurship.

Other notable speakers at the EMPOWER NIGERIA CONFERNECE aspect of the Nigeria Leadership Summit included Mr Emeka Mba, the Director General of the National Broadcasting Commission, Chief Martin Agbaso who pledged one hundred million naira contribution to the proposed EMPOWER NIGERIA FUND once it takes off, Nneto Orazulike CEO of Genesis Group, Goodie Ibru, who was President of the Lagos Chambre of commerce at the time of the Summit, and the Group Executive Director of NNPC for Gas and Power, Mr David Ige. Many other corporate leaders and corporate brand representations were present across the entire three days and these included the Chief Executive of First Bank Plc Bisis Onasanya, THE CHIEF Executive of the Folawiyo Group Tunde Folawiyo, Hon Jones Onyereri the Chairman House of Representatives Committee on Banking and Currency, Opuiya Oforiokoma former CEO of Lekki Concession Company, The initiative promises support to Entrepreneurs on the four major elements of challenge that have been identified by leading Entrepreneurship experts, and these include Funding, which every entrepreneur needs, Skills that are necessary for sustainable growth, Bankable Business Projects that have been preapproved by the lending banks and affordable Business Premises, which provides solutions on all other fronts needed by an Entrepreneur, a Micro, Small or Medium Business operator. The line-up of corporate brands that are supporting EMPOWER NIGERIA is very impressive and these already include Anabel Group, NEST OIL plc, SEPLAT, Heritage Bank, Diamond Bank, Fidelity Bank, the Federal Ministry of Culture, Tourism and National Orientation, the Silverbird Group, the Folawiyo Group to mention a few. The Nigeria Leadership Summit and the EMPOWER NIGERIA initiative is one more great idea that one of Nigeria’s great minds has provided as means to support the sustainable growth of Nigeria in the long term.

Ifie Sekibo Managing Diector Heritage BankWomen in Bus L-R Udo Okonjo, Ronke Ademiluyi, Fifi Ejindu, Adenike Ogunlesi, Celine Loader

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INterVIew

‘No power shift pact in Delta’ Veteran labour leader and Secretary to the Delta State Government, Comrade Ovouzourie Macaulay spoke on the clamour for power shift by the Anioma people of Delta North Senatorial district in the state. A journalist, he also spoke of the developmental strides of the administration. He spoke with Hendrix Oliomogbe.

HAT is your reaction to the clamour for W power shift by the Anioma people of Delta North?

To the best of my knowledge, there is no an agreement for power shift among the three senatorial districts in the state. Before now, I had thrown my full weight behind the emergence of a candidate from the Igbo speaking part of the state which makes up the Delta North Senatorial district but I am beginning to be skeptical about the whole agenda. My people are very worried and have called me home to explain to them the implication of all the noise about power shift.

It is true that Delta North is the only senatorial district that is yet to hold the governorship of the state, as the Urhobo of the Central Senatorial district have had it twice in the person of Senator Felix Ibru and Chief James Ibori while incumbent Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan, an Itsekiri is from the South Senatorial district. The Anioma people truly deserve the support of the other districts but my concern is the Anioma candidates’ campaign slogan of equity and fairness. The proper thing for them to do is to mount a campaign through out the length and breadth of the state, outlining their dreams and vision for the state.

I am totally turned off by the negative campaign of marginalization being labeled against the past rulers of the state by Anioma candidates. 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. I was initially 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 marginalization. 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.

I am not aware of any agreement between the Anioma and other parts of the state for a power shift. Even if there was one, it was crystal clear that the people and leaders of Delta North never faithfully adhered to it. You will agree with me that during the last election in 2011, the votes of Delta Northerners were shared between Uduaghan of the PDP and Chief Great Ogboru of the Democratic People’s Party and that 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.

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. What if Ogboru had won, would we still have been talking of power shift?

The people of Delta North never voted en masse for Uduaghan, so the question of power shift should not arise.

I will support any candidate who has a vision of taking the state to a higher level instead of a narrow selfish and ethnic agenda. Let us look for a candidate who will accelerate the development of the state, ensure the security of lives and property. It doesn’t matter where he comes from. He can come from any of the senatorial districts. Any serious candidate should discuss issues and not ethnicity or power shift.

What is the government doing to resolve the crisis at Ugborodo, the proposed site of the multi-billion dollar gas project?

The trouble at Ugborodo where the proposed gas plant, the largest in Africa is to be sited is purely an Ugborodo affair and not between Ijaw and Itsekiri. In the interim, Julius Berger has been asked to go to work. The two parties have agreed that work must go on. The project is beyond Delta and Nigeria as it is the largest gas plant in Africa. It is a very big project that is worth well over $15 billion. We must manage

Uduaghan the crisis so that work can go. We have been holding series of meetings to resolve the problem but work is on-going while we are trying to resolve the crisis. It is not true that the state government is fuelling the crisis. No responsible government will fuel a crisis and then be thinking of how to manage it. The government is only trying to mediate.

Why are soldiers still occupying Kokori long after the suspected kidnapper who hails from the community was arrested?

Kokori will be under military occupation so long as the people there harbour criminals.

The government does not like the militarization of the community but we have no choice.

It costs a lot of money on the part of the state government to maintain the soldiers there.

Kokori is neither the richest oil producing community in Delta nor the largest. It is not a thing of pride that the people of Kokori are being accused by the police of giving shelter to kidnappers and other criminals. The people should bring out the kidnappers living in their midst. If they can kidnap an 80-year-old and cut off the finger of a victim, I don’t see any reason why people should complain of the presence of soldiers there. People should fight for peace and justice but kidnapping innocent people, scare away potential foreign investors.

The situation at Kokori was becoming a real embarrassment and the government did not have any other choice but to deploy soldiers there. You will recall that members of the kidnap gang were accused of kidnapping a Supreme Court Judge’s wife. We can only tackle joblessness when people come to the state to invest but they need a peaceful environment devoid of kidnapping and other form of criminalities.

There is the belief that some of the multi-billion Naira projects like the Asaba-Ughelli expressway project, the Trans Warri-OdeItsekiri bridges may turn out to be white elephant?

The government will try to complete the Asaba-Ughelli expressway project, the Trans Warri-Ode-Itsekiri bridges and other major projects but you must agree with me that government is continuous. Even if we don’t complete them, I expect the next administration to carry on and finish them. Even if those projects are not fully completed by the time we leave office next year, we should at least have done 80% of the work. As for the Asaba-Ughelli Road, flood of 2012 greatly affected the progress of work while there were several additions on the Trans Warri-Ode-Itsekiri project.

On the Delta Beyond Oil Agenda of the government The Delta Beyond Oil campaign is aimed at building critical infrastructure and establish projects that will sustain the state when there

Macaulay is no more oil. A good example of the strategy is the dualization of the Asaba-Ughelli Road.

When completed, traders especially those in the market town of Onitsha will take advantage of the road to ship in their good from Warri Port which will then be transported to Onitsha through the East-West Road to the Asaba-Ughelli Road before joining the BeninAsaba-Onitsha Road. Also the multi-billion Naira Asaba Airport project, the Ugborodo Gas Plant, the Koko Export Processing Zone and so many other amalgamated projects are all part of the Delta Beyond Oil campaign. The next administration should continue with the foundation which we have already laid.

We want to be like Lagos State which does not depend on federal allocation to be able to finance its projects.

Will you say that the state of infrastructure is commensurate with the huge federal allocation?

It is not true that there is nothing much in terms of infrastructure to show for the huge allocation to the state. Various professional bodies like the Nigeria Medical Association (NMA), Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), the Guild of Editors and the Good Governance tour have all attested to the landmark projects of this administration. At the Delta State University Teaching Hospital (DELSUTH), Oghara, we have just carried out the first kidney transplant in Nigeria. Against all odds and cynicism, the Asaba Airport has taken off.

We give scholarship of N5 million to Deltans with first class to pursue their Master’s degree in any university of their choice anywhere in the world. Schools have been rebuilt and there is a free maternal health care to pregnant women and nursing mothers. There is no end to doing well.

What can you say were your major achievements as Commissioner for Energy?

As Commissioner for Energy during Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan’s first tenure, my priority was to ensure that every community in the state had electricity. I was very fair to every part of the state in the distribution of transformers. With good governance and fairness, people will not be desperate for power.

The foundation of the Delta State Independent Power Plant at Oghara was laid by this administration when I was Commissioner of Energy. It is a big project and work is still ongoing. We had the problem of funding as the bank which was supposed to give us loan withdrew. We lost the first set of turbines because of payment.

Turbines are very important and I am happy to announce that the turbines are on site while work on the installation is presently ongoing. The work is not abandoned. The government’s priority is to complete all abandoned projects but there is a limit to borrow-

ing. We don’t want to leave a huge debt burden to the incoming administration.

As the Secretary to the State Government, I have played a key role in every project initiated by this administration. I am a team player. My motivation is for the state to be developed. Most of the projects here in Delta are either funded by the state government, federal government, Delta State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission (DESOPADEC) or the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC). Prominent Isoko people like the former Delta State NDDC Commissioner, Mr. Solomon Ogba and House of Representatives member, Mr. Leo Ogor have also contributed their quota to the development of the Isoko nation.

What is your next step after being Secretary to the Delta State Government? Do you have any political ambition in 2015?

Power belongs to God. God gives it to those he wants to. I am not interested in being governor.

I have heard several stories of me wanting to be governor, deputy-governor or senator. I have no interest.

Politics should be played with some level of decorum. For somebody who made his fortune with the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) to just wake up in the morning and leave the party leaves us with a moral burden. It is a big dream to come here and fight the PDP. Anyway, it is good for democracy to be some level of opposition. There is no new PDP here. In Delta, we manage to manage our differences.

People are worried that Council polls are yet to be held three years after the dissolution?

We will hold council polls. Local council is the third tier of government but have not proved to be financially independent. The state government still augments the salaries of teachers which is supposed to be the responsibilities of the councils. The councils still run to us from time for one form of assistance or the other. We want to stabilize them first through the appointment of Caretaker Committee Chairmen and elections will be held at the appropriate time. We don’t interfere in council affairs but intervene.

How about the N500 million federal grant for the rehabilitation of the 2012 flood victims?

It cost the state government a lot of money to rehabilitate the unfortunate victims of the 2012 flood disaster. We even spent more than the N500 million which the Federal Government provided. So much money was spent to maintain the camps. The N500 million was meant to bring the people out of danger. If we had waited for the N500 million, a lot of people would have been dead. It is a little bit worrying to say that there was no transparency in disbursement of the money. Whatever was left was given to the Justice Francis Tabai led Committee to take care of the victims.

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NEWSEXTRA Friday, January 24, 2014

Online printing website launched RINTING in the country P has received a boost with the introduction of the latest e-commerce web-toprint solution called Printivo.com. The website, which was officially launched yesterday is sure to make printing experience a memorable one, according to a statement.

The statement stated: “With Printivo.com, every SME and other big businesses in Nigeria can now have the luxury of owning their personal complimentary cards at the cheapest rates ever. The best part of the experience is that customers can get their printed materials delivered right to your doorsteps in less than five days compared to the long wait at your printers.

“Printivo.com is a DIY (Do-ityourself) web-to-print solution, that helps to deliver printed materials such as business cards, letterheads, handbills, greeting cards, envelopes and invitation cards right to customers’ doorsteps.

“This platform is very useful for individuals, startups, SMEs and larger corporations as everyone can now design and order marketing materials from the comfort of their homes and offices. Printivo.com offers free templates from customers to choose from and customise to their taste with an options of uploading their own designs for print.”

According to Oluyomi Ojo, the founder of the startup, “Printivo will make printing easy for both businesses and individuals. We are in business to make printing suck less and that starts with our commitment to quality and on-time delivery. Our templates are free for everyone to customise and use. We are empowering people to create their own marketing materials.

This is our contribution to the Nigerian entrepreneurial drive.”

Court stops IYC election Yenagoa High Court yesA terday gave an ex-parte order restraining the Ijaw National Congress, (INC) from conducting/supervising the conduct of the Ijaw Youth Council election pending the determination of the motion of notice for the interlocutory injunction.

Ruling on the Ex-parte motion filed by the plaintiff, Mr. Udengs Eradiri, the Presiding Judge, Justice, Young Ogola, restrained the defendants which include the Vice President/Acting President of the INC, its agents, servants, privies, cronies from conducting any election for the office of the President of the IYC. It ordered that no election should be conducted on the 25th day of January, 2014 or any other date at all pending the determination of the motion of notice for the interlocutory injunction.

The Court has adjourned the matter to February 18, 2014 for hearing of the motion on notice for the interlocutory injunction.

Paul Kokoricha (left); Dr. Okey Enelamah; Richard Ikiebe; Vice Chairman, Dotun Sulaiman; Chairman, Dapo Egbeyemi; GMD, Ganiyu Musa and ED, Tokunbo Bello, all of Cornerstone Insurance Plc Board, with Dr. Christopher Kolade (fourth right) at a retirement cocktail event organized in his honour by the company in Lagos.

Workers issue seven-day ultimatum to construction firms over welfare

By Yetunde Ebosele ATIONAL Union of Civil Engineering Construction, Furniture and Wood Workers (NUCECFWW) has issued a seven-day ultimatum to all construction companies in the country to improve their lot.

Specifically, the workers in a letter sent to all companies in the sector said they would not hesitate to embark on strike if the matter was not settled by next week Monday.

The union in a letter to the employers’ body under the umbrella of the Federation of Construction Industry

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(FOCI), dated January 20, 2014 had accused them of impoverishing the workers in the industry through deliberate frustration of the 2013 National Joint Industrial Company (NJIC) negotiation.

Speaking on the development, President of the union, Amechi Asugwuni, said FOCI had invited the union to a meeting on Monday, the day the ultimatum would expire, insisting that in spite of the invitation, the ultimatum was subsisting.

According to him, leaders of the union would had begun a nationwide mobilisation of

members to ensure an effective strike, threatening to deal with any individual or group that try to frustrate the strike once declared.

He explained that a strike monitoring committee had already been set up to ensure total compliance.

The letter added: “We refer to the on-going national negotiation at the NIJC level, which has been protracted and most frustrating. It would be recalled from inception that the union has demonstrated a great deal of maturity, understanding, transparency and stability to

sustain and maintain industrial peace and harmony in the sector. This, however, has not been reciprocated by the employers as demonstrated by the disappointing and frustrating manner you are responding to the workers’ demands. It is also worthy of note that the current salaries and allowances payable in the industry are not commensurate with productivity and contributions of workers in the industry.

“However, we consider the recalcitrant posture of the employers as a deliberate attempt to weaken the union

and frustrate the ongoing negotiation. This is unacceptable to the union. Having consulted with our members throughout the federation on the aforementioned, we have been directed by the Central Working Committee (CWC) of the union to issue seven days ultimatum to employers of labour in the construction industry with initial two days warning strike. Thereafter, if the employers’ positions remain same, employees shall be further directed to embark on an indefinite strike until our demands are met.”

the Oshiomhole government goes beyond an attempt to provide Edo people an opposition platform to vent their views and opinions about government actions and/or inactions. Much more than that, Orbih, as PDP chairman in Edo State, is still engaged in the prosecution of an ambitious voyage, which failed in 2012 to equal the ‘record’ set in 1983 by PDP BoT chairman, Chief Tony Anenih.

In 1979, the Unity Party of Nigeria (UPN) won the governorship of Bendel with Prof.

Ambrose Folorunsho Alli, an Ishan, as governor. He failed to win re-election in 1983, not because Bendelites thought he had not performed and did not vote for him but because the National Party of Nigeria (NPN), which ruled at the centre decided to rig him out of office.

Anenih (an Ishan) was then state chairman of NPN when Prof. Alli, a fellow Ishan, was removed from office in favour of Dr. Samuel Osaigbovo Ogbemudia, a Bini.

Three months into the tenure of the NPN government a military coup sacked the elected civilians and Gen. Muhammadu Buhari became the Head of State.

Orbih, since 2009 when he became PDP state chairman

following the fiery death of Samson Ekhabafe, had nursed the ambition (which he cavassed openly, even to fellow Etsako people) to do what Chief Tony Anenih did in 1983. If an Ishan man removed an Ishan man from government house in 1983 why not an Etsako man ousting an Etsako man in 2012, again, in favour of a Bini?

To attempt to emulate the unenviable as Orbih tried to do is most unfortunate. Edo people must seek to do that which is right and edifying at all times, political leaning notwithstanding. Our oneness as a people should be emphasised above all other interests as we focus on developing our state.

Whoever will take over the governorship of the state come 2016 is in the hands of God and all those who labour now, especially under the umbrella, may well find that they labour in vain. The task before us all is to support the present administration in its avowed commitment to offering the best possible governance, which is able to meet the yearnings and aspirations of Edo people.

• Yakubu, a public affairs commentator, lives in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State.

PERSPECTIVE

Oshiomhole and a gadfly’s ambition

By Blessing Yakubu HERE appears of late a renewed and invigorated zest on the part of the opposition in Edo State to poohpooh all and every action of Governor Adams Oshiomhole. The Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state, Chief Dan Orbih, personifies this opposition and has taken on the toga, and if you wish yoke, of championing attempts and efforts at discrediting, as traducers do, not only the administration but the person of Comrade Oshiomhole.

There is now no doubt that the PDP in Edo feels an urgent need to reposition ahead of 2015 presidential, national and state assembly as well as the 2016 gubernatorial elections. This need has become so compelling that the leadership of the party sees the task as one which must be accomplished at all costs and by all means. After all, this political war has no defined rules of engagement. All is fair in war may well be the guiding principle.

It is in pursuit of this ‘war’ that the state PDP sees everything done by the APC administration of Comrade Adams Oshiomhole in bad light much to the discomfi-

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ture of its own members. In November 2013 Oshiomhole marked his fifth year in office with an anniversary ceremony at the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium in Benin City. Curiously, Orbih, PDP state chairman, addressed a news conference a day after, claiming that the present administration in the state had not done anything in the past five years worthy of celebration.

According to him, only a few metres of tarred roads stand to the credit of Oshiomhole. The opposition had also, among other gimmicks, tried unsuccessfully to make a point out of Oshiomhole’s date of birth, claiming that there was a forgery in the governor’s birthday programme, which put his age at 60 instead of 61 years. Even the governor’s show of humanness in purchasing plantain chips openly was misrepresented by the opposition apologists.

While Orbih was busy attacking everything said or done by Oshiomhole he left his rear open to be ravaged by the “armoured personnel carrier” of the Comrade Governor. Last week Tuesday, Oshiomhole harvested the only PDP councillor in Etsako Central local council where Orbih comes from into the

APC. Orbih had won his Ogbona ward four at the April 20, 2013 council election but lost it with the defection of Hon. Peter Akhugie to the APC. The councillor and his supporters, like most Edo people, have seen through the deceit and insincerity of the opposition symbolised by Orbih.

And as the councillor said: “I want the best for my people and not deceit. PDP leaders are using us to make money for themselves rather than for the people but we have said no, enough is enough.

We want to join Oshiomhole to make our state and council better for our people.”

There can be no better testimonial than this for an administration that has meant well for the people with undeniable improvement in infrastructural development and human capital development.

To undiscerning minds, what Orbih is engaged in is good for democracy, but democracy thrives better with formidable opposition grounded in well-articulated alternative programmes and policies to put the sitting government on its toes.

What most Edo people may not know is that the opposition mounted by Orbih on

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Sports Umeh, Idowu tip Eagles for glory From Adeyinka Adedipe, Cape Town HE Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) Vice President, Mike Umeh have expressed satisfaction over the performance of the Eagles and said that the federation would not take any drastic step even if the team crashes out tomorrow.

Umeh, who stated this at the team’s hotel, said that the Eagles have shown that they are a team to reckon with and would continue to enjoy support from the NFF. “I am sure that Eagles have what it takes to lift the trophy, but even if they loss I can assure you that no drastic measure will be taken against the team, even if the team loses to Morocco on Saturday.

Football thrives on fairplay. If we lose, we will take it in good faith. The host has been bundled out. In football, like every other game, you win some and you lose some,” Umeh stated.

He, however, said that the

T

boys have been playing well and have the potential to win the championship.

Umeh also stated that South Africa had been a good hunting ground for Nigerian teams, expressing hope that the Eagles will do the country proud against Morocco.

“We have been playing well in South Africa and only last year our senior team was here to pick the African Cup of Nations (AFCON ) title,” he added.

“We know the North Africans play fast and tactically sound but we have a technical bench that can outwit them.

Keshi and hIs team know what to do. We should expect a good game.”

Also Chairman, National Academicals Sports Committee (NASCOM), Yemi Idowu lauded the Eagles for making it to the quarterfinal stage and urged them to go all out for victory in tomorrow’s match against Morocco at the Cape Town Stadium.

NSC dangles $100,000 on Eagles to beat Morocco HE National Sports T Commission (NSC) has announced an incentive of $100,000 for the Super Eagles team participating in the ongoing African Nations Championship (CHAN) in South Africa, if they beat the Atlas Lions of Morocco in the quarterfinals pairing, which will take place tomorrow.

The Nigerian team qualified for the Quarter-final after beating host South Africa by 31 and Mozambique 4-2 to be the second team to qualify from Group A. The Minister of Sports, Bolaji Abdullahi said that the incentive was to motivate the team

to give their very best and to triumph over the Moroccans.

The minister said, “this is a special fund meant to encourage the players to give their all. It is besides their normal allowance and bonus. I am very impressed with their performance so far. As we all can see, the team has been improving with each match, and it is our desire that they continue to do very well and reach the final.”

“This incentive will hopefully further boost the morale of both the players and coaches and help the team to triumph over Morocco,” Abdullahi stated.

Super Eagles’ defender, Azubiuke Egwuekwe (left) contests with a Mozambican player during the second group match at the ongoing CHAN in South Africa.

Morocco must fall, says Egwuekwe From Adeyinka Adedipe, Cape Town

• Keshi marks birthday

ZUBUIKE Egwuekwe has A predicted a victorious outing for the Super Eagles in

instilled confidence in the players by telling them the need to put in their best in every game. “The coaches have told us what we need to do to beat Morocco and we will go on the pitch and do the job.”

Solomon Kwambe, who will be missing in action when the Eagles take on the Lions backed his colleagues to win the games. Kwambe was sent off in the games against the South African and would return if the Eagles make it to the semi final.

He stated that his teammates are up to the task and that Nigerian should pray for the team to excel.

“We have a good team and we have adjusted since that poor performance against Mali. Though I will not be in the game, I am sure that other players would do a good job,” Kwambe said.

Meanwhile, NFF President, Aminu Maigari took his fatherly role a step higher when he was one of the first to wish Super Eagles Head Coach, Stephen Okechukwu Keshi, a happy 52nd birthday here in Cape Town through a phone call early yesterday.

After him was the Chairman of the NFF Technical SubCommittee, Christopher Green. In his message, Maigari said Keshi’s birthday is another opportunity for him to demonstrate his coaching and leadership credentials by winning the

tomorrow’s quarter-final game against the Atlas Lions of Morocco.

Egwueke, who has been in good form at the tournament, said the team’s aim at the event is to lift the trophy and that the Lions would not prevent them for realising their dream.

“I respect the Atlas Lions but I must say that we are ready to beat them and advance to the semi final. It may not be easy but we are equal to the task,” the defender said.

Apart from taking them through training daily, he said the coaches have also

Man United pushed out of football rich list top three ANCHESTER United has M dropped out of the top three in Deloitte’s football rich list for the first time.

Real Madrid, Barcelona and Bayern Munich were in the first three places in Deloitte’s list, which is based on revenues in the 2012-13 season.

Real Madrid, with revenues of 518.9m euros (£444.7m), topped the list for the ninth year in a row, breaking a record previously held by Man Utd. French champions Paris Saint Germain took fifth spot in the table.

Despite falling down the pecking order, United’s revenues increased from 395.9m

euros to 423.8m euros.

The total combined revenue for the top 20 richest clubs rose 8 per cent to 5.4bn euros, the report found. The list only looks at revenues accrued and does not take into account club debts.

Dan Jones, partner in Deloitte’s sports business group told the BBC that the increase in revenues was due largely to commercial sources, such as “sponsorships, shirts - everything that isn’t tickets and TV.” Other findings included: Treble-winning Bayern Munich saw revenues rise by 62.8m euros (17 per cent) to 431.2m euros

Turkish clubs Galatasaray and Fenerbahçe claimed places in the top 20 All clubs in the top 30 now generate over 100m euros in revenue each, whereas in the first list, compiled in 1996-97, only Manchester United topped this figure Although Liverpool’s revenues grew by 9 per cent, the club fell out of the top 10 for the first time since 1999-2000 “Whilst Manchester United drop one place in the Money League, a number of the club’s recent commercial deals will boost revenue in 2013-14, so this fall to fourth place may only be temporary,” said Deloitte’s Austin Houlihan.

ongoing African Nations Tourney (CHAN), in South Africa.

“On our part in the NFF, I can assure you that support will not be lacking despite the huge challenge of funding football. We congratulate you on the occasion of your birthday and while wishing you many happy returns we pray that you continue to bring Nigeria joy through excellent coaching of the

national team with the immediate task being victory at the ongoing CHAN tourney,” he said.

Keshi himself said he was overwhelmed by the message of Maigari and other well meaning Nigerians and promised not to let the nation down. “As a matter of fact we have suspended any form of celebration till we achieve what we came here to do in South Africa”, he said.

CHAN victory will bring stiffer competition for foreign-based players, says Etim Esin

By Alex Monye HEAD of the Eagles quarA terfinal match against the Atlas Lions of Morocco in the ongoing Africa Nations Championship (CHAN) former Super Eagles midfielder, Etim Esin, has charged the Eagles to beat their North Africa opponents and forge ahead to win the championship.

He added that the victory would give the players the chance to contest favorably with their foreign-base counterparts when the team resumes for the World Cup preparations later this year.

Speaking with The Guardian yesterday, Esin stated that the Eagles’ individual brilliance in the last group game against South Africa was a pointer that the players are ready to make it to the World Cup. He noted that the

Moroccans would not be a hard nut to crack based on the tremendous improvement displayed by the Eagles after losing to Mali in the opening game.

Esin implored the players to raise their game, saying that the players’ selection for the World Cup party would not be contestable.

“The Eagles has all it takes to beat Morocco. As an ex-player, I think what should be in the mind of the boys is to make name for themselves to enable them get a clear chance to be in the World Cup team and also have the confidence to contest favourably with their foreign counterparts. The players should ensure they work hard to beat Morocco and go ahead to win CHAN. This feat would send a signal to the foreign-based players that there is no automatic shirt for the World Cup,” he said.

58 SPORT Friday, January 24, 2014

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We will present CHAN trophy to Jonathan as Centenary gift, says Maigari RESIDENT of Nigeria P Football Federation, Aminu Maigari departed the shores of Nigeria yesterday to rejoin the Eagles B squad in Cape Town ahead of tomorrow’s potentiallyexplosive African Nations Championship quarter final duel with Morocco’s Atlas L i o n s .

“I have total confidence in the Eagles to overcome the Moroccans on Saturday and go ahead to lift the trophy on the first day of February,” Maigari said as he left Abuja for Lagos, en route South Africa, yesterday afternoon.

Victory for the Eagles tomorrow will take the Aminu Maigari administration closer to its 11th trophy in 41 months in charge of Nigeria football.

Trophies that have been won include the FIFA U-17 World Cup (November 2013), Africa Cup of Nations (February 2013), African Women Championship (December 2010), African Youth Championship (May 2011), Conquistador (highprofile friendly with Argentina, June 2011), Catalunya Cup (high-profile

I have total confidence in the Eagles to overcome the Moroccans on Saturday and go ahead to lift the trophy on the first day of February,” Maigari said as he left Abuja for Lagos, en route South Africa, yesterday afternoon. friendly with Catalonia, January 2013), Mandela Challenge (high-profile friendly with South Africa, August 2013) and all three editions of the COPA Lagos International Beach Soccer Tournament since 2011.

Nigeria, making her first appearance at the African Nations Championship, take on Morocco inside the Cape Town Stadium in the first quarter-final tie of the c o m p e t i t i o n .

“Our expectation is for the Eagles to surmount the North African obstacle and go on to win the Cup, so that we can present it to our dear President, Goodluck Ebele Jonathan (GCFR) as our first gift for the Centenary celebrations,” Maigari added.

National League season kicks off Feb 15 HE 2013/2014 season of the T Nigeria National League, earlier scheduled to commence this weekend, will now start on Saturday, 15th February, according to NNL Chairman, Emeka Inyama.

After a meeting with President of Nigeria Football Federation, Aminu Maigari in Abuja yesterday, Inyama disclosed that an agreement has been reached to move the kick-off date by three w e e k s .

“We looked at a number of challenges on ground, and came to the conclusion that it would serve all the stakeholders and the National League body itself well to postpone the commencement of the season by a few weeks.

“The NFF president gave us assurance that within a few weeks, the Federation would be able to assist the NNL with

some money for purpose of payment of indemnities of match officials.

“This burden has been borne previously by the clubs, and they have made it clear they are no longer able to shoulder the responsibility, added to the fact that it is rather untidy for the clubs to be paying indemnities of match officials,” Inyama e x p l a i n e d .

Also at the meeting were NFF General Secretary, Barrister Musa Amadu, Director of Competitions, Mohammed Sanusi, Assistant Director (Communications), Ademola Olajire and Special Assistant to GS, Christian Emeruwa.

NNL Board members present were Hon. Kunle Soname, Emmanuel Zira, Nuhu Tanko and Mallam Dodo Isa, alongside the Executive Secretary, Lawrence Katken.

Nigerian players jubilate after the victory over South Africa at the weekend.

Eagles won’t be under pressure against Morocco, says Keshi From Adeyinka Adedipe, Cape Town UPER Eagles Chief coach, Sshelved Stephen Keshi, who his birthday celebration to continue his work with the Eagles in Cape Town, has said that his team is not under any pressure against Morocco tomorrow at the Cape Town Stadium.

Keshi, who spoke at the team’s training ground yesterday, stated that he has told the boys to enjoy themselves and avoid panicking, which could work against them against the North Africans. The national team skipper said preparing the team was not only about coaching but teaching the boys what to do on the pitch.

He said screaming at the boys does not mean that the players are bad, but he want them to do better and prove that they have what it takes to be good players. He said he took them on the funda-

mental of the play before elevating the standard of training, which includes positional play, among other things.

The coach said that the boys have made mistakes in the last three games, but everything would be done to limit it tomorrow.

“The boys have made mistakes, which is normal because everybody make mistakes. As a player and a coach, I have made mistakes

just like the present players in the team, but what is important is for them to learn from their mistakes.”

He said the boys have gained the needed exposure from playing at the CHAN and said they would continue to improve if they play more games.

He said Ejike Uzoenyi has proved his mettle in the tournament because he had played in Europe in the

past. “I must say that the players have tried their best, but I must admit that this is not the best set of players in the Nigeria Premier League as some of them are lucky to be here.

“After this tournament we will see how we can bring in more players so that we can continue to build a national team that Nigerians would be proud of,” Keshi added.

Ogun pledges support to Gateway FC HEAD of the kick-off of the A 2013-2014 Nigeria League season, the Ogun State government says it will give all the necessary support to the state owned soccer-outfit, Gateway United Football Club in its bid to gain promotion to the elite Premier League.

The Commissioner for Youth and Sports, Lanre

Tejuoso gave the assurance while charging the team ahead of the new season.

Tejuoso who stood in for Governor Ibikunle Amosun said the team would enjoy increased welfare package while the government would provide other incentives.

He therefore called on the players, the technical crew and the management team

to reciprocate government gesture by gaining promotion to the elite Premier League at the end of the season.

Tejuoso did not forget to tell them of the need to be good ambassadors of the state by been disciplined on and off the field of play and show the “Ogun standard” the state is known for in all spheres.

Lagos International Scrabble Classics kicks off OLADE Okoya-Thomas M Hall of Teslim Balogun Stadium will come alive

A league action involving Jigawa Stars and Rangers International

today as the Lagos International Scrabble Classics kicks off.

All the top players from United States, England, Scotland, Ghana, Ethiopia and Kenya will be in action today in the masters//international category for the star prize of N1.2m ($8,000).

According to the organisers, nine of the 28 games will be concluded on the first day while 19 games will be played at the weekend.

The players will compete in three categories – masters/international, Intermediate and opens in their bid to be part of the N4.8m prize money.

All the participants concluded their accreditation on Thursday with all the matches kicking off today (Friday).

Winners in the intermediate and opens categories will get N.5m and N1m respectively, while the top 10 players will get cash reward.

According to the Chairman, Lagos State Scrabble Association, Dayo Alao, the tournament would also help the local players as they are

expected to compete with their foreign counterparts.

Among the top players expected at the competition include Nigeria-born United States’ Sammy Okosagah, a two-time winner of the Akpabio tournament as well as Nigeria-born Scotland Lukmon Owolabi.

Scotland-based Lukmon Owolabi (right) is one of the top players taking part in the ongoing Lagos International Scrabble Classics.

Friday, January 24, 2014 59

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SchoolSports There are still many Uzoenyis in schools, says Odegbami

By Tony Nwanne ORMER national team captain, Segun Odegbami, believes that many sports talents, who can help the country to return to the elite cadre of international sports, abound in Nigerian schools.

Speaking on the exploits of Ejike Uzoenyi, who won the most valuable player awards in the African Nations Championships (CHAN) matches Nigeria played against Mozambique and South Africa, Odegbami, who is the consultant to the NNPC/Shell Cup, said the competition has proved that Nigeria is blessed with many sports talents waiting to be

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discovered.

According to Odegbami, who is a consultant to the NNPC/Shell Cup, over the years the competition has unearthed talented players who have gone ahead to achieve greatness in football.

“The NNPC/Shell Cup has produced such stars as Solomon Okoronkwo, Chinedu Obasi, Femi Opabunmi, Isaac Promise, Ezekiel Bala, Ibrahim Ajani and Emmanuel Sarki, among others.

“Ejike Uzoenyi represented Global Secondary School, Onitsha from where I took him to Gateway FC of Abeokuta and from there he went on to play for Enyimba and Enugu Rangers.

Yenagoa, Katsina, seven others to host zonal preliminaries of Shell Cup

By Tony Nwanne AYELSA State capital, Yenagoa, as well as Katsina, Enugu and Akure are among the nine cities picked by the organizers of the All Nigeria Secondary Schools Football Championship, also known as the NNPC/Shell Cup, for the zonal preliminaries of the 2014 edition of the competition, which will hold from February 25 to March 1.

The states’ finals have been slated for February 13 and 14 across country.

Other cities slated to host the zonal preliminaries are Oshogbo, Benin, Lokoja, Jalingo and Ilorin.

According to the organizers, the quarterfinals will hold in Port Harcourt, Shagamu, Minna and Kaduna from March 12 to 15, while the semifinals will hold on May 2 in Lagos, which is also the venue of the third place match and the final game.

This year’s edition, which states’ preliminaries have already started across the country, according to the

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organizers, offers a prize money totaling N8 million to the winners, including N3.5 million for the overall champions, over N2 million to the runner up and N1 million to the third winner.

“Idowu Akinjide, who played for the victorious 2013 FIFA U-17 World Cup Golden Eaglets, was a member of the National College Ughelli team of 2012. There have been so many players like that.

“We believe that getting these boys to start expressing their talents while in school would help us get good stars for the national teams.”

Odegbami believes that the 10 scholarships being dangled on the participants would help the organizers of the competition to curb age cheating since the school principals would not want to deny their bon fide students to opportunity being offered by the programme.

He added: “We are interested in seeing that those who benefit from the scholarship are those who should have it. And to this extent we have developed a robust system to ensure that only eligible students take part in the NNPC/Shell Cup.”

Kwara Football Academy team and Delta’s National Foundation Academy at the 2012 edition of the Shell Cup held at the Teslim Balogun Stadium in Lagos

‘We want to build a nation of champions’ For more than 15 years, Nestle has been sponsoring the yearly MILO Secondary School Basketball Championship with some of its products making it to the national teams. The tournament has become part of the school calendar across the country. Category Business Manager, Beverages, Nestlé Nigeria Plc, Doja Ekeruche told OLALEKAN OKUSAN that Nestle is committed to grassroots sports development as it intends to build a nation of champions, focusing on kids.

OW will you assess the H involvement of Nestlé in school sports in the last 10years?

Nestlé MILO has been actively involved in sports in Nigeria for decades and has been at the forefront of grassroots sports development in the country. This year will be the 16th year of sponsoring secondary school basketball competition through the

Nestlé MILO Secondary School Basketball Championship, which has produced many successful Nigerian basketball players, who are now playing all around the globe.

Aside from the above, we have made remarkable strides in the development of football in the Under-13years category, which hitherto had been a grey area in our football development as a country.

Category Business Manager, Beverages, Nestle Nigeria Plc, Adedoja Ekeruche (left); captain of White team, Jude Abila and Director, Grassroots Sports Development, National Sports Commission (NSC), Alhassan Yakmut at the Milo Football Clinic held at the Old Parade Sports Complex in Abuja…recently.

We believe that sustaining sports development in Nigeria has to begin with the rudiments. This is what has informed our Nestlé MILO Football Clinic, which has trained over 30,000 Under-13 children across the country within the last four years. The clinic is executed in conjunction with former Super Eagles captain and goalkeeper, Peter Rufai (aka Dodomayana) along with other FIFA certified European coaches. The coaching is done using the latest scientific techniques of playing football. This technique was based on a discovered theory on scientific rhythmic practical system, which is not limited to the knowledge of football techniques only, but also extends to tactics, physical fitness, teamwork, bonding and a dose of mental components relating to an individual’s emotional and motivational techniques.

Also leveraging this, Nestlé MILO has consistently partnered with the National Schools Sports Federation (NSSF) in grooming champions. We sponsor the U-13 football competition of the annual National School Sports Festival and the champions from this category are further given international exposure as they

represent Nigeria at the biannual Nestlé MILO U-13 African Championships.

Last year, we raised the stake further as we were title sponsors for the first-ever Nestlé MILO National Youth games, which took place in Abuja. This was an event, which had 13 different sporting competitions specifically designed for youths particularly from the secondary schools within Nigeria and Nestlé MILO was at the initiation of the games.

What have been the challenges and how have you been able to handle it?

Nigeria is a very large country and this comes as an opportunity and a challenge. While the opportunity is huge in the market potential, this also means that to be heard, you have to be really loud and consistent.

We started the Secondary School Basketball Championship 16 years ago with only four states and progressively we now cover the entire nation and in 2013, about 5,700 secondary schools participated in the championship. The MILO Football Clinic equally started four years ago in Lagos and today we have covered 13 states. Our ambition is that in the nearest future, every child in Nigeria will have experienced and participated in at least one of MILO Grassroots Sports Development platforms.

Can you say the investment has been worthwhile?

Our investment in every Nigerian child is an invest-

ment well worth it anytime any day. We believe in raising champions and that’s why MILO is the energy food drink of future champions. MILO nourishes the ambition of mothers in ensuring that their children grow up as successful and well-balanced individuals.

We believe that every child has innate talent and we are adept at developing, nurturing and elevating talent. Sports has always remained our way of showing this, because we believe that sports is a great teacher and children’s participation in sports helps set the foundation for a solid future.

They learn other life skills like determination to succeed, discipline to persevere, honesty to stay on top and respect, which are the hallmarks of champions.

What is going to be different this year in all your sporting programmes?

We will continue to amplify all our sports engagement platforms, drive an increase in the participation and ensure that ample awareness is created so that interested children will be availed of the opportunity.

This year we will be driving home our four life values of Discipline, Determination, Honesty and Respect. We believe these are the key values every mother will want to see exhibited in her child. We understand that every mother will want her child to be a winner who is balanced academically and is successful in extracurricular activities and that is what we will be reinforcing.

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60 SPORTS Friday, January 24, 2014

Heroes Of Osita Egwim… Two decades’ Early in life, Osita Egwim fell in love with sports and for personal reasons, he felt he should stick with martial arts particularly taekwondo, which he made contact with first in 1977, at the National Stadium, Lagos. He started learning the ropes under the tutelage of grandmasters Kofi Anani, Emmanuel Ikpeme and Dominic Bassey. As a student of Birch Freeman High School in Surulere, he was never allowed to practice the sport within the confines of the school.

That did not deter him from making headway with the sport and rising to become a national champion. However, from being a national champion, Egwim tutored one of the world’s best fighters, Chika Chukwumerije to claim bronze at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, China. The University of Ibadan (UI) graduate, who is now a coach with his alma mater told OLALEKAN OKUSAN that his romance with sports brought a lot of good things to him in life.

SITA Egwim’s foray into martial arts was O inspired by his desire to fend off bullies.

But interestingly, what he deployed as a selfdefence mechanism, turned into a life-long vocation.

According to the erstwhile national taekwondo coach: “I started taking part in sports when I was in Primary Five at the Salvation Army Primary School, Surulere, Lagos. Then, I used to take part in football and athletics amongst others, but the wide array of boys who had more physical presence than some of us, and who constituted themselves into a band of bullies in our school, forced me to embrace taekwondo since I needed protection. In other words, I took to taekwondo as a form of self-defense at the National Stadium in Lagos, under the tutelage of the grandmasters Kofi Sunday Anani, Emmanuel Ikpeme and Dominic Bassey in 1977. Even though taekwondo was not a very popular sport at that time, it later became a medal-winning sport in the country.

“However, it is important to point out once again that I did not start with taekwondo because I was also renowned in football, table tennis and athletics in my secondary school at Birch Freeman High. But when I began to train for martial arts I had to abandon other sports to fully embrace taekwondo. Taking part in taekwondo gave me confidence to rebel against those bullies that bullied us. My colleagues at that time would call upon me for rescue and protection, which I did to an extent.”

His soft spot and in fact growing love for taekwondo notwithstanding, Egwim still represented his secondary school in the prestigious Lagos Principal’s Cup, even as he was good enough to make the school’s basketball team.

Hear him. “At Birch Freeman High, I was into a number of sporting disciplines and this ranged from football to athletics, table tennis, basketball and taekwondo which, I finally settled for as my main sport. In other words, I engaged in other sports for recreational purposes. Worthy of note also is the fact that I was outstanding in shot put and javelin to the point that I guided my house to win gold medal in the events during inter-house sport competitions.

“Some how, I managed to conduct taekwondo classes in the school even though it was illegal for me to do so since the school was not favourably disposed to the sport. It was this poor reception by the school authority that prevented us from training within the school, during and after school hours. Interestingly, all these odds combined did not deter me from taking part in the sport,” he said.

Growing up in the Surulere area of Lagos, taekwondo, Egwim said also came in handy in warding off bullies that also abound in the neighbourhood.

“Challenges have been part of the environment, which I grew up. In those days, our peers threw physical challenges at each other and this could be in the area of performing

some form of activities or stunts, all in a bid to know who was physically stronger. Personally, I continued using taekwondo as a self-defense mechanism till my first competition in 1981, which was the National Martial Arts Camping and Competition, in Lagos. Though I lost out in that edition, but I psyched myself and was primed to win subsequent ones.”

This came to pass because, “In 1984, when the Nigeria United Taekwondo Association (NUTA) organised its maiden national championship, I won a gold medal. After that I lost in the Makay National Taekwondo Open Championship in 1986 due to over-confidence.

With the rude awakening, occasioned by the loss at the Makay event, I re-dedicated myself to hard work and trained till I became a better fighter/player. Not long after that, I represented Nigeria at my first international championship in Barcelona, Spain in 1987. This was after defeating all my counterparts, including Emmanuel Peters Oghenejobo, who later became African champion in another weight category.”

The strong determination to improve on his techniques must have caused Egwim to pay scant attention to his studies. Expectedly, he paid a heavy price for relegating his studies to the background.

He recalled. “I started intense training to improve my techniques, but without putting my studies into consideration. This affected my education and delayed my admission into the university. However, the renewed vigour helped me to an extent and enabled me rule my weight category till I quit competing in 1996 at the Korean Ambassador Championship in, Lagos.

“Prior to quitting competition, however, I sobered up the same way I did when I was losing competitions. This time, it was my studies that the reflection centred on. As God would have it, the University of Ibadan invited me as honourary coach to assist the school prepare for the 1992 Nigeria University Games (NUGA), which took place at the University of Ilorin.

Thereafter, I gained admission to UI through my involvement in taekwondo.”

Earlier on, the former national coach joined the national team as an athlete in 1987 and represented Nigeria many times in various competitions between 1987 and 1996.

According to him, “Except in international championships, I won gold medals in almost all the competitions I took part in, ranging from National Sports Festivals to national open championships and national trials. I also won the best fighter and best technical player awards in most of them.”

For Egwim, embracing sports in general and taekwondo in particular, has had a tremendous impact on his life. Said he, “Sports has played an important role in my education especially at the tertiary level. For instance, at UI, I did not have problems with my accommodation as I was sure to get a bed space through my involvement in sports and my school fees were paid from the money I made from training people. All these were without my parents consent as they did not know how I got admit- Osita

Friday, January 24, 2014 61

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School Sports romance with taekwondo ted to the university, even though they supported my involvement in sports.”

Despite the privileges he enjoyed on campus on account of his involvement in sports, Egwim stressed, “I also had my challenges which were quite numerous. One of them is that I had to go through school without the support of my parents and relatives. I remember not enjoying the luxuries most students enjoy.

“In spite of what I went through combining education and sports, I would advise, that students that are interested in doing sports must have the mindset of giving their studies adequate attention once they gain admission into tertiary institutions. Once this happens, God will surely see them through, but not without determination and hard work on their part.”

Bent on giving his coaching career a lift, Egwim enrolled at the National Institute for Sports (NIS) for a coaching course “to start my coaching career. As a coach, one of my major assignments was coaching the Lagos State team to 1996 and 1998 National Sports Festivals in Benue and Imo states. In all these competitions, I won laurels with the teams.”

On his call-up to the national team as coach in 2003, he said, “I was called into the national team in 2003 as a head coach to prepare the athletes for different games and international championships like the All Africa Games, trials for international competitions as well as the Olympic Games. I tutored the country’s team to the 2004 and 2008 Olympics in Greece and China. In 2008, the team won bronze medal through Chika Chukwumerije, which we are still celebrating till date.”

Recalling some memorable moment during his days as an athlete, he said: “Two occasions remain indelible and I cherish them so much.

One of them was during the World Taekwondo Championships in Barcelona, Spain where I met a Korean who was then a three-time world champion in my first fight. I happened to be the only fighter whom he found difficult to knockout throughout the championship. He was so swift that I did not even see the kick that removed my headgear.

“The second was during Dr. Williams Taekwondo National Open Championships, where I introduced some techniques that had not being used before, but which is still in vogue in Nigeria till now. The techniques earned me the best fighter trophy for that year.”

Listing some of the gains that have accrued to him from sports participation, he said, “My early participation in sports has helped me tremendously in facing lives challenges very positively, though God’s grace saw me through them all. Besides, in those days, it gave me great joy to be selected to represent my area, school or country in sporting events, both nationally

With former African champion and the highest rated taekwondo referee in Nigeria, Emmanuel Peters

and internationally.

“Apart from helping me build self-confidence as well as endowing me with immense health benefits, sports gave me chance to learn how to work with others for a common goal. It helped me to learn group dynamism, skills such as cooperation and leadership and inculcated leadership skills in me. Taekwondo has also opened a lot of opportunities for me ranging from meeting different people from different parts of the world to business opportunities and gave me the opportunity to travel all over the world. The virtues that sports has imbued in me cannot be quantified.

“Surulere, which I grew up in those days had quite a good number of young people, who had no urge to further their education beyond the secondary level. This kind of atmosphere could have influenced me one way or the other, but sports participation pulled me apart from them and set me close to those that helped to shape my future. “As a matter of fact, I got inspired daily by the exploits of older taekwondo practitioners, who were already in universities. Naturally, this gave me high hopes that someday I would also be there and it eventually happened. Added to this, my quest to acquire university education, taught me how to function in a competitive society.”

On the decline of school sports, the former national coach said parents, school authorities and indeed governments at all levels should be blamed for their roles in the emergence of the unfortunate scenario. He regretted that the importance of sports to a growing child has been neglected while academic certificates have become the most sorts after items by parents from their wards.

“Parents do not want their children to be involved in sports or even play with their peers at home, as they erroneously believe that doing such would disturb their wards from actualising their dreams academically.

While most parents still think that active sports participation may lead their wards to become school dropouts, many parents abroad are the ones taking their children to playgrounds to participate in sporting programmes they enrolled for. Only few families in Nigeria supports their children taking part in sports. Personally, my parents were very supportive of my taking part in sports to the extent that it did not disturb or conflict with my studies. If I had my way, I would make it compulsory for every growing child to take part in sports due to its benefits.

“On the other hand, most schools now do not have playing grounds. But in my primary and secondary schools, we had large playing grounds and were able to recreate during break period and after school hours.

This helped to develop us mentally and physically.”

For budding athletes, Egwim counseled against “abandoning education for sports neither would I ask them to stay away from sports. Rather I would advise them to make out time for the two. But it would be stupid of any athlete to neglect his or her studies for sports because education is what they have to fall back on when they quit competing.

“As a retired athlete, it is quite unfortunate to see some of the top athletes that had represented this country in the past roaming the streets with nothing to show or do. I had made up my mind that I would not end up like them hence the motivation to further my studies.

“No matter what, education plays a vital role in what we become in later life, so it is important for athletes to know that for them to be relevant upon quitting sports, it is the education they have that would pave

way for them. If they are not schooling, there is nothing wrong in acquiring vocational skills so that they can have something to fall back on when they can no longer do sports.”

Egwim was recognised for his outstanding contributions to the sport as a national coach and instructor, by the President of Kukkiwon. He holds a Bsc. in Education/Science and M.ed in

; Osita; Peter garet Achibi (left) rije during a ar M ), TF (N n tio wume Federa dalist, Chika Chuk geria Taekwondo Vice President, Ni Anyakora and Beijing Olympics me wu Ekene, Tochuk uttgart, Germany in 2007. tournament in St

In a training session with Chukwumerije in Korea

Chukwumerije (left); first Nigeria taekwondo coach, Moo Cheng Kim (centre) and Osita at the 2008 Beijing Olympics in China.

62 Friday, January 24, 2014

THE GUARDIAN www.ngrguardiannews.com

GolfWeekly

Ogonna (left) and Kamsy Okeynwuke knocking some ball on the driving range of Lakowe Lakes Golf Club…recently

PHOTO: ENO-ABASI SUNDAY

KGI reveals strategic partnership with Nigerian Golf Federation Stories by Eno-Abasi Sunday FTER operating and interacting informally for sometimes with the Nigeria Golf Federation (NGF), Kids Golf International (KGI) says it has concluded plans to strategically partner with the Federation with a view to moving the frontiers of golf in the country especially as it

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concerns youth development.

KGI is an outfit dedicated to developing the game of golf in Nigeria and the West African sub-region through tournaments and training programmes for children aged five to 18 years old.

The group is also affiliated with world renowned organisations like the U.S Kids Golf

Foundation, where young talented golfers are exposed to international tournaments in Europe and the United States through competing with the world’s best on the international stage.

The group also runs coaching programmes for golf coaches and aspiring golf coaches after which they are certified through the KGI

Ikeja Corporate Golf Challenge tees off tomorrow ORDES of participants centre stage tomorrow. Apart advertised can remain within H from the corporate world from that, however, we also the club a week after the tourhave signed up for the 4th edi- have the Veterans Cup and the nament. And the winners will tion of the Ikeja Golf Cluborganised Corporate Golf Challenge, which tees off tomorrow at the club.

Recently, it had emerged that preparations were in top gear for the challenge, which is expected to witness stiff contest among participating outfits.

Speaking ahead of the tournament, the club’s competition Secretary, Esimaje YomiEgbe, said interest shown in the event by would-be competitors has been very encouraging adding that lots of incentives have also been lined up for participants.

“The Corporate Challenge is the talk of the town now.

Today being Friday 24, we have the welcome cocktail slated for the clubhouse while the competition proper takes

Industrial Cup also lined up before the before the season ends,” Yomi Egbe stated.

According to him, participating companies were given the opportunity to display their products earlier before the competition and would also be allowed to stay and network within, and display 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

not just be rewarded with trophies, the club will give them free billboard on the course to advertise their products,” he said. .

Academy. The different levels of coaching are provided by experienced PGA qualified teachers in the country.

A release signed by President/Founder of KGI, Kenny Thompson said, “although not officially mentioned before, KGI has been working closely with the Nigerian Golf Federation (NGF) since its inception.

However, due to the structure under which the NGF operated, there were technical issues with engaging fully.

Those issues are now behind everyone and with the NGF now under the Ministry of Sports and new management board, KGI is happy to announce strategic partnership with NGF.”

It added, “KGI’s involvement with the NGF will be on consultation basis. We will provide advice and where necessary assist with implementing what we advise the Federation. In return, the NGF is committed to supporting our event through co-sanctioning them as well as our programmes. We look forward to a long and fruitful relationship with the NGF. The outfit also called on well meaning and public-spirited individuals and organisations to rally round it with a view to giving financial backing to its activities, pledging that such individuals and firms would be duly recognised when the latent talents become professionals.

“KGI is seeking sponsorships from individuals and corporate organisations. In return, they will obtain recognition for their efforts and financial benefits in the longer term when KGI starts producing golf professionals,” the release stated, adding, “Some of the reasons we are seeking financial assistance are to: “reduce the cost of registration fees so that our events are more accessible to all; provide financial assistance to players when they travel abroad to represent the country and develop the half and acre land we have in the Lekki area of Lagos into a training facility that will be used for camping and other training activities.”

Rayfield poised to go green soon, says Ghan FTER a successful outing A to mark the Rayfield Golf Club 1913, centenary celebrations, the club says its next line of action was to transform the course from browns to greens as soon as possible.

Captain of the club, Col. Felix Ghan (rtd), who made this disclosure to The Guardian in an interview yesterday, said it was time for the club to join other golf clubs in the country to play on green surfaces.

According to the captain, “playing the game of golf in a particular location for 100 years is not a small feat and that is the reason we found it important to celebrate playing golf on the Plateau for this period of time. We are very happy that after the celebrations, we can say we had a successful outing judging from comments from those that took part in the celebrations.”

That done with, Ghan said,

“having exposed our club to the wide array of persons that graced the celebrations, our next project is to embark on the conversion of our playing surfaces from browns to greens. In this direction, we hope that well-meaning individuals and corporate citizens would come to our aid and help us realise this dream.”

Even though the captain said there has been no response

yet from the public, he expressed hope that soon, the state government would come to their aid and set the ball rolling.

His words, “we expect the state government to lead efforts in this direction and set the ball rolling so that others would follow. Once this happens, we are sure of having the greens in place before June this year.”

THE GUARDIAN www.ngrguardiannews.com

Friday, January 24, 2014 63

TheGuardian

Friday, January 24, 2014

Conscience, Nurtured by Truth

By Obi Ebuka Onochie OLITICAL terrain in Anambra State has and P is still evolving from the stage politicians dance dirty to a round table of technocrats.

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The election is everything but transparent which is likely to shift the burden of working for the people to working for those behind the election (godfathers). With his victory, Obiano’s shoulders are laden with interests to satisfy, which will ultimately lead to power and supremacy tussle.

Please send reactions and feedback for YOUTH SPEAK to:

editorial@risenetworks.org and 07067976667- SMS ONLY

Anambra State: Which way, Mr. Willie Obiano?

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Many certainly will be wishing to be in Obiano’s shoes as the governor-elect of Anambra State not knowing that even self-sponsored elected politicians find it difficult taking decisions without recourse to certain people in certain quarters not to mention ones handpicked and installed by others. If Obiano still wins at the tribunal and at the Court of Appeal, his decisions in a lot of sundry governance related issues will be severely limited, especially at the beginning as those that paid the piper will certainly desire to dictate the tune.

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Mr. Peter Obi, the governor of Anambra State, has succeeded in installing his right hand man as the next governor of Anambra State but something is still hanging in the balance which is the political inexperience of the man.

Though it has not been proven that politically experienced leaders perform better in office than the inexperienced ones except in management of political crisis, which greatly differs from crisis in corporate organisations from where technocrats mostly come. Nobody needs be told that the outgoing governor is aware that Mr. Willie Obiano needs political covering and nurturing which is tantamount to learning on the job. Where this assistance starts and ends will define a lot of things, including their relationship.

The election is everything but transparent which is likely to shift the burden of working for the people to working for those behind the election (godfathers). With his victory, Obiano’s shoulders are laden with interests to satisfy, which will ultimately lead to power and supremacy tussle. Even if Obiano chooses to adopt a unity government, all are likely to be included except Ngige who some see as a man full of wrong choices. Some political juggernauts in All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) have, through their persistent politics of calumny, succeeded in convincing most Anambrarians that All Progressives Congress (APC) is anti-Igbo and will never protect their interests. The repatriation of some Igbos from Lagos to Anambra State just few months before the election, lent credence to this assumption in many people’s opinions.

Out of all the odds against Ngige, the repatriation was the straw that broke the camel’s back and is still raging towards Imo State and may likely consume Governor Rochas’ second term bid. Before the Lagos episode, some Imorites were already fed up with Rochas’ loquaciousness and over promises. Had APC won in Anambra, Rochas would have had a sail through at 2015 election as Anambra still remains the bellwether of Igbo political life.

Now that the election is done and dusted except for court cases, it behoves Rochas to go back to the drawing board for his second term bid. The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is really an octopus at the moment existing with different heads for different purposes. Almost all the remaining smaller political parties identify with PDP especially at the federal level and their henchmen have infiltrated the mega opposition party bidding their time to strike with chaos and with their horns.

APGA-controlled Anambra and Labour Partycontrolled Ondo states are obviously aligning with PDP which will likely see them supporting PDP presidential candidate by not fielding any in 2015. With this understanding, PDP has allowed them sail to victory in their stronghold states by creating intra party chaos in PDP at the state level in those states and in some hilarious cases, field unmarketable candidates. This new strategy of PDP will also cause disaffection and distrust of party leadership on the path of candidates flying party

sundry governance related issues will be severely limited, especially at the beginning as those that paid the piper will certainly desire to dictate the tune.

There are three critical problems awaiting Obiano’s attention even before he takes the oath of office. Some of these problems were solved by Obi’s Administration in the early stage of his government but they reappeared as soon as Obi’s government weakened. One of the problems is the menace of insecurity and intimidation. Apart from kidnapping and armed robbery, intimidation by area boys and miscreants of innocent law-abiding citizens in Anambra has reached its crescendo. People are beaten and robbed in broad day light without any reason and the most painful of it is that security agents hardly intervene as they are busy with checkpoint collection. These boys are mostly MASSOB members who are operating without restrictions because they rub the ruling party’s back during election, patronising the local brewery whose larger beer is code named “o’ mpa” with rising sun label as it is on Biafran flag.

The second one is illegal and unjust collection of money from ordinary citizens by the same miscreants especially in Onitsha and Nnewi. Collection of these monies was not ordered by the state government and the pro-

Obiano, governor-elect of Anambra State flags especially at state level. The case of Soludo, Senator Ararume and now Tony Nwoye being abandoned in the cold has really put to question the sincerity of WADATA house to its candidates in states where minor opposition parties that hobnob with PDP are relatively strong.

Many certainly will be wishing to be in

Obiano’s shoes as the governor-elect of Anambra State not knowing that even selfsponsored elected politicians find it difficult taking decisions without recourse to certain people in certain quarters not to mention ones handpicked and installed by others. If Obiano still wins at the tribunal and at the Court of Appeal, his decisions in a lot of

The YOUTHSPEAK Column which is published daily is an initiative of THE GUARDIAN, and powered by RISE NETWORKS, Nigeria’s Leading Youth Development Centre, as a substantial advocacy platform available for ALL Nigerian Youth to engage Leadership at all levels, engage Society and contribute to National Discourse on diverse issues especially those that are peculiar to Nigeria. Regarding submission of articles, we welcome writers‘ contributions by way of well crafted, analytical and thought provoking opinion pieces that are concise, topical and nondefamatory! All articles (which are not expected to be more than 2000 words) should be sent to editorial@risenetworks.org To read the online Version of this same article plus past publications and to find out more about Youth Speak, please visit www.risenetworks.org/youthspeak and join the ongoing National Conversations’’.

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OLOJA

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ABC (ISSN NO 0189-5125)

ceeds do not enter into government’s purse, but the government chose to look the other way because of electoral leverage these societal termites give to them. One cannot rationally explain why somebody has to pay to a miserable miscreant before leaving the market just for buying anything that cannot enter ones hand bag. Loss is the second name of that person who refuses to pay as the items he bought will not only be destroyed and scattered but he will also get the beaten of his life with every other passerby walking past as if nothing is happening including security agents excluding military officers.

The third critical issue is denominational divisions created by this present Administration to win elections. Other issues can go away once the government shows seriousness but any problem entangled in religious sentiments is cancerous and can consume any society. Incoming governor, Obiano should use soothing words matched with convincing actions as his opening gambit to mollify already frayed denominational nerves. These are not postulations from the moon, they are critical facts awaiting a sincere leadership to handle, otherwise Anambra will become a disunited whole where banditry and disunity reign supreme.

• Onochie is a political analyst lives in Port Harcourt.

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