Mon 08 July 2013 by The Guardian Newspaper

TheGuardian Conscience, Nurtured by Truth

Monday, July 8, 2013

Vol. 29, No. 12,611

N150

www.ngrguardiannews.com

12 feared killed as gunmen attack Benue community From Joseph Wantu, Makurdi ARELY three days after B gunmen suspected to be Fulani marauders, dressed in military uniform, invaded some villages in Guma Local Council of Benue State and killed 20 residents, another village in the area, Akuloko, was yesterday attacked during which no fewer than 12 persons were feared killed. The Guardian investigation revealed that the marauders, dressed in military uniform, drove into the village in convoy in the early hours of the day and started setting houses ablaze as they shot sporadCONTINUED ON PAGE 5

Murray ends Britain’s 77-yr wait for Wimbledon title Page 77 Governors Seriake Dickson (Bayelsa) (left), Emmanuel Uduaghan (Delta), Theodore Orji (Abia), Peter Obi (Anambra), Godswill Akpabio (Akwa Ibom), Liyel Imoke (Cross River), Martin Elechi (Ebonyi) and Sullivan Chime (Enugu), during the South-East, South-South governors’ meeting at the Government House, Enugu… yesterday. PHOTO: LAWRENCE NJOKU

‘North may negotiate presidency in 2015 ’ From Bola Olajuwon (Dutse), John Ogiji (Minna), Seye Olumide and Tunde Akinola (Lagos)

• Aliyu denies insisting on northerner as nation’s helmsman • Lamido says PDP’s ticket no guarantee for Jonathan’s victory

N the collective interest of Inorthern Nigerians, the leaders of the part of the country

election. But the North would negotiate properly with those seeking the office in a bid to safeguard the region’s interest.

may support any region of the country that produces the president after the 2015

This was the stance of the Chairman of Northern Governors’ Forum, Dr. Babangida Aliyu of Niger State, who was apparently expressing the position of the leaders of

PDP flays ACN govs over Lagos-Ibadan road - Page 3

the North. Aliyu spoke during the inauguration of an office complex for federal workers in Enagi, headquarters of Edati Local Council of Niger State.

Denying that he advocated that only northern candidates should seek the Presidency, he stressed the need for the promises made to the region to be fulfilled. He criticised his opponents, who he said were holding CONTINUED ON PAGE 5

Amaechi, Okorocha, Oshiomhole absent from S’East, S’South govs’ meeting - Page 6

Yobe shuts schools over Boko Haram’s attacks Page 8

NCC may review mobile number portability scheme • Begins compliance monitoring on SIM deactivation • Defaulting operators risk N200,000 sanction By Adeyemi Adepetun EN weeks into the launch T of the mobile number portability (MNP) in the country, there are indications that the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) may review the various technicalities considered to be hindering a faster adoption of the scheme, The Guardian has learnt. Indeed, MNP, which was launched on April 22 in Nigeria, making the country the 64th nation to adopt it globally, seems not to be recordCONTINUED ON PAGE 5

THE GUARDIAN, Monday, July 8, 2013

News Ban on fresh licences for arms still in force, say police HE Inspector General of T Police, Mohammed Abubakar, yesterday restated that the ban imposed on the issuance of fresh licences for the procurement of firearms was still in force. He made the declaration via a statement issued in Abuja by the Deputy Force Public Relations Officer, Frank Mba, According to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), the statement said that Abubakar also reminded the public that the ban was imposed in exercise of the powers vested in the President and the IG respectively by the Firearms Act, to restrict the

proliferation of firearms in the country. ``Consequently, the Nigeria Police Force wishes to state that in furtherance of the subsisting embargo, it has not and does not intend to issue permits to any person, group of persons, organisation or agency of any state government, for the procurement or purpose of bearing firearms.’’ The statement noted the concern expressed by many Nigerians over the eligibility and rumoured desire of some groups to bear firearms. ``The Nigeria Police Force

wishes to categorically state that the extant laws guiding the use of firearms explicitly prohibit the bearing of various categories of firearms, without requisite licences. ``Members of the public should therefore note that it is an offence punishable under the law for: •A person to have in his possession or under his control any prohibited firearms without a licence granted by the President; • A person to have in his possession or under his control, a personal firearm without a licence issued by the IGP; • Any person to import or ex-

port firearms or ammunition without the appropriate licence.’’ The statement said that the police headquarters, therefore, urged vigilance groups and other sincere community efforts aimed at ensuring the people’s safety and security to work in partnership with the local police authorities. It, however, stressed that the conduct and practice of such groups must be in total conformity with the laws of the land, reiterating the determination of the police to uphold the existing restriction on the use of firearms.

``It is also in that vein that the force has closed down the armouries of all licensed firearms’ dealers, while keeping due surveillance on their activities. ``Government and non-government institutions with genuine concerns for the security of their environment are hereby advised to partner with the police and other legitimate security agencies for the safety of their environment,’’ it said. The statement, nonetheless, pledged the commitment of the police to diligently work toward eliminating all the threats to internal security.

Church absolves monarch-elect of alleged kidnap From Charles Ogugbuaja, Owerri HE Catholic Diocese of Orlu, Imo State at the weekend absolved the monarch–elect of Amaruru Autonomous community of Orsu, Nelson Opkara Janel of any involvement in the alleged kidnap of a cleric, Rev. Fr. Chukwudiebere Ohachu. Also exonerated was a community leader of the area, Chief Alphonsus C. Ojimba. Ohachu, a former Priest of St. John’s Catholic Church, Amaruru, Orsu Local Council of Imo State, had recently accused the duo of kidnapping him. In a statement by the dean of Regina Parish Pastoral region of the Catholic diocese, Revd. Fr. Christopher Ihenetu, and made available to The Guardian, the duo were asked to withdraw the pending petition to the Inspector General of Police and any pending legal action. It added that no future reference would be made on the matter against the monarch-elect.

ITING mischief, the C Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has condemned the absence of Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) governors from the kick-off of the reconstruction and expansion of the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway. In a statement issued by the PDP acting National Publicity Secretary, Tony Caesar Okeke, yesterday, the party, however, commended Governor Ibikunle Amosun of Ogun State for attending the event and accused the other ACN governors of staying away for parochial political reasons. Berating the ACN governors for not attending the event, the PDP said such was a sign of “partisan parochialism and political immaturity”. The party said the project was for the benefit of the people and wondered why the ACN governors did not show full support with their presence.

By Abiodun Fagbemi, Ilorin OSLEM faithful all over Nigeria have been urged to look for the new crescent of Ramadan today, July 8, 2013, which corresponds to 29th day of Sha’ban, 1434AH. In a statement signed by the Secretary General of the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA), Prof. Ishaq Oloyede and made available to journalists in Ilorin yesterday, the body said members of its National Moon Sighting Committee have been deployed with appropriate gadgets to various parts of the country for easy sighting of the moon. The release also said that other individuals who are able to sight the crescent are requested to contact, through appropriate authorities, either President General of the NSCIA and the Sultan of Sokoto on 0803 647 0422 and other members of the council. “Where the authorities are satisfied that the crescent has been duly sighted, the President General and the Sultan of Sokoto would announce the commencement of the fast. However, if the crescent is not sighted on Monday (today), the Tarawih prayer should be observed on Tuesday July 9, 2013, for the commencement of Ramadan on the July 10, 2013, whether or not it is sighted on that Tuesday”, it said.

Adeboye tasks varsity heads on service By Isaac Taiwo HE General Overseer of T The Redeemed Christian Church of God, (RCCG), Oyo State Governor, Abiola Ajimobi; his wife, Florence greeting the celebrant, Chief Folake Solanke (SAN) during the 50th anniversary of Solanke’s call to the Bar and her 26th as Senior Advocate of Nigeria, at All Saint’s Church, Jericho Ibadan, Oyo State… yesterday PHOTO: NAJEEM RAHEEM

PDP flays ACN govs over Lagos-Ibadan road From Azimazi Momoh Jimoh, Abuja

Muslims asked to sight new Ramadan moon today

“We wonder when the ACN governors will jettison such political parochialism. They have been so blinded by partisan politics that they fail to see when to draw the line and show support to a good cause even if such is not being executed by their party.” The statement reads in part:

“The leadership of the PDP commends President Goodluck Jonathan for the successful kick-off of the reconstruction and expansion of the Lagos- Ibadan Expressway which has been in a state of disrepair for many years. “Indeed this is a testament to

the President’s resolve to completely deliver on his promise to revolutionise the road sector in line with his Transformation Agenda to give Nigerians a new lease of life. “The Lagos-Ibadan Expressway is of course one of the busiest and most impor-

tant roads in the country and the reconstruction and expansion project will not only boost economic and social activities in the South West in particular and the nation at large but put an end to the incessant loss of lives recorded yearly as a result of accidents on account of the bad state of the road”

ACN, Labour oppose change of govt in Egypt From Saxone Akhaine, Kaduna CHOING usurpation of the E peoples’ powers, the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) and the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) have condemned the recent unconstitutional change of government in Egypt. In a statement issued in Lagos yesterday by its National Publicity Secretary, Altai Lai Mohammed, the ACN

said it does not matter how popular the public protests that led the military to make the change was, what happened in Egypt was a coup d’etat which must be condemned. ‘’Democracy remains the best form of government known to man, and in order to grow it, it must be nurtured. But if every time there are protests in a democracy, the military moves in to effect

a change of government, then democracy will never grow. ‘’Democracy has some universal tenets, which include the fact that free and fair election is the only means of getting to power and the only way of losing it. This means that even if people make a wrong choice, they are stuck with it until the next elections, unless in countries where you have a recall mechanism. Some may describe this as a drawback, but

there can be no other way if democracy is to be properly practised,’’ it said. ACN said while many Britons and Americans disagreed with their governments over the Iraq war and held several public protests to vent their disappointment that did not cause the military in both countries to push their democratically-elected governments out of power, as was the case in Egypt.

Pastor Enoch Adejare Adeboye declared yesterday that Nigeria heads of higher institutions need ‘Excellent Spirit’ to be able to impart appropriate knowledge to their students. Addressing vice-chancellors, registrars and lecturers during a prayer session at the RCCG Headquarters, Ebute-Metta, Lagos, Adeboye posited that it is only excellent spirit that can draw inspiration from God and knowledge drawn from God will always be the best. He added that ‘excellence’ was required to get to the top and such ‘excellence’ does not come cheap. Also speaking at the occasion, the Vice Chancellor, Redeemer’s University, Prof. Debo Adeyewa said Nigeria universities needed academic righteousness for them to rank with other universities in the world. Adeyewa while speaking on the on-going Academic Staff Union of Universities’ (ASSU) strike, said that until the Federal Government give education the rightful priority, crisis would continue in government owned universities.

THE GUARDIAN, Monday, July 8, 2013

NEWS 5

NCC begins compliance monitoring on SIM deactivation CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 ing expected success. Though the NCC is still silent about the actual figure of subscribers that have switched networks about two months after launch, operators have lamented the traffic lull in the process. Apart from issues around the process of porting, including the 90-day stay duration on a particular network before any other migration, the 48hour processing period to port; poor awareness, especially in the hinterlands; need for physical presence before porting; and the preference for dual and multi-SIM mobile devices, seem to be hindering the scheme. According to an NCC source who spoke with The Guardian, MNP technicalities will be revisited and probably altered for accelerated adoption, “because the scheme is needed in Nigeria.” Indeed, at a post-event interview in Lagos at the weekend, NCC’s Director of Legal and

Regulatory Services, Josephine Amuwa, confirmed that there may be a review of the MNP rules as being canvassed in different quarters. Amuwa, who also hinted that any operator found hindering the process would be fined N200,000 per subscriber, noted that MNP is a key facilitator of consumer choice and effective competition in the telecommunications environment. “The challenge is that people tend to believe that since they can easily buy a SIM, they don’t need to port. That is wrong, because a new SIM brings a new identity and nobody knows you with that, but with porting, you will retain your number on any network. So, what we are saying is that Nigerians should port; they should not go and buy new SIMs because a service provider is not satisfying them. On the technicalities and rules, we have set up a steering committee working on the rules, we meet monthly. At the next meeting, we are

going to see based on their recommendations if there is the need to change some of the rules. If they say consumers are not porting because of the rules and technicalities, among others, there are things that can be changed, because they are not cast in stone. “A defaulting operator risks the sum of N200,000 per subscriber discovered to have been denied porting”, she stated. In a related development, the commission has started compliance monitoring on the deactivation of unregistered SIMs, and promises separate sanctions on defaulters. In a letter of July 2, 2013 addressed to the operators, a copy of which was obtained by The Guardian, the NCC stated that subsequent to its April 15, 2013 Registration of Telephone Subscribers Regulation 2011 and subsequent shift of deadline to June 30, 2013, the commission wished to inform the operators of no extension. In the letter, NCC directed all operators to forward to it a

summary of the registered and active lines on their networks as of June 30, 2013. It also directed that details of the unregistered and deactivated lines as at deadline date should be forwarded to it, which, according to it, is consistent with section 15(2) of the NCC’s Regulation of Telephone Subscribers Regulations 2011. The regulator also insisted that the mobile operators must deactivate all unregistered SIM cards on their networks immediately, saying that deactivation in this case, and consistent with section 1 of the NCC’s Registration of Telephone Subscribers Regulations 2011, means that all unregistered SIM cards are disallowed full access to the networks, including the ability to make and receive calls, to send and receive SMS and other range of services usually provided by the network. According to the letter signed on behalf of NCC’s Executive Vice Chairman by the Director, Compliance Monitoring and Enforcement, U.A.S. Maska, the operators

are also mandated to provide a firm confirmation that the unregistered lines have been fully deactivated in line with the provisions of the regulations. NCC insisted that without prejudice to its requirements and consistent with Regulation 13(4) of its Registration of Telephone Subscribers Registration 2011, all operators are to forward on a weekly basis thereafter, details of the registration of the biometric information and other personal information of new lines registered to the commission for entry into the central database. “Please note that the commission has commenced compliance monitoring and if any unregistered SIM cards are found to be active on your networks, the commission shall invoke its powers under Regulation 19 and 20 of the Registration of Subscribers Regulations 2011 and impose the maximum fine on your company without recourse to you”, the letter stated. Meanwhile, while speaking on legal and regulatory issues in MNP at a workshop for

judges on legal issues in telecommunications, Amuwa said that the structure of the telecommunications market determines to a large extent the behaviour of the operators and also influences the performance of the market with respect to profitability and efficiency. According to her, MNP is introduced into the sector in order to deepen the telecommunications market in terms of service delivery, innovations and improvement in the quality of service. Amuwa listed the determinants of a successful MNP regime to include sound regulatory frame-work; efficiency of the system; simple porting process; an efficient subscriber information database; cost effectiveness; funding and consumer awareness. At the workshop, the Administrator, National Judicial Institute (NJI), Justice Umaru Eri, noted that the MNP was chosen as a topic because among other innovations, it would generate some legal issues for determination by the courts in a few days ahead.

12 feared killed as gunmen attack Benue community CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 ically at the people. Some of the victims were said to have died instantly while many others escaped with bullet wounds. Speaking with The Guardian on phone, the Chairman of Guma Local Council, Frank Usah Adi, condemned the attack. He said 12 people were confirmed dead, many others sustained injuries while others were still missing. Adi said he had contacted the commandant of 72 Battalion, Makurdi, who promised to deploy soldiers to the area, adding that Operation Zenda security team in the state was also moving its team to the attacked village. According to him, the wounded villagers have been evacuated to the Benue State University Teaching Hospi-

tal, Makurdi and other health institutions for treatment. Reacting to the incident, Minister of State for Industry, Trade and Investment, Samuel Ortom, expressed sorrow over the attack, calling on the governors of Nasarawa and Benue states to build synergy between the two states and jointly deploy security agents at the borders to enhance safety of life of the people. But the state Police Public Relations Officer, Daniel Ezeala, said no report of death has been received. According to him, the situation has been put under control as security men have been drafted to the area. This latest crisis came a few weeks after the feuding parties agreed to lay down their arms and embrace peace.

Wife of the celebrant/author, Mrs. Christy Momah (left); her husband/former Minister of Science and Technology, Gen. Sam Momah; former First Lady, Dr. (Mrs.) Maryam Abacha; National Chairman, All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP), Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu; former Minister for Power, Prof. Bath Nnaji and former Governor of Anambra State, Virgy Etiaba, during the public presentation of a book Nigeria: Beyond Divorce, by Sam Momah to commemorate his 70th birthday in Abuja… yesterday.

Aliyu denies insisting on northerner as nation’s helmsman CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 meetings in Abuja in their attempt to earn the favour of the Presidency in respect of 2015. The governor warned that the state would not accept introduction of religion into its affairs. He said: “Here in Niger, we do not play the politics of religion as such attitude would negate the development drive of the state and the country at large.” Aliyu’s stance is a marked departure from positions taken by some groups in the North that had unequivocally advocated the emergence of a president from the region. One such group under the aegis of Concerned Arewa Patriots (CAP) had in March advocated that the North should produce the president in 2015, saying it would not only check the insecurity in the country, but also would compensate for the truncated tenure of the late President Umaru Yar’Adua. The National Co-ordinator of CAP, Alhaji Mayaki Idris, had

while addressing journalists in Makurdi, said that “zoning of the Presidency to the North would afford the zone and its leaders an opportunity to address the socio-political and security challenges confronting the country.” The group had urged the three political zones in the North to “work together with other zones in the South to realise the truncated tenure of Yar’Adua presidency without resulting in situations that would give rise to suspicion, rancour and insecurity.” Idris pointed out that since the North had in the past supported other zones in their quest to lead the country, “good conscience demands that they equally support our noble intentions.” The CAP further noted that the quest for a northern presidential candidate should be devoid of all socio-religious or political considerations as Nigerians must look for a candidate who would enjoy the support of the majority of the people. “The qualities of such a candidate should not be compro-

mised; the Nigerian president of northern extraction that we are talking about come 2015 should have credibility, not based on ethnicity, political and religious sentiments. “He should be incorruptible, saleable, reliable and have track record of nationalism and performance; that is what our nation, Nigeria needs,” he stressed. Similarly, the Northern Elders Forum (NEF) has insisted that only a northerner shall be president in 2015. Its spokesman, Prof. Ango Abdullahi, said that the forum had told the northern governors, who are not ready to key into the 2015 “Northern Presidency” project, to prepare for the worst because there is no alternative to it. He stated that the bottomline is that, “power must return to the North in 2015 and the region is ready to align with any political party that will offer the North the presidential ticket.” He added: “As it is now, it appears that PDP has closed shop for a northern candi-

date with Tony Anenih’s automatic ticket proposal for Jonathan. But we will wait to see how it goes; if the party should have a re-think on the proposal and offer the North the presidential ticket in 2015, we will support them, but anything contrary, we are out of it. Also, Jigawa State Governor Sule Lamido warned that no sentiment and even a People’s Democratic Party’s (PDP) ticket would guarantee Jonathan’s electoral victory for second term. Lamido, who made this known at the weekend during an interview with journalists at the State Government House, said elder statesmen, politicians and ethnic agitators must take the interest of all Nigerians and democratic tenets into consideration when making utterances. According to him, it is the Nigerian electorate that have the total power to decide who to lead them and not any party or individual . Asked if he would take up the responsibility of leading the country if such an opportuni-

ty arose, the governor said all human beings were created by God with their individual templates drawn at birth, stressing that the least he ever expected in life was to be a chief in his village just like his deceased father. He asserted that he was grateful to God for what He had so far made out of him. According to him, Nigerian politics is polluted and hijacked by a selfish few, adding that “the chemistry is not yet healed of sentiments. “This country is applying democracy with idiosyncrasies and our own peculiarities – that it is not the turn of one person or some people yet. It is the Nigerian chemistry you have to look into, which has been hijacked by people who manipulate it with differences. Today, if you go to somebody in the SouthSouth, he would say ‘my son is there, he must be!’ It would not matter whether that man is killing him. “So, first and foremost, is the Nigerian chemistry thoroughly healed? The elite, are they honest enough? Are the

people courageous enough to do the right thing?” The governor specifically took an exemption to utterances by South-South’s leader, Chief Edwin Clark and former Niger Delta militant, Mujahid Asari-Dokubo and others, warning that they must be cautious in whatever they say. Lamido added: “If you are saying his party must give him the ticket, it is okay. But it doesn’t mean he is going to win the election. But when you say he must win the election, then what are you talking about? “In 2011, the name Edwin Clark was not part of PDP vocabulary. And then look at it today, it has become the main vocabulary. And what is the qualification? Emotion and sentiments. “When before election somebody was saying ‘our son must serve a second term’, while second term comes after election, then what you are saying is a factor of an election. But when you say he must win the election, why then do we have democracy?”

THE GUARDIAN, Monday, July 8, 2013

6 NEWS

UNIABUJA College of Medicine set to take off

States urged to pass, implement Child Rights Act

From Kanayo Umeh, Abuja

From Omotola Oloruntobi, Abuja ORRIED by rampant cases of teenage rape and emergence of baby factories in some parts of the country, Permanent Secretary in the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development, Dr. Habiba Lawal, has stressed the need for states that have not passed the Child Rights Act into law to do so to save the future of Nigerian children. Speaking in Abuja at a workshop on the implementation of the Child Rights Act (CRA) in Nigeria, Lawal also called on those states that have already passed the document into law to establish appropriate legal structures that will ensure full implementation of the provisions of the document. According to her, the Act provides for survival, development, protection and participation rights of a child, as well as a system of child justice administration and care and supervision of the child, among other things.

HE Medical and Dental T Council of Nigeria (MDCN) has said all is now set for the take-off of the College of Medicine of the University of Abuja (UNIABUJA). Leader of the Council’s accreditation team, Prof. Frank Akpuaka, made this disclosure while inspecting the facilities of the College of Health Sciences of the university. His words: “We want to believe that the end to students blocking the major highways has come. As you know, after this stage, we hope that students will be able to write their second MB very soon. “Luckily for you, you already have a first-class teaching hospital. What we are doing is to try to make sure that the root of education is in place.” Akpuaka, however, revealed that there were some outstanding responsibilities to be settled by the university, but expressed optimism that those issues would be resolved in a few weeks’ time. “If you are a teaching hospital, you must graduate students; so there are responsibilities,” he said.

Managing Director, Rainoil Limited, Gabriel Ogbechie (left); Executive Secretary, Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency (PPPRA), Mr. Reginald Stanley and Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Petroleum Downstream, Dakuku Peterside, at the launch of Rain Oil’s new oil vessels, MT Adeline and MT Emmanuel in Oghara, Delta State…at the weekend

Amaechi, Okorocha, Oshiomhole absent from S’East, S’South govs’ meeting From Lawrence Njoku, Enugu

Soyinka lecture holds July 13 ROFESSOR Biodun Jeyifo of P Harvard’s AfricanAmerican Studies Department will be speaking on the theme: “The Freedom of Information Act and the Dictatorship of Corruption and Mediocrity”, as the Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism hosts its Fifth Media Lecture Series on Saturday, July 13, 2013, at the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs, Victoria Island, by 10am. A statement signed by the Co-ordinator, Motunrayo Alaka, said the Centre chose the theme of this year’s lecture to draw attention to the need to increase awareness on the Freedom of Information Act to Nigerian citizens and propagate its usefulness as a tool to tackle the now-endemic issue of corruption, mediocrity and impunity in the country. It also hopes to highlight the media as a focal institution in ensuring the implementation of the Act.

HE disagreement between T governors of the SouthEast/South-South geo-political zones of the country again came to fore yesterday, as three of them were absent from the well-publicised meeting of the group, which held in Enugu. Although no reasons were given for the absence of Governors Rochas Okorocha (Imo), Adams Oshiomhole (Edo) and Rotimi Amaechi (Rivers), sources said it might not be unconnected with the recently held election of the Nigerian Governors Forum (NGF), which threw up two parallel leaderships with the two governors rooting for Amaechi as its chairman while the others pitched tent with Governor Jonah Jang of Plateau State. Again, their absence was also linked to their alleged romance with the yet-to-beregistered All Progressives Congress (APC). But while Okorocha and Oshiomhole were present during their first meeting held in Asaba, Delta State, recently, Amaechi

had not attended for the first time, a development linked to his alleged frosty relationship with President Goodluck Jonathan. Unconfirmed sources said that the conveners of the forum had actually planned to use it to endorse the presidential aspiration of Jonathan for 2015, explaining that the absentee governors had got wind of the plan and declined to attend. “These (three governors) governors have demonstrated that they are not with these people meeting today (yesterday), especially on this issue about President Jonathan’s reelection in 2015. They are not

hiding their disdain in the project and, therefore, will never attend any parley called by them under this platform”, a source at the meeting said. The Enugu meeting yesterday, which commenced at about 2.00 pm, was attended by Governors Theodore Orji (Abia), Peter Obi (Anambra), Liyel Imoke (Cross River), Martin Elechi (Ebonyi), Emmanuel Uduaghan (Delta), Seriake Dickson (Bayelsa), Godswill Akpabio (Akwa Ibom) and Sullivan Chime (Enugu). Governor Obi, who briefed reporters at the executive chambers of the Enugu Government House on the

resolutions of the meeting, said that it deliberated mainly on how the two zones could work together economically in the area of infrastructure. According to him, “The Akwa Ibom and Abia State governments have reached an understanding with the private sector to reconstruct and dualise the Ikot-Ekpene-Aba road to improve the corridor of both states”. It could be recalled that the road had recently claimed the lives of some student leaders who were on their way to Akwa Ibom to settle a rift between students and management of the state university.

UK College to design curriculum for C’River poly From Anietie Akpan, Calabar ROSS River State has entered into a partnership with Highbury College, Portsmouth, United Kingdom, to design a demand-driven curriculum for the proposed state polytechnic to arrest the declining quality of education. The polytechnic, which is billed to take off in October this year, will run a curriculum that would ensure that its graduates are employable anywhere in the world. Speaking at a conference on World-Class TVET Eco-system Project in Calabar at the weekend, Governor Liyel Imoke disclosed that the state was partnering the college because “it is the best vocational institution in the United Kingdom.”

‘Govt released N200. 7b to 35 varsities, four others in 2012’ By Muyiwa Adeyemi (Ado-Ekiti), Rotimi Lawrence Oyekanmi, (Lagos), and Adamu Abuh (Abuja) HE National Universities Commission (NUC) announced at the weekend that the Federal Government released the sums of N185.4 billion, N5.7 billion and N9.6 billion respectively, to cater for personnel, overhead and capital costs to 35 federal universities, three InterUniversity Centres and the Division of Agricultural Colleges, Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria, in 2012. According to a statement by the Commission, even as at May this year, the Federal Government has so far released N100.5 billion to pay for personnel cost; N2.2 billion for overhead and N3.095 billion as capital grant releases. The Commission’s Executive Secretary, Prof. Julius Okojie, had last Monday expressed disappointment over the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU’s) decision to proceed on strike, insisting that it was wrong for the teachers to embark on strike over “Earn Allowance,” even when their salaries are being paid regularly. Reacting to the union’s declaration of indefinite strike,

• CPC slams Jonathan over ASUU strike • Agency asks striking EKSU ASUU to comply with new tax regime Okojie had stated: “They (university teachers) get their salaries. On the issue of allowance, why can’t they persevere? The government did not say it would not pay. What we said was that not all lecturers are entitled to earn allowances. The figure they (ASUU) came up with was huge and we said there was a need for harmonisation, because not all of them were entitled to it. We needed to determine which lecturer deserved to get the earn allowance.” The statement revealed that with effect from March 2011 when the Consolidated University Academic Salary Structure (CONUSS) took effect, a professor’s annual take-home amounted to N6 million; associate professor – N5 million; senior lecturer – N4.46 million; Lecturer 1 – N2.69 million; Lecturer II – N1.99 million; assistant lecturer – N1.76 million and graduate assistant – N1.45 million. The statement also revealed that the Universities of Ibadan (UI), Benin and the Ahmadu Bello University got N12.7 billion; N12.3 billion and N12.8 billion respectively as personnel grant allocation and

releases for 2012. Within the same period, the new federal universities in Oye-Ekiti, Otuoke, Dutse, Ndufu-Alike, Lafia, Dutsin Ma, Kashere, Lokoja and Wukari, each received N687 million, N694 million, N628 million, N688 million, N737 million, N768 million, N781 million, N727.4 million and N781 million respectively, for the same purpose. For overhead cost in 2012, the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN) topped the list having received N664 million, followed by the UI, UNN (University of Nigeria), and ABU, which collected N260.6 million; N228.7 million and N223.5 million respectively. With regard to capital grants, Usman Dan Fodio University, Sokoto, topped the list with N1.67 billion, followed by Bayero University, Kano - N1.62 billion and the Ahmadu Bello University - N1.4 billion. The University of Port Harcourt received N600 million, while Universities of Lagos and Ibadan each got N450 million. Meanwhile, the opposition Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) has expressed outrage over the strike action

embarked upon by ASUU. The statement signed by the National Publicity Secretary of the party, Mr. Rotimi Fashakin, accused government of frittering billions of naira on white elephant projects to the detriment of the education sector, noting: “The leadership of the CPC is horrified by the on-going strike action of the ASUU”. Also, the Joint Tax Board (JTB) has written to ASUU Ekiti State University (EKSU), Ado-Ekiti branch, urging compliance with the new tax regime. The leadership of the ASUU, EKSU chapter, had embarked on a strike in protest against what they termed “unduly high taxes”, accusing the state government of slamming high taxes on them. However, the JTB in a letter dated July 2, 2013, which was also copied to EKSU Vice Chancellor, Prof. Oladipo Aina, said the new tax regime was consequent upon the Personal Income Tax (Amendment) 2011, which was signed into law by President Goodluck Jonathan. The letter marked JTB/GC/27/VOL.6/31, which was signed by the JTB Secretary, M.L. Abubakar, emphasised that the provisions of the Act did not make any provision for tax waivers or concessions for any sector of the economy.

THE GUARDIAN, Monday, July 8, 2013

Ogun moves for regional integration through infrastructure provision By Azeez Olorunlomeru FFORTS at ensuring South West regional integration and development has seen the Ogun State Government constructing roads to link the state with other South Western states, according to the Commissioner for Works and Infrastructure, Olamilekan Adegbite. At the presentation of a paper entitled “Provision of Infrastructure for the Rebuilding and Transformation of Ogun State” at the fourth summit of the South-West Heads of Service in Abeokuta at the weekend, Adegbite said Governor Ibikunle Amosun’s administration has started the construction of a 29km Ofada-Mowe-Ibafo Road to decongest the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway and link Lagos. He added that efforts had also reached advanced stage on the construction of four other major roads that would link the state with others in the region, which are SagamuOgijo- Ikorodu Road, Ijebu Ode-Epe Road, OGTV-Ajebo Road and Sango-Ojodu Abiodun Road. He disclosed that two new trailer parks would be created along the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway to complement the one in Ogere to further prevent avoidable accidents resulting from haphazard parking of articulated vehicles on the road. Other plan to link the states, he said, is the light rail project to be extended to the borders of Oyo State and link the Lagos rail project, which he hoped that when completed, other states would link up with to enhance movement of goods and people and ultimately boost economic activities in the region.

NEWS

Liberian VP tasks leaders on youth education From Gordi Udeajah, Umuahia ICE President Joseph Boakai of Liberia has tasked African leaders to expose their youths to proper education, which he said would equip them towards accomplishing their roles as agents of change. Boakai, who spoke at the weekend in Uturu, Abia State, during the commissioning of Gregory University’s College of Social and Management Sciences building, also lauded the institution’s founder and Chancellor, Dr. Gregory Ibe, for his vision in establishing the school.

We have to draw our young people to an education that encompasses both the teaching and learning of knowledge, proper conduct and technical competency to understand that education is the key to a healthy mind and a successful life Describing education as a pivotal tool in youth and national development, Boakai said that youth is the spring of life, whose age is that of discovery and dreams. According to him, leaders of countries, educators and family owe the youth the education that would make them

grow to become effective change agents. “We have to draw our young people to an education that encompasses both the teaching and learning of knowledge, proper conduct and technical competency to understand that education is the key to a healthy mind and

Saliu Saidu of the JsaidUSTICE Federal High Court, Lagos, he would hear, on October 28, 2013, the suit filed by the Lagos Council of the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ) against the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) over alleged assault. The NUJ filed the suit on behalf of Mr. Babatunde Ogundeji, a photojournalist who was allegedly assaulted by agents of the NRC in Ikeja. Justice Saidu fixed the date at the weekend following an application for adjournment made by counsel to the plaintiff, Bernard Oloyo, who said he had just been served the hearing notice. He, therefore, sought an adjournment to enable him tidy his processes and appear in court. Ogundeji, 50, a freelance journalist and member of the NUJ Lagos Council, had in the suit filed on June 13 claimed the sum of N50 million as damages against the defendant for the ill treatment meted on him by agents of NRC. He averred in his motion that on August 13, 2012, he suffered severe beatings from agents of the corporation at the terminus office in Ikeja. According to him, he had taken photo-

a successful life,” he said. Though he lamented that developing nations in Africa were still grappling with widespread poverty, unemployment, malnutrition and diseases in alarming proportions, he remarked that, “education is not necessarily an end-all solution, but has the potential to positively transform poor and developing countries of the world.” He expressed happiness that Ibe embarked on an innovative mission of promoting tertiary education for intellectuals and skills, which innovation would make graduates of the institution “job creators,

Group seeks support for democracy From Charles Coffie Gyamfi, Abeokuta

HAIRMAN of the C Nigerian Election Debate Group (NEDG), Chief Taiwo Allimi, has appealed to all Nigerians, irrespective of political leanings, to work towards strengthening Nigeria’s democratic system. Allimi, who spoke in Abeokuta at the weekend, insisted that failure of the democratic system in the nation would be a “colossal disaster” not only in Africa but globally. According to him, with the closure of the National Democratic Institute (NDI) in Sierra Leone, it become very necessary for the institute, in collaboration with the Commission for Presidential Debates (CPD), to establish a regional office for West Africa in Abuja. He disclosed that he made such appeal during his presentation at the International Debates Best

Practices Symposium in Washington DC, stating: “We must strive towards making election debates a permanent component of the electoral process and promoting constructive dialogue in the nation’s political process.” NEDG, which was established in 2003 and has successfully organised the 2003, 2007 and 2011 Presidential Debates and the 2012 Governorship Election Debate in Edo State, is a broad-based collation of the broadcasting and print media, the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), the Nigeria Council of Women Societies, Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), and youth professional associations, among other professional groups. The erstwhile DirectorGeneral of the Voice of Nigeria (VON) said: “Today, Nigeria Election Debate Group is one of the most effective election debate

groups in the world because of the way we handle all our activities.” Answering questions on the positive contributions the NEDG had made towards the country’s political development, Allimi said that “initially, some presidential candidates, including Gen. Muhammadu Buhari, who did not understand our objective, declined to participate in our first debate. But during the 2007 Presidential Debate, he was the first to come because he realised that he made a mistake by not participating in the 2003 debate.” He insisted that for Nigeria’s democracy to be strengthened through effective opposition, the number of political parties should be reduced from the present 25 to five. He also appealed to the Nigerian media to concentrate on issues that would strengthen the country’s democracy through the reportage of

Court hears assault suit against NRC October 28 By Joseph Onyekwere

graphs of an oncoming train with a lot of passengers hanging on the sides and on top, which he felt would make a good caption, but afterwards, he was attacked by the corporation’s workers, who seized his camera and beat him thoroughly. He further averred that he almost lost his life in the process and had to run to a nearby police station for refuge. Ogundeji said he was told that the station was a Police Traffic division, and that criminal complaints were lodged at the Area F Police Station, Ikeja. However, he averred that the Divisional Police Officer of the Railway Police Station, and the Station Manager eventually released the camera to him on the condition that the photographs should not be published. The plaintiff said he later decided to publish the photographs to justify his right to freedom of expression and the press. He, therefore, wants the court to declare that the action of the agents and privies of the NRC was a violation of his right to life and dignity of the human person. He also wants the court to declare that the seizure of his work tool (camera) was a violation of his right to freedom of expression and

the press. According to him, his rights are enshrined in Sections 33(1), 34(1) and 39(1) of the Constitution, and Articles 4, 5 and 9 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights (Ratification and Enforcement) Act.

The plaintiff had worked with Daily Times between 1987 and 1996, Diet Newspaper, the defunct Comet Newspaper, The Nation Newspaper and Compass Newspaper. There was no legal representation for the NRC when the case was mentioned.

happenings in the country. Commenting on the maturity of the country’s democracy, he said Nigeria was not really what it should be, even though Nigerians were really very committed to the democratic system. “If Nigerians see a good thing happening, they always support it,” he said. “The average Nigerian is law abiding; believes in the democratic system. It is the political class - the minority in the society - that is causing the confusion in the country.” The NEDG boss disclosed that some African countries who are impressed with the group’s performance had invited him to assist them to set up their own Election Debate Groups.

not seekers.” Meanwhile, Boakai announced $15,000 assistance to the university, stating that his country stood to benefit from “this new mode of university education.” On his part, Abia State Governor, Theodore Orji, who was represented by his Deputy, Emeka Ananaba, has commended the university’s curriculum, stating that it is fashioned to make the graduates self-sustaining and independent. And for Ibe, the naming of a college after Boakai was in line with the university’s intent to build a global link bridges.

Bursary to cost Kwara about N300m From John Ogiji, Minna WARA State Scholarship Board says it will require no less than N300 million for bursary and scholarships to about 60,000 students from the state studying in different higher institutions across the country. So far, the state government has released N132 million to the board, out of which about 20,000 students have benefitted. Chairman of the board, Isiaku Mogaji, spoke to newsmen in Minna at the weekend after disbursing both bursary and scholarships to 243 students of the state studying in various higher institutions in Niger State. However, he disclosed that they would soon start verification to ascertain the actual number of students.

THE GUARDIAN, Monday, July 8, 2013

8 NEWS

‘Nigeria to produce over 600,000 metric tonnes of cassava by 2016’ From Abiodun Fagbemi, Ilorin ITHIN the next three years, Nigeria will generate about 600,000 metric tonnes of raw cassava tubers from farmers, the Director of the National Centre for Agricultural Mechanisation (NCAM), Ilorin, Ike Azogu, has disclosed. Also, under the Federal Government’s expanded marketing strategy, over 150,000 metric tons of High Quality Cassava Flour (HQCF) would come from the nation’s agro-processors. Already, NCAM and other relevant parastatals have been put on red alert to device and design agricultural tools and machines that would aid the government’s policy and provide enough storage mechanism to accommodate the expected bumper harvest. Azogu spoke with journalists in Ilorin at the weekend while reviewing the official flag-off of the Cassava Mechanisation and Agro Processing (CAMAP) project being executed in Nigeria by the African Agricultural Technology Foundation (AATF), Nairobi, Kenya. The event has already benefitted 100 farmers from Kwara State and 50 from Osun State. The project empowers NCAM to carry out land preparation activities (ploughing and harrowing), planting and fertiliser application, and spraying of herbicides for the concerned farmers.

Yobe shuts schools over Boko Haram attack From Saxone Akhaine (Northern Bureau Chief), Njadvara Musa (Maiduguri) and John Akubo OLLOWING the Boko Haram attack on Government Secondary School, Mamudo, which killed 31 students, teacher and a resident at dawn on Saturday, Governor Ibrahim Gaidam of Yobe State yesterday ordered the closure of all secondary schools in the state. Gaidam described the killings as inhumane, saying that God would expose the perpetrators and sponsors of the dastardly acts. He called on the security forces to change their modus operandi in checking the activities of the dreaded Islamist sect in order to end the incessant attacks and killings in the state and the country at large. Also yesterday, the Presidency condemned the attack on a school in Mamudo village in Potiskum, Yobe State, leading to the death of over 40 students and

• JTF arrests Borno ANPP chairman, Othman • Niger resettles 6,420 displaced from Nigeria by Boko Haram • Troops, youths capture 12 suspected terrorists a teacher, describing it as wicked and barbaric. President Goodluck Jonathan, reacting to the development, however, assured Nigerians that the battle against terrorism would continue despite the setbacks. Speaking through his media aide, Dr. Reuben Abati, Jonathan said that any person who targeting innocent children as a result of emotional dysfunction would certainly burn in hell. He assured of his administration’s determination to end the menace of terror in the country, describing terrorists as cowards. Meanwhile, the state chairman of the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP), Alhaji Mala Othman, has been arrested by the military Joint Task Force (JTF) Operation Restore Order in Maiduguri, the agency’s

Spokesman, Lt. Col. Sagir Musa, confirmed to newsmen yesterday. The Guardian learnt that Othman’s residence was razed by some members of the Borno Vigilance Youths Group (BVYG), who have taken it upon themselves to flush out Boko Haram terrorism from the state. The youth, who after several unsuccessful attempts to arrest Othman over alleged “gun running and sponsorship of terrorist acts,” razed his residence last Monday at the new Government Reservation Area (GRA), Maiduguri. Lt.-Col. Musa said yesterday that Othman was in JTF’s custody undergoing interrogation,” adding: “Investigation is on-going and the press will be briefed accordingly at the end.”

In another development, the Nigerien provisional government in Diffa has resettled 6,420 internally displaced persons (IDPs) from Nigeria, including non-citizens, following the recent Boko Haram attacks on Monguno, Kukawa and Abadam councils of Borno State. Of the IDPs, who fled to the Nigerien border town of Bosso, 1,500 are Nigerians while 4,920 are non-citizens who had been living in Nigeria but fled to the border town and were resettled at four centres - Bosso, Mamuri, Bulagana and Garin Ahmadu. Moreover, in their renewed efforts against terrorism in the state, the military Joint Task Force (JTF) and members of Borno Vigilance Youths Group (BVYG) at the weekend smashed two Boko Haram hideouts in Zajeri and Bulunkutu wards of Maiduguri, arresting 12 terrorist suspects and recovering five rifles. The youth stormed Zajeri

Abia sacks Imo transport agency, turns base to cemetery From Gordi Udeajah, Umuahia HE Abia State government is poised to sustain its frosty relationship with its Imo State counterpart by closing the operations of Imo State Transport Company in Aba and Umuahia. This followed the shutting down of Abia Line (transport company) located along Wetheral Road in Owerri, Imo State in May, reportedly ordered by Governor Rochas Okorocha, when he paid an unscheduled visit to the loading base. Since then, the management of Abia Line said it had not been able to sustain its operations in Imo, adding that attempts to relocate were being frustrated government agents, even as no evacuation notice was served them before the order, nor were they assigned an alternative site. However, the Abia State government, in a statement at the weekend by the Chief of Staff to Governor Theodore Orji, Mr. Cosmos Ndukwe, ordered the Imo transporter to cease operations in the state capital, Umuahia, and Aba, describing it as retaliation. The statement directed security agencies in Abia “to arrest and prosecute anybody or group operating mass transit buses in the name of Imo State Transport Company in the state. Also, any landlord or landowner that allows his property to be so used would have his/their Certificate of Occupancy revoked and the owner prosecuted”.

Managing Director, CMB Building Maintenance and Investment Company, Kelechukwu Mbagwu (left); the Chairman, Dr. Sunny Kuku and Representative of the PHOTO: FEMI ADEBESIN-KUTI company’s secretary, Emmanuel Osagie, at the maiden yearly general meeting of the company in Lagos…at the weekend

ward at dawn on Saturday, arrested nine suspects in their various hideouts with their rifles and handed them to the JTF local commander on Baga Road by 7.35a.m. The Bulunkutu arrests, according to BVYG Chairman, Abubakar Mallum, were made by the youth during their six-hour stop-and-search operations with their sticks, knives and cutlasses on the Airport Road and Pompomari bye-pass. However, the Jama’atu Nasril Islam (JNI) has challenged Nigerian leaders to be more proactive in tackling the insurgency that has dominated the northern region and brought it to its knees in recent years. The JNI Secretary General, Dr. Khalid Abubakar Aliyu, said this when the JNI visited Governor Sule Lamido, noting that though the society has a role to play in stemming the tide of violence, political leaders have the bulk of the responsibility. He insisted that at this trying period, more proactive measures were required from those saddled with leading others, saying, “the challenge of insecurity has crippled the region (North); lives are lost on frequent basis.” Speaking at the weekend on the resettlement of IDPs from Nigeria at the Nigerien border town of Bosso, Governor of Diffa Province, Hassan Ardo, said the cordial diplomatic relationship between his country and Nigeria, as well as their cultural, religious and ethnic similarities, informed his government to resettle all the Boko Haram displaced persons. Bosso is 262 kilometres north of Maiduguri, Borno State capital. According to Ardo, Nigeriens have been living in Nigeria for many decades without causing any diplomatic hitches to peace, but the Boko Haram insurgency is an act of God that will end with continuous prayers and vigilance by every citizen of both countries.

Army ex-boss cautions on limiting President’s powers to appoint service chiefs From Alemma-Ozioruva Aliu, Benin City

OLLOWING the recent F court declaration that the President cannot appoint service chiefs without recourse to the Senate, a former Provost Marshal of the Nigerian Army, Brig.-Gen. Idada Ikponmwen (rtd), warned yesterday that such development would not be healthy for the country. Idada told journalists in

Benin City, Edo State capital, that the court ruling could lead to indiscipline and adversely impact the coherence in command and control of the Armed Forces. He revealed that one of the reasons for the collapse of the First Republic was the absence of a leader with some executive powers. In search of that coherence, he noted, the country eventu-

ally adopted the Presidential System of government since the Second Republic, whereby the President could take responsibility in some issues, as against the constraints of collective responsibility in the Parliamentary System. “The command and control of the Armed Forces must not be allowed to be compromised by politics. This compromise would inevitably

arise when the command of the Armed Forces, particularly in terms of appointment, becomes an issue for the National Assembly,” he said. “So, the command and control of the Armed Forces must remain the prerogative of the Commander-in-Chief and commissioned officers, who command the Armed Forces. It is also pertinent to say that we need not be carried away

by the position in the United States (U.S.), where the President can appoint the Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff and other service heads only with the confirmation of the Senate. “It is noteworthy that whereas in the case of the U.S. these offices are creations of statute (see 10 USC 151), in Nigeria, the offices of service chiefs are creations of the constitution.”

‘How govt’s policy, funding can boost housing sector’ From Lillian Chukwu, Abuja GAINST the backdrop of A Nigeria’s strategic location, climate and topography, stakeholders have urged the Federal Government to intensify incentives to estate developers to boost the housing sector. Speaking in Abuja when his company, Brains and Hammers (an indigenous real estate company), received FESADEB Communications’ Best Real Estate Development

Company in 2012 award, the Managing Director, Umar Abdullahi, said that government’s commitment was imperative to addressing housing and real estate challenges. The other recipient was the Chief Executive Officer of Melvorich Nigeria Limited, Melvin Udo, whose company is into construction and electrical installation. Abdullahi identified adequate infrastructure development, private finance initiatives, public-private partner-

ship, good housing policy implementation and lower interest rates for mortgage as incentives that could help government achieve progress in the drive to transform the sector. He urged government to reduce bottlenecks in mortgage access available for home owners. According to him, “there is a limit to what private developers like Brains and Hammers can provide in infrastructure as part of its corporate social responsibili-

ty. “The challenges to lot of estate developers, especially in Abuja, include that the land allocated to them are often off the highway, off accessibility to basic amenities. We are into real estate development mainly for residential buildings and we have constructed property that are nearing completion here in the Federal Capital Territory. “We were nominated and won the FESADEB “Best Real Estate Development

Company in 2012” award following a survey after a lot of companies put in for the awards. But three companies were nominated and, fortunately, our firm was picked as the best.” He added: “Professionally, our aim is to be a benchmark for the entire residential construction industry. We aim to be the real estate developer that other developers emulate, both in terms of our actual end products, and management and business approach.”

THE GUARDIAN, Monday, July 8, 2013

WorldReport Canada confirms five dead, 40 missing in rail disaster ANADIAN police have C confirmed five people dead and no fewer than 40

Egypt’s interim president, Adly Mansour (right) with opposition National Salvation Front leader Mohamed El Baradei (left) in Cairo … at the weekend.

After expulsion from UK, Abu Qatada denies terror charges in Jordan

Again, protesters storm Tahrir Square in support of Egyptian army-backed revolt

ONTROVERSIAL cleric, C Abu Qatada, has pleaded HOUSANDS of opponents not guilty to terror charges Tof deposed Egyptian pressed by Jordanian military President Mohamed Morsi prosecutors just hours after his deportation from Britain, according to his lawyer. Britain’s expulsion of the Palestinian-born preacher after a decade-long legal battle drew expressions of delight from Prime Minister David Cameron. Abu Qatada, who had been in and out of British prisons since 2002 even though he was never convicted of any offence, had once been described as now slain AlQaeda leader Osama bin Laden’s right-hand man in Europe. “Abu Qatada pleaded not guilty,” defence lawyer, Taysir Diab, told Agence France Presse (AFP) after the closeddoor hearing before a military tribunal. “I will appeal tomorrow (today) to the (state security) court to release him on bail,” he added. The cleric was taken to the courthouse near Marka military airfield in east Amman just hours after he was flown in from Britain. “State security court prosecutors charged Abu Qatada with conspiracy to carry out terrorist acts,” a judicial official told AFP.

Qatada

PHOTO: AFP

yesterday packed Tahrir Square to show the world his ouster was not a military coup but the reflection of the people’s will. The protest, which was staged as a counter-demonstration two days after Islamist rallies exploded into deadly violence, raised the stakes as the country’s interim leaders struggled to put together a new government. However, Nobel Peace laureate, Mohamed ElBaradei, has called for the Muslim Brotherhood to be included in Egypt’s political future, in a media interview conducted before his candidacy as interim premier hit opposition. ElBaradei told German news weekly, Der Spiegel, in remarks published yesterday that members of the

Muslim Brotherhood camp of the ousted president should not be treated as criminals. “I am calling for inclusion of the Brotherhood in the democratisation process,” he said in comments printed in German. “No one should be taken to court without a convincing reason. Former president Morsi must be treated with dignity,” he added, calling such principles “preconditions for national reconciliation”. Asked whether he feared becoming a “fig leaf” for the military, which deposed Morsi Wednesday, ElBaradei insisted the generals were listening to his concerns. But as the crowds grew at Tahrir Square, wave after wave of military aircraft skimmed over the capital, with one formation leaving behind long trails of smoke in black, white and red – the

colours of the Egyptian flag. “We are on the street to show the world that it was a popular revolution and not a coup that overthrew” Morsi on Wednesday, said a beaming teacher who gave her name as Magda.

missing some 36 hours after the catastrophic derailment of an oil-laden cargo train in the Quebec town of Lac Megantic. The police spokesman, Michel Brunet, told reporters two more bodies had been discovered a day after the train jumped its track and set a large part of the town’s centre ablaze. Also, two corpses were found earlier yesterday and one on Saturday, officials said. The train, which had been hauling crude oil from North Dakota to eastern Canada, derailed and blew up early on Saturday in the middle of Lac-Megantic, a town of 6,000 on the edge of a deep blue lake and ringed by forests of pine and birch. There was no driver on board. It iwa not clear why the train began rolling down toward the town, or why the crude oil blew up. The rail line is owned by Montreal, Maine & Atlantic, which said

the engineer had secured the train for the night and left. The train had five locomotives and 72 tanker cars, each carrying 30,000 gallons (113,000 liters) of crude oil. Four caught fire and exploded. The blast at about 1 a.m. on Saturday produced a huge orange and black fireball that mushroomed hundreds of feet into the air and destroyed dozens of buildings in the centre of the town, including a bar popular with young people. “Three bodies have been found,” Brunet told reporters on Saturday. “People have been reported missing or disappeared but ... we are not going to issue a figure. We know there are going to be more deaths.” Police said late on Saturday they had discovered the remains of one victim. Maurice Bernier, an official who works for the county, declined to give the number of missing but said the final death toll would climb. “It is a catastrophe,” he told Reuters.

Tsvangirai expresses regret over lack of reforms for Zimbabwe’s polls RIME Minister Morgan P Tsvangirai Zimbabwe declared yesterday that he was launching his election campaign “with a heavy heart”, lamenting that “no reforms” had been put in place to guarantee that upcoming July 31 polls would be free and fair. “There are no reforms in the media, and other reforms to ensure free and fair elections have not been achieved,” said Tsvangirai in launching his campaign against archrival President Robert Mugabe.

Zimbabweans go to the polls in just over three weeks to end the unity government between Mugabe and Tsvangirai, who were forced to share power after deadly clashes in the 2008 elections. “We participate with a heavy heart,” 61-year-old Tsvangirai told over 10,000 supporters of his Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) yesterday. The MDC’s support has flagged after a poor show over four years in the powersharing government.

But his party had “tried our best... against serious resistance” to prepare the country for fair polls, he told a stadium in Marondera, a party stronghold 80 kilometres (50 miles) east of Harare. His supporters were upbeat, thrusting their open palms — which the MDC uses as its symbol — in the air and waving party and country flags in the national colours of green, yellow, red, and black. Marondera was the site of deadly clashes in the last polls five years ago.

U.S. experts investigate deadly plane crash in San Francisco FFICIALS from United O States (U.S.) National • Operator says no mechanical problem with ill-fated jet Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and Federal Aviation Administration have examined flight information recorders and began investigating the crash of the illfated Asiana Airlines Boeing 777 that burst into flames upon landing in San Francisco on Saturday. Two teenaged Chinese students were killed and more than 180 people were injured in the crash, officials said yesterday. Meanwhile, a report by Reuters indicated that there was no immediate indication of the cause of Saturday’s accident but Asiana said mechan-

ical failure did not appear to be a factor. The airline declined to blame either the pilot or the San Francisco control tower over the disaster. A spokesman for the National Transportation Safety Board, Eric Weiss, said the plane’s “black boxes” - the cockpit voice recorder and flight data recorder - had been recovered and were sent to Washington for analysis. The Federal Aviation Administration also was investigating and Asiana Airlines said on Sunday that Korean accident investigators were on their way to San

The plane was coming in from Seoul when witnesses said its tail appeared to hit the approach area of a runway that juts into San Francisco Bay… The impact knocked off the plane’s tail and the aircraft appeared to bounce violently, scattering a trail of debris before coming to rest on the tarmac.

Francisco. NTSB Chairman, Deborah Hersman, said yesterday that there was no indication of a criminal act but it was too early to determine what went wrong. “Everything is still on the table,” she said on NBC’s “Meet the Press.” Investigators in coming

days will interview the pilots and look at data from the black boxes, radar equipment and other information to determine the cause of the crash, she said in an interview on CNN’s “State of the Union.” “It’s really important to put all of the pieces of the puzzle together,” Hersman said. The plane was coming in

from Seoul when witnesses said its tail appeared to hit the approach area of a runway that juts into San Francisco Bay. One witness said the plane appeared to be coming in too low and too fast. The impact knocked off the plane’s tail and the aircraft appeared to bounce violently, scattering a trail of debris before coming to rest on the tarmac. Pictures taken by survivors showed passengers hurrying away from the wrecked plane. Thick smoke billowed from the fuselage and TV footage later showed the aircraft gutted and blackened by fire. Much of its roof was gone.

THE GUARDIAN, Monday, July 8, 2013

Politics ‘APGA has lost its identity to PDP’

Obi

Ogechukwu Ezeajughi, former Anambra State organising secretary of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), told Uzoma Nzeagwu in Awka that Anambra would be a litmus test for measuring the 2014/2015 elections and the place of the proposed All Progressives Congress (APC) in the polity. OW would you assess the merger H and formation of the APC? The merger by ANPP, CPC and ACN is borne out of their realisation that it is only through such an arrangement that the depth of penetration of the PDP can be challenged. The glaringness of that penetration was manifested in the last gubernatorial election in Ondo State where the ACN came third in vote figures after the Labour Party and PDP. In stable Western democracies, power is often alternated between two parties. There are other parties but the main ideological divides are the conservatives and the liberals under varied nomenclatures. In the Third Republic, two party status was almost attained until the then dictator, Gen. Ibrahim Babangida, felt that power was slipping off his HausaFulani group; so he aborted the election in which Chief M.K.O Abiola was emerging a clear winner on the platform of SDP. Remember that ticket was on a Muslim-Muslim tie. The APC is an attempt to offer Nigerians an alternative political platform formidable enough to give PDP a real battle in 2015. If the leadership of this new party seals the arrangement, Anambra State will be the first test ground. That also calls for caution on the part of parties that have made importation and imposition of candidates a tradition. Anambra will provide a political barometer for measuring 2015 and the place of the APC in it. Where can you place the APGA in this emerging scenario? In the past few weeks, the public had been regaled with Governor Rochas Okorocha and Senator Annie

Okwu

Umeh Okonkwo’s pursuits aimed at collapsing APGA as a subordinate partner in the merger; an embrace that will validate APGA as a vassal in the emergent party. Chief Victor Umeh mooched behind these visible foot soldiers as if they are bringing in a gold medal to his palace. The altercations between those members of the APGA, who want to merge into the APC and those who want to retain a separate identity for the party, have continued. Governor Peter Obi had made a categorical statement that the APGA must pursue an independent identity. The truth is that the position of Chief Umeh and that of Governor Obi and their respective acolytes are non sequitur. APGA has since lost its identity to the PDP, a process they jointly inaugurated immediately Obi was sworn-in in 2006. It is an abnormality in APGA for partisan fellows not to be recognised by the government they have installed. In the only APGA government as at 2006, only one party member, Dr. Ifedi Okwenna, was appointed a commissioner. The rest of the committed APGA members, who staked everything to actualise the reversal of the stolen mandate, were kicked away with ignominy. Even those appointed by Governor Dame Virgy Etiaba during her interregnum were replaced with PDP members when Obi returned. This has remained an indelible desecration of the APGA Motto: Be Your Brother’s Keeper. The attack on the motto also came from other fronts. In 2007 and 2011 general elections, over 70 per cent of APGA tickets were sold to PDP members. In 2007, a dyed-in-the wool APGA member from Anambra, representing Anaocha/Njikoka in the House of Reps, was denied ticket to run for the Senate in his central zone. The ticket was given to a PDP member then representing Awka North/South in the House of Reps on the platform of the PDP. In Aguata State House of Assembly, the ticket was given to another politician, who ran for ticket in the PDP primaries and lost, while one Anslem, a dedicated foundation member of APGA, was denied ticket.

It is common knowledge that all the senatorial tickets in 2011 were sold to PDP members. That was why you find many dyed-in-the wool APGA fellows contesting in the ANPP. I was also a two-time victim of that kind of robbery that has turned APGA’s motto into semantic nonsense. The so-called APGA charade of January 6, 2011 primaries was a summation of a long process of integration of that party back into the PDP. Any political organisation that will survive normally strives to retain its existing followership while making efforts to recruit new members. In APGA, it has been long years of ostracism of old members premised on greed by a few. Aren’t the squabbles within the APGA killing the party? My morbid anatomist friend confirmed to me that in his 20 years active practice, he had not seen a spirit of a dead person. Since spirits do not exist, the APGA as a dead organisation cannot function in whole, as part of APC or in itself as APGA. The truth is that the quarrel between Governor Peter Obi and Chief Umeh bothers fundamentally on who would anoint the next governorship candidate in APGA or do I say former APGA, each for his selfish interest. Anambrarians should not be hoodwinked. Committed APGA members spent 10 years or thereabouts advocating Igbo resurgemento through the instrumentality of APGA while Obi and Umeh constructively wobbled the party back into the PDP. Now that the people have turned their back, the project at hand is to integrate APGA back into the PDP and hence into national mainstream. What do you make of Governor Obi’s idea that Anambra North should be given opportunity to produce the next governor? Though much sentiment, and rightly too, has been expressed on the subject of Anambra North producing the next governor of the state, the challenge starts with grabbing the ticket in a viable platform, which I doubt the APGA can provide in view of the accumulated disenchantment that appears to have turned a once viable political organisation into a lame duck. The present effort to reassert an iden-

tity by Governor Obi amounts to trying to revive a dead horse. At the last count, I recorded 20 men indicating interest in replacing Obi. It may be premature, and I am certain more men are going to declare their interest in the job. I have seen one female face. Remember, we recorded about 50 aspirants in 2010. We have not even reached half that figure now. The more the merrier. The important thing would be, to what extent could the parties use established institutional procedures to produce their flagbearers? Looking at the new United Peoples Party (UPP) under Chekwas Okorie, can the party make waves in Anambra 2014 election? Anybody, who wants to be sincere, will have to acknowledge that Chief Okorie is a tireless political warhorse. I have to also acknowledge the gargantuan role he played in the formation of APGA and effort that Igbo PDP and ANPP members gave, lending a hand for the purpose of giving Igbo people a party of their own. The genesis of his problem with APGA was an art of hobnobbing with (former) Governor Chris Ngige, who was a beneficiary of the stolen mandate in 2003. As the then state organising secretary, I was part of the team that visited him at his residence in Enugu in late 2004, with the intent to abort the emerging crisis in APGA. Unfortunately, the crisis had gone full circle and the UPP has been created. The circumstances that made APGA robust have changed and the party is now in shambles. One thing that is certain is that UPP, like other parties, is mobilising for 2014. And if the attrition between Umeh and Obi continues, APGA may not even field a candidate in 2014. Umeh would not want to sink ignominiously; he will want to take a pound of flesh. Ikemba (Chief Emeka OdumegwuOjukwu), who intervened in difficult times, had joined his ancestors. And since the circumstances have changed, I do not see how the impact created by APGA under Chekwas in 2003 can be recreated by the UPP in 2014. Is there any hope for an Igbo President in 2015, given the lackadaisical posture of Igbo politicians in addressing this

task? It is legitimate for anybody and indeed for the Igbo to aspire to the office of President of Nigeria. But the advocates of that project should examine their conscience and see whether an opportunity really exists for the Igbo now or whether they have worked up such an opportunity. We know the circumstances that led to the loss of that golden opportunity in 1989. I have personally studied the situation and feel it is not feasible in 2015. From that premise, I am already supporting Ebele Jonathan for a second tenure. It is even fashionable in Nigeria, for elected executives, to do two terms. Why should Jonathan’s presidency be different? Remember President Jonathan proposed a single term for presidents and governors in the early days of his tenure, but the proposal was killed on the altar of certain political considerations. Supporting President Jonathan for a second term of four years has the prospect of renewing the lost harmony between the peoples of the old Eastern Region. Of course, I see Jonathan as an Igbo by extension though the protagonists of Igbo presidency mean an Igbogboligbo from the Southeast. What is more important to me is whether Mr. President can deliver on critical infrastructural promises like the Second Niger Bridge, death traps called federal highways in the Southeast, improved power supply etc., as basis for seeking renewal of mandate. Does it ever bother anybody that there is no East-West rail line more than 50 years after independence? The demand for president of Igbo extraction come 2015 does not seem to be guided by political realism. In any case, where is the platform? Is it APGA that emerged majestically in 2002 as a formidable platform for the Igbo but has been ruined by Governor Peter Obi and Chief Victor Umeh’s imbroglio? Or is it the PDP, a broad-based national party in the firm control of other ethnic groups? Is it the APC where a faction of APGA is only a complement to CPC/ANPP/ACN merger?

THE GUARDIAN, Monday, July 8, 2013

TheMetroSection •Two children allegedly kill their mother in a bush path

Briefs Gombe gov donates to Boko Haram victims in Yobe

From Alemma-Ozioruva Aliu, Benin City

From Njadvara Musa, Damaturu

Siblings commit matricide in Edo...

N sympathy with the peoIBoko ple of Yobe State over the Haram insurgency that

ARELY three weeks after a retried B soldier killed his wife with a machete, two children identified as Omolayo Ojeifo, 20, and her brother, Taiye, 25, over the weekend, in Lampese, a boundary town with Kogi State in Akoko-Edo Local Council of Edo state, reportedly lured their mother, identified as Mrs. Itowo Ojeifo, to a farm path and allegedly macheted her to death. The Guardian learnt that Omolayo had been having issues with her mother, who she had alleged was being responsible for her inability to “progress in life” and had on several occasions, accused her of bewitching her, which she alleged, had been the reason for her dwindling socio-economic progress. But she was said to have apologised to her mother a few days to the incident, pleading for forgive- Edo State Governor, Adams Oshiomhole ness that she was misled into believing that her mother was her daughter, who unknown to her, responsible for her misfortune. had planned with her brother to kill On the fateful, the suspect was said her. to have appealed to her mother to She was said to have been led accompany her to somewhere and through a bush path to the farm and despite her mother’s refusal that midway, her brother brought out the she was busy with house chores, she machete and started “cutting their was able to compel her mother into mother.” abandoning the cassava she was An eye witness, who was said to have said to be peeling and accompanied been threatened by the suspects, that

Edo State Police Commissioner, F. A. Adebanjo they would be dealt with him, if he reported what he saw, was said to have rushed to report to the community but before people could be mobilised to the scene, the woman had been killed by her own children. Confirming the incident, the Edo State Police Public Relations Officer, Moses Eguavoen, said the incident happened on July 3 and that it was the

former husband of the victim, Mr. Sunday Itowo, that made a formal report to the police on the incident. He said the suspects ran to Uzebba in Owan West Local Council but the covert intelligence of the police led to their arrest. “The case will soon be transferred to the state command for further investigation,” he said.

LASUTH exonerates self from sexagenarian’s death Wole Oyebade

By AGOS State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH), Ikeja, has absolved self from complexities leading to the death of a 63-year-old grandmother, Elizabeth TobyLade. Toby-Lade had sustained severe head injury when a careless Sports Utility Vehicle (SUV) driver zoomed into her compound on Fadeyi Street and

rammed into the grandmother and two toddlers. She died shortly afterwards. The deceased’s husband, Joseph Toby-Lade, 77, had in a report alleged that his wife, not breathing properly on arrival at LASUTH, was denied oxygen because “the nurse said they did not have oxygen.” Chief Medical Director (CMD) LASUTH, Prof. Adewale

Oke, however, said at the weekend that the hospital has never been in want of oxygen. Explaining the incident, Oke noted the patient came in with a referral letter from Holy Trinity Hospital on May 21, 2013 at 6:00p.m. She had 36 degrees Celsius temperature and pulse at 74 with gasping respiration. Her blood pressure was 60/40. “The patient was involved in

a Road Traffic Accident (RTA) with a severe head injury, on arrival. Her condition was very poor, hence, immediate resuscitative measures commenced with saline 500ml fast, and ABC of resuscitation was administered.” “All resuscitative measures proved abortive, therefore, at 6:15p.m. blood pressure and pulse was not recordable,

and hence, the patient was certified dead,” Oke recounts. He added that their attention was, however, drawn to a newspaper report – not The Guardian – about the unfortunate incident, and an allegation that nurses on duty at the Emergency Unit refused to place the patient on oxygen, due to shortage of oxygen, “which according to their report was unfounded.”

Tribute

Sunset in the afternoon: My tribute to Abimbola Olusoji Aremu Ogunsola HEN our close friend dies, we too die a little. W When our brother or sister dies, we die a little more. The death of our closest sibling and comrade inflicts on us especial pain and sorrow and compels a long and deep introspection on how much time may yet remain before our own transition. Sorry, Abimbola. Pele o. Although Baba was only 67 when he died, Mama had lived on to 82. Because, in physical frame, you were without question her carbon copy, save for gender, height and size of nose - no, there was no way you could have escaped Ladejo Ogunsola’s signature nose - I had casually taken it as given that you, too, would live beyond the age of 80. Until that Tuesday afternoon, June 4 , when the egg was broken on our head, and the hammer was thrown at our face. When your diagnosis was pronounced. Last Sunday evening, the day after your departure, as I stood by my bed in Lagos, ruminating on the essence or non-essence of human existence, it suddenly dawned on me that, in all our 50 years of active interaction, not once did we have a quarrel, nor could I recall that we ever exchanged unfriendly words, our occasional arguments or disagreements never rose to the “height of fight”. In retrospect it was fortunate, but only in retrospect, that opportunities for the usual familiar fights among children had been foreclosed in our case by the fact that you were raised at Elekuro, while I was raised by my mother at Oranyan. But it was not only the absence of childhood fights that sustained the vigour of our subsequent relationship. Until-he-returns-my-call-I-shall not-phone was never your attitude , or mine, and I will forever appreciate the fact that whenever I was too lazy to call, you did. Bo tile je ose meta, egbon l’egbon je, so you lived up to my expectation as my senior. Like most of our siblings, you had a strong sense of

personal pride that could be mistaken for arrogance, a trait which, along with principled stubbornness, you clearly inherited from Baba. Towards me, to my wife and children and to the larger Ogunsola family, your material generosity in relation to your financial resources, was exemplary and outstanding. But we are not talking of money or gifts alone : you found the time to ask after the welfare of other family members, remembered the names of our children and of the children of our children. And is there anyone who is not enamoured by your wit and humour, another obvious genetic inheritance of yours from Mama ? It was the great love and deep concern for Gloria and for the future of Funso and Femi that made you eventually take what was for you a difficult decision to leave Nigeria for the United States when the country’s economy tanked and marketing consultancy business collapsed. Left to you, had you been alone, you would have remained in Nigeria to make the best of what was possible within the system as your ego and personal pride was inconsistent with your potential status elsewhere as, more or less, a second class citizen. Fortunately, events thereafter have proven that the decision to leave was right. Gone forever, Bimbola, is our symbolic ritual of togetherness, where we shared one but not more than one bottle of beer, which we fondly referred to as “ pin ‘kan “. And when more than one bottle was to be consumed, we must exhaust the first together before we did embark on the second. Of those two hands that used to “pin ‘kan” and distribute the froth of beer, one has now become forever silent. Pele o, Abimbola, Nle o. When in 2009 , you were informed that our “ baby “ sister, Bonike, was gravely ill in London, you made great effort to obtain a travel visa at very short notice and when that failed, you came down to Lagos for

her funeral. And, last July, in spite of your considerable expenses during Femi’s wedding only about a month earlier, you flew down to Lagos to visit our senior sister who was recovering from an illness. Now, in retrospect, it was fortunate that you came as it turned out to be your last opportunity to see other family members, to breath Elekuro, to visit the tomb of Mama and to catch final glimpses of your ancestral home. We had been looking forward to your retirement next year, to celebrating your 70th on June 22 and mine on July 14. We had even discussed what you might do to keep you active but not busy during retirement . Aware of your fine personal “ people “ attributes, which include your dexterity in speech-making; the solidity of your early literary background in Yoruba and English literature , your exposure to the Latin prose of Caesar and the poetry of Ovid and Vergil at Elekuro, Igbobi, GCI, Bowdoin College; your MBA degree from Cornel University; I had suggested that you might then consider some involvement in the politics and development of your local community. Then, gradually - no, rapidly - a sun began to set and in the afternoon of June 29, seven days after you turned 69, you walked into the sunset. I tried not to cry but I did; I was already becoming used to “these deaths” , including the deaths of siblings, I had thought. But yours turned out to be different. Well, Bimbola, it is time for me to leave. I will remember you with love and fondness to the end of my remaining time. Iyabo and I shall remember you to the end of our days. We will remember you, not only “at the setting of the sun and in the morning” but also at the rising of the sun and in the evening.” Nle o , Abimbola Aremu, nle o. By Chief Ajibola Olusanya Akanji Ogunshola

has claimed many lives and property, Gombe State Governor, Ibrahim Hassan Dankwambo, has donated 900 bags of rice, maize, and other relief materials to Boko Haram victims. Presenting the materials on Friday at the Government House in Damaturu, the state Commissioner of Special Duties, Alhaji Jallo Abubakar Bajoga, said the materials could not fully compensate the victims, but could only “reduce the devastating effects” of insurgency on family members and victims. His words: “These relief materials presented are to be distributed to the victims and the people suffering from the imposition of state of emergency declared by the President in Yobe, Borno and Adamawa states.” He also prayed that God would help restore peace in the state, as no meaningful development could take place without peace and protection of life and property. Responding, Governor Ibrahim Gaidam expressed appreciation to his Gombe counterparts, for the support and concern of the people of Gombe over the Boko Haram insurgency. He said his administration was committed to doing everything possible to bring an end to the fouryear insurgency in the region.

Foundation trains visually-impaired in vocational skills By Aderonke Alabi ISUALLY impaired persons were recently given a lifeline by the Nigerian Society for the Blind (NSB) in Lagos when they were trained in several skills that would discourage them from begging and make them self-dependent. Beneficiaries of the scheme were trained in Braille reading and writing, telephone operation, typewriting, handcraft, soap making, computer training and tie & dye. The NSB was established to assist the blind in rehabilitating them to be self-sufficient, while promoting the general wellbeing of the visually impaired in the society. Activities carried out by the group include running a two-year vocational training programme for the blind and them in job placement or establishment of their craft. Chairman of the group, Mr. Biola Agbaje, advised the beneficiaries during their passing out ceremony not to relent on their oars, but strive to achieve their goals despite their physical disabilities.

THE GUARDIAN, Monday, July 8, 2013

14 | THE GUARDIAN, Monday, July 8, 2013

TheGuardian Conscience Nurtured by Truth

FOUNDER: ALEX U. IBRU (1945 – 2011)

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

Editorial The climate of intolerance

LTHOUGH only two years have been spent out of the mandate at hand, the battle A for its renewal by Nigerian politicians is at feverish peak. Regrettably, it has been needlessly fierce, destructive, unpatriotic, unsparing and generally divisive. It is a

macabre dance that must stop. And the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal was right to join other Nigerians the other day in decrying the growing intolerance that is now the order of the day in the country as a result of this premature jostling for 2015. Especially at the root of the desperation is who would occupy the highest office in the land between the incumbent and other legitimate aspirants. The polity has thus been dangerously divided into two camps – those who support the yet-to-bedeclared ambition of President and those who are perceived to be opposed to it. Those who belong to the latter group are now an endangered species against whom the might and resources of the state are often being deployed. A major recipient of this heat at the moment is Rotimi Amaechi, Governor of Rivers State for the simple reason that he purportedly nurses the ambition of running as a Vice Presidential candidate to a yet to be announced presidential aspirant against the incumbent president. Adams Oshiomhole tasted the bitter pill recently when his chartered helicopter was ordered grounded while in flight. Governors have been warned or suspended by their party all in the bid to rein them in to support the ‘continuity agenda’ or “no vacancy agenda.” There are so many others who are silent victims of such invidious persecution going on underneath because of their refusal to buy into the agenda. This is the frustration Tambuwal was expressing as he spoke to Nigerians through his welcome address to members of the House who were returning from vacation. Nigerians are indeed apprehensive that the nation is gradually receding to the days of acute intolerance on the part of government. Of course, this government and the party that produced it have in its fold many apostles of the late General Sani Abacha’s transmutation trajectory which stifled Nigeria, claimed many lives of patriots and brought shame upon the country. These men are presumably the same proponents of “no vacancy in Aso Rock” which is now stifling the polity. Just as now, Abacha wanted to bulldoze his way into retaining his seat in the Presidential villa as an elected leader in a way that would appear democratic even when he knew he was not popular and could never have won any democratic election. The on-going re-enactment of the antics of those days now contributes in no small measure to the heating up of the polity just as it did in those days. Tambuwal unveiled the different dimensions of this in a manner that leaves no one in doubt that he had also been a victim of this atrocious doctrine largely because of his bipartisan disposition in the discharge of his duties as the Speaker of the House, an attitude that has confounded his party, which has chosen to forget that Tambuwal’s speakership is even no product of PDP’s efforts or initiatives. The Speaker was right in lamenting that preparatory to 2015, political doctrines that are alien to democracy and destructive to peaceful coexistence in a civilised society are being promoted. Indeed, there had never been so many divisions and cleavages in the country as now obtains. More than ever before, every section of the polity has been polarised and reduced into factions by the new political doctrines Tambuwal spoke about. The ruling Peoples Democratic Party is sharply divided as a party, ditto its Governors’ Forum, the PDPGF. Similarly, the Northern Governors’ Forum, which has been in existence over a period of time is now also sharply divided just as the Nigerian Governors’ Forum has been broken into two by the politics of 2015. So many ethnic organisations have sprung and set against one another. Religious groups are not spared. The observation that the proponents of the reigning culture of intolerance and desperation not only offend our sensibilities; they constitute an affront to the whole essence of democracy and civilised coexistence is apt. Although there is no saint in Nigeria’s current leadership, being the Speaker of a House that has fallen short of expectations in terms of attention to more serious matters of law making for good governance, Tambuwal’s politics nay his seeming close association with the opposition for which reason they query his loyalty to his party is admirable. And those piqued by his politics may have to consider the circumstances that led to his emergence as the Speaker of the House. Tambuwal’s speakership was not the making of any political party; it is absolutely the making of the members of the House who saw the House as one indivisible entity regardless of party differences. Partisan consideration was jettisoned in order to settle for him. Therefore to expect Tambuwal to conduct the business of the House in the manner dictated by his party would make PDP to want to reap where it did not sow or to reap bountifully where it sowed sparingly. This has facilitated a measure of independence for the Speaker and the House which in turn enables it to a reasonable extent to put the executive on its toes as was noticed during the oil subsidy saga. What is good for the leadership in Nigeria today is to put an end to the desperation over 2015 and concentrate on governance and service delivery. Nigerians are beginning to see through the smokescreen and perceive every action of this government however desirable or well intentioned, in the light of 2015, which in turn causes it a colossal loss of credibility. This is not only bad for the ruling elite, it may actually cause the President especially outright loss of goodwill and electoral value ahead of 2015. Leaders owe themselves the duty of being wary of the verdicts of posterity. Without reversing this negative politics, the judgment of history will be too harsh on it. Nigeria needs peace and all the leaders, from the President downwards, owe Nigerians the important duty of ensuring this. But it can never be achieved by Machiavellian tactics that keep the people asunder in order for certain persons to remain in power. There is no better way to work one’s name into the book of infamy.

LETTERS

Leave Interior Minister alone In the recent past, I have think it is of utmost impor- international community StheIR:readgood, series of write-ups – tant that we take into consid- knew that terrorism was not the bad and the eration the enormous task of in the character of Nigerians. ugly about the Minister of Interior, Comrade Patrick Abba Moro, and I wish to crave the indulgence of all to leave this man alone to focus on his job in our national interest. Much as this piece is not intended to hold brief for the Minister in any way over his actions and/or inactions, I

maintaining the internal security of the country before him, particularly now that we are beset with so many security issues like never before in our history as a country. When in 2009, the case of Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab came up linking Nigeria with terrorism, it sounded strange because all including the

2013 floods: Working ahead in Ogun It is high-time govern- states, which recorded huge Sly IR:ments of states that recent- losses. All what we need is to experienced flooding first enlighten the people of looked at ways through which they can prevent a recurrence of the disaster. One of the easiest ways to prevent flooding is through the construction of drainages in the flood prone areas. This will help to create a path for the water to pass. People should also henceforth put enough or stop dumping refuse into water channels and drainages or into rivers and streams. This is the major cause of flooding in the country. Majority of Nigerians are not so disciplined as we just dump our refuse into rivers. Therefore, Ministries of Environment should ensure that waste disposal facilities are provided in different locations across the communities, towns and villages as it was done in Ogun State. Though, Ogun didn’t experience more flooding last year like other neighbouring

the danger in dumping refuse in waterways and rivers. With this, the government of Ogun had embarked on clearing of major drainages and dredging of all waterways in the state, especially flood prone areas. The residents now need to support and join hands with government in maintaining a clean and healthy environment by disposing waste properly at designated sites, as a clean environment would attract investors for the much desired socio-economic development of the state. This will provide an alternative for people, who see the drainages, or rivers as the proper places to dump their waste. There should also be constant orientation of the people on the television and radio stations, on the need for them to stop dumping refuse indiscriminately. Ademola Orunbon, Abeokuta, Ogun State.

Today, however, with Boko Haram insurgence coupled with incessant killing of innocent Nigerians, the fact speaks for itself. Gradually, Nigeria is scaling negative heights in terrorism against efforts by the Federal Government to tame this manmade monster. Apparently defying solution, President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan was recently compelled to declare a state of emergency in the Northern States of Borno, Yobe and Adamawa. Also towards this end, a new Comptroller General of the Nigeria Immigration Service has just been sworn in. What could be more germane to a nation than an issue that threatens the safety of the citizenry and ultimately her national unity? As it stands today, youth corpers, other natives and even natives dread parts of Northern Nigeria. Imagine Jos that was hitherto the number one choice city of so many Nigerians and foreigners alike, has become ‘a no go area’. It stands to reason that it is difficult if not impossible to find a lasting solution to these challenges without the active involvement of the Minister charged with the responsibility of maintaining the internal security of the nation. All patriotic Nigerians should please leave Comrade Abba Moro alone to focus on his job as he has capacity to do more. • Godwin Abah, Lagos.

THE GUARDIAN, Monday, July 8, 2013

Business We are not giving up on Ajaokuta Steel Company - P62

Govt to raise BOI’s funding profile by N10b By Adeyemi Adepetun and Syntyche Boman HE Federal Government has disclosed plans to increase the Bank of Industry (BoI) funding by N10 billion. This, according to the government, would enable BOI to increase its lending profile to the development of Small and Medium Scale (SMEs) businesses in the country. Besides, government is also planning to develop a Wholesale Development Finance Institution targeted at providing alternative financing for SMEs growth in Nigeria. Disclosing these plans was the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the

• Plans new financing institution for SMEs • Okonjo-Iweala lauds Omatek, canvasses patronage of locally-made products Economy, Mrs. Ngozi OkonjoIweala in Lagos at the weekend. Okonji-Iweala, who was in Lagos on a familairisation tour of Omatek Ventures factory at Oregun, informed that the Wholesale Development Finance Institution would be up by the end of 2014, stressing that it will provide longer term financing of between 10 to 15 years to, in particular, start-ups institutions at a reasonable interest rate. According to her, the President Goodluck Jonathan led administration has identi-

fied the funding gap in the financial system, “and we are working seriously at bridging it.” She added: “The Federal government wants to be supportive to the development of the manufacturers. We have identified the funding gap and we want to bridge it. There are several schemes that are out there for SMEs development, apart from BoI, which have been supportive. We have just concluded that we shall increase BoI funding by N10 billion to help on lending to SMEs. The CBN has its own

scheme too. “Let me mention the big finance institution that Mr. President is working on—The Wholesale Development Finance Institution, which should be up in the next one and half years. It will provide longer term finance of between 10 to15 years. What presently obtained in the industry is loan of between three to five years, but our target is beyond that. “The new initiative will take one and half years to come up. We are working with the World Bank; Africa finance

Executive Director, Treasury South East, Skye Bank Plc, Amaka Onwughalu(left); Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, JP Morgan Sub Sahara Africa, John Coulter; Group Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Skye Bank Plc, Kehinde Durosinmi-Etti and Managing Director, JP Morgan Nigeria, Tosin Adewuyi, during the JP Morgan management’s courtesy visit to Skye Bank, in Lagos.

BPE initiates reform bills for agric, transport sectors By Roseline Okere

HE Bureau of Public T Enterprises (BPE) has unveiled plans to reform the agricultural and maritime sectors of the economy under its process of privatization agenda. To give effect to this, the National Council on Privatisation has already approved reform bills for roads, railways, inland water ways, the ports and will soon be presented to the Federal Executive Council for approval and subsequent transmission to the National Assembly for enactment.

Director-General of the BPE, Benjamin Dikki, made this known when the top management of the Bureau paid the Deputy Governor of Kaduna State, Nuhu Audu Bajoga a courtesy visit to flag-off of its management retreat in Kaduna. These bills, he noted, will set up independent regulatory agencies that will provide an enabling environment for private capital to drive the sectors. He added that if the reform of the infrastructure sector of the economy is successful, it would transform the economy. Dikki said that the key

achievement of the reforms in the power sector was the unbundling of the sector into distribution, generation, transmission and the establishment of a sector regulator, which will bring optimum efficiency in the dynamics of the value chain. He added that this has ensured the injection of private capital to purchase the assets and will ensure sustained investment into the sector. Dikki said that although the bureau is widely acclaimed for its successes in privatisation programme, it considers its reform initiatives as more important with more

far reaching impact on the economy. He catalogued the successful reform initiatives of the Bureau to include the pension reform that gave rise to the establishment of the National Pension Commission (PENCOM); the telecommunications sector reform; power sector reforms, the cross debt and a host of other sector reform initiatives. Bajoga said the BPE has become the cynosure of reform and privatisation around the world as a result of the credibility it has brought to bear in the discharge of its assignment.

and Development Bank; International Finance Corporation; KFW of Germany; even the Development Bank of South Africa and EMDS of Brazil. All these banks have expressed interest to help us develop the economy. “We have started work. A taskforce has been set up by Mr. President to do this and we think that within now and one and half years before the end of this administration, we should have something functional and permanent, which will be a permanent institution to help in the distribution of finance in the economy. We need it because there is a gap in the financial system and this administration is filling that”. While canvassing for local patronage of made-in-Nigeria products, Okonjo-Iweala described the Chief Executive Officer of Omatek Ventures, Mrs. Florence Seriki as a foremost entrepreneur, who has succeeded where others

failed. According to her, Nigeria’s market is challenging, especially with various infrastructure bottlenecks, stressing that the culture of service maintenance is not strong in the country. The minister, who said Nigeria cannot develop if citizens will not patronize locally made goods, stressed that the ministry of Communications Technology was set up by the government to develop and increase the potential of Information and Communications Technology development in the country. While calling on Omatek Ventures to double its capacity in the next five years, the Finance Minister noted that the business environment is difficult for men but more difficult for women. The minister lauded Omatek’s effort in bridging the employment gap, saying “I am really delighted to see over 150 Nigerians working at this factory. She (Seriki) has said that with improved environment, the firm can employ over 300, I think we shall work towards that and provide all needed support.”

THE GUARDIAN, Monday, July 8, 2013

16 BUSINESS

WAPCo to resume gas supply to Ghana, others in November By Roseline Okere and Sulaimon Salau, with agency report

…Shell opens shut pipeline

EST African Gas Pipeline Company (WAPCo) has concluded plans to Nigeria flow gas from Nigeria to West Africa countries by the end of November. As at February this year, WAPCo recorded a loss of more than $2.4 billion (N384 billion) within four months from vandalised sub-regional pipeline, which disrupted electricity supply in Ghana since August last year. Besides, Shell said on Friday that it has resumed production after repairing a sabo-

taged supply pipeline in the Niger Delta. The company shut down the Trans-Niger Pipeline (TNP) on June 19 following an explosion and fire in an area where oil theft had occurred, resulting in a cut of 150,000 barrels of oil per day. WAPCo’s gas pipeline was breached in August, truncating supplies to Ghana’s power plants, with the company then uncertain when it would resume flow of gas from Nigeria to neigbouring African countries.

The pipeline suffered a setback in October when it experienced a fatal accident during the re-commissioning of the Takoradi Regulating and Metering Station in Ghana. Speaking to journalists on the energy situation in Accra, Chief Executive, Volta River Authority (VRA), Kweku Awotwi, said the damage on the pipeline had been fixed

and the company was pumping out the sea water. Awotwi said the energy generation situation had improved over the last two months with Akosombo running at full capacity, while three out of the four units of Akuse were also running. Meanwhile, Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC), the Nigerian subsidiary of the Anglo-Dutch oil giant, said the pipeline, which was shut down in a

precautionary response to the fire “has been reopened for production.” The Managing Director of SPDC, Mutiu Sunmonu, said the company responded promptly to repair the valve point and removed six other crude oil theft connections in its continuing efforts to maintain the integrity of the line. “At the earliest opportunity, we quickly mobilised teams to respond to a crude theft

spill on the 28-inch TNP on June 10 and the explosion and fire on June 19. “We conducted an assessment of the risks and decided, with the support of the JTF (military joint task force) to enforce a restriction of access to the site for safety reasons. “Our response and the actions we took at Bodo West were in the best interest of lives and the environment,” he added.

SON destroys N2b worth of sub-standard goods, reads riot Act to importers By Femi Adekoya S part of efforts to rid the A market of sub-standard goods as well as discourage importers from dumping same in the country, the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON), at the weekend, destroyed seized sub-standard goods valued at N2 billion. The Head, Inspectorate and Enforcement Unit, SON, Engr. Bebe Obaye, while speaking at the site of destruction in Sagamu at the weekend, said the move was part of the Federal Government’s zero tolerance campaign, which began in 2011 and was targeted at eliminating and discouraging the importation of substandard products into the country. Obaye said a lot of seizures had been made in recent time, adding that the organisation resorted to destroying the impounded sub-standard products in order to ensure that the products do not find a way back to the market and also to discourage importers involved in the act. Indeed, about 15 trucks of sub-standard items were impounded and marked for destruction. Some of the items destroyed include, tyres, elec-

tric cables, cigarettes, household consumables and some general electronic goods. “The action being taken today is a reflection of the agency’s resolution to a adopt a zero tolerance approach towards sub-standard goods in the Nigerian market. SON will no longer tolerate the dumping of goods in the country by importers. The impounded items were seized from the borders and sea ports. “We decided to destroy these goods to ensure that the products do not get back into the market. This part of the economic waste some importers embark upon. For instance, the cables were intercepted at the ports. They have low resistance to pressure and cause fire outbreaks. This is what the SON has been campaigning against in recent time”, he added. Obaye then urged Nigerians to patronise made-in Nigeria goods noting that the agency was promoting a new National Quality Policy, through the National Accreditation system, which will help to put Nigeria on the same pedestal with the rest of the world and enhance the quality and global acceptability of locally made products.

Chairman, Equipment Leasing Association of Nigeria, Kehinde Lawanson, [right]; Executive Secretary, Andrew Efurhievwe and Director, Chuka Onwuchekwa, during the 18th yearly general meeting of the association held in Lagos, last week.Lawanson; Executive Secretary, Andrew Efurhievwe and Chuka Onwuchekwa, Director during the 18th yearly general meeting of the association, held in Lagos, last week.

Experts task firms on ICT certification By Adeyemi Adepetun OR corporate organisations’ desirous of best practice in Information Technology (IT) management in the country, conscious efforts towards ISO/IEC 20000 certification is a step to be considered as a competitive differentiator for delivery of IT services to customers and businesses. This was the consensus at the quarterly Breakfast Forum Information Value Chain (IVC) Breakfast Forum organised by Digital Jewels in Lagos. Sharing the FirstBank Nigeria Plc experience as the Speaker at the 53rd edition of the forum, the bank’s Chief Information Officer (CIO), Rasheed Adegoke, said that

ISO 20000 was the international standard for IT Service Management (ITSM) and the adoption of the ISO/IEC 20000 certification had greatly imparted on the bank’s service delivery to its customers and the business. He explained that key improvements include effective documentation of business requirements for IT services, defined, managed and measured IT processes, assignment of dedicated personnel to IT service management as process owners, generation of periodic reports for continuous evaluation and improvement of their service management system, appointment of a dedicated IT service manager and implementation of an

ITSM application. While acknowledging the support and partnership of Digital Jewels in attaining ISO/IEC 20000 certification and being the first organisation to achieve such status in the banking industry in Nigeria, Adegoke further noted that the benefits of certification included improved IT service delivery, enhanced customers perception, reduction in IT downtime and faster problem resolution, high returns on IT investment and greater staff motivation. In her presentation titled: “ISO20000: Understanding Critical Success Factors and Pitfalls to Avoid”, Digital Jewels Managing Director/Chief Executive officer (CEO), Mrs.

Adedoyin Odunfa, said that before the advent of IT service management, technology and business spoke different languages with no way to objectively benchmark for IT service quality and no systematic approach to deliver end-toend service. She explained that IT service management was a processbased practice intended to align the delivery of Information Technology (IT) services with the needs of the enterprise, emphasizing benefits to customers and requiring a paradigm shift from managing IT as stacks of individual components to focusing on the delivery of end-toend services using best practice process models.

‘Chevron spends N480b yearly on Nigerian operations’ By Roseline Okere HEVRON Nigeria Limited C spends more than $3 billion (N480 billion) yearly in its operations and had invested $4 billion (N640 billion) in the economy through contracts for goods and services, employment and regulatory fees. The company made this disclosure in its 2012 Corporate Responsibility Report made available to The Guardian at the weekend. The report highlights how in the past year, the company has contributed to the social and economic development of Nigeria, through effective partnerships with various

stakeholders. General Manager, Policy, Government and Public Affairs, Deji Haastrup, Noted that the report shows the company’s achievements in key areas including, stakeholders’ engagement and social investments; health, safety and environment; human resource development; and Nigerian content development. “It also highlights the philosophy that guides Chevron Nigeria’s long-term social investments in Nigeria and shows how The Chevron Way guides its behavior. “We take pride in our accomplishments, and are happy to communicate the values that make us who we are and why

communities where we operate welcome us,” Haastrup said. According to the report, more than 18,500 people benefitted from the company’s River Boat Clinic programme in 2012; while 3,924 students studying medicine, dentistry, pharmacy, engineering, medical laboratory sciences and nursing joined the Agbami Medical and Engineering Professionals Scholarship programme in 2012. It stated: “As at end of 2012, the Nigerian Content value of the Escravos Gas-to-Liquids (EGTL) project approached 40 per cent of project spend. This is approximately $4 billion invested in the regional economy through contracts for

goods and services, employment and regulatory fees. In addition, projects worth more than $22.3 million were executed by the Regional Development Committees under the Global Memorandum of Understanding”. It noted that the company through the EGTL project, has contributed to the growth of many Small and Medium Scale Enterprises in Delta State, especially those in the agricultural sector. Many businesses have benefitted directly or indirectly from the huge demands for fish and poultry products consumed by thousands of people working on the EGTL site every day”, it added.

THE GUARDIAN, Monday, July 8, 2013

BUSINESS 23

Govt empowers 350 farmers through agric institution HE federal government, in T collaboration with the Federal College of Agriculture (FCA), Ibadan, has empowered 350 farmers through on-the-job skills acquisition covering bee keeping, production of tree crop seedlings and ornamental plants, production of exotic and indigenous vegetables, among others. Speaking during the opening ceremony, a guest lecturer, Alaba Popoola, said that education at any level without skills and practice of agriculture would neither help nor develop economically. He added that traditional tools of farming would not take any farmer adoption of modern tools such as planters, combined harvesters, tractors and advanced weed control technology by participation and other farmers in the country. The Provost of the college, Dr. (Mrs.) Foluke Oluwatoyinbo while encouraging the participants to utilise skills acquired to ensure food sufficiency, wealth creation and employment generation, she lamented the high cost of importing food that could be Nigeria’s food import bill growing at an unsustainable

Diamond Bank upgrades service delivery system By Helen Oji IAMOND Bank Plc has D expressed its commitment to deliver improved financial services to customers in an efficient, seamless and cost-effective manner. Speaking at the bank’s Customer Forum in Lagos at the weekend, the Executive Director, Lagos Business of the bank, Uzoma Dozie noted that the increase in the bank’s product offerings and its aggressive expansion scheme were practical evidence of the bank’s resolve to provide quality services to its customers. He added that the objective of the forum was for the customers to see the bank as partner in progress in an effort to achieving its vision of becoming a leading financial institution with the best people, providing unequalled customer experience and delivering superior shareholders value. He noted that all the relevant departments of the bank were represented at the forum for the teeming customers to get ‘first hand’ information about the activities of the bank, as well as share their experience together. “We still have a long way to go; I don’t believe we are already where we want to be. One of our focuses is to ensure that any service you can get in any bank in the world, you can actually get it in the Diamond Bank. “Our initiative is to help our customers reduce the number of the banks they are maintaining. In future you are going to see more innovation in the bank, I also believe that part of our role is to provide nonfinancial services to our customers,” he said.

rate of 11 per cent annually. “Nigeria continues to import what it can produce in abundance. This, no doubt, fuels domestic inflation. Import dependency is not acceptable, not sustainable fiscally, economically or politically,” she said. The scheme was part of the Agricultural Transformation Agenda (ATA) of the government which is aimed at developing an export –oriented agricultural sector, growing a value added agricultural sector, developing an industrialised, high growth diversified economy, creating jobs, creating wealth and proving food security for the people, refocusing of agriculture as a business rather than a devel-

opment project and focusing on value chains where Nigeria has comparative advantages. The Training Coordinator, Dr. (Mrs.) Bukola Fato, commended the participants for

their cooperation and good behaviour during the oneweek vocational training programme. Items given to each participant included starter kits, bags and training booklets.

THE GUARDIAN, Monday, July 8, 2013

Published in association with

InvestmentWatch Investing In Bonds Introduction MONGthe several investment vehicles available to investors in the Nigerian capital market, bonds have in the past couple of months been attracting a larger volume of investible funds from local and foreign investors. Several factors account for this rise some of which are the volatility in the equities market and higher yields among others. In this edition of INVESTMENT ONE education series, we shall highlight the principal features, types, means, benefits and detriments of investing in bonds as a fixed income instrument. Bonds Bonds are among the asset class commonly referred to as fixed income securities. A bond is a debt security, in which the authorized issuer (corporate or government) owes the holders (investors) a debt and, depending on the terms of the bond, the issuer is obliged to pay interest (the coupon) and to repay the principal at a later date, termed maturity. Thus a bond is like a loan: the holder of the bond is the lender (creditor), the issuer of the bond is the borrower (debtor), and the coupon is the interest. Bonds provide the borrower with external funds to finance long-term investments, or, in the case of government bonds, to finance current expenditure. Features of Bonds • Maturity date: Predetermined bonds have set maturity dates that can range from one to 30 years — short-term bonds (mature in three years or less), intermediate bonds (mature in three to ten years) and long-term bonds (mature in ten years or more). The maturity is the date on which the issuer has to repay the nominal amount. As long as all payments have been made, the issuer has no more obligations to the bond holders after the maturity date. • Coupon: The coupon is the interest rate that the issuer pays to the bond holders. Usually, this rate is fixed throughout the life of the bond but its terms depend on their structure: "Fixed Rate Bonds" provide fixed interest payments on a regular schedule for the life of the bond; "Floating Rate Bonds" have variable interest rates that are periodically adjusted; and, "Zero Coupon Bonds" do not pay periodic interest at all, but offer an advantage in that they can be bought at a discounted price of the face value and can be redeemed at the face value at maturity. • Optionality: A bond may contain an embedded option; that is, it grants option like features to the buyer or issuer: - Callability Some bonds give the issuer the right to repay the bond before the maturity date on the call dates (call option). These bonds are referred to as callable bonds. Most callable bonds allow the issuer to repay the bond at par. With some bonds, the issuer has to pay a Premium. This is mainly the case for high-yield bonds. These have very strict covenants, restricting the issuer in its operations. To be free from these covenants, the

issuer can repay the bonds early, but only at a high cost. - Puttability Some bonds give the bond holder the right to force the issuer to repay the bond before the maturity date on the put dates. - Convertibility After a certain period, bondholder had the right to exchange the bond For stocks of the issuer (this applies to only corporate bonds). • Minimum Investment Bonds have a minimum amount required for investing. In Nigeria the minimum amount required to invest in bonds is N10,000.(note that this applies to FGN securities specifically). Corporate bonds may require significantly higher minimum entry value. • Marketability Marketability which can be interchanged for liquidity implies how easily a particular bond can be bought or sold. In general, for a bond to enjoy high marketability, there must be a large trading volume and a large number of dealers in the security. • Face Value/Par Value The face value (also known as the par value or principal) is the amount of money a holder will get back once a bond matures. A newly issued bond usually sells at the par value. Government bonds usually have a greater par value than corporate bonds. • Credit Ratings Credit rating systems help investors make more informed bond purchases from firms, state and local governments. Higher credit rated bonds carry less risk while lower credit rated bonds (e.g., junk bonds or high yield/high return bonds) have more risk. Safer bond issuers such as government have a higher credit rating, while risky companies have a low credit rating. Types of Bonds • Corporate Bond A debt security issued by a corporation and sold to investors. The backing for the bond is usually the payment ability of the company, which is typically money to be earned from future operations. Corporate bonds are considered higher risk than government bonds. As a result, interest rates are almost always higher, even for top-flight credit quality companies. Corporate bonds are issued in several forms including registered bonds, bearer bonds and book-entry bonds. • Government bond A bond issued by a national government, generally promising to pay a certain amount (the face value) on a certain date, as well as periodic interest payments. Government bonds are usually denominated in the country's own currency. Bonds issued by national governments in foreign currencies are normally referred to as sovereign bonds i.e. Nigerian sovereign bonds and other bond issue are managed by the Debt Management Office (DMO). • Municipal Bond This is debt security issued by a state (in Nigeria) municipality or local government to finance its

capital expenditures. Municipal bonds are usually used to fund expenditures such as the construction of highways, bridges or schools and are popular with people in high income tax brackets. • Zero Coupon Bond A Zero coupon bond carries no coupon and must provide all its return in the form of price appreciation at maturity. They are often bonds that have been stripped of their coupons by a financial institution and then repackaged as zero-coupon bonds. Zero-coupon bonds tend to fluctuate in price much more than coupon bonds. Coupon Bond Obligates the issuer to make interest payments called coupon payments over the life of the Bond, then to repay the principal (the Bond's par value) at maturity. Floating rate bond A Bond designed to minimize the holder's interest rate risk. The interest rate that the borrower pays is reset periodically depending on market conditions. Eurobonds Usually, a Eurobond is issued by an international syndicate and categorized according to the currency in which it is denominated. Eurobonds are attractive to investors as they have small par values and high liquidity. Benefits of Bonds • Selling Before Maturity If you decide you need your money back earlier than the date that your bond matures, you are taking “a chance” that you may get more, or less, than you paid. This depends mostly on the interest rates at which new bonds are being issued. This is why individuals who invest in bonds typically plan to hold them till they mature. • Safe and Secure Investing in debt is safer than investing in stocks or equity. This is so because debt holders have priority over shareholders. In a worstcase scenario such as bankruptcy, the creditors (debt holders) usually get at least some of their money back, while shareholders often lose their entire investment. What’s more, government bonds are zero risk as they are backed by the government. • Fixed and periodic interest payments Interest payments are paid out at fixed intervals (usually semi-annual or quarterly) with a fixed rate (except for floating rate bonds) which gives you a better ability to match expected future expenses. • Liquidity Bonds, especially government issued, are traded in the market blue chips stocks; they are actively traded in the market and therefore, can always be converted to cash. If you buy 10-year bonds, it does not mean that you have to hold it for 10 years. You can sell your bond even before the maturitydate, subject to the prevailing market buying price. • Portfolio Balance & Diversification Bonds can be great financial “buffers”, when the stock market is going through a turbulent

period because they are a very safe financial tool to help balance the risk in your overall portfolio. • Capital appreciation potential Positive events in the economy, industry or issuing company can reward you with increases in your high-yield bond’s price, otherwise known as capital appreciation. These events include ratings upgrades, improved earnings reports, mergers or acquisitions, positive product developments or market-related events. If the market price of the bond you bought suddenly goes up against your purchase price, you can sell it back to them at the current market price and enjoy capital gains, in addition to the interest you already earned. • Tax relief and ease of maintenance Bonds need less careful attention in management than other alternative investments. Bond interest from municipal bonds can be exempt from federal income taxes and possibly from state and local income taxes. Detriments of Bonds • Individual bonds do not compound their interest • Bonds over the long term have lower returns than stocks. • Bonds offer no hedge against inflation because inflation causes interest rates to rise which then cause bond prices to fall. • Bond prices can be quite volatile because market interest rates vary after a bond is issued. • Capital gains and losses are taxable with most bonds for those that are cashed out early as well. • Bond prices may swing 20% or more if you sell bonds before maturity. Speculators might see this as an opportunity but conservative investors will need to ignore price changes if planning to hold to maturity. • Diversification is hard to achieve (unless investing in bond mutual funds) because many different types of bonds would be needed. The bond market in Nigeria offers investors opportunity to invest through the primary market where variety of bonds ranging from sovereign, state government and corporate bonds are issued and the secondary market where FGN bonds are actively traded on an Over-the Counter basis and on the floor of the Nigeria Stock Exchange (NSE). With the equities currently soft and often mixed market outcomes, the bond market offers investors good returns at the current interest rates. While there is no hard and fast rule on how much an investor should invest in the bond market, it is important to consider the variables itemised above as well as an investor’s investing timeline, risk tolerance, future goals, perception of the market and investible income. These factors are to an extent beyond the ability of an investor who more often than not is constrained by time and knowledge resource in making informed investment decisions. To benefit from the opportunities that abound in the bonds market space even without having the requisite knowledge of how it works your best bet will be to call or visit qualified and professional investment managers to help you plan and invest in the bond market.

Kindly let us know if you have found this article useful. Please contact us at: enquiries@investment-one.com.

THE GUARDIAN, Monday, July 8, 2013

Insurance How regulatory enforcement enthrones ethical standards in industry By Joshua Nse ONE are the days of insurG ance managers – underwriting firms, insurance brokers and loss adjusters – breach insurance regulations, guidelines and escape the sanctions of industry regulators. Today, however, the fear of the regulators is the beginning of wisdom. Industry regulators – the National Insurance Commission (NAICOM), the Nigerian Insurers Association (NIA)

and the Nigerian Council of Registered Insurance Brokers (NCRIB), have taken bold and decisive measures to correct market indiscipline in the underwriting of business in the insurance industry. To attest to this fact, the Director General of the NIA, Sunday Thomas, in his report of the governing council to the association at the 42nd yearly general meeting held in Lagos recently, said “the association has continued to promote sound business ethics amongst its members. I

am delighted to report that reports of delay in claims payment has reduced significantly in the last lone year as members have continued to live up to their obligation of prompt claims payment to the insured.” Besides, a rating committee has been set up to determine the minimum rates in respect of group life, motor, industrial all risk, money and fidelity guarantee for banks and recommend sanctions for non compliance with the minimum rates, he said.

This development is against the backdrop of war against rate cutting in the industry, a disagreement the association could not resolve. The NIA had said “the breach in the market agreement endorsed by member companies targeted at checking against price war in the industry, otherwise known as rate cutting, decided to set up the Customers’ Complaint Bureau to deal with the issue.” The NIA boss told The Guardian, “We are delighted

that practitioners in the industry are cooperating with the regulators to move the insurance industry in Nigeria, and professionalism is fast returning to the market, it is a positive development in the market. We will continue to strengthen our relationship between NIA and other trade bodies – NCRIB, ILAN, ARIAN, PILA and the CIIN.” Industry managers attributed the changes to the untiring effort of the commission to enforce insurance laws in the underwriting business has forced operators to conform, especially the enforcement of the policy of no premium no cover and the June 30 deadline for the submission of yearly report and accounts and the N5,000 fine for offenders. For instance, out of the 58 underwriting companies operating in the country, only 18 insurance firms were able to submit the 2012 financial statement and accounts to the regulatory agency. The Commissioner for

Insurance, Fola Daniel, who spoke on the determination of the commission to restore sanity to the underwriting business in Nigeria said, “recent occurrences in the sector will reveal that the insurance industry is at a very critical cross road as regard its operations and regulations. Legislations and regulations are flouted at will by operators and consumers alike, for instance, non adherence to the provisions of the law, delayed claims settlements, rate cutting, and other sharp practices” He said, “it is time to put a halt to criminal breaches of insurance laws. The commission will henceforth wield the stick and publicly too. Gone are the days of keeping sanctions of criminal breaches within the family. Laws are made to be obeyed and sanctions are available for anyone who violates the law. We will be decisive, short and sharp. No long lasting prosperity will be built on an atmosphere of indiscipline and disorder.”

Conrad Clark leads enterprise risk rating for firms ONRAD Clark Nigeria C Limited, a managementconsulting firm is setting a

Director -General, Nigerian Insurers Association (NIA) O.S. Thomas, (left,), director –general, Ghana Insurers Association (GIA), Atsu Menyawovor, Deputy Chairman, NIA, GUS Wiggle, President, GIA, Gustav Siale, Hon Treasurer, NIA, Segun Balogun, Deputy President, GIA, Kwame-Gazo Agbenyadzie, and Hon. Asst. Treasuer, NIA, Sakiru, Oyefeso, during a courtesy visit by officials from Ghana Insurers Association to NIA recently

Capital Express packages education assurance policy APITAL Express Assurance C Limited has repackaged its education insurance policy to ensure unhindered education for children till university level. The Managing Director of the firm, Mrs. Bola Odukale, explained that the Capital Express Guaranteed Education Assurance Plan is designed to guarantee the education of the named child up to university level subject to the sum assured. She said: “The plan pays the sum assured in the event of the death of the breadwinner during the policy term and creates immediate estate sufficient to guarantee payment of school fees of the named child. This is to forestall the abrupt stoppage of the child’s education.” According to her, if the breadwinner suffers critical illness, permanent disability due to accident or sickness or death, the policy will ensure that the child’s education is not unduly halted. While explaining some of the key features of the policy, she said, the parent or breadwinner decides at inception

of the policy, the estimated amount required to finance the future education of the named child. After this, she says that the estimated amount will represent the sum that will be assured under the policy. The managing director explained that the breadwin-

ner can arrange to be paying his premium yearly or in installments over a maximum period of five years. Odukale said: “The policy has flexible benefit administration options that suit payment of school fees. One child can also be substituted for another during commence-

ment of benefit or benefit payable to the insured’s estate.” The insurer noted that education is relevant to the society and that it remains a cogent permanent legacy parents or guardians can pass on to the children to ensure their future.

NAICOM approves Consolidated Hallmark’s accounts HE 2012 IFRS accounts and T reports for the financial year ended December 2012 of Consolidated Hallmark Insurance Plc have been approved by the industry regulator, National Insurance Commission (NAICOM). The company thus joins the league of three other insurance companies whose financial statements for 2012 have been approved by the industry’s regulator. The approval was conveyed in a letter signed by NAICOM’s Director of

Supervision, N.O. Opara and dated July 2, 2013, where he informed the company of the approval by the Commissioner for Insurance, Fola Daniel. Speaking on the development, the Managing Director/CEO of Consolidated Hallmark Insurance Plc, Mr. Eddie Efekoha, applauded the positive development and attributed it to the determination of the management, board of directors, the entire staff as well as other stakeholders including the compa-

ny’s auditors. He said though the transition to the IFRS reporting was not as seamless as envisaged in the industry, subsequent years would be less problematic for the players because of lessons learnt. In line with this development, the Company is now making arrangements towards presenting the approved financials to the shareholders for approval at the annual general meeting of the company on a date to be announced soon .

new standard in the measurement of compliance and adoption of Enterprise Risk Management (ERM) by organisations and risk managers in Nigeria. The Chief Executive of Conrad Clark Nigeria (CCN), Joachim Adebayo Adenusi, said risk management involves far more than the prevention of untoward events. “Businesses need to learn to manage upside and downside risk effectively, without which they miss growth opportunities, suffer declining performance and profitability”. He points out that the effective management of risk is not a function that occurs within the risk management department. The practice of ERM has grown exponentially over the last 10 years and more so since the start of the global financial crisis in 2008. Regulatory bodies across the world have adopted risk-based regulatory frameworks in a wide variety of sectors including financial services, insurance, and healthcare. Here in Nigeria the CBN and NAICOM, who regulate financial services and insurance sectors respectively, have both led the way with risk-based regulation. Adenusi, who was a director of the Institute of Risk Management for seven years and UK/EU Risk Manager of the Year 2009/10, is a highly sought after conference speaker and consultant to major European organisations. “It has been interesting to see the enthusiasm with which organ-

isations in Africa have adopted ERM, as well as the unique ways in which ERM has been implemented. Irrespective of the country, we have seen that companies that implement ERM properly and thoughtfully have a much higher positive impact on the bottom line and organizational reputation in the medium to long term”. The Nigerian Risk Awards, a dazzling black tie evening event, will celebrate those very special organisations and individuals that are pioneering the practice of ERM in Nigeria across a variety of industry sectors. “Over recent years companies in Nigeria have gone the extra mile in the management of risk and many of them have employed innovative and practical strategies to embed risk management, to drive cultural change and influence decision making. We are now inviting them to submit these examples for consideration for the awards”. The successful Risk Manager of the Year 2013 will have an all-expenses paid trip to attend one of the international annual risk management conferences 2014 in the UK or USA . The submissions for the Nigerian Risk Awards will be independently assessed and judged by a panel of highly distinguished individuals, drawn from within and outside the country. The awards will be presented for the following categories: Banking and Financial Services, Insurance and Pension Services, Telecoms and Media Services; Manufacturing, Productive and Industry and Oil & Gas Services Risk Awards.

THE GUARDIAN, Monday, July 8, 2013

THE GUARDIAN, Monday, Juy 8, 2013

Stockwatch In association with Lead Capital

Stock Market Report for the week Friday, 28th June to Thursday 4th July, 2013 ajor equity markets around the M globe moved upwards as their various indexes gained marginal points. In our universe of sample equity markets; the NASDAQ, S & P 500 and Dow Jones gained points by 2.00%, 0.76% and 0.53% respectively at the end of last week. In Europe, The German Dax and France CAC 40 lost points by 1.41% and 0.64% respectively, while the FTSE 100 gained points by 1.04%. In the Asia/Pacific region, Nikkei 225, Hangseng and BSE Sensex gained points by 6.10%, 0.14% and 2.83% respectively. In Brazil, the Bovespa lost point by 4.51% while Russia’s RTS INDEX gained points by 0.25%. On the local setting, NSE ASI closed at 36,509.63 recording 0.11% appreciation at the end of the week’s trading.

In the week, the total volume appreciated by 269.34% and value traded depreciated by 33.09%. A turnover of 7.83 billion units of shares valued at N16.52 billion was recorded, in contrast to a turnover of 2.12 billion units of shares worth N24.69 billion that was recorded in the previous week. Volume this week was driven by activities in the shares of TRANSCORP, HIS, PORTPAINT, ACCESS, GUARANTY, FIDELITYBK, UBA, ZENITHBANK, ETI and WEMABANK.

ANNOUNCEMENT uring the period under review, forty four (44) D stocks recorded price appreciation compared to nineteen (19) that depreciated in the previous week, PORTPAINT was first on the top gainers chart to close with 46.93%, followed by ABCTRANS with 22.83%, RTBRISCOE with 18.44%, UTC with 16.95%, DIAMONDBANK with 16.30% and ASHAKACEM with 16.23%. Other gainers in the top ten categories were AGLEVENT with 14.29%, EVANSMED with 14.14%, PAINTCOM with 13.77% and CONTINSURE with 13.04%. On the flip side, thirty one (31) stocks depreciated in price last week compared to fifty six (56) that depreciated a week ago. CAP led on the price losers’ table with 24.86%, followed by UPL by 13.27%, PRESCO by 10.09%, BERGER by 9.93%, WAPIC by 8.99%, FLOURMILL by 8.52%, UBN by 8.38%, CCNN by 8.31%, AFRIPRUD by 7.49% and IPWA by 7.35%.

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COMPANY’S RESULT

Weekly Lead Equity Ratings

THE GUARDIAN, Monday, July 8, 2013

Homes & Property Why proposed 4th Mainland bridge is delayed, Lagos official

NITP tasks planners’ on new scale of fees, TOPREC stamps

Pinnock Beach estate set for launch in Lekki

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Lagos flags-off certificationof estate agents Professional Practice By Tosin Fodeke S part of its resolution to clean up the rot in the estate agency field, the Lagos State through its Real Estate Transaction Regulatory Authority, last week revealed that it had begun issuance of authentication licenses to members of Lagos State branch of Estate Rent and Commission Agents Association of Nigeria (ERCAAN). The move came several months after the department began operations to checkmate the activities of some estate agents who often collect money from innocent customers under the guise of getting accommodation for them. Speaking at the unveiling of a taskforce team and one year anniversary of the ERCAAN executives, the agency’s Assistant General Manager and Head, Control Monitoring and Management, Mrs. Linda Patunola-Ajayi, disclosed that the agency has already started giving out licenses to agents even as it would soon begin enforcement. Patunola-Ajayi further stated that ministries and agencies in Lagos had already been issued directives not to patronize unregistered agents adding that the body would begin enforcing the laws with special help from enforcement officers drafted to the agency. According to her, high property demand in the state has made the sector susceptible to abuse by individuals who engage in a number of un-salutary practices to the detriment of the citizens. A source hinted that the enforcement team would move into the field in September. Earlier, Chairman of ECRAAN Lagos chapter, Mr. Godwin Alenkne, said the association has been a major advocate for regulation of the real estate profession in Lagos State even as the association had obtained the highest number of forms. Alenkne also called on the Lagos state agency to speed up the process of licensing so that enforcement could start immediately. He explained that the set up of the taskforce was to identify fake real estate agents and enforce standards. He said, “For us discipline must first start within and our members must attain the highest level of discipline before the general public. The marshals are to coordinate and pronounce our code of conduct as contained in the constitution of the association at all times”.

Aerial view of Osogbo, Osun State

UNHabitat, Osun begin consultations for structure plans in nine cities Urban Development IVERSE stakeholder D groups including community associations, trade groups and government officials will this week begin the validation of Urban Profiles prepared in nine cities in the State of Osun, under a N100 million Structure Plans Project funded by the state government in partnership with the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN Habitat). The Osun Structure Plans Project, which kicked off in July last year, seeks to develop and adopt Structure Plans that will guide the growth, development and management of the participating cities over the next 20 years. The participating cities,

The structure plans project is a follow up to an urban renewal scheme involving the upgrading of a two-kilometre radius from the city centre in each of the nine cities. It involves use of the Rapid Urban Sector Profiling for Sustainability (RUSPS) methodology, which establishes a sustainable, participatory, long-term framework for the orderly physical, economic and social development of the city. grouped into three clusters of three cities each are: Osogbo, Ikirun, Ila Orangun (Cluster 1), Ilesha. Ile Ife, Ede (Cluster 2) and Iwo, Ejigbo and Ikire (Cluster 3). Structure Plans are planning instruments that will guide the growth of these towns for the next 20 years and specifically make significant contributions towards achieving the goals of the State’s sixpoint Integral Action Plan, the various Local Economic Empowerment and Development Strategies

(LEEDS), the HABITAT Agenda and the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). The project involves use of the Rapid Urban Sector Profiling for Sustainability (RUSPS) methodology, which establishes a sustainable, participatory, long-term framework for the orderly physical, economic and social development of the city. The RUSPS methodology, which is based on ‘Guidelines for Sustainable Urban Development’ designed by the

European Commission and UN-Habitat, seeks to reduce urban poverty through policy development and assessment of needs and responses for urban institutions. “One of the major challenges facing urban centres is a lack of information and accurate statistics that could be used when planning development. This is one of the issues we want to address. The successful implementation of the process would help town planners prioritize their needs and put their

resources into the places they ought to be,” said Dr. Alioune Badiane, Director, Projects Office at the signing of the Memorandum of Agreement in Osogbo. In all, 13 consultants, comprising specialists in Urban Planning and Local Economic Development; Urban Environment and Infrastructure; Governance, Gender and Anthropology, as well as Urban Services and Transportations were commissioned to work on the project under the coordination of a Chief Technical Adviser. According to the State Commissioner for Lands, Physical Planning and Urban Development, Mr. Muyiwa Ige, the Structure Plans CONTINUED ON PAGE 36

Construction firms urge downward review of withholding tax Projects From Nkechi Onyedika, Abuja TO encourage construction industry growth, business owners within the sector have called on the Federal Government to as a matter of urgency review downward the current withholding tax regime by half, which the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) charges on

In Nigeria today, the law empowers the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) to take 5 percent from all business transactions, which is known as withholding tax, but owners of construction companies are calling for a reduction of the tax, on the premise that it does not encourage smooth operation the sector. transactions in the country. The construction companies’ chiefs, also berated the government for awarding major construction projects in the country to foreign firms and called on the present admin-

istration to come up with a policy that would reserve certain jobs to indigenous companies. . At a forum recently in Abuja, the stakeholders noted said that though construction

companies make little profit, several billions of naira deducted as withholding tax by the FIRS are not being refunded. President, Federation of Construction Industry, Mr.

Solomon Okebusola, described the situation as a major challenge to the sector. But the Deputy Director, Tax Policy of the FIRS, Mr. Mathew Gbonjubola, said that withholding tax issue is a constitutional matter adding that any change that would be effected must come through the National Assembly. He noted that FIRS is reviewCONTINUED ON PAGE 36

THE GUARDIAN, Monday, July 8, 2013

HOMES&PROPERTY

Occupiers, managers in court over Lagosâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Maryland Plaza Litigation By Emmanuel Badejo inability to FandOLLOWING resolve their differences the decision of the managers of the vast and prime complex to renovate the property, and consequently ejecting the tenants while the rents still subsist, the court has been invited to wade in and declare the issued quit notices to them as invalid, null and void. Now, the matter is before a Lagos High Court, Ikeja Judicial Division, where Mr. Oluwole Kehinde, Ken OsaOboh and Registered Trustees of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (New Spring Parish) initiated a suit for themselves and as representatives of 29 tenants at Maryland Business Plaza, Maryland, Lagos State against Network Hotels Limited, managers of the complex. They were piqued by the complex managerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s resolution to eject them under the guise of renovating the property located No. 350-360, Ikorodu Road, Maryland, Lagos, when their different terms of tenancy still run. They are therefore asking for a declaration that the purported quit notices issued to them, asking them to vacate their respective offices on 20th August 2013 are illegal, null and void, not being in accordance with the Tenancy Law of Lagos State, 2011, and therefore invalid and of no effect whatsoever. According to the tenants, the court should also declare

Maryland plaza recently

PHOTO: EMMANUEL BADEJO

The dispute arose from the quit notice and decision of the managers of the complex to commence renovation project when the tenancy of the occupiers still subsists; they are now asking the court to issue a restrain order against Network Hotels Limited that the demolition of the middle staircase of block B by the defendant on 20th February, 2013 thereby obstructing and limiting access to the offices of some of the claimants, and with-

out the approval of the regulatory authorities thereby putting the building in jeopardy, is tantamount to self-help and therefore unlawful, and contrary to law. Furthermore, the tenants

are asking the court to issue an order of injunction against the defendants from continuous carrying out any act of demolition, or dislodgement, or removal, of any of the appurtenances

and forcefully and, or unlawfully ejecting the claimants from the premises pending the determination of the substantive suit. In their statement of claim filed by the chambers of Bamidele Aturu and Co, the tenants said sometime in February 2013 they received an email from the defendant inviting them to a meeting on the 7th February 2013, during which they were

directed to vacate their respective offices by July 2013. Subsequently, the claimants said the defendant issued purported quit notices to all of them, asking them to vacate their offices on 31st July 2013, without regard to the differences in the terminal date of their respective tenancies, which CONTINUED ON PAGE 36

THE GUARDIAN, Monday, July 8, 2013

Prime Estates Pinnock Beach estate set for launch in Lekki Projects By Tunde Alao MID yearnings for luxury residential accommodation in the Lekki Peninsula in Lagos, frontline property development firm, Messrs UACN Properties has concluded plans to introduce another exquisite housing estate into the real estate market. Christened Pinnock Beach Estate, phase 111, the project is bound to increasing the number of modern estates along the Victoria IslandEpe axis, with offering of 79 housing units. The estate was named after James Pinnock, one of the four companies that merged in 1879 to form the United African Company (UAC). Pinnock Beach Estate (Phase 111), is a residential estate located on three hectres of land within Pinnock Beach Estate, Lekki, along the Maroko-Epe Expressway. The 79 units housing Estate comprises of 11 units of 5bedroom detached houses, with Boys quarters; 28 units of 4-bedroom semidetached “Type A”, also with Boys Quarters; eight units of 4-bedroom semi-detached “Type B and C” and boys quarters and 32 units of 3bedroom flats. All the house types will be

Illustration of units at the proposed Pinnock estate III, Lekki, Lagos well furnished, and subscribers will be issued with Certificate of Occupancy (C of O) by the Lagos State Government as Title to the property. Speaking on the project, UPDC Managing Director, Mr. Hakeem Oguniran, said the entire Pinock Beach

Estate is located in Ajiran of Lekki. It sits on 84 hectres of land, with phases one and two of the project already sold as serviced plots that are already developed by the individual buyers. On the peculiarity of the estate, Ogunniran said the

waterfront portion of the estate directly faces the Lagoon, thereby ensuring a cool and airy atmosphere that could provide additional comfort to the residents. “The entire estate has been provided with facilities that are capable of guarantee

convenience and comfort to the residents”, said Oguniran, who listed recreational facilities that included swimming pool, gymnasium and children’s playground as part of the package that the estate offers. Other facilities included

sewage treatment plant, borehole and water treatment plant, fire alarm and burglar systems, including standby generator that compliments the power supply. Other facility is ample parking space for residents and visitors.

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THE GUARDIAN, Monday, July 8, 2013

Experts offer new strategies to revamp public facilities Professional Practice By Tosin Fodeke ITH the nation still witnessing a huge infrastructure gap and lack of adequate maintenance strategies, professionals in the built environment have proffered new models to complement efforts at improving public infrastructure. Their plans is coming ahead of Federal Government’s commitment to the development of the national infrastructure master plan in which financing will be key in bridging the infrastructure gap. The professionals, drawn primarily from the facility management industry, took turns to deliberate and proffered solutions to sustainable maintenance of real estate assets and public infrastructure in Nigeria. According to them, the nation’s political leaders as well as the general public need

The experts who met recently at the last World Facility Management Day are seeking for an enabling environment for sustainable maintenance of real estate assets and public infrastructure in the country. to dwell more on strategic revolutionary planning which are backed by legislation and concrete actions. Speaking at the Facility Management Roundtable in commemorating the global celebration of the World FM Day in Nigeria, organized by Alpha Mead Facilities and Management Services Limited, a Principal Reliability and Asset Management Consultant, Mark Norris, while giving specific insight on global best practices in the management of public infrastructure, explained driving economic growth through infrastructure investment is one of the major issues facing policy makers today, around the world and the focus is too often on the operational benefits of new schemes, even

though these can take years to materialise. Drawing specific examples from London’s 150 year old Metro system and Deloitte’s report on experiences of the 2012 Olympics, Norris underlined sustainable maintenance of real estate assets and public infrastructure comes from good long term planning practice which developed countries have adopt it to get best value from their assets. He said, “The experience of the 2012 Olympics has provided UK business with a new understanding. Deloitte released a report in Mar 13 titled “Unlocking potential Maximising growth through infrastructure delivery”, and in this report they stated that under the right conditions, infrastructure investment can

Ogun pledges support for artisans Housing GUN State Government has O expressed its willingness to continue enhancing the employment opportunities, and position artisans for favourable competition through capacity building. The State Commissioner for Housing, Mr. Daniel Adejobi who gave this assurance at a training programme on housing delivery in the state, put together by the Ministry In collaboration with the German

Development Cooperation (GIZ), enjoined professionals in the building section to always avail themselves of opportunities that could improve their knowledge, nothing that sectoral competition is getting keener by the day. He noted that artisans need to be exposed to new trends in the construction and building industry to enable them operate with minimal cost possible. Adejobi pointed out that if local artisans were well trained

and updated in new technology, there would be no need to bring in experts from outside the state, adding that engaging them would have positive multiplier effects on commercial activities in the state. “We believe if we have experts among us, there would be no need to bring artisans from neighboring countries, and as construction work is going on, this would have a multiply effect on the citizens and the country at large” he explained.

deliver significant benefits even before assets come on line. It also stated that if conditions are right, the first phase of HS2 could contribute: up to £14.5bn to UK GDP including £9.8bn in construction, require up to 271,000 person years to get the project online. This would be a great boost to the regions benefitting from the route, the struggling construction industry and the wider economy.” According to him, if Nigeria wants to benefit from these case studies, it needs to bring new thinking into public infrastructure management and changed the way people work. Also, Dean Faculty of Technology, University of Lagos, Professor Ayodeji Oluleye in his take on new Strategies to Achieving Improved performance in Management of Public Infrastructure in Nigeria as a Vehicle for Economic Growth, pointed out that Public-Private Partnership should be cultivated to enable private investors get good returns while government(s) provide concessional funding for long term benefits to the economy. Suggesting Strategic Imperatives for Growth, Oluleye stressed the need to revise the planning focus in Nigeria. Empirical evidence shows clearly that planning focus is mostly on annual budgets, which are indeed short-term plans. He stated, “A movement

needs to be made to include both medium and long term plans. The Vision 20-20-20 can be considered a long-term plan, an apparent disconnects between the vision and the annual plans (budgets) are a cause for concern. Also Vice President of International Facility Management Association, Nigeria, Mr. Richard Okesola revealed that the association is pushing for legislation to ensure best practices in the sector. Similarly, Acting General Manger Office of Facility Management & Maintenance,

Lagos State, Adenike Akanbi emphasised the need for the public to change the mindset of viewing Public infrastructure as government asset. The Managing Director, Alpha Mead Facilities and Management Services Limited, Femi Akintunde, an engineer, in his keynote address emphasised the need to unlock Nigeria’s potential of maximising growth through infrastructure delivery. He added that the firm has acquired a skills acquisition facility at Port Harcourt to train artisans in new construction techniques.

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THE GUARDIAN, Monday, July 8, 2013

Tenants, managers tango over renovation plan CONTINUED FROM PAGE 32 they claim would expire at different months in 2013 and even 2014. The claimants stated that they made spirited efforts to engage the defendant and to impress upon it the need to give adequate time commensurate with their various tenancies and also for more time to enable the them secure alternative accommodation, adding that while discussions were still ongoing, the managers sent another notice, inform-

ing them of the intention to demolish the middle staircase of BC Block of the Plaza, which links the upper floor of the block, and through which many of the claimants access their offices. Despite efforts made by them to dialogue with the managers to stay action the proposed demolition, the claimants said the Network Hotels still went on with the exercise, adding that the defendant is out on systematic dislodgment of all the appurtenances to the Plaza to make it uncomfortable

and inconvenient for the tenants to carry on their business, thereby illegally forcing them to vacate the premises before the expiration of their tenancies and without valid quit notices being served on them and/or observing due process. On why they are praying for a restrain order, the tenants said: “Unless restrained by the court, the defendant will go ahead with it unlawful and illegal acts towards illegally and unlawful ejecting the claimants from the subject property.”

A recent visit by The Guardian to the complex shows that some of the tenants have already moved, as some of the offices are vacant. In an unsigned letter announcing the planned renovation, it was stated, thus: “The Maryland Business Plaza has reached a milestone where requests for office space now exceed available office space. “We are left with no other option than to expand. We have for several years postponed the expansion/renovation and have since been

innovative by building more office space around the existing plaza without much disruption to you. “But in recent times it has become difficult to cope any longer. Our hands are tied and redevelopment is now inevitable. “We sincerely apologise because we are sure the imminent redevelopment will cause you inconveniences as you will be required to vacate and hand over possession of the suite to the management. “On a positive note once the

redevelopment ends in May 2014 and if you decide to come back, we would be very glad to welcome you back with open arms at a guaranteed lower rate compared to any new occupants. “If you are unable to wait till the completion of the renovation, we will begin to refund of any unexpired rent starting from March, 2013. “A six month notice of our intention to redevelop our plaza, will be issued to you termination by July, 2013”.

Withholding tax hampers construction sector, say contractors CONTINUED FROM PAGE 31 ing the current system such that it will allow operators in the industry and other taxpayers to be able to utilise their withholding tax credit when there is tax. Gbonjubola explained that the percentage being applied now was not made by the FIRS but based on what the law stipulates stressing that unless the law is amended,

the current 5 percent will r e m a i n . He assured that FIRS and all other arms of government responsible are working on the issue and will soon come out with a new withholding tax regime. Meanwhile, arrangements are on top gear by the Senate to ensure passage of the bill on social housing and also facilitate presidential assent

to it before the end of 2014. The Bill when passed into law would encourage the construction of highly subsidised mass houses to bridge the over 17million housing deficit in the country. Also, the Philippine Ambassador to Nigeria, Alex Lamadrid, pledged his country’s readiness to support the Federal Government’s public-

private partnership on the housing scheme. Deputy Chairman, Senate Committee on Housing, Senator Gbenga Ashafa, who disclosed this at the 57th Annual General Meeting of the Federation of Construction Industry in Abuja, said that the bill is a priority for not only the Senate but also for President Jonathan adding that it would soon be considered for second reading. He said, “The Senate president, David Mark, had taken it as a bill that must be passed. As a matter of fact, just on Monday last week, we were to consider part of the bill at the second reading and pass it to ensure that the President sees it, assents to it so that it becomes a law that can be implemented before 2014”. The President is on the same template with us,” he stated.

According to him, the process would be achieved through the construction of highly subsidised mass houses. He explained that the fund to subsidise the houses would be sourced from “dead money” that would be generated from certain areas with untapped finances. “When we put a policy in place that says we will have one million housing units a year, that means we will construct 3.6 million houses. If you construct 100,000 housing units a year in the 36 states, excluding Abuja, that will give you 3.6 million housing units. “Let us assume that 10 Nigerians work on each housing unit, 3.6 million jobs would be created through the architects, surveyors, building engineers, masons and other artisans that would be engaged within the period.”And that is the only way unemployment can be

tackled,” Ashafa submitted. He commended the Federal Government on its efforts to partner with the private sector to bridge the housing deficit. In his speech, President, Federation of Construction Industry, Mr. Solomon Okebusola, assured that, the economic benefit of the exhibition would soon be felt by participants around the world.

Urban profile validation takes-off in Osun CONTINUED FROM PAGE 31 Project is a follow up to an Urban Renewal Scheme involving the upgrading of a two-kilometre radius from the city centre in each of the nine cities. “We are determined to transform our cities into functional settlements that will match our expectations as a state of excellence,” Mr Ige said. The City Consultations begin on Tuesday, July 10 at Ilesa, followed by Ile Ife (July 10) and Ede on July 11. Others will follow at Iwo (July 15), Ejigbo (July 16) and Ikire (July 17), while consultations for the final cluster will hold at hold at Ikirun (July 22), Ila (July 23) and Osogbo (July 24). The Habitat Programme Manager for Nigeria, Mallam Kabir Yari, stressing the importance of the scheme, noted that “For planning to flourish and more importantly stem the growing slum formation and poverty, there is a need for a more fundamental rethinking of city planning and development approaches and actions to make them inclusive, participatory and one to be undertaken at the local level.” The Structure Plans project comprises three phases, namely, PHASE 1 - a rapid appraisal of current issues and policies to identify strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats to policy on slums and shelter, governance, gender and HIV/AIDS and the urban environment; PHASE 2 - building on priorities determined in the previous phase to develop and expand capacity for national and local institutions to improve their performance in the urban sector; and, PHASE 3 - implementation of programmes and projects identified in earlier phases. The project is scheduled for completion before the end of this year.

THE GUARDIAN, Monday, July 8, 2013

HOMES&PROPERTY

NITP tasks planners’ on new scale of fees, TOPREC stamps *Ogunleye emerges ATOPCON president Professional Practice By Chinedum Uwaegbulam N the heels of controversy surrounding remuneration for professional services in the building industry, the umbrella body of town planners has urged its members in private practice to fashion out a new scale of fees, which will be mainstreamed into the traditional areas of their services. They were also charged by the Nigerian Institute of Town Planners (NITP) to also brace up for the task of implementing the mandatory use of stamps bearing the insignia of Town Planners Registration Council of Nigeria (TOPREC) on development projects, devised to standardize the services of consultants and edge out quacks. For a decade now, NITP has been agitating a review of the Federal Government approved scale of fees for consultant town planners and other professionals in the built environment. Their grouse is that members are shortchanged, as other consultants in the industry charges according to percentage value of the project while a planner fees is based on per hectare of land. For instance, they claim “a consultant town planner receives approximately N454.5 as his fees per plot of land. If. He however renders additional services by processing and obtaining planning approval for the said layout plan, he is further entitled to remuneration of at least 1 per cent of the total consultancy fees payable on the basis of time charges for these services.” NITP 1st National Vice President, Dr. Femi Olomola, who spoke at the 2013 annual general meeting of the Association of Town Planning Consultants of Nigeria (ATOPCON), last week in Lagos, said ATOPCON has the support of NITP to review the remuneration of services, and appropriate scale of fees for members. He hinted on the possibility of studying the Nigerian Institution of Surveyors (NIS) model for collecting scale of fees, which makes it mandatory for clients to pay into ATOPCON account, thereafter, the consultants are paid by the body with some percentage deduction. Olomola further tasked the body on advancing planning practice in the country. Out-going ATOPCON President, Mr. Toyin Ayinde who doubles as Lagos State Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development advised that the Federal and State Governments to see or consider physical planning as a veritable tool for effective economic growth and development. “As evident in many parts of the world, countries with robust physical planning programmes have grown faster economically and socially. Indeed, the most relevant of such experiences is that of Singapore. “Any development planning without a high content of physical planning will lead to retrogression rather than progress. Let all settlements in Nigeria have physical development plan prepared for them. These will signpost our readiness as a nation to develop rapidly.” The major highlights were the election of a new national executive council headed by Mr. Moses Ogunleye as President.

While tasking Federal and State Governments to make physical planning as a veritable tool for effective economic growth and development, the group comprising of consultant town planners were mandated to review the 1996 scale of fees and reclaim lost grounds in professional practice. In his acceptance speech, the new ATOPCON boss said: “As key focus of the new Executive Council will be on human capital development of members. Indeed, the dynamics in the pattern of development of the various human settlements in Nigeria now more than before require that consultant town planners continuous sharpen their skills as well as introduce additional specialized or focus – group trainings. This will be done in various State Branches.

ATOPCON new President, Moses Ogunleye (left), President, African Planning Association, Waheed Kadiri, Out-going ATOPCON President and Lagos State Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, Mr. Toyin Ayinde and Nigerian Institute of Town Planners (NITP) 1st National Vice President, Dr. Femi Olomola during the 2013 annual general meeting in Lagos, last week

THE GUARDIAN, Monday, July 8, 2013

THe GUArDiAn, Monday, July 8, 2013

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Abbey seeks stronger regulatory measures in mortgage sector Mortgage Finance By Tunde Alao UOYeD by the challenging operating environment characterized by low economic growth and a consistently changing regulatory landscape, Lagos –based mortgage firm has advocated for a strong institution and effective mortgage regulatory framework in the country. The bank - Abbey Building Society Plc made this known at its 21st Annual General

The company has unfolded a new plan from 2012-2016, which overall vision is to be a leading Nigerian Mortgage Bank capable of providing affordable housing finance to enable people to own their houses Meeting (AGM) held in Lagos last week, and noted that what is militating against mortgage institution in nigeria toady are twin problems of weak institution and ineffective regulatory control. Chairman, Board of Directors of the institution, Chief ifeanyichukwu Ochonogor, said that primary mortgage

institutions would be more effective and meet its obligations, if government removes tax from funds deposited by the customers and recovery mechanism for mortgage loans is fine tuned. He noted that tax that are being deducted from funds and inability to recover funds giving out at the appropriate

Minister to open luxury living Africa property exhibition Housing

iniSTer of Lands, Housing M and Urban Development, Amal Pepple, will declare open

the Luxury Living Africa Property exhibition’ billed for July 11-13 at the Federal Palace Hotel, Lagos. The exhibition being organized by Campaign Hype Limited will also attract other dignitaries including the Lagos Commissioner for Housing and Urban Development, Bosun Jeje. it will parade innovations in design, technology and materials. According to Steve ike, Head of the Organizing Team, more than 100 companies from nigeria and over 15 countries have indicated interest in showcasing their real estate projects, products and services at the event. The event will have in attendance major real estate developers in nigeria, as well as from foreign countries including USA, Canada, United Kingdom, Dubai, Malaysia, Cyprus, Turkey, india, russia, Ghana, Gambia, and France. Organizations that have confirmed participation include residential, commercial and retail real estate developers, architects, building component merchants as well as interior décor and luxury furniture companies. Other participants include mortgage banks, investment promotion agencies and home automation companies. Mr. ike said the exhibition is aimed at creating a platform for business promotion, investment opportunities and market development for all stakeholders in the real estate sector. While exhibitors will have an opportunity to showcase their latest projects, products or services, visitors will be exposed to cutting-edge products and services to serve their property need. On the benefits of participating at this exhibition, he said noted that exhibitions are proven to generate more sales prospects per spending budget than almost any other form of marketing or promotional activity. “even in the new age of technology led communication, social media and the mobile internet, face to face interactions are still very key to fostering profitable business relationships”. Aided by their ‘live’ nature, exhibitions are the only promotional media that combines the power of 3D sales & promotion and face-toface interaction with a carefully target audience. The three-day programme is designed to include the African real estate and Urban Development Conference and the Luxury Living Awards. The conference will focus on promoting sustainable built environment and would explore

architecture, environment, technology, and Society in Africa. Sub themes will include rapid urbanization, architectural design and sustainability, and enabling government frameworks. The Luxury Living Awards

will reward industry professionals and organizations that have been involved in the design and construction of outstanding real estate developments for both built and future projects.

times are one of major challenges facing the mortgage sector. “We discovered that when loans are giving out, there is always problem in collecting back such loan. Most of the time, beneficiaries usually resort to litigation instead of paying back loans given to them. Therefore, we are of the opinion that a stronger regulation should be put in place to address these problems”. in reviewing the business environment and significant developments that impacted on the performance of the bank within the operating period, as well as the future outlook of the company, Ochonogor, while regretting that the company was unable to pay any dividend, noted that it was gratifying that it did not recorded any loss.

CBN Governor, Lamido Sanusi According to him, because of the imperative of grapping with the basic provision recommended by the regulatory reserve of the Central Bank of nigeria (CBn), the board is constrained not to recommend payment of dividend. “Although, while stakeholders funds went up by 3.13 percent from n7 billion in 2011 to n7.22 billion in 2012, the relative increase in 2011 over 2010 was 0.75 percent, which is n7 bil-

lion and n6.95 billion respectively”, he said, adding that the company is looking forward for a better business year in the future”. Managing Director, Abbey Building Society Plc, Mrs. rose Ada Okwechime, said the bank has put in place, a new strategic plan and direction in view of the CBn’s prudential guidelines for mortgage bank. The new plan is to redefine how business is done in the sector, especially, in view of the expiration of its 5-year strategic plan of 2006- 2011. “The new plan will run from 2012-2016 with an overall vision to be a leading nigerian Mortgage Bank capable of providing affordable housing finance to enable people to own their houses”, Okwechime said. She said the company’s new product, “Abbey Home Account”, is set for launch in 2013, to penetrate the middle class and ignite its new focus to create more individual and mortgage process.

THE GUARDIAN, Monday, July 8, 2013

HOMES&PROPERTY 43

Why proposed 4th Mainland bridge is delayed, by Hamzat Projects By Tunde Alao OTWITHSTANDING some issues that surround the take off of the proposed 4th Mainland bridge, Lagos State Official last week confirmed that physical works would soon commence. They said though preliminary works had started, the state government intends to address several concerns over the planned infrastructure project. Besides, property development along the corridor has slowed down, following recent pronouncement of officials that consultant has commenced works on the project, especially, when it was noted that original alignment would be altered in the face of the new hydrological research carried out that favours the alteration. This development, according to them, has given room for land speculators to increase their operations along the axis, reeling out information that is creating panic among the public. The Commissioner for Works and Infrastructure in Lagos, Dr. Obafemi Hamzat, recently confirmed the development and debunked the rumour that the project has been abandoned. He explained that the old alignment was observed to be very cumbersome because of the number of buildings that may be affected on the right of way. “It might be extremely destructive, if we want to follow the old alignment. We might probably need to destroy a lot of good buildings. This option is not fanciful to us. So, we have to look at another right of way.” The alignment of the 26-kilometre infrastructure designed to link Ikorodu with Eti-Osa Local Government Area, along the Lekki-Epe Expressway, was initially to

Lagos authorities have defended the delay in delivering the much awaited Fourth Mainland Bridge, saying that consultants and state oficials are handling the preliminary works and considering alternative route as a means of cutting down financial commitments to property owners to be affected by the project. connect Ikorodu from Langbasa, along the same axis, but experts’ view was that the route “would be too long despite the fact that the terrain is ecologically dangerous”. Hamzat, while explaining the rationale behind the delay on the project, noted that if government would continue with the original plan, a good number of buildings would be affected, but that with the new alignment that consultants are working on, it would be a preferred option for the right of way. He however acknowledged that consultants are working out the cost implications on the new right of way. “We will look at the cost-benefit analysis of the alignment in terms of its cost-effectiveness. We are considering if it is better to pay compensation than going through another alignment. The experts are already working on it, and the report will come out soon”, he said. The Commissioner, said that though people may not see the physical work at all for now, because physical structure like bridge is not what one can jump in there and start to build. However, based on the unfolding reality, property owners along both axis (both Ikorodu and Eti-osa), are said to be getting apprehensive over the development. The apprehension rose over what some of the landlords perceived as the seeming impossibility of getting their property demolished without adequate compensation.

“The fact of the matter is that majority of us in this area do not have the necessary documents and this is due to the circumstances that forced many of us to come here in the first instance. Besides, government has a lot of commitment to many people in terms of compensation, where similar projects are taking place”, said Dr. Jubril Adeyemo, who cited example of Lagos-Badagry, Ijora and Ketu-Ikorodu road expansion where scores of property owners are on queue to collect their compensation.

The proposed 4th Mainland Bridge, Lagos

HOMES&PROPERTY 44

THE GUARDIAN, Monday, July 8 2013

The Guardianâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s building materialsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; price review for the months of May- June, 2013 Materials ( Cement Blockwork 9 x 9 per one 6 x 9 per one

June 13

May 13

% DIFF

(N) 150 140

(N) 155 150

1 1

Block Work Cement per tonne (50kg) per bag Cement per tonne (50kg) 20 bags

1700 34,000

1800 35,000

0.5 2

Earthwork Gravel per tipper load Unwashed gravel per tipper Granite per tipper load Sharp sand per tipper load Soft sand per tipper load

22,000 15,500 27,000 15,000 16,000

26,000 17,000 32,000 18,000 17,000

6 2 2 1.5 1

Timber Hardwood 2 x 6 x 12 2 x 4 x 12 1 x 1 x 12

800 600 900

1000 500 750

1 0.5

Softwood 2 x 2 x 12 2 x 3 x 12

250 250

300 350

Plywood (White) 3x4x8 1x2x8 1x4x8

4,500 3,300 3,500

4,400 3,000 3,600

1 1.5 1

Panel Doors Flush door (plain) Flush door (laminated)

4,000 15,000

3,800 15,000

Roofing Corrugated iron sheet per bundle

10,000

9,500

Super Asbestos 4X8 (per piece)) 4X6 (per piece))

1600 1500

1300 1700

1 1

Nails 1 inch per bag 3 inch per bag 4 inch per bag

4,500 5,000 5,000

5,500 5,000 5,000

Glass Work 2 x 4mm (plain) 2 x 4mm (obscure) 2 1/2 x 4mm (plain) 2 1/2 x 4mm (obscure) 3 x 4mm (plain) 3 x 4mm (obscure) 3 x 5mm (plain) 3 x5 mm (obscure)

60 75 75 90 90 115 115

Aluminium Lourve Blade Unic 8 blades per piece Unic 6 blades per piece Unic 4 blades per piece

440 420 280

Paints Colour Emulsion (high) Colour Emulsion (low) White Emulsion (high) White Emulsion (low) Colour Gloss (high) Colour Gloss (low) White Texture (high) White Texture (low) Wood Coating (high) Wood Coating (low)

4,700 3,700 3,800 3,800 3,700 3,700 5,700 4,700 2,800 2,400

2,700 3,700 3,800 3,800 3,700 3,700 5,700 4,700 2,800 2,400

14,500

5,500 15,500

Sanitary Fitting Vitrous Suite with tap Twyford (W/C) with big wash hand basin Hindstan (W/C) with big wash hand basin Shower Curtain and rail 80 x 80 shower tray Stainless towel rail Ariston Water heater (80 litres) Thermacool water heater (50 litres) Ariston water heater (50 litres)

1000 3000 350 27,000 19,000 18,000

1000 3000 350 25,000 19,000 18,500

2 5

Wall Tiles Ceramic (white) 6 x 6 x 88 pieces China 20 x 20 x 16 China 25 x 40

1,100 1,100 1450

1,200 1,100 1,400

Floor Ceramic Tiles 14 x 14 (Brazil) 13 x 13 (Spain) 45 x 45 (Spain)

1,600 1,550 2,000

1,450 1,350 2,200

0.5 -

Vitrified 30 x 60 Pack 50 x 50 Pack 60 x 60 Pack

3,500 1,600 2,000

3,100 2,000 2,500

4 4 -

Marra Italy 40 X 40 glazed 40 X 40 mall 30 X 30 Aristea

3,500 3,200 1,700

Reinforcement 12mm (93 pieces) per ton 16mm (93 pieces) per ton 8mm (153 pieces) per ton 10mm (153 pieces) per ton 20mm (53 pieces) per ton

160,000 176,000 125,000 135,000 123,000

145,000 160,000 110,000 145,000 145,000

1 0.5 -

THE GUARDIAN, Monday, July 8, 2013

HOMES & PROPERTY

The 100-metre-high New Century Global Centre in Chengdu is a symbol of the spread of China's boom, 500m long and 400m wide, with 1.7 million square metres of floor space, big enough to hold 20 Sydney Opera Houses, according to local authorities. Photo: AFP

Dubai, China make history with world’s tallest twisted tower, biggest building Architecture THOUSAND kilometres A from the nearest coast, a towering glass wave rolls over the plains of Sichuan, the roof of what Chinese officials say will be the world’s largest stand alone structure. The 100-metre-high New Century Global Centre is a symbol of the spread of China’s boom, 500m long and 400m wide, with 1.7 million square metres of floor space, big enough to hold 20 Sydney Opera Houses, according to local authorities. By comparison the Pentagon in Washington - still one of the world’s largest office buildings - is barely a third of the size with a mere 600,000 sq m of floor space. In a related development, Saudi developer, Cayan inaugurated recently its 73-storey, 170 foot (310-meter) tall Cayan Tower in Dubai’s prestigious Marina district. Inspired by the structure of human DNA, each floor of the 272-million-U.S.-dollar (1 billionDirham) tower is rotated by one-point-two degrees to achieve the full 90-degree spiral, creating the shape of a helix. Dignitaries from diplomatic

In the China’s new Century Global Centre, the centre piece comes with 5,000 square metres artificial beach, including a rafting course and seafood outlets that can accommodate 6, 000 people while in Dubai’s Cayan Tower, each floor of the 272-million-U.S.-dollar (1 billionDirham) tower is rotated by one-point-two degrees corps and Corporate Dubai joined the celebrations which closed in a gigantic fireworks display across Dubai’s new tower and the Marina nightskyline. The emirate of Dubai also harbors the world’s tallest hotel, the near one-thousand-twohundred- foot (354.7-meter) tall J.W. Marriott Marquis. There’s also the world’s tallest residential tower, the Princess Tower reaching over one-thousand-three-hundred-feet (414 meters), a five-minute walk away from the twisted tower. Cayan Projects, estimated to be worth around 2.7 billion dollars (10-billion Saudi riyal) cover a wide spectrum of developments from exclusive residential to commercial projects. The Global Centre is just a few kilometres from the US consulate where the police chief of Chongqing fled to seek asylum, triggering the fall of his patron Bo Xilai and exposing the biggest scandal to rock China’s

Communist Party for years. But it represents a different side of China, where lower costs and government subsidies are still fuelling doubledigit growth in Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan province. The city of 14 million people plans to expand its subway from two lines to 10 by 2020, build a new airport and become a new Silicon Valley. The Global Centre will house offices, conference rooms, a university complex, two commercial centres, two five star hotels, an IMAX cinema, a “Mediterranean village”, a skating rink and a pirate ship, among other attractions. About 400,000 sq m will be devoted to shopping, most of the outlets high-end luxury brands. Despite Chengdu being around 1000km from the sea the complex has a marine theme, with fountains, a huge water park and an artificial beach, accented by the undu-

Developer delivers Kogi’s Confluence Beach Hotel Projects By Tosin Fodeke IVING up to its billing, a property developer, Messrs Enyser Limited has delivered a four -storey hotel building, tagged Confluence Beach Hotel, located in the Kogi State capital. The project, according to the developer, was part of its contribution towards boosting the tourism potential of the state. The 100-bedroom hotel, which is now open to guest and visitors has facilities such as a golf course, swimming pools, air conditioned rooms, parking spaces, security features, disabled facilities, restaurant and bar, conference facilities, laundry and internet services and free Wi-Fi internet access. Speaking at the handover ceremony, State's Commissioner for Culture and Tourism, Barrister Thomas Acholo, explained that the government has mapped out plans to fully exploit the state's tourism potentials, by transforming the entire landscape of the state into tourism attractions. Acholo who represented the

Kogi’s Confluence Beach Hotel state governor, Capt. Idris Ichalla Wada, added that Lokoja provides the right environment for credible investors in the hospitality business to make the best returns on tourism investment. He also revealed that the state government would soon build similar hotels in one of the islands in Lokoja in the near future. Chairman, Enyser Limited and Petrolog Group, Dr. Vincent Ebuh, lauded Kogi’s approach, which ensured that the project was not included among the statistics of abandoned projects across the country.

He added that the property has been completely modernized and upgraded to cater to the discerning needs of travelers. Ebuh said that the hotel is ideal for leisure and family travelers with its location near the best dining, and entertainment area. Earlier, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Culture and Tourism, Muni Eniola reiterated the state government’s determination to make the success of the project and expressed optimism that in the next three months, the hotel will be attracting visitors from all parts of the world.

lating roof, meant to resemble a wave. “This is an ocean city built by man,” said guide Liu Xun. “There will be 1000 rooms (in the hotel) and all will have seaside views.” The thick smog that normally blankets Chengdu risks making it a sunless sea, but visitors will not need to worry about that, she said. “We have borrowed a Japanese technique. There will be an artificial sun that will shine 24 hours a day and allow for a comfortable temperature,” Liu said. The system uses specialised lighting technology that heats as well as illuminates. The centre piece will be a 5,000 square metres artificial beach, to include a rafting course and a “seafront” promenade, complete with parasols and seafood outlets that can accommodate 6, 000 people.

Cayan Tower, known as Infinity Tower prior to its inauguration, is a 306 metres, 80 story skyscraper in Dubai, United Arab Emirates by Cayan Real Estate Investment and Development

THE GUARDIAN, Monday, July 8, 2013

THE GUARDIAn, Monday, July 8, 2013

The Environment World suffered unprecedented climate extremes, WMO Metrology HE world suffered unpreceT dented climate extremes in the decade to 2010, from heat-

Members of the Green Climate Fund, recently

Green climate fund in landmark steps to woo developing nations Climate Change By Chinedum Uwaegbulam, Assistant Housing & Environment Editor HE new multilateral fund board agreed by countries at the conference of parties (COp) 16 in Cancun, Mexico has taken some major decisions, which will drive plans to fight climate change in the developing world. The Green Climate Fund (GCF) is expected to be one of a range of funding channels to deliver on the longterm climate finance goal to mobilise US$100 billion per annum in climate finance by 2020 from a range of sources, both public and private. A 24-member board, supported by an interim secretariat, mans it. The GCF Board, equally composed of representatives of developed and developing countries, is currently establishing the systems and policies to manage its

All is set for the green climate fund to play a prominent role towards making a significant contribution to the global efforts to limit warming to two degrees Celsius by providing support to developing countries to help reduce their greenhouse gas emissions, and to adapt to the unavoidable impacts of climate change   financial flows in order to have a global impact on climate change. In it’s last meeting recently, the board made some concrete progress by calling for nominations from developing countries of national designated authorities (nDAs) or focal points that will help ensure that country ownership and a country driven approach are core operational principles of the Fund; The talks also initiated the design of interim accreditation procedures for implementing entities and intermediaries; and commenced the development of terms and criteria of grants and concessional lending to be deployed by the Fund.

The Fund’s Governing Instrument was developed throughout 2011. The Fund’s purpose is to make a significant contribution to the global efforts to limit warming to two degrees Celsius by providing support to developing countries to help limit or reduce their greenhouse gas emissions, and to adapt to the unavoidable impacts of climate change. The Board also made progress on the Fund’s dedicated private Sector Facility, which will address barriers to private sector investment in adaptation and mitigation activities, such as market failures, insufficient capacity and lack of awareness. The Facility will operate with a Risk Management

Committee, an Investment Committee and a private Sector Advisory Group. The Board also established an Independent Integrity Unit, an Independent Evaluation Unit, and an Internal Redress Mechanism to enhance accountability and monitor the Fund’s effectiveness. The Board also took further steps towards establishing its Secretariat by deciding on a model for its administrative framework and selecting Ms. Hela Cheikhrouhou, a Tunisian national, as the Fund’s first Executive Director. Ms. Cheikhrouhou is currently the Director of the Energy, Environment and Climate Change Department at the African Development Bank.

African countries pledge increased efforts to curb hazardous chemicals Chemicals EpRESEnTATIvE of 28 African R countries have proposed a roadmap aimed at jump-starting the continent toward meeting the 2020 goal of the sound management of chemicals across their lifecycles. Meeting at the headquarters of the United nations Environment programme (UnEp) in nairobi, Kenya for three days, delegates drew on the experiences of Zambia, Burkina Faso and Uganda to draft a plan to be taken back home and turned into appropriate implementing legislation to change this situation.

“The roadmap will assist African countries to accelerate the integration of sound management of chemicals into national development planning, a key component chemicals and waste financing as agreed by UnEps Governing Council earlier this year,” said Tim Kasten, Head of UnEp’s Chemicals Branch. The roadmap targets action in eight areas identified in a declaration launched in April 2012 by the Swedish Minister of Environment, Lena Ek, namely: awareness raising; access to information; health aspects; substitution; resource efficiency; chemicals in the

development agenda; capacity building; international environmental governance. “The eight years - eight actions focuses on finding new and common ways forward on how to tackle challenges and advance implementation in areas we already are committed to,” said Ms. Ek. “It is an initiative that I hope will contribute to achieving the objectives of the global Strategic Approach to International Chemicals Management (SAICM). It is also an initiative that focus on implementation and on working together to take actions to reach our common goal of sound chemicals man-

agement.” The SAICM, adopted in 2006, recognizes that developing country progress towards the goal “to ensure that, by the year 2020, chemicals are produced and used in ways that minimize significant adverse effects on the environment and human health” requires an integrated lifecycle chemical management strategy. In particular SAICM emphasizes the need for enhanced coherence, consistency and cooperation in national chemical management legal and institutional arrangements, backed by secure and predictable finances.

Green Climate Fund Board Co-Chair, Mr. Zaheer Fakir, stated: “The huge progress we have made on the Fund’s business model framework during this Board meeting moves the Fund much closer towards operationalization.” For Mr. Ewen McDonald, Green Climate Fund Board Co-Chair: “The decisions that we have taken at this meeting will help ensure that both governments and the private sector are playing a role in combating climate change.” Other Board decisions included, agreement on establishing linkages with a range of other international bodies; pathway forward for the creation of a communication strategy; agreement to enhance the transparency of Board proceedings by making available the recording of future Board meetings; and constitution of a logo selection panel to judge the outcome of the Fund’s international logo competition. The Board also welcomed the contribution of the Fund’s newly-accredited observers to its proceedings in Songdo. These observers, representing civil society, the private sector and international organizations, witnessed the Board make a series of decisions that moved the Fund closer towards its operationalization. The Board decided that the election of the Co-Chairs be scheduled for the end of its third meeting in 2013 and that the current Co-Chairs will continue their functions for the duration of that meeting.

waves in Europe and droughts in Australia to floods in pakistan, against a backdrop of global warming, a United nations report said. Every year of the decade except 2008 was among the 10 warmest since records began in the 1850s, with 2010 the hottest, according to the study by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO). The number of daily heat records far outstripped lows. It said many extremes could be explained by natural variations - freak storms and droughts have happened throughout history - but that rising emissions of man-made greenhouse gases also played a role. “Rising concentrations of heat-trapping greenhouse gases are changing our climate, with far-reaching implications for our environment and our oceans, which are absorbing both carbon dioxide and heat,” WMO SecretaryGeneral Michel Jarraud said in a statement. The study said damaging extremes included Hurricane Katrina in the United States in 2005, Cyclone nargis in Myanmar in 2008, floods in pakistan in 2010, droughts in the Amazon basin, Australia and East Africa and a retreat of Arctic sea ice. Deaths from extreme events totaled 370,000 people, up 20 percent from the 1990s, the Geneva-based WMO said, though the world population also rose sharply over the period, from 5.3 billion in 1990 to 6.9 billion in 2010. The jump in the death toll was caused mainly by a heatwave in Europe in 2003, which killed 66,000 and a heatwave in Russia in 2010 in which 55,000 people died. However, casualties from storms and droughts fell, partly because of better preparedness for disasters. The study said that 44 percent of nations recorded the highest daily maximum temperature of the past half-century in the decade 2001-10 but only 11 percent reported a new low. It also said that the decade “continued an extended period of accelerating global warming” with average decadal temperatures 0.21 degree Celsius (0.4 F) warmer than 1991-2000, which was in turn 0.14 C warmer than 19811990. Other reports have found that the rate of temperature rises has slowed this century. “Global mean surface temperatures have not increased strongly since 1998” despite rising greenhouse gas emissions, according to a draft report by the U.n.’s panel of climate scientists due for release in September. Some experts say the apparent rise from the 1990s is magnified because a volcanic eruption in the philippines in 1991 dimmed sunlight and cut temperatures.

THE ENVIRONMENT 49

THE GUARDIAN, Monday, July 8, 2013

Firm inks deal to sell 2.2m African CDM carbon offset credits

Carbon credits can be raised from CDM-backed municipal waste projects

CDM S part of efforts toward A implementing an emissionreduction project in developing countries, Ecosur Afrique has announced the signature of two forward sale agreements in West Africa with a leading European utility. The deal features a delivery of an estimated 2,200,000 carbon credits over seven years period and provides the option for an extra supply throughout the crediting period. Under the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM), defined in Article 12 of the Protocol, allows a country with an emissionreduction or emission-limitation commitment under the Kyoto Protocol (Annex B Party) to implement an emissionreduction project in developing countries. Such projects can earn saleable certified emission reduction (CER) credits, each

The transaction combines two types of carbon credits: Forward Certified Emission Reductions (CERs) eligible under the European Trading Scheme (EU ETS) and pure Gold Standard credits (GS VERs) for voluntary markets. Both carbon credit assets are generated under two Programmes of Activities (PoAs) located in Togo – a Least Developed Country (LDC) - and Ghana. equivalent to one tonne of CO2, which can be counted towards meeting Kyoto targets. Specifically, the transaction combines two types of carbon credits: Forward Certified Emission Reductions (CERs) eligible under the European Trading Scheme (EU ETS) and pure Gold Standard credits (GS VERs) for voluntary markets. Both carbon credit assets are generated under two Programmes of Activities (PoAs) located in Togo – a Least Developed Country (LDC) - and Ghana. Underlying projects aim to disseminate energy efficient prod-

ucts to help local households to reduce their daily energy consumption - and thus mitigate greenhouse gas emissions. Operations and carbon registration process have already started on ground. First carbon credits delivery is expected in Q3-Q4 2014. The overall transaction has been structured and brokered by Ecosur Afrique, one of the leading CDM consultant and carbon brokers in Sub-Saharan Africa. “Despite anaemic prices and unprecedented collapse, carbon markets are still alive offering strong upsides for whose that are able to lock in positions at current levels.

Green business will reduce operational costs, says Kassim The Environment By Tosin Fodeke LAGOS-based firm, Naturescape Consulting Limited has revealed plans to spur action among the business community towards voluntary reduction of carbon footprints, which will increase green jobs and local participation in the global carbon trading system. The move by the company will be further highlighted from tomorrow at the Green Business Fair and Conference holding between July 9-11 at the New Banquet and Exhibition Halls of National Arts Theatre, Iganmu, Lagos. “We also want to draw more attention to the economics and benefits of climate change in the areas of cost savings, wealth and job creation. So that we can also be players in the global carbon trading system which is already trading on the Stock Exchanges around the world, in Europe, Australia and the United States,” according to the Managing Director Naturescape Consulting Limited, Jumoke Kassim. She explained that that fair will focus on educating delegates on global sustainable best practices and new sus-

tainable trends with emphasis on resource management, accessing sustainable funding for acquisition of renewable energy and energy efficient products, sustainable self-management, minimizing carbon emission from business operations and lifestyle so that new sustainable standards can be set. She added that the conference will also be used to set in motion a green jobs database in the waste management sector, adding that more attention needs to be drawn to the economics and benefits of climate change in the areas of cost savings, wealth and job creation. “The prospect of saving on operational costs by as much as 25 per cent over a compliance period is a good incentive for businesses to keep up with the practice. New ‘green jobs’ will be created and we can have a database of casual jobs for vacation jobs, gap year jobs etc and enable mass recycling. “We want all participating organization to commit to separating their waste-fromsource so as to increase the level of recycling in our system so that we can create more green jobs. Recycling reduces energy use in the production chain, as the energy

Kassim required to manufacture a product from scratch, say stages one to four, will be cut from stage 2, such that only energy from stage two or three to four will be required. The firm will also be presenting its Environmental NGO; The EarthShield International Foundation – EIF, to the public, a platform through which we can be enabled to carry out some of our adaptation & mitigation intervention projects. Kassim said: ““Going green” means to pursue knowledge and practices that can lead to more environmentally friendly and ecologically responsible decisions and lifestyles, which can help protect the environment and sustain its natural resources for current and future generations.”

THE GUARDIAN, Monday, July 8, 2013

Weekly Lead Equity Ratings

Lead Capital Stock Valuation

STOCKWATCH 51

THE GUARDIAN, Monday, July 8, 2013

STOCKWATCH

Interest rates and the economy INTRODUCTION T the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) meeting of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) meeting in May, 2013, the MPC decided to maintain the current policy stance - retained the MPR at 12% with a corridor of +/- 200 basis points around the midpoint, retained the Cash Reserve Requirement at 12%, retained Liquidity Ratio at 30% with the Net Open Position at 1%. There had been pressure on the CBN to shift its policy stance since inflation has been kept at single digit since the beginning of the year. Notwithstanding the decline in the inflation rate in May, inflation expectations remain high, owing to the subsisting high fiscal spending, the recent increases in public sector wages, the possible removal of subsidy on petroleum products in the near-term. Some analysts reacted immediately after the announcement that the immediate consequence of the tightening policy would be a further increase in lending rates which have continued to distance banks from prospective borrowers.

CENTRAL BANKS Central banks all over the world are obsessed about inflation and, therefore, devote a significant amount of resources at their disposal to fight inflation. Hence, the primary objective of monetary policy is to ensure price stability. The focus on price stability derives from the overwhelming empirical evidence that it is only in the midst of price stability that sustainable growth can be achieved. Price stability does not connote constant (or unchanging) price level, but it simply means that the rate of change of the general price level is such that economic agents do not worry about it. Inflationary conditions imply that the general price level keeps increasing over time. To appreciate the need to fight inflation, it is imperative to understand the implications of frequent price increases in the system. Some of these implications include: discouragement of long term planning; reduction of savings and capital accumulation; reduction of investment; shift in the distribution of real income and consequent misallocation of resources; and creating uncertainty and distortions in the economy. To avoid any of the situations above, central banks ensure that the price level remains stable. This is achieved by implementing policies that guard against inflation. Indeed, instability in the general price level undermines the function of money as a store of value and discourages investment and growth. The interest rate can be seen as the profit over time due to financial instruments. In a loan structure whatsoever, the interest rate is the difference (in percentage) between money paid back and money got earlier, keeping into account the amount of time that elapsed. If you were given N100 and you give back N120 after a year, the interest rate you paid was 20% a year. Nominal interest rate is laid down in contracts between involved parties. Real interest rates somehow adjust the nominal ones to keep inflation into account. For instance if inflation was 15%, in the previous example the real interest rate can be said to be 20%-15% = 5%, in a simplified way of computation. There exist several nominal interest rates, depending on the following elements: • The institution offering the credit • The organization receiving the loan, which can be more or less trustworthy • The funds' use and the aims of the financed plan (consumption, investment, working capital,...) • The time length of the loan with the broad difference between short-term interest rate and long-term interest rate; • The ex-ante flexibility of the contract with the alternative between a fixed interest rate or a variable interest rate • The number, the frequency and the amounts of reimbursement actions • The conditions under which the loan is agreed, for example regarding guarantees and collateral • The presence or absence of a market for converting loan conditions and for changing the parties involved in the contract. • For instance, the fixed interest rate paid to a bank by private firms for financing an industrial investment, characterized by a payback period of 3-7 years, exerts a crucial importance in the economy. In fact, it may influence overall investment, thus the business cycle.

interbank market from other lending institutions. By contrast, for smaller industrial firms, the rate usually would be significantly higher because of the worsened credit risk. Apart from bank loans, a key interest rate in the economy is that paid on Treasury bills. Similarly, private, public and state-owned firms issue bonds as well, expressing further nominal interest rates. Both state and firm bonds can be continuously exchanged in public markets, making their effective interest rate dependent

The economy can be influenced easily by interest rates. When interest rates are high, people do not want to take loans out from the bank because it is more difficult to pay the loans back, and the number of purchases of cars and homes goes down. The opposite is also true. The effects of a lower interest rate on the economy are very beneficial for the consumer. When interest rates are low, people are more likely to take loans out of the bank in order to pay for things like houses and cars. When the market for those things gets strong, price decreases and more people can purchases these things. This also bodes well for investors, who perceive less risk in taking out a loan and investing it in something because they would have to pay less back to the bank. When people do not have to spend as much money on bank payments, they have more disposable income to put toward things they want to purchase. Suddenly, a trip to the ice cream store is not so much of a budget crunch and a weekend at the spa seems more doable. These effects, although certainly not direct, are enough to stimulate the market when interest rates are low.

on the price at which it has been bought. A bond, whose nominal price is 100 and interest rate is 5%, will in reality give a 10% yield if it is bought at a price of 50 in the public market. Households receive interests on their bank accounts; usually higher if they block money for a certain period (savings account) and lower if it is an "a vista" account (current account). Conversely, households pay an interest when taking loans for consumption purposes. The following picture summarizes most of what we said, with an arrow for each kind of interest rate: Many other interest rates could be found on the light of the fact that any negotiation can produce a specific rate. In term of comparison among their mutual relationships, in some cases it is known which rate is higher and which is lower but differences (the so-called "spread" between two rates) can widely vary over time and among countries. Changes in interest rates structure depend on reasons that are both internal and external to financial markets: • Different types of interest rate are linked and influence each others, so that the functioning of the financial markets and their international relationships explain a good deal of interest rate fluctuations. • Economic performance, perspective and expectations of potential loan receivers as well as in the overall economy play an important role. To keep things easy, we could say that interest rates are determined in negotiations, which are more or less public, binding a larger or narrower number of contrahents, more or less depending on publicly available benchmark rates. In a sentence, interest rates are set within institutional agreements. Central Bank policy is one of the most powerful factors impacting on these agreements, for example through the instrument of direct determination of official discount rate or the rate for refinancing operations. An increase of money offered in the interbank market by the central bank is conducive to a fall in the interbank rate, upon which many contracts are based. In general, an increase of interest rates may be provoked by the following factors alternatively or cumulatively:

Low interest rates are not beneficial for lenders, who are seeing less of a return on their loan than in times when interest rates are high. This means that banks may find themselves having to lower the interest rates accrued on money deposited in the bank in order to maintain a steady profit. However, interest rates do not really have an effect on how much people save, because an increased amount of disposable income means that they are more likely to spend it than to save it. When interest rates increase, though, foreign investment can increase because people outside of the country want a larger return for their investment and they are more likely to get it in a state of high interest rates. This causes more demand for the dollar, driving up its value in the international market. The opposite happens, though, when the interest rates are decreased. Although much of it is contained within consumers' perception of the economy and their income, interest rates can drive up consumer spending, investment and the amount of loans people take out of the bank. Or they can increase foreign investment. The traditional effects on an increase of interest rates are, among others, the following: • A fall in stock exchange and in the value of other assets (as houses) • A fall in profitability of firms; • A fall in private investment; • A fall in consumption credit; • An inflow of foreign capital for buying bonds; • An upward pressure on exchange rate; • Larger public expenditure to pay for a previously cumulated public debt, whose burden might lead to reduction in other chapters in public expenditure; A narrower disposable income for households having a large debt taken at variable rates; • A larger disposable income for households that have lent to others at variable rates (e.g. they own government bonds with variable rates); • A redistribution of income from debtors to lenders (in the part of debt that has variable rates).

• An anti-inflationary policy of the central bank, based on restrictions to the growth of the nominal money supply and on rising discount interest rate; • A policy by the central bank aimed at revaluating the currency or defending it from devaluation, The attempt of the Treasure of covering public deficit by issuing more bonds in an unwilling market, • An attempt of banks of widening their margins, possibly as a reaction to losses, any increase in other interest rates, also foreign rates arisen for whatsoever reason.

If the rate is kept higher for a longer period of time, also newly agreed fixed rate instruments will adjust up. Still, the general environment in which the rise takes place is crucial, since such effects can be completely absorbed by other (more powerful) forces. Similarly, a non-linear relationship could be worth considering between the size of rate increase and the differentiated effects on real and financial markets. In fact, a small change in the official discount rate might arguably have no real effect at all, while triggering substantial echoes on financial markets. By contrast, a large and abrupt increase in general interest rates can have devastating effects on crucial real variables, exerting a depressing pressure on GDP and the economy at large.

By contrast, a fall in interest rates may be justified especially by the following reasons: • An expansionary policy of the central bank, • The requests of industrialists and trade unions for cheaper money in front of a crisis, • A loose monetary policy due to a commitment to a fast If the firm is a sound primary firm with excellent trustworthi- export-led growth; ness, the bank would agree an interest rate only slightly higher • The end of an inflationary phase; than the rate the same bank would be requested to pay in the • The relaxation of the need for defending the exchange rate, for example thanks to a new monetary

In conclusion, it is important to note that the transmission mechanism of monetary policy means the ways in which changes in interest rates affect the spending and savings decisions of millions of households and thousands of businesses throughout the economy. The impact of rate changes can be quite complex and there are inevitable time lags between the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN),announcing a change in interest rates and it having an effect on demand, output and (finally) inflation.

As the typical lending institution, the bank finances its credit activity in several ways: • By collecting money from households deposits (and pay to them an interest rate on deposits), • By issuing its own obligations, characterized by a bonds interest rate, • By taking short-term loans from other banks, paying the interbank interest rate, • By borrowing money from the central bank, which requires an interest rate for refinancing operations?

THE GUARDIAN, Monday, July 8, 2013

BusinessInterview We are not giving up on Ajaokuta

Sada

With the drumbeats of economic diversification becoming louder by the day, Minister of Mines and Steel Development (MMSD), Musa Sada spoke with the Abuja Bureau Chief, MADU ONUORAH and LILIAN CHUKWU, on the future of Ajaokuta Steel Company in particular and the nation’s mining sector in general. Excerpts. HAT is the state of the Ajaokuta Steel W Company and where do we go from here? For the Ajaokuta Steel Company, even though there were arbitrations going on, there were issues we were very busy addressing. These were not in place before. You know, infrastructure is very critical for Ajaokuta to work. You must have the raw materials necessary for steel production. You must have the linkages in terms of road construction from those locations where Ajaokuta is. There are also of course the economics of production. You don’t expect to just put money and it will start working. You are going to produce a product and put that product in the market to compete with other products. And you must develop it. So, you must get the economics of production correct. We are addressing the issues of infrastructure and raw materials as these will entice investors. Of course, we will not advise government to go in and produce steel because it will never succeed. It has never succeeded in even more advanced countries. Steel production is a private sector affair. So,

what we are looking out for is to get a competent partner that can run the place. But such a competent partner can only come if the incentives are there. He will not come and start spending money to build infrastructure. He will not come to start spending money to look for minerals raw material for steel production. These are the issues we must have to solve and we have been working on these issues even with the arbitration was going on. The other areas we are working on are the machineries and installations. All machines have the tendency to run into obsolescence. And to avoid this, you must do something

here and there, some of them on daily basis. What people don’t know is that just to maintain the assets of Ajaokuta Steel, you must work every day. There are installations that are three, four floors below ground level and Ajaokuta is not far from the water side. So, you can imagine the situation especially as we have pumps running to remove water in those locations almost on a daily basis. And people must work there daily otherwise we will continue to shout about Ajaokuta and by the time we are free to start something on it, we would have no asset to rely on. So, we must maintain them and one of the best ways you can maintain a asset is by getting it running. And what we try to do is to see that those areas that are completely down can be run and we try to run them on a zero budget. What do we do? We own this project. Even with the arbitration going on, it didn’t stop us from running it because it is our property. So, what we do is to get a third party and sign a Memorandum of

Steel production is a private sector affair. So, what we are looking out for is to get a competent partner that can run the place. But such a competent partner can only come if the incentives are there. He will not come and start spending money to build infrastructures. He will not come to start spending money to look for minerals raw materials for steel production. These are the issues we must have to solve and we have been working on these issues even with the arbitration was going on.

understanding (MoU) and say ‘come and run this particular project’. These are the arrangements we have. And we have about six of such MoUs now currently going on there to add value. Does it make economic sense to keep the staff on ground with no production going on? Yes. This is because of the other area we are trying to keep intact, which is skill. There have been these hues and cries about people being paid when they are not working. But if you get rid of those people, you can hardly replace them. So, to ensure we have the manpower to run Ajaokuta Steel Company when they are fully operational, the ones that are relevant are the ones that we engaged in to make sure they maintain the assets. There are those, quite a number, who find their way to go and work in other privately owned steel facilities that are running. Recently, when the Kogi State Governor visited the complex, people were working there. But because what is ultimate in our mind is to produce liquid steel, we don’t want to say we have succeeded in doing anything until we get ourselves to a point where we produce liquid steel because that is the backbone of everything. And in trying to do this, you cannot divorce Ajaokuta from Nigerian Mining Corporation (NIMCO) because it is an integrated plant. That is where you get the raw materials. If you go to NIMCO now, we are rehabilitating it. In fact, the first line we have rehabilitated is almost 97 per cent completed. You cannot think of working there unless you have something coming out of it. It is a long-term plan. And I must tell you that one of the major problems is that apart from those glitches in the initial planning, there has been a long period of neglect. So, if you want to start now, there are quite a number of things you must have to put right. Thank God we got the arbitration now almost concluded. But even as at now, we have three very serious investors that are willing to discuss with us. In fact, I have had series of meetings with these investors. The interest is there but you know that in business, nobody wants to come in with legal issues hanging around. They think that whatever you do, the courts and arbitration will reverse it. I think we are in the right direction and we are likely to get it right this time when we get it going. We will not have the problems because before what normally happens is that somebody will come and look at it and say: “this is what it is. But if you allow me I will take it.” You say take it. And we don’t take time to really look at what it is to ask, “where do we want to go?” And the whole concept of privatisation that we are pursuing is to either privatise through concession or sale in order to get the facilities to work. It is not to take it away from the government as a responsibility. These are some of the things that are giving us hope that we will get Ajaokuta back to its proper functioning status because of that simple philosophy that the government is now taking. Before, government doesn’t want to budget money onthat issue. They want to give it to you so it becomes your own responsibilities to run it because government doesn’t want to spend money on it. But this is not the concept now. The concept now is that they want it to work and add value to the economy of the country. And I think that is a very strong decision that can turn the table in favour of Ajaokuta Steel Company being more positive contributor to the economy. You are painting a very rosy scenario. What timeline do we have for actualising this? When you talk of timeline, you are still expecting somebody to say the government is going to release a programme that government is going to run it. But government has no intention of going back to directly operate Ajaokuta as an enterprise. Government is only interested in finding a capable partner that will take over the programme.

THE GUARDIAN, Monday, July 8, 2013

Steel Company, says Sada But even as at now, we have three very serious investors that are willing to discuss with us. In fact, I have had series of meetings with these investors. The interest is there but you know that in business, nobody wants to come in with legal issues hanging around. They think that whatever you do, the courts and arbitration will reverse it. And funding is the critical aspect of it. If you are not the one to put in the money on it, then you cannot put a time frame. We have no constraints on time. We have due diligence, the studies, the concerns, rules and checks come from the private investors who are coming to us. But one thing that we want to make sure about is how competent the investor would be. All the three groups that have shown interest actually are recognised companies in terms of steel production in the world. They are not unknown. Our hope is to start it immediately. We are not going to waste any time to start the discussions. And we will not bring any snag that will slow it down. If an investor really wants it tomorrow and he can convince us that he can run it properly and profitably, we would be willing to hand it over. What we have from most of them are presentations. One of the areas we are concerned about is technology. We need to upgrade it. When it (Ajaokuta company) was built, it was on analogue basis. And one of the things we were convinced about is that most of the machines there can be digitalised to operate in more modern ways. One thing we did is to catch the time frame within which somebody can do his diligence and distribute a technical audit. Even while the arbitration was going on, we commissioned an expert to do an audit. So, if an investor comes, maybe what he needs to do is to review our audit and not to go and start from the scratch. That is also part of time saving measures. But still some believe it is uneconomical to continue to pay those not producing steel at Ajaokuta Steel? Yes, some may feel that way. But if you ask every worker there to go and now you want to operate it, how do you go about bringing the skills and knowledge that will run the place back? That is what I am telling you. If you go there, you find out that these people are not just sitting down doing nothing. This is the misunderstanding that is out there. There are machines there you can’t switch off. If you switch them off, then you are in trouble. They must have to be running. You need to go there. Government is not budgeting a single kobo to maintain Ajaokuta steel. You need to go there and see what is really happening.

Sada

It is not a dormant place. If you leave it dormant for a week, you will have no asset to talk about. It is a highly complex integrated place. Look, some of the facilities are three, four plots down and not less than 100 meters away of the water level. You can now imagine why you have pumps running almost 24hrs to remove water. The design to put those things there actually is for the water to cool certain parts of the machine. So, you have the water sipping in to cool and then it is being taken out so that it doesn’t go beyond a certain level. It’s not a mistake but part of the design. Even if you are not producing, you must continue with that particular operation. And there are certain machines there that you cannot stop their operation. And if you do stop them for a period of time, you have to remove and replace them. So, they must be moving. But if it is in production mode, it moves fast. If it is in the idle mode, it must be moving, though slowly. Unfortunately, all the metal production facilities are like that. It is the same thing that we are having in the Aluminium Smelter Company of Nigeria in Akwa Ibom State. You can’t switch the plant off. They must be powered and be moving slowly, whether you are producing aluminium or not. This is the design. This is the technology for metal production. So, the people are not just there idle and doing nothing. It is ridiculous to keep people just sitting, doing nothing for that length of time. But they are also there doing one thing or the other. Otherwise, if would really be ridiculous to shut the place and lock it up until when you are ready. On illegal mining in Zamfara State and subsequent deaths because of lead poisoning, what efforts are in place by your ministry on sensitisation and awareness to avoid re-occurrence? Look, 98 per cent of people in Zamfara or in those places where the lead poisoning took place speak only Hausa. They don’t speak English. From the moment it started till now, there have been constant programmes in the language they can understand to educate them. This is part of the reasons that if you go there now, there are no new cases of lead poisoning. The issue of Zamfara is a pure case of poverty and want. People are doing what they should not be doing. Nobody ever heard of mining where you carry sacks and bring them back to your houses. That was what was happening. People were not doing the right thing. From Gusau, the State capital to the place where the lead poisoning took place is less than 150 kilometres. But when we travelled there, it took us a whole day. Time without number, if you ask the police to go there, but because of the road network, it takes a whole day to get there and come back. So, what was happening there was that people were getting certain benefits at very high risk. I was there three times. We had a town hall meeting with the people. We tried to educate them about the dangers of their mining practices as they will bring them (solid minerals) into their houses, reduce them into powders and then go and wash them at the stream. After a lengthy discussion, somebody from the crowd just got up and said: “look, something has to kill somebody. And I don’t want to be killed by hunger.” What we tried to do was to say, look let us take up this issue in such a way that they can do it without harming themselves. We had to go all the way to South Africa to get the technology that they can use without harming themselves. The major problem is that what the locals were using was this grinding machine, which you use in grinding dry corn. Some of them will install them inside their own houses and you know that if you are grinding corn, the dust gets out. You can now imagine the dust that would now come out when you are grinding ordinary ore, or laterite that have some ore in it. But I can now tell you that all remediation in

Sada respect of the lead poisoning has been completed. We are on ground teaching them how to do these things in a wet form so that we don’t have the dusts. We have a whole programme on safer mining activities. The issue is that it is more important to convince them. We have two (radio) programmes every week that is nationwide. In the Zamfara radio station, it is everyday (in the local languages). But it seems that the safer mining initiative is encouraging illegal mining even in Ebonyi State? All the miners in Ebonyi State are not illegal. That is the mistake most people make. Some of them are part of a cooperative group. We have been working to move them from where they were. Lead is causing the problem in Ebonyi State. What we have in Ebonyi are lead mines. Ebonyi people are more aware of the risks involved in mining. That is why they are not getting affected by the lead. But the Zamfara miners have been mining gold ore tainted with lead. Because of the level of education of the Ebonyi people, they are not getting affected by the lead poison. Ebonyi people have better understanding on how to handle this thing. It is not all of them that are illegal miners. We have not have not had a single case of lead poisoning in Ebonyi. These are the differences. The Federal Ministry of Environment is working on the remediation in Zamfara and elsewhere. We are working on the safer mining issues. Actually the problem is that the measures we

The issue of Zamfara is a pure case of poverty and want. People are doing what they should not be doing. Nobody ever heard of mining where you carry sacks and bring them back to your houses. That was what was happening. People were not doing the right thing.

are taking are in-depth and new. In some of the crisis areas, we are building extension service offices to work daily. The Ministry of Health and the Centre for Disease Control has already opened a unit in the Federal Medical Centre in Zamfara State. So, it’s a coordinated inter-ministerial action that we have taken. The last report we got from Doctors Without Borders is that the rate of infection have dropped to three per cent. Unfortunately, treatment for lead poisoning is very expensive. The mining sector is supposed to help lead Nigeria away from dependence on oil and gas. And during the President’s visit to Australia for the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in 2011, scores of investors expressed interest in our mining sector. Why haven’t they come? It’s good you mentioned the interests shown during the 2011 CHOGM. I will tell you why I believe we in the right track. At CHOGM, there was a mining company that showed interest at that time. That same company is currently at the Australian stock exchange declaring half a billion metric tonnes of iron ore. Already, we are discussing with them on how they will build the rail line that will service their (haulage) to the port that they will use in evacuating the products. And they have acquired enough land for their processing plants. We have good geology. What we need to do is to continue to fine-tune the business environment of the country. The security situation did affect the mining sector investment drive because mining is not done in the cities. One of the best quality iron ore location in the country is in Yobe State. But who will go there? But we believe these (challenges) are temporary. In Congo, rockets are flying over the heads of the mining investors but they are still there. As a government, we must continue to clean up the process. The sector gets support from the World Bank. If we maintain our level of transparency and try as much as possible to eliminate corruption by removing discretional decisions, then snags will be reduced in the sector.

InsideTax

THE GUARDIAN, Monday, July 8, 2013

NigeriaCapitalMarket NSE Daily Summary (Equities) as at Friday PRICE LIST OF SYMBOLS TRADED FOR 05/07/2013

THE GUARDIAN, Monday, July 8, 2013

66 CAPITAL MARKET

NSE Daily Summary (Equities) as at 05/07/2013

PRICE GAINERS

LOSERS

NSE seals pact with vendors on data redistribution By Helen Oji S part of its efforts to transform the nation’s bourse in terms of data redistribution, the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) has entered into agreement with 12 market data vendors to create a joint index, even as it has made it mandatory for all distributors of its market data to sign agreement with the Exchange. The Chief Executive Officer of the exchange, Oscar Onyema, who stated this at the NSE market data interactive forum in Lagos at the weekend explained that with this option, both parties would be responsible for the cost of developing the index. The NSE boss, who revealed that the Exchange had so far expended $10 million to replace its current trading engine before the end of the

third quarter of the year, added that after the development, the full cost would be deducted from the revenue with the additional income split between both parties. “What we are trying to do is to provide structure and standardise the redistribution of data so that investors that want to use the data will know exactly what they are getting, when they are going to get it and the quality of what they are getting. $25,000 and N1.2 million for international and local vendors respectively for the charges and we have tailored it in such a way that it’s actually cheaper for the local vendors. If you redistribute the data, without licence or permission, you are violating our rules, there are two agreements to be signed for dealing member to redistribute the price list for free,” he said. He explained that the NSE

had recently contracted an American company, Jordan & Jordan to benchmark the Exchange with other markets on the continent and around the globe.

He stated that the outcome was that NSE has come up with an ideal method of providing market data in a very professional manner. “We have been able to make

our market data stronger since we engaged FSID, and we have rolled out 30 market data products which we have been able to deliver through different platform. And we

have signed about 12 market data vendors as opposed to two we had when we took over from EDS. The market data is now more accessible than before.”

Sterling Bank to achieve growth plan with additional capital TERLING Bank will use the Srights net proceeds of its ongoing issue to upscale its growth and strengthen the bank’s operations for continuous improved benefits to all stakeholders, its Managing Director, Yemi Adeola, has said. Speaking at the weekend with newsmen, the Sterling Bank boss said that the additional capital would be used to fund the bank’s growth plan including expansion and modernisation of branch network and information technology. The

funds would also be used to support the bank’s growing retail and corporate banking businesses. Sterling Bank is raising N12.5 billion through a rights issue of about 5.889 billion ordinary shares of 50 kobo each at N2.12 per share. The lender had traded at a high of N3.05 at the stock market. The shares have been pre-allotted on the basis of three new ordinary shares of 50 kobo each for every eight ordinary shares of 50 kobo each held as at May 20, 2013. Application

list, which opened on June 24, 2013, will run till July 31, 2013. The rights circular indicated that the net proceeds of the rights issue, estimated at N12.13 billion, would be used mainly to finance branch expansion and increase working capital. A detailed breakdown of utilisation of net proceeds, 35 per cent of the net proceeds, estimated at N4.24 billion, would be used for branch expansion; 15 per cent of the funds estimated at N1.82 billion would be used for infrastructure upgrade, 10 per cent of the

funds equivalent to N1.21 billion would be used for information technology and the largest chunk of 40 per cent, estimated at N4.85 billion, would be set aside as additional working capital. Adeola explained further that the ongoing rights issue and other capital raising exercises were meant to support the bank’s next growth agenda, which is aimed at consolidating its stable performance over the years and enhance its competitiveness in terms of size and resilience to macro-

THE GUARDIAN, Monday, July 8, 2013

Opinion Multimedia and northern Nigerian literature (1) By Matthew Kukah HAVE reflected on the theme of this summit, Imust Multimedia and Northern Nigerian Literature. I confess that the terms, Northern Nigeria and Literature are wrapped in ambiguity and controversy. We continue to use the word, Northern Nigeria despite the creation of 19 independent states out of this former region. As if in defiance, despite the creation of the 36 states and six zones in Nigeria, these states still continue to hold together and define themselves as Northern states. Whereas we have meetings of the Governors and Traditional Rulers of the South West, South-East and South-South, we have not heard of a meeting of the Governors or Traditional rulers of North-East, North-West or North Central States. The apparent reason is to demonstrate that the north is still an unbroken bond of unity. No one seems to be able to point at a cultural or an ideological thread holding these diverse peoples with different cultures, languages together to qualify as a united entity. This same conceptual confusion also explains the difficulty of asking the question, What is Northern literature? What does Northern Nigerian literature mean and what should it look like? Is it in the Poetry, Songs, Dances, or Writings of peoples of the north speaking about themselves in Northern Nigeria, or the writings of peoples from the areas speaking about Northern Nigeria? Has any attempt been made to identify authors, collect and collate these writings? What medium of communication can be referred to as Northern literature? My sense is that in many respects, we are at the realm of speculation and some kind of tentativeness. This confusion has not been helped by the fact that there really has not been what one might call a movement, a deliberate effort by the northerners either in the academia or government to project this subject. The reasons of course are tied to the conceptual confusion that I have mentioned and the cultural arrogance that apparently has a narrow definition of what that North means. Perhaps, there are two levels at which we can

speak about northern literature. First, we might point at the works of a first generation of northerner writers. To that extent, what we might call, Hausa language literature, previously written mostly in Arabic script, got a big fillip from 1930 with the establsihemnt of the Literature Bureau in Zaria by the Department of Education of Northern Nigeria. It encouraged and sponsored the churning out of Hausa literature in Roman script. The biggest boost came in 1933 when the bureau organised a competition at which five budding writers made important entries. These were 1] Ruwan Bagaja by Abubakar Imam 2] Shaihu Omar by Abubakar Tafawa Balewa 3] Jiki Magayi by John Tafida and Rupert East 4] Gandoki by Muhammadu Bello Kagara, Imam’s elder brother and 5] Idon Matambayi, by Muhammadu Gwarzo. Imam’s entry won the competition and he was subsequently taken away from his teaching job and made a staff member of the Bureau. Over the next three decades, he became the greatest icon of Hausa literature with such books as the three volume Magana Jari Ce [Talking is an Asset], Mungo Park Mabudin Kwara [Mungo Park, Discoverer of River Niger], Tarihin Annabi [History of the Holy Prophet], Tafiya Mabudin Ilmi [Travel is Key to Education, an account of his war-time trip to Britain in 1944]. Other great books of the period include the primary school primers Ka koyi Karatu [Learn how to read], Ka ara Karatu [Kontinue Reading], Kayi ta Karatu [Keep on Reading], Karamin sami Kukumi Ne [Little knowledge is Dangerous] and Dare Dubu da Daya [A Thousand and one Nights, a translation and adaptation of Arabian nights]. There was also the anti colonial literature which would include the works of people like Aminu Kano, Mudi Sipikin, Sa’ad Zungur etc. Next in line have been the composers and singers such as the late Mallam Mamman Shata and Alhaji Dan Maraya who have covered a lot of themes, political and social. Since the dominant definition of the north has assumed the supremacy of both Islam and Hausa-Fulani culture, the result is that written material or oral

literature from other communities have never been able to gain access into the genre of what we might call Northern literature. Another generation of writers like the late Dr. Ibrahim Tahir, Professor Zaynab Alkali, Mallam Abubakar Gimba would constitute what one might loosely refer to as the third generation of writers. These writers have taken their themes from the Muslim culture and the focus is to explore and highlight aspects of the cultural universe of Islam. Dr. Ibrahim Tahir’s, The Last Imam, Zaynab Alkali’s, The Stillborn, Mallam Abubakar Gimba’s Trail of Tears are largely set in northern Nigeria under an Islamic milieu. Northern literature is clearly in decline because it has not been able to keep pace with modernization due to too many cultural restraints which have come to be seen as religion. The result is that there are generational problems in terms of transmission, appreciation of northern musical expressions. For example, Leadership newspaper ran a story on Shata and Dan Maraya and it was interesting to note the way the new generation sees or appreciates them. In a reaction to the issues of how traditional music and folklore are keeping abreast of the times, one Musa Abdullahi had this to say: We are upgrading from the past to the present. You don’t expect me to listen to a song that doesn’t add to my life. Though I love the folklores, but we love our contemporary artists because they are the ones we know. You don’t expect me to be looking for Shata when Sani Danji is a stone throw. One Halima Sale says because she was brought up in Lagos, I seldom listen to those songs as a northerner because of my upbringing…Where can I get those songs when I can’t see them on line? The ones we know as Sani Danja, Ali Nuhu and it is because they have decided to upgrade. If they want people to know them around the world, their songs must be well publicized on the internet because that is what younger generations are used to now. One Sani said: We in the north respect Mamman Shata and Dan Kwairo and Dan Maraya…If you understand what they are saying, it is the reality. You cannot compare Sani Danja, Ali Nuhu or any other contemporary artists in the north with these men because their style of music is different.

What is important here is that perhaps institutions of higher learning, government and others who speak so much about the north have had no coherent plan to help define and refine its talents, art and literature. Clearly, it would have been sensible for governments and institutions of learning to make an attempt at even identifying such cultural expressions as the songs, dances, folklores, narrations and so on of the various communities that make up the states. Sadly, most governors have no idea of the various ethnic groups within their domain. The question to ask now is, in this age of globalization and the emergence of multi media, where does Northern literature fit in? Indeed, we might pose another question as to why the north remains so backward in the area of literature and what steps are being taken to bridge this gap. Sadly, as we noted, even the foundation and hope for the emergence of a northern literature genre laid by the colonial government in the 30s has come to naught. There are many reasons for this. First is the illusion that northern literature is seen as Hausa, Fulani or Muslim culture and as such, the successive elite has done nothing to explore other cultural narratives and expressions. Secondly, is the idea that because North is perceived in this narrow and selfish manner, all key federal media outlets such as the Nigerian Television Authority, Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria, print media outlets of the New Nigerian Newspapers have been seen as the monopoly of the northern Muslim elite. This of course has denied the expansion of the view and visions for a northern literature based on the attempt at pulling together the various forms of non Muslim and non Hausa expressions of literature, folklores and songs. • To be continued • Reverend father Kukah, the Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, delivered this as keynote address at the Conference on Multi-media and Northern Nigerian Literature at Presidential Lodge, Birnin Kebbi, Kebbi State on Monday, June 17, 2013.

The trial of Rotimih Judas By Emma Okocha ...The Harcourt Port Boys music rent the expectant air as the officers and men of the Combat Regiment constituted the Court marshal.... Present are the G.SO, Col. Tongue Cutter, Biko Haram, Major Olakampo Olakankita, Major 419 Utueke, Sergeant Okon Bassey, already seated in full General regalia are General One Leg Atamuna, the Prince from Igalla land and the General Officer Commanding.... Trudging into the Court marshal is the embattled Sheriff of the Blue Water State, flagged in by a mammoth crowd of Ogbako Ikwerre zealots, brandishing gleaning white handkerchiefs and dancing to the rhythm of Port Harcourt Boys. EN. One Leg Atamuna: Officers and men of G the Combat Regiment, the Court marshal is constituted and the Casefile No 36G. Sheriff Rotmih Judas Vs The Governors of Rome is hereby called up for trial. As in our tradition, the Verdict of this Court marshall is final, no Appeals and no Attorneys. G.S.O proceed! Tongue Cutter Biko Haram: That the Accused, Rotimih Judas, Sheriff of the Blue Water State, stole the Mandate of the Governors of Rome, Rotimih Judas in the light of the insecurity climate befogging our nation surreptitiously broke away from the Africa’s largest party, thereby destabilizing the polity; R.J. operates an illegally purchased plane, flying the plane with 419 licences. That plane is fitted with Satellites and intelligence gadgets. He has abandoned his duties and constantly spotted in the Nigeria air perimeters taking photographs of security locations and transmitting same to our enemies. Finally, that R.J. with all audacity, went toe to toe against the first Lioness of the Tribe of the Breast and Beasts. He drew the first blood when he sacked the Dame’s protégé in her Okrikaja backyard…

Major 419 Utueke: First of all, please, Col Tongue Cutter, you don’t call my name, 419, in this case. This Court marshal is a Military Court. Rotimih Judas Vs the trifling Governors of Rome is a Civilian distraction. The case is away from our jurisdiction. Major Olakampo Olakankita: Even if it merits our hearing Sir, I am a Harvard trained Attorney. My training and fees paid for by the army. I cannot legitimize this panel or entertain a Kangaroo court in the name of a Court marshal. The panel must ensure that Rotimih Judas’s rights are not violated and his rights to a fair trial under the law, as inscribed in the Constitution, can only be guaranteed if he is defended and offered the services of a lawyer. Sergeant Okon Bassy, Lawyers! Judiciary, Constitution my foot!!! All of them in this country are Judases. That Sheriff from my Sahara South region is Judas, pure and simple. For 25 years, I have been marking time as Sergeant, when those Sahara Generals were in charge. Today the army is progressing. Officers and the NCO are promoted on merit and on the exams result. Nahim.. this Rotimih Judas carry trouble come to dambru our turn. This Court marshal must carry on! Col. T.C. Biko Haram: Sir, a call like last week, from the same hospital in Germany from the office of the First Lioness.... “General One leg, Atamuna, this is the First Dame. The suspect is a dangerous ingrate and an enemy of my fellow widows, the Ashiticture of the bad belly between the Governors of Rome and my fellow widows. I want him castrated. 419 Utueke: Chineke God! This Dame again. On behalf of her fellow widows she demanded for Ikemba and Agaba Achebe man hoods. Now she wants Rotimih Judase’s jolly papa cut in pieces! Those are the parts I sell in Onitsha market. Col T.C. Biko Haram: Between Igrita to Abonema,

Sir, I submit that the battle line is drawn. The G.O.C: Submissions accepted. Major Olakankita you may stand in for the accused as the Amicus Curie.. a friend of the Court. The Court marshal will not tolerate further distraction. Major, as the Amicus Curie you may address the Court marshal for your Closing Arguments. Major Olakampo Olakankita returns to the Court marshal wheeling in like Rotimi Williams, packs of fat volumes of law books and distributing to the panel his lead Address titled, HISTORY WILL REMEMBER, ROTIMIH JUDAS Okon Bassey: The Judases are coming . They will confuse this matter. Major Olakampo Olakankita: (on his feet) History will remember Rotimih Judas. History will remember the Combat Regiment as the Revolutionary unit that opened the theatre to allow the vegetation of the new actors. As we approach the verdict of this moment, let history document that at this time of the monumental collusion between the Retrogrades and the Change Agents, the revolutionary Combat Regiment went with the side of the impending waves. Rotimih Judas came from a humble beginning, and like all true Harcourt Port boys, galloped to the mountain top, without shoes. Endowed with an unusual supremacy of the mind, his guiding light, his final arbiter, his Chief Justice is the all- absorbing concern for the truth and the total development of his people through Education. I prevail on this panel to move on the side of History, the Truth and pronounce Rotimih Judas the Ataturk of Nigeria. The Sheriff, whose educational programme, deluged the Primary and Secondary system of his state. On the stolen Mandate of the Governors of Rome, I present as exhibit 1,2,3 the film of the voting exercise, the signed results by the Agent Governors, and the signed results by the Board Director, and also its head of the Governors of

Rome INEC. All point to a landslide by Rotimih Judas. Officers and men of the Combat Regiment before the docile, always praying Nigerian people, Chief Abiola won an Election. In the struggle to establish his Mandate, you watched helplessly and the man was poisoned to death. Yesterday it was Abiola. Today it is Rotimih Judas. Tomorrow it maybe you or your children. The accusations against my client are therefore, the rantings of drowning Retrogrades, whose time and iniquities are catching up with them. Rotimih Judas, I submit has no Case to answer. The G.O.C: History is the record of monumental events and the extra ordinary activities of equally extraordinary individuals who in Public offices or out of the Corridors impacted on their Times, their Communities, State and the World. Your Excellency, I respect your courage and salute your Spinal cord. The charge against your patriotism, I find infantile. Your election as the Chairman of the Governors of Rome, am afraid is beyond your mission. Your brief and those of your colleagues is to stick 24 hours a day at home and govern your states. Simplicita. Please return the Plane to the manufacturers and if it is important acquire a speed boat. You have no business flying to Abuja every minute, and all over the country, siren beating the streets, attending Burials, Weddings and celebrating your office and the mundane. Remember to send a fresh bill cancelling all those outrageous retirement Perks of more houses and cars allocated to you and the rest of the feeding Parasites in your Cabinet and in that jejune House of Assembly. It is not too late to log 16 hours a day and move your Blue Water State to your dream stage of development.... the ‘‘Dubai on the Atlantic”. General Atamuna, Dismiss the Court Marshall. • Okocha wrote from Lagos.

THE GUARDIAN, Monday, July 8, 2013

Opinion Commandments to the homosexual lobby By Paul Kokoski HE Bible tells us that Satan has the ability to “appear as an angel of light”. Nowhere is this more evident than in the radical attempt to promote homosexuality in society today as something good. For the purpose of deceiving Mankind and destroying souls, Satan has thus given the homosexual lobby the following 10 commandments. • Always see your sexual opponent (anyone who rejects homosexual acts) as the enemy. Project what they see as your sexual disorder onto them by repetitiously calling them “homophobes”; • Separate the act of sex from its natural purpose of procreation by referring to all homosexual relationships as expressions of “love” rather than “lust”; • Fight to deny those who oppose homosexual acts their right to free of speech. At the same time enforce your own right to free speech on others by copiously using the liberal media and other outlets to label your opponents every unsavoury thing from “bigot” to “idiot”. Use the words “equality” and “hate” often and unrelentingly as if only you - the homosexual - understand their meaning. If anyone objects, accuse them of discrimination. Keep in mind that politicians and judges are your friends. Many of them are openly practising homosexuals and the rest, swayed by power and the almighty dollar, will do anything for your vote. Remember, too, that in today’s politically correct and morally relativistic society there is no objective moral order and that it often takes only one civil judge to side in your favour for you to achieve your ends; • Use the “race card” unceasingly against your enemy by equating homosexual behaviour (which can change) with a person’s colour (which, by one’s will alone, cannot). Most people don’t know the difference; • Build yourself up in the eyes of the indifferent masses - who are mere sheep - by claiming to be a modern person of toler-

ance and peace - one who is accepting of all. The people will believe you because in today’s materialistic word people are focused primarily on themselves and their own gain. They have little or no concern for what others do as long as it does not effect them. Ridicule and undermine the intelligence of your more worthy opponents by resorting to ambiguity and sarcasm. Never resist a chance to claim that they are living in the “Dark Ages”; • Act and speak as if homosexuals have a corner on the truth and that they alone - not their opponents - can demand of society what is right and wrong. Use every form of deceit imaginable including the use of straw man arguments and false scientific studies - anything that will appeal to the simpleton. Lie, deceive, put on a false front. Pretend you are a friend. Talk of peace and brotherhood. Make pledges of co-operation and mutual assistance. In short, destroy your opponent with a kiss; • Confuse the distinction between “hating the sin” and “loving the sinner”. This is an absolute must since everyone - especially parents - know the time-honoured value of disciple and “tough love”. This can be effectively achieved by introducing special “anti-bullying” laws into schools that aim at protecting homosexuals from the enemy. If you find that someone suspects your true motives and resists on the grounds that homosexuals should not be given special status in this regard or that such laws are merely an attempt to normalize homosexuality in society, use both the “equality” and the “separation of church and state” card against them; • Never lose sight of the fact that God is your ultimate enemy. Attack God and all religion as something oppressive, hypocritical and evil. This is easily done by taking biblical quotes out of context to suite your own purpose and meaning. At the same time avoid all talk of the murderous regimes of atheists like Hitler and Stalin; • Assure everyone that no religion will be made to suffer from societies’ acceptance of homosexuality. Speak always and often

Build yourself up in the eyes of the indifferent masses - who are mere sheep - by claiming to be a modern person of tolerance and peace - one who is accepting of all. The people will believe you because in today’s materialistic word people are focused primarily on themselves and their own gain. They have little or no concern for what others do as long as it does not effect them. Ridicule and undermine the intelligence of your more worthy opponents by resorting to ambiguity and sarcasm. Never resist a chance to claim that they are living in the “Dark Ages of equality and co-existence. Claim, as a sham, snare, and illusion, that tradition marriage and homosexual marriage can live side-by-side in complete harmony. Dismiss as silly and unviable any attempt to show that the “Pill” - which was introduced to separate and tear asunder the act of sex from the gift of life - has led to the disintegrated of the family. At the same time, and wherever possible, work diligently behind the scenes to drag your religious opponent into court whenever his moral values even begin to clash with yours. Test and try every court until you find a judge who is your friend. Especially work on religious adoption agencies and church ministers who lecture on the evils of homosexuality and same-sex marriage in their sermons. Where this is not possible infiltrate the priesthood so as to corrupt religion from within, • Redefine joyful and well-established words and symbols like “marriage”, “spouse”, “gay” and “rainbow” and attach them to homosexual acts in order to give sin an innocent, natural and pleasing appeal. This, in effect, is the homosexual lobby manifesto that is sweeping the world. Yes indeed folks, Satan is among us! •¶Kokoski wrote from Ontario, Canada.

Lagos example of immortalising our heroes By Rasak Musbau

ANNAH Arendt, German-born U.S, philosopher and H historian, once said that the connection between history and nature is by no means an opposition. History receives into its remembrance those mortals who through deeds and words have proved themselves worthy of nature, and their everlasting fame means that they...may remain in the company of the things that last forever. To Fyodor Dostoyevsky, Russian novelist, if you were to destroy in mankind the belief in immortality, not only love but every living force maintaining the life of the world would at once be dried up. Moreover, nothing then would be immoral, everything would be permissible, even cannibalism. And the energetic and cerebral Nigerian columnist, Segun Ayobolu, made a similar point when he posits that ‘ a society without a collective memory would be as disoriented, dysfunctional, incoherent and programmed for destruction as an individual without that critical faculty. The present anchored on the past is able to navigate the unpredictable waters of the future with a reasonable degree of certitude and confidence. Presently, in Lagos State , part of the institutional ways through which the government is documenting our heroes for immortalization ranges from dedication of gardens, naming of streets and roads and housing estates after them. This is being done to spur the youth and adults to commit to Nigerian enterprise and to aspire to greater heights. One of such heroes that have been recognised is late Professor Ayodele Awojobi. In October 2009, Babatunde Fashola posthumously dedicated a garden in honour of the late Professor at Onike Roundabout, Yaba, Lagos, with a statue of the famous academic erected at the centre. A painstaking effort was put into the construction of the beautiful and befitting garden. Professor Awojobi was Engineering Genius and social reformer who had set a record of becoming, at the age of 37, the youngest lecturer in the University of Lagos to become a Professor. Before the erudite Professor died 29 years ago at the age of 47, he had carved a niche for himself as his name had found global space as a mechanical engineer of repute and fighter against social dislocations and political recklessness. It is on record that in his final year in the secondary school in 1955, he played the role of Macbeth in one of Williams Shakespeare famous plays. He memorized the whole textbook and was familiar with all the lines that during rehearsals he assisted other actors with their lines.

It could be asked, what the essence of the posthumous immortalization is? The essence is to connect the present generation to our history of a pre-eminent past; to draw inspiration of possibilities and reiterate an ethic and value for hard-work as necessary ingredients for a brighter rewarding future. So when our youth past through Onikan, they should not just look at the statue and the garden but should draw inspiration from the immortal Awojobi. We see the same principle of fighting for the poor in the man who received the honour of senior advocate of the masses (‘SAM’) before his professional entitlement of SAN. In 2010, to mark the First Anniversary of the death of legal icon, Chief Gani Fawehinmi, Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babatunde Fashola (SAN) unveiled the Statue of the legal luminary and also dedicated a memorial Garden, stressing that government took the step as a token of appreciation for a life of leadership through Spartan service to humanity that he lived. The idea of the honour was to demonstrate to others that the government will not forget its heroes in the belief that some new leaders will hopefully be inspired to rise up and continue from where he left off. The late Chief Gani Fawehinmi committed a lifetime of 40 years of the prime of his life to arduous human rights devotion. He used law, civil rights movements, the media and politics as his tools to liberate the people he cared so passionately about from ignorance, repression and poverty; until he succumbed to his own mortality. The spirit of the fighter came to life when the largest protest against fuel price increase took place at the strategic location in January of 2012. His wife and son partook actively in the struggle the Federal Government used members of the armed forces to frustrate. The special jumat service at the rally co-spearheaded by a pastor was historic just as police irreverence to our fathers (Chief Tunji Braithwaite and others) at the event was typical of what they did to the chief till he became immortal. Our youths living in the Diaspora have much to learn from the memory of Dr. Nurudeen Olowopopo. A 1.5 km road which stretches from the Otunba Jobi Fele Junction to the Ministry of Physical Planning, Alausa, Ikeja was named after Dr. Nurudeen Olowopopo, who was Chairman, Lagos State University Teaching Hospital until his dead. This was in recognition of Olowopopo’s contribution to the development and growth of Lagos State especially in the development of the state’s health sector. Before returning to Nigeria to serve his fatherland, Dr. Olowopopo spear-headed several Medical Missions of Mercy which were involved in bringing Nigerian medical experts in the Diaspora to Lagos to conduct surgical operations and of-

fer other medical care services to thousands of Lagos residents free of charge. It is, therefore, befitting that Olowopopo was immortalized for his commitment and high-level service to the state. I still remember that horrific day of August 12, 1989 watching a World Cup qualifier against Angola live on TV when a patriot, Sam Okwaraji, died at the National Stadium, Surulere, Lagos. To send the right signals to Nigerian youths that their efforts to bring honour to their fatherland will not be in vain, Fashola administration built a memorial garden for the patriot. Known as a Rededicated Memorial Garden, this special space in memory of the late footballer of Eastern Nigeria origin was said to represent the commitment of the Fashola administration to respecting the selfless deeds of Nigerians, especially Lagosians. Late Sam Okwaraji was a patriot. He loved Nigeria as much as he loved football. A foreign-based soccer star, Sam travelled home to help Nigeria defeat Angola in a World Cup qualifying match in Lagos. He made the opening of the game but could not see its end! Similarly, the Kudirat Abiola memorial cenotaph, the MKO Abiola Garden, Tai Solarin Statue at Yaba Lagos, among others represent renewed effort by the state government to immortalize our heroes. To demonstrate that one doesn’t need to die before being immortalized, Governor Babatunde Fashola, early this year immortalized Chief Emeka Anyaoku, former secretary general of the Commonwealth, as he named a newly completed housing estate within the Ikeja Government Reserved Area (GRA) after him. In his words, the governor said the honour was in recognition of Anyaoku’s contributions to the development of the Nigerian society. In Nigeria, the subsequent drop in the quality of leaders, social crusaders, political and human rights activists inevitably is the result of decline and seemingly loss of hope by many in the nation. One of the most important ways of instilling patriotism and inculcating the belief of the possibilities in our youths is through immortalizing our heroes past and living. It is important we regularly culled from the life of our greats’ lessons of living effective life at this time when cross-over syndrome has turned many that are hitherto regarded as conscience of the masses into lackey of clueless and autocratic leaders. Undoubtedly, these efforts would go a long way to help stimulate our compatriots, young and old, to continue their meritorious service to our fatherland, This is the only way for the labour of our heroes past not to be in vain. • Musbau is of the Features Unit, Lagos State Ministry of Information and Strategy, Alausa, Ikeja.

THE GUARDIAN, Monday, July 8, 2013

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THE GUARDIAN, Monday, June 6, 2011 69

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THE GUARDIAN, Monday, July 8, 2013

Media At AMIC 2013, experts debate transformational communication Conference N spite of the much-taunted benefits of appliItechnology cation of information and communication in today’s world, it is not yet trickling down on the welfare of the citizens. The damning assessment on ICT revolution is one of the highlights of the just concluded 22nd Asian Media Information and Communication Centre’s Conference (AMIC) in Yogyakarta, Indonesia, South East Asia. Held at Melia Purosani Hotel, Yogyakarta, Indonesia, the four-day conference was in partnership with the Department of Communication, Faculty of Social and Political Sciences, Universitas Gadjah Mada. It ended yesterday. Head, Voice of Nigeria Training Centre, Abdulwarees Solanke represented Nigeria at the conference. He made a presentation on Strategic Leadership and Operational Management in Public Service Broadcasting: A Nigeria’s case study. Expectedly, the conference attracted scholars, experts and policy makers in media and communication from 26 countries including Nigeria to share knowledge and experience in media scholarship and practice. With Transformational Communication and New Asia as theme, the Indonesian Minister for

Youth and Sports, Roy Suryo Notodiprojo acknowledged the deep engagement of the youth in internet use. He made the remarks at the conference gala dinner on Thursday. But using the Indonesia experience, Notodiprojo expressed concern that the potentials and opportunity are not being positively used enough. According to him, it is the task of all to stimulate and encourage the youth to maximize the potential use of emerging technology in order to advocate their rights and identity. The minister reiterated the need to hear more voices from the youth on global warming, terrorism, war and conflict, corruption, gender issues and minority rights. He stressed the need “to see fairer representation of the youth in media, how they contribute to society and humanity, how they search for their identities and how they formulate values and strategies they believe are important to make a better global future.” In a keynote address at the conference, the Director General for information and Public Communication in Indonesia’s Ministry of Communication and Information Technology, Freddy Tulong described the conference theme as intriguing. As the senior Indonesian government official, he explained, “the development of communication including accompanying technology

has undergone a transformation that has changed patterns of production, consumption and distribution of information.” Tulong said it has also changed the behaviour and lifestyles of citizens in Asia and the rest of the world. In what he described as ICT Disembedness, he lamented that ICT growth is not is line and tune with the issue of citizen well-being. He argued that “the growth of ICT as a medium of communication does not automatically

The minister reiterated the need to hear more voices from the youth on global warming, terrorism, war and conflict, corruption, gender issues and minority rights. He stressed the need to see fairer representation of the youth in media, how they contribute to society and humanity, how they search for their identities and how they formulate values and strategies they believe are important to make a better global future.

trigger the creation of solutions to welfare problems. According to him, while ICT, a temporary or mere infrastructure is generally focused on, the content of ICT as part of communication process seems to get less attention. He therefore expressed optimism that the conference would be able to re-examine and reinterpret the old perspectives on ICT deployment for development purpose and propose contemporary paradigms that are more relevant. In a video presentation for the UNESCO Emeritus Dialogue session on development communication, UNESCO’s global Director for Freedom of Expression and Media Development, Guy Berger, said that AMIC is “one of the most esteemed research partners of UNESCO.” He talked of “new paradigms in development communication” and said that “since the early behaviourists’ concepts and practices of ‘devcom’, there has been dynamic and, indeed, pluralistic development of paradigms in this field.” He added that “these reflect the changing contexts nationally, internationally and technologically”. The AMIC conference UNESCO Emeritus Dialogue brings together five international experts to look at whether development communication still has a place in the ‘New Asia’.

‘Why poor standards in experiential marketing must be checked’ By Gbenga Salau RGANISATIONS are not just willO ing to create awareness about their product. They want consumers to feel and make buying decisions. One marketing tool, which provides this seamless process, is experiential marketing and this is why its use is growing by the day. And because of its growing impact and use, it is gradually becoming an all comers’ affair. To check this negative trend, the newly elected President of Experiential Marketers Association of Nigeria (EXMAN), Mr. Kayode Olagesin has revealed plans by his association to sanitise the industry through capacity building to bridge the knowledge gap and make selfregulation effective in order to strengthen the bond amongst relevant stakeholders to ensure competitiveness in the industry. Olagesin said the association, which recently inaugurated its maiden executive committee and Board of Trustees in Lagos, said it would be programme-driven. He noted that this was borne out of the need to address the key challenges facing experiential marketing practice in Nigeria, and that it had become expedient for professionals to come together and find solutions to them. He listed the issues that should be urgently looked into as the association forges ahead to include lack of entry barrier, unfair practice, poor regulations and multiple taxation, poor standard, lack of knowledge amongst practitioners and poor patronage by government and its agencies. According to him, EXMAN’s agenda to tackle some of the trade anomalies the industry was currently

Member Board of Trustee, EXMAN, Akin Osewa; Chairman,Board of Trustee, Bola Akingbade;President Experiential Marketers Association of Nigeria(EXMAN) Kayode Olagesin; and Ehi Braimoh, CEO NEO Media & Marketing, during the Experiential Marketers Association of Nigeria(EXMAN) Inauguration and Media Briefing in Lagos recently. undergoing as embedded in the EXMAN Agenda tagged KLIPP Knowledge, Leadership, Integration, Protection and Professionalism. EXMAN boss also stated, “We have articulated an agenda and to put things in proper perspective, we have condensed this into a short memorable acronym-KLIPP.” According to him, knowledge gained would bridge skill gaps through training by harnessing resources within its fold and outside. Leadership, he said, would provide thoughtful leadership in

respect of clients and peers in the industry while Integration would provide a platform to integrate practitioners’ profession and association into the league of professionals in IMC. “We recognise that we are coming very late into the game and we have a lot of catching-up to do to integrate ourselves quickly into the mainstream ‘politics’ of our industry. We are perhaps the last of the sectoral groupings in the industry to form a professional body. “Now that we have EXMAN for

Experiential Marketing, we need to not only play catch-up but raise our game quickly so we can be first among equals when marketing communication professionals congregate”. To ensure a smooth administration that is participatory, the EXMAN President said three committees had been set up with specific responsibilities and that they had started working. “The committees are membership, which will embark on membership drive and raise the standard of prac-

tice; advocacy, to engage relevant stakeholders on matters of mutual benefit to improve the industry and training, which will address the knowledge gap and build capacity to improve standards of practice. Also elected and sworn in to pilot the affairs of the body are Rotimi Olaniyan as Vice President, Otis Ojeikhoa as General Secretary, Kehinde Salami as Financial Secretary and Henry Alade as Publicity Secretary, while the Chairman Board of Trustees is former Chief Marketing Officer, MTN, Bola Akingbade.

THE GUARDIAN, Monday, July 8, 2013

THE GUARDIAN, Monday, June 6, 2011

Oil & GasWeekly HETax Appeal Tribunal has ordered Mobil to pay $83.4 T million to the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS). The judgment by the Tax Appeal Tribunal represented

Remi Aiyela, Editor-in-Chief

editor@NOGintelligence.com www.NOGintelligence.com

FINANCIAL NEWS

Heritage Oil Refinances Nigeria Operations

Stock Exchange listed Heritage Oil has LforONDON secured a revolving reserves based lending facility its Nigerian operations. It secured the lending

Education Tax liability of the company to the Federation during the year 2008. The company had denied liability for the tax after the liability assessment was first raised by FIRS and in 2011 it launched an appeal against the liability, claiming that the assessment was in breach of a memorandum of agreement (MOU) signed between the company and the Federal Government of Nigeria and the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation in 1996. According to the company the MOU was renewed in 2000. The company claimed that under the MOU it could deduct taxes paid to other state agencies from the tax due to the Federal and State governments. FIRS however argued that the MOU was for three years and that its validity had expired in January 2003 particularly in view of the Petroleum Profits Tax Act which replaced the MOU and under which the assessment was raised. Ruling in favour of FIRS, the Tribunal said that although the MOU contained an option to renew at the instance of all the parties, the option was never exercised and as a result Mobil was no longer entitled to calculate its education tax with reference to the terms of the MOU. Commenting on the judgement, Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI) said it welcomed the decision of the Tribunal. The organisation said the "bold" decision would draw attention to the findings and recommendations of NEITI on the issues of underpayment and under-assessment in royalties, taxes, signature bonuses, rents, clearly exposed by its independent audit reports of the oil and gas sector, over the years. In its statement, NEITI said that the judgement is also a vindication of the findings of its 2006-2008 independent audit of the Oil and Gas sector. NEITI said it had revealed in that audit that Mobil owed $83.28 million Education Tax for 2008. NEITI said: "It is on record that NEITI has consistently alerted the nation that out of $9.8 billion uncovered by its audit reports as the difference between what was paid and what government received, only $2 billion has been recovered through NEITI efforts, leaving a balance of $7.8 in the hands of companies." President Jonathan has now directed the Secretary of the Federation, Senator Anyim to constitute a high-powered committee to assist NEITI in recovering the rest of the outstanding $9.8 billion identified by them as being due to the Federation Account.

through the special purpose vehicle, Shoreline Natural Resources Limited, formed between Heritage and local partner, Shoreline Power Company Limited. The new facility is a five year $500 million senior secured revolving facility, which can be increased up to $600 million. The facility replaces the bridge loan Heritage obtained when it completed its acquisition of a 45% interest in oil mining lease (OML 30). The company says the reserves based lending facility provides better terms and greater flexibility than the bridge loan, which has now been fully repaid. The new lending was financed by Standard Bank, joined by a syndicate of three leading Nigerian banks, First City Monument Bank (FCMB), Ecobank Nigeria and Fidelity Bank. OML 30 covers 1,097 square kilometres and is located onshore in the Niger Delta. It included 8 producing HENigeriaLiquefiedNaturalGas(NLNG)hasdeclared fields and a 45 per cent interest in the segment of the force majeure on its exports of LNG after the Nigerian Trans Forcados Pipeline between the Eriemu and the Maritime and Safety Agency (NIMASA) blockade continForcados River manifolds. ued over a tax dispute. As a result of the blockade of the Bonny Channel, LNG tankers have been unable to enter the port to take on supplies of LNG. Three vessels are currently unable to enter or leave the port. NLNG has CCORDING to the data released by the National refused to pay levies raised by NIMASA based on the Bureau of Statistics (NBS) recently the year on year gross tonnage on exports and imports under the caboGDP contribution of the oil and gas industry may have tage law. dropped by 6.65 per cent as the contribution fell from NIMASA's case is that the NIMASA Act 2007 in section 15.8 per cent in first quarter of 2012 to 14.75 per cent in 15 stipulates that the agency shall be funded by monies Q1 of 2013. accruing to it from, among other sources, a levy of three The decline in the contribution by the oil sector in the per cent of gross freight on all international inbound first quarter of 2013 relative to the corresponding quar- and outbound cargoes from ships or shipping compater of 2012, NBS says, may not be unconnected with the nies operating in Nigeria as part of the funds to meet increasing vandalism, bunkering and ultimately oil the operational costs of the agency. theft, which is said to be costing the Nigerian econo- NLNG meanwhile is refusing to pay the fees saying that my about $7bn annually. it is exempted from doing so by the Act establishing "During the period under review, the Nigerian oil sec- NLNG. tor witnessed some levels of disruption as a result of The matter is now in court and on the 18th of June, a pipeline vandalism and bunkering incidents with Lagos Federal High Court issued an injunction preventsome oil companies such as Eni (Agip), Shell and oth- ing NIMASA from mounting any kind of blockade on ers declaring force majeure during the quarter," the the Bonny Channel. The Federal Government has since NBS said. applied to court to ask for NIMASA to be removed as a According to the NBS, the sector recorded an average party in the suit on the basis that the regulator was not daily production of 2.29 million barrels per day in the a party to the suit. first quarter of 2013 based on data obtained from the This new force majeure declaration is a major blow Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation as against coming only a few weeks after Shell Petroleum 2.35 million barrels per day in the corresponding quar- Development Company (SPDC) lifted its force majeure ter in 2012. declaration its gas supplies to NLNG after completing "These figures, with their associated gas components, repairs following a leak in its Eastern Gas Gathering resulted in a growth rate, in real terms of -0.54 per cent System(EGGS-1)right-of-way(RoW)pipelinenearAwoba in oil GDP in the first quarter of 2013 compared with in Rivers State. the 2.32 per cent for the corresponding period in 2012," the NBS said. However, the NBS said the oil sector benefited immensely from the relative stability in international crude oil market price and the exchange rate of naira against the dollar. On an aggregate basis, NBS said the economy when measured by the Real Gross Domestic Product, grew by 6.56 per cent in the first quarter of 2013 as against 6.34 per cent in the corresponding quarter of 2012, and 6.99 per cent in the fourth quarter of 2012.

NLNG Declares Force Majeure Due To NIMASA Blockade

Oil Contribution to GDP Dropped by 6.65% in 2013

DOWNSTREAM NEWS

LEGAL NEWS NLPGA President: NIMASA Blockade Will Cause LPG Shortage

HE President of the Nigerian Liquid Petroleum Gas T Association (NLPGA), Dayo Adeshina, has warned of an impending shortage of LPG if NIMASA does not lift

Mobil Ordered To Pay $83.4 Million Education Tax

the current blockade of Bonny Port. The newly appointed President of the Association said that suppliers' storage tanks are about to run dry. Adeshina explained: "At this point in time, the Gas Providence, which is the supply vessel for domestic gas is still in the Bonny Terminal of NLNG and will not sail

until NIMASA releases it. The owners have paid the statutory fees that NIMASA is asking for. The vessel still hasn't been released and if we don't have that vessel sail this weekend there is going to be scarcity of LPG nationwide." Adeshina has been shuttling between the various agencies involved to try and secure the release of the vessel so that the NLPGA members can obtain vital supplies for the domestic market. He said that the situation was very grave and giving his members cause for concern.

in association with

anism that will introduce a metering regime to guarantee that Nigeria's crude being extracted by companies are adequately measured to check the continued loss of revenue. The Executive Secretary of NEITI said: "A situation where Nigeria continues to rely on figures by companies who are in business for information to determine quantity of crude produced is inappropriate and unacceptable."

ENVIRONMENTAL NEWS

Petrol Queues End as NUPENG Calls Shell Expresses Rising Concern over Off Strike ETROL QUEUES, which were starting to grow in PLagos and Abuja following the commencement of Spills From Crude Theft a three day "warning strike" by the Nigerian Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) have disappeared as suddenly as they began. NUPENG called a 3-day strike over what it called anti-labour practices by International Oil Companies (IOCs). It had previously issued a 14-day strike notice to oil majors, Shell Petroleum Development Company, SPDC, Chevron Nigeria Limited and Agip Oil Company. President of NUPENG, Achese Igwe, is demanding a stakeholders' national conference on oil and gas. He wants the conference to deal with labour issues in the sector. The Union is accusing the oil giants of unfair labour practices, which it says are worsening. When he issued the notice, Igwe said:"We are giving the Federal Government, the Ministry of Petroleum, the National Assembly among other well meaning Nigerians and groups, a 14-day ultimatum to intervene and summon an all embracing stakeholders national conference to address all labour issues in the industry failing which, we will declare an indefinite nationwide strike." It appears that the strike was called off after just two days following a meeting with the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation and other stakeholders.

OPEC daily basket price stood at $102.24 a barrel Wednesday, 3 July 2013

HE price of OPEC basket of twelve crudes stood at T 102.24 dollars a barrel on Wednesday, compared with $100.63 the previous day, according to OPEC Secretariat calculations. The basket price had been fluctuating since last week (Thurs 27 - $100.37, Fri 28: $100.78, Mon 1 Jul - $100.10, Tues 2 Jul - $100.63) before rising sharply by nearly $2 on the news of rising political tensions in Egypt, which raised concerns about the stability of the whole region. Introduced on 16 June 2005, is currently made up of the following: Saharan Blend (Algeria), Girassol (Angola), Oriente (Ecuador), Iran Heavy (Islamic Republic of Iran), Basra Light (Iraq), Kuwait Export (Kuwait), Es Sider (Libya), Bonny Light (Nigeria), Qatar Marine (Qatar), Arab Light (Saudi Arabia), Murban (UAE) and Merey (Venezuela).

REGULATORY NEWS Senate To Hold PIB Public Hearing on 16 and 17 July

HE Senate Joint Committee on the Petroleum T Industry Bill (PIB) has issued an invitation to stakeholders and members of the general public to a twoday public hearing on the PIB as the Bill continues to inch its way slowly towards passage. The meeting is scheduled to hold on the 16th and 17th of July from 10am each day in Conference Room 022, New Senate Wing of the National Assembly Complex. The first day of the hearing is reserved for the Ministers of Petroleum, Finance, Federal Capital Territory, State Governors and Heads of relevant government agencies, while oil companies and relevant trade associations have been invited to attend on the second day. It is generally believed that the passage of the Bill will unlock billions of dollars worth of investment destined for the oil and gas industry. The current lack of clarity has led to International Oil Companies (IOCs) withholding major investment into the sector. Some commentators however remain skeptical about the passage of the Bill given its ambitious scope (consolidation of 16 separate pieces of legislation) and the opposition from different factions to many provisions in the Bill.

NEITI to Partner with Nigerian Academy of Science for Metering Infrastructure

HE Nigerian Academy of Science is to partner with Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI) in an effort to find solutions to the issue of measurement of Nigeria crude through evidence based research on introduction of metering infrastructure in the oil and gas industry. The President of the Academy, Professor Oyewale Tomori made the pledge in Abuja when he led the Academy on a courtesy visit to the Executive Secretary of NEITI, Mrs. Zainab Ahmed. Professor Tomori explained that NEITI's persistent concern, expressed in its Audit Report, that there is no reliable scientific mechanism to measure the quantity of crude produced in Nigeria, is a national issue that requires the intervention of Nigerian Academy of Science. The Academy which is made up of renowned scientists from major fields of natural, physical, applied and environmental sciences has promised to mobilise its members to carry out an in-depth research in collaboration with NEITI. The goal of the Academy will be to come out with a scientific mech-

HE Shell Petroleum Development Company of T Nigeria Ltd (SPDC) has raised alarm over the rising incident of oil theft from its Adibawa Field, straddling the Biseni, Edagberi and Ikarama communities in Eastern Niger Delta. This year alone, between January and June, there have been 8 recorded crude oil theft and sabotage related spill incidents resulting in 500 barrels of oil spilled into the environment according to the company. The Adibawa field, and majority of the other spills were caused when unknown persons inflicted extensive hacksaw cuts on pipelines according to the company. A joint team comprising regulators, government ministries, SPDC and communities investigated each of the spills which the company says was caused by extensive hacksaw cuts on the pipelines. The largest incident occurred on the Adibawa Okordia pipeline at Ikarama in June when 447 barrels were spilled. The company said that in line with its spill response strategy it immediately shut down the pipeline and mobilised teams to the site for containment and recovery of the spilled oil. Shell says it will commence clean up operations later this year. SPDC Managing Director and Country Chair, Shell Companies in Nigeria, Mutiu Sunmonu said: "We are very concerned over the rising trend of spills in Adibawa field." "All stakeholders must work together to try to stop this crime against Nigeria," he added. SPDC has set up a website to record details of all spills, whether operational or from sabotage. This is part of its effort to bring transparency to spills reporting and the company says that its spills website is the only such one in Nigeria. The website address is:www.shellnigeria.com/spills.

LOCAL CONTENT NEWS Rainoil Acquires Two New Vessels for Ship-To-Ship Transfer

AINOIL Limited, a leading indigenous petroleum R products marketing company, has inaugurated two newly acquired oil vessels, the 20,000 tonne MT Adeline and the 15,000 tonne MT Emmanuel. Rainoil expects the vessels to help boost petroleum products availability and distribution in the country. The company explained that the double-hulled vessels meet international standards and have world class facilities. They will be deployed for quick ship-to-ship loading of petroleum products. The vessels were inaugurated at the Rainoil Jetty and multi-product tank farm in Oghara, Delta State by the Executive Secretary, Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency (PPPRA), Mr. Reginald Stanley. He said: ''Although Rainoil is a big player in the PMS (Premium Motor Spirit) to the nation, these vessels will provide an excellent logistic to other players in the downstream. I therefore urge other marketers to use the services of these vessels, so as to optimise its utilisation, thereby reducing the unit cost of freight." "There is also the need to patronise our local fender providers in STS (Ship-To-Ship) operations, so as to build a strong synergy in shipping operations. A situation where foreign fender providers dominate the market should be discouraged,'' he added. Managing Director/CEO, Rainoil Ltd, Engr. Gabriel Ogbechie, said the new vessels were positioned to enhance the distribution of petroleum products to the South-South, South-East, the Federal Capital Territory and Northern states. Rainoil began operations in 1997 and now has over 25 retail outlets across Nigeria, 60 tank trucks, 50-million litre capacity petroleum products storage depot, a jetty and now two oil vessels.

HEALTH AND SAFETY African Military Chiefs to Convene Urgent Conference on Maritime Insecurity

ICE Admiral DJ Ezeoba, the Chief of Naval Staff of V Nigeria, responding to the increase of maritime insecurity in the Gulf of Guinea, has called an international conference of military chiefs and politicians to bring resolution to the matter. The waters around West Africa are considered some of the most insecure in the world, with the International Maritime Bureau announcing in June 2013 that for the first time piracy incidents in West Africa have overtaken those occurring off Somalia. The Nigerian Navy has therefore taken a lead in organising Offshore Patrol Vessels Africa, a summit, which will take place in Lagos from the 27th to the 29th of August. The Nigerian Navy will be accompanied by senior Naval Chiefs from Ghana, South Africa, Djibouti and Tanzania amongst many other Africa nations. Lending their expertise from around the world, admirals from Germany, Malaysia, USA and Spain are also lecturing at the conference.

THE GUARDIAN, Monday, July 8, 2013

76 SPORTS

Sports Ahead South Africa 2014 CHAN

Nigerian Sports Legends Awards gets ministerial, Centenary Committee’s endorsement

Keshi cautious despite 4-1 defeat of Cote d’Ivoire

PORTS Minister, Bolaji SNigerian Abdullahi has endorsed the Sports Legends

• Minister sets up committee on Eagles’ bonus row From Saxone Akhaine, Northern Bureau Chief, and Bashir Bello (Kaduna)

Eagles’ Chief Coach, ShisUPER Stephen Keshi believes team, which defeated Cote d’Ivoire 4-1 in Kaduna on Saturday, would repeat the feat in Abidjan when both teams meet in the second leg of the African Nations Championship (CHAN) qualifier in a fortnight. But he admits that ten team must correct all the lapses in the first leg to achieve their aim. Speaking after the encounter, Keshi said he was impressed by the players’ performance, especially the contribution of the new players to the team’s game. “I am happy their performance level is growing everyday, which is what I want to see from each and everyone of them. Today’s outing is not bad considering that half of the players had only four days training session with us. I am sure that with time they would become the team we desire,” Keshi said. He revealed that the team would regroup on July 15 in Abuja, for preparations for the return leg of the qualifier scheduled for July 27. Keshi directed the players to return to their clubs and ensure that they made valuable contributions to their teams while awaiting the list of those who will make it to Abidjan. He warned that any invited player, who failed to make it to Abuja on the said

date should forget the return leg game as there is plenty of work to be done despite the wide margin first leg victory over the Elephants. “We cannot afford to take our feet off the pedal because we have won here, the Ivoirians are a very good side and we must be very ready for the return leg so that we don’t get shocked,” Keshi enthused. Keshi also disclosed that he would invite at least three new players to fortify the squad for the return leg, while those players, who did not measure up to standard in the first leg in Kaduna would be dropped. Meanwhile, Sports Minister/Chairman, National Sports Commission (NSC), Bolaji Abdullahi has set up a fiveman panel to investigate the bonus crisis that nearly marred Nigeria’s participation in the Brazil 2013 Confederations Cup. The Super Eagles had rejected the allowance approved for them by the Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) after two away World Cup qualifiers against Kenya and Namibia. As a result of the protest, the footballers initially refused to board the plane for Brazil to participate in the FIFA Confederations Cup. The NFF had offered to pay $5000 for a win and $2500 for a draw, but the players insisted on getting $10,000 for a win and $5000 for a draw.

Britain’s Andy Murray raises the winner’s trophy after beating Serbia’s Novak Djokovic in the men’s singles final of the 2013 Wimbledon Championships tennis tournament at the All England Club in Wimbledon, southwest London, yesterday. Murray won 6-4, 7-5, 6-4. PHOTO: AFP

Murray beats Djokovic to win Wimbledon NDY Murray, yesterday In an atmosphere reminis- from 40-0 and fending off A won his first Wimbledon cent of his Olympic final win three Djokovic break points title and ended Britain’s 77- last summer, Murray was with some fearless hitting,

year wait for a men’s champion with a brilliant victory over world number one Novak Djokovic. The Scot, 26, converted his fourth championship point in a dramatic final game to win 6-4 7-5 6-4 and claim his second major title.

willed on by the majority of the 15,000 spectators on Centre Court, thousands watching on the nearby big screen and millions more around the country. The final game was a battle in itself, with Murray seeing three match points slip by

2013 Federation Cup: Sunshine, Rangers, Pillars eye places in Round of 16 HIS year’s Federation Cup T competition hits the Round of 32 on July 17 with

Brand Manager, Milo, Funmi Osineye (left); Chairman, National Academicals Sports Committee (NASCOM), Yemi Idowu; Captain of the winning team, International School, Lagos, Edima Obioh; Managing Director, Nestle Nigeria Plc, Dharnesh Gordhon and Category Business Manager, Doja Ekeruche during the final of the 15th Nestle Milo Secondary School Basketball Championship in Lagos at the weekend. PHOTO: FEMI ADEBESIN-KUTI

Glo Premier League teams keen to seal their places in the Round of 16. Enugu Rangers, Kano Pillars, Sunshine Stars and Heartland FC of Owerri are all involved, as well as, Nembe City, Warri Wolves, Nasarawa United, Dolphins FC, 3SC and ABS FC. The same day, first round matches in the 2013 Women Federation Cup competition will take place across the nation with 12 clubs participating.

before the Serb netted a backhand to end the contest. After a grueling three hours and 10 minutes in temperatures exceeding 40C, Murray had finally followed in the footsteps of Fred Perry’s 1936 win at the All England Club.

Awards as an annual event, just as he charged the organisers to ensure that it meets international practices and due diligence. Following a meeting with the Director, Grassroots Sports Development at the National Sports Commission (NSC), Abdullahi, in a letter of approval signed on his behalf by Okere Emmanuel of the NSC’s Grassroots Sports Development Department, informed the organisers to liaise with the Sports Sector Centenary Committee to work out the details of the award, which is tentatively slated for later this year. Speaking on the awards, the Chief Executive Officer of New Age Sports Africa, organisers of the event, Shamsudeen Tijani-Yusuf said the event would be an annual event of international standards and would recognize, reward, as well as, acknowledge the contributions of Nigeria’s biggest and best sports legends. Shamsudeen disclosed that the event would be devoted exclusively to the memories of past sports heroes, adding that there would be special packages for the legends, including rehabilitations, financial aids as well as documentaries to show their laudable contributions to Nigerian sports over the decades. Shamsudeen also disclosed that the Sports Sector Centenary Committee, which is led by veteran sports broadcaster, Fabio Lanipekun, would work with the organisers to ensure a successful event. “We have a lot of partners in and outside the country, who are ready to make this award a most memorable event once a definite date is agreed upon. We hope to use this award to send a very clear message to the present Nigerian sports stars that whatever contributions, as well as sacrifices they make to Nigerian Sports, will never be forgotten.”

Fixture Men Heartland FC Vs Ingas FC – Enugu J. Atete FC Vs Sharks FC – Abakaliki Akwa United FC Vs Makwada FC – Katsina Ala Enugu Rangers Vs Samba Kurna FC – Abuja Plateau United Vs Niger Tornadoes – Kaduna Warri Wolves Vs Sportlight FC – Ilorin (4pm) El-Kanemi Warriors Vs Kano Pillars – Lafia (4pm) FC Taraba Vs Gombe United – Lafia (2pm) Nasarawa United Vs COD FC – Ilorin (2pm) Nembe City Vs Sunshine Stars – Rojenny Remo FC Vs Enyimba FC – Lokoja (4pm) 3SC Vs JUTH FC – Minna Dolphins FC Vs Akwa Starlet – Umuahia Abia Warriors Vs Kaduna United – Lokoja (2pm) ABS FC Vs Bayelsa United – Benin City MFM FC Vs Lobi Stars – Nnewi Women Dynamic Sports Vs Ibom Angels – Aba FC Real Dynamos Vs Oginni Queens – Ibadan God City Queens Vs C. I. Angels – Rojenny (2pm) Taraba Queens Vs Yaba Queens – Abuja (2pm) Adamawa Queens Vs Shettima Babes – Katsina Ala (2pm) Martins White Vs Florence Babes - Akure

THE GUARDIAN, Monday, July 8, 2013

SPORTS 77

Ahead UAE 2013 FIFA U-17 World Cup

Golden Eaglets begins search for new players in Abuja EAD Coach of the national H Under-17 team, Manu Garba, says the final preparation for the forthcoming FIFA Under-17 World Cup in the United Arab Emirates would begin in Abuja this week with the screening for new players. Garba said at the weekend that the two-week camping would help the coaches to fish out new players for some positions in the team before the World Cup. Already players scouted

across the country during the break were expected to report to the NFF/FIFA Goal Project Site in Abuja today even as Garba warns that it is not an all comer affairs. “It is important that we have a look at some new players for some specific positions because what we want is the best for the country,” said Garba. “We are really grateful that the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has approved our programme

Top 50 will develop more kids, says Ujiri By Adeyinka Adedipe NITIATOR of the Top 50 Basketball Camp, Masai Ujiri has said that the event will continue to give opportunities to young kids and help develop the game in Nigeria. Speaking at the event, which began yesterday at the sports hall of the National Stadium, Ujiri stated that the camp was not meant to train kids and take them abroad but to let them know the potential of taking to the slam and dunk game. He, however, said that kids that have excelled at the camp have found their way to various colleges in the United States of America. He also advised participants to take education serious, as it was not possible for all of them to make it to the NBA even if

Ujiri

they play at colleges in the U.S. The Toronto Raptors general manager said he was satisfied with the development of the camp as a lot of kids have come through and are doing well in schools and clubs. He also said he was committed to the camp, which began 10 years ago. “I must express satisfaction over the fact that many kids have come through the camps and are playing in different colleges in the U.S. However, the idea behind the camp is not to get the player ready for contracts outside the country but to help grow the game in the country. Ujiri stated that two foreign coaches- Patrick Mutombo and Patrick Engelbrechtwould be joined by Markmentors of Abuja Coach, Joe Tomo to take participants through the rudiment of the game. He stated that commended Nestle Foods and Nike for supporting the events, noting that a website is being built where the data of over 1500 kids that have passed through the camp would be available. He said he keeps in touch with some of the players who have passed through the camp and noted that he has had course to talk to NBA to help mentor the players.

House Committee on Sports explains NSC summon HAIRMAN, House of C Representatives Committee on Sports, Godfrey Gaiya has explained why the new Director General of the National Sports Commission (NSC) was summoned by the House Committee on Public Account to defend the N3 billion spent by the NSC over the last three years. Gaiya said the House Committee on Public Account has the rights under the laws of the Federation to summon anybody within the NSC top ranks to offer explanations as to how the funds was spent even if such officer was not in office during the three years captured. “The House of Representatives has over 80 committees and one of these committees is the House Committee on Public Account. The Committee function more like what they called auditors. “Auditors look at accounts

of the three years possible. They look at the account in a view to see that money given is properly retired. “If money given are not properly retired, the House Public Account Committee has the right to invite whosoever to give further details and explanations as regards the subject matter But I want you to know that before today the House Committee on Sports has always been worried about the way and manner the sporting Sports activities has been utilised. “The Sporting Sports Activities is a single item in the budget. It is not broken down into specifics. And usually it constitutes about 60 per cent of the total budget of the ministry (National Sports Commission (NSC)). “From the beginning they (NSC) never told us how they intend to use the money. I wouldn’t know how they use it but the onus is on them to state how they use it.

towards the World Cup in the UAE and hopefully we are going to get some good players to beef up the team that came second at the African championship,” he added. After the final game of the African Under-17 Championship in Morocco, where Nigeria lost via a penalty shoot out top Cote d’Ivoire, Garba had promised to audit the Golden Eaglets in a postmortem analysis of the championship. “We are going to fortify the team despite the fact that some of these players secured us the ticket to the World Cup,” noted Garba, who added, “and we are going to look for quality replacements before going for the World Cup in the UAE.” Meanwhile, players picked from the screening exercise would undergo the mandatory Magnetic Image Resonance (MRI) Test to ascertain if they are within the stipulated age bracket before the team’s close camping ahead of the World Cup in UAE between October 17 and November 8.

Nigeria’s Golden Eaglets against Ghana’s Starlets during the CAF U-17 tournament held in Morocco…recently

Milo Secondary School Basketball Championship

Bayelsa retains title as Lagos lifts trophy By Olalekan Okusan IKE a true champion, L Bayelsa’s St Judes Girls Secondary School, justified their rating to retain the girls’ title just as International School, Lagos (ISL) made a dramatic come-

8th IAAF Youth Championship

Our mission to Ukraine, by Team Nigeria By Gowon Akpodonor S Nigeria’s team to this A IAAF World year’s 8 Youth Championship settles th

down for business in Donetsk, Ukraine, officials of the team are sure of returning home with appreciable numbers of medals. The team made up of eight boys and nine girls left the Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Lagos, on Saturday evening aboard a Turkish air. Some other officials, including the coordinator of coaches in the team, exhurdler, Seigha Porbeni are expected to depart for Donetsk this evening. Speaking with The Guardian on expectation from the team, Porbeni, a former Director of Sports in Delta State, said that the team had what it takes to challenge the rest of the World when the battle for medals begins on Wednesday. “If things work out well, Divine Oduduru is a gold medal potential in both the

100m and 200m events. Team Nigeria will also be the country to beat in the girls 100m and 200m races if our girl, Deborah Adewale continues with the good work she had been doing in camp. Porbeni is also banking Fabian Edeki for a medal in the triple jump, just as he is optimistic that Ifeanyi Atuma and Bashiru Ibrahim would do the country proud in the 100m hurdles. He is also banking on Team Nigeria’s medley relay teams for medals in both the male and female categories. According to Porbeni, the duo of Akerele Omeiza and Edidiong Odiong are potential medalists in the boys and girls 400m events. Before departing Lagos on Saturday, Oduduru, who captured the 100m and 200m gold medals during the African Youth Championship in Warri, Delta State in March, said he would do everything to do the country proud in Ukraine.

back to be crowned the boys’ champion at this year’s Milo Secondary School Basketball Championship. The Bayelsa girls thrilled the fans at the Indoor Hall of the National Stadium in Lagos when they triumphed over Benue’s Government Day Girls Secondary School, Gboko 26-18 to remain unbeaten in the grand finale of the competition. But the climax of this year’s tournament was the dramatic comeback of Coach Ernest Ijeoma-tutored side Akoka boys, who stunned Benue’s St. Joseph’s Secondary School to win the title for the first time for Lagos. From the beginning the match, the Benue boys were more determined than the ISL boys and this gave them 14-13 lead in the first quarter. But the second quarter witnessed the resurgence of the

Lagos lads, who won the second quarter at 25-23. Once again, the Benue boys with inspiration from skipper Sam Ogwuche took the lead in the third quarter, which ended 42-37 in their favour. The last quarter lived up to is billing with fans enjoying every minute of the last 10 minutes with Benue taking a 10 points lead with just less than five minutes to the end of the encounter. However, some tactical errors from Benue team coupled with brilliant display from the Lagos boys became the magic as the home team took charge to end the game at 56-47 to the admiration of the fans. The win made ISL to etch its name in the annals of history as the first school in Lagos to win the 15 year-old national championship.

At Olympic Day, Lagos, NOC preach healthy living HE need for Nigerians to T be healthy by engaging in regular exercise came to fore, as Lagos State and Nigeria Olympic Committee (NOC) marked this year’s Olympic Day at the weekend. The event, which is marked annually by the International Olympic Committee (IOC), took place across the globe with NOC

Managing Director, Access Bank, Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede (middle) and MTN’s Okundola Bamgboye presenting the winner’s trophy to Sayyu Dantata at the end of the recent Access Bank UNICEF Charity Shield polo tournament held in Kaduna.

spearheading the celebration with support from the Lagos State government. According to Governor Babatunde Fashola of Lagos, the occasion would help to remind Nigerians the need to live healthy through regular exercise, which would help to be active. Fashola, who was represented by the Executive Secretary, Lagos State Sports Endowment Fund (LSSEF), Babatunde Bank-Anthony said there was need to encourage people to do sports, as it helps to be healthy, as well as, aid sound mind. Also speaking at the event, the Vice President of NOC, Jonathan Nnaji said the day was marked to celebrate the birth of modern Olympic, which creates opportunity for people to embrace sports. “This day is marked globally by IOC to celebrate the birth of modern Olympic and to also to bring Olympic values closer to communities world wide. It is more than an annual event because it also helps to encourage young people to embrace sports,” he added.

THE GUARDIAN, Monday, July 8, 2013

78 SPORTS

2013 Wimbledon

Marion Bartoli targets more success ARION Bartoli hopes her M first Wimbledon title will not be her last. Bartoli earned superstar status Saturday when she overcame Sabine Lisicki 6-1 6-4 in a one-sided clash on Centre Court. The victory was remarkable given that she has been out of sorts both on and off the court this year. The Frenchwoman, who was seeded 15th, had not progressed beyond the

third round at any previous tournament before arriving in London, and in February her father Walter said he could no longer coach her, bringing to an end a roller coaster 22-year-long partnership. Despite early promise, which stemmed from her winning the girls’ title at the U.S Open 12 years ago, Bartoli would be the first to admit that she had not fulfilled her potential.

But having found peace with her new Coach Amelie Mauresmo, Bartoli is playing the best tennis of her career and she sees no reason why she cannot add more grand slams to her trophy cabinet in the coming years. “I am ready for the challenge,” the 28-year-old said. “One is pretty good for me. Even if I don’t get another one, I will still be very proud of it. But of course I’m going to try my hardest to get some

more. “Now that I have one, I definitely believe I can get more of them. It will take me some few days to realise that I am the Wimbledon champion. “Actually when I will come to realise it, I will maybe think about the US Open and getting a shot at winning over there.” Lisicki’s remarkable run through to the final won her many new fans, but Bartoli is the player with the most

engaging game. She has an enigmatic personality. She fidgets between points, she jumps, she shrieks, she has lengthy conversations with herself on court, she pumps her fists and she is an intelligent and articulate woman. When tested as a child she was told she had an IQ of 175. There is nothing plastic about her at all. In fact, she says she is hard as wood. That much was clear yesterday when she played the majority of the final with a huge blister under the big toe on her right foot. That strength came from the countless hours of work she put in during the early part of her career when she practised on a run-down local tennis court in Le Puy en Velay with her father, who had no prior coaching expe-

rience, while she was young. “I remember it was freezing cold during some of those practice sessions, about minus five degrees,” she said. “During the winter we had five months of snow and courts iced over. My dad had to put sand down so I didn’t slip on court. “There were big holes in the court and it was small. There wasn’t enough room to play behind the baseline so I played inside the court. “We’d practise between 9pm and midnight sometimes, then I’d do my homework in the car. That made me the person I am now.” That was not the only tough point in Bartoli’s life. She has endured a difficult relationship at times with her father, whom she ordered off court during a match at Wimbledon two years ago.

…As Quinzi takes junior title TALY’S Gianluigi Quinzi Isingles won the Wimbledon boys’ title after a hard-

Bartoli

fought final against South Korean Hyeon Chung. Sixth seed Quinzi, 17, beat Britain’s Kyle Edmund in the semi-finals to end hopes of a home finalist, and carried his form from that tussle into Sunday’s title match on Court One, which he won 7-5 7-6 (7/2). Unseeded Chung, also 17, dropped the opening set

despite breaking serve three times in it, as Quinzi claims four breaks. Both players substantially tightened up their service games in the second set, to the extent neither could break through even once, meaning they went to a tiebreak that Quinzi dominated to clinch the trophy. Previous winners of the junior title include Bjorn Borg, Ivan Lendl, Pat Cash, Stefan Edberg and Roger Federer.

THE GUARDIAN, Monday, July 8, 2013

TheGuardian

Monday, July 8, 2013

Conscience, Nurtured by Truth

By Goke Omolade HEN finally the roll of reckoning is made of W renascent Africa and by extension humanity at large, Rolihlahla Dalibhunga Nelson Mandela’s place will be so prominent and unassailable… lasting through the ages to come. Not because he is endowed with some superhuman capacities over and above the rest of mankind, after all he is a four-time-married-and-severaloccasions-bereaved man. Rather what has clearly singled him out of the league; from Africa to Europe, Asia to the Americas; the Caribbean to the Pacific is this norm of resoluteness and altruistic disposition to unyieldingly stand for what is right at all times. Not for this once -in- amillennium personage are those pedestrian art and skill of our modern-day politicians/fairweather demagogues. For Mandela, he who could not stand for something would irredeemably fall for anything. Way back the 1990s; upon his release from a 27year imprisonment and eventual assumption of the South African Presidency, rather than fall to the low level of the Kamuzu Bandas, Robert Mugabes, Jean Bokassas, Sani Abachas, Pol Pots who reveled in power thirst and crude sort while they lasted; the reverent Mandela is too cultured for the disease of power tenacity, orgy of kleptomania or cult personality disorder! Demonstrably, he offers himself as a magnet of peace/reconciliation to all shades of the South African Republic thereby disappointing the incurable cynics and critics who (needlessly) waited in the wings with their hypotheses that Mandela’s release/power ascension was a historical mistake. Ever receptive of eclectic ideas, Mandela initiated the Rainbow Ideal wherein typically the 1789 French Revolution principles of Equity, Justice and Liberty would sway and obviously mindful of his human limitations, right from inception he put in motion the process of incubating his successors by freely exposing them to the arena and perks of power which typical power wielders would tenaciously have personalised. It may not be out of tune to eulogise Mandela’s large-heartedness considering the rapprochement as well as reciprocity that widely prevailed during his four-year reign; because if it were for another person of another clime, the likes of Gashua Mangosutu Buthelezi’s, FW De Clerks would have been six feet deep in no time!. For, who such power perverts could not silence, they easily corrupted by all means possible and at worse they visited the non-compromising ones with premature death/made cross-national émigrés. Agreed, nothing monumental in human endeavour comes easy and herein lies the paradox and profoundity of the post-Mandela South Africa almost two decades after its independence. Surfing available data, macro-managing its economy has been on the high increase and its global reckoning has been on the widening cutting edge. Talk of its scientific and technological efforts, medical feats (its emergency room

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Retrospecting on Mandela’s legacy

Mandela services are reputed to be the world’s best), telecommunication (MTN et al), Digital Satellite Television (DStv) or even the successful hosting of the 2010 World Soccer Tournament. Indeed, the average South African was yet to be truly impacted by the somewhat esoteric statistics which arguably might have been because of inadequate mechanisms for even resource distribution; ageless ethnic conflicts, primordial sentiments. Aside from these vast and varied circumstances; the idiosyncrasies, vision, perception of each leader (in a broader sense) go a long way to determining the ultimate good/ goal of the socie-

ty. Up till date, South Africa has had three presidents (Mandela, Thabo Mbeki and Jacob Zuma) and each had his iconic influence. While Mandela was regarded as the father of the nation; Mbeki was perceived as an ideologue-hero and Zuma was taken as a businessminded technocrat. Barring any dislocation or unforeseen circumstances and if South Africa’s continually charted political path (since 1994) was to be followed; Cyril Ramaphosa would succeed Zuma as the next president. One basic reason is that despite the disaffections and complaints at large, the ruling African National Congress (ANC) is still heads and shoulders

over other political parties; communal, chauvinistic or related leanings, irrespective. As of now, there is no formidable political power; institutionalised or otherwise, that can withstand the ANC, in form or deeds and so long as it can rein in its ideologue-rebels, urban militants and understandably aggrieved proletariat so too would it remain relevant in South Africa’s realpolitik. But for how long, time would tell as nothing human lasts for aye. On a dispassionate note, now at his preparatory point of exiting this side of eternity, history would be magnanimous on his legacy given the confining time/realities he had to make his mark on the sand of memory and on this perspective, Mandela is his people’s hero(of all times). Reflecting on the world at large, what Otto von Bismarck was to wielding imperial Germany; George Washington/John Fitzgerald Kennedy to birthing/reigniting the United States was what Mandela was to modernising South Africa. Beyond mere wishes, Mandela either in legacy reckoning, institutionalised ethos or otherwise has readily reproduced himself. If America’s President Barack Obama/former President Bill Clinton could unashamedly confess Mandela as their iconic hero among his unsung but swelling admirers, it then implies that the very personage, charisma and belief ethics of Mandela would withstand the test and rigour of time. His entire embodiments would distinctly outlive the ephemeral personifications of power drunks of our present dispensation/ of yore. For the spiritually initiated, Mandela has already translated above the dark encumbrance of what happens to his hereafters because just as Saint Augustine was once quoted to have said: It is only those who had secured peace with their Creator who are tranquil indeed. If anything, the life and time of Mandela should be instructive cues for those who are at the pyramidal peak of societal positioning. Rather, what needs to be done is massive and relentless investment in developmental ideas which no sane nation or people can ill-advisedly afford to ignore. In fact, virtually on all issues, mankind has had cause to reference its first parentage of Adam/Eve because human originality essentially started with them and ever since everyone has been a reproduction of one person or another; pleasant or evil. Ditto, Mandela chose to be pleasantly good. In the illuminating power of these Mandela retrospection(s), the man from the land of Azania could take his bow from our present eternity to the next where his sunshine would never grow dim. For Mandela, fondly called Madiba as well as Tata; from Abuja to Abidjan; Cape Town to Cairo; New York to Nagasaki, Berlin to Buenos Aires, here is a heartfelt farewell to an endeared, beloved one whose place in history has already been secured in his lifetime. • Omolade wrote from Goshen Haven, Ifelodun Estate, off FUTA North Gate, Akure Email: gokeomolade@hotmail.com

These youths will change nothing By Rinsola Abiola N social media and indeed in the real world, O many of us have formed various groups calling for the participation of youths in politics. Many believe that the current crop of politicians are the bane of this country, and that if we are to move forward, then a government of youths, for youths, and by the youths must step in for sanity to be restored. The question is: How much of a solution is this? One needs not go far or speak with millions of Nigerian youths to know that the ‘undesirable’ traits which our leaders exhibit are even more prevalent among our youths, the much heralded saviours of our future. On social media platforms, divisive statements seem to be the norm. On an almost daily basis, many self-proclaimed ‘radicals’ and ‘revolutionaries’ bare their fangs and use ethnic slurs, take pleasure in tweeting against other faiths and setting adherents on a virtual collision course. Many of the so-called leaders of tomorrow are so averse to criticisms that one just wonders what kind of leaders they’ll actually grow to be. Then, those are still better off than another group altogether – the ones who are politically and socially dead, who are only concerned about pornography and sex and the latest entertainment news. Most of the youths in this latter category are not in any way concerned about how they are governed and would rather spend the rest of their lives in a club than actu-

ally gain some political knowledge and become involved in social projects. It is this alarmingly large group of youths that pose the biggest problem – how are we to harness the power inherent in our population statistics if some of us are just not willing to demand for and work towards a better country? How are we to prove that the youths truly are a force to be reckoned with if such a high number has no interest whatsoever in the political process? We are quick to notify the ‘old men in power’ that youths make up 70 per cent of the population, but just what proportion is actual-

ly with us? Gone are the days of true unionism; when students dictated to politicians, and they had no choice but to listen. Gone are the days when youths had true value; when they spoke with one voice and ensured that their demands were met, and fought for their rights irrespective of what the consequences might be. Gone are the days of true journalism; when the ethos of this noble profession were strictly adhered to and investigative journalism was not sacrificed shamelessly at the altar of sensationalism and the Almighty Dollar.

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 non-defamatory! 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’’. Also join our on-line conversation

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Editor: MARTINS

OLOJA

ABC (ISSN NO 0189-5125)

Today, most self-proclaimed activists put up a show to gain fame or become special advisers to various unscrupulous politicians. Today, SUG presidents would rather emulate those politicians who oppress us all by using sirens and travelling with convoys, than actually protect students’ rights. Today in Nigeria, a serving Youth Minister can single-handedly decide to impose his party’s candidate on a Council of Voluntary Youth Organisations. All these things happen because many of us have been bought, and those who haven’t been bought either live in ignorant bliss, or just have too much of a defeatist mentality to want to do anything about it. It is not unusual to hear the sad news of university students engaging in prostitution, online fraud, and even money rituals; they haven’t had access to public funds yet and have already shown clear signs of being desperate for money. Pray tell, if these ‘youths’ ascend the throne of leadership in the nearest future, will the looting of public funds end? The National Cake mentality is not restricted to the ‘old’ politicians alone; ask the average youth what he would do if he ever got a chance to rule, and he would tell you in very clear terms that he would ‘eat’ too. The question now is; could today’s youths truly change anything, and if the answer is ‘yes’, how do we go about setting ourselves and each other on the right path? • Abiola is an advocate for Youth Empowerment and Women’s Rights and a media consultant