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E D I T I O N

POLITICS 56

NEWSFEATURE 22

BUSINESS 42

NASS Scorecard: Clark Vs.

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All Motion, No Orubebe: To Movement Fight Finish

Lagos:

Two Faces Of How Nigeria Works Development For South Africa

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Vol. 29, No. 12,596

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SEC Beats NASS’ Embargo, Survives On Zero Budget • Shareholders Urge Harder Sanctions • Say Commission Not Moved By Lawmakers’ Action • It’s All Politics — Lawyer By Marcel Mbamalu (News Editor) Bridget Chiedu Onochie and Daka Terhemba (Abuja) HE zero-budget punishT ment meted out to the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) by the angered National Assembly (NASS) notwithstanding, a section of portfolio investors in the country want stiffer punishment for the capital market regulator, which, in a chat with The Guardian, they described as “busy body.” Surprisingly, National Coordinator of the Independent Shareholders Association of Nigeria (ISAN), Mr. Sunny Nwosu, said the “punishment” is ineffective, as the Commission was never on national budget and would continue to spend from its huge collections from capital market operators, including the stockbrokers. “The National Assembly never starved them of funds because SEC had never been on budget. What the National Assembly should have done to punish SEC is to tighten up the other areas they collect direct payment from operators,” Nwosu said. CONTINUED ON PAGE 2

Governor of Niger State, Dr Mu’azu Babangida Aliyu (left), Vice President, Namadi Sambo, former Head of State, Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar, Emir of Minna, Dr. Umar Faruk Hahago, and former Governor of Niger State, Abdulkadir Kure, during the wedding of Abubakar’s, daughter Fatima to Abdulazeez Adewale, at the Minna Central Mosque…yesterday.

NEWS 5

2015:Middle Belt Indigenes Berate ACF For Attacking Jonathan

From Saxone Akhaine, Atiku On Northern Bureau Chief Elders were, yesterHow To End AREWA day, berated for criticising some prominent PDP Crisis Northerners who expressed support for President Goodluck Jonathan’s 2015

CAN Condemns President Over Comments On Boko Haram Presidency. This came as members of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in the 19 Northern States and the Federal Capital Territory

(FCT), described, as unfortunate, Jonathan’s statement that Muslims were the major victims of the Boko Haram insurgency in the North. The Iponu Idoma, a socio –

cultural organisation of the Idoma nation, condemned what it described as a frontal attack on former military Governor of Katsina State, Major. Gen. Lawrence Onoja, and Second Republic Deputy CONTINUED ON PAGE 2

TheGuardian

2 | Sunday, June 23, 2013

Conscience, Nurtured by Truth

CAN Condemns Jonathan Over Comments On Boko Haram CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Senate President, Senator John Wash Pam, by the leadership of the northern Socio Cultural organisation, the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF). Addressing a press conference yesterday in Kaduna, Chairman of the Iponu Idoma, Mr. Oyinehi Inalegwu, said the Middle Belt is fed up with alleged systematic plots by the northern oligarchy to destroy the image of outstanding Middle Belt leaders, especially when elections are drawing near. “We take exception to the attacks on Senator Pam and Gen. Onoja by the ACF because they have refused to do the bidding of the Northern oligarchy that is always suppressing and marginalising northern minority groups. Chairman of the ACF, Alhaji Aliko Mohammed, had, during his remarks at the Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the forum which held recently in Kaduna, lashed out at Onoja and Pam both of who are members of the forum for endorsing President Goodluck Jonathan for a second term when South -South and Middle Belt leaders visited the President recently. Mohammed had also accused President Goodluck Jonathan for plotting a divideand-rule tactics against the North ahead of the 2015 elections. But the Idoma cultural organisation said the attacks on Onoja and Pam were

uncalled for, especially as both men have freedom of association as permitted by the Nigerian Constitution. Inalegwu accused the northern oligarchy of suppressing the political aspirations of the minority Northern groups, even as he maintained that the Hausa/Fulani, who have continued to use minority groups for their selfish political agenda, cause the division in the North. “When the ACF talk of Northern Presidential candidates, you only hear them mention names of Mohammadu Buhari, Ibrahim Babangida, Nasir El-rufai, Nuhu Ribadu, Ibrahim Shekarau, Sule Lamido, Atiku Abubakar, Musa Kwankwoso and so on; you don’t hear them mention names like T.Y Danjuma, Audu Ogbe, Solomon Lar, Dan Suleiman, Senator David Mark, yet they claimed that we are all northerners,” he said. “The ACF should leave Jonathan alone and look inward on the problems of the division in the North because the problem of the division is not caused by Jonathan. “The north had been divided a long time before Jonathan ventured into politics. Anybody who thinks the North is one united entity and Jonathan is using divide-and-rule against the region is either living in the moon or is dreaming. “Yakubu Gowon was run

down by this method they are using against Onojo and Pam. They glorify their own leaders who misrule this country, but they rubbish our leaders who refuse to allow themselves to be used for their selfish interest. “I am not speaking for Onoja and Wash Pam, but I think they are now beginning to realise

their mistakes and are retracing their steps from this group called ACF. “I hope that people like Mr. Anthony Sani, from Nasarawa State, who is the spokesman of the ACF will soon realise this fact and find his roots.” Meanwhile, Christians in the 19 Northern States, yesterday, described Jonathan’s recent

comments on the negative effects of the insurgency in the north as a veiled attempt to distort facts. President Jonathan was said to have been quoted as saying that the Islamic sect has killed more Muslims than Christians in the North. But, the spokesman of CAN in the 19 Northern States, Mr.

Sunday Oibe, said if the President actually made such assertion, then it would only be an effort to mislead. According to him, the purported statement is highly disappointing considering the fact that Christians and their churches and businesses have been the major targets of the Boko Haram terror group.

Five Killed In Ogun Robbery Attack By Gbenga Akinfenwa T least five people may have been killed and several others injured, after armed robbers invaded Onihale Community along the Lagos/Abeokuta Express Road in Ifo Local Government Area of Ogun State Friday night. The robbers, numbering 11, who stormed the community around 11pm in a Toyota Serena Car, targeted the Guinea Gold Filling station, killing three Vigilante officials and a local security guard on duty. A female attendant, Sade Ogundele was also killed by the robbers, who carted away money and valuables, the amount of which could not be ascertained. The robbers, stormed the

service station in a commando manner, shot sporadically to scare people away. Two of the robbers were reportedly stationed on the express road to intimidate motorists, while nine others went straight for the security men and killed them instantly. Sources revealed that all the vehicles buying fuel at that moment were raided and all the offices ransacked, while goods and money that could not be ascertained were looted. While the robbers were having a field day, an attempt to shoot a male staff who jumped over the fence of the service station after he was robbed, led to the death of the female attendant, who was hit straight in the head with AK 47 riffle.

The officials of Onihale Community Association (CDA) and residents who spoke with The Guardian narrated their experience, saying the whole community was in panic for the period the robbery attack lasted. They noted that the management of the service station had assisted the community since it came on board, adding that the incident is a great loss to the organisation. At the home of the slain attendant, Sade, a Celestial Church of Christ member (CCC), in Ilepa, a stone throw from the scene, family and friends of the diseased have been thrown into mourning, as at the time of leaving the scene, her body is being awaited from the mortuary. The State Police Public

Relations Officer (PPRO), Muyiwa Adejobi who spoke to The Guardian on phone confirmed the incident. He however, said only two Vigilante officials were killed and an attendant injured. He revealed that after the incident, Policemen attached to Onipanu unit intercepted the robbers and engaged them in a tough gun duel, which forced the robbers to flee with serious bullet wounds. “They abandoned the vehicle they snatched at the scene of the robbery. We have recovered the guns of the slain Vigilante men at the robbery scene, and over 260 empty shell of AK 47 ammunition were recovered, which showed the magnitude of the attack,” he said.

’SEC Not Worried By NASS’ Insistence On Zero Budget’ CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Accusing SEC of highhandedness, Nwosu said since the Commission had not been on national budgets before the current crisis, the lawmakers are only fighting to ensure they (NASS members) bring it under their control, a move, the chief shareholder said does not really ruffle SEC. “SEC is a busy body. They are not doing anything. They are creating more problems in the country. I have represented them on one of my projects saying they should put them on National Budget but they didn’t like it because they cannot freely use money the way they want. The National Assembly wanted to put SEC on national budget, they required SEC’s budget because of the pride of the Director-General. “The fact is that SEC prefers being independent of national budget. These people (the operators) can always pay penalty and it is paid straight to SEC. They are not even happy with SEC, it’s just because they are their regulator, they will always play deaf and dumb because of the impunity of the regulators,” Nwosu alleged. But SEC would rather keep mum than comment on the “delicate” matter. Asked to shed light on how it survives in the face of zero allocation, a senior official of the Commission said, although it has not been easy, SEC has managed to carry out its responsibility. When The Guardian called him on his mobile phone, the following conversion ensued: We just want to know how SEC carries on with this zero budget from NASS… Ah, my brother I cannot comment on that. The matter is beyond me. It is not easy for us but we are performing our responsibility. How do you get the money for all that you have been doing?

My brother I told you I will not like to comment on this. Bye. The issue of allocation for SEC is expected to form part of “issues on the table,” as NASS resumes from its two-week break to mark end of 2012/2013 legislative session on Tuesday. Indications are that debate will begin immediately on the 2013 Appropriation Amendment Bill, which President Goodluck Jonathan, had, in a letter addressed to the President of the Senate, Senator David Mark and Speaker, House of Representatives, Aminu Tambuwal, sought amendment to certain clauses in the 2013 Appropriation Act. One of the key issues highlighted for lawmakers’ consideration was the zero allocation for the regulating agency for Nigeria’s capital market - SEC. In a telephone conversation, Chuks Nwachukwu, a lawyer, yesterday, said politics, rather than law, is driving the whole issue. “This is all about politics, because the lawmakers passed a resolution saying that the woman (SEC DG) should go; but the Presidency does not respect that.” He, however, said the lawmakers’ action could cripple SEC as a statutory body charged with specific responsibility, which it must discharge. “So, refusing to appropriate funds to it means you are crippling it. Not allocating funds to it is abuse of power,” Nwachukwu stressed. “But I can understand the legislator,” he said on the contrary. “They are concerned that the board was not properly constituted. They say the head of the body should be relieved of her position.” Not only did the National Assembly refuse to appropriate money for SEC, it has also, under, Item 9, Part E, Clause 10 of the 2013 Appropriation Act, withheld the power of the Commission to spend any

money generated by it for either its Current or Capital Projects without the approval of the National Assembly. That part of the Appropriation Act says: “All revenue, however, described, including all fees received, fines, grants, budgetary provisions and all internally and externally generated revenue shall not be spent by the security and Exchange Commission for recurrent or capital purposes or for any other matters, nor liabilities thereon incurred except with prior appropriation and approval by the National Assembly”. Of course, President Goodluck Jonathan has not been comfortable with the National Assembly’s position on the SEC issue. Since the Commission’s allocation does not form part of the core budget, he believes the clause ought not to have been inserted in the Appropriation Act. The President, in his letter to NASS, said: “Considering the fact that the budget of the Securities and Exchange Commission does not form part of the core 2013 Federal Budget as presented to the National Assembly, I believe that this clause ought not to have been inserted in the 2013 Appropriation Act in the first place”. Jonathan also underscored the implication of the clause on the existence of the Commission. According to him, such decision is “tantamount to shutting down the business of the Commission with a potential negative impact on the capital market”. Although the Senate had earlier included SEC in its appropriation, it later succumbed to pressure from the lower chamber, whose stance on zero allocation to the Commission was not unconnected with the Presidency’s reluctance to sack the Director General of SEC, Ms Aruma Oteh, as requested by the House of Representatives.

Until debate commences on the 2013 Appropriation Act however, the Commission would have to rely on Senate’s earlier promise to consider its position in the spirit of ‘give and take’. Senate’s Committee Chairman on Information, Media and Public Affairs, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, had, in the heat of this face-off, told journalists that the decision to starve the Commission of funds in the 2013 budget was based on the report of the conference committee of both chambers. He said: “What happened was that there was a Conference Committee set up between the House and the Senate on the 2013 Appropriation and the result of the Conference Committee is what is in the 2013 budget. “Of course Mr. President indicated in the letter to the Senate and the House of Representatives that there are certain aspects of the 2013 budget which is already signed into law that he wants us to revisit and definitely, we are going to revisit those aspects. That is the process of give and take within government”. On the refusal of the Presidency to remove Oteh in accordance with the decision of the National Assembly, since 2012, Deputy Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Victor Ogene said, “ the House has not shifted grounds. Whatever happens now in SEC that is contrary to the position of the House is in breach of the law.” “At the appropriate time if it is discovered that funds are made available to SEC, contrary to the position of the House, it will amount to an illegality. The Appropriation Act cannot be breached; it is one of the most important Acts in any democracy. Action will be taken against whoever is responsible,” he stressed.

THE GUARDIAN, Sunday, June 23, 2013

4 NEWS

NEWS Ministry Probes NCAA, NAMA Over Kenyan Aircraft By Wole Shadare HE Ministry of Foreign Affairs has requested to know from the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) and the Nigeria Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) how a Kenyan aircraft ‘disguised’ and flew into the country with some deported Nigerians, last week. A top official from the Ministry, who preferred anonymity, said letters were written to the two agencies,

last week Thursday, with a view to know their level of culpability, if any, in the saga that has ruffled diplomatic feathers between Nigeria and Kenya. Consequently, the local aviation firm, which handled the aircraft, is also in serious trouble. Both NAMA and NCAA are yet to reply to the queries. Just last week, the trio of Oluwatosin Adebiyi, Chinedu Ifedigbo and Christoper Na-

NATIONAL lyelu were deported with Nigeria claiming that Nairobi flouted all known international law and diplomacy in deporting her citizens. The source told The Guardian yesterday that the Kenyan government brought a legislative order from their Minister of Interior to deport foreign nationals. He disclosed that in inter-

national law, the municipal law, which falls under the Kenya minister’s purview, must be domesticated in another country before that law can be binding on another country. He further noted that Nigeria and Kenya do not have bilateral agreement on immigration for Kenya’s legislative law to be binding on Nigeria. He said: “Based on this, they do not have the right to deport without recourse to proper

documentation from Nigeria’s High Commission in Nairobi. “Where you do not have valid passport, intending deportees are to be issued with Emergency Travel Certificate (ETC), which is a travel document to enable them to return to Nigeria.” According to him, the Nigerian government does not have problems with deportation of her nationals, but it must be done legally. .

Adoke Tasks Stakeholders In Housing Sector Over Manpower Deficits

NATIONAL HE Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mohammed Bello Adoke, yesterday, tasked stakeholders in the housing sector to brainstorm on manpower and technology deficits in land registries and cognate institutions with a view to complementing reform in the legal framework. He spoke as Guest of Honour at the 2013 Real Estate Lawyers Association of Nigeria (RELAN) National Summit, held at the Metropolitan Club, Victoria Island, Lagos. The Justice Minister, who was represented by his Special Assistant, Mrs. Victoria Mbu, said,”the current complicated procedures in our law courts and the unduly slow pace of proceedings cast a dim pall on the chances of achieving growth in these areas.

Judges Tasked On Lagos Court Of Arbitration Programme LAGOS HE Lagos Court of ArbitraT tion (LCA) has urged legal practitioners in Lagos State to

Governor Peter Obi (middle), with former Imo State Governor, Ikedi Ohakim (left), and widow of Prof. Celestine Onwuliri, Viola, who is the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs during the one-year Memorial Service of the Late Onwuliri, at the Federal University of Technology, Owerri... at the weekend.

FAAN, Bicourtney Trade Blames Over Violence At Lagos Airport By Wole Shadare OR the second time in two weeks, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria and its concessionaire, Bi-Courtney Aviation Services Limited, operator of the ultra modern MMA2 terminal are again embroiled in bitter feud over advertisement billboards placed by the latter. While FAAN claimed the firm had no right to place advertisements on its structures, BiCourtney said the Federal High Court, Lagos said it had right to do so. Again, while FAAN in a statement by its spokesman, Yakubu Dati accused BiCourney of using thugs to cause mayhem while placing its adverts, Bi-courtney on the other hand in a statement by its spokesman, Steve OmalaleAjulo, said officials of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) vandalised the advert billboards placed on the hotel project at the Mur-

Traffic Snarl As Crisis Deepens tala Muhammed Airport (MMA2) yesterday. According to him, “Besides, the agency’s officials with about 60 hired thugs invaded the premises of MMA2, where they assaulted the workers, damaged a video camera and seized many handsets belonging to the workers. They swooped on the billboard barely 15 minutes after it was reinstalled and vandalised it before taking it away in a van.” He alleged that they had earlier vandalised the same advert billboards on the hotel project and another on the pedestrian bridge on June 6, this year, despite a subsisting court order by Justice Stephen Adah of the Federal High Court, Ikeja Division, given on November 15, 2011.” Sources told reporters yesterday that FAAN officials stormed the site of the hotel

NATIONAL project in several vans, buses and a fire truck and once again pulled down the billboards, causing heavy traffic jam on Airport Road. “Angry that the action was being recorded on video camera and mobile phones, FAAN’s officials and their hired thugs pursued BASL’s workers they suspected were doing so into the premises of MMA2 and beat them up while attempting to seize their cameras and phones. “In the process, many of our workers were seriously injured, while a video camera belonging to BASL’s Communications Department was seized from the cameraman, damaged and taken away on the excuse that he was recording the vandalism of the billboards.

“They moved from the gate to the Cargo Shed of MMA2, where they assaulted many of the workers, who trooped out to witness FAAN’s show of shame, injuring them in the process. BASL officials reported the assault to the police yesterday.” It would be recalled that on November 15, 2011, in a case titled Bi-Courtney Limited vs. The Managing Director Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria and the Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria, the issue of FAAN’s right to pull down advertisements installed by BiCourtney came before the Federal High Court for resolution. In a comprehensive judgment delivered by Justice Stephen Jonah Adah, the court decided that under the agreement, FAAN had no right whatsoever to take laws into its own hands. If there are any dispute between FAAN and Bi-Courtney, this dispute must be resolved by arbitration in accordance with Article 22 of

the concession agreement. His Lordship specifically held that: ‘The sum of it is whether the defendants can in any dispute relating to the concession agreement take action to resolve disputes without resorting to Article 22 of the said agreement for dispute resolution mechanism. It is obvious in the light of the said agreement that the defendant cannot so act … It is ordered also in consequence of this that the parties should refer their dispute for amicable settlement as prescribed by their agreement.’ FAAN and Bi-Courtney have been in constant dispute over the concession agreement. Judgment was resolved in favour of Bi-Courtney. In 2009, the Federal High Court sitting at Abuja ordered the Federal Government of Nigeria and FAAN to hand over the General Aviation Terminal to Bi-Courtney in Suit No. FHC/ABJ/CS/50/2009 delivered on March 3, 2009.

Adeboye Dedicates Mega Auditorium In United States From Laolu Akande, Dallas IGERIA’S image got a big N boost in Dallas, as a leading Nigerian church dedicated a multi-million dollar facility, which is expected to become one of the biggest public event centers in the country at completion. Pastor E. A. Adeboye, the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God dedicated the first phase of an RCCG auditorium, which can seat 10,000, in Greenville, off Dallas in the state of Texas, where the church’s headquar-

ters in North America is based. Called the Welcome/Pavilion Centre, Pastor Adeboye thanked God for the success of the project, and prayed that when people visit the camp, they will find solutions to any challenges they face. The news of the dedication is being celebrated in several U.S. media outlets, including Dallas Morning News, the leading newspaper in Dallas, Wall Street Journal Online, Greenville Herald Banner and about 100 other U.S. media outlets. The focus on the building is

INTERNATIONAL partly because it is expected on completion to become bigger than the current biggest public event facility in Dallas, the Dallas Cow Boy Stadium, which seats about 80,000. Besides, the construction of the auditorium was accomplished in one year. According to Pastor James Fadele, the Chairman of the RCCG in North America, RCCGNA, the auditorium will seat one million people when eventually completed. Earlier plans were to build

the facility to seat 100,000, but at the dedication last Wednesday, Fadele, the former Senior Ford Design Engineer and US business owner announced that the church would now proceed to turn the auditorium into a 1,000,000-seater facility. In a story titled, “Redeemed Christian Church of God dedicates $15.5 million Pavilion Center”, the Dallas Morning News in its report earlier this week described the project as another proof of the RCCG North America’s “ever expanding Redemption Camp.”

Narrating how the location was selected, the paper, which is among the top ten U.S. dailies, added, “It was on a drive to Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport that the Holy Spirit revealed his plans to Pastor E. A. Adeboye. The Dallas-Fort Worth area, he was told, would become the North American headquarters of the Redeemed Christian Church of God. That was about 25 years ago, church officials said, when the Pentecostal Holiness denomination, based in Nigeria, did not have any churches in the U.S.”

take advantage of the promotional membership rate and join the LCA membership programme, developed to focus interest on knowledge and educate individuals interested in commercial arbitration and Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR). This assertion was made by the Executive Secretary/Chief Executive Officer of the Lagos Court of Arbitration, Ms Megha Joshi, during the second edition of judges’ training in Lagos. According to Joshi, the benefits of LCA membership are numerous, in line with the growth of the institution.”

Hello! Magazine Extends Publishing Franchise To Nigeria INTERNATIONAL FRICANS will soon be treated to an era of noble celebrity and lifestyle journalism, as the Spanish Hello! magazine has extended its publishing franchise to True Tales Publications (TTPL), Nigeria’s fashion and lifestyle magazine publishing house, based in Lekki Lagos. The franchise enables True Tales Publications to exclusively publish and distribute Hello Nigeria across the West African countries of: Nigeria, Ghana, Liberia, Sierra-Leone and Gambia. In a letter signed by the international Operations Manager, Hello! & Ihola, Mr. Anthony Luke, he welcomed True Tales Publications into the Hello! family, affirming that the partnership will be a long and fruitful one, “bringing to Nigeria and West Africa a unique publication that is famous, the world over, for its extraordinary, first-class and tasteful coverage of celebrity news.”

THE GUARDIAN, Sunday June 23, 2013

NEWS

NEWS How To Bring About Real Reconciliation In PDP — Atiku EWSPAPERS nationN wide recently reported that President Goodluck Jonathan had succumbed to pressure from aides to establish a committee that would work to intervene and resolve the crises of confidence rocking the leadership of the People’s Democratic Party. According to these reports, the President’s aides were concerned over the implications of the PDP’s internal crises and Jonathan’s undisclosed future plans. As the current head of state and a leader of the party it is incumbent upon President Jonathan to permit the establishment of a nonpartisan committee that will have the authority and autonomy to devise the appropriate strategy to resolve the ongoing turmoil once and for all and rescue the PDP from extinction. As one of the founding fa-

thers of the PDP I cannot afford to be indifferent to these regretful developments with in my party. The escalation of sectarian and tribal threats over the up-coming election is embarrassing and has only diverted the focus of the PDP from the welfare of the Nigerian people. At the outset, our idea was to establish a party committed to democratic values that were greater than the individual and accountable to the people. Any deviation from the PDP’s founding principles will result in the party losing domestic and international credibility as the guardian of democracy in Nigeria. If the special committee established by the President to address the current crisis does not include representatives from the PDP’s various factions as well as the found-

NATIONAL ing fathers, it will fail to create a sustainable solution. The task of rebuilding the PDP is urgent and we cannot afford to stand akimbo while the democratic foundation of the ruling party is disintegrating. Any group or persons charged with the responsibility to rescue the PDP should be able to freely and objectively explore all options to resolve the crisis without the imposition of a single individual. If the President’s committee does not seek to include the voices of the founding fathers and other independentminded members of the party, it will be unable to maintain the impartiality required to address the considerable task before them. Most Nigerians perceive the PDP as a party that does not respect the provision of

its own constitution. The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is c u r r e n t l y investigating the PDP leadership for failure to abide by the provisions of the PDP constitution. The INEC claims that the PDP failed to hold free and transparent elections when selecting members of the National Working Committee. Worse still, the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the party has not been meeting as required by the PDP Constitution. Whim and caprice has replaced the governing laws of the PDP Constitution. Dr. Ekwueme and Gen. Nwachukwu have done a good job of restoring the PDP to its original democratic glory. Ekwueme and Nwachukwu’s c ommittee members sacrificed their time and energy to help the party with con-

structive and viable solutions that can help the party move forward. It is curious to many of us why the party leadership lacks the moral courage to implement those recommendations. Can impunity and imposition ultimately replace the will of the people? In the words of George Washington, one of America’s founding fathers, “No man is good enough to govern another without his consent.” There has to be a better way. As a stakeholder and a founding member of the PDP, I call on other PDP elders to join hands in pulling the party out of this needless crisis. It is time that we restore the sanctity of the PDP Constitution and remind ourselves and all of Nigeria as to what the PDP stands for – democracy and a better future for the Nigerian people. I call on President

Jonathan to concentrate his energies and time on governing the country, where turmoil abounds, and remove himself from any direct affiliation with the resolution to the crisis. The President has no business setting up any committee on party matters when his interests are widely believed to be central to the ongoing acrimony within the party. It is therefore imperative that we establish an independent committee comprised of founding members of the PDP, independentminded party members, and representatives of the various factions to create a lasting solution to the crises at hand. This task is urgent and the party can ill afford to play the ostrich in the face of political challenges from the opposition parties.

Danjuma Tasks Elite On Quality Leadership NATIONAL From Saxone Akhaine (Northern Bureau Chief) and Bashir Bello (Kaduna) ORMER Defence Minister, Fjuma, General Theophilus Dansays absence of quality

CEO, Ultima Multimedia Studios, Femi Ayeni (left); former Executive Director, Nigeria Television Authority, Peter Igho; Director General, Nigeria Broadcasting Commission, Prince Emeka Mba and John Ugbe at a cocktail dinner in honour of Mr. Mba in Lagos. PHOTO BY CHARLES OKOLO

NIMASA, NLNG Trade Blames, As Agency Serves Detention Order On Vessels By Taiwo Hassan AST night, two of Nigeria’s Lganisations economically-strategic or— the Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG) and the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety

Agency (NIMASA) — which have, in recent weeks, trod the path of war, went bank to their trenches, blaming each other for alleged interception of vessels on the waterways. NIMASA said it has served detention notices/orders on ves-

FAAN Reclaims Airport Land, Releases Outstanding Staff Promotions HEFederal Airports AuthorT ity of Nigeria (FAAN), at the weekend, said it has reclaimed the airport land in protracted dispute between the Authority and AIC Ltd for the construction of a hotel complex at the Murtala Muhammed Airport Ikeja. This, according to a statement issued by its General Manager, Corporate Communications, Yakubu Dati, was sequel to a judgment delivered in favour of FAAN by the Federal High Court in Lagos on June 19, 2013. Presiding, Justice Buba, who consolidated suits numbers

NATIONAL FHC/L/906/2010 FAAN Vs A.I.C. Ltd, FHC/L/CS/1058/2010 A.I.C. Ltd Vs FAAN, and FHC/L/CS/1239/2010 AIC Ltd Vs FAAN, ruled that the Arbitral tribunal, which had awarded AIC Ltd the sum of $48, 124, 000, miss-conducted itself and went outside its jurisdiction in rendering the final award between the parties on June 1, 2010. He, therefore, declared that the final award null and void and set it aside.

NATIONAL sels belonging to/chartered by the NLNG, in enforcement of Nigerian laws. A statement issued yesterday by the Deputy Director/ Head Public Relations of the agency, Mr. Isichei Osamgbi, insisted that “this course of action was forced on NIMASA by the NLNG’s subsequent refusal or/and failure to abide by the outcome of the negotiated settlement arrived at through the mediation process it willingly instigated and subscribed to, after reaching agreement with NIMASA on its outstanding debt and paying US$20m out of it and its continued flagrant disregard for Nigerian laws.” NIMASA said, contrary to NLNG’s position, it is not aware of any court order or any suit brought by NLNG against it. “By its action, the NLNG has trivialised the mediation process and the position of the Federal Government of

Nigeria whose Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation owns and holds 49 per cent of the shares in NLNG and which endorsed the agreement reached that NLNG should pay its taxes/levies and observe all its obligations under the laws of Nigeria in which it is operating, the statement signed by Isichei stressed. Meanwhile, NLNG alleged that two NIMASA boats, with 15 naval officers on board, ordered that the further sailing of its vessel, LNG Imo, and one chartered vessel, Torm Thames, remain at NLNG’s loading bay, while another NLNG Vessel, LNG Oyo, remains outside the Bonny Channel until further notice late Friday evening. NLNG alleged that NIMASA subsequently issued Ship Detention Orders on 22nd June 2013, specifically detaining three NLNG ships (LNG Enugu, LNG Oyo, LNG Imo) and barring them from accessing or leaving the com-

pany’s loading bay. According to a press statement signed by NLNG’s General Manager, External Relations, Kudo Eresia-Eke, NIMASA’s action contravened the Federal High Court in Lagos decision restraining the maritime administration agency from interfering in the NLNG operations. “These developments are in flagrant disregard of the court injunction issued by the Federal High Court in Lagos in Suit No FHC/L/CS/847/2013 by Honorable Justice M.B. Idris, presiding, on Tuesday 18th June 2013, against the Attorney General of the Federation, Global West, and any other parties including Nigerian Maritime and Safety Agency, NIMASA, from imposing any charges or taking any steps to block, detain or prevent access by the company’s owned or chartered vessels, whether inbound or outbound from Bonny channel or elsewhere in Nigeria,” Erasia-Eke said.

leadership has been the bane of the country’s socio-economic and political development. He said change would only come when patriotic individuals are involved in leadership. He made the statement yesterday at his turbaning as Jarmai of Zauzau by the Emir of Zauzau, Dr. Shehu Idris, in Zaria. Lamenting the country’s socio-economic and political ills, the retired Army General said: “Our society and economy are in tatters. In a highly competitive world, our children are missing out in getting qualitative and functional education. The masses are chained down in dehumanising and grinding poverty while we continue to maintain few islands of false prosperity in a turbulent ocean of penury and squalor. There cannot be peace and harmony where there is wide disparity between the few rich and multitude poor.” Stressing on the problem of leadership in the country, Danjuma noted: “Nigeria, and indeed northern Nigeria, has never been in short supply of politicians scheming and screaming for due and undue advantages, pointing out that what has been in short supply are patriotic elder statesmen, who would use their experience and wisdom to give the nation a clear sense of purpose and direction.” He said, “when elders become decadent, the youths are bound to become delinquents. Our people are confused and perplex, they have become like flock scattered on many hills without a shepherd, which is a clear indication of leadership failure. “We urgently need to put our house in order so that we can overcome our various challenges. This is the time for elders to be circumspect and temperate in their utterances,” he said.

6 Sunday, June 23, 2013

TheGuardian Conscience, Nurtured by Truth

Cityfile Enugu

A portion of the road washed oﬀ by rains.

Rains Worsen Enugu-Abakaliki Highway From Leo Sobechi, Abakaliki HEN the federal government in 2011 awarded the contract for the rehabilitation of the Enugu-Abakaliki expressway, many people, especially commuters using the interstate road, heaved a sigh of relief. The contractors handling the job, Setraco Nigeria Limited, moved to site amid fanfare in February 2012. The Enugu end of the road has been successfully given a face-lift, leaving the Abakaliki axis, which unarguably represents the worst section of the expressway. As the heavens bring down rains, a lot of people, faced with the elongation of the nightmarish despoliation of the road, wonder why the company did not start its rehabilitation work from both Enugu and Abakaliki ends of the road simultaneously, so as to beat the wet season. On a daily basis, vehicles break down on the road in their numbers such that currently it takes close to three hours to access Abakaliki from Enugu, a journey that ordinarily ought not to last more than 45 minutes. The contractor has given March 2014 as the completion date for the road. But pain and anguish obliterates that promise as commuters continue to experience pains and trauma from the ever busy road. The State Commissioner for Works and Transport, Mr. Chukwuma Nwandugo, told The Guardian that being part of the Lagos-Mombassa trans-African high way, the road witnesses high volume of traffic daily pointing out that so much double axel trucks laden with cattle, cement, oil, stones ply the road. Nwandugo, a member of the Nigeria Society of Engineers, (MNSE) explained that it was based on that specific consideration of the road’s importance to the state that it begun the dualisation of a portion on it three years back, adding that not less than N12 billion has been spent on the project. Fielding questions in his office, the commissioner disclosed that the state government decided to approach SETRACO with a view to reaching an understanding over the close to

12.5 kilometres it has dualised out of the transAfrican highway. Nwandugo stated that instead of waiting for the federal government to reimburse the state government for the work done on the road, it saw wisdom in discussing with SETRACO, since the company was awarded the rehabilitation of the road. “What we are laying out is for SETRACO to dualise a portion of the road from the main gate of the permanent site of Ebonyi State University to the where the state government started dualising the expressway a little before the State Secretariat of Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP),” he remarked, saying that the design for the road was yet to undertaken. However the Southeast Area manager of SETRACO, Mr. Wad Sauav, told The Guardian that his company has advanced up to 11 kilometres within Ebonyi State at Ezillo, regretting that the major challenges the company is encoun-

tering is the increasing intensity of the rains. And reacting to concerns raised by commuters, as to when the company would get into the very bad portions within the Ebonyi stretch of the road, the Area Manager noted, “when you start a project from a point, you continue until the end of the project,” assuring that before March 2014, they would round up the job. He said: “We are at eleven kilometres within Ebonyi State, exactly at Ezillo. We are planning to move ahead; the only problem we are facing is the rain but I am assuring you that before March 2014, we would round off the job. It is our contract and we are taking it seriously, we are fulfilling our promises. “I am still saying this road is very critical due to the heavy traffic and the type of soil we are encountering; let us do a good job and everybody will be happy. In less than six or seven months, people would start enjoying the road. We are doing our best.”

On the observation by some residents of Ebonyi that the company ought to have started simultaneously from both the Enugu and Ebonyi ends of the road to avoid the challenge of rain, he noted: “If you start from the beginning, the people at the end will cry; if you start at the end the people at the beginning will cry; and if you start from the middle the people at the ends will cry. But there is a systematic method to do any construction work. You cannot just divide yourself into so many pieces and do the job anyhow; there is a scope of work to be done.” He dismissed the allegations by some road users that the thickness of the stone base within the Ebonyi axis is less than those at the Enugu portion. Wad said, “People can say anything, but let them go and do the test; only eyewitness and investigation can answer that question.”

THE GUARDIAN, Sunday, June 23, 2013

CITYFILE

Four Weeks On, Residents Await Promised Buses Abuja

Bus conductors calling for passengers in Abuja.

From Itunu Ajayi, Abuja ESIDENTS of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, might continue to experience pain, unless the Bala Mohammed-led administration makes good its promise to provide high capacity buses. The authorities, January this year, announced a three-week respite to commercial buses (popularly called Araba), after which they would be phased out. Dauda, a driver who plies Mararaba/ Wuse route alleged that each bus operator was made to pay gratification in the sum of N20,000, to appease persons in charge of enforcing the phase-out order and buy more time. The enforcement started four weeks ago. By

PHOTO: BLUEPRINTNG.COM

the administration’s promise, the new buses should have arrived and people would not face hardship on their way to work. Sadly, when residents woke up on Monday, June 3, there were no high capacity buses in sight, except for the old El-Rufai versions they had been accustomed to. These are, however, insufficient to meet the needs of the Abuja populace. As a result, many were forced to walk unenviable distances. The FCT minister said the plan was to restrict Araba to satellite towns. They would pick passengers to designated spots, from where the high capacity buses would convey them to the city centre. But the dilemma of residents is: operators of Araba have fled, unwilling to have their vehicles impounded. But the proposed government’s palliative is nowhere in sight.

From Mararaba to Nyanyan, Idu Karmo, Airport Road and the Lugbe axis, scores of people were seen the day the enforcement began. They wore long faces and waited endlessly for the insufficient El-Rufai buses. People in Mararaba had a tougher deal. The El-Rufai buses did not appear. A few Araba conveyed people to Nyanyan at N100, as against the usual N50. From Nyanyan, the limited ElRufai buses picked commuters at N70 to the Federal Secretariat/ Wuse market, as against N50. The El-Rufai buses were overloaded with standing passengers outnumbering seated ones. People who spoke to The Guardian voiced their bitterness and frustration at having to walk long distances. The thought of going to

and fro places of work has suddenly become frightening. Justina Ibe, a resident, said: “I knew it would turn out this way. No one has noticed any new bus being driven into the FCT in the past week, yet they want us to take them seriously, that we would have high capacity buses to take us to our destinations this morning. It does not work that way. “It is unfortunate that government had lost so much credibility; when they announce anything, citizens just find it difficult to believe them. If the new buses are not ready, why force the functioning alternative off the road?” On the day the enforcement commenced, spokesman for the FCT Minister, Nosike Ogbuenyi, pleaded with residents to exercise patience, saying that with time, the impact of the good intention of his boss would be felt. He said that the ongoing metropolitan rail project is part of plans the FCT is packaging to make Abuja a modern city and enhance transportation. He added that the eradication of Araba is for the benefit of the citizenry. Joseph Akosile, a resident, said: “Everybody knows the government of the FCT is a failure. What we are seeing here is their inability to project and know when a particular policy should be implemented. For God’s sake, if these buses are not ready, why subject people to this kind of hardship? “Well, they don’t have any stakes; their children don’t go to school by commercial buses; that is if they even school in Nigeria. Their wives are at home in air-conditioned apartments, with maids running their errands. So, you see, they don’t have any stake. Shouldn’t they wait until an alternative transport system is put in place before phasing out commercial buses? It was, however, opportunity for private car owners and taxi drivers to make money. These operators now run Jabi/Airport Road to Berger Bus stop, usually the premise of Araba and tricycles. Passengers have complained, though, that taxis carry four people at the rear seat, instead of three, and thereby cause discomfort. The operators, on their part, argue that it is a better deal, at N50, than having to trek ridiculous distances. “The drivers are reasonable. If they charge N100, what could we do? Some other people would have exploited the situation unfairly. But we pray they don’t hold a union meeting and change their minds,” said Abdullahi, a resident. According to Betty James: “My concern is security. What would these Araba operators now do for a living? Don’t forget majority of them are touts; they could take to crime. Can they rob Bala Mohammed’s house? It is still the ordinary people that would face the consequences of government’s actions and inactions.”

Lagos Inaugurates LSPWC Paving Stones Unit Honours 17 Former SSGs, HOSs, Perm.Secs, Others By Tunde Alao and Kamal Tayo Oropo AGOS State government has set up a paving stone departLLocated ment to meet the challenges of maintaining its roads. at the premises of the Lagos State Public Works Corporation (LSPWC), the factory was commissioned by Governor Babatunde Fashola, last week. The state at the weekend also honoured the contribution and selflessness of some 17 former Secretaries to the State Government, Heads of Service and Permanent Secretaries in the Lagos State Public Service. Also, 30 Engineers of the State Public Service who were members of the Project Team that supervised the construction of the Lekki-Ikoyi Link Bridge were also recognised for their diligence and commitment to infrastructural development in the state. Fashola said that in an effort to maximise quality and cost effectiveness of its operations, the government decided to move a step further by looking inwards, leading ultimately to setting up of its paving stone manufacturing unit. “Since the commencement of the in-house manufacturing of the paving stones in April 2013, a number of benefits have immediately become obvious. These include: better and effective quality control on each paving stone used on our roads; consistent and recommended compressive strength achieved; significant cost reduction in our paving stone operations; 55 per cent reduction in cost and provision of jobs.” The machine has an installed capacity of 6500 stones per 8hour day, with about 5000 paving stones currently produced

Governor Fashola, ﬂanked by LSPWC oﬃcials, at the inauguration.

daily in order to meet requirements for road repairs in the state. At the commemoration of the year 2013 Public Service Week, the Head of Service, Mr. Adesegun Ogunlewe, said the recognition for the elder statesmen is meant to appreciate them as enigmatic pathfinders who laid solid foundation for the development of the state. He said it is the foundation laid by these elder statesmen that other successive administrations built on, which makes the Lagos State Public Service to attain and sustain the enviable status of best Public Service in the Federation. He, however, stressed that regrettably, they left without the funfair that is today’s signpost of exit for officers who serve

meritoriously. While reeling out the contributions of the awardees to the socio-economic and political development of the State, Mr. Ogunlewe described them as leaders worthy of emulation and expressed the appreciation of all public servants to them for laying solid foundation. Responding, Dr. Julius Idowu Akindele, on behalf of other recipients, thanked the state government for the recognition and honour. The highlight of the event was the presentation of certificates, plaques and gift items to the elder statesmen.

THE GUARDIAN, Sunday, June 23, 2013

CITYFILE

Okada riders protesting the ban on use of motorcylces in Benin.

Okada Ban: Reactions Trail Gov’s Broken Promise From Alemma-Ozioruva Aliu (Benin) PLASHED on its official website and dated March 6, 2012 is SGov’.the headline (if it is still there): ‘Edo won’t ban Okada, says “As long as I remain the governor, Okada will never be banned in Edo State. I agree that there are some people who have committed crimes using motorcycles. But that does not mean every motorcycle rider is a criminal. After all, some kidnappers have used taxis and even jeeps, and we have not banned taxis and jeeps. To me, crime fighting and crime prevention does not require banning Okada,” said the governor. Oshiomhole had made the promise when the Chairman of Okada Union in the state, Mr. Peter Adoroh, and his men paid a solidarity visit to “assure the governor of their total support for him in the forthcoming elections.” And in a bid to seal the relationship, the Okada riders “thereafter honoured and decorated” an all-smiling Oshiomhole as “Grand Patron of Okada Riders in the state”. But months into the love affair, Governor Oshiomhole doesn’t think his other half is as beautiful and sensuous as she once looked, especially when the honey teats of electoral votes have been sucked dry. But why make the vow in the first instance? Rising from a State Security Council meeting on June 11, 2013, the governor announced that beginning Monday, June 17, use

of motorcycles would be prohibited in the Local Government Areas of Ikpoba Okha, Oredo and Egor, which constitute Benin metropolis. Many thought the pronouncement could not be true. They began to think differently when it was followed by repeated statewide broadcast, with the government saying the directive is a bitter but inevitable pill that has to be swallowed in the interest of public health and security. The governor gave assurance that a palliative measure would be put in place with provision of more Comrade buses to ease movement of persons in the affected areas. Unlike other states where private motorcycle owners are allowed to operate, Oshiomhole warned that all, including tricycle operators, are banned. Expectedly, Okada riders staged peaceful protests following the announcement. They called on the governor to have a rethink or give them time to prepare for resultant challenges. But there was also violent outburst. Spare part traders, along Forestry Road, attacked officials of the Edo State Traffic Management Agency (EDSTMA) and their Head of Operations, Amadin Owas, as they tried to impound a motorcycle said to belong to a soldier. The traders pelted the officials with stones and smashed the windscreen of Amadin’s official vehicle. Three traders were arrested. Meanwhile, commercial drivers have continued to smile. Dis-

tances, which attracted about N40, now cost as much as N70. Also, drivers, ingeniously, trim the distances they cover. Ring Road to Third Junction by Upper Sokpomba, which used to be N50, now costs N70, because the divers go halfway, charge N40 per passenger, and proceed on the other half at an additional cost of N30. Investigation also shows that there has been a jump in demand for bicycles and in their prices, as residents pursue alternatives. A bicycle that sold for N10,000 now costs between N14,000 and N16,000. Many commercial motorcyclists have also relocated to areas of the state not affected by the ban. Defending the measure, Edo State Deputy Governor, Pius Odubu, said: “Security reports every day indicated that people use Okada to perpetrate crime. A decision has to be made. The governor has since met with the leadership of Okada riders, and I am aware that palliatives will be delivered in the shortest possible time. “It was a painful decision tot ake, but part of the responsibility of leadership is take, some times, very difficult decision, provided such decision is in the interest of the vast majority of the people.” Chairman of the state’s War Against Indiscipline (WAI), Olu Konga, told newsmen in Benin City that there was about 85 per cent compliance by civilians, the police and other paramilitary agencies, except army personnel.

Legislating On Private Jets? of five private aircraft parked at the Abuja Airport. They have not been flying in weeks. We understand that the owners are in recess but these air machines are obstacles to free flow of traffic here, even as their parking charges remain unpaid. Mr. President is mid-air and will be descending soon. (No answer still) Mystery Announcer: Available information suggests that these aircraft belong to senior distinguished and honourables, especially the crème of their leadership. Kindly let them fly or take them away. Don’t take them to the streets of Abuja without a guarantee that you will avoid the prying eyes of the press — we don’t want a repeat of the Lagos drama.

YSTERY Announcer: Attention please! Owners of private jets M scattered on the Tarmac of the Abuja Airport should please remove them for Executive landing. The President is air-borne and will be touching down at the Airport in a matter of minutes. (No Answer) Mystery Announcer: This is the final announcement for the removal

Leadership of Lie-makers: Where do you want us to take them? Don’t you know they aid our oversight functions? Have you asked the executive to remove all the jets belonging to some of their cronies at the Lagos Airport? Very soon (when some of our members resume from recess), we shall begin constituency and oversight tours of projects, especially power. We want to probe a new churchgift project in Otueke and the private jets will come in handy; we want to monitor projects in riverine areas; and we don’t mind landing on the waters. This is the interesting “mystery” altercation at the Abuja Airport last week, which raises what Nigerian “headline journal-

ists” would call, serious “posers.” But CC wonders why the mystery announcer would dare the lawmakers, who have the power of appropriation. What if they decide that the airports go on zero budget, until the so-called mystery announcer is fired? But come to think of it! The mystery announcer merely appears to be drawing attention to the big log in the eyes of our distinguished honourable lawmakers, who ironically spend ample time trying to remove the speck in Executive Oga’s eyes. She simply calls attention to the new love our “whistle-blowers” find in private jets, which now liter the Abuja Airport on their accounts. Wait a minute! Where, in the hell, did they find money for these beautiful air birds? Is it from jumbo allowances? Constituency projects? Probe allowances? Too bad, there is no one with superior oversight functions to query all of these. May be, high cost of governance will, someday, do. In the meantime, Good luck lie-makers!

THE GUARDIAN, Sunday, June 23, 2013

CITYFILE By Gbenga Akinfenwa INCE the Federal Ministry of Works, SAgency through the Federal Road Maintenance (FERMA), took over the rehabilitation of the Lagos/Abeokuta Expressway, the condition of the road has worsened. The much-hyped emergency intervention tagged: ‘Operation Zero Potholes Programme’ of FERMA is a total failure on the axis. There are fears the ever-busy road could become a no-go area for motorists. The attention of Works Minister, Mike Onolememen and his Information counterpart, Labaran Maku, has been drawn to the poor state of the road with no respite in sight for road users. Horrible potholes exist from Ile-Zik, Around Ikeja, through Iyana-Ipaja, Ile-Epo/Oja, Ijaiye to the Toll Gate, resulting in traffic gridlock and loss of valuable man-hours. When FERMA boss in Ogun State, Alexander Mazoya, was contacted on phone, he confirmed to The Guardian that the agency is handling the ongoing works through a contractor. Mazoya said that what is being applied to the road is stone base and boulder sand. He declined further questions, saying that he was in a meeting. At the first quarter of 2013, the agency made pretence at rehabilitating bad spots. This was after Julius Berger Plc, the contractor

Commuters Lament Misery On LagosAbeokuta Road handling the dualisation of the road, was forced to abandon it, on account of the Federal Government’s failure to fulfil its contractual obligation. When FERMA started, road users expressed anger at how the agency could use manual labour to effect repairs on a Trunk-A road. Following the onset of rains, the ‘repaired’ portions have been washed off, and traffic jam has been the order of the day. Iyana-Ilogbo, through Owode, Joju, Sango Motor Park, Toll Gate, Alakuko, Ijaiye, Adura, Abule Egba, Super, Ile-Epo/Oja, Iyana-Ipaja to Dopemu, among others, have failed portions; a constant nightmare to motorists. Worst hit is opposite Sango Motor Park, Iyana-Ilogbo, Super and Adura bus stop. The spot at Sango has three crater-like holes, side by side. Commuters and motorists have a terrible experience on the route. A trip from Oshodi to Sango, which ordinarily shouldn’t be more than 30 minutes, now lasts more than two hours.

Apparently confused about possible ways to repairing the road, FERMA, last week, began to place rocks and sharp stones. This has, however, compounded the woes of road users, who have begun to count their losses. The Guardian learnt that several tyres have burst and crankshafts have been damaged. Pedestrians have also suffered injury, as a result of the stones. A transporter, Mr. Joseph Oyewo, said the stones are so big and harmful to vehicles. He said that though the agency put sand to reduce the effect of the stones, this would not solve the problem. “It is not ideal at all for a Federal road. We’ve always advised that FERMA should work during the dry season, but they always wait for the rains. What they are doing has been washed away. It would have been a smooth work during the dry season. Mr. Adeoye Razak, a newspaper vendor, lamented: “We don’t have a government; we don’t have a Ministry of Works; our government is useless. This is a major road, which

leads to other parts of the country; it is not a street road. The Ministry of Works should be scrapped and expatriates from South Africa invited to take over the job.” Razak alleged that the reason President Jonathan is not paying attention to the area is because former President Olusegun Obasanjo refused to fix the road while he was in office. According to Dr. Ebenezer Meshida, a geologist from the University of Lagos, the application of stone base is wrong and dangerous. He said the rock would sink and when rain falls and it would burst tyres. “The people doing it are not experts; they don’t know what road engineering is all about. They are uneducated experts,” he said. When the winner of the 2008 edition of the Nigerian Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG) Prize for science was asked if road users could sue FERMA, for the shoddy job, he explained that government or any agency could not be sued according to the constitution. According to him, that is the reason they get away with all the “rubbish in the society”.

Bad spots along the Lagos-Abeokuta Expressway. By Adidi Uyo

HERE are different types of definition, and the one I like to apply, first, to the term “collocation” is that of illustration. Unless language is your forte, you may not be conscious of this fact, but any time you see the word “resources” in a piece of writing or hear it spoken, certain words usually accompany it. To illustrate, let me give a sentence and ask you to supply the last word, which has been omitted: “The Minister of Economic Planning never fails to remind us that the nation’s resources are ….” You need not be an economist or a student of economics to complete that sentence, and the probability is quite high that you must have done so with either “limited” or “scarce.” That’s right: It is a fact of life that the resources of every nation are limited. Pushing further the illustration, if you were asked to select just two words for describing what could happen to the resources a nation, which would you pick among the following ten: “chop,” “nurture,” “harness,” “tend,” “abuse,” “reinforce,” “manipulate,” “upgrade,” “trample,” “squander,” and “defile”? Without the benefit of a survey, let me hazard a guess: A majority would pick “harness” and “squander.” And the reason for that is simple: collocation. “Collation” is a feature of language that we all use now and then. One dictionary defines it as “the fact of two or more words being used together, in a way that happens more frequently than by chance.” Just like certain things in life, certain

Collocations Re Resources words in language tend to go, occur, or belong together. To parody what Nigerians have turned that common abbreviation that appears at the end of many invitation cards into, “Rice and stew very plenty” goes down well with us, whereas “Rice and soup very plenty” would not. And that’s because rice “collocates” with stew, but not with soup. But egusi soup collocates with iyan – pounded yam! Jokes apart, collocation is a feature that you can observe as a pastime any time you are reading, and I am hereby enjoining you as a member of ALAN, Association of Language Aficionados of Nigeria, to indulge in this linguistic exercise, beginning with something that nations and individuals cannot do without: resources. Collocations of resources, as we have stated earlier, are usually verbs and adjectives. In rare occasions, noun may collocate with resources. In terms of polarity, collocations of resources may be classified as positive, neutral, or negative. So, here is a concrete exercise you can do whenever you encounter the word “resources” in speech or writing, specifically, in any sentence. First: Recognise the lexical class of the word it collocates with. Is it a verb, an adjective, or a noun? Second: Count the number of collations

re resources in various pieces that you read over a period. Third: Determine how many of the collocations are positive, neutral, or negative. Fourth, and finally: Reach a conclusion about what is happening to resources with respect to the particular entity concerned, be it a nation or an organisation. Let me set the ball rolling by supplying the fodder, I mean, the raw materials for the exercise, and see how well you can carry those four steps. We shall number the items for easy reference. Item 1:It comes from the fifth paragraph of “U.S. ‘reward’ and Boko Haram proscription,” being the title of the editorial in The Guardian of June 20, 2013. The paragraph raises questions about why the Amnesty Committee set up by President Goodluck Jonathan is still working after the president has declared a state of emergency. But all that is none of our business here. What concerns us is the second of the two following questions. “With the new development, who is the committee negotiating with? Why the waste of public resources on an initiative that is dead on arrival?” Item 2: “Simply put, majority of Nigerians are suffering in the midst of abundant resources

LANGUAGE ON PARADE

that God has given to us and some people are giving us unrealistic figures. Is it figures that will put food on our tables or give us electricity?” This is an extract from a comment by Seyi, who was reacting to the news story with the headline, “ACN TO JONATHAN: NO NEED FOR MARKING SCHEME,” The Nation, May 31, 2013. Item 3: “Why is it that we are unable to harness our resources so that we would not be counted on the league of tables of the most corrupt?” The title of the piece from which that sentence is extracted is “Our Democracy is Shaky, Our Political Class Very Weak, and Mostly Opportunistic,” in The Guardian of Sunday, May 26, 2013. The writer is Olisa Agbakoba, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria whose credentials are very well known. Item 4: “The Vice President’s official residence” is the title of yet another editorial by The Guardian on December 12, 2012. The first sentence of the second paragraph reads: “The president needs to re-order his priority to ensure that projects that contribute to the economic well-being of the nation take the front stage, and to avoid squandering the national resources.” Coming up: the marking scheme for this exercise on collocations re resources! See you and your answer script on the next excursion on the language train!

TheGuardian

Sunday, June 23, 2013 | 11

Conscience, Nurtured by Truth

Outlook The Complexity Of Government Expenditure By Victor Emejuiwe HE trend of government public expenditure can be characterised as ‘labyrinth’, the word labyrinth simply means something that is very complicated (Encarta Dictionary). While fiduciary has to do with trusting government to stand behind money. Over the years trillions of naira has been expended by government on infrastructural facilities and on the growth of the economy, but this growth is not visible amongst the poor. It is, therefore, necessary to examine the complication around the public expenditure pattern of government. The responsibility of managing the common resources of the citizens is left in the hands of government. Albeit, are these resources well managed for the common good of the citizens? This question can only be answered by the citizens themselves. The president just gave an account of his stewardship as contained in the midterm report of his two years in office; in this report, the F.G scored and appraises itself in different sectors of the economy and also urged Nigerians to prepare a marking scheme to score his achievements. The coordinating minister of the economy on May 29, 2013, also gave an assertive speech on the green-face of the economy. Amongst her postulations were that; Nigeria’s economy is growing at 6.5 per cent, one of the fastest in Africa, exchange rate is stable (N155-160), reserves are rising, and inflation has reduced. Every other ministers represented in the occasion also had one or two positive achievements to account about their sector. These claims of accomplishments, together with the daily media propaganda of the transformation agenda of Mr. President seems to be occurring only to the benefit of the elite. The growing rate of poverty, insecurity, infrastructural decrepit, unemployment, low income earnings, high mortgage rates, high lending rates, to mention but a few is a sharp contrast with what the government transformation claims to be offering. If Nigerians are to score the president, the harsh realities confronting them on a daily basis would definitely earn the president a disappointing score. On January 2012, there were excuses on the need to remove fuel subsidy, the proceeds of the removal was meant to benefit the poor. The F.G did a lot of propaganda on this subject with so many beautiful promises. This promises, were to be largely enjoyed in the transport sector, employment generation scheme, road construction, skills empowerment, etc, two years down the lane, Nigerians are still suffering the same problems the government promises to solve. Despite the buses provided under SURE-P, transportation cost in all parts of the country is at an alarming rate. Employable graduates still parade the streets looking for job, those employed temporarily under SURE-P programme are less than 0.5 per cent of the 26 per cent employable graduates and the salaries offered to those employed are mere stipends. Promises were made to empower women who resides in the rural areas, however, the impact is not felt anywhere. A random visitation to most rural communities in the FCT showed that women had not benefited from any form of empowerment from SURE-P. There were promises to construct railways, although we

CONversation

Okonjo-Iweala have heard news of railway tracks being constructed in some part of Nigeria, but in FCT the site mapped out for the construction of railway tracks lie idle, it remains a fantasy. In fairness to the government, some developmental works might be on going, but at snail speed, which makes them not to have immediate impact on the people. It is also quite clear that some projects are meant to be long-term projects with long-term benefits; nevertheless, the immediate needs of the people have to be considered and given immediate attention. The needs of Nigerians are myriad but yet the basic ones have to be met; and to achieve this government has to inculcate pro-poor policies in its agenda. In as much as long-term projects are beneficial, government should give equal attention to short and long-term projects. Long-term projects are a continuous process that have always been carried out by successive administrations, most of the infrastructural facilities, we enjoy today were constructed during the military era, but that has still not taken away poverty from the lives of Nigerians. While encouraging the need for developmental works to be carried out by government, there are some factors that seem labyrinth; first amongst them is, the commensurate value of the money expended for projects in Nigeria when compared to other countries. Taking the issue of road construction for example, Nigerian roads hardly meet the standard condition of thickness and durability yet it costs more than roads constructed in other countries. The second factor is that of the procurement process, the process of awards of contracts, terms of payments of contractors, time duration of contracts and evaluation seems to be labyrinth. The Public Procurement Act 2007, provides for competition, after which the best responsive bidder is granted the award of a contract. Under the fundamental principles of procurement as contained in section 16, procurement must be done based on competitive bidding, in a manner, which is transparent, timely and equitably accountable. It must

also be done with the aim of achieving value for money and fitness for purpose; it must also promote competition, economy and efficiency. Howbeit, the infrastructural project constructed in Nigeria seems to be lacking due to procurement process. Timely delivery of project is almost impossible in Nigeria; most projects that are originally billed to last for four years have been extended for more than 10 years thereby, creating additional cost on those projects. The contractors are either not paid on time or they truncate the project as a result of their own inefficiency or political involvement of government. Another labyrinth issue marring the developmental projects of government is corruption. Corruption is responsible for most delay in projects; the perpetrators willingly delay the project so as to inflate the cost of the project. In most cases bribes and some other forms of gratifications are offered to the procuring entity, and this starves the contractor of necessary fund to continue the project. The last issue on this subject is the issue of lack of integrity and professionalism of the persons handling procurements. Procurements must be handled by professionals who imbibe integrity in their core functions, especially as it concerns award of contract. A shortfall of professionals handling government procurement has led to poor performance of projects. The labyrinth scenario pointed above is responsible for the disconnection between what government claims it is doing and the realities facing the people. Economic indices such as vibrant GDP growth and stable inflation rate can be misleading, if the per-capital income of the people does not improves, housing are not yet affordable, tertiary education is still very expensive, maternal and child health mortality are still palpable, etc. Looking at the labyrinth issues surrounding the macro-economic policies of government, we need to consider if the blueprints for economic growth affects the poor. This should be adjudged using the number of poor farmers that can access loans from the banks with low interest. Currently, banks prefer to lend to the government rather than to young entrepreneurs. There are young enterprising Nigerians who have brilliant ideas on profitable business ventures are yet to benefit from government economic policies, simply because those policies are not pro-poor but for capitalist or commercial elite. Therefore, the growth rates we celebrate are accumulated prosperities of the elite. If we are to match government development priorities with its expenditure, there are lacunas that seem so labyrinth. Part of the transformation agenda of Mr. President, is to diversify the economy from the single source of crude oil earning to incorporate agriculture and local manufacturing. For Agriculture, the transformation agenda proposes to spend N500.79billion within the midterm of 20122015. The sum was, therefore, spread as follows, N112.07 billion, N120.841 billion, N136.221 billion and N131.724 billion for the years 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2015 respectively. One would, therefore, expect that, the yearly budget

should contain agricultural projects that could transform the sector, but this is not the case, as most of the projects listed in the 2012 and 2013 budgets of agriculture consist of complicated padding of line items. Such an appropriation can never achieve the target of transforming the Agricultural sector rather, mechanised and irrigational farming facilities should have been a top budget priority. This scenario cut across other sectors; there is mostly no link of what government promises and what most MDA’s proposes to do within the fiscal year. This is responsible for the difficulty of tracing the impact of government expenditure, in the lives of the citizens; especially the poor. For public expenditure to affect the lives of the citizens, some standard procurement practice has to be inculcated such includes; Information gathering, Needs assessment, Proper Planning, Public presentation, Evaluation of needs, prioritisation of needs, appropriation and transparency in the awards and execution of contracts. Government must ensure that its development plans is generated from the people. It also has to be efficiently, effectively and sincerely executed. The public has to be carried along in the development agenda of government and this should be done through wide consultation with the people. Government must collate enough information about the needs of the citizens; otherwise some projects might be executed with little or no value to the people. The government must also make sure that the needs are properly scrutinised in such a way that would aid economic benefits and also bring about the needed development; this can be achieved with the aid of public consultation with professionals and sector specialist. In the preparation of policy linking tools, such as the Medium Term Sector Strategy and the Medium Term Expenditure Framework, the needs of the people must form the development priorities of the government. This, therefore, requires that government MDA’s must prepare its procurement plans based on the provisions of the MTSS. Funds attached to specific projects must be scrutinised to meet real cost, the effect of over costing of project has done a great harm on the value of the naira; most projects are quoted in billions whereas the real value of those projects do not go beyond millions. The PPA 2007 is a commendable law that stipulates the general criteria for the award of contract. It provides for advertisement of all bids, all government contracts should be properly advertise so as to afford participation of qualified tenderers. It also provides that only the best responsive bidder be awarded the contract. In this case, a responsive bidder is one who has fulfilled all the necessary requirement of the procuring entity, in terms of specifications, quality, least price and timely submission of tender. Such projects have to be monitored to ensure that the contractor works according to the terms of the agreements; it is recommended that qualified consultant works with the procuring entity to monitor and evaluate performance of the project. Corruption has always been the bottleneck stalling development and economic progress; the poor suffer the effect of this. Government must fight against corruption and every other form of impunity by making sure that those found to be corrupt are appropriately sanctioned. •Emejuiwe is Procurement Specialist, Centre for Social Justice, Abuja.

By Obe Ess

TheGuardian

12 | Sunday, June 23, 2013

Conscience, Nurtured by Truth

Editorial First Lady On An Illegal Podium ATIENCE Jonathan, the First Lady and Permanent Secretary in the Bayelsa State Civil Service, a position to which she was promoted last year to national outrage, is in the news again for the wrong reasons. Having decided to now conduct her public outings with an official podium of “First Lady” complete with the country’s coat of arms and national colours, it seems there is no limit to the odium Nigeria would endure in her hands. For the wife of the President, occupying a ceremonial office that is unknown to Nigeria’s constitution and laws, to use the coat of arms in the manner she does amounts to a desecration of national symbols and disrespect to all Nigerians. This odious practice should be stopped immediately and President Goodluck Jonathan should lead the way as the man who has sworn to abide by the constitution and uphold its tenets. It is bad enough that the First Lady’s deviation from the norm is manifesting in the President’s household, it is doubly sad that he has seen nothing wrong with it. No doubt, Madam Jonathan deserves praise for her tireless efforts at improving the lots of Nigerian women. Her campaigns on the political scene did more a lot to impact on her husband’s political fortunes. She is indeed a force for good. But introducing a seal of her own is a little over border. It all seemed a joke when, in February, Patience Jonathan, surrounded by her friends and family members, first made her address on a customized podium adorned with the country’s official seal. From all indications, the practice appears to be her new fancy, disrespectful as it is of the country’s sovereignty and cherished ideals. Naturally, the question that has necessarily been provoked is: on what basis could the ‘office’ of the First Lady, unrecognised by the constitution, carry a seal bearing the nation’s coat of arms and the national colours? This is a joke taken too far and a clear violation of the constitution of Nigeria. It is surprising that this indiscretion escaped the attention and advice of the civil servants or, perhaps, worse still, enjoyed their approval. Whatever the case, this saga is a clear demonstration of how much erosion dignity and professionalism have suffered in the nation’s civil service. Besides, if those who are expected to guide the first wife on the unconstitutionality of her actions failed in their duty, can the President himself claim ignorance of his spouse’s debauchment? Notably, this is not the first time Madam Jonathan would be involved in conducts unbecoming of her station as the President’s consort. Her several goofs in public are now well documented in an unedifying diary of her person and position. She often behaves like an all-conquering empress as she takes on governors and elected leaders at the slightest opportunity in ways that embarrass the nation. Sometime in the middle of last year, the Governor of Bayelsa State Seriake Dickson elevated the First Lady to the rank of permanent secretary without a portfolio in the civil service of Bayelsa State, ostensibly in accordance with the constitutional power conferred on him but certainly in total disregard of decency. On her part, the beneficiary justified her promotion on the point that she had been a teacher in the state, when in reality, she had been away from her job since her husband was elected Deputy Governor of Bayelsa State, and up to his ascension of office as the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. On another occasion, she sent the Minister of Water Resources, Mrs. Serah Ochekpe, to represent her at a book launch in honour of President Olusegun Obasanjo at the latter’s Presidential Library in Abeokuta. These episodes bring to the front burner issues of law and ethics in governance, and they constitute avoidable pressures on the polity. The First Lady has no power to commandeer a serving minister to do her bidding. A minister is a servant of the state, appointed by the President, not his wife. That action was a clear violation of sections 147 and 148 of the 1999 Constitution which vests in the President the power to appoint a minister who may be assigned a “responsibility for any business of the Government of the Federation, including the administration of any department of government.” Surely the First Lady’s office does not fall into the category stipulated by the constitution. Patience Jonathan’s actions are not only too brazen but clearly unconstitutional, an act for which the President could be held accountable. The time has, therefore, come to remind Mr Jonathan that Madam Jonathan has stepped out of bounds, this time adorning her ceremonial station with the seal of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, and she must be reined in immediately. Her action ridicules Nigeria in the comity of nations and President Jonathan needs to demonstrate that he understands the implication of the leadership position he occupies and back it up with corresponding action. Truly, Nigeria has been unlucky to have many leaders seemingly incapable of appreciating basic ethics of governance even when they are ever so quick to cite precedents for their actions from countries like the United States of America. This, however, is often done dishonestly. The ‘First Lady’ has no place in the constitution and clearly is a ceremonial position from which the lucky spouse is expected to use her personal comportment to enhance her husband’s image. In America where it evolved in the nineteen century, it was manifestly for delivering some public good, especially those involving charity and humanitarian exertion. First Ladies in America never seek to interfere with the President’s job, never dare attempt to usurp the powers of their husbands, let alone drag them to the dangerous grounds of infringement of the basic laws of the country and the consequent threat of impeachment. In Nigeria, the impunity now being displayed by those saddled with the responsibility of running the nation’s affairs has rendered the country a fertile ground for breeding the improbable. The Patience Jonathan First Ladyship, in its power grab, is one such absurdity. First Lady’s status is a moral pulpit from which the highest of values cherished by a nation are expected to be espoused, especially by example. It is no podium for unconstitutional actions, substantive or symbolic.

LETTER

Sports Agenda For The New DG, NSC Honourable Gbenga SwhoIR:Elegbeleye is a politician, has had vast experience in the executive and legislative arms of government as former Chairman of a Local Government Area in Akoko, Ondo State, and former Member of the House of Representatives of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, He has been at the forefront of the development of sports in Nigeria for several years and he had been very active in sponsorship and promotion of sports in the grassroots. Gbenga is in a familiar terrain and I agreed with him on his first speech as the DG that there would be an improved agenda for sports in Nigeria The new Sports Agenda should include: • Physical activities —encouraging children and youth to undertake regular physical activity. This helps put them on a positive path to healthy development. Many physical education and sport experts concur that participating in regular physical activity and play are essential for the physical, mental, psychological, and social development of an individual. • Providing physical education, sport, and play programmes — these will help to improve the health and wellbeing of individuals while extending life expectancy. Physical activity on a regular basis helps to minimise the

onset of several non-communicable diseases including heart disease, diabetes, and blood pressure, which are rampant in Nigeria today. • Teaching important values — sport and play can be used by the government as mediums by which to teach important national values and life skills including honest endeavour, self-confidence, teamwork, communication, inclusion, discipline, respect, and fair play. •Growth and Developmental process: Physical education typically improves a child’s physical and social ability through experiential learning. Providing well guided movements and play help to increase school attendance and overall achievement by school children. The experiential learning mode helps children to be active, interactive, and expressive as they learn. • Women and Girls Development — there should be a concerted effort at Exposing women and girls to physical activities that were hitherto reserved for men and boys. The skills and values learned through sport and play are; especially important for girls, given that they have fewer opportunities than boys for social interaction outside the home. Through sport, girls

are given the chance to acquire motor skills, be leaders, improve their self-confidence and selfesteem, practice interpersonal skills, and access new opportunities. • Merit of sports and Economic values — sport is one of the fastest growing industries in the world, and a catalyst for the economic development of individuals, communities, and nations. Individuals with a solid background in sport have opportunities to benefit from the sporting industry through careers as professional players, sport journalists, marketers, agents, and promoters, among others. •Unifying force —capitalising on the popularity and convening power of sport provides a powerful tool for reaching people and communicating important messages, including messages of health e.g. awareness of HIV/AIDS, polio and malaria. Sport brings people together and has the potential to cross boundaries and create new dialogue. This is vital in encouraging peaceful co-existence and inter-communal harmony. Many of the core values of sport parallel those necessary for peace, such as respect for the rule of law, justice, and honesty. The rich, the powerful and the elite should not be left behind in the new Sports agenda for the nation. There must be deliberate attempt to include polo. Banji Alabi is Chairman Ondo State Eminent Persons’ Group.

THE GUARDIAN, Sunday, June 23, 2013

Sunday, June 23, 2013

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The Prince Of Steel

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Lagos: Two Faces Of Development BUSINESS

Credit Awareness Crucial To SME Growth

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TheGuardian

THE GUARDIAN,Sunday, June 23, 2013 18

Conscience, Nurtured by Truth

Junior Guardian

Students at the maiden Greensprings Cultural Day organised by the boarding school section in Lagos

CHALLENGE Solutions To Brain Teaser (10) IMPLEMENT

PSYCHIATRY STRONG

DELIVER VULNERABLE

AMBITIOUS IMPOSE

THESAURUS Hazardous a) loving b) dangerous c) gentle d) dead Calamitous a) disastrous b) close c) quarrel d) back Upend a) shift b) cancel c) turn over d) do Dexterity a) deftness b) punch c) many d) stupidity Thrive a) paint b) flourish c) pick d) throw Capricious a) wicked b) smart c) dear d) impulsive Penchant a) liking b) colour c) brave d) draw Scintillating a) attractive b) sparkling c) cold d) great Rancour a) noisy b) drag c) resentment d) wet Thrill a) invite b) excitement c) praise d) write

Deputy Governor of Ekiti State, Prof. Modupe Adelabu flanked on the left by Adeeko Kayinsola and Ajayi Bamidele, while on the right by Ann Kolawole and Pelumi Bamidele, all pupils of Police Children School, Ado-Ekiti when the pupils accompanied Executives of the School's Parents Teachers Association to pay a courtesy call on the deputy governor in her office... on Thursday

COMPILED BY KIKELOLA OYEBOLA

A cross section of pupils of the Childville Schools, Ogudu Estate, Lagos, staging a play entitled, Oba Ovonramwen No Gbaisi of the old Benin Empire in the UNILAG auditorium, Akoka, Yaba, Lagos.

(You can contact us on events for this page through: e-mail: jideoojo@yahoo.com

THE GUARDIAN, Sunday, June 23, 2013

CAMPUS OAU Refutes Report Of Student Flushing Baby In Toilet BAFEMI Awolowo University (OAU) on Thursday clarified that Diana Oyinlola, an undergraduate, who delivered a baby in the toilet on campus did not attempt to kill the baby. It was reported last Wednesday that Oyinlola attempted to ditch her baby in Moremi hall. However, a statement signed by Mr. Biodun Olanrewaju, the university’s Public Relations Officer (PRO), described the reports as “incorrect.’’ Olanrewaju said after an interaction with the mother by the Security Unit of the university, it was revealed that the student was willing to have the child. He said there was “no attempt whatsoever to conceal the pregnancy, talk less of aborting it and talk much less of wanting to flush the baby away. “The truth is that there was a delivery of a baby boy by an inexperienced mother, who in her naivety, thought she was pressed by call of nature, while she was actually in labour pains. She was bleeding and went to the toilet only to observe that something expelled into the water closet. “At that point, she screamed for help and one of her friends, Satope Oladayo, heard her distress voice and traced her to the toilet. It was Satope who called the attention of an elderly cleaner, since both of them were novice in childbearing,” the statement stated. It was learnt that the father of the new baby is a 400-level student of Mechanical Engineering, while the 20-year-old mother is also a final year student in the same university.

UNILAG Hosts Beauty Pageant For The Plus-sized N Thursday, June 27, the Miss Big Unilag pageant will come alive at the Sports Centre of the University of Lagos (UNILAG) by 4pm. The event will be hosted by Didai Entertainment, an events planning and artiste management outfit managed by Sarah Owoyemi, a 400-level Creative Arts student of the university. According to the organizers, the pageant is aimed at helping plus-sized woman regain their drive and courage to take a chance on life and discover the beauty that lies within them. “We are focused on showcasing the beauty of the plus-sized African woman and also portray the beauty and uniqueness of the African culture. To qualify, contestants must be healthy, not pregnant, run a programme in the institution, must be 16 years and above, and must be between size 12- 20,” Owoyemi said.

Corps Member Creates Mobile App For Blood Donors By Gbenga Salau S part of efforts geared towards saving lives and making blood readily available to patients in need of transfusion, One Percent Project in conjunction with some IT practitioners, has launched a mobile application, lifebankapp.com, that would make it less cumbersome to donate and receive blood nationwide. At the unveiling of the app in Lagos last week, the Executive Director of One Percent Project, Mrs. Temmie-Giwa Tubosun, who is presenting doing her youth service in Lagos State, said the app is part of ongoing efforts by the organization to make blood donation easy and available to patients. Lifebankapp.com is a product of three days commitment by young IT professionals, who used their technical skills to build the application. Explaining how she got into crusading for voluntary blood donation, Tubosun said the urge came when she was a volunteer working for DFID in northern Nigeria. This enabled her to see firsthand how the nation’s health system works, with many dying due to lack of access to blood. “I was moved to do something to address the problem of access to safe blood, especially with the high incidence of maternal mortality in Africa. Most of these needless deaths can be prevented with timely transfusion of blood. “My goal is to get one percent of Nigerians to donate blood three or four times a year. So far we have been able to collate 754 pints of blood. Lifebankapp.com is a platform that will connect blood recipients to donors. The way it works is that we get as many Nigerians as we can to commit to be blood donors through lifebankapp.com.”

Education Minister, Prof. Ruqquyatu Ahmed Rufa'i (left) and Rector of the Federal Polytechnic Nekede, Owerri, Dr. (Mrs.) C.U. Njoku during the 17th convocation ceremoPHOTO: LEO SOBECHI ny of the institution held recently.

At Campus Talk, Youths Urged To Be Today’s Leaders By Ikechukwu Onyewuchi O fast track their contributions to national development, youths have been urged to be morally responsible, engage in personal development and work hard to realise their dream and the future of the country they seek. The charge was made recently by facilitators at a seminar organised for youths in tertiary institutions and young people by Jemimah’s Initiative for Youth Development (JIYD) tagged Campus Talk Lagos. The participating institutions are School of Nursing, Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), Lagos State Polytechnic, and Michael Otedola College of Primary Education, among others. The guest speakers, which included a motivational speaker, Mr. Elvis Ukpaka Udoka; Nollywood

actress, Omoni Oboli; and a risk management consultant, Mr. John Moronfolu, spoke on topics ranging from leadership to personal development and entrepreneurship. Emurotu Jemimah, founder of JIYD and a graduate of Geology from the University of Calabar, said the programme is aimed at empowering the youths to be active agents of change and national re-orientation in the country. Ukpaka charged the youths not to see themselves as tomorrow’s leaders but rather today’s leaders, who should be catalysts of change through responsible behaviour and discipline. Oboli decried the impatience of young people in chasing after material wealth at the detriment of good values like hard work. Noting that the campus environment was filled with distractions, she

Nollywood actress, Omoni Oboli, at Campus Talk seminar charged the youths to imbibe country. Personally, I am diligence in achieving their using my talent as an aims in school and subse- actress to paint a positive quently impact on their envi- image of Nigeria. Whenever ronment. I am on twitter I always state “It takes the collective input that I represent Nigeria. But of everyone to change the when most of us are on

UI To Test Postgraduate Applicants For Competence In English Language By Kudus Adebayo HE University of Ibadan last week called for entries into its post-graduate programmes for the 2013/2014 session and a strange requirement was listed in the notice for application, which is a new fee of N2,500 to be paid by applicants for an English Language Competence test. This is a new requirement for admission into postgraduate programme in Nigerian universities and there is no justification for the policy, except for monetary gains. To my knowledge, all graduates of tertiary institutions in the country were taught in English, save a few language subjects, the minimum requirement for admission was at least a Credit in English

Language at the SSCE level, and they were all subjected to a general studies course on the Use of English, which requires a compulsory pass before graduating. So, the rationale for MSc and PhD candidates to sit for an English Language Competence test is lost. If the Postgraduate school needs money, there are better ways of slotting it in the bill rather than instituting a Postdegree test. And if it is about ensuring that postgraduate students get better in communicating their research findings, a course like “Communication for Research Programme” would have been a better idea rather than imposing a policy that does nothing but rubbish the country’s entire educational system.

Strangely, this policy raises questions about the quality of education passed on to students at the University of Ibadan, Nigeria’s premier university, which touts itself as the first and the best if its own graduates are also subjected to the test. Granted that universities in the United States and the United Kingdom require intending students from countries where English is not their first language to write English Language tests like TOEFL, allowing post-graduate students to write English Language Competence test is an admission of the collapse of the educational system that is far beyond redemption. And all university administrators and lecturers should bow their heads in shame.

social networking sites, we forget that the world is watching and go ahead to rubbish our images as individuals as well as the country’s image.”

WISECRACKS He that respects himself is safe from others; he wears a coat of mail that none can pierce. Henry Wadsworth Longfellow It is not the strongest of the species that survive, nor the most intelligent, but the one most responsive to change. Charles Darwin If Columbus had turned back, no one would have blamed him. No one would have remembered him, either. Anonymous Men acquire a particular quality by constantly acting a particular way. you become just by performing just actions, temperate by performing temperate actions, brave by performing brave actions. Aristotle

LET US KNOW Every week, LIFE CAMPUS reports on events in students’ communities across the country. You can contribute by sending stories, gossips, reports on events and your pictures for Campus Faces to us at: templer2k2@yahoo.com or guardianlife2005@yahoo.com

THE GUARDIAN, Sunday, June 23, 2013

NEWSPEOPLE Nigeria-American businessman, Victor Edozien, has quietly built a $400m portfolio in the American automotive manufacturing industry. He towers elegantly as Nigeria’s image builder in the global community. By Muftau Ogunbunmi ANUFACTURING plants across the United States of America have faced steady close-downs as businessmen move their operations to Asia and Latin America to reduce cost and optimise profits. This has led to high unemployment and dislocation, leaving industrial centres such Detroit in ruins. If the situation is to be resolved however, it will be due to brave souls such as Nigerian American investor and business personality, Mr. Victor Edozien, whose string of plants are keeping thousands of people in jobs and last year returned a healthy $400million turnover. Edozien’s Asaba Holdings operates manufacturing, consulting and lifestyle businesses and has operations in five states in the US. Its portfolio companies include the AG Manufacturing Inc, which is an Electrical and electronics sub-assembly manufacturer for the automotive, marine and military defense industries; the SET Enterprises, which is a major provider of steel processing services to the automotive industry and the Asaba Group which offers strategy consultancy to the automotive industry and the US Air Force. The companies operate manufacturing plants in Michigan, Illinois, Alabama and Indiana. ‘We have a portfolio turnover of $400m last year and our goal is to reach $1billion by the end of the decade,’ Edozien told The Guardian at his office located on the 66th floor of the iconic Empire State building in New York. ‘The basics are there. We have over 700 highly motivated employees and our businesses are well run.’ It is hard not be infected by Edozien’s optimism about the ability of his businesses to continue its dizzying growth, after all the total portfolio turnover of the operation was a mere $1.2million in 2004. So, how has this man, who grew up in Nigeria been able to leverage his talents to build a successful business in the United States? Edozien said: ‘What I do is seek competitive white space to invest in. I usually use my own money to do business, so I have independence in decision-making. But I also have a strong management team to run the various operations. I rely on them a lot. I just provide guidance and strategic visioning. The crucial question for us is always, is there opportunity for us to move in? Once this is clear, I take the decision to invest or not.’ A Nigerian Life Born in New Jersey, but educated in Nigeria up till undergraduate level at the University of Port Harcourt, Edozien – a scion of the Edozien royal family of Asaba – dropped out of school to relocate to the United States in the 1980s where he obtained a Masters’ degree and served in the US army, 10th mountain division. ‘I gained a lot from the military experience,’ he said. ‘The US military is one of the best in the world and you leave with focus and belief that you can do anything. The slogan used to be: ‘be all you can be’. Does that give you the grounding to take on life’s challenges, of course it does. I just see hurdles as challenges and I move ahead to climb it. ‘When I was at Uniport, I wasn’t the most disciplined student. That was the time of Andrew and I was one those that checked out and never looked back. I did two years in Geology at Uniport and transferred to Syracuse where I got a super education.’ After school, Edozien worked on electrical controls for air-conditioning, from 91-92 and was part of the team that designed the now ubiquitous remote control system for splitunit air conditioners. ‘I have a patent for one of those designs’ he said. But he always wanted to be at the business end of things. ‘The quantitative side of me is where I am more comfortable and that works fine in Finance, but the human relations part is the weak spot. I started working to get on with the business management side of things.’ He started a consultancy, the Asaba Group, which had a good client list including General Motors, Chrysler and Ford. It even executed

Edozien

The Prince Of Steel contracts worth $20million for the US Air Force. ‘I was making quite a lot of money out of the consulting,’ he said. ‘But I still wanted to be in a situation where I moved away from giving advice to doing things. I want to run better-managed and more profitable companies. I always have my eyes on the automobile industry because most of my clients on the consulting side are in the industry. I tried to convince people to buy non-performing firms in the sector. I talked to a lot of people in Nigeria to join me, but they did not want to invest. So, I stopped trying to depend on anyone for what I do.’ The start Edozien decided on his first acquisition when he came across an electrical parts manufacturing company that was dying. He said: ‘I was working with Chrysler and there was a contractor that had moved all its plants minus one to Honduras and China. There are characteristics of some plants that do not lend itself to being moved away. So, I moved on the plant. It cost $2million and from that point onwards, I put myself in a situation where I am able to take advantage of such opportunities in the industry.’ However, it was not easy turning the plant around. Edozien and his friend and

financial adviser, Michael Oniamwah (also a Nigerian-American) worked for almost three years to turn the business around. But first, they had to convince the entirely white staff that they are who they claim to be. And a major newspaper did not help matters by carrying a story that appears to condemn the plant before the new owners even had a chance to start implementing their turnaround plan. ‘You can imagine the shock on the faces of the staff when, after closing the buy-out deal, we walked onto the floor of the plant to say we are the new owners,’ he said with a chuckle. ‘We were the only two black people within a 150 mile radius – and we are the new owners of the plant! Two guys with Nigerian accents and we told them we just bought the business. They were all just staring at us.’

Until one person spoke what was uppermost in the minds of the staff at that time: when were they getting paid? It was near Christmas and the former owners had not paid the salary. Edozien promised they will get paid, and they were. Although the company lost money the first two years, and had to rely on cash injections from the Asaba Group consulting business, it finally became profitable and now has an annual turnover of $35million. The company, which has 250 people on its payroll, is the second highest employer of labour in the town of Habour Beach, Michigan. His next set of acquisition was the SET Enterprises, with plants in Michigan, Illinois and Alabama. Perhaps the SET plant in Detroit is a good example of the force for

‘What I do is seek competitive white space to invest in. I usually use my own money to do business, so I have independence in decision-making. But I also have a strong management team to run the various operations. I rely on them a lot. I just provide guidance and strategic visioning. The crucial question for us is always, is there opportunity for us to move in? Once this is clear, I take the decision to invest or not.’

THE GUARDIAN, Sunday, June 23, 2013

NEWSPEOPLE

‘I Seek Competitive White Space To Invest In’ good that businesses such as Edozien’s could become in a society. The plant is located smack in the middle of decaying Detroit, with boarded-up and crumbling homes within its immediate vicinity. Staff of the plant gamely tried to keep public facilities such as community parks going. Of course, each of the huge plants also depends on power – and this means Edozien could not even think of moving any to Nigeria. ‘You see how much power they depend on,’ he told The Guardian during a trip to the SET flat rolled steel plant at New Boston, Michigan. ‘If I don’t have constant power, we can’t work. So, it is going to be hard to move any of the operations to Nigeria, but it is not impossible.’ Edozien was a partner in the SET operations before he bought out the owner. So, how risky is it to partner with him, seeing as he is past master at consolidating businesses he is involved in. He said, with an easy smile, it is not really a risk. ‘The thing is, I make money for people. The only people who are not happy with me are those who try to double cross me,’ he said. Double-cross is not uncommon and Edozien has battled through a few. In fact, he only last March won a two-year-old legal suit against former partners- turned- adversaries, who wanted to usurp his rights to global energy drink, Cintron. The legal battle was costly – about a half a million dollars in legal fees – and draining. But Edozien said the brutality of the case provided further motivation for him to take his businesses even higher. ‘My former partners, who tried to use the American court system to bully me, thinking I am not American, have been disgraced,’ he said. ‘This is the greatest country in the world. There is no other place where someone like me can be this huge. I speak with an accent. I have a Nigerian heritage, but this country has helped me to build a multi-million dollar business. ‘However, it can also be brutal if some people wanted to take advantage of you. People talk of 419. It is everywhere, and here in America, people use the court system to do it. My happiness is that I prevailed. My partners and I own the Cintron brand all over the world and the court has now confirmed that we are the owners here in the United States.’ He said his upbringing, not to cower before a bully, helped him to pull through. ‘A bully succeeds because people let him. You can’t appease a bully. You have to draw a line somewhere that there are things you will not take. Thank God I have the resources to fight these people. If you seek to appease, you only empower them. Once they realise you will not roll over for them, they start to panic and leave you alone. Edozien said his basic business philosophy is trust and that he has built his life around integrity. ‘I don’t have access to my checking account,’ he said. ‘That is how much trust I have in the people who work for me. If I don’t trust them, they can’t last with me. Contracts have to mean something. I know I will always fulfil my side of things. A card laid is a card played. You have to hold up your integrity. It is due to integrity that the partnerships that I have, such as the one with Akon, works. I do what I say. He does what he says. We trust each other.’ He, however, owns up to the challenges that being a Nigerian could pose to building a business in the US. But he said dedication and integrity would always triumph over the initial reluctance. ‘Some of the times you have to push your business as an American,’ he said. ‘People are scared to do business with Nigerians and you have to keep pushing and let people know you are not a 419ner. The truth is that 30 per cent of the black brains in the US are Nigerians. The mystery is why Nigeria is not doing anything to bring back its talents. A part of me feels the greatest challenge Nigeria has is the enthronement of mediocrity and a system that does not want its brightest to do well. Then Nigerians do not love their country enough, especially the

leadership. They do not feel accountable to the people at all.’ A lifestyle business DOZIEN is not all about steel and gadgets. He is also the major shareholder in Vedozi, which is a lifestyle company behind the Cintron Premium energy drink. The drink, which comes in three flavours of Original, Cranberry and Pineapple should have no problem establishing itself among the global energy drinks brands. It has enjoyed rave reviews and has the weight of Senegalese American singer, Akon, behind it. ‘In the energy drink sector, we feel there is a space we can occupy, and this is around lifestyle and music, rather than the energy boost itself. Cintron has unique characteristics and we have partnered with Akon, who is building a lifestyle firm – Aliman,’ Edozien said. ‘We started building the brand with the intent of growing from Africa out. At the time, when you think of music as lifestyle , Akon was it. I contacted his agent and we met in Atlanta in 2009. He liked the idea and accepted to come on board. We have been working on it since then. Building a global brand takes time, but we are not rushing. We are in Africa, mid-east and Latin America and we are planning a push into Europe.’

With Cintron, Edozien had promoted Akon’s shows in Lagos and South Africa and a new campaign is in the works. So, how much has investment has the drinks business soaked. Edozien is not saying, but he feels every cent put in it has been money well spent.

“The truth is that 30 per cent of the black brains in the US are Nigerians. The mystery is why Nigeria is not doing anything to bring back its talents. A part of me feels the greatest challenge Nigeria has is the enthronement of mediocrity and a system that does not want its brightest to do well. Then Nigerians do not love their country enough, especially the leadership. They do not feel accountable to the people at all.”

‘We have put in millions to grow the business,’ he said. ‘That is the way to look at it. But every business has its own investment basics. Even in manufacturing, you put in $30-40million on a plant before you even start to make a product. So, that is the way it is. Incidentally, Edozien’s early efforts to promote his drink in Nigeria foundered on betrayal. His local dealers refused to pay for delivered product. ‘I can sue the guy and the case will last for years in court, but we decided to cut our losses and move on,’ he said. ‘Nigeria is a huge market and we have to focus on getting our products everywhere. We also have cases in Senegal, Egypt and South Africa where people have refused to honour their contracts. It is tough to build a business when you are not sure of the other guy. But we are learning. There is something called time value of money, which was why we moved quickly across Africa. But it didn’t work out. I know we have a super product, but doing business in Africa could be tough – especially if you have a US mindset. Here, a contract is a contract and there are no stories. So, now we are working with new individuals who share our values.’ The Cintron distribution fiasco is not Edozien’s only problematic business deal in Nigeria. He was one of the potential investors in the Oku Iboku paper mill and had secured funding from the United States to turn the plant around. But Nigerian privatisation officials had other ideas about how the sale should be done. His bid was rejected and the billion naira plant is now being used as a jetty. ‘Oku Iboku is a sad story,’ he said. ‘If I go to another country with the same offer, they would give it to me to run. But we were pushed away by funny officialdom. It is sad. Although America is older than Nigeria, it is hard to be here and not conclude that people here love their country. The question to ask is if it is the same on the Nigerian side. Do we have the same sense of patriotism?’ Operating principle Each of the businesses within the Asaba Group operate autonomously, with light supervision from Edozien. He said the key to his success is that he keeps things simple. He also keeps an eagle eye on the operating cost. ‘It is a lot of multi-tasking, but I allow the managers room to do their work’, he said. This means he can keep his eyes on the larger picture – and focus his energy on keeping the major customers sweet. The group’s major customers are Ford Motors (steel); Chrysler (electricals) and the US Air Force and US Army (advisory). When he is on the road, which he is on a lot, Edozien tries to participate in crucial meeting s through conference calls. ‘I don’t mess with such huge businesses,’ he said. ‘A $10million business is not to be played with. This is customer account operations that need my full attention. These are meetings with top management of these organisations and I must be present.’ The automotive supply business is highly competitive and you have to constantly drive down the cost margin to stay in business. He said his team of experienced managers understood the industry and are often on the same page with him. When they are not, there is frank and open discussion on the way to go. But he takes the major decisions. ‘Money I can always get, but good management is hard,’ he said. ‘But there is division of labour. While my management focus on today, I have to think of the next day. My General Managers worry about getting the trains to run on time, I worry about the destination and the direction. ‘It is not important how big the business is, the important thing is profit,’ he said. ‘We look for value, not volume. Since we get business on a competitive basis, you have to drive the process to constantly make it profitable. We run our plants on profitability margins. This is the principle I bring to my businesses. It is not revenue that matters, but the profit. It is the contribution margin

THE GUARDIAN, Sunday, June 23, 2013

NEWSFEATURE

Lagos, A Tale Of Two Sides Of Same Coin • Ancient Mainland-Suburbs Versus Modern Islands-Peninsula The abandoned Tedi-Muwo bridge, seven years after work started By Fabian Odum and Daniel Anazia

N a well-polished mirror, there is no deception; what you see, is what you get but not the case with Lagos, the emerging mega-city; there is a parallax factor, a displacement of vision. In the city, there are clearly two sides. On one side, the islands (Lagos, Victoria and Ikoyi) and the peninsula (Lekki – the new bride of the government and Ajah, etc). Then, the mainland and the suburbs consisting of local government areas in the deep recesses of the state. Incidentally, there is an increasing and unhealthy polarity in the two ends of the city. Eating the crumbs of democracy dividends Demographically, Alimosho, Ifako-Ijaiye and Oshodi/Isolo are major LGAs that determine who gets what in Lagos politics. They offer the

numbers during general elections, yet in the allocation of accruing benefits, specifically, distribution of infrastructure; there are evidences of lopsidedness. Projects in these mainland areas have been neglected and many abandoned in the on-going Lagos urban renewal programme of the state. During the last election, the Action Congress of Nigeria obtained the highest number of votes from these areas, yet they have the highest number of uncompleted projects and roads yet to be attended to by the present state government. According to projects report released by the Ministry of Works and Infrastructure, from May 2011 to May 2013, of awarded projects, Alimosho got a total of seven projects and 16 roads, totaling 27.778km that were completed, while 12 projects and 22 roads totaling 35.62km

are on-going. Ifako-Ijaiye had only one project and one road, totaling a total length of 0.3km and eight projects, 19 roads, totaling a total length of 12.45km as on-going projects. Oshodi-Isolo LGA got three projects, three roads, totaling a total length of 1.8km completed, while seven projects and 10 roads, totaling 8.46km are ongoing. While Alimosho, in 2012 awards, got nine projects and 16 roads totaling a 30.63km, IfakoIjaiye had six projects and 17 roads of 9.8km, the Oshodi-Isolo area got five projects and nine roads, totaling 7.1km. The Ayobo-Ipaja road, which the ministry said was conceived as a direct response to the challenges faced by commuters on this axis is not anywhere near completion as percentage of work done so far, after many years, is only 47

per cent. Meanwhile, the supervising Ministry said the job would be completed by July 2013, just weeks away. Eroding political credit An interesting angle being alluded to the governor is that Lagosians residing in the IslandPeninsula axis pay more taxes therefore, get more infrastructure. But all the manufacturing companies and their taxes that go to the state come from the Mainland-Suburb axis, aside the heavy electoral capital politicians reap from the area. Analysts say the weight of electoral gains from the suburbs for the Fashola administration cannot be snubbed at times like this. There are likely political consequences in future elections if the electorate is treated in this manner of infrastructural emasculation in the mega city.

Lagos Development Projects, Slow-Paced, Skewed By Daniel Anazia

N its bid to make Lagos a mega Iofcity and worried that most parts the state do not befit the quest for the status, Lagos State government has been embarking on urban renewal drive to turn things around, through its intervention projects in terms of road rehabilitation and construction, bridge construction, drainage facilities, and recreational facilities among others within the state. But it appears more attention and priority is being to the highbrow areas of the state such as Lekki, Ikoyi, Victoria Island and a few others. Driving through these areas, especially at night, one would wonder if the place is still Lagos due to the massive upgrade of the physical infrastructure that dot the areas. However, the same cannot be said of areas like Alimosho, Oshodi, Agege, Ajegunle, Satelite Town, Amukoko, Orile Iganmu and Mafoluku, a gateway to one of the nation’s busiest airports — Muritala Mohammed International Airport — as well as other slummy neighbourhoods in the state. For the residents of these areas, the state government is being selective in its developmental programmes in the state as they have only focused on the highbrow areas at the expense of other largely populated parts of the state like Ogba, Ikotun,

Ijegun, Ejigbo, Egbe, Idimu, Igando, Okokomaiko, Ikorodu and several other lowly rated communities not remembered in the urban renewal projects drive. During the May 29 democracy day celebration, the state government commissioned the Lekki-Ikoyi Link Bridge amid raging debates over the cost of constructing the bridge and why it should be toll. Though the state government claimed that 700 new jobs were created, unofficial reports put the cost of the bridge at N29 billion. Though a proposal for tolling the bridge was sent to the House of Assembly for ratification, and the analysis of the proposal showed that 73 per cent of the gross revenue from the tolling would go to the state government, while 27 per cent will go to the concessionaire, Lagos Tolling Company, which is expected to collect tolls and manage the toll plaza. The proposal reports says, has caused disconcertment among the lawmakers, who queried why the bridge that was built by 100 per cent public funds should be toll. The lawmakers believed there was no need to toll the road, which they said was built with taxpayers’ money. While reacting on tolling of the bridge, the deputy speaker, Lagos State House of Assembly Hon. Kolawole Taiwo, stated that the request by the Executive was not in accordance with the Public-Private Part-

nership Law of Lagos State, 2011. He argued that the proposal “has nothing to do with the Public-Private Partnership Law. This is not about the provision of infrastructure because the bridge has already been constructed using the taxpayers’ money. So, why should we still toll a bridge that we have built with our money? “This proposal is coming too late; our consent should have been sought before the construction of the bridge or its tolling. In deciding this, we must look at the future and what could happen when we are no longer on the floor of the Assembly. The project was started years ago and they are just bringing the document for urgent consideration and approval, it is not the best. It needs time for examination, so a time frame should be given”, he stated. Despite the debate it has generated on the floor of the State House of Assembly and across the state, the bridge with its compelling aesthetics is not just a remarkable piece of architecture but a tourist attraction for people from far and near. According to Lagos State Commissioner for Works and Infrastructure, Dr. Obafemi Hamzat, the bridge was conceived one year into Governor Fashola’s administration in 2008, but its contract was awarded on March 13, 2009, while work commenced on the site on May 11, 2009. It is designed to ease the regular

heavy traffic associated with Victoria Island — Onikan-Bonny CampOzumba Mbadiwe and Ahmadu Bello Way-Bar Beach-Eko Hotel & Suite as well as Elegushi roundabout and Lekki Estate Phase One — where motorists on a hectic traffic day spend hours before getting to their destinations. The significance of the bridge, Hamzat said, is to demonstrate the strong will of the state government to make a difference in a country where projects are initiated and hardly finished. “The bridge was conceived as part the state government’s plan to decongest the LekkiEpe corridor from traffic congestion and bring reprieve for residents and those who have businesses to transact in Ikoyi and Lekki.” Built to a total length of 1,358metres; 8metres carriage ways and a w alkway of 2.0metres on both sides and a clearance of 90metres above water level; its breathtaking and massive structure as well suspension mid way by two giant pillars held down with 170metres special cables, makes it a sight to behold, especially at night when the fitted lights on both sides are switched on. Like the Lekki-Epe expressway, using the Lekki-Ikoyi pylon bridge comes at a cost for different categories of vehicles as there is also a toll gate at each sides of the bridge, and expectedly, this has generated intense debate in different parts of

the state and at the floor of the State House of Assembly. While commissioning the bridge, Governor Fashola listed the toll charges according to the vehicles categories with salon cars paying N250.00; motorcycles (Power bikes) with 200cc capacity and above, N100.00; mini-vans, SUVs and light pick-up trucks are to part way with N300.00, as non-commercial buses with maximum seating capacity of 26 persons pay N400.00 on each way. Though some applauded government’s restriction on heavy duty vehicles (articulated trucks and Lorries), which are not listed for tolling; the is restriction on commercial motorcycles (Okada), tricycles (Keke Marwa), commercial buses (Danfo) is a major concern to those living on the axis as they are not forced to go through the Ozumba Mbadiwe-Lekki-Epe corridor. Other major infrastructural developments in the highbrow Island include the Ozumba Mbadiwe-Falomo link bridge by Law School; Burdillion Road, Gerrard Road and Ontiolo Street among others that have help pushed the prices of properties in the areas high. The 150 metres long Ozumba Mbadiwe-Falomo link bridge, Governor Fashola said during its com-

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THE GUARDIAN, Sunday, June 23, 2013

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NEWSFEATURE By Gbenga Salau

VERY project has a completion time. Reverse, however, seems to be the case for construction works at Muwo, Mile 10 and Tedi communities in Ojo Local Council of Lagos. To residents of these communities, if construction of link roads to their communities has taken over half a decade, and still to be completed, then, of what use is there to say they have a caring government or they are enjoying the dividends of democracy? According to residents, who spoke with The Guardian, prayers are said daily for a messiah to come to their rescue them the trauma they go through whenever they have to move out or in, as the link roads are in terrible state and get worse during rainy season. To access these communities, there are four routes: Abule-Oshun through Dansa, Tedi to Muwo; from Barracks Bus-stop through Tedi to Muwo; from Volks through Mile 10, Muwo to Tedi or from Agric Bustop through Mile Ten to Muwo and Tedi. Of all the routes, only the road linking Agric Bus-Stop to Mile 10 is motorable, at least, to an extent. Even bikes dare not at this time when rains are falling heavily. The only means out of Tedi and Muwo en-route Mile 10 is to stop by the bridge, which has been on for over seven years. At the moment, contractors are not working on the site. To move through, takes walking on a slippery red sand to get a bike to link Mile 10. All these roads have no drainages and where there is, Barrack-Tedi, partly Ariyo Road in Mile 10, the drainages are silted, which is why the challenge the communities faces is compounded. The road becomes waterlogged during rainy season and the whole place becomes marshy and muddy. For many residents, at this time of the year, the daily expenses on transport fare increases, as transporters hike their fares by as much as hundred per cent, sometimes, more than that. Some of the transporters have even quit the roads prevent their vehicles from breaking down. For Kelechi Eledo, a resident of Mile 10, moving in and out of the community has been very painful because of the bad roads, costing extra time and money. He said that there had been several promise that the project would be completed only for a new contractor to move to site about four months ago. He however fears the project might be abandoned before completion as in other times. Funmilayo Olajide, who moved to the community about seven months ago, now regrets her decision to move to the area because of the awful experience she goes through daily. An indigene of Muwo, Prince Jubril Mumuni, said the first contractor handling the

Sorrow, Tears And Pains… Unending Experience

The recently opened Lekki-Ikoyi pylon bridge, state of the art and pocket-squeezing for tax payers project moved to site about seven years ago, but abandoned the project some years back. He added, “after repeated cries, the community learnt the project was awarded to another company, which moved to site about four months ago, but only to be constructing a feeder bridge and not the abandoned one.” According to him, the bad state of the road is causing problems in the community because the two roads that link the community are in very terrible state. He said that the community does not have a government owned primary or secondary school, so, children go to Tedi for their primary education, while for secondary, it is Agric. He said that many of the traders in the community often have challenges moving their wares in and out of the community. The Adele Baale of Muwo Town, Chief Yekini Bakare, said he had not seen the construction of a road taking so long. To him, it is unheard of

that a road to link two communities not too far from each other has taken such a long time. While saying that the initial contractor seems to have no knowledge and capacity to execute the project awarded to them, Bakare noted, “the worst punishment is that the abandoned project has blocked pedestrian walkway.” He said the way things are now, it is like the community is in a cage as it is difficult going out and coming in, wondering what the community benefits from being under a government whether state or local government. Mr. Darlington Emeka said that the state government is just punishing the inhabitants of the communities as the government feel unperturbed about what the average persons who lives within the community goes through. “No responsible government would say it

does not know that things had got this bad. If not that tricycles had to be riding on Dansa food compound, getting to Abule-Oshun from Tedi without first going to Barracks would not be possible with the appalling state of the roads. Emeka, who initially declined comment because he was furious, but later called back the reporter, said, “If the state government is too far and does not want to construct the road because people who live in Tedi towns are not human beings but could vote during election time, what about the local government which is not far from us cannot construct the drainage. If the drainage is constructed, no doubt, the road would not degenerate to the very bad state it is now.” A motorcyclist, Chukwudi John, said that they had to increase the fare by 100 per cent because of the waterlogged roads, which often spoil the

Lagos Development Projects, Slow-Paced, Skewed CONTINUED FROM PAGE 22 missioning, is constructed to improve travel time for vehicles travelling to Ikoyi from Oniru through Ozumba Mbadiwe Avenue, Adeyemo Alakija to link Falomo. “This will make a positive difference to daily commuting and life of road users. This bottleneck and congestion, which is caused by conflict of the intercession of Ozumba Mbadiwe Avenue and Adeyemo Alakija Street, should now be eased by the provision of direct access onto the existing Falomo bridge.” For Bolanle Adeoye, a banker, “much as I commend the transformation of Lagos State and the good works being done by Governor Babatunde Raji Fashola, I detest the total neglect of other areas of the state including

the state administrative capital, Ikeja and environs. The roads in these areas are too bad. What the government does there is patch-patch unlike the solid re-construction of road being done on the Island and its environs.” To Chris Kanayo, a System Analyst with a firm in Victoria Island, government is selective in its choice of contractors for jobs done in the slum areas unlike the Island, where Julius Berger, CCEEC, and Lekki Construction Company with state of the art technology handle most projects. “I live in Iyana Ipaja and the contractor handling Iyana paja-Ikotun road is doing a bad job. Check the road and you will see its bad and getting worst. During elections, they get their major votes here but nothing is done to improve the communities. How many of the so called

big people in the highbrow areas votes during elections? “Look at Lasu-Isheri-IgandoIba road, the street lights are not functioning but if it is on the Island, government would have fixed it long ago. Go to some of these communities there are no roads, markets, street lights, even the so called health centres are death centres. Every tax is deducted from salary without getting any value. There is inequality in the state.” Darlington Onyemaechi, an Information Technology Consultant said, “The project is people-oriented, and the benefit is for us and not the government. I implore the state government to replicate the good things around the whole state, so that people will have easy movement to go around unhindered for their businesses.” At Mafoluku, vehicles re-define the road in a no-bridge situation

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THE GUARDIAN, Sunday, June 23, 2013

NEWSFEATURE

… And Another Kind of GRA By Gbenga Akinfenwa

BVIOUSLY, the Cenotaph erected at the crash O site of the ill-fated Boeing MD-83, operated by Dana Air in Iju-Ishaga, in Ifako/Ijaiye Local Government Area, north west of Lagos State, easily passes for the finest structure around the area; the aesthetics imparted on it and its immediate surrounding as well as good access road make the difference. Its features and architectural magnificence are things to behold, but such cannot be said of this part of the Agege suburb and its adjoining streets. The general look of the area by any visitor gives an impression of a hamlet, in terms of development. It has nothing to show that it is under the control of the State government. The present condition of the roads leading to the area is appalling, no potable water, and no constant power supply. To the residents, social amenities are a luxury, despite government’s regular income generation from the area. Some of the roads that were hurriedly rehabilitated ahead of the one-year remembrance of the crash victims have been abandoned. Sadly, the delayed rescue operation to save lives of victims of the air crash was allegedly caused by the horrific state of the access roads, which majorly contributed to the high number of casualties recorded. Other parts of the Council area have little or nothing to show government’s presence. But for signposts, one would be in a geographic disadvantage as to the location and in what state of the federation. If these areas are beamed on television, many people would definitely ask if the area is part of Lagos, but the reality is that there are two faces of Lagos, the developed and the under-developed. It is the same story in Alimosho, the largest Local Government in Lagos and Agbado Oke-Odo Local Council Development Area. If Governor Babatunde Raji Fashola has spared some moments out of his busy schedules to visit some of these areas, he would have seen the suffering of legitimate taxpayers, on whose votes he rode to power. From Ajegunle, along the Lagos-Abeokuta express road, through Agbado-Kollington, AIT road, Oke-Abiye, Alaso, Amikanle, Victory Avenue to Command/Ajasa road, there seems to be no official presence at all. The roads leading to these communities are in very bad shape, and there is no potable water. The only amenity enjoyed by the residents is electricity, which is not even constant. Meiran, a quiet suburb of Lagos has degenerated so much that those who knew the area before can hardly recognise it. The first repulsion was the strangeness of the road. It is hard to tell that the sleepy community has suffered long from abject neglect by the government, despite the massive transformation and infrastructural upgrade already completed and ongoing in other parts of the state. A visit to the area from Meiran junction on the express road through Ajasa to the Command School, Victory Avenue, Alaso, Amikanle, Agbado Kollington and back to the express reflects a tale of pain and agony to road users and residents. The plight of residents in Victory Avenue, Odofin

Estate, Agbenaje Phase III and its environment is worse off. Aside the absence of a good link road to the 15 communities existing in the area, there is no electricity, while residents depend on generating set. HE story of Oke-Abiye, a remote community T in Alagbado, Agbado Oke-Odo Local Council Development Area (LCDA), is a very pathetic one, in the sense that all the developmental project in the community are through self-effort, achieved from levies from residents houses. For the past eight months the community has been in darkness due to its faulty transformer, no hope yet in sight for them, even from the authorities of the Power Holdings Company of Nigeria (PHCN). There are over 260 houses and several shops in the community, where government generates income on regular basis. But despite this, there seems to be loss of contact with the government. The road leading to the community is in bad shape, and potable water is no-go area. The only amenity enjoyed by the residents is electricity. At present, the welders, barbers, frozen foods operators and other artisans have begun to leave the community en masse because there seems to be no solution yet in sight. When The Guardian visited the community, commercial activities in the area have been paralysed. Most of the shops closed down, the few shops that opened for commercial activi-

ties were operating skeletal services, due to the black out. Amikanle, Alaso and its adjoining communities have cried endlessly for a possible solution from government on the dilapidated nature of the road leading to the area but it has always landed on a deaf ear. From the Amikanle end through Command Secondary School road to Meiran, the present state of the area is devastating. The residents and motorists operating around the axis have resigned to fate because government has deliberately closed its ears to the cries of the people. Moving from the Ajasa Command road through Ayobo to Ipaja is another horrible experience, the residents, like residents of other government-rejected areas have resigned to fate but their general appeal to the state governor is to extend the dividends of democracy to the areas. Now, most areas in Agege are like slums, the needed government attention is lacking. Most areas where developmental projects are ongoing have been abandoned, which has added more agony to the people. When the idea of constructing a drainage system on the Capitol/Oke-Koto area of Agege, a suburb of Lagos was initially conceived in 2008, it was applauded as a good plan in the right direction, considering the topography of the area as a flood prone region. But five years down the line, the drainage is yet

to be completed. It is the story of another abandoned project, which has further aggravated the suffering of the residents. Investigations revealed that the project, which at the initial stage was funded by the World Bank, took off from the Capitol area in 2008, but was abruptly stopped at the Oniwaya junction when the sponsors withdrew due to paucity of funds. The Lagos State government, however, came to the rescue and took over the project only to start foot-dragging afterwards. This has brought untold pain and hardship to residents and motorists alike. The Guardian gathered that the project, presently being handled by the sixth contractor, has become a serious nightmare to residents. Since the rainy season began and due to the nature of the area, the drainage, which is about eight feet wide, and 10 feet deep is always submerged with the water flowing into nearby houses, shops and worship centres, destroying goods, properties and valuable materials in the process. Residents are finding it particularly heartbreaking that three people have died in the drainage in the last few months, when they tripped and were stabbed to death by the iron rods inserted at the bottom of the drainage. Lots of vehicles have also been destroyed and free-flow of traffic along the axis has been hindered due to partial closure of one side of the road caused by the accumulation of rubbles.

Oke-koto, Agege drain channel, left desolate

Sorrow, Tears And Pains... Unending Experience and bad roads, there is no week she does not take pain-killers, at least once. She said the roads are only passable for heavy-duty vehicles. She disclosed that her in-law had parked his car because the brakes and other parts in their bikes. engine got spoilt because of the dirty water that penetrated According to John, he plans to stop plying the road when the the engine of the car. rains get heavier because the damage done to his motorcycle “As for motorcycles, the riders have to go through the buses would be higher compared to whatever proceed from the pato by-pass the waterlogged sections of the road. We have heard tronage he would get. “Do you think, it is for nothing that many who have cars do not several news of government coming to construct the road but take them out during rainy season? It is because they know the most times, the news were merely rumours because there had never been time contractors moved to site for the construcimplication in terms of cost to repair when the cars get damtion of Tedi-Barrack road and Tedi-Abule-Oshun Road.” aged as a result of bad and waterlogged roads.” If the Mile Ten-Muwo-Tedi-Abule Oshun Road is completed, it From Abule-Oshun to Tedi, the Irede road seems a bit better would help ease traffic on the Lagos-Badagry Expressway, but some sections of the road are in terrible state with refuse which is usually locked up traffic wise because virtually all the and water floating with algae. A resident of Tedi Town, Miss Azuka Awele, said that residing in towns along the Lagos-Badagry Expressway are mainly resithe area, which is horrible, has been both financially and physi- dential. And the expressway is the only route that could take passengers to the major commercial centres of the state. cally tasking and worse during rainy season. The bad roads had rubbed on negatively on the buses, tricy“First, you walk to Tedi Busstop to pick a bus or bike out of the cles and motorcycles; most of them are in rickety shapes. community through dirty water. As a result of the bad roads, It is same story for resident of Isheri-Osun and Ijegun in Almotorcyclists increase the fare from N50 to N100, and someimosho Local Council. The bridge that should help link the times, to N150,” Awele said. According to her, because riders had to dance through rough communities to the Low Cost Housing Estate in Oke-Afa,

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 23

Ejigbo, has been under construction for almost a decade. This is besides the road not easily passable during rainy season. A resident of Isheri-Oshun, Mr. Bade Solomon, said that when the rains are heavy, many people would have to walk from Jakande Gate to Isheri-Oshun because most motorcycles would not be able to ride through the waterlogged immediately after the Jakande Estate. He said the riders who dared to would hike their fare by over a hundred percent including the buses who dared to ply the route. A tricycle operator, Mr. Taiwo Komolafe, said that the hike in fare during rainy season is not meant to punish commuters, but due to the additional cost they have to bear because of the bad road and dirty water getting into the tricycle brakes, which get them spoilt easily. According to him, “if the road is good, we ought not to be charging commuters more than N50 from gate to IsheriOshun, but the bad road is why we charge N100 with more increase when the rains are heavy.” From Jakande to Ijegun, the roads are not tarred with several potholes and waterlogged areas that do not allow for easy movement of vehicles. The situation is compounded more because there are no drainages to take water away to a central channel or the closest canal.

THE GUARDIAN, Sunday, June 23, 2013

NEWSFEATURE

Barrack-Tedi Road, still waiting for rescue

Ajao Estate-Oke-Afa link bridge… a hitch and shut down

More Abandoned Landmark Projects By Paul Adunwoke S the recently opened Lagos Pylon bridge has A the objective of making it a shorter, less laborious trip for people from Lekki to Ikoyi, the Ajao estate – Oke-Afa link bridge is also supposed to make life better for the more populous part of the state. Yet another, the Mafoluku-to-MurtalaMuhammed-International-Airport-Road link bridge had the intention of taking the traffic load off the users. While the bridges on the other side of Lagos were completed in record time, these ones are either crawling or abandoned altogether. Controversy has trailed the construction of the Mafoluku to Murtala Muhammed International Airport Road link, and this led to abandonment of the project for more than a one year now. The Guardian investigation reveals there is a misunderstanding between the state government and the contractor, Moreno Marina Company over funding. The uncompleted bridge residents say, had blocked the Airport canal, preventing water flow, and whenever it rains heavily, the area will be flooded, and this causes a lot of damage to the residents. The site has become a hideout place for India hemp smokers and hoodlums, who often perpetrate nefarious activities such as snatching of motorcycles popularly known as okada, bags and handsets from passersby, who daily ply the road. Also, both sides of the bridge have become a market square for those who merchandise in local gin, popularly referred to as ogogoro or paraga. For residents of Mafoluku, especially Ajubulu, Eweje, Oluyeye, Makinde, Ade-Idowu and other adjoining streets in the area; the construction work, which hitherto was meant to provide a bridge across the canal through the Airport did not know it will become a source of pain instead of improving the rate of development and standard of living in the area. Both the landlords and the residents argued that the abandoned project had blocked the canal and water spills into the streets once there is heavy down pour. According to one of the residents, in the area Yusuf Idris, the project, which started in August 2007, has nothing remarkable to show for the project. “It has caused us a lot of agony. Last year, many of us had terrible experiences that we cannot forget in a hurry. The heavy rainfall which resulted into flood, spilled into our homes and properties worth millions of naira were damaged. We are appealing to the state government to come to our aids “The contractor has blocked the canal; the water needs to flow to the other side because water flow from here to Ejigbo. Instead of the water to flow freely, it diverts back to our homes. We have appealed to the local council Chairman, Councilor and the member representing the constituency at the House of Assembly. All they have been doing is promising to intervene but we have not seen anybody. We are now appealing to

state government to come to our aids”, he said. A landlord, Alhaji Gani Yusuf said the problem of the area is lack of proper drainage, while abandoned bridge contributes more to the blockage. “Whenever it rains, we are always sleepless because the flood spills into our homes and destroy our properties. We want the canal to be opened to avoid more damage caused by the rain last year.” He adds, “There are a lot of miscreants in this area and they hide under the abandon bridge. We have many cases of snatched motorcycles, bags; and handsets from passersby by the miscreants”, he said. For Mrs. Ronke Awobadejo, who owns a shop in the area; said the last year flood entered her shop and damaged her wares. She attributed the damage to the unfinished bridge and blocked canal. Another resident, John Gabriel said, “People are suffering from the effect of the abandoned project because water cannot flow freely again. Before, we lived here peaceful without flood, but since they started the unfinished project, we have been suffering because they blocked the canal. I do not have new properties in my house because I am afraid of the flood and the old ones are damaged.” According to the Chairman, Community Development Association (CDA) Ade-Idowu Street, Apostle Magnus Olagundoye, said before the contractor ceased working on the site, there has been complaints of backlog of salaries by the workers, who were owed more than five months. “We noticed the contractor has not been on site for almost one year. But before they stopped work, the workers were complaining

of not been paid for over five months. We have been to places to know what happened, and reason for abandoning the project. We discovered that both the contractor and the government have failed to reach an agreement. He adds, “We learnt that there is an additional bill in what the government is supposed to pay the contractor, and the money has not been paid; so, the contractors decided to cease work.” He noted that the project for has been on for more than five years, and both parties are not serious about the project completion. Olagundoye revealed the community recorded over 15 million naira worth of goods lost in 2011, as a result of the impact of the flood caused by the unfinished bridge and blocked canal. “It is affecting us seriously because in 2011, we recorded over 15 million worth of goods. God saved us, as no live was lost. The damage was more in 2012; the flood of the rain that fell on June 26 and 27 reached the window level. It was a hell and we do not know what will happen this year”, he said. He adds, “When they started this project, the main drainage (canal) was blocked. This canal flows from Agege through Cement to Ejigbo. We have 27 streets, and there is big volume of water coming down to this place; whenever it rains, we experience flood.” Asked how long he has lived in the Community, he said “I have been here for past 22 years; before the commencement of the access bridge, we do experience flooding but not much; for instance once in three years, but since the start of this unfinished project, we have been experiencing flood almost three

Isheri-Osun – Ijegun (Ikotun) link bridge… abandoned after more than five years

times in a year”, he stated. He, however, called on the state government to come to their aid and open the blocked canal to allow the water flow freely. “We have been to the government house, Alausa and the local council to complain and we are yet to see anybody.” The deputy director and head of information, Ministry of Works, Lagos State, Mr. Biola Fagunwa stated that the ministry had misunderstanding with the former contractor, Moreno Marina, but the contract has been re-awarded to another contractor and the project will soon commence. He urged residents to exercise patience. “The ministry had misunderstanding with the former contractor, Moreno Marina and the contract has been re-awarded to another contractor. The project will soon commence and I want to use this medium to urge the residents and the members of the public to know that the problem they face now about the project will soon be a thing of the past”, he said. For Ejigbo residents, the effect is more as the construction work on the Ajao Estate-Oke Afa link bridge should have been completed by now but the project has been delayed. Although work is on-going at the site but there is no seriousness in keeping to the time frame for the completion because it was started long ago. They argued that the construction work which was started for long time and should be completed by now. A resident in the area, Muyiwa Akindele said that the project has delayed for long, adding that if there is any issue preventing the project to move forward, government should educate the masses.

THE GUARDIAN, Sunday, June 23, 2013

SPECIAL PROJECT

LASU gate

Education With Tears (1) By Daniel Anazia BDULWAHAB Eniolorunopa is not your A turn-coat politician, neither is he your everyday politician looking for a caucus, Kankus, as they often call it in the local parlance. But he likes politics, especially the one that has welfarist colour. A mechanic with grown up children, April 2011 was the first time he voted in the country’s election since the annulment of June 12, 1993 presidential polls. And he had a reason to vote: For 12 years, he had seen the country descend into abyss as a result of the wobbling policies of the ruling party, Peoples Democratic Party. He would have abstained like he had done in the three previous elections, but the campaign strategy of Action Congress of Nigeria convinced him there was going to be a change. He wanted a change. He wanted the best of education that he couldn’t get for his children. The words of Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) gubernatorial candidate in the 2011 elections, Senator Abiola Ajimobi, convinced him that indeed there was a good reason for him to vote. Ajimobi had said he was determined to implement the four-cardinal programmes of the sage, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, just as he promised to create 20,000 jobs as soon as elected governor of Oyo State. Ajimobi was not the only person that intrigued Eniolorunopa: All the ACN governorship candidates did. They were going to replicate the progressive ideals of the sage. Two years after, Eniolorunopa is bitter. His child cannot go to school because his take home cannot take him home, let alone, take his first son, Wasiu, an engineering student of Lags State University, Ojo, to school. Does he regret his decision to support ACN? “Yes,” he says. “I was morally raped. These people lied to us by saying they will provide (where and when practicable) free universal education at all levels. I’m in serious debt… and my son is just in his first year.” On further prodding, Eniolorunopa, whose second child is a medical student at Olabisi Onabanjo University (OOU), shouted: “This is education with tears. It was not like this during Unity Party of Nigeria (UPN) days.” For the mechanic, Nigerians waited for 15 years, four months and 29 days to get what they supposedly have now — democracy — but do not have any dividend for their wait and struggle. The angry man said, “basic things such as

stable and effective power supply, affordable housing; water, social infrastructure and gainful employment are unavailable. It is even more painful that there is yet to be an enduring structure on which the future generation can build upon, yet some people claim they are progressive, was that how Jakande did his?” Many wonder the highly ridiculous manner in which the management of the schools in ACN con-

trolled states, in connivance of the state governors, their visitors, to compete with private universities in terms of education commercialisation. Many, especially the students, wondered the relationship the slash has to do with the fulfilment of the campaign promise of Governor Ibikunle Amosun. They had expected the government to reduce

the school fee by 50 per cent. “What difference does 10 percent make on the fee we are asked to pay? Other states like Edo reduced school fees by 25 percent, Oyo students’ fees were reduced by 50 per cent and they expect us to shout hallelujah with 10 per cent reduction. If care is not taken, this may result to another internal strike which I pray should not to happen.”

Lagos State University… A Tale Of The Unexpected By Daniel Anazia FOR over 50 years, the free education policy initiated by the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo in South West Nigeria has been a yardstick to assess the performance of emerging governments in the geopolitical zone. And for many, especially beneficiaries, the best thing that happened to education in the country was the policy, which created room for a lot of indigent children in the region to have access to education. As a result of this policy, hundreds of thousands of people, who wouldn’t have smelt the inside of a primary school, let alone, see the hallowed halls of a university, were educated. In the words of Professor Kayode Makinde, vice chancellor of the Babcock University, Ilisan Remo, Ogun State, the pre-eminence of South-West region in the country in terms of human capital development is as a result of the free education programme of the sage, Chief Obafemi Awolowo. The vice chancellor said he and many others in the region today could become what they were because of the free education policy of the sage, which gave them basic qualitative education. With the return to democracy in 1999, the general assumption was that there would be a concerted effort at taking the country back to its glory days: that education would be free in states of South West Nigeria considering that chieftains of Afenifere and die-hard Awoists were still around and in one of the parties registered to contest election and that Nigeria could, indeed, educate every child freely to reduce the rate of school drop-out in the country. This, the ruling parties in the South West region, since 1999, from Alliance for Democracy (AD) to Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) have continually preached during their campaigns to win votes of the electorates. However, this seems not to be anymore as education in the states and indeed Lagos, the heartbeat of the party, has become more

expensive than most privately owned schools. There was a lot of expectation when Action Congress of Nigeria governors came on board in the Southwest in 2011, and with one of the aims and objectives of the party being, ‘To provide (where and when practicable) free universal education at all levels and free health for all’, many had expected, because of their claims to be the offshoot of Awolowo’s ideals, that education would be affordable, if not totally free. In Lagos, today, parents now make extra sacrifice for their children’s education, especially at the university level, as a result of increase in tuition fees paid in the state owned university, Lagos State University. Following Governor Babatunde Raji Fashola’s pronouncement in October 2011, there was about 725 per cent increment from N25,000 to N350,000 per session depending on the faculties. A breakdown of the fees showed that students in the faculties Arts/Education pay N193,750; Social and Management Sciences N223,750; Law N248,750. Those in the school of Communication, Transport pay (N238,750), while Sciences, Engineering and College of Medicine pay N258,750, N298,750 and N348,750. The Guardian gathered that during the tenure of Prof Abisogun Leigh as acting, and then, substantive Vice Chancellor (2000-2005), a development levy was suggested as a solution to the decaying infrastructure. This pitched the students against the school authority, which resulted and led to the suspension of the Students’ Union Government (SUG) at the time and shutdown of the University for few months, after which, there was a consideration to increase the school fees to meet the urgent needs of the school following a resolution among the stakeholders — the students, represented by their leaders (Students’ Union), the university management, the state government and some parents.

At the resolution table meeting, The Guardian’s checks revealed that it was agreed that the fees generated from the School of Part-Time Studies (SPTS) /Satellite Campuses (as it was popularly known before being recently abolished by Governor Babatunde Raji Fashola) spread across the state, which was autonomous to the school, be used to aid the required funds needed for infrastructural developments. At the time, tuition fees for the full time students ranges between N150 to N250, while the part-time students paid between N22, 500 to N28, 500 before it was increased to N62,500 depending on the level. This excluded other fees including departmental and faculty levies, handouts, practicals, projects, all of which amounted to an additional N30,000. The Guardian also gathered that between 2003/2004, the SPTS and the Satellite Campuses generated an estimated N1, 060,000,000 yearly from the sales of forms and school fees. Following students’ complaint, Governor Fashola, as visitor to the school, promised to set-up a panel to find out what the challenges of the university were. The panel had Justice O.O. Silva (rtd) chairman, Professor Itse Sagay, Alhaja Lateefa Okunnu, Mrs. S. Muri-Okunola and Mrs. Kaoli Olusanya. According to the White Paper entitled: Government Views on the Report of the Visitation Panel to Lagos State University, September 2011, “The Visitation Panel noted with concern the funding of the University by the Lagos State Government which it (the Panel) described as grossly inadequate. It observed that between January 1999 and December 2009, the period specified in the Panel’s T of R for this assignment, the total CONTINUED ON PAGE 27

THE GUARDIAN, Sunday, June 23, 2013

SPECIAL PROJECT ernment, which the political elite divert from facilities in the school. Then, the fee was upped from Nigerians are the same people who suggested going into areas like education.” N250 to N25,000. Governor Fashola in his manifesto the obnoxious policy. This policy has succeeded disbursement from Development Fund The student continued, “Jakande is still around, promised to give qualitative education to the masses in alienating the children of pepper, and boli to LASU for capital project was those who are saying education cannot be free but the new increment shows that the Lagos State sellers from going to university.” #2,023,075,254.00 (Two billion, twenty- should go and ask him how they did it in their government is not bothered by the plight of the less Asked how the students were coping with old three million, seventy-five thousand, two time.” privileged people who are about 70 per cent across fees payment, and if they are getting values for hundred and fifty-four Naira). For Afeez, a 300L Management Technology stu- the metropolis. The whole idea of the increment to the amount paid, he said, “some of us manage “In the opinion of the panel, this level of dent and member of the student union, “Most me is taking away education from children of comto pay the N25,000 before the increment. funding will affect infrastructural and Lagosians see Lagos State University as a refuge mon men. The policy is meant to favour the children During the rainy season, the whole place is academic development. Furthermore, place for the poor because of the low fees. But of the elite.” waterlogged. Though new structures are being the Panel found instances of poor finan- with increase school fees, government has alienat- He said the governor’s action amounted to taking built, the challenge of inadequate lecture halls cial record keeping, inconsistencies in ed the poor from having good education in the away from the poor, what would have been theirs. He is still encountered by the students.” financial data supplied, little or partial state. Rather than make necessary provisions for added, “did the governor not enjoy free education He adds, “The faculty of social sciences, which adherence to due diligence, due process conducive learning environment and ensure under Jakande? Was the same condition not obtain- was built at a cost of over N450million has nine and procedure. infrastructural development, the best thing gov- able then? Nothing has changed much, except that classrooms partitioned with plywood, but has “It also noted that the University has ernment could do was to come up with increase dividend of governance has increased to a state of over 500 offices with nine toilets. A class meant very high prospect to generate funds in students’ fees. The people we call eminent anomie. There are so many funds available to the gov- for 50 students serves 150 students.” internally but left the opportunities under-explored”. In the light of its observations and findings, the panel recommended as follows: One, it should be mandatory that proper documentation be done while major disbursements should only be effected after due diligence, due process and approval of the Governing Council. Two, the Bursar should be held accountable for all unretired Staff Advances amounting to #29,853,177, 18 (twenty-nine million, eight hundred and fifty-three thousand, one hundred and seventeen Naira, eighteen Kobo) as at February 22, 2010. Three, in view of the enormous financial commitment required to run a University vis-à-vis other competing demands in Public Sector Governance, Government was advised to review the subsidy on tuition from 12 per cent to 35 per cent of actual tuition, which ranges from #125,000.00 (One hundred and twenty-five thousand naira) to #400,000.00 (Four hundred thousand Naira) per session. Four, Bursary and Scholarship awards to students should be paid to the University Bursary, for deduction of the tuition component and disbursement of the balance to respective beneficiaries. Among other things, in view of the enormous financial commitment required to run a University vis-à-vis other competing demands in the public sector, Government accepts the recommendation to increase tuition fees and therefore directs the Governing Council and other authorities of the University to effect the Governor Fashola (middle), Prof. John Obafuwa, Vice Chancellor of LASU (first left), Molade Okoya-Thomas; Akin Kekere-Ekun and Alhaji Lateef Jakande, first Executive Governor of following graduated tuition fees for the Lagos State at the 17th convocation of LASU following courses: Arts/Education (#193,750), Social & Management Sciences (#223,750), Law (#248,750), Communication/Transport (#238,750), Science (#258,750), Engineering By Kamal Tayo Oropo (#298,750), College of Medicine what many called the astronomical increase was a Lagos preserve at a time is now acquiring S far as possible, expenditure on services (#348,750). Pan-Yoruba character. The truth of the matter is in tuition, especially by students in LASU. which tend to the welfare, and health and In his address at the university’s 17th To drive home their point, they eventually that the lifestyles of our governors, their the education of the people should be convocation ceremony, Governor appointees, godfathers and hangers-on show burst into a song in which they demanded increased at the expense of any expenditure Fashola defended the new fee regime, clearly that it is not about resources, but priorifree education in the state. that does not answer to the same test.” saying it was one of the many recomty. It would be recalled that the Fashola govThese were the words of the first Premier of mendations of the visitation panel set up “I was told of one who regularly has his Buba ernment last year approved an increase in by the government to restore the image the defunct Western Region, Chief Obafemi and Sokoto flown from Lebanon sewn at N250, Awolowo, on February 20, 1952, shortly before tuition at LASU to between N195, 000 and of the institution and position it for 000 per piece! Awolowo also had contempoN300, 000 per annum for art and science the Western House started debate on greater academic excellence. raries in other parts of Nigeria who were doing courses, respectively. Appropriation Bill. He argued that even in the most powerBefore the increase, the tuition fee at LASU what our present minders are doing with their ful nations of the world, people pay good Today, there is hardly a politician worth his was about N25, 000, increased from N500 by commonwealth, and in a few years, the differmoney to get education that they other- salt in the ‘region’ that would publicly disFashola’s predecessor in office, Senator Bola ence was clear,” he said. tance himself from the policies of Awolowo. wise would not have attained if they did However, taking a departure from Ahmed Tinubu upon ascension of office in However, the progenitor of progressive school not borrow to fund it. Odumakin’s assertion, the Vice Chancellor of of thought was more famous for his free edu- 1999. He said, “These are the same universiThe increase had also sparked off a series of the Federal University, Otuoke, Bayelsa State, cation programme. ties some of us export our children to, protests by the students who considered it as Prof Mobolaji Aluko, declared that what is conWithout openly saying so, political office these institutions are not pretending sistent with Yoruba culture is compulsory edua way of closing the door against students holders in the Southwest may have decided about the standard of their education, that the free education programme should be from poor financial background. The protests cation. which they are able to maintain partly This, according to him, is to “such an extent and subsequent public hearing by the state interred in Awolowo’s bones. from the fees that they charge. Why are that no citizen is a burden to society, and that House of Assembly on the issue notwithLagos State governor, Mr. Babatunde Fashola, we willing to pay abroad to foreign leceducation is first by the family, and then by the reacting to a demand by students in the state standing, the government stuck to its gun. turers and to foreign institutions and larger society as an obligation if and when who gathered at the auditorium of Lagos State But trying to justify the fee increase in his unwilling to do the same at home?” needed. The notion that parents completely For the visitor of the university, it is bet- University (LASU) main campus Ojo, on June 7, response, Fashola said he does not want to abandon the education of their wards to govrun a university where only the poor are stu2013, where he marked his 2,200 days in office, ter to develop together, rather than preernment, and use their means to do other irreldents. “Any university where only the poor reiterated again that education in the state tending to run a university that is free or evancies is alien to Yoruba and most other culcan send their students is no university,” cheap where the elite would never send couldn’t be free. adding, “the poor are already disadvantaged” tures.” Though, Fashola was quick to add that his their children. “This will not only segre“Left to me, compulsory, family-based, quality and having them in school where the acagovernment makes provision yearly in the gate our society and our future leaders and equal-opportunity education, to the highdemic quality is not worth the while, meant budget to assist indigent students in different along rich and poor lines, it will segreest useful level attainable by a citizen should be tertiary institutions within and outside Lagos, further mortgaging their future. Insisting gate our schools along rich and poor there can be no free education anywhere, he the public policy of a developing country. The lines. I refuse to accept that a society can through scholarships and bursary, many are not comfortable with the administration’s “no said an average university student in the UK analysis must, however start with how much it prosper along those lines,” he stated. truly costs to educate a citizen at each level, When The Guardian visited the campus free education policy”, especially when viewed pays about 9,000 pounds per annum. determine among the citizens who can or canReacting to Fashola’s insistence, the against the backdrop of hugely popular free to know how the students were coping not pay the full amount, and how we all can colNational Publicity Secretary of the paneducation policy of the progressive politics, with the payment, many of them lectively raise the difference –– in cash or in Yoruba socio-cultural organisation, Afenifere, which the governor is believed to subscribe. declined comment, saying that they kind,” he said. Mr. Yinka Odumakin, contended that the He said his administration has made a proviwould be sanctioned if they commented. In doing this, Aluko pointed out that it should increase is not in tandem with progressive However, those who agreed to talk did so sion of N1.5 billion in this year’s budget to political school of thought on which Fashola not matter whether the child is sent to private fund research in state-owned higher instituunder anonymity. school or not. “All must contribute to public and other state governors in the Southwest tions, and that academics were free to apply. Efforts to reach the Students Union education, because there is no private world for purportedly rode to office. He also said government is investing massivepresident were futile, as several calls ly in building enduring infrastructure at LASU The imperatives of free education, according your private ward. Government should then made to his phone were not answered. commit a substantial portion of its outlay to to Odumakin, becomes more fervent given under the 50-year rolling plan to turn the However, a part four student in the public education, seeing it as a the worsening poverty in Yorubaland, which school around. Faculty of Social Sciences, said, “when quantifiable investment rather than an irrelimits what parents can afford in educating Students, who took their turns to ask Fashola government increased school fees in the deemable grant.” their wards. “The area boys concept, which past, it argued that it was to upgrade the questions on his performance, zeroed in on CONTINUED FROM PAGE 26

Why Free Education Is Not Possible In Lagos A

THe GUarDian, Sunday, June 23, 2013

SPeCial PrOJeCT OGUN: Rising Cost Of Tuition Smears Govt’s Alleged Free Education Policy By Gbenga Akinfenwa GUn is one of the South Western States of nigeria, which claim to adopt the progressive ideals of the late Chief Obafemi awolowo. and free, affordable education has been the Unique Selling Point (USP) of most of the governorship aspirants during their electioneering. Through this, majority of the action Congress of nigeria candidates won the heart of the masses that voted them into power in the april 2011 elections. But on assumption of office, many of them, if not all, have failed to keep to their electoral promises. Today, in almost all the states in the South West, new school fees regime have come into the higher institutions, which has forced many undergraduates out of school. Sadly, the Gateway State, as Ogun is known, home of the late sage, awolowo, has joined the race with tuition fees of state-owned tertiary institutions jerked-up such that majority of students in the institutions, who are from poor homes have been forced to dropout since the fees are no more affordable for them to pay. The Guardian learnt that as at 2006, the school fees of Moshood abiola Polytechnic (MaPOly), Ojere, abeokuta was n6, 625 for freshers, while returning students paid n5, 625. For Tai Solarin University of education (TaSUeD), ijagun, ijebu-Ode, it was within the range of n55, 000 to n60, 000 and Olabisi Onabanjo University (OOU), agoiwoye was n15, 000. Between year 2007/2008 session, MaPOly school fees rose from n6, 625 to over n70, 000, TaSUeD from n55, 000 to n78, 000 for indigenes and n83, 000 for non-indigenes. For OOU, it rose from n15, 000 to n150, 000, a whooping 1,000 percent increase in 2008/2009 session. Considering the outrageous tuition fees, TASUED Gate: PHOTO BY GBENGA AKINFENWA the students, in one voice vowed not to vote for any candidate who would not reduce the The students locked the school gate to fees of the institutions following the year-on- protest government policy that any student who does not pay school fees on time would year increase of over 100 per cent by the not be allowed into the exam hall, which immediate past administration of Otunba could mean an extra year for some. Since Gbenga Daniel. reduction of school fees was the pre-requi- then the school has been closed down. site by the students for voting for any candi- The OOU students under the umbrella of Concerned Students of Olabisi Onabanjo date vying for the number one seat in the University, in a strong worded letter, said, state. Senator ibikunle amosun, the current state “while governors such as Godswill akpabio chief executive of the state, took advantage and rochas Okorocha of akwa ibom and imo of the stance by the students; he promised to states have followed the footsteps of late reduce the fees of all tertiary institutions by awolowo by providing free education up to 50 per cent, as part of his electoral promises secondary level, while the tertiary instituif elected into office in 2011. now, he has not tions enjoy very low tuition of an average of n15, 000, amosun, governor of the state, only been alleged to break his ‘Social Contract With Ogun Students’ by failing to where awolowo hailed from, has raised the reduce the fees, but increasing it every year. fees on assumption of office to a whooping n270,000.” a source in OOU revealed that some stuSigned by its Coordinator, Dave Chris, the dents in disciplines such as law, Medicine, engineering, Pharmacy and others now pay group said though the governor has made seeming concessions on the OOU crisis by as high as n275, 000 per session. This was the genesis of the present face-off authorizing the re-opening of the school porbetween students of OOU and the state gov- tal from June 3 to 11, 2013 for all students to make payment of their school fees and ernment resulting in violence that rocked update their records, failure of which will ago-iwoye campus of the institution on have to take a leave of absence if they are Monday, May 20, 2013.

only able to pay up to 2011.2012 session but cannot pay up to the current 2012/2013 academic session. “What the government has failed to realise is that majority of students in the institution are either from poor homes and have to be on the streets of major cities like lagos, abuja, Port Harcourt and ibadan hawking and hustling to sponsor themselves to obtain this now ‘Highly Priced education’ in OOU, which has now earned the university the status of the ‘Most expensive State University in nigeria’, even when its facilities and academic standards cannot compete with some privately owned universities in the country, which are known to charge such outrageous tuition fees. “To this end, we hereby demand that the governor should keep to his social contract by bringing about a drastic reduction in the tuition fees in the university to a maximum of n90, 000 per student for Faculties of engineering, law and Medicine which currently pay the highest fees in the institution while other faculties should not pay more than n60, 000. Pending the implementation of this contract, we hereby demand the

immediate suspension of the ‘no school fees, no examination’ policy and that all the students should be allowed to write the second round of the Harmattan Semester examinations scheduled to begin on June 24, 2013,” he said. The students warned that if the governor failed to reverse the order, he might never be able to return to government house in 2015 because the youth who constitute an estimated 70 per cent of the state’s population will not vote for him. all calls put through to the State Commissioner of education, Barrister Segun Odubela was not picked, and a text message was later sent to him to know if government has plan to reduce tuition fees in the state’s institution of higher learning and if there are efforts at addressing the problems of OOU . His reply read thus, “no plan to reduce tuition fee in tertiary institutions in Ogun State, what we do is to give 10 per cent discount on their fees. i don’t understand what you meant by OOU problems, all i know is that we are already transforming the schools and bringing discipline into the school.”

Some Federal Universities School Fees For 2012/2013 Academic Session FeDeral UniverSiTy OF TeCHnOlOGy, akUre (FUTa) FreSHMen

= n48,900

FreSHMen reTUrninG

= n46,000 = n12,000

UniverSiTy OF aGriCUlTUre, aBeOkUTa

SeCOnD year = n46,250 OTHer yearS = n41,150 Final year = n40,700 SOCial SCienCeS

FirST year = n53,950 SeCOnD year = n45,250 reTUrninG OTHer yearS = n40,150 enGineerinG anD veTinary Final year 200 anD 500levelS = n39,700 MeDiCine = n13,200 FreSHMen = n36,805 envirOnMenTal STUDieS OTHerS = n26,805 300levelS = n17,700 FirST year = n56,450 reTUrninG STUDenTS SeCOnD year = n47,750 400levelS = = n42,650 OTHer yearS 200levels n13,950 Final year = n42,200 enGineerinG anD veTinary MeDiCine aGriCUlTUre UniverSiTy OF = n24,955 Benin OTHerS = n14,955 FirST year = n53,950 SeCOnD year = n45,250 300 — 500levels COlleGe OF MeDiCine, OTHer yearS = n40,150 enGineerinG anD veTinary Final year enGineerinG, = n39,700 = n23,955 PHarMaCy/PHarMaCOlOG MeDiCine OTHerS = n13,955 eDUCaTiOn y, aGriCUlTUre, liFe SCienCe anD PHySiCal SCienCe UniverSiTy OF FirST year = n53,950 FreSHMen = n49,500 SeCOnD year = n45,250 niGeria nSUkka reTUrninG = n14, 000 OTHer yearS = n40,150 Final year = n39,700 PHySiCal SCienCeS arTS, laWS, SOCial SCienCe FirST year = n54,950 anD eDUCaTiOn arTS

FirST year SeCOnD year OTHer yearS Final year

= n53,950 = n45,250 = n40,150 = n39,700

BiOlOGiCal SCienCeS FirST year = n54,950 SeCOnD year = n46,250 OTHer yearS = n41,150 Final year = n40,700 veTerinary MeDiCine FirST year = n59,450 SeCOnD year = n50,750 OTHer yearS = n45,650 Final year = n45,200 MeDiCal SCienCeS FirST year = n60,450 SeCOnD year = n51,750 OTHer yearS = n46,650 Final year = n46,200 DenTiSTry FirST year = n60,450 SeCOnD year = n51,750 OTHer yearS = n46,650 Final year = n46,200

HealTH SCienCeS

Final year

FirST year = n60,450 SeCOnD year = n51,750 OTHer yearS = n46,650 Final year = n46,200

nOTe: • accommodation/Service Charge of n9000 for male hostels and n11,500.00 for female hostels are not part of this fee structure and are payable only after payment of the Sundry fees and evidence of accommodation allocation • Public administration and local Government to pay additional fee of n5,000 as Tuition fee Hall levy of n500 is payable to Hostel Government at the Halls. • resit Fee for College of Medicine is n5,000 • Direct entry Students are to pay n10,000, a charge for verification of their entry certificates.

BUSineSS aDMiniSTraTiOn FirST year = n56,450 SeCOnD year = n47,750 OTHer yearS = n42,650 Final year = n42,200 enGineerinG FirST year = n57,450 SeCOnD year = n48,750 OTHer yearS = n43,650 Final year = n43,200 laW FirST year = n59,450 SeCOnD year = n50,750 OTHer yearS = n45,650 Final year = n45,200 PHarMaCeUTiCal SCienCeS FiSrT year = n60,450 SeCOnD year = n51,750 OTHer yearS = n46,650

= n46,200

UniverSiTy OF JOS (UniJOS) FreSHMen n81,000 and n25,000 acceptance Fee reTUrninG = n27,000.

THE GUARDIAN, Sunday June 23, 2013

SPOTLIGHT

‘Everyone Is Imbued With The Ability To Succeed’ Ebele Toni-Uche’s dramatic breakthrough in the world of business and the consequent fortune she acquired is classic. The M.D of Eph Communications Ltd, a communications, publishing and marketing company had started small but with strength of character, focus and determination, she is telling a happy story today. She feels urged and committed to develop, build platforms and inspire people to take control of their lives. She told BISI ALABI WILLIAMS that in spite of all the odds, she is pressing ahead with her sole ambition of affecting as many lives as possible. S a young girl, her one dream was to be a professor. And even though she is no longer keen on becoming a professor, she has a bigger dream of running her own private University someday soon. Sounds like a joke? No, not at all because Toni Uche is determined to achieve it. Currently, she has Masters degrees in English and an MBA, three Post-graduate degrees in Journalism, Education and Theology. Her first degree was also in English. Each of these degrees has something to do with her life goal, which is “to positively affect more lives than any living or dead man or woman.” And this is the target she has set for herself. English and journalism have helped in her writing career, her MBA, for her business to grow. She is the International president and Founder of Fishers of Men International Ministry. While growing up, she never liked school, until her fourth year in secondary school. One day, however, a thought came to her mind: She looked at the bright students and realised ‘that they had the same number of eyes, nose, brain etc. as herself. “And I reasoned that if they were not superior to me in any way, then I should also be able to clinch the first position in my class. That term, I came fourth and subsequently I was always coming first until I graduated. So there is nothing that one can’t achieve if you set your heart on it”. In school, she liked reading but by the time she was in the university, she had truly fallen in love with books. She read more of the arts though and not the sciences until her turn around moment came. Since she got married, she’s had the continual support of her husband who gave her the freedom to read and aspire to any height. Her friends Yvonne Bassey, Ebere Uwadoka, Obi Muanya, Olivia Okonji and Ada Omaliko also believed in her and touched her life in different ways. She observed that at every step of the way, the Lord used different people to shape her life. Toni–Uche is the third amongst seven children born to Chief and Mrs. Ephraim Muanya, from Nkwelle-Ogidi, Ogidi in Anambra State, Nigeria. She grew up in Onitsha and obtained her first degree at University of Nigeria, Nsukka. Her father imbibed in her the spirit of enterprise, hard work and honesty. Her mother taught her that a good name is better than riches. Today, Toni – Uche has a money-back guarantee in all her dealings with people. As one of her principles, she strongly believes that values make a man/woman. “I prefer being cheated than ruining my good name. Mum gave me the name Eziafakaego meaning ‘Good name is better than money’ after staying in my house for over one year. She saw it in my character and admonished me before her death not to depart from it. I am also admonishing everyone to imbibe it”. The Eph Business Network is a product of Eph Communications Ltd. registered in Nigeria in 1999 to do business in all forms of communications, publishing and marketing. Toni – Uche’s major work is writing and motivating people to actualise their dreams and achieve their life goals. Her area of competence and strength is in writing, editing, publishing, marketing and public speaking. The network has published over 60 books and three magazines. The health-based magazines are: Health Booster, Success Booster and African Voice of Hope. They are categorised into school, health, marriage, motivational and business books. She also speaks and creates awareness in churches. She hopes to move to the corporate world shortly.

Toni-Uche

When she lost her job as a banker, she paid heavily to learn printing. She started out as a printing contractor until one fateful day when something happened to change her life permanently. She had borrowed N300.00 (three hundred naira) from her friend, Yvonne Bassey. Unfortunately, she couldn’t pay back the money

emerged a new person. From these books, she learnt that she could always start small must never remain that way. “I decided that any job that gave me N300 in profit must be done. So I stopped looking for big jobs from big companies, where the owners used my quotation to compare other people’s quotations. Instead, I went for small businesses, designing and printing their complimentary cards, letter headed papers, invoices etc.”. Because she didn’t despise little beginnings, she had a turn around in six months. She was able to save more than what she had ever saved as a banker. She couldn’t believe it. She figured that if books could do such a miracle and some are not easily available or affordable in bookshops, then she should be the one to offer Nigerians what had helped her so much. This gave birth to her first book: Success Magnets. Then the challenge came. “It was not easy selling the books as almost all the bookshops and people who volunteered to sell never returned the money. It was more frustrating with bookshop owners who continue to give vain appointments. The sales persons whom I employed made sure they sold one book a day. Then another significant thing happened that brought me into my direct selling career. “All the money I made from printing, I lost quickly in publishing. Then, I prayed to God and I was given the revelation to start selling the books myself instead of using others. I did and God delivered on His promise. I sold books for only 16 weeks and from the proceeds I bought my first car, a Toyota Camry. Since then, the business has blossomed. God is faithful”. Now, she teaches others how to dramatically improve their finances in one or two years. This is what she does presently on a full time basis through EPH Business Network. After her graduation, she got married that same year and immediately started having children. She joined the bank when her second daughter was two years old. She had a stint in the fashion designing industry. She was producing and making casual wears (pants and tops) because she didn’t want to stay idle at home. She kept looking for a job until she got one in the finance industry. Today, Toni – Uche has demonstrated that bankers do not necessarily succeed more than book–sellers. And she supports this with what God said in the Holy books: Whatever you lay your hands to do shall prosper. The fact that she bought her first car a few months into the selling of books and magazines as a vendor in bus stations is still the amazing story of how hard work and perseverance pays. This is something she could not do in her three and half years in the banking and finance industry. “The lesson is that, there is something in every one of us.” And this is the secret she is offering freely to all EPH Business Network online subscribers. It is a desire to impact and inspire Nigerians to be their own boss. She also offers free public speaking to all. In her view, Nigerian women are great on the appointed day. Her inability to pay achievers, home- makers and women of back the money greatly saddened her because that was the first time she ever bor- great virtues. She refers to them as the mothers of the great nation. “Women rowed. are very hard working; they are not lazy Somehow, her friend understood her predicament and gave her a book entitled: at all. However, they need to be stirred up and the Church will be a good start.” Successful Achievement by Sidney Bremer. She advises Nigerians to stop blaming She read Bremer’s four volumes and the Government for everything. She believes the nation will move forward. “Our destinies are in our own hands. If every Nigerian rises up to the challenge of building one strong indivisible Nigeria in our areas of calling or inclination, the nation would have succeeded.” Toni-Uche believes that Nigeria is almost there. She identifies insecurity, lack of power, poor international image and accountability, endemic poverty as well as ignorance and illiteracy as the

All the money I made from printing, I lost quickly in publishing. Then, I prayed to God and I was given the revelation to start selling the books myself instead of using others. I did and God delivered on His promise. I sold books for only 16 weeks and from the proceeds I bought my first car, a Toyota Camry. Since then, the business has blossomed.

THE GUARDIAN, Sunday, June 23, 2013

PERSPECTIVES

Leadership, National Development By Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu

Dr. Doyin Okupe, Special Adviser to President Jonathan on Public Affairs took exception to the manner this speech was presented in London, a foreign land and the questions it threw up, which government considers spurious. The Action Congress last week lambasted the Presidency for daring to deny the issues that were raised in the speech, thus raising the rating of the speech as controversial. The Guardian here presents the speech for the benefit of teeming readers. PROTOCOL AM honoured to be with you in the House of Commons for this is a house of democracy. It can be said that modern representative democracy was born inside these walls. Three and one-quarter centuries ago, England underwent the Glorious Revolution. The Glorious Revolution was a complex happening, with religious considerations playing as large a role as political factors. The Glorious Revolution permanently shifted the balance of power from the monarch to the elected representatives of the people. In this land, the primacy of the monarchy was altered. Over the years, the power of parliament would progressively grow while that of the monarchy would recede. As long as the breath of freedom does not expire from this earth, this house shall be revered as a symbol of progress and of the battle of the rule of law and individual liberty against the menace of unchecked and arbitrary power. Today, democracy is the standard. Democracy is the best form of governance because it counters that most dangerous human frailty: the temptation of leaders to accumulate power for the sake of accumulating more power. However, everyone claims to be democratic but not everyone is faithful to his or her word. Herein lies the rub. Illiberal governments have become adept in Tinubu exploiting the visible procedural and institutional trappings of democracy without adopting the democratic spirit that gives these procedures and institutions their noble meaning. We have governments that are democracies on paper but not in function. They are democracies in form but not in substance. We have governments that only know democracy primarily through breaching it. In short, many nations suffer authoritarian governments in democratic clothing. Nigeria is a dysfunctional democracy. Our system stands in a dark, uncertain corridor, idling halfway between democracy and its opposite. The way things are going many people believe our best chance for genuine democracy has already escaped from us like dust blown from the hollow of our hand. I believe democracy shall prevail in Nigeria in the long run. This belief is not derived from the present facts on the ground. If I limit myself to facts alone, my address to you would be a gloomy one. However, I believe democracy shall win because I hold an undying faith in both justice and the collective wisdom of the people. Today, I will examine our topic, Leadership, National Development and the People through the prism of democratic culture and the rights of citizens to elect and vote out leaders at periodic intervals. What kind of legitimacy do the leaders command? What changes are required to bring about free and fair elections and the rule of law? What is the quality of the leadership now in power? What developmental philosophy is best suited to spur national development? Under democracy, the concern about the quality of leadership takes on an added dimension. Democracy can only be sustained and improved when the electoral process is such that the people are able to choose leaders who will further nurture the democratic system. In the absence of this reinforcing positive dynamics, democracy will weaken and sooner or later implode, if left too long unattended. If democracy is to be sustained it must also elevate the performance level of government and the corresponding rights and privileges enjoyed by the citizens. The success or performance of any leadership is often measured by the extent of national cohesion achieved and the level of national development experienced. In the case of Nigeria, the fundamental question to ask as one of our most prominent journalists said in a recent piece is: To what extent has public policy improved the human condition? Indeed, according to the late British economist Dudley Seers, the questions to be asked about a country’s development are the following: What has become of poverty? What has happened to unemployment? What is the state of socio-economic inequality? “If all three have declined from high levels, then development has occurred. But if one or two of these central problems have grown worse, especially if all three have, it would be wrong to call the result “development” even if GDP has improved. Sadly, these problems have grown worse in our land. The concept of national development has been perverted. In Nigeria and most parts of Africa, the three key drivers of development are retrogressing because of the missing link- visionary, disciplined and courageous leadership. The gap between poor and rich widens. There is grinding poverty and people have to work twice as hard each day to make ends meet. There is massive unemployment. Of what use is any leadership that does little to solve these problems?

Leadership and National development are twin engines. You need good leadership to conceive dynamic policies that will drive development at all levels. It is not rocket science, yet we pretend that our path to national development will be

different from that of other countries who paid the price for good leadership, dynamic and result-oriented policies. Here I advocate a new thinking and a new direction. Nigeria needs its equivalent of the Glorious Revolution. I use this term knowing critics will complain I advocate overthrow. I do no such thing. I do not support the Jonathan government but I oppose anyone seeking its premature, illegal end. Let this government end at the appointed time. But let it end through the ballot box. Then I shall say good riddance. The Glorious Nigerian Revolution of which I speak has nothing to do with force of arms. The Revolution of which I speak has two major parts. First, is the peaceful conversion of our quasi-democracy into a full-fledged one. Second, is the implementation of policies turning the political economy away from its retrogressive, elitist bearings. We seek policies pointing in a progressive direction affording the average person a chance at a dignified life. This will be through the provision of gainful employment, quality education and essential social services for those who need the helping hand of government to survive. I see no shame in believing progressive government can improve the political economy and the lives of the people. It is quite apparent to me that political leadership serves no useful function if it is unable to address the vital needs of the people. There is no question that the current Federal government has thoroughly failed in that enterprise and this explains the focus of the new opposition the APC. As our new coalition, ALL PROGRESSIVES CONGRESS, APC, takes form, we are convinced and determined about the direction we want to take our nation and our people. As leaders of the new party and government in waiting, we intend to pursue dynamic, time-tested and bold policies that will liberate our people by making sure our wealth works for us. Let me put forth a few. The Central focus of our efforts in the coming years must be the implementation of the most extensive and aggressive plan to lift as many Nigerians out of poverty as possible. Our desire is to be able to move at least 20% of our people out of poverty (defined as earning less than a dollar a day) in the first 4 years of our administration. To do so we begin from the premise that the Washington Consensus and the IMF/Post-Bretton Woods prescriptions for development have served their time and to a large extent have not delivered on their promises. There is a need for what has been described as a THIRD PATH. A Pathway between the pure market-driven, neo-liberal socio-economic policies and the various variants of the command economic models. That Third Path is particularly important for countries such as ours with an incredibly large and growing poor, poor infrastructure and weak financial and social institutions. The results of which are the frightening social tensions, terrorist violence and kidnappings. For us that pathway is clear . It means developing our own Marshall Plan resulting in direct intervention of the State, thereby halting the pauperization of our people but simultaneously ensuring that intervention itself spins off jobs and growth. It also means working aggressively to improve infrastructure. The immediate priorities will be sorting out the power requirements for all. One of the most important discoveries of humanity today is electricity. Unfortunately, Nigeria’s efforts to provide adequate energy have been an abysmal failure. Yet

no nation can develop economically and meet the needs of its people without uninterrupted energy supply. How can any nation think of setting up refineries without constant power supply. Taking crude oil and exporting same cannot result in exponential growth for any country. To improve energy supply, we would encourage Independent Power Plants, IPP, in designated industrial zones to reduce the horrendous power component of the cost of local manufacturing. Secondly, the construction of Trans- State highways, such as the speed train that will connect the North, South, East and West and move people, fuel, farm produce and goods, cost-efficiently across the country. We will emphasize and promote the growth in all sectors in the first 4 years by making small business the engine of growth. Foreign investments will ride on the back of thriving local investments, initiatives and a stable polity. Investment in agriculture and agro-allied industry is a must for us. We firmly believe that Agriculture will provide food for subsistence and export. Most importantly, it has the potential to create millions of jobs for both the illiterate and literate population. It is from agriculture that we can fight hunger and process raw materials for the industrial sector. It appears that every government in Nigeria has realized the centrality of agriculture, the problem has always been the absence of a forthright and creative plan, focus and commitment to implementation. Again State intervention is the key. When domestic and foreign demand is stimulated, farmers must be assured of minimum prices for their produce. A variant of the commodity boards is the model we are currently working on. The agency will be required to prioritize cash and food crops for which government will guarantee a minimum price. This way the farmer is confident that his investment is protected. But it is perhaps the various dimensions of our National Social Security Programme that has occupied the thoughts of our economic team most forcefully. Just to outline the broad themes of the policy : First, we intend to establish a partly contributory National Social Security Scheme. Some categories of the poor and vulnerable will benefit with or without contribution. We believe that every Nigerian over the age of 60 who is not under a pension scheme and also qualifies as poor by a “Means Test” must be given a monthly stipend. Widows and the disabled proved by a “Means Test” to be poor must also be provided a monthly stipend whenever they are unemployed. They become disentitled when they are employed. To capture unemployed graduates the Youth Corp scheme will be reviewed for pragmatic implementation for skills development and social services. The scheme may be extended for an optional 18 months within which Youth Corp member is paid and trained. One year of Youth service and six months of training in Entrepreneurial or other useful skills while looking for a job or starting a business. For instance, the CO-CREATION technology and Innovation Centre in Lagos where technology savvy young people are given the space and facilities to develop software and applications of different kinds is an indication of how in a few years with adequate government support we could create thousands of IT related jobs and opportunities throughout the country. There must be matching funds between the State and Federal government towards creating business incubators for skilled graduates. An important component of state intervention to redress poverty is the one meal a day programme for primary and secondary school pupils. The Federal government through supplemental funding will support States in providing Primary and Secondary school pupils with at least one meal a day. The immediate twin derivatives of this programme is the design to confront the extremely high incidence of malnutrition and other hunger -induced medical conditions amongst poor children as well as eliminating the recruiting grounds for illegal activities. Also, the program will stimulate demand thereby boosting local businesses in poultry, bakery and juice and packing industries. This will employ millions of graduates and no-graduates. Then, we can start to talk truly about the dividends of not just democracy but of impactful leadership. Becoming A Full Democracy OW, we know that by themselves, elections do not constitute democracy. Yet, a nation cannot be a democracy without genuine elections. If Nigeria is to mature as a democracy, we must improve our electoral system. Today, those who control the system manipulate elections with such impunity that they now see misconduct without sanction as a normal way of life. Look at the recent controversy surrounding election of the Nigerian Governors Forum (NGF) chairman. Thirty-five state governors assembled to vote for the chairmanship. They did this among

THE GUARDIAN, Sunday, June 23, 2013

PERSPECTIVES

And The People themselves by secret ballot. One contestant earned 19 votes. The other attracted 16. In a place where honesty matters, the result would be clear and undisputed. But not in today’s Nigeria under the current leadership. The chap who earned fewer votes was declared the winner by those who backed him. In Nigeria, the tenets of basic arithmetic have little application concerning elections. Votes do not count, they are concocted. Elections are not necessarily won by the candidate with the highest votes. Elections are won by the candidate of the powerful and mighty. Consequently, a group comprising all the nations’ governors could not even conduct a simple 35person election without a disputed outcome. This little episode would be laughable if it were an isolated incident. However, it is emblematic of a larger, more troubling pattern that portends calamity if not arrested. With this recent experience, I fear the length those in power would go and the means they would employ to manipulate results when the battleground is the entire nation and the stakes are the general elections in 2015.The NGF debacle symbolizes a disdain for democracy and the popular will. If we are to save Nigeria, we must rescue the electoral process from its abusers. In the main, elections during the current Fourth Republic have been substandard. They remind us that though democratic governance is inherently civilian, civilian government is not necessarily democratic. Our system is constructed to preserve the unjust gains of electoral misconduct and presents steep evidentiary and other legal challenges to those whose mandates have been pilfered by rigging and the strange arithmetic of vote counting in Nigeria. We have had too many false winners who were true losers. Another very grievous example of this perversion is the 180-day limit in judicial intervention in disputed election outcome. This fails to meet the grund norms of the rule of law. In this case, the right of the citizen is abridged through the backdoor. I Insist, this is an unconstitutional amendment. It is illegal for only 2/3rd of the National Parliament to pass such an amendment, affecting the rigths of an individual. The constitution to which we subscribe and equally that of developed democracies we emulate requires four-fifth of the Nation’s Parliament to pass such amendment. What we have should be thrown out or challenged in court. The Electoral Reform Committee chaired by former Chief Justice Uwais was established to end our unique electoral anomaly. The panel recommended a blue print for sanitizing our electoral system. Some of the key points include the need for INEC budgetary and administrative independence. INEC must emerge from under the clutch of the presidency. Under the current situation, the President can intimidate and steamroll INEC. Again, one of the most important recommendations of the Uwais Committee was that of employing modern technology for registration and voting. This is to improve the integrity of our elections. We must embrace that technology now. We need a fully bio-metric voter registration and balloting system. Let me repeat – we need a fully biometric voter registration and balloting system. The lack of a functional Biometric Voters Registration (BVR) System accounts for much of the abuse of the current process. The debate over BVR goes to the fundamental quality of our elections. With BVR we have a chance at honest elections. Without it, we are doomed to repeat past failures. This system was applied in Ghana. It worked. Other African countries – Burkina Faso, Sierra Leone, Kenya and Tanzania – used biometric registers and validation system for their general elections. It worked. If Nigeria truly is the leader and giant of Africa, let us act like it. If smaller nations can take this step to assume the continental lead in the quality and integrity of their electoral processes, let us regain the leadership role by taking the necessary step to embrace this system as well. The objective of the data capture and finger printing is to eliminate multiple voting. However, INEC’s present system negates this. Why take fingerprints, capture biometric data and then discard the information on the all-important voting day by resorting to manual accreditation? Unless INEC embraces biometric verification and revalidation during the exercise, our elections will remain more an exercise in deception and

subterfuge than in democracy and probity. Why The Struggle? AM a Nigerian patriot and a Nigerian progressive. These are not facile labels to be easily used and discarded. I consider both as badges of honor. Proudly, I wear each of them. As progressives, we fight for free and fair elections to accomplish a purpose much loftier than the elections themselves. We do not seek fair elections so that our members may enter office and behave the same way as the ruling party. We seek not to remove the ruling party from power so that we might imitate them. We seek their removal because we intend to provide a strongly more progressive, forward-looking, visionary leadership. They are the prison guards of an unjust status quo holding the people captive. We have nothing less in mind than to change the face of our political economy for the benefit of our people and our country, Nigeria. It had been said that Nigerian politicians all believe in the same thing: themselves. This has never been true. Today its falsity is even more glaring. When the current administration sought to abolish the fuel subsidy under cover of darkness last year, we opposed it by offering an approach that would increase government spending in favour of the people. We insisted that if it must be done, such funds must be dedicated to programmes of vital social services in proportion to the amount of the subsidy removed. We seek fiscal federalism where state and local governments are more empowered to spur development at the grassroots level. Those in power use unconstitutional means, such as the illegal Excess Crude Account and the Sovereign Wealth Fund, to retain central government control over funds belonging to the States. They also weaken the states by imposing a variety of unfunded federal mandates that stress and strain already tight state budgets. By these measures, they make States more subservient to central government. Also, the people are punished through the denial of needed resources to improve the quality of life. The official youth unemployment rate approaches a frightening 60 percent, while the rate of graduate unemployment hovers around 30 and 35 per cent. No scenario can be more frightening. However, the present government is promoting statistical growth without evidence of its corresponding impact on the people. If this is growth, we want no part of it. On provision of energy, billions have been spent on power, but the Power Holding Company of Nigeria remains powerless. Meanwhile, the people grope in darkness. Industries are collapsing and manufacturing base goes into extinction. Again, this government praises its artificial solutions to real actual problems. For them, this is enough. For the people, it is a bleak house. My Goodness, if this is growth, we want no part of it! National Security This government promised peace and security but under its unwatchful eye, insecurity has grown. Boko Haram has turned large tracts of northern Nigeria into no man’s land with live and property under severe threat and economic activities have come to a standstill. Yet, this government has not seen the correlation between poverty, injustice and the rule of law. Nigerians have become increasingly divided as a people because government continues to take faulty steps. They have ignored the cause and gone after the symptoms. Yet, the government has the responsibility to end foreign or homegrown terrorism. On this, we are ready to partner with government to end this scourge. The current administration should apply a consistent policy of targeted law enforcement operations in conjunction with an active program of economic development, negotiations and potential amnesty for penitent Boko Haram members. Instead, the nation has been treated to series of government inaction, indiscriminate use of force, and now a state of emergency. The Jonathan government set up a special Committee on Boko Haram and Security matters but sadly before they could perform, he declared State of Emergency in three Northern states: Yobe, Borno and Adamawa. This is symptomatic of a confused leadership. If there is security in this jumbled policy, neither I, nor the majority of Nigerians can find it! On the State emergency declared, we told our

National Assembly members to support it so long as it operates without affecting the democratic structure and without the federal government dipping its hands into the treasury of the States concerned. Before the end of the State of Emergency, we hope government will enumerate the number of victims including orphans, and the number of churches, mosques and properties of economic value destroyed. Government must them move to compensate the victims. There is a great philosophical gulf separating the current government from us progressives. This current Nigerian government is a retrogressive one. Much of what they claim as growth is but the harsh redistribution of wealth from the bottom to the top. The bottom gets squeezed while the top expands. They are serving us the salad of corruption. They consume our today and squander the nation’s tomorrow. For 14 years, the PDP led government cannot turn anything around. A new leadership is required to put a stop to this. In more visual terms, the economy is being reconstructed as an oasis for a small few and a stark desert for the many. This government pretends to endorse the same budget-cutting austerity policies that now rend much of Europe. We are not Europe; we are a 3rd World economy. That these policies have failed in European nations with higher standards of living than Nigeria gives our leaders no concern. They rather follow the herd over the cliff than save the nation by standing alone and exercising independent thinking and charting a new economic path. It seems our leaders have an abiding faith in the capacity of our people to endure every form of indignity and poverty. They assume that Nigerians are sadistic and enjoy being punished. This is not true. The leaders purport to be democratic but they operate as if in a discriminatory system where there are few escape valves. Our people live in dire straits. But this government would rather waste the money than spend it on the public benefit. They do not believe the people are worth it. The money is more important. They claim to be hoarding it for that mythical rainy day, when most Nigerians are drowning in poverty. If that is not troubled waters, I don’t know what new calamity will make this government ever recognize the need to build the new bridges needed for the people to cross over into prosperity. I have said this before and I shall say it again. These leaders would rather save the money and spend the people. We progressives would rather spend the money to save the people. In essence, that is what this political struggle is about. Do the people want a government that values its accounting ledgers more than the people’s welfare or a government that prudently uses its resources to stimulate economic growth, that will touch every life in every village, city and hamlet of our nation? In our approach to the political economy, we do not rely on textbook answers because we do not live in textbooks. We live in the real world and thus seek answers from real world experiences. Here is a real world fact: No large nation has ever attained sustained growth without government running budget deficits to build the required infrastructure and without other government policies promoting development of the key industries that would become the spine of national development. Here is another such fact: No populous nation ever attains prosperity solely by extracting its raw material to exchange them for the finished goods of other large nations. We must industrialize and diversify our economy so that it provides more employment and that employment creates a virtuous cycle by spurring greater demand that spurs even greater production and employment. This is not theory. It is the pragmatic way to recover from the present depression. Unless we do this, the retrogressive elite will continue to sing about how well Nigeria is doing while the rest of the nation becomes engulfed in the tidewaters of consuming poverty. It is for this reason — to save the nation from the stranglehold of permanent poverty and poor governance — that the members of the progressive opposition political parties have decided to put aside personal ambition (including my own ambition) to form a new party, the All Progressives Congress, APC. We do this because Nigeria has entered a critical state of economic depression. Conclusion

Jonathan

ECAUSE of the unfair nature of our electoral B processes and of the gross imbalance of our political economy, the people have been props in a drama for which they should have been the main characters. We must change this. We must move Nigeria from the place where the whims and narrow wishes of a self-centered reactionary elite dictate the fate of over 150 million people. Let Nigeria enter the place where the people take center stage and their elected leaders cease misbehaving like a modern-day aristocracy and get on with the task of national development in earnest. First, we need to sanitize the electoral system. Material reform is needed. Unless reform comes, the next election will be abysmal and the people’s will shall not prevail. And that would be dangerous. Let the next election be a fair and open contest between the PDP power and our progressive vision for change. On our side, we will take our chances with a free and fair election. For we shall offer the people an innovative program, consisting of a national industrial policy that includes radical infrastructural development and employment targets. It includes revival of agriculture through commodity exchange boards, education reform and of the modernization of essential social services including primary health care, especially for women and children to reduce maternal and infant mortality. These and other people-oriented measures we pledge. We look forward to a public comparison of our plans to those of the past 14 years under the current government. This is what democracy is about. Let the people inspect each party’s wares then vote for the package that suits them. In an honest and transparent manner. A truly free and fair election is what the Progressives ask for. One man. One vote. If we get this, we shall win because we seek to provide a new leadership that will lead Nigeria to a better place and future. A country where no responsible mother is forced to send her children to bed without food, where no son watches his mother pass away because he can’t afford basic medical care and where every child can taste of a quality education that allows them to dream of being doctors, scientists, farmers, business people, nation builders, and even dream of being the president of our land. A Nigeria, where everyday brain drain is converted to brain gain. This is the Nigeria we seek. This is the Nigeria that shall come to pass. Tinubu, national leader of the Action congress of Nigeria (ACN) delivered this paper at the Grand Ball Room, Westminster Hall, House of

THE GUARDIAN, Sunday, June 23, 2013

HEALTH By Gbenga Akinfenwa

S part of its commitment and preventive advocacy measures towards the reduction of HIV transmission in the country, AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF), has taken strategic steps to respond to barriers impeding access of Nigerians to condom use, with a new initiative of making it easily accessible to the citizens. AHF, a global organisation providing cutting-edge medicine and advocacy to more than 200,000 patients in 28 countries, and the largest provider of HIV/AIDS medical care in the United States with headquarters in Los Angeles, believes condom is a core evidence based HIV prevention strategy. Hence the initiative that sees condom dispensers and baskets being strategically positioned in hotels, brothels, and relaxation joints. This effort also comes with condom education and awareness as a conscious attempt to emphasise the importance of safe sex and in an attempt to bring condom closer to the people, especially those who cannot afford or access it conveniently. According to its Advocacy Manager, Oluwakemi Gbadamosi, while several countries of the world are experiencing considerable reductions in new HIV infections, Nigeria, sadly, is experiencing a hike in incidences of new infections, adding that last year alone, 300, 000 new infections were reported. “Since inception about six months ago, about 25,412 condoms have been dispensed in 26 outlets at various locations in the Federal Capital Territory alone. At the moment, AHF also has 50 outlets in Benue, the state with the highest HIV prevalence rate at 12.7 per cent in the country. Gbadamosi stated that AHF is extremely impressed with feedback coming from partners: hotel managements and individuals; at the various outlets, who have described the initiative as a significant step in the right direction towards the fight against HIV/AIDS. He promised that the Foundation would continue to show its commitment and support for the safety of Nigerians.

Foundation Introduces Initiative To Check Infections

Sample of the condom awareness initiative

“To be sure, this effort is in line with internationally validated fact that effective condom use has helped reduce HIV transmission and encouraged safer sexual behaviour. The positive impact of condom use to halving the rates of new HIV infections can be seen with successes recorded

in countries like: Zimbabwe, Brazil, Thailand, and Cambodia. “With about 3.1 million Nigerians living with HIV, and a larger percentage of the general population unscreened for HIV, it has become important that we get Nigerians, with perhaps one of the largest sexu-

ally active population in the world to imbibe safer sexual practices through condom use, as a key precautionary measures for decreasing the spread of HIV/AIDS in the Country,” he noted.

Change Thought Spiritually, Change Health - For The Better By Moji Solanke

HE one constant in human existence is change, yet many think that an individual cannot change either because age has set them in their ways, or a stubborn character trait resists any attempt at change. But this is not true because God changes the way man thinks, regardless of age or character trait. More and more, health practitioners around the world are beginning to agree that thought not only affects mental and emotional health, it also significantly, and even measurably, affects physical health. There is a marked difference between positive thinking and spiritualising thought, and it is vital to understand the difference, especially as it concerns the state of health of an individual. A sense of optimism about health and the determination to only think good thoughts is certainly important; and

while such an attitude is beneficial in dealing with the challenging issues of human experience, it cannot heal disease. On the other hand, spiritualising thought begins with God as the source and sustainer of health. It also starts with God as the source of every true thought. Rather than discipline the human mind to think optimistically about health, it sees God as the Mind from which right thoughts of health flow. For those who read the Bible, it is defined as the mind of Christ. God must be understood as immutable, which means that God cannot change. Moreover, God must be accepted as entirely good. Consequently, if the immutable goodness of God governs the thought of man, this results in thought being spiritualised, since God is Spirit; and when spiritualised thought undergirds and overarches thoughts about health, the result is health aligned to the goodness of God. This is not airy fairy hocus pocus, but is

as demonstrable as any scientific truth for any who desires to try it out. Its basis is faith not blind, but divinely rational. This spiritual understanding is able to heal even those who do not subscribe to a particular faith, because it starts from the premise that everyone, regardless of their religious belief or lack of it, is spiritual anyway. The crux of the matter is that health is really about spirituality. This is why spiritualising thought impacts on health directly, restoring it, not because of the human goodness of an optimist, but based on the unchanging goodness of God, who alone is able to change the thought of man, to be in line with what reflects His goodness. A book that practically expounds the relationship between spiritualised thought and good health is Science and Health with key to the Scriptures, written by Mary Baker Eddy. In talking about God correcting man’s thoughts

about health, she explains, ‘A change in human belief changes all the physical symptoms, and determines a case for better or for worse. When one’s false belief is corrected, Truth sends a report of health over the body.’ She proved this in countless instances of healing, and those who study the ideas in the book, continue to record remarkable healing today. This change of thought is God based, God impelled and God directed. It is not positive thinking or willpower, neither is it dependent on the human mind, or the other myriad human means advocated by psychology and physiology. It certainly includes humility, discipline, grace and a yielding to God’s ability and power, but there is no doubt that spiritualising thought results in healing. m_asolanke@hotmail.com

Health And Your Mind By Babatunde Ayo-Vaughan

n the last article, I drew attention to a very significant statement that Jesus made; that really must wake all of us up to the real meaning and significance of the notion of the kingdom of heaven. He said the birds of the air do not have barns and yet God feeds them. He said the grasses are so beautifully coloured that even Solomon in all his glory could not match them in splendour. Then He said if God can be so particular of these creatures that are of less significance to men, why then must man be having the problems that these creatures don’t have. He added a significant reason for this. He said this is because man is of little faith. When He now went on to say that man should seek first the kingdom of heaven and its righteousness and everything that he needs and even more will be given to him. I think it was a statement that made it clear that the notion of the kingdom of heaven is not particularly a celestial issue. It is as much a mundane affair, if not much more than that of celestial philosophy and postulation. The kingdom of heaven is practically real and the reality must be intelligently substantiated so that like the birds of the air and the grasses in the field, man can directly partake of it while he is living and what is really required of man is

Mind And The Kingdom Of Heaven (5) to have an enlightened understanding of what the kingdom of heaven is and how to connect with it. This truth again is what brings back the significance of that statement of Jesus that man is of little faith. This is just to say that if man has a functional understanding of what the dynamics of faith is all about, then for a very long time now, he might have seen the connection between faith and the kingdom of heaven. This is where one will begin to appreciate the very vital truth I have been trying to drive home that the issue of faith and the notion of the kingdom of heaven are about our mind functions. I think this is where again we need Jesus to bear me out. He said something to the effect that the kingdom of heaven is not something you look for either here or there. It is something that is within you (LK 17:21). I don’t know how anybody might want to interpret the notion of the kingdom being within you, if not as something that is part and parcel of your being especially your MIND — the mechanistic basis of your mental and emotional functions. We all need to see it this way to be able to understand

how all the other creatures too as mentioned by Jesus have access to God to be able to partake of the blessings of nature. It is to be able to convince you that the notion of the kingdom of heaven is not only real, it is practically flexible in its understanding. You may still see it as an abode that is somewhere above the earth, which accommodates such statements in the bible as being ‘caught up in heaven’ or ‘ascending to heaven’. But the statement that will unravel the apparent contradiction in all this is still in the bible where in the (Acts 17:28) it was stated that in God we live, move and have our being. This suggests that at the end of the day, it has to be recognised that both heaven and earth are united in a mechanism that has to be understood. It is in this mechanism that creatures are being catered for by God and which unfortunately for man because of his little faith is yet to be part of it. It may be that the truth of faith for man is the vital link for man between heaven and earth. babatund_2@yahoo.com

THE GUARDIAN, Sunday, June 23, 2013

INTERNATIONAL POLITICS

Dignitaries at AU Summit in Addis Ababa

What African Leaders Did Not Say At The AU Special Summit up food security issues as well. Merely resolving in their summit resolutions to address the root causes of conflicts, put an end to impunity and strengthen national and contiHERE are critical issues curiously not addressed or not given enough ventilation nental judicial institutions and accountability in line with the collective responsibility to the prinas epochal as the recent 50th anniversary of the Organisation of African Unity (OAU) was. ciple of non-indifference is seen by observers as Alongside with this was the 21st ordinary sum- inadequate given the exigency of the situation. But even as the leaders did not pronounce suffimit of the Assembly of heads of state and government of the African Union (AU), the gather- ciently on the matter of security sustainability, ing in Addis Ababa, the Ethiopian capital, again they did not want to lose out of making a history of the moment. They proclaimed a new focus reminded everyone that Africa remains the that would see the continent taking its destiny world’s poorest continent and its most warin its hands in self sufficiency, peace and securiprone even though development indicators – ty as well as inter-regional trade, determined not including health, education, infant mortality, to bequeath the burden of conflicts to the next economic growth and democracy – have generation of Africans. improved steadily in the last 50 years. Economic experts have always urged not just Yes, a 50 year-strategic plan for An African the banishing of conflicts but also the creation rebirth has been put in place. But the leaders of an economically sovereign continent. At the did not spell out the elements or specifics of monitoring and evaluation mechanism in the turn of the Millennium Africa’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) was $600 billion. Today it is $2.2 action plan even when such questions were raised. And when they spoke about assessment, trillion. But adjusted for inflation, Africa’s GDP has doubled in 10 years while Sub Sahara Africa’s the procedure for benchmarking of progress economic size has now doubled. Burgeoning across the states remained vague. conflicts have however continued to take the Knowing full well that the African Peace and steam away from the road to more economic Security Architecture (APSA) is billed to come progress. Besides, about 14 million of the contiinto force in 2015, the leaders failed to tie the nent’s our youth are entering the labour market conflict management interventionist ideas each year and cannot find a decent job. they glorified in Addis to their avowal to zeroBefore the summit proper, the AU Executive tolerance of unconstitutional seizure of power Council had adopted the strategic plan (2014and (for instance) make a bold statement on the situation in Central African Republic (CAR) 2017) alongside the year 2014 budget amounting to $380 million. The strategic plan is constituted where a renegade soldiers has since March sacked the democratically elected government of eight priorities meant to address challenges in peace, stability and governance, growth and of president Francois Bozize transformation, regional integration through A long-term plan targeting 2063? At a time the achievement of the Continental Free Trade when the continent’s challenges of peace and Area by 2017, innovation, harnessing human and security have now seen intra-national African natural resources, mainstreaming women and conflicts on the ascendancy. Added to this are youth etc” the new threats on hand: Insurgencies, terrorAs if to make up for the things unsaid and ism, human trafficking, drugs, climate change expectations unmet, they raised an instrument adaptation and its impact on the security of to deal with the recurrent and emerging sources nations. That new threats embody environmental sus- of conflict including piracy, narco-human trafficking, all forms of extremism including terrortainability cannot be overemphasized. So African leaders need to interrogate for instance ism, trans-national organized crime and missing no opportunity to push forward the agenda the submission by the Institute of Security of conflict prevention, peacemaking, peace supStudies (ISS) to the effect that the armed tenport, national reconciliation and post-conflict sion and insurgency vulnerability that led to reconstruction and development. Among oththe big bloodbath in Baga, northern Nigeria is ers. linked with the drying lake Chad in Nigeria’s Addressing the global media in this regard, the north east which has resulted in the exasperating need for new jobs. The pressure exerted by Chairperson of the AU authority of heads of state Ethiopian Prime Minister Hailemariam unemployment has clearly exacerbated environmental sustainability and has now thrown

By Oghogho Obayuwana Foreign Affairs Editor

Dessalegn said “We (African leaders) should take care of our own business by ourselves. We should not be waiting for handouts. We will now take care of all our programmes (security, economic integration and trade) etc, ourselves” In a world now charged by nuclear proliferation and threats, the leaders also committed a nuclear-free Africa and called for global nuclear disarmament, non-proliferation and peaceful use of energy while undertaking the effective implementation of agreements on landmines and the proliferation of small arms and light weapons. Chairperson of the AU Commission Dr. Nkosazana Zuma who also fielded questions jointly with the Ethiopian leader said the report of the African Peace and Security Architecture (APSA), African Standby Force (ASF) as well as the panel on the Wise would guide the next steps for peace and security on the continent. Interestingly, she said the leaders were pleased with the post 2015 development agenda ‘s report brought in By Liberian president Ellen Johnson Sirleaf. The African development Bank (ADB) had identified issues such as Urbanization, the Growing Natural Resource Industry and ability to leapfrog technology, climate change and food security and infrastructure as critical towards transiting to an economically stable continent. What does this mean for development experts? How has conflict burgeoning and feeble resolution of same taken steam away from the development process? The peace making work of the AU has left many ordinary Africans skeptical of its ability to impose its solutions to conflicts. Even if the AU Peace and Security Council (PSC) does often mediate behind the scenes, it has struggled to communicate its role in the conflicts plaguing the continent. Now, where was the PSC in Mali, for example, when France intervened militarily earlier this year? Its sidelining during the Libyan crisis in 2011 and almost total absence that year during the Arab Spring that engulfed North Africa indicated the limits of the AU’s capacity to play a role in conflicts. A development expert professor Oshita Oshita of the institute of Peace and Conflict Resolution (IPCR) in Abuja says the way forward is for the leaders to answer the puzzle: “Is this far too soon for a change of emphasis for the AU, with economic development in so many countries still being held back by politi-

cal conflict (e.g. Zimbabwe and Côte d’Ivoire); strife from militant groups (e.g. Mali and Nigeria); and coup leaders who fail to leave office (e.g. Madagascar)? Further to this, human rights activists including ISS consultant Liesl Louw-Vaudran have also emphasised the need for the AU to step up its efforts to ensure individuals in Africa have regional or continental recourse to justice if they do not have faith in their governments to protect them. The African Court on Human and People’s Rights and regional courts like the Economic Community of West African States Court of Justice and the Southern African Development Community Tribunal in Namibia still do not sufficiently provide for this. The AU’s lackluster support for the International Criminal Court (ICC) is also seen as hampering the fight against impunity. As the world looks forward to another summit in Addis, one of the issues that seems bypassed now is the fact that today, the AU has forces in Somalia and Darfur and is backing the individual member states’ action in Mali. Yet an African High Command is not floated many years after it was envisaged. That kind of pan African solidarity force is now needed so to take the lead in flattening the continent’s flash points such as what emerged in Mali this year without the odium of a meddlesome intervention of colonial France. Thirty-two countries including Nigeria founded the OAU in 1963. (AU emerged from its ashes in July 11 2000 following the adoption of the Act of the African Union). Now, South Africa that is steadily now asserting itself in the scheme of things became the 53rd member in 1994 after the first multi-racial elections that ushered in Madiba Nelson Mandela. South Sudan became the 54th state after independence on July 9 2011. It is in order to build on the economic sustainability already unfolded at the summit that a meeting of the continent’s finance Ministers to discuss a bold new proposal of an Africa Infrastructure Fund and a Special Purpose was held in Marrakech, Morocco penultimate week. It was billed among others as a Vehicle to raise money in the markets for high return infrastructure projects that will help Africa to unlock her potential. But as it is often said: “The sleeping giant is still on its way” Beyond the question of leadership from Nigeria, when would Africa finally help the world to abandon that sometimespatronising look at the continent?

THE GUARDIAN, Sunday, June 23 2013

LAFETE

Adingwupu: Giving hope through FELD BY GREGORY AUSTIN NWAKUNOR HE gathering at a popular school in Aniocha South Local Council of Delta State was for the award of scholarships and presentation of cheques and other gift items to widows and the less privilege, but the turnout of politicians and the buzzing crowd, it seemed more like a political rally, except that there was no party flag raised. There was music. There was dance. There was theatrical enactment that enlivened the almost three-hour event. At the event, the Foundation for Effective Leadership and Development (FELD) empowered 275 persons. The brain behind the programme, Paul Adingwupu, says the idea behind FELD Foundation came a year ago when the thought of prevailing conditions in the country agitated his mind. He confesses, “we watch what is going on outside the country and we see that government cannot do everything. Government must be supported to reach out to the people, based on that; we felt that we should emulate what is happening internationally. The only thing we thought we could do is to have a kind of foundation that can execute such programmes. That is how FELD Foundation came into existence. Then we registered the foundation and decided to pursue this particular programme.” A non-governmental organisation that aims to empower people, alleviate poverty in the society and to help children return to school, Adingwupu says, “we don’t want anybody to be left out. Not many people can have money to go back to school and so FELD foundation is taking it as a responsibility to make sure people go back to school.” He explains, “we decided to localise some of our objectives by bringing it down to Delta State and even locating our place, which is Aniocha South Local Government. It is a way to empower our people; the market women, farmers, youths and even the young ladies that want to go back to school. That was why we instituted scholarship for some of our people. We also instituted the corporative society for the farmers and the market women so they can get help by receiving a token to help support their businesses. This is the local aspect of it.” He continues, “we also have a quiz programme that is running and it started about seven months ago. The programme is tagged; My Education Quiz Play.” A warm human pleasantness follows as Adingwupu gives a darting look everywhere. Suddenly, he chips in, “have you watched the programme on any TV station in the country. So far, we have been able to empower many children in universities and secondary schools in Nigeria irrespective of the state one comes from. Once you come and play in the quiz you could win up to N2.5 million if you are studying medicine and N2 million if you are studying other courses in the higher school and you can as well get up to one million if you are in SS 3 or about to write your WAEC. So, it is just basically to alleviate poverty and send people back to school,” he rhymes. Twenty-five winners of the quiz play — students from senior secondary schools and tertiary institutions from across the country— were presented with their cheques worth over N2 million for their educational pursuit at a ceremony on Thursday, May 23, in Lagos. Winners in the Senior Secondary School Category were Glory Okpara-N190,000, Maduka Ebuka-N130,000; Idemudia Emmanuel-N130,000, Akogwu OzomenaN100, 000, Emmanuel OnwubuaririN100,000, Oladipo Oladayo Hamidat N40,000, Toluwalope Ologun-N30,000, Oladipo Oladayo Hamidat-N20,000, Adefela Odutayo-N20,000, Ayodeji Opeyemi-N10,000, Damilola AkinyeleN10,000, David Omoyajowo-N15,000 and Uguru Gift-N10,000. In the tertiary institution category, Anthony Onyeahialam from University of Lagos got N280,000, Adesoji Adeoye Joseph from University of lagos-N240,000, Kelechi Nwoku from Abia state UniversityN210,000, Odi Jide Joshua from Nigeria Institute of Journalism, Ogba-N210,000, Abdulmajeed M. Kabir from Osun State University-N50,000, Jimoh Abubakar

up by my mum, I lost my dad at the age of six, it also goes to show the importance of women in the society. Let me tell you this; no matter who you are, you are from a woman.” He continues, “there are things your dad cannot tell you or may not know about you, but your mother knows about it. If you watch, any man that is great, he must have started from somewhere, and a woman must have played a role in the life of such a man. It could be a mother, wife, sister, stepmother, foster mother, aunty or even cousin, women are great motivators. If you give her money to transform her life and train her child in school, she will tie it to her apron and make sure she follows the instruction to the letter because she has soft spot for the child. But give it to a man, he will use it for something else first like playing pool or going to a bar for a few drinks before using what is left of it.” He says glumly, “my mother made me what I am today and what was she doing? She was a trader, buying and selling goods, basically, foodstuffs from Onitsha. With her efforts, I attended one of the best schools of my time, Saint Anthony’s College, UbuluUku and later University of Benin. How did she make it, maybe she had something equivalent to what we are giving women today and she did a great job training not only me, but many other graduates.” He looks at the dexterity of women using his mother as a case study and he arrives at a conclusion that if he goes through them, he will be able to train more children, “so, we give them preference. But that notwithstanding, men are also getting empowerment. If you look at the list, 10 men and 10 women, including five youths are being empowered in each ward in a local government. I don’t think there is any partiality. We have finished the first phase; we want to see how they can turn the money around. And we then consider how we can begin the programme in the other local government areas and then improve during the second phase of the programme,” he retorts.

Sadiq from Lagos State University, LASU, OjoN50,000, Robert-Paul-Ikhuoria from Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma-N35,000, Robert Paul Ikhuoria from Ambrose Alli University, Edo-N20,000, Samuel Olorode from Federal University of Agriculture N20,000, Praise Hansel from Redeemers’ University, Lagos- N20,000, Odewabi Ayodele from Ekiti State University, -N15,000 and Olori Babajide from Lagos State University, LASU, Ojo-N15,000. “We are happy to be able to help restore hope in lives of the people. The students and their parents/guardians are excited and we are happy that we are touching lives,” Adingwupu enthuses.

political undertone to it; it is an NGO and so shall it be. It has remained that and has gone far before bringing it to the people. We cannot allow our people to remain under perpetual poverty; that it just the purpose of localising it. It will be unfair that they are hearing that people are winning money and we are not impacting directly on them, then what are we doing? We want a situation where violence and other poverty associated vices such as kidnapping and stealing will reduce in the society that is why we brought the programme back home.” So, why Aniocha South first? “Huh!” Adingwupu breathes, glancing quickly at the adjoining table in a packed UT there are impressions that the founroom where this interview holds. “Oh, well, dation is a facade for a political ambiif you are a dancer and you want to try out tion... new steps and you have a band, after pracHe draws a long breath and smiles heavily, ticing, you will show your people and they “you see, in everything you do, people will will be the first to critic, either by clapping give a different interpretation to it. Those or telling you if you have done well or by who know me know that I don’t need to set saying that you didn’t do it well, why not up a foundation in order to get political do it the other way. They are the people to power because I already have political correct us and also encourage us. This propower. I am giving back to our people and gramme will go beyond Aniocha South; it that is what I am doing. So, those that are will go to all the nooks and crannies of saying it, are those who do not want to give Delta North and spread to other part of the back, they are what I would call selfish peo- state. It is just a question of time.” ple. Look at it this way; am I going to contest It is obvious that with the empowerment for presidency in 2015? What about those so far, women benefitted more from the that are winning millions and going back to programme. Why the soft spot for them or school from Plateau State, Edo, Kogi, Kano does it have anything to do with your backand all over? Or is it because this is a ground? localised one? It is not true.” For Adingwupu, mothers are supreme. He looks up in the space and beckons on Apparently, too good to be cast aside. He his aide. He whispers something to his ears. captures the essence of a woman in a sharp Beaming with pride, he says, “there is no wit: “Apart from the fact that I was brought

Listen, it is not just about advising, many have been advised but do they have the will? You could be advised but is the will there? Are you touched by God to do the needful for the good of the people? If you don’t know God and you don’t believe in people’s welfare, if you like you get hundred billions of naira and keep it away, one day you will die and leave all the money behind. Many may not be able to train their children and rise beyond their current status, if you watch some of their children are nothing to write home about and it’s even possible to lose the money in a day.

NY word of advice for other people who A have the opportunity to also improve society? “Listen, it is not just about advising, many have been advised but do they have the will?” he asks. “You could be advised but is the will there? Are you touched by God to do the needful for the good of the people? If you don’t know God and you don’t believe in people’s welfare, if you like you get hundred billions of naira and keep it away, one day you will die and leave all the money behind. Many may not be able to train their children and rise beyond their current status, if you watch some of their children are nothing to write home about and it’s even possible to lose the money in a day.” He says, thinking, “well I’ll advise them to emulate what we are doing because the more the merrier. If we are two, three or even four doing what I am doing today, do you think Aniocha South in the next one year will be what it is today? No! Many would have gained something to go to school because they want to go but they don’t have the means. So, I’ll advise my colleagues and friends in the society to please imbibe the spirit of giving and show mercy to the poor and join in this crusade.” Any word for the youths and those who have not benefited from the programme? Gazing appealingly about the outcome of the event, he says, “when we were establishing the foundation, some of the youths did not believe in the foundation, so they refused to register and there is no way they would have been listed for the empowerment. I’ll honestly advise them to wait for their turn and queue because in the next two to three months the second phase will start and it will continue like that for years. There is no way it will not get to them.” How do you relax after a hard day’s work and what are your hobbies? Sounding softly, “when am free I play golf; I am a member of a golf club. I go there and play golf but in house I do lawn tennis early in the morning, and then, I gym. While doing gym I listen to news. I like sports and it’s basically recreational. I swim too. It’s not all the time that I am busy, but then that’s how I love to relax.”

THE GUARDIAN, Sunday, June 23, 2013

LAFETE Music, comedy, sport meet at golf championship By Daniel Anazia T was excitement for Nigerian golfers in Lagos last weekend, as the Western Regional qualifiers for the MTN World Golfers Championship (WGC) held at the Ikeja Golf Club. The event, which had top golfers from the region converged on Ikeja Golf Club, started with a cocktail party on Friday, featuring golf enthusiasts trying to improve on their handicap while vying for survival as they attempt to qualify for the National Finals billed to hold at the Ibom Golf Club, Le Meriden Hotel, AkwaIbom, where Nigerian representatives to the World Championship in Durban, South Africa will be decided. At the gala, which held later in the evening amid ribs cracking jokes from comedian MC Bash, and sounds of naija music blaring from the massive speakers; winners were presented with trophies for their achievements. Other awards on the night were the Nearest to The Pin on Hole 15 for Men, which was won by, Thoedore Halim. The Longest Drive on Hole 18 went to Osinaji Yomi Egbe, and Sade Ogunbiyi for the men and women category respectively.

at the championship which PERSONALITIES began as early as 7am, include South

Africa’s Hercules Venter; Resident Pastor, Kingsway International Christian Center (KICC), Pastor Femi Faseru; Chairman, Global Golf Limited, Razak Ayinde Sanni; Ikeja Golf Club Captain, Omoba Wole Sowole; MTN Senior Manager, Tajudeen Omokhibe; CEO Xtreme Media (X3M) Steve Babaeko, and Publisher, Nigeria Entertainment Today (NET) as well as CEO Black House Media, Ayeni Adekunle. Faseru, who plays off Handicap 14, and has been playing golf four years, applauded the organisers and Chairman, Global Golf Limited, Razak Ayinde Sanni sponsors for a good job in terms of planning and execution. Sanni also praised MTN for the partnership they have enjoyed since the company sponsoring golf. “Looking back to 2005, when we started, so far we are happy with what we have achieved. The turnout is great. The qualifiers started in Port Harcourt and we are here today; in the next two weeks, we will be in Abuja for the Northern regional qualifiers.” According to Ayinde Sanni, the World Golfers Championship is part of the global tourney which is the largest amateur championship in the world. The idea is to build businesses and friendship while enjoying the game. It is a form of networking which began a long time ago but Nigeria joined in 2005, when the first

When stars gathered for Project Fame ROM the expansive garden to the main Fa night hall, fanatical youths were prepped for of extraordinary musical craft.

artiste was a cheer sight of music wizardry. His dance steps were unique, his songs were well mastered. He sure left a good memory for Market men and women, as well, were Calabar to cherish for a long time. stocked up with wares and groceries in The crowd were already gasping for breath preparation for an unprecedented unknowing that a long stretch of excitement turnover or profits that equalled what still lied ahead. Well, that was not long in comthey realize during Calabar’s yearly festiing. Iyanya’s appearance on stage set ripples val. through the crowd. He borne his growing staReally, it was a weekend of excitement tus with an insistent ardour in such a way that and one that will go down in history as the crowd broke through the cordon for a one of the city’s finest nights. The prodcloser shave with the kukere crooner. He partucts of Nigeria’s most enduring musical ed with a most dignifying introduction of reality show were on hand on Friday June Nigeria’s hip-hop’s rave of the moment, 21 at Calabar’s Cultural Centre for a oneWizkid. night concert. Wizkid, MTN’s latest ambassador, turned the Being a city that has benefitted concert into a fiesta. Insisting that his fans immensely from MTN’s drive for human come closer to the stage, thousands of fanatics development, the venue of the concert left their seats and, before long, it was a live was already filled to capacity a few hours party. The songs he rendered include a classic to the event proper. combination with Femi Kuti and the youth’s Remarkably, none of the expectations favourite, Touch your Toes. was left unmet. At twilight, when the conSpeaking with Iyanya, after the show, he cert began, the array of rare vocal and admitted that it was one of his best night. stagecraft sent the massive crowd wild. According to him, ‘the concert is to showcase First to perform was Tolu, a season 3 final- to the world what MTN Project Fame’s graduist. He stirred up memories of his feat in ates have become in less than six years’. He the academy, years ago, when many fans added, ‘at least, the number of artistes who were disappointed that he was not evenwent through the academy and that have pertually picked for one of the runners-up formed tonight should prove that Project spot. Fame is the best thing to have come out of Singing Arewa, a blend of Yoruba lyrics Nigeria.’ and English, the young man enthralled Meanwhile, the All-Stars concert will also be the fans with his techniques and stage held in Lagos on June 28 at the Oriental Hotel, presence. in Lekki. Like Tolu, Roy serenaded the capacious hall. He left many wondering why he was not one of the most famous among the rich list of super-stars that have come through the academy. Tomiwa, Ella and Mike followed his performance. For Mike, however, there was a proof of long seasons of hardwork to meet the expectations of the fans that have refused to doubt his genius. Ayo, the last winner of the show, also performed and he did justify why he was voted the best contestant among his peers. The highlights of the night were Chidinma’s performance, Praiz’s finesse, Iyanya’s rare ability to engage the youths and the guest appearances by two of Nigeria’s finest hip-hop artistes, Wizkid and KCEE. Each of these artistes performed with admirable uniqueness that brought the crowd to their feet. Starting with Chidinma, the KORA Award winner delighted the audience with a medley of her first album and the current toast of the airwaves, ‘J’aiye’. When she dismounted the stage, it was clear to everyone where she belongs – top of the rank. Praiz did justice to his uncommon profile as he wowed the crowd with a remix of ‘Stay’ and ‘Rich and Famous’. He parted on an inspiring note by sharing his rags to riches story. KCEE was mesmerising. The ‘Limpopo’ Iyanya

Tajudeen Omokhide, Senior Manager, South West Region, MTN; Dr. Lekan Adelakun, Ayo Delumo and Osaje Pat at the Cocktail party on June 14, 2013, which kick-starts the 2013 Western Regional qualifiers for the MTN World Golfers Championship in Lagos.

Glo’s new musical video thrills youths colossal talents of the new ambassadors who OUTHS across the country are guaranteed are youth icons with multifarious musical Y maximum entertainment, as Globacom’s endowments into one unbeatably harmonew musical video featuring the company’s nine newly signed Ambassadors, Flavour, MI, Omawumi, Waje, Lynxxx, Bez, Naeto C, Chee the Voice and Burna Boy goes on air. The commercial has now gone viral and is generating unprecedented interest among youths in the country. Titled, Move to Greener Pastures, the musical video cum TV commercial is trending on social media with over 50,000 hits within two days of its release on Glo’s online media portals and on YouTube. Shot on locations mostly in Lagos, the commercial depicts the iconic artistes moving over to the network and urging their numerous fans to join them to have a delightful experience on the network that is unlimited in innovation and cost-effective value offering. Globacom’s Regional Director, Marketing Communications (West Africa), Mr. Charles Jenarius, said the depiction of the new Glo ambassadors’ arrival at the grand “Glo Pearly Gates” symbolised the exciting experience reserved for subscribers on the Globacom network through its qualitative services and value offerings. He said the TV commercial was a professional collaboration by the best music producers in the country with a good measure of support from the Creative Unit of Globacom and an external production house. Making a presentation at a special screening of the commercial, the company’s Head of Copy, Ugo Nwachukwu, said while developing the TV commercial, the challenge was how to bring the

nious ensemble. “This was achieved by principally making an awesome music video that showcases the ambassadors in their full performance glory as they embarked on the journey to greener pastures and to a better life,” he said. Speaking about their experience during the shoot of the commercial, the new ambassadors said it was memorable as they had a wonderful experience at the shoot locations. “It was a really wonderful experience and a fascinating welcome for us into the Glo family. We look forward to working with the company on future projects as the commercial will further project us into the limelight,” Omawumi said. For Waje, the passion demonstrated during the shoot came out in the final cut of the commercial. “There was a lot of passion on set, even the extras were amazing. The network’s team also made it such a wonderful experience as they took care of our every need,” she said. Speaking about the commercial, MI said it was very exciting adding, “what is most impressive is the level of artistry demonstrated by all the artistes in the video. We sang our hearts out and this is bound to resonate with the youths.” The telecom’s outfit is renowned for its wave making, entertaining commercials right from the inimitable Glo “Ball” commercial aired at launch 10 years ago and the recent “Unlimited” new strap-line commercial featuring youth icons, P-Square.

Chee, Waje and Omawumi at the screening of the new Glo TV commercial on mobile number portability, “Move to Greener Pastures”, held recently at Villa Medici, Victoria Island, Lagos.

THE GUARDIAN, Sunday, June 23, 2013

All That Jazz

BY BENSON IDONIJE benidoni@yahoo.com

ARTSVILLE

Dizzy Gillespie, Charlie Parker In Concert

BY TOYIN AKINOSHO

Okeke Agulu: ‘Being Tenured Is More Work!’ HIKA Okeke-Agulu, the Nigerian painter, critic and art historian, C has been appointed Associate Professor at Princeton University in the United States. With this promotion, he becomes a tenured scholar at one of America’s top institutions, joining Salah Hassan (Cornell) and Kobena Mercer (Yale), as the only African-born art historians in the Ivy League. “I still have more rung to climb”, he says, to waves of congratulations, “to Full professorship. I just need to do more work!” He told friends over the weekend: “I am humbled by the trajectory my life took after the dark days at Nsukka, when the university I loved so much rejected me and I was forced to set on the precarious journey that eventually led to Princeton”. The Princeton University website says that Okeke-Agulu “specializes in classical, modern and contemporary African and African diaspora art history and theory. He previously taught at The Pennsylvania State University, Emory University, University of Nigeria, Nsukka and Yaba College of Technology, Lagos. He was the Robert Sterling Clark Visiting Professor of Art History at Williams College (2007), and Clark Fellow at the Sterling and Francine Clark Art Institute(2008).” He’s also on the faculty of the Centre For African American Studies, Princeton University. “I would have been in Nigeria this summer to start initial research on my next book on Art in the age of dictatorship in Nigeria,” Okeke-Agulu says over telephone from Princeton. “It will be a social art history of Nigeria in the 20-year period of the military regimes, between the late 70s and late 90s–as seen through the work of Udechukwu, Anatsui, jegede, Odutokun and Oguibe”. He had another project for the summer –the Nigerian pavilion in Venice. “But had to defer the project when it became clear folks weren’t ready and did not quite appreciate the enormity of commitment required for such projects”.

A Legless Man Can Teach Running HE Art Republic is organising a workshop on art writing/critique. T The three-day programme holds at the Ofu Obi Africa Centre in Enugu, from November 27to 30. It will, “through interactive

Parker and Gillespie N the light of the many platitudes and Itheir exaggerations, which have found ways into sleeve note prose, it is

Confirmation written by Charlie Parker. These four tracks are unique for they enable us to hear Parker and Dizzy at increasingly difficult to draw attention peak form, unrestricted by the “three to real artistic masterpieces. So much minute” limitations on playing time musical mediocrity has been hailed as then in force. Parker’s solos are long “the greatest,” according to writers and inspired and I would rate his work responsible for filling the backs of CD here among the very finest on record. covers, that it seems necessary to adopt Take the cadenza takeoff into his a different form of approach when a Night In Tunisia solo for example. This record of genuine artistic greatness is is a master piece in itself, sweeping the prepared for release. “Dizzy Gillespie listener through a spiraling vortex of and Charlie Parker In Concert” is such a tension, then a compensating release record, an indispensable treasure, before leading into the improvisation which is not only important but also of Parker’s first chorus. enjoyable, an anthology of pieces to be The shifts in meter are astoundingly played and re-played, a necessary addi- complex yet beautifully logical. It tion to the collections of Charlie Parker becomes necessary to play and replay and Dizzy Gillespie. Parker’s solos to find out just what has One major reason why the evolution happened at certain points. He had a of jazz has reached a cul-de-sac, without trick of stressing the on-beats then experimenting with new levels of crechanging unexpectedly to an emphaativity is that today’s practitioners have sis on the off-beats in a way which refused to identify with tradition and invariably brought forth a gasp of the past. Without the deliberate astonishment from listeners – a feat encounter with the dynamics that which is impossible with today’s digimade the pioneers of the music (espetal recordings. Parker’s complete cially Charlie Parker and Dizzy rhythmic understanding has seemingGillespie) who laid the foundation for ly been ignored by his many and lesser modern jazz to thrive, the present and copyists (even though their focus is the future cannot be well defined. currently on the Coltrane- Ornette Without deliberately embarking on a Coleman avant-garde trend) who have derivative approach, the type that Ravi been content to learn phrases from his Coltrane and Joshua Redman encounrecords which can be strung together tered, it is difficult to define the shape haphazardly, giving the effect of a of the present, let alone the future. blurred fifth carbon of the original. These young musicians are arguably Actually there have been few improvisthe two leading saxophone players on ers in jazz with anything approaching the scene today because of the mentor- Parker’s ability to blend rhythmic, haring they enjoyed from their fathers – monic and melodic inventiveness of John Coltrane and Dewey Redman – such a high order; of the men playing who are veterans of modern jazz. Like today I would single out Ornette Miles Davis’ Kind Of Blue, Sketches From Coleman, Sony Rollins and the Spain, Jimmy Smith’s Sermon, the ‘Dizzy Coltrane – influenced Pharaoh Sanders Gillespie-Charlie Parker In Concert’ including Ravi Coltrane and Joshua album’ is a collector’s item. Besides, it is Redman as perhaps the leading a model for instructing the present. soloists who have taken Parker’s comThere are two sides to the album plete musical teachings and used with materials recorded at two differthem as a means to an end instead of ent venues – the Carnegie Hall and the an end in themselves. So many of Paris concerts. The first side which feaParker’s as well as Coltrane’s followers tures Dizzy Gillespie and Charlie Parker are still stumbling through life wearparades such songs as Night In Tunisia, ing musical blinkers, convinced that Dizzy Atmosphere, Groovin’ High comthey have “got the message” and posed by Dizzy Gillespie, and unaware that their attempts to follow

exchanges and exercises, workshops, seminars, and personal practical projects, sharpen and shape the appreciative skills of the participants so as to make them more responsive to the daunting challenges of the art profession in Africa”, in the words of the painter/critic Krydz Ikwuemesi, senior lecturer at the University of Nigeria Nsukka. “It will also bring to the fore the artistic essence of art critique and critical writing as a backup and complement to studio practice and as the live wire of a dynamic art scene”. But why is this course important? Ikwuemesi invokes a famous Achebe phrase, arguing, “criticism is the palm oil that aids the digestion of art as a humanizing phenomenon”. He suggests, “whether trained or untrained, the critic is essentially a their idols do not have the virtues of legless man who teaches running. He/she may not be adept in the proeven good imitations. However, it is duction of art, but he/she has the capacity to appreciate the weak and important to master the conventional high points of an average work of art”. But this does not mean that approach of Parker before venturing criticism is a free-for-all market, the culture advocate contends. “Like into the avant-garde of John Coltrane art itself which it purports to interpret and extend, it demands some where ‘modal’ and ‘sheets of sound’ level of skill, imagination and intuition to fully fructify and crystalhold sway! lize”. Keynote speakers are three top professors of art history, includThe Paris concert tracks on the other ing Ola Oloidi of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Chike Aniakor of hand were made by the little band that the Cross River University of Technology, Calabar and Frank Ugiomoh Dizzy Gillespie led for a time during the of the University of Port Harcourt early 1950s. In contrast to Parker, Gillespie had always shown an acute Germans ‘Sneer’ At Angola’s Win At Venice awareness of the value of showmanship; and a certain amount of stage NGOLA’s winning of the Leone d’Oro/Golden Lion prize for the best “business”comes across here. In national pavilion at the 55th Venice Bienniale has resurrected the between walloping the conga drum postcolonial debate around the centre and the margin. “This distinc(which he wore over his shoulder throughout the concert, enabling him tion has been greeted with inappropriate prejudice by ART - Das to switch quickly from trumpet to per- Kunstmagazin, the leading art magazine from Germany,” lamented cussion), and singing, Dizzy plays some Safia Dickersbach, a Tanzanian born art marketer. The magazine had commented on the jury’s decision with the question “Angola! Where beautiful trumpet here. Some of the high points of the session include the is Angola?” The magazine actually screamed, in the headline of an artisuperb statement of the theme in Tin cle, “that hardly any visitor actually saw the work of the photo artist Tin Deo, a Latin beat; the excitement of Edson Chagas (a 36 year old photographer from Luanda) in Palazzo the Oo-shoo-be-doo-be chorus split by a Cini.” ART - Das Kunstmagazin also suggested that the pavilion won the middle- eight of Bill Graham’s brilliant prize because its title Luanda: The Encyclopedic City is an appropriation of the title of the Biennale’s main exhibition: The Encyclopedic Palace. baritone saxophone; the simple but tasteful piano of Wade Legge on Tin Tin “Evil tongues say already, the pavilion got the lion as a reward for dutiDeo; the degree of hipness jazz singer fully adopting the motto of the main exhibition, “Encyclopedic Palace“, Joe Carroll infused into the songs with rather than to ignore it completely as most countries’ pavilions”, the a completely personal and individual magazine reported. The magazine also speculated about “successful lobbying and networking” by Stefano Rabolli Pansera, who curated approach. Obviously, side one of this album is of Angola’s contribution to the architecture biennale in 2012. Ms Dickersbach was aghast. “I ask myself what kind of “networking and greater significance than the Paris Concert side, understandably because lobbying” had preceded the Leone d’Oro/Golden Lion prizes, which of the involvement of Charlie Parker - were previously awarded to the national pavilions of the US with Bruce Nauman in 2009 and of Germany with Christoph Schlingensief although these latter tracks are not without interest. The occasion which curated by Susanne Gaensheimer in 2011?” she wrote in a widely disgave rise to these recordings was Dizzy tributed rejoinder. “Was there also speculation happening back then Gillespie’s first concert appearance at about the reasons for these successes? Were those winning countries, artists and curators maybe too established and influential so that Carnegie Hall, under the auspices of there was no reason to worry about illegitimate manoeuvering? Are critic Leonard Feather. On stage that night was Dizzy’s big band plus guest only the Africans again considered prone to cronyism and patronage, stars Ella Fitzgerald and Charlie Parker. which ART more stately translated with “networking and lobbying” to For Parker’s guest appearances heard in make it fit to the aristocratic environment of Venice’s palazzos? ART this album, he was joined by Dizzy and dutifully speaks about detractors spreading such rumours, but the question remains why an influential German art magazine provides the big band’s rhythm section. ample space for vague suppositions by obviously resentful competiIt is believed that Parker’s work is tors”. Dickersbach suspects a hidden agenda in ART - Das more brilliant than Dizzy’s so far as pure improvisation is concerned here. Kunstmagazin’s reaction to the Angolan victory. The magazine is This belief is reinforced by the amount “issued by the largest German publishing house Gruner & Jahr, which of concentration that often went into itself belongs to the media conglomerate Bertelsmann. It is primarily financed by advertisements of major galleries, museums, art fairs and Parker’s thought process in terms of solo construction and rhythmic explo- auction houses, and it would be very interesting to find out which hidden agendas ART is pursuing with its lopsided coverage of Angola’s ration. success in Venice”, she says. “Maybe some disappointment about the

TheGuardian

THE GUARDIAN, Sunday, June 23, 2013

Conscience, Nurtured by Truth

IbruCentre Since My Husband Died, I Have Never Lusted After Any Man, By Benson-Idahosa At 70, Archbishop Margaret Ekhoe Benson-Idahosa, wife of the late charismatic Pentecostal preacher and founder of the Church of God Mission International with headquarters in Benin City, Nigeria, Most Rev. Benson E. Idahosa, who passed away in 1998, is still looking radiant, impacting her community and raising people that will not only serve God, but contribute to the development of the country. Born on July 29, 1943 in Benin City, to the family of Mr. and Mrs. Izevbigie, Margaret, aside from being the Chancellor of Benson-Idahosa University, Benin, and in the executive of many Christian organisations within and outside the country, is a prolific writer. Mama, as she is fondly called, who happens to be the first female Pentecostal Archbishop in Africa, was in 2002, selected by Nigeria’s Newsweek magazine as one of the 100 most influential women in the country. Recently, she spoke to AYOYINKA OLAGOKE on life at 70 and other important issues. What are your interesting moments? OR somebody who is 70 years and serving God?... I have so many interesting moments to share. I am excited that I am still alive and I give all praises to God. I am also grateful to God that my children are making waves in the ministry; not because their father was a Bishop; rather, they found God by themselves. God spoke to them, individually, on what to do and they are doing them. At 70, what’s next? I am waiting on God for direction and whatever He asks me to do, I will do. I know that God will not speak to me to do what I cannot do. He is God; He knows my ability and inability. What is highest point of your life? I will never forget the day my husband passed on. We went for a crusade outside the country, and were due back home together, but because of the children’s school fees, which had not been paid he returned before me. However, two days after he left me, I was called that he is gone. I will never forget that, because it was as if my whole life, the roof over my head had been taken away. Why did you not re-marry when your husband died? My husband left me, when I was 55 years and, today, I am 70. I lost interest in men and marriage when my husband died. I asked God to kill the interest, never to resurrect it. And since my husband died, I have never lusted after any man; all I needed is to do what God has handed over to us. I had a husband, I enjoyed him and he is late. So, this is time for me to focus on what God wants me to do, I don’t have any interest in re-marrying. Are you saying men have since not asked after your hand in marriage? Not that there were no suitors, but I do not give in. I don’t give them time to come to that area. Men do tell me ‘Mama you look charming.’ And I do tell them it is the Holy Spirit that has rejuvenated me and if they believe in the God that I believed, He will also rejuvenate them. I don’t give them that room. What do you want as a birthday gift? One thing I want all of you to do for me is to move Benson Idahosa University from its present place to the permanent site; that’s all I want. How has it been running a private university? Running a university is not an easy thing. The university was not fully accredited by Federal Government when my husband died, so, we started from there; worked on our programmes and the different things that the National Universities Commission (NUC), asked for. The school was finally accredited in 2002. How are you coping as Archbishop, Chancellor, author and ANFCBII president? I am able to function well because I worked with a team of men and women that could identify with the vision God has given to us. We have churches, schools, university, Bible schools and hospitals. In the churches, we have different Bishops for different departments, which include finance and budgeting, administration and others. We come together maybe once every two months to rub minds on our strength and weaknesses and how to move on to the next stage. I strongly believe in teamwork. I don’t allow the work of the ministry to weigh me down. I do the right thing at the right time. Secret of your success as Archbishop It is nothing than God and the Holy Spirit. The first thing I do in the morning is to kneel down by my bedside and sing some love songs to God. It’s not that I don’t have problems; I don’t just allow them to control me. I dominate the problem and with the help of the Holy Spirit, I am overcoming them. What are your challenges? The only challenge I have is myself. Most often, I question God on why I should do some of the things He asks me to do, and the moment I succumb, He gives me the strength to do them. For

the people, once I say God says this and explains to them, they will obey. However, I am still praying to overcome self. What informed the establishment of Word of Faith group of schools? Word of Faith group of schools belong to the church. The objective is to train children right from the cradle to high school. We have crèche, toddler, primary and secondary. Benin was not like this before the coming of our ministry; in fact, it was called the City of Blood. If a witch doctor tells you then at 2pm you will be dead, you better go and get ready because you will surely die, but when the ministry came in and we told the people the message, love and care of Jesus Christ, things changed for the better. Just as we brought in the ministry, we established the schools to bring up children that will not only serve God, but also contribute to the development of Benin City. What is Restoration Centre all about? God gave the Centre to us and, as I said, if God gives a vision, He brings people that will provide for the needs of the vision. When God gave us the name ‘The Christian Women Fellowship International (TCWFI)’, He didn’t tell us the troubles involved. But through the centre many women have been trained and empowered with skills in areas such as hair fixing, cosmetology, fashion designing, hat making and computer training. After training, we make sure we buy them work tools that would enable them start their small businesses while those from outside Benin are given some money in place of work tools. We have been doing this since 1975. All I am interested in is to make sure that women are educated, instead of sitting at home doing nothing. Church’s social responsibility to the community We give them clean drinkable water, by constructing boreholes. We also cater for the less privileged, widows and the physically challenged. We run an orphanage called My Sister’s Place; apart from this, the church is currently taking care of three others within our environs. What’s your view on church establishment in the country? As far as I am concern, I will like every street to have churches. It is better than having shrines, drinking centres and brothels. What about the issue of taxation? There is no reason for churches to pay tax, because they are not business ventures. What the church could do is to tell its members the importance of paying taxes and to encourage them to do so. On insecurity in the country My message is, Nigerians should hold on to God; look up to Jesus the author and the finisher of our faith. Insecurity is not only in Nigeria, it is everywhere; the only thing is that we have never experienced it like this in our history, as a country. It is new to us and that is why everybody is talking about it. However, instead of complaining, we should all join hands to pray to God to direct our leaders aright. What’s your view on the belief that women are to be seen and not heard? That is an old adage. We are, now, letting women to know that they must be seen and heard. I am not advocating that women should usurp their husband’s roles because God has made the men the head of the home, and if the head of the home is acting

as the head in providing, in caring, educating and in doing all that God wants men to do, there is no reason for the women to usurp authority. Women should not die with the gifts and talents God has given them. They should do their bits in their homes; make sure they do whatever their husbands want them to do. Is it Biblical for women to preach the gospel on the pulpit? Genesis 1:28-29, says: “And God created man and woman. He gave them both authority and power. He gave them the authority to go and multiply. You can multiply by the word of God or biologically. Go and multiply, dominate and spread the word, where you go. It is religion and tradition that relegated the women to a corner and most women embraced it. The mind of God is that men and women should work together, before Him there is neither male nor female. God is not mad at women or men preaching; the issue of who does what was introduced by religion and tradition that have relegated women to play second fiddle to the men. Advice to women I do tell some of my mates, especially those who have lost their husbands or wives that losing a husband or wife is not the end of life, because there is more to life than what they are experiencing on the inside. Since my husband died, there are some days I don’t feel like getting out of bed, because I missed him; but when I look at the work that God has given us to do, I brace up myself and face life with full assurance. Our women should know that God is not a respecter of person(s), what God has done for one, He can do for the other. All He wants is availability; women should be focused on God. They should not be intimidated because they are women. That was how I felt when Archbishop died and I was put in this position. I had no one to ask for direction, so, I focused on God. I said to God, ‘you know I live in a man’s world, and being made the first female Bishop, which was strange to me then, I asked Him to guide and direct me.’ For about two weeks, I didn’t hear anything from God, but I kept asking and crying for answers; yet my tears did not move God. But the moment I stopped crying and accepted the responsibilities of the office, God said to me, ‘Margaret, if I made the appointment, I will release the ability to perform.’ Since then it has been that way. Women should be focused, let them know that they are not the first to lose their husbands. Some lost their husbands yesterday, some are going to lose theirs today and some will still go tomorrow, yet life goes on. Women should focus on their strength and that which God has earmarked for them to do in their family and the community at large.

THE GUARDIAN, Sunday, June 23, 2013

IBRUCENTRE

Sunday School Destiny Destroyers (1) Memory verse: And the Lord answered me, and said, write the vision, and make it plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it. Habakuk 2:2. Bible passage: 1 Kings 11: 1-11 Introduction E are wonderfully designed and carefully made for a special purpose. We are not products of random experiments or a generic production line. Outlines • What is destiny? • Some destiny destroyers What is destiny? It is a divinely pre-ordained reason for living. We are made for a purpose, but will not achieve it by default. Destroyers are dedicated to scuttling the achievement of our destiny. We must surrender totally to Jesus to

...With Pastor Enoch Adeboye

avoid destiny destroyers Jer. 29:11, Jer. 1:5, John 14:2-3, I Cor. 2:9, Romans 8:28-32. Destroyers’ tools • Vanity: Solomon was a special child. The Lord destined him to be a godly exemplary king of Israel. Vanity, lust and the flesh cost him his destiny. He could have succeeded, but did not quite make it. Psalm 23: 1; Eccl 12:8. The privileges of wealth and lack of self-control ruined his destiny. Eccl. 2: 10-11; IKings 11:1-10. • Ignorance: Ignorance and foolishness are sure destiny destroyers. Hosea 4:6; Pro. 29:18; Amos 3:7; Pro. 25:2; Matt. 7:7-8; Dan. 2:22. We have to cultivate an intimate relationship with The Holy Spirit to track our destiny and keep it on course. I Cor. 2:10; Romans 8: 26-27, John 8:32; Isaiah 6:1-9; He-

brew 11:13. • Lack of faith: Without faith it is impossible to please God. Heb. 11:6; Heb. 4 2; I Tim. 1:9. We need faith to take the right steps. Heb. 11:1; Isaiah 2:16; James 2:18; Luke 17:12-14; Habakuk 2:2; Joshua 14:12, I Sam. 17:37; Hebrews 11:33-38. Unbelief leads to failure and destruction. Numbers 14:22-24; Matt. 17:19-20. Conclusion What are your passion, burden and pains? It might be a pointer to your destiny. An obedient, sincere and clean relationship with the Holy Spirit is a sure compass to navigate the maze of life to your destiny. God will help you in Jesus’ name.

The Mystery And Importance Of Holy Eucharist By Gabriel Osu

Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink His blood, ye have no life in you. (John 6:53-58). NE of the cardinal teachings of the Catholic Church is the O belief in the efficacy of the Eucharist or Holy Communion. On June 3, 2013, millions of Catholics all over the world joined the Holy Father, Pope Francis, in Eucharistic Adoration to mark the Year of Faith.

The ceremony, which was held in Rome featured liturgical hymns, prayers and Bible readings. It was the first time in modern history, that the Catholic Church would simultaneously adore the Eucharist: this means that the adoration of the Blessed Sacrament was done all over the world at the same time, irrespective of time or location. What a wonderful feat! But what is so special about the Holy Eucharist to elicit such global reverence and participation, you may ask? The Holy Eucharist simply means the body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is the actual body, blood, soul, and divinity of Jesus

President, Light Bearers, Wesley Cathedral Olowogbowo, Lagos, Bro. Aramide Tola Noibi (left), Presbyter, Very Rev. Sola Ala, Archbishop of Lagos Methodist Church Nigeria, Dr. Sunday Ajayi, Senator Anthony Adefuye, Elder statesman, Chief Tayo Soyode and Church Class Leader, Sir Olusegun George, during the 2013 anniversary of the Light Bearers of the Church.

Essentials In The Life Of A Believer By S.K. Abiara “He who does what is sinful is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil’s work. No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God’s seed remains in him; he cannot go on sinning, because he has been born of God: No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God’s seed remains in him; he cannot go on sinning, because he has been born of God.” (1 John 3:89) HOEVER has pleasure in sin belongs to the devil. The devil is a murderer and there is no truth in him. He takes pleasure in evil. “You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desire. He was a murderer from the beginning, not

holding to the truth, for there is not truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies. (John 8:44) Repent from sins and pitch your tent with Jesus Christ — the Manna from Heaven. The end result of sin and disobedient is hell. Anyone, who desires to reign in the Kingdom of God, will make a u-turn from every uncomplimentary way of life to follow Jesus. “Peter answered him, ‘we have left everything to follow you! What then will there be for us?’ Jesus said to them, ‘I tell you the truth, at the renewal of all things, when the Son of Man sits on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on 12 thrones, judging the 12 tribes of Israel: And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters

or father or mother or children or fields for my sake will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life.” Matt. 19:27-29. It is important for you to repent of all sins to enter the kingdom of God. As soon as you make a u-turn from sin never look back: just set your eyes on the kingdom of God where blessings abound, Gen-

esis 19:17; 23, 24. Baptism by immersion – a must for you Baptism is a declaration for the kingdom of God by confession in Jesus Christ our Saviour. It is a matter of must for you to be baptised by immersion. Not sprinkling of water or baptism in a swimming pool. It has to be in a flowing river where all your sins will be swept away. Jesus, too, was baptised in a river. If Jesus could submit Himself to be baptised; you are not superior to Him; you have to submit yourself for baptism to identify with His Kingdom. If you want to reign with Him, you must follow His step. Prophet Abiara, General Evangelist, Christ Apostolic Church (CAC) skabiaraofciem@yahoo.co.uk

Christ, present right now on every Catholic Church altar in the entire world. The Communion that every Catholic receives is the most precious gift of Jesus Christ to the world. It is sometimes called the ‘Mystery of Mysteries’. The Lord Jesus instituted the Holy Eucharist on Covenant Thursday, in the Upper Room of Zion, shortly before His arrest and trial. After He celebrated the Rite of Passover of the Jews, He rose and washed the feet of His disciples, as a sign of repentance and preparation, then sat down and instituted the Passover of the New Covenant, which is the Sacrament of Holy Communion. At the Holy Mass, ordinary bread and wine were transfigured into His sacred Body and Blood at the command of the priest, who has the authority from Jesus, Himself, to do this. “Do this in memory of me.” “He took bread, blessed it and broke it, and gave it to the disciples and said, ‘take, eat, this is my Body’, then He took the cup and gave thanks, and gave it to His disciples saying, ‘drink from it, all of you, for this is my Blood of the New Covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins,” (Matt. 26:26-28), Paul repeated the same words in 1 Cor. 11:23-25). By eating His body and drinking His blood, we share in the mystery of His death and resurrection. While bread in ordinary terms is food for the body, the Eucharist is food for the soul, which strengthens it in grace. By receiving this Sacrament we become members of His Body, of His Flesh and of His Bones (Ephesians 5:30), and we also become partakers of the Divine Nature, 2Peter 1:4. Jesus said in John 6:54-58, “Whoever eats my Flesh and drinks my Blood has eternal life and I will raise him up at the last day. He, who eats this Bread will live forever.” Partaking in the Holy Eucharist gives the spirit immunity and inaccessibility against deadly sins that tend to weigh down the soul. The Psalmist says: “You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies” (Psalm 23:5). This verse was a prophecy for victory against our enemies and the Church warns that those who must partake in it must be free from original or serious sins that can injure the soul. Very Rev. Msgr. Osu, Director, Social Communications, Catholic Archdiocese of Lagos

Catholic Archbishop Warns Members On Indecent Dressing From Alemma-Ozioruva Aliu and Michael Egbejule, Benin City RCHBISHOP of the Metropolitan See of Benin City, Most A Rev. Augustine Akubeze, has decried the indecent dress culture, especially among female Catholic youths at mass, saying it is a sacrilege to the religious sanctity and sacredness of the church. At the recent rededication of the reconstructed main church building of St. Paul’s Catholic Church, Benin City, Edo State, Akubeze lamented that youths and members of the church have abused the high standards and sacredness that Christ portrayed while on earth. Thanking God for using the Parish Priest of the Church, Rev. Paul Enow, to complete the edifice, the Archbishop urged other parishes to emulate him, noting that the renovation and reconstruction of the church building will serve as an opportunity for the church to attract converts.” “Many Christians have altogether abandoned religious practices that were meant to remind us that we are in God’s presence when we enter the Church. This includes such little things as dressing decently to church. Genuflecting or bowing to the Altar or the tabernacle before taking ones seat or before leaving the church,” he said. Akubeze noted: “The loss of sense of sacredness in sacred buildings and church worship may be one of the reasons young people no longer uphold the need to dress decently to church, respect the Catholic traditions and others, saying Catholic faithful should renew their faith in the church, as it is a house of prayer apart from cultivating habits that will make them have an encounter with God in their daily lives as true worshippers.”

THE GUARDIAN, Sunday, June 23, 2013

IBRUCENTRE

‘We Are The Change Agent’

By PASTOR W.F KUMUYI

The Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), Apapa Family, recently marked its yearly programme tagged: EXCEL. Highpoints of the celebration were the commissioning of streetlights in seven communities in Mushin Local Government Area, Lagos, and feeding of over 50,000 people. In this interview with CHRIS IREKAMBA and KENECHUKWU EZEONYEJIAKU, Head, Apapa Family, Pastor Idowu Iluyomade, explains why they embarked on the project and many more.

Praying For Wisdom ISDOM is the ability to take the right decision: it is the W right application of knowledge. It directs and guides us through actions that are pleasing to God and profitable to our

hy did you embark on this project, particularly Mushin? W IT was aimed at reducing crime in the area, and aside from other things, we did it to mark our yearly event called, Excel. We provided seven streets — Akala, Aileru, Igbarere, Adedoja, Oyegunle, Ojo and Amodu — with 21 solar-powered streetlights. This was done in conjunction with the Lagos State Electricity Board. The area as we all know is notorious for crime, which our own palace is, darkness, so we brought light to disperse the darkness. Secondly, it is another way of stimulating economic activities in the area, as this will provide the people with light to carry out their legitimate businesses at night, even when there is an outage from Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN). Also, it is a place that seems to be forgotten, but our coming has shown that God still remembers them and even in those dark areas, something good can still come from there. How did you mobilise resources to make this a reality? For over the years, we have been raising funds by tasking ourselves. We have always invested heavily in all the social sectors because it is something that we believe in. One, it is a commandment of our Lord Jesus Christ that we should look after the poor. Second, we are the salt of the earth; we are the ones to make the change. Jesus also made it clear that we are the light of the world. So, we are commissioned by our Master Jesus to go and provide light, feed the hungry, heal the sick and set the captives free; that is our mandate. So, all our resources are channeled into taking care of the needy. How did you convince the community? It is a community that has its own ‘rules’ and for them to be part of the project; they gave us their compounds to use. Even while we were working there, they provided us with storage facilities and assumed ownership of the projects because they belonged to them. And that was why they assured us that they would look after them. Don’t also forget that it is a place where nobody had remembered and that this is the first major light project that has been done in the area. So, they will surely take care of the light.. We are also doing a medical outreach, which is also part of our mandate. Any time we gather together, we provide medical facilities to the less privileged, who do not have access to see the doctor; we also pay the consultation fees and conduct test. So, what we did was to open up a medical unit so that people could have access to free medical services. We test them for diabetes, blood pressure and also do screening for cervical cancer and stuffs like that. Then, the general thing such as diarrhea, malaria and dysentery were also taken care of. We equally provided free drugs for them and anyone that needs referral was directed to our Healing Stripes Hospital.

Illuyomade

House of Joy Close to 10 years now, we have set up the Wealth Stream and the House of Joy. One of the things that gave us access to enter Akala Street was the House of Joy. We’ve been going there over the years and have been pulling out drug addicts and rehabilitating them. First of all, we detoxify them, train them on different skills and when they are free, we give them money to set up their own businesses. So, over the years, that’s what we have been doing and that is what gave us access to Akala Street because they know us. We go there every Thursday to pick them. We bring them to Jesus House, keep them for 10 months, feed them for free and they go through medical checkup. That is the process of detoxification cleaning. That we have done and we have a lot of them that have gone back to school, and today, one of them is a pastor. The place is so bad that cocaine is peddled in every corner of the street for a meager rate of N100. Was the Church responsible for the recent raid of the area by security operatives? No, the church is not responsible for the raid in Akala at all. The raid is a regular thing that involves the NDLEA officials. It is part of government’s effort to also stamp out drug addiction in the area. It was just a coincidence. Advice to the community The light project is one of the initiatives of Apapa Family. It is a commandment of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring light to dark areas. And while we bring spiritual light, we are also bringing physical light. And since light has come to this area, I pray that God will also show them mercy by answering their prayers. Light is a form of fire and God, who answers by fire, will answer them.

‘Govt Should Declare A National Prayer Day, For Restoration Of The Nation’ Prophet Chukwuemeka Samuel Odigbo, founder of The Land Of Grace Healing Ministries, Ikotun, Lagos, has just concluded his yearly programme tagged, Never Again, through which he impacted on the people and prayed for the country. During the event, he spoke to OMIKO AWA on state of the nation. What do you have for Nigeria? HIS is a year of greatness for the country; God said He will speak peace to our storm. So, never mind what is presently happening in the country, because they will surely lead to a lasting peace. And for those that believe, Nigeria is going to experience greatness, excellence and great blessing. But the country is facing serious security challenges Proverb 21:3 says, “safety is of the Lord and anyone that seeks his face will be safe.” Psalm 147:1 adds, “unless God watches the house the watchman watches in vain.” With these, it is certain that everything depends on God. Should we then run to God to protect us against Boko Haram and the kidnappers? Yes, God is the answer. No matter what, all these things will come to an end, if only Nigerians can put God first in whatever they do. We should

dedicate a week or so, to seek the face of God; government should declare a National Prayer Day, where the people will fast and prayer for restoration of the nation’s glory. After this, we need to wait to see God act. Only prayers can stop the insurgency of Boko Haram, because God said, ‘let the wickedness of the wicked come to an end.’ God will not only fish out the bad egg causing these troubles, but also will expose and destroy their financiers. And the kidnappers God gives enough grace for sinners to repent, but before the year ends, He will bring most of them to book. All they need is our prayers. God told me in a vision never to worry, that He will bless those that believe in Him. God told me that He will also reveal those behind the various killing going on in the name of bomb blast. Vision? Yes, some strength will happen at the middle of

Springs Of Wisdom

Odigbo

this year. What are some of the strange things? First the weather, there is going to be flooding during the Ember months and it is going to be very devastating. Second, prominent politician will die. And before the lasting peace to come, Nigeria should pray to avert the North and South regions from clashing. And in the field of medicine, there is going to be a breakthrough in the discovery of medicine

that would cure sicknesses such as AIDS, while a notable world leader will die in office. What’s your view on the return of Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor as CAN President? Daddy Ayo Oritsejafor, is one man of God worthy of emulation; he has been carrying on with the works of faith and his re-election as CAN president couldn’t have being by his power, but the mercy of God, which goes to say that much is still being expected of him by God. Is it Biblical for men and women to seat separately in church? In our church, apart from the pastorate, elders and the choir, every other member is free to sit where he or she likes. But let’s ask ourselves this very simple question; would you because sitting arrangement separate a couple that left their home together to the church to serve God? Or would you keep a brother or sister standing all through the service because the male or female area of the church is filled up? Listen; though other ministries or churches may have their reason or reasons based on their experiences or doctrine, we don’t do that.

lives. If we examine our lives and those of others, we may discover an apparent lack of divine wisdom. From individual experiences and from the Scripture, we are confronted with the bankruptcy of human wisdom and reasoning. Our natural knowledge, counsel and wisdom do fail many times. Job, for example, concluded that his counselors and advisers were miserable comforters. In his affliction, he needed heaven-sent knowledge and wisdom, far more than his friends and confidants were capable of giving him. Many times too, we are confronted with situations that require divine wisdom; and wish, we have a ready-made solution to a particular problem. At such a time, we need wisdom. This is why the Apostle said: “If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask God that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.” Wisdom, in this instance, is the ability to secure practical insight into the mind and purpose of God for man, and it teaches us what we ought to do to go through to successfully overcome various situations in life. “Wisdom,” says the writer of Ecclesiastes, “is profitable to direct.” We need direction in everyday life: in the family, church, workplace or when saddled with any responsibility. We need wisdom to do the right thing, take the right decisions, in the right place, at the right time, in the right way to get the right result. It is one thing to have knowledge, but quite another to apply the knowledge rightly. “The tongue of the wise,” we are told, “useth knowledge aright.” But, of course, the wisdom being referred to here is that which comes from God. This then presupposes the existence of other kinds of wisdom. There is, for instance, the worldly wisdom and there is the devilish wisdom. Some ignorant people often opt for those kinds of wisdom to wriggle out of trouble or seemingly bad situations. But the problem is, worldly or devilish wisdom always proves helpless in the critical hour of need. There are times when we need nothing but wisdom that comes from God to see us through a situation or confusing circumstance. Nothing else will suffice in the face of such daunting circumstances. At such times, worldly or devilish wisdom will hardly suffice. Job underscored the importance of getting wisdom from the right source when he asked: “Where shall wisdom be found? And where is the place of understanding? Many knoweth not the price thereof; neither is found in the land of living. The depth saith, it is not in me: and the sea saith, it is not with me. Whence then cometh wisdom? And where is the place of understanding? Seeing it is hid from the eyes of all living, and kept close from the fowls of the air.” Then he adds: “God understandeth the way thereof, and he knoweth the place thereof.” It is God alone that can give us wisdom on how to handle the challenges of life, hence we need to ask Him. “However, to receive this, we need to exercise faith in God. That is why we are counseled: “But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed.” Prayer of faith is necessary if we are to receive anything, including wisdom, from God. That you have not received your expected blessing does not mean God is unfaithful. It could be that you have not prayed, or you did; but not pray in faith. No blessing is promised to any man, who cannot seek God with all his heart. “But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.” Receiving from God goes beyond praying, fasting and pleading; we must manifest absolute trust as we seek Him. If we do, we will receive what we are asking for. We will also need to consistently study and live according to the Word of God. True wisdom is associated with good character, conduct and lifestyle.

References: James 1: 5-8; Ecc. 10:10; Pro.15:2; 1 Cor. 1:19,20; 3:19,20; James 3: 13-18; Job 28: 12-14,20-23; Pro. 4:7; 2:4-7; 2 Chron. 1:7,10; 1Kings 4:29,30; 3:1628; Ecc. 2:26; Heb. 11:6.

Elijah Faith Assembly Holds Rhema Water Programme Monday LIJAH Faith Assembly E (E.F.A), Mechanic Village (Behind Aswani Market), off Osolo Way, Ajao Estate, Lagos, will tomorrow begin its June 2013 Rhema Water programme, tagged: “This One!”. The man of God, Prophet Chinonso Aniebo describes the five-day event, as a week of prophetic encounter. It ends on Friday at the church premises. Time is 8am daily, while Friday, begins at 9am.

Aniebo

THE GUARDIAN, Sunday, June 23, 2013

IBRUCENTRE

Amazing Grace (2) By Seyi Ogunorunyinka HEN God announced a turning point in Zerubbabel’s life, He was effectively telling Zerubbabel that from that day, He was taking over; everything that had been standing in Zerubbabel’s way was coming down, every power that said he would not move forward was being swept aside. From that moment, all Zerubbabel’s battles were the Lord’s. In the same way, your hope will be restored in every area: whether in business, relationship or marriage. Zerubbabel was hopeless, but when grace took over, hope arrived. Before the turning point was announced, Zerubbabel was in sorrow; he was mourning but suddenly, joy replaced his sorrows. And the moment it was announced that the mountains were coming down, Zerubbabel who had not been able to go out before regains his strength. When your turning point is announced, your weakness will be replaced with strength. The impoverished will become prosperous and solutions to problems will emerge. Whatever the situation you find yourself, a turning point is possible. In your present situation of helplessness, I announce to you, today, that help is on the way. Psalm 126:1 says, “when the Lord brought back the captivity of Zion, we were like those who dream.” The scripture says “when” and not “if”; this means that it will definitely happen, your help is on the way.

Luke 4:18-21, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He has anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the broken-hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed…to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.” Then Jesus closed the book, and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. And He began to say to them: “Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.” Satan’s time of operation in your life and family is over; his operation in your finances is over; his manipulation in your life is over. Like a dream, within the twinkle of an eye the Lord will move you from sorrow to joy; from bareness to fruitfulness; from lack into abundance. You must never give up hope. You may look to your front, to your back, to your left and to your right and you do not see any help. It is because you have been looking in the wrong direction, you need to look up. David says in Psalm 121:1-2 “I will lift up my eyes to the hills from whence comes my help? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.” You need to rise and dry up your tears because the Lord is about to fill your mouth with laughter. Pastor Ogunorunyinka, General Overseer, The Promisedland Restoration Ministries, Surulere, Lagos, 08032011797, pastorseyiogunorunyinka@gmail.com

Living Waters By Pastor Lazarus Muoka

The Consequences Of Uncared Soul Luke 16:19-23 says, “There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day: And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate, full of sores, and desiring to be fed with the crumbs, which fell from the rich man’s table: moreover the dogs came and licked his sores. And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham’s bosom. The rich man also died, and was buried; and in hell, he lifted up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.” HIS story of a rich man who cared not about his soul and T Lazarus, who was poor but took care of his soul, is never a fiction. The rich man lived and died in his riches and went to hell fire, leaving behind, what he had laboured for: all that the devil used to deceive him. And Lazarus also died, but was in a safe hand, in the bosom of Abraham. The rich man was not buried with his riches, which made him to puff up; not even with drinking water. Since the story was told till date, that man has not taken a drop of water and shall remain as such for eternity. He sold his soul for the riches of this world. He has lost his soul forever in hell fire. Many people who have abandoned the Lord and followed the mistake of this rich man will face same consequences at the end of their life. The rich man tried in vain to pass a message to his brethren still living, so they will not come to hell fire. “Abraham saith unto him, they have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them. And he said, nay, father Abraham: but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent. And he said unto him, if they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead,” (LK 29-31). At this point the soul, which he never bothered to care for is gone into torment forever. In hell, he knew the mistake he made while in the world. It is a pity that many people are still into the same mistake of amassing wealth without caring for their souls. That rich man pleaded that Lazarus should be sent to testify to the living because they don’t know what he is going through, but Abraham said no, even if somebody could come out from the grave, they will still not believe the gospel. Beloved, do not wait to be told what the condition of your soul will be if you refuse to care for it. This message will bear witness against you if you ignore it. Amend your ways, so it will be well with you.

Christianity No Be Juju By Francis Ejiroghene Waive HE subject of this article was first used in a radio message T earlier in the year and the response was amazing. I visited a church member and heard his neighbours quarrelling as it Ambassador Vincent Okobi (right), Msgr. Gabriel Osu, Mrs. Vicky Okobi and Msgr. Pascal Nwazeapu at a recent event in Lagos.

War Against Occultism, Witchcraft And False Religion (5) By Gabriel Agbo OME occult groups point to the incident that happened in Judges 11 (Jephthah and his daughter) as an excuse for involving in human sacrifice. But this is the deceit of Satan; he will always look for something (even from the scriptures) to deceive man. In Judges 11:29-40, the Bible never told us that God instructed or received the daughter of Jephthah as a sacrifice. Moreover, the sacrifice that Jephthah later kept was that he let his daughter (the only child) remain a virgin till death. He did not kill her as erroneously claim by these Satanists. Listen here, “... she and her friends went into the hills and wept because she would never have children. When she returned home, her father kept his vow, and she died a virgin.” Judges 11:38-39 (New Living Translation). She was just dedicated to die as a virgin. Simple! This is evident by the way he reacted, “when he saw her, he tore his clothes in anguish. ‘My daughter!’ he cried out. ‘My heart is breaking! What a tragedy that you came out to greet me. For I have made a vow to the Lord and cannot take it back” (verse 35). That means that he never planned to use his daughter for any form of sacrifice after all. Now some commentators like Gaster (1962:154) said that the story is a Hebrew version of a wide spread folktale. But even if he later sacrificed his daughter it was in total disobedience to God’s laws in Exodus 20:13, “Do not murder.” And Leviticus 18:21 (amongst others), “Do not give any of your children as sacrifice.” Also remember that God stopped Abraham from using his son Isaac for sacrifice. So, the excuse by the occult world for sacrificing humans does not hold. Now, occult practices are the main reason God became very angry with some of the kings of Israel. King Manasseh; was a grand occult master, who bluntly refused to follow the ways of

his godly father, King Hezekiah. “He rebuilt the pagan shrines his father, Hezekiah, had destroyed. He constructed altars for Baal and set up an Asherah pole, just as King Ahab of Israel had done. He even built pagan altars in the temple of the Lord; the place where the Lord had said his name should be honoured. He built these altars for all the forces of heaven in both courtyards of the Lord’s Temple. Manasseh even sacrificed his own son in the fire. He practiced sorcery and divination, and he consulted with mediums and psychics. He did much that was evil in the Lord’s sight, arousing his anger” (2 Kings 21:3-6). God responded thus, “then the Lord said through his servants the prophets: ‘King Manasseh of Judah has done many detestable things. He is even wicked than the Amorites, who lived in this land before Israel. He has led the people of Judah into idolatry. So, this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: I will bring disaster on Jerusalem and Judah that the ears of those who hear about it will tingle with horror. I will judge Jerusalem by the same standard I used for Samaria and by the same measure I used for the family of Ahab, I will wipe away the people of Jerusalem as one wipes a dish and turns it upside down. Then, I will reject even those few of my people who are left, and I will hand them over as plunder for their enemies. For they have done great evil in my sight and have angered me” (verses 10-15). If you are practicing or your parents have in the past practiced this evil, this is your opportunity to repent and ask God for forgiveness. Please, pray that any big ‘Bird’ will not crash. I saw one that went in flames midair and suddenly crashlanded, burning the people on board. Let us pray quickly against such a crash. •Rev. Agbo is of the Assemblies of God, gabrielagbo@yahoo.com

were. One said that his neighbour’s wife would have a miscarriage in Jesus’ name. The other said he sent Holy Ghost fire to destroy his neighbour’s business. My inquiry revealed that these two were well known very serious church members in the neighborhood. I began to wonder what they thought Christianity was all about. These people simply carried over their pagan beliefs and practices to the church. They have not experienced salvation. Unfortunately, this is the case with many church folks in today. God’s word is brazenly used to manipulate fellow humans and in many cases used to take advantage of them. Compare and contrast the work of the native witch doctor and that of the pastor next door and the results will be a wake-up call. One of the 10 commandments state ‘thou shall not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain,” yet this is the daily practice. Jesus warned that blasphemy against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven of men, yet the Holy Ghost is ‘invoked’ as a matter of joke, anger, politics and or jealousy. The teaching of scripture is that ‘the Lord prepares a table before me in the presence of our enemies,’ yet we command them to die. What are they waiting for? We query! Jesus told us to ‘love our enemies and pray for those who treat us badly.’ Or has the Bible been amended? Maybe I am the one reading a different copy. I know that God is a consuming fire, but where in the bible did he say that we should send him to consume people or things? In the gospels we find an interesting account, where some of the disciples wanted to call down fire to destroy a certain group of people because they did not receive the Lord Jesus in their Community. The sons of Zebedee James and John even referred to the Elijah event in the Old Testament and asked the Lord Jesus for permission to do the same. Jesus strongly and clearly rebuked them, forbidding them never to do so. Luke 9: 51-56. But why do we pray these prayers in the Nigerian Church? The following could be some of the reasons. Firstly, Christianity in Nigeria is seriously mixed with our pagan beliefs. Many church folks here are not born again, they are mere church members. Indeed, not to belong to a church, today, makes one a social mis-fit. Another reason is the state of our economy and lawlessness. Rev. Waive, General Overseer Fresh Anointing Missionary Ministries Inc, Senior Pastor, Church of the Anointing

THE GUARDIAN, Sunday, June 23, 2013

IBRUCENTRE By Ernest Onuoha

‘And he said unto his disciples, therefore, I say unto you, be not anxious for `your’ life; what ye shall eat, nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. For the life is more than the food, and the body than the raiment.’ Lk. 12: 22-23. ESUS commands us not to worry, but why Jthings won’t we worry? Certainly, we have a lot of to bother about; and to a reasonable extent, they are the necessities of life such as food, clothing and shelter. Worry cannot fill any of our needs, hence Jesus draws the attention of the believer not to be anxious about them. He drew an analogy with the birds of the air and the lilies of the field, how they neither sow nor reap, and yet, our heavenly Father takes care of them. He was quick to add, believers are of more value than them. It is true that some persons worry on some of these necessities, which sometimes bother on greed and covetousness: even if you give them the whole world, it will not satisfy their quest. No wonder, some suffer hypertension or have

From The Rector Ibru International Ecumenical Centre, Agbarha-Otor

Jesus’ Counsel Against Worry sudden death. But this should not be so, our Lord, Jesus Christ is warning us against the lust for the things of the world. The Bible is quick to add that some in the bid to acquire these things, have pierced their souls with many a sorrow, I Tim. 6v10. The believer is counseled to have faith in God, as an antidote to worries. We are to believe that God is capable of meeting every of our needs, beyond our wildest imagination. Yes, ‘…unto Him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, ‘Eph. 3v20.

Men of old went through this eye of faith and we saw the great miracle God wrought in their lives. In fact, each time we read about the roll call of faith in Hebrews 11, one becomes encouraged because God never disappoints. Jesus assuredly said, to His disciples and by extension to us, “be not anxious for `your’ life, what ye shall eat; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. For your life is more than the food, and the body than the raiment. Jesus’ comment is not a political statement, which may or may not be fulfilled; it was a comment that came from the Lord of life and who as it were has al-

ways identified with those in need. The Bible said of Him: ‘…when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion for them, because they were distressed and scattered, as sheep not having a shepherd,’ Matt. 9v36. Therefore, let us earnestly cast all our cares and burdens unto Him for He cares for us. Ven. Ernest Onuoha Rector, Ibru International Ecumenical Centre, Agbarha-Otor, Delta State. www.ibrucentre.org.

Cherubim And Seraphim Unification Ends Youth Conference By Toyosi Ajayi HE Cherubim and T Seraphim Unification of Nigeria, recently, rounded off

Bishop of Egbu, Rt. Rev. Geofrey Okoroafor (left), Mrs. Ngozi Okoroafor, former Archbishop of Niger Delta, Most Rev. Emmanuel Nglas, Bishop of Isiala-Ngwa South, Rt. Rev. Isaac Nwaobia, Mrs. Hope Njideka Nwaobia, Bishop of Enugu, Rt. Rev. Emmanuel Chukwuma, Bishop of Udi, Rt. Rev. Chijioke Aneke, Bishop of Isuikwato, Rt. Rev. Manasses Okere and wife, Mrs. Abigael Okere, during first session of the second Synod of Diocese of Isiala Ngwa South, Ecclesiastical Province of Aba at St. Mathias Church, Umueleghele, Abia State. PHOTO: ISAAC TAIWO

Synod Tasks Govt On Better Society From Ven. Foluso Taiwo HE Bishop of Ibadan South Diocese of the Anglican Communion, Rt. Rev. Jacob Ademola Ajetunmobi, has reminded Christians that their source of strength is Jesus Christ, the author and finisher of the Christian faith. The cleric, who urged Christians to depend solely on Christ, made this known in a communiqué issued at the end of the Second Session of the fifth Synod held at Christ Church, Mapo Ibadan. He noted that God’s project is a collective responsibility, called on the Church to rid itself from divided interest, selfish-approach to problems and carnality. The Synod also commended the Oyo, Lagos, Osun, Edo, Ondo and Ekiti state governments over their restoration and transformation programmes and enjoined the people to demonstrate attitudinal change by embracing environmental cleanliness, discipline and patriotism.

It also tasked the government on resuscitation of trade centres and technical colleges as a way to promote skill acquisition. Advising government to provide the necessary support, which include farm settlements as part of efforts that could encourage university graduates to take to farming, the synod noted with dismay, the quest for materialism and the rot that has permeated the Nigerian society, and called on leadership of the Church as well as the larger society to guide the citizens by laying good examples for the youths to emulate and to promote social justice with the fear of God. On poor state of the economy, the Synod urged Federal Government to attach importance to education, saying the three tiers of government should revamp the economy by providing jobs for the youths and enabling environment for Nigerians to be self-reliant.

Religious Leaders Urged To Practice What They Preach ELIGIOUS leaders in the country R have been called to always subject themselves to constituted authority in the body of Christ, as the only way to guarantee peaceful co-existence of all religions in the country. The call was made by Chairman of Lagos State chapter of the Cherubim

and Seraphim Unification Church of Nigeria, Supt. Apostle Joseph Adagba. Adagba made this call at the induction of Ibeju-Lekki Division of the State chapter by a splinter group of the religious body. He said the group is expected to follow the rules and regulations of the church main body if any ordination of

its members is to hold. He said, “as religious leaders, it is essential that we practice what we preach and subject ourselves to constituted authorities.” Adagba, however, called all the splinter group to reconcile and move God’s work forward.

its seventh National Youth Conference with a call for those assigned with various responsibilities at the different branches of the church to be up to their biddings. With the theme, A New Name, the event, which was held at the Cherubim and Seraphim Church, The Worshippers, Iponri, Ebute Metta West, Lagos, featured training and discussions on how to move the camp forward. Outlining the various problems encountered by participants, the 2013 National Youth Camp Chairman, S. O. Salako from Ekiti State called on members to always maintain peace and order, adding that complying with every rule and regulations laid down would make them have stressfree camping next time.

YMCA Awards Scholarship To Indigent Students By Paul Adunwoke HE Young Men’s Christians T Association of Lagos (YMCA) has awarded scholarships to some indigent students to enable them continue with their studies in the university. Apart from the awards, they were also given some money for their upkeep. Giving this during the group’s 49th yearly General Meeting (AGM) titled, The Role Of NGOs In Developing Countries, the president, Chief C.O. Ogunbanjo, said, “the gesture was to contribute toward the goodness of the society because government alone cannot develop the society, adding that the organisation aims at bringing up children to embrace God and engage in community development. According to the chairman of Lagos chapter of the organisation, Mr.. T.S.T. Bewaji, the group is faced with the challenges of gathering volunteers to raise fund to carry out their numerous projects. The guest speaker, president,

YMCA, Ibadan chapter, Olu Abiala, said, “the role of NGO is to support government in development projects and to empower young people in the society.” The president, who was represented by the secretary general of the Ibadan chapter, Mr. Akinola Omolola, said government should also help NGOs in the country to carry out their projects, querying what the various government ministries do with the money allotted for humanitarian services in the budgets every year. “I think government is not helping matters too, as there should be a body to monitor the usage of the money mapped out for humanitarian services in the budget for the ministries. Doing this will make the money to be used for what it is meant for.” Speaking on behalf of the beneficiaries, Shamsudeen Olakunle, said, “the awards would enable them fund their education.

TheGuardian

42 Sunday, June 23, 2013

Conscience, Nurtured by Truth

Business FOREIGN INVESTMENTS

South Africa’s Deep Footprints In Nigeria’s Economy

By Marcel Mbamalu and Geoff Iyatse N June 10, 2013, the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) hit the airwaves with an alert celebrating what it thought was the greatest achievement of the market since the beginning of the year. The Public Investment Corporation (PIC) of South Africa, a 100-per cent government-owned asset manager, had just acquired N45-billion worth of Dangote Cement Plc at the “bourse”. Establsihed in 1911, the PIC has over $115 bilion funds under management. Anything wrong with that transaction, which many say represents an insignificant percentage of the DANGCEM? Well, nothing really! It merely shows that the drive for foreign investment is yielding fruits after all. The other day, President Goodluck Jonathan, with his full paraphernalia of ministerial and legislative entourage, stormed the country in a quest for foreign investment — Direct or Portfolio. Indeed, the Team came back with a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) the result part of which could be what PIC is showing. No doubt, South Africa’s completely-owned PIC is on the prowl buying up whatever is on offer for sale in Nigeria. Although this DANGCEM purchase remains in the domain of portfolio investment, a much more aggressive buy-in will metamorphose into ownership in a matter of time. The NSE’s recent outing signals a much deeper interest and commitment that South Africa has in the economy, even as Nigerians continue to find it much more difficult to either have access or play big over there. Isn’t it significant that PIC chose to invest in Dangote Cement, one of the most beautiful brides in the economy? The impact of that move was so far-reaching: while the transaction (at N179 (30-day volume weighted average price)) was going on, the share price closed at N210 the same day. Few days after the deal, share price of DANGCEM negotiated an uncharacteristic trend, closing last week (Friday) at N192. The stark reality is that PIC, Africa’s largest

... When Sell-out, Buy-in Become So Unequally Yoked Breaking News —Largest trade on The NSE. • PIC (Public Investment Corporation of South Africa) • Established: 1911 • Funds under management: R1.17 trillion (USD115bn) • Ownership: 100% South African Government Transaction Details • Security: Dangote Cement Plc • Symbol: DANGCEM • Seller: Dangote Industries Limited • Buyer: PIC (Public Investment Corporation of South Africa) • Number of Shares: 255,607,605 • Price: N179 (30-day volume weighted average price) •Value of Transaction: N45.75 bn Other •Previous largest transaction was Tiger Brands’ (also of South Africa) purchase of ‘Dangflour’ on 4th October 2012, valued at N30.1bn asset manager, may lead (and is, in fact, leading) the next phase of South Africa’s ‘invasion’ of the economy. Two weeks ago, Bloomberg, reported that the company is eyeing 20 leading quoted companies in Africa with strong indications that Nigerian firms top its consideration. The information came just 24 hours after the company took ownership of 1.5 per cent of Dangote Cement Plc. PIC’s decision to buy N45.75 billion on

255,607,605 units of shares of Dangote Cement etched its name on the building material sector. With wads of Rand and Dollars in its hands, the asset manager is reportedly on the lookout for profitable equities across agribusiness, consumer, infrastructure and telecommunications sectors. Of course, the moment the news filtered into the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE), performance of quoted companies in the sub-sectors

shot up. AST year, Tiger Brands, a leading company L(JSE),listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange acquired 63.35 per cent stake in another member of the Dangote Group, the Dangote Flour Mills Plc. The South African firm (whose strength lies in the sale of grains), by the deal, emerged the majority shareholder of the company. Meanwhile, Dangote Flour, controlling 31 per cent of the Nigerian flour market, is the second biggest player flowing Four Mills Nigeria Plc. Tiger Brands started its strategic acquisition in Nigeria with Deli Foods and UAC Nigeria before it bought into Dangote subsidiary in a deal valued at N30 billion. It took over 100 percent ownership Deli, a biscuit manufacturer, after which it secured 49 per cent stake in UAC’s food and beverage businesses. The three acquisitions have made Tiger Brands, which operates in Cameroon, Kenya and Cameroon, a formidable player in the Nigeria’s food industry. Since the South Africans took over ownership, its major products have increased by, at least, 10 per cent. Of course, Tiger Brands is no stranger to anticompetition litigations and price-fixing. In November, 2007, the company was fined R98.8 million (roughly equivalent to US$12,8 million) by the South African Competition Commission for colluding with other bread producers to raise the prices by between 30c and 35c per loaf. According to the commission, the four companies involved, including Tiger Brands, controlled more than 90 per cent of the wheat flour market at the time. The commission also found that the price-fixing activities had a negative effect on both consumers as a whole as well as inhibiting smaller bakeries from being effective competitors. The fine reflected 5.7 per cent of Tiger Brand’s bread sales, coming mostly from its Albany brand, for the 2006 financial year. Tiger Brands took full responsibility while its CEO, Nick Dennis, resigned. Originally known as Tiger Oats, Tiger Brands,

THE GUARDIAN, Sunday, June 23, 2013

BUSINESSCOVER in May 2008, also agreed to pay a R53.5 million fine for alleged anti-competition practices in its health care subsidiary, Adcock Ingram Critical Care (AICC). AICC executive, Arthur Barnett, was suspended until the investigation was concluded. In late 1990s Tiger Oats went through a period of rapid expansion. It engaged in massive buying out of other large companies and competitors such as food packaging Imperial Cold Storage and Supply Company. That was when it also acquired Adcock Ingram, pharmaceutical company, through which it was fined for anti-competition practices. It was after these buyouts that Tiger Oats was renamed Tiger Brands. Shoprite is the leading retailer across Africa and is the brand of choice for many consumers across the African continent. In places like Lekki, Surulere, Ikeja and Enugu, shopping has assumed a new synonym: Shoprite. A significant percentage of Lagosians mistake Shoprite for the sole owner of the shopping centre it operates in Victoria Island, whereas the departmental store is just one among hundreds of tenants that occupy the property owned and managed by The Palms. That shows how popular the South African retailer has become in “far-away” Nigeria. Since December 2005 when it opened in The Palms, the departmental store has grown in leaps and bounds. It has since then opened at Ikeja and Surulere (Lagos State), Enugu and Kwara States. Its one-stop shopping experience and competitive price offering has distinguished it from other retail marketers.

How Nigeria Works For South Africa

and raised in South Africa. Nigerians feel the presence of South Africans in the hospitality than in any other sector. A contact with an average middlesized Hotel in Lagos, Port Harcourt or Abuja is like a trip to Johannesburg or Cape Town. The redefinition of the hospitality sector by Protea Hotels is a classical example of what nationals of South Africa are doing in the country’s hotel business. In Lagos alone, there are over 10 hotels managed under Protea franchise. The same management style adopted by Protea by the same South Africa spreads across the length and breadth of the country.

the merger, Standard Bank Nigeria was incor- issuance of 3,125,000,000 shares in ETI, repreporated locally to take over the business in senting 19.58 per cent of its total outstanding Nigeria. number of shares, to PIC expected to take a board It was not until 1971 that 13 per cent of its seat in the company. ETI’s subsidiary, Ecobank shares were ceded to Nigerian investors. The Nigeria Plc, sure, has emerged one of biggest end of the civil war saw a major economic bank in terms of branch network after acquiring upturn the consequence of which forced the defunct Oceanic Bank Nigeria Plc. The deal, in a HE Nigerian pay-TV industry is virtually military government to increase local control way, gives South Africa yet another footage in the taken over by M-net. If Nigerians have not in retail banking. country’s burgeoning financial sector. protested the monopolistic nature in the Hence, the bank’s investment in Standard industry and the extortionist approach Bank Nigeria (renamed First Bank of Nigeria in ECENTLy, another South Africa’s FirstRand adopted by M-net and Multi-choice, it is 1979) was reduced to 38 per cent. Standard Group, parent company of the First National because they do not have an option. The Chartered remained shareholder of First Bank Bank (FNB) renewed its interest in Nigerian secDigital Satellite Television (DSTv) has taken until 1996. tor. FirstRand Group Head of Investor Relations, Standard Chartered re-entered Nigeria in Sam Moss, who was perhaps responding to offer over the airwaves with its stations such as Channel O, Super Sport, Movie Magic and 1999 and opened to customers as a wholly to sell the three bride banks owned by the Asset many others reshaping social lives of owned subsidiary of Standard Chartered Bank Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON), Nigerians, especially the youths. Plc. The bank, which has its name etched deep said the group is looking for an opportunity to Regular hike in subscription charges and in wholesale banking, has about 28 branches acquire a platform in Nigeria to boost its busiother business approaches, which users conlocated in Lagos, Port Harcourt, Abuja, Ibadan, ness in Africa. sider unfair, have not, in any way, affected the Kano, Kaduna, Maiduguri, Ota, Aba, Onitsha “Nigeria and Ghana are priority countries for control exercised by DSTv in the Pay-TV suband Onne. expansion by FNB. Currently FNB’s parent comsector. The “cable TV”, thanks to its European Stanbic IBTC Plc, another member of pany FirstRand Limited is awaiting regulatory league rights, controls the incredibly huge Standard Bank Group, used to be a second-tier approval for its offer to acquire MBG in Ghana and growing football space100 per cent, player. But the bank by financial performance and we see this as an excellent platform to while the Startimes, DANSAT and other and market size is gradually emerging a leader launch FNB products and services into the marindigenous brands, struggle to keep insignifiin the sector with soaring presence in the retail ket. FirstRand has also said it is looking for an market. opportunity to acquire a platform in Nigeria and cant portion of those who are more interested in movies than sports. Operating as a holding company following its investment banking business, RMB, was The CNN’s right also puts DSTv ahead in the new banking rule, Stanbic IBTC has robust recently granted an investment banking license,” TN, a South African telecommunications terms of new channels. When Startimes operations across finance and auxiliary servic- Moss said. giant, bestrides the country’s socio-ecoes such as pensions, capital and investment. Investors from the leading Africa’s economy are introduced a smarter technology that does nomic landscape like a colossus, controlling not require dish, M-net followed up with Operating under Stanbic IBTC Holdings Plc, it interest in insurance as much as banking. about 44 per cent of the market share. The Gotv, and that is redeeming the advantage owns Stanbic IBTC Bank, Stanbic IBTC Asset LeapFrog Investments, a firm with strong link company along with Econet (now Airtel enjoyed by the Nigerian firm. Management Ltd, Stanbic IBTC Pensions Ltd with South Africa, recently launched acquisition Nigeria) ducked all attempt to compel them South Africans exercise reasonable control and Stanbic IBTC Capital Limited. Other subcampaign in life assurance sub-sector that promswitch to per-second billing as it was done in ised to be massive. The company has entered into in other sectors of Nigerian economy such as other parts of the world. The resistance contin- sidiaries are Stanbic IBTC Investments Ltd, construction, information technology, oil Stanbic IBTC Stockbrokers Ltd, Stanbic IBTC a strategic partnership with Asset & Resource ued until the Nigeria-owned Globacom was and gas and maritime. For instance, GrinaterVentures Ltd, Stanbic IBTC Trustees Ltd and Management Company (ARM) Limited, in a $7.5 launched. yet, MTN continued as the most LTA, a South African private firm delisted Stanbic Nominees Nigeria Ltd. Today, the million deal, to grow the latter’s recently expensive service provider in terms of tariff, from JSE in 1990s, is a major player in the acquired CrystaLife Assurance Plc into industry and boasted that competitive prices offered by South Africa’s bank is one of the most diversicountry’s construction sector. It also operates leader the market. other operators would not force it to crash call fied banks among its peers. in oil and gas servicing sub-sector. Last year, PIC, a public asset management LeapFrog, which had previously invested in rates. On the other hand, apart from the informal company wholly owned by South African insurance providers across Ghana, South Africa, And its cutthroat services in Nigeria paid off in terms of profit. MTN Nigeria’s operations in Government, invested $250 million in Togolese Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania, is expected to help sector, not many Nigerian companies have operations in South Africa. First City Ecobank Transnational Incorporated. The CrystaLife to offer life insurance to millions of Nigeria have continued to compensate for its Monument Bank Plc, First Bank of Nigeria Plc, investment, drawn from the Government uninsured Nigerians. not-too-impressive performance at home. By Union Bank of Nigeria Plc and Zenith Bank Employees Pension Fund, represented the first Earlier before the deal, LeapFrog partner, the end of 2010 financial year, the total revPlc operate in the country as foreign bank enue realised by the MTN Group was N2.57 tril- major direct investment by the company out- Dominic Liber, told The Guardian that his group side South Africa. The decision was taken after was ready to invest a minimum of $10 million in representatives. lion. Apart from these, not much is known about managers of PIC, which has taken to aggressive Nigeria’s insurance sector. “Nigeria is one of the Out of the figure, the Nigerian subsidiary Nigeria’s inroad in South Africa’s formal regional investment approach thereafter, continent’s jewels. We are pleased to have the made N794 billion (representing 29 per cent) “identified” other African countries, including opportunity to partner with ARM, a reputed and economy. of the group’s total revenue for the financial Many Nigerian businesses thrive in the tight Nigeria, as the next frontier of investment fast-growing leader in financial services in the year. MTN Nigeria alone contributed 66 per economies of Jo-burg and Cape Town but life growth. country,” he said. cent of the revenue pooled from Central and The share purchase deal was effected with LeapFrog founder, Dr. Andrew Kuper, was born for them is not as good as it is in Nigeria for West Africa. Still, the company has been sancSouth Africans. This is the worry. tioned by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) among others for poor service delivery just as subscribers expect the regulator to do more to cut the operators to size. Vadacom, another South African telecommunications firm, also made an attempt to compete with MTN for the Nigerian telecom market when it bought into Econet in 2004. Interestingly, the deal, which was mired by shareholder dispute with claim that Vodacom had induced “a breach of contract”, was shortlived as its partner, Vee Network Limited, regained the company. Vodacom pulled out of the company and Nigeria in circumstance that remained unclear till date. But six months after its exit, there were reports that the multinational was holding talks with its estranged partner for a possible comeback. When it left Nigeria, it terminated its plan to inject about $230 million equity investment into Vmobile, which was then branded as Vodacom. It also severed all links by terminating the management agreement it had signed with Vee Networks. But for the timely deal with Sudanese Celtel, Nigerian telecommunications market would have been trudging under the mercy of two-equally smart South African investment groups today. South African names pop up each time there is acquisition opportunity in the banking sector. At least, three Nigerian banks were linked to the investors in the former Apartheid country during the recent stabilisation exercise. In the days of Prof. Chukwuma Soludo as Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN)’s governor, South African groups, as usual, showed strong interest in the sector. Its interest in Nigeria is as old as the history of Nigeria’s nationhood. In 1965, the Standard Bank of South Africa merged with the Bank of West Africa acquiring businesses including a banking operation in Nigeria. The name was then changed to Standard Bank of West Africa. Four years after President Goodluck Jonathan with his South Africa’s counterpart, Jacob Zuma, during Nigeria’s President visit to the former apartheid country... recently.

THE GUARdIAN, Sunday, June 23, 2013

BUSINESS Mortgage Bank’s IPO, Rights Issue:

Stakeholders Mull First Market Offer In Six Months By Kayla Grage FTER six months of seeming lull in Initial Public Offerings, stakeholders in Nigeria’s capital market, at the weekend, heaved a sigh of relief over Resort Savings &Loans Plc’s IPO of 3.2 billion shares of 50 kobo at 51 kobo per share and Rights Issue of one-for-three Rights Issue of 3.7 billion shares at 50 kobo per share. The market, according to Ken Ero of the Greenwich Trust Group, will be very excited with the year’s first offer, having waited for six months for an IPO. Chairman of the Standard Shareholders Association Of Nigeria, Mr Godwin Anono, who described the timing of the offer and the fact that it is coming from a mortgage bank as most welcome, said buying into a real estate business is desirable to investors. “Anybody, who buys into it, is sure that his investment is secured, especially as the management of this particular bank is poised with the vision to move the institution higher,” Anono said. National President of the Constance Shareholders Association of Nigeria, Shehu Mallam Mikail, also described the offer as not only bold but also welltimed, saying that the authorities of the Nigerian Stock Exchange and the Securities and Exchange Commission should be delighted with the development. Managing director and Chief Executive Officer of Resort Savings & Loans Plc (RSL), Abimbola Olayinka, who spoke at a stakeholders’ meeting in respect of the bank’s hybrid offer in Lagos, noted

that the positive trend in real estate business and attention being given to stocks of mortgage firms indicate that the Mortgage sector will play a major role in boosting Nigeria’s capital market. Although the sector currently contributes less than one per cent to the country’s Gross domestic Product (GdP), Olayinka stressed that mortgage has emerged as key driver of

modern economies. He said efforts must be made to raise the bar of mortgage lending in the country to make it at par with other economies where it contributes as much as six per cent to GdPs. According to Olayinka, long-term pool of funds would enable operators package mortgage with reasonable tenure of payment that makes

it attractive to an average Nigerian. He disclosed that Resort is currently offering between five and 30 years with attractive interest. RSL is raising N3.5 billion from the IPO and Right Issues that are scheduled to run concurrently. Bother offer opened for subscription on June 17. Olayinka said the proceeds would be utilised to create additional mortgage, expand branch net-

work, upgrade information and communications technology (ICT) and invest in the proposed Mortgage Refinancing Company. The projects expected to be completed between 12 and 24 months, according to the chief executive, will increase the market share of the company and reconsolidate its position as a leading mortgage lender.

Geometric Power Begins Generation, distribution Next Month From Gordi Udeajah, Aba NdICATIONS emerged at the weekIcialend that residents of the commerand industrial city of Aba in Abia State would begin to enjoy steady electricity in July. This is consequent upon the completion of the $ 460 million firstever indigenous private power generation project located at Osisioma Industrial area. The project belongs to the Geometric Power Ltd. Chairman of Geometric Power Ltd and immediate past Power Minster, professor Bath Nnaji, last week, told journalists at the site that all necessary arrangements for next month’s takeoff of the real business of power generation and its subse-

quent formal commissioning in August 2013 had been completed. The Geometric Power Chapter of the National Union of Electricity Employees (NUEE) was inaugurated

last week by the General Secretary, Comrade Joe Ajaero. Nnaji, who said that the Aba Plant construction, which commenced

Brewery Targets2.4m Hectolitres HE Nigerian Breweries Plc Aba, with initial installed T capacity of 500,000 hectoliters, will increase output to 2.4 million hectoliters next year when ongoing expansion is completed. The project, started in 2012, will cost the brewery over N17b and will spot a new brew house, new packaging lines (bottles and cans), water treatment and wastewater treatment plants, among others. The Manager, Mr, Ukeje Udah, disclosed this on Wednesday when State Governor Theodore Orji visited the brewery.

in 2004, has the capacity to generate 141 Megawatts of electricity, will supply the 50 Megawatts needs of Aba, while the excess

Orji expressed delight at the progress of work, pledging support. Udah said that when the expansion is completed, the brewery would become one of the most modern. He said: “We want to thank Governor Orji for his immense support on the expansion of our brewery by awarding the contract for the reconstruction of the Onyeador Road, which will improve logistics. The governor called on residents and stakeholders to collaborate with government in the sustenance of security. He noted that businesses could only thrive in a secure environment, consequently enhancing employment and economic opportunities.

Engineers Raise Alarm Over Influx Of Foreigners By Kenechukwu Ezeonyejiaku HE influx of Chinese, Arabs and T other nationals into the country to take up jobs hitherto handled by Nigerians is beginning to worry the Nigeria Society of Engineers (NSE). According to facts provided by the society, not less than 20 to 30 Chinese and other foreign nationals troop into the country daily to do jobs ranging from construction, telecommunications, retail trading and, most worrisome, driving/cleaning services, thereby worsening the unemployment situation. Presenting a paper at a business luncheon organised by the Apapa branch of NSE last week, Executive Partner, AR-AR Partnership, Ali Rabiu, said billions of naira are repatriated out of the country weekly by the expatriates He said: “Nigeria drives many other economies. In other words, many countries survive on Nigeria. Chairman Resource Intermediaries Limited (RIL), Alex Okoh; Chairman, VLA Associates, Mo Abudu; MD Guinness Nigeria, Seni Adetu; Board members, Association of Outsourcing Professionals (AOPN), Dr. Chidi Okpaleke and Jacqueline Odiadi; and MD, RIL, Soji Oyawoye, at the 2013 Outsourcing Expo held at the Federal Palace Hotel, Victopria Island, Lagos…. on Wednesday.

Experts Task Outsourcing Providers On Professionalism, Partnership the industry needs a systematic approach. He said: “Outsourcing users will always UTSOURCING providers in Nigeria have want to choose well-funded and large scale been urged to shun unprofessional prac- outsourcing vendors with good track record tices, imbibe ideal business ethics, and collab- for service and support. Some of the outsourcorate if they are to be taken seriously by their ing practitioners have no scale, skill, or idea of clients in the country. the service they propose to offer. In fact, many Managing director of Guinness Nigeria Plc, outsourcing providers are traders instead of Seni Adetu, said this during the 2013 outsourc- professionals, because of the way and maning expo organised by Resource ner they comport themselves in business. Intermediaries Limited (RIL) last week in “Also, outsourcing as a concept in business Lagos. in Nigeria has been abused. Graduates with In a presentation titled, outsourcing and the little or no experience have taken to outsourcneed for the outsourcing professional, Adetu ing in a bid to cut-corners to make money. noted that outsourcing providers need to This practice has soiled the image of outdevelop proper business strategies because

By Ikechukwu Onyewuchi

sourcing professionals and there is need to remedy this if there is going to be standard in the industry.” He harped on the need for outsourcing providers to start thinking of forming mergers to build scale and noted that if they don’t do this, outsider will come and take over the industry, adding: “In the outsourcing world, scale is non-negotiable”. The Managing director of RIL, Olusoji Oyawoye, said the expo is coming as a means to sensitise and sanitise the young, but fledging outsourcing industry. He said: “Professional outsourcing is new in Nigeria. But companies have been outsourc-

ing-contracting, and calling it outsourcing-for 30 years. This is actually what we are using the expo and discussions to correct.” We are out to state that outsourcing is a profession. People should be able to be called outsourcing providers. Outside this country, you get certified” He continued: “In Nigeria, there is no such regulating body. Anybody can just wake up and say they are outsourcing provider. There should be certification. So, if you are opening a chapter at Kano, you don’t just wake up and start. There are exams and other structures you have to pass through to get certified.”

THE GUARDIAN, Sunday, June 23, 2013

BUSINESS Jim Obazee spearheaded the establishment of the Financial Reporting Council of Nigeria (FRC), an agency that metamorphosed from the defunct Nigerian Accounting Standard Board (NASB). As the Council assumes more shape, Obazee, the pioneer Chief Executive Officer, spoke with GEOFF IYATSE on how the FRC Act affects every professional involved in financial reporting process (by decision or advice). There were lots of discussions last year on how FRC would improve on the investment market. What have been the changes in its programmes this year? e are currently working on the National Code of Corporate Governance, which should come to being in the nearest future. What we have now are persuasive codes; they are because they are not backed by law. There is one enforced by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) while the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) drafted another for the capital market operators. The National Insurance Commission (NAICOM) is also in charge of another code. When established, the national one will become the superseding code. A steering committee was set in January to design the code. Apart from that, we have commenced the inspection of organisations that claimed through writing that they are not first-time adopters of the International Financial Reporting Standard (IFRS). We are looking into their books to see the extent of compliance with the standards and whether the reporting is in line with the national mandate. We have also made progress in the registration of professionals; quite a number of people have registered. Of course, the governing board of FRC has been constituted. Considering that FRC is still at its formative stage, does the governing board has a specific mandate in the steering process? The board cannot operate outside the law. We should not forget that it does not have executive power; it should operate within the orbit of the law setting up FRC. Section 10 of the FRC Act provides for the responsibilities of the board, which include determining broad strategies/priorities. It also helps to set out budget and procure necessary funding. It is expected to monitor expenditures and participates in the appointment of directors and other key management staff while overseeing the directors’ delivery and management’s performance. It equally undertakes yearly assessment of the operations. FRC is supposed to be spearheaded by seven directorates. When are they expected to commence operations? The directorates are in operations but in Chinese-work format. Chinese work means you collapse them to work together when jobs are heavy on one. It is not a clear separation with staff working for each directorate. Section 23 of the Act provides for seven directorates — accounting standard (private sector), accounting standard (public sector), auditing standard, valuation standard, actuarial standard, corporate governance standard and inspection/monitoring. For us to transit from the defunct NASB to FRC, we are graduating from two to seven directorates. That will come by increasing the staff strength of the Council. And to do that, you have to go through the procedure of engaging staff in public sector. Our case is more delicate because the remuneration structure is not similar to others. We need to work on compensation survey and benchmarking exercise. We will go through that after which we will get approval from either the board or the supervising minister. Then, we go the Civil Service Commission before advertising. The government

Obazee

Why All Chief Accounting Officers Must Register With FRC, By Obazee has given us approval to employ 200 staff so that the directorates can function effectively. In addition to existing staff? Yes, we are increasing by 200 staff. All the banks should have adopted IFRS by now? Have they complied? The national IFRS adoption states that banks had January 1, 2012 to adopt the standard. But three banks — Access, Guarantee Trust and Zenith — claimed they adopted earlier than the national mandate. The argument is that they should not be reporting as first-time adopters. Every other bank used the January 1, 2012 deadline as the date of adoption. Since the three banks adopted earlier, we needed to know whether their statements would be acceptable in Nigeria because adoption is a jurisdictional issue or whether they have to report afresh like firsttime adopters. We needed to know the reasons they adopted earlier. If you are going to list on foreign market, part of the requirement is that you must have IFRS-based financial statement. Since your country is yet to adopt the standard, you have to do dual reporting. For the purpose of listing, you prepare financial statement using IFRS while you do another using the General Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) applicable to your country. That was what happened. And IFRS will not allow you to adopt it twice. If the banks adopted correctly, it makes sense that FRC allows them to continue without treating them as first-time adopters. Otherwise, they could be voided. But if there are minor issues involved, we could allow them to

move on. What did you observe in the format adopted by the three banks? The observations were rather similar, although they adopted differently. There were issues that cut across the three of them. For instance, land is treated as lease hold. Under FRC’s regime, if you do not have ownership or when it cannot be proven, it could be treated as finance or operating lease. As at the time they were adopting, probably the consultant looked at Nigeria as it were and said they should treat land as leasehold instead of freehold. You and I know that the Land Use Act gives one 99-year lease. And you are allowed to renew. If the government needs the land for public use, it pays compensation. It will not void the usage as if it were operating lease. One or two of the banks treated land as operating lease because they confined ownership to 99 years. But we said no, you have to look beyond 99 years because assuming you buy a land from an individual and have not obtained the certificate of occupancy (C of O), it is still yours. So, it should be treated as freehold on which basis we said land and building should be treated as such in Nigeria for the purpose of accounting. The issues were not substantial enough that would warrant voiding their adoption. And beyond the three banks… THER banks have adopted IFRS, which means they have complied with the requirements of the standard. But we still need to review the entire financial to see whether there are errors that need to be addressed. In addressing them, they will reflect

the corrections tin the financial statements of the subsequent year. We have said that in the first year of adoption, we will treat the adopters as learners. We will not penalise but educate them unless where there is a major infraction that will warrant withdrawal of the statement. That means you are not going to sanction any bank this year? We are not likely going to do that. We are more inclined to educating than penalising them. We understand you have written an auditor of a certain financial statement. What is the essence of the letter if there won’t be sanction? The grace we are giving does not apply to everybody. The national roadmap says we have three stages of adoption. The first stage is for listed entities and significant public interest entities; the second is for other public interest entities while the third stage is for small and medium enterprises (SMEs)/government. When you are looking at professional firm, you are not dealing with the issue of adoption but professional practice covered by Section 61 of the Act. If that is the case, if there are areas of poor professional judgment, there will be sanction. And if the client is not on the first year of adoption, it will be penalised too. The professionals we are talking about are the accounting firms whose poor judgment affected the financial statements of listed companies. We are inviting them to come and defend their actions. While we invite them, we also invite the professional bodies they belong. When we conclude, the report will be made available to the public. Do you really mean those seeking

political office must register with FRC? The Federal Government through a circular listed certain entities that must register with FRC. Among those listed are the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). FRC is to ensure the issuance of certificate to applicants upon registration. To ensure strict compliance, the circular emphasised that the registration number shall henceforth be a requirement for employment of a professional, submission of contract bid, expression of interest, doing professional business with public interest entities, including quoted companies and government agencies. If INEC is advised, it means those seeking political offices and claim to be professionals will have to show evidence of registration with FRC. If a local, state or federal government is to public financial statement, they will be attested to by the respective chief accounting officer. If the chief accounting officer of a local is a chairman, it means he must register with FRC to be qualified to sign it. We should realise that states raise bond. To raise bond, you will need to sign financial statement, which should carry FRC registration number. The implication is that if you must be a governor of council chairman, you must register with FRC… The implication is that if you must sign financial statement of a private or government entity, you must register. And Section 33 of the Act requires local, state and federal government to comply with IFRS. That is the reason we have Directorate of Accounting Standard (Public Sector) to ensure compliance with the rules. That is why we are currently advising state governments to review their financial management laws. This will allow them to align the laws with the provision of public sector accounting standards otherwise they will not be able to comply because the law will encumber them. Lagos State has also reviewed the laws. Does it occur to you that some people will protest the professional registration, saying that IFRC is accountingbased agency? Section 8 requires the Council to maintain a register of accountants and other professionals engaged in the financial reporting process. If you are in the process you must register because your professionalism is impacting on the statement people rely on to take investment decisions. In the course of training of an account, he is taught to rely on the judgment of professional. If an engineer production of impairment figures that go into financial statement, he should be held responsible? If a lawyer advises an organisation that land is a finance lease, it will produce different from when he advises the same company to classify it as operating lease. You see how a slight judgment of a lawyer affects the financial statement of a company. We are not talking about accounting but financial reporting they are different things. Financial reporting communicates economic information that is relied on by investors. It brings accounting, actuarial, corporate governance and other fields together.

THE GUARDIAN, Sunday, June 23, 2013

BUSINESS

‘Credit Awareness Crucial To SME Growth’ By Geoff Iyatse HE Fourth “Roundtable” organised by Toki Mabogunje & Co (TMC), a business development service provider nurturing small and medium-scale enterprises (SMEs) for growth, in conjunction with the Unity Bank Plc, last Wednesday in Lagos dwelt on real issues plaguing Nigeria’s economy — poor infrastructure and inability of small businesses to access credit from lenders. Aptly themed “Credit Awareness For SMEs,” the forum, made up of industry experts, government agencies, regulators and stakeholders in financial services sector, basically sought solutions to all limiting factors. The forum, which was sponsored by Unity Bank, outlined relevant intervention groups — credit bureaux, financial institutions, business membership organisations (BMOs) and other public agencies — as being central to bridging the gap in awareness as well as stimulating support for the SME sector. Specifically, the role of credit Bureax in establishing credit worthiness of SMEs, as well as the role that banks, Business Membership Organisations (BMOs) and Pubic agencies play in facilitating access were discussed exhaustively. The problems put forward underscored certain systemic deficiencies that have been the bane of entrepreneurship growth. They listed lack of unique identification, quality of data accessible by banks, absence of collaterals, expertise gap among bankers, rating problem and inappropriate segmentation as key challenges. Others were poor awareness, improper documentation, absence of operational framework, high cost of doing business, high rate of loan default, misalignment of objectives between agencies and bureaucracy. The impacts of the challenges cut across different groups expected to make necessary decisions or contributions on SMEs. Recent statistics put the number of Nigeria’s SMEs at over 20 million; yet, the performance of the sector, in terms of contribution to national economy, remains low. Its contribution, in terms of revenue generation, amounts to nothing when compared to mainstream sectors like oil/gas and financial system. Considering expectations coupled with emerging trend, the abysmal performance of small businesses keeps worrying concerned individuals. Global figures also indicate that the SME sector contributes about 60 per cent to the Gross Domestic Products (GDP) and labour force of developed economies like the United States and the European Union. Between 30 and 60 per cent of exports in those countries are products of SMEs. The story is the same in emerging economies like China, India, Japan and Malaysia, where 70 per cent of jobs are created by SMEs, just as their GDP are 40 per cent dependent on the sector. China’s SME sector is an interesting case study. On the average, the sector has grown by 10 per cent in the past 30 years. SMEs’ contribution to the country’s GDP last year was $7.74 trillion while its export value was over $1.897 trillion. The sector, which accounts for 99.7 per cent of the total number of companies operating in the Asian leading economy, added 60.42 per cent and 71 per cent to the country’s earnings and total sales respectively. Also, 84 per cent of the residents are absorbed in the sector. Nigeria, to an extent, presents a similar picture. The SMEs form 80 per cent of the total number of enterprises driving the economy. The sector employs 31 million people, which amounts to 75 per cent of the workforce. Unfortunately (and unlike China), SMEs contributed just 10 percent to the country’s GDP and three

Victor Dike of Quick Proejects Ltd (left); Managaing Partner of TMC, Ade Laja; and Mabogunje at the event.

Participants, including managing directors of FBN Microfinance Bank and Credit Awareness Limited, at the event.

TMC, Unity Bank, Others Chart Way Forward per cent to its earnings last year. This explains why current discussions centre on how to turn the tide and, by all indications, look the way of China. Last week’s Lagos meet by stakeholders — the Ministry of Industry/Trade/Investment, chambers of commerce/industry, SME associations, investment/financial institutions and the media —, under the auspices of the TMC, to examine how robust credit lines could accelerate the sector’s growth, is not out of place therefore. Toki Mabogunje, the organiser and Vice President of the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industries (LCCI) expressed the concern that the private sector operators talk much more than they act. Admitting that a little more of action would stimulate the sector faster, she noted: “The more you have people talking about them, the more sensitisation we create. And that is very important it will enable us to know that this problem.” She identified poor infrastructure and lack of funding as the most critical problems facing SMEs, saying the government must act fast to pull the sector out of the woods. She accused the banks of not giving

the needed support to SMEs on one hand while also noting that the entrepreneurs fails to make themselves attractive for credits. “They need to re-package themselves to attract funds. The other problem has to do with the environment. There are too much shortterm funds. And you cannot lend short-term funds to those who need long-term loans. Something has to be done to create long-term funds otherwise there will not be way forward. While the big companies have valuable assets they can dispose to pay up loans assuming they run into troubles, the small companies do not. And that makes much difference in the thinking of banks.” Director General of the LCCI, Muda Yusuf, observed that the challenges facing SMEs have grown in intensity and number in recent times. “Nothing,” according to him, “has changed, except that the problems have increased in intensity and number. Gradually, the environment is looking more like a jungle, where the only principle is the survival of the fittest,” noted Yusuf, who also said the cruel business environment had led to breakdown of

PHOTOS: CHARLES OKOLO

ethics. He continued: “If you look at the distributive sector, for instance, the level of ethics is very low. You hardly see any businessperson that is ethical because there are many players who will not comply by the rules. How does an importer who pays tariffs compete with another person who smuggles the same goods into the country? Ethical issues have become more pronounced; and that is not good for the environment because it creates unfair play field. When you see some business people making much money, it does not mean they are better entrepreneurs. It only means they are better in cutting corners.” Yusuf noted that the challenges regarding funding, importation and infrastructure remain even though the government has made some efforts to addressing them. He said the problems have negatively influenced how lenders perceive SMEs, noting: “Many cannot repay loans because of genuine reasons that lead to failing of businesses.” Yusuf said banks might find it difficult to support SMEs, as they cannot do such at the expense of profitability, unless there are robust incentives to back them. This, he said, is because “the risks are high while the returns

are low” whereas more attractive oil/gas and multinationals are queuing for the same facilities. Yusuf was not sure how soon challenges facing SMEs would ease, but he convinced discussions on the way forward is a critical part of the process. Amidst diverse opinions, Head, SME Management Solutions, the International Finance Corporation (IFC), Chijioke Nworka, pointed out poor capacity as the biggest challenge confronting the sector. He noted that while many SME owners are ambitious, most of them lack capacity to manage their ventures. “And you will not blame them because you can’t know what you don’t know. Sometimes you need to be taught what you need to put in place to achieve what you want to. An entrepreneur is an octopus manager — he handles accounting/finance, marketing, administration and the rest. But when the business begins to grow, there is need to hire the right talents to handle the different departments while the owner concentrates on driving the vision,” he said. He noted that it is worrisome to lenders when an individual wants to do everything. To address the capacity challenge, he said, IFC SME Management Solutions has come up with enterprise governance training solutions that will help put in place structures that will help the business functions even if the owners is away. “This will help owners to get people to manage different units of the business. This is the only way a business can graduate from one level to another — from small to medium and from medium to large,” he noted. A major reason said to be responsible for the inability of SMEs to attract funds, besides absence of collaterals, is lack of organised structures. But National President, the National Association of Small and Medium Enterprises (NASME), Garba Ibrahim Gusau, faulted the argument. He wondered how the entrepreneurs are able to operate profitably, which many do, if they do not well-coordinated structure as claimed by bankers. “The only issue is that they need to be empowered; they need additional capacity to do better. They, sure, need knowledge about modern cash flow analysis, financial reporting and other strategies,” he noted. Gusau, who flew in from Kano to attend the yearly event, called more coordinated approach in addressing the challenges facing the sector. On this basis, he commended the move by the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment to set by the National Council for SMEs. “For long, SME issues have not been addressed at the highest level in a coordinated manner. WE have been involved in the process. If we are able to get it right, I seen the council addressing the sector as national issues. If every of SMEs generate three jobs, the sector alone can create over 100 million jobs within a short time,” he noted. A deputy director of the ministry, Dr. Francis Alaneme, said the proposed council is a single magic pin that will heal the ailment afflicting SMEs. He said the council, when it comes on board, will address issues surrounding funding, infrastructure, capacity and market. While industrialists worry over the threat posed by uncontrolled importation, which leaves local industries in the limbo, Alaneme said the government is encumbered by some of the international treaties they entered in the past, which will be broken if radical trade policies are taken like many have suggested. He noted that it would take some time before the country can conveniently close its borders to protect ailing local industries.

THE GUARDIAN, Sunday, June 23, 2013

BUSINESSAGRO

FADU, Kokodola Project Task Farmers On FG’s Cocoa Transformation Agenda By Gbenga Akinfenwa OWARDS the realisation of T the Federal Government’s Cocoa Transformation Agenda aimed at producing good certified cocoa to meet the global growing demand, the Farmers’ Development Union (FADU) has appealed to Cocoa Farmers to cooperate with them, in order to achieve the 1000kg per hectare by year 2015. Program Coordinator of FADU, Victor Olowe who spoke at the handing over of Chocolate and Premium to Cocoa Farmers at the Warehouse, Toro road, Ile-Ife, Osun State said the overall objective of the project is to create a growing sustainable and efficient value chain for certified cocoa thereby improving economic, social and environmental conditions of the Nigerian Cocoa

farmers in Osun and Ondo States. “The project came up as a result of poor handling of cocoa production in Nigeria which used to be leading producer of cocoa in the world but now takes the fourth position. Where Cote d’voire produced 1.5 metric tons and Ghana produced 800 metric tons in 2011, Nigeria produced less than 250,000 metric tons. This development informed these organisations to come together so that they can encourage cocoa farmers to produce good quality cocoa. Olowe noted that a total of 1,788 farmers were mobilised, registered and trained in the first year of the project, adding that it managed to exceed the target figure of 1,500 farmers by 19.2 percent. He warned the farmers not to take the training for fun

Israel Omonode is an Indigenous technologist, a farmer and author based in Amukpe, Delta State. In 1990, he won Honourable Minister of Science and Technology Award for Excellence in the field of Engineering and Technology. In 1998, he designed and fabricated portable Garri processing Equipment in finding solution to the present tedious manual process of producing Garri. He won National Merit Award of Raw Materials Research Development Council of Nigeria for Engineering Design and fabrication of Indigenous process Technology in 1998. He is presently a nominated candidate for Gold Medal Award of African Union/world intellectual property Organisation. He spoke to PAUL ADUNWOKE about his fish farm, new method of fish culture and rearing on marine water bodies, which led to a new book about the farming system. Excerpts Why did you go into these projects on fish farming and weed control technology? HIS is to develop our indigenous technologies to make them simple and to develop new ways of farming and to make them different from our fore fathers. I discovered that most of our students in higher institutions find it difficult to use our local implement because they were not brought up from that stage. They started with kindergarten to primary school, secondary school and then University; from there they would become of Agricultural officers without knowing some basic things about our local implements. If we ask our youths to go into farming without modernising our implement, it would become stressful for them. The use of tractor is common, it would clear the bush, make it suitable for planting but in South-South or South West, there are swampy areas and the weed would grow to affect the plants. Tractor cannot work on it other wise it would destroy the plant and weed. Moreover those who are into farming are elderly people; we do not have many young people in farming because of stress involved. So when I look at all these, I decided, as a technologist to put something that would help the youths in future. We started with fish farming projects; many companies that have fishponds are not in it again; because of lack of power, many of them closed shop. I went into a system whereby we can culture fish in their natural habitat. So, I have documented the technology in the book New African Marine Method of Culturing and Rearing Fish on Water Body. Most of the women employed to do the job are students; they only feed the fish and go back to their schools, very simply. We

Omonode

feed the fish in the mourning go to normal work and come back in evening feed them and go to bed. This brings youths into fish farming because it is very convenient. So all we need now is to see that federal government especially Ministry of Agriculture go into building this project on water bodies. The projects have been tested in the Delta State oil produc-

because it is meant to assist them to increase their yield and enhance their income. “When your income is enhanced, your social lives will change positively. The project wants to take you from low yield per hectare (i.e. moving from 400 kg per hectare to 1000 kg per hectare) at the end of the project in 2015.” Earlier, in his welcome address, the Project Manager of the Cocoa Productivity and Quality Program (CPQP), known as Kokodola Project, Fabunmi Mopelola said the gathering was the fulfillment of its promise of premium award, which would be given to the few farmers that believed in the project. “In November 2012, during our partners’ visit, the first Farmer Mr. Sunday Osunkile that ‘tested’ with

Expanding the production of vegetables as new business initiative is being made possible from Umuahia, Abiab state, where the Ugu seeds are produced just two bags of cocoa through a buyer called Oriowo Samson won Petra Foods’ endorsement of good quality cocoa. Petra Foods’

representative Mirc Donaldson took one of the bags with him and promised to make some chocolate out of it and bring them with him

when next he will be visiting Nigeria, here we have another reality again of chocolate presentation,” he stated.

imports. The book “New African Marine Method of Culturing and Rearing Fish on Water Bodies”, is ready for launch as soon as it comes out of the press. I believe this project would provide jobs to many who have no jobs. Most of the touts we have in society today are result of lack of employment; most of them are graduates. We are even looking forward to nongovernmental organisation to come in. ing Communities. In what ways would youths and farmers in general benefit In terms of security we have designed a system to fence the fish from your inventions? farm, and to create only a gate whereby nobody can come in There is food shortage in Nigeria; if farms are set up our youths excerpt through the gate. would work. What they will produce in fish farming would be I set up irrigation technology, that only concentrate on killing more than what some people are earning as salary. the weeds and leave plants to grow. During fish production, marketers would come in to buy and Could you explain the working of fish farming in marine ecosys- sell. Cost of production will drop, as the use generator to pump tem and the weed control in crop farming? water is no longer necessary in natural fish farming. This project I designed it with stainless mega perforated, whereby it can be would bring development to the society; create employment there for 50 years without rusting. Also, I designed a device that and extension activities to riverine farm societies. can keep it floating on the water so it anchors like a normal How long have you being into farming? patch on a deep water, and this will enable it to allow the water I have being into farming since my youth, when I was with my to flow in and out so that any fish that moves on would remain parent at ILe Ife. We used to do cassava, cocoa and palm oil in there as if is in natural environment. There is no need of using those days. I remember those days we go to farm, to harvest casoxygen or any other device to force air into it as we used in fish- sava; grate it manually since there was no machine for grating of pond. It was designed in away it would keep fish in their natural cassava. There was a time I came after I have gone out of my parhabitat. ent to Lagos to attend Technical College Yaba, I went into It is about three metres square object at least; two and half German Agriculture Engineering. Then I traveled back home; I metres deep inside water and floating on the water. The one we wanted to help my mother to fry Garri as usual but I could not are using presently is boat so that the feed would be carried coup because of smoke, I was no longer used to it. Based on that, inside the boat. We are using canoe to feed the fish for now; we I developed Garri frying machine but it did not favor us because have learn how to paddle it across to where the fish cage is there was no steady power supply. If someone sets up a device installed. that is fries Garri, using Diesel and generator, it would not be profitable. There is need for power supply in the country. What we are seeking is government assistance to put it as an Agricultural infrastructure project. We have achieved what is called pilot planned project successful on this very project, that is why I have confidence that if young men can appreciate this very system, it would be our dream in this present age to see that we make it convenient now and for coming generation. What are you doing about prototype and mass production? Mass production is what we are appealing to federal government now, through the Minister of Agriculture, Dr. Akinwumi Adesina, that Agricultural transformation agenda using our this fish farming system which I have already developed, would make a lot of difference. I can assure that this product can last almost a lifetime because the materials used are not subject to rust. If we use them in culturing fish, it would favor us; and reduce fish

New Fish Culture, Weed Control Technologies Will Provide Jobs

THE GUARDIAN, Sunday, June 23, 2013

Birthdays KINGIBE, Baba Gana, diplomat, administrator, former university teacher, politician will 68 on Tuesday, June 25, 2013. He was born on June 25, 1945 and after his primary education in Nigeria, he attended the University of Sussex, England where he studied International Relations. On graduation, he went to the Bush House and trained briefly as Radio news features apprentice at the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) Training School, London. He returned to Nigeria in 1969 during the civil war, and joined the academic staff of Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria as a lecturer in the department of political science. In 1970, he joined the NorthErnst Nigeria Broadcasting Corporation, NNBC, (now Federal Radio Corporation) as head of Current Affairs and Features Department. From there, he transferred as a mid-ranking officer to the Nigerian Diplomatic rank of Senior Coun-

Kingibe

Tofa

selor in the Ministry of External Affairs. He was senior Counselor, Nigerian High Commission, London between 1975 and 1976; he remained at the Presidency after the return to civil rule in October 1979, and subsequently became Principal Political Secretary, Executive Officer of the President, 1976. He served briefly as Nigeria’s ambassador to Greece and Cyprus and in time, became a Permanent secretary in charge of special services in the Cabinet Office between

1981 and 1984; Nigerian Ambassador to Pakistan, 19841987; secretary, Constituent Assembly, Abuja, 1988-89; Vice-Presidential candidate to late MKO Abiola in the annulled June 12, 1993 presidential election; Minister of External Affairs, 1994-1996; Minister of Internal Affairs, 1996-98; Minister of Power and Steel, 1998. He was relieved as Secretary to the Government of the Federation on September 8, 2008.

L-R, The Chief Medical Director (CMD) of the University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan, Prof. Temitope Alonge, the author of the book, Dr Yinka Dania, the Pastor of the Stone Church, Bodija, Ibadan, James Adeyemi, while lauching the book entitled "Choose Life" held at Supreme Management Training Centre, Bodija, Ibadan.

TOFA, Alhaji Bashiru Othman,

businessman, industrialist, oil trader, politician was 66 on Friday, June 20, 2012. Born in Kano, Kano State, he was educated at Shuachi Primary School; City Senior Primary School, 1956-61; Provincial Secondary School (now Rumfa College), 1962-66; City of London College; he was at Royal Exchange Insurance between 1967 and 1968; Nigerian Embassy, Khartoun, Sudan; Manager, Abba Othman and Sons Limited, Kano. Chairman, General Metal Products; Chairman, International Petro-Energy Limited; Chairman, Abba Othman Investments Limited; elected member, Constituent Assembly, 1995; member and national financial secretary, defunct National Party of Nigeria (NPN), 1979. Tofa was the National Republican Convention (NRC) candidate in the annulled Nigeria’s June 12, 1993 presidential election.

Mr. Taofeek Atanda Alawiye and his wife, Adetutu marked their 70th and 50th birthday anniversay at the Civic Centre, Victoria Island.

Compiled by Gbenga Akinfenwa gbengaherkin@yahoo.com

General Manager, Protea Hotel Select Emotan (PHSE), Benin City; Fraser Neil Johnston and Dr. Steve Basake Ojamiren, during the VIP Cocktail Function organised by PHSE for guests in Benin City.

Mrs Titilayo Odekunle with Mrs. Marinho and Msgr. Gabriel Osu, Director, Social Communications, Catholic Archdiocese of Lagos at the celebrant 60th birthday anniversary.

Choir members of CCC Igbekele-Olu Cenral Parish, Abaranje Road, Ikotun, Lagos during their Juvenile Harvest anniversary.

Ooni of Ife, Oba Okunade Sijuwade (left), Publicity Secretary, Yoruba Unity Forum, Dr. Kunle Olajide and others, during the Southern Nigeria People Assembly Conference of Elders/Leaders, hosted by the Southwest at Eko Hotels and Suites, Victoria Island, Lagos.

Event •The weeklong programme to celebrate Okota Baptist Church, Okota, at 30 kicks off today at the church auditorium at 12 Alli Dada Street, Ago, Okota, Lagos, with a Praise service. The activities slated for Monday to Friday starts at 6pm daily while the Bible quiz on Saturday commences at 10am and closing on Sunday June 30 with the launching of the Church’s History Book and induction of new deacons and pastors.

Mr Nelson Ononiwu, Head Zero Degrees, Steve Babaeko, CEO, X3M Ideas and Taiwo Agboola, Head Brand Management, during the funfair held at Elegushi Beach... last week.

Transition

Chief Operating Officer, Pharmacy Plus, Chukwuemeka Obi (left), Chairman, Association of Industrial Pharmacists of Nigeria (AIPN), Dr. Lolu Ojo, Dr. (Mrs.) Dere Awosika, Ag. Registrar, Pharmacist Council of Nigeria, Mrs. Gloria Abumere at the Reload Multivitamins stand at the 32nd annual National Conference of the Association of Community Pharmacists of Nigeria (ACPN) held in Calabar, Cross River State.

• The death has been announced of Mrs. Maria Taiwo Abati. She died on Thursday, May 23, 2013. Her burial rites are slated for Thursday, July 18 and Friday, July 19 at Abeokuta in Ogun State. Service of Songs, Thursday, July 18 by 1pm at Rev.

Kuti Memorial Grammar School, Isabo, Abeokuta. Church Service: Friday, July 19, 10am prompt, at St. John’s Anglican Church Igbein, Abeokuta. Reception of guests would hold at Bishop’s Court, Onikolobo, Abeokuta.

TheGuardian

THE GUARDIAN, Sunday, June 23, 2013 | 49

Conscience, Nurtured by Truth

Cover NASS SCORECARD: Motion Without Movement the Third Term bid of former President Obasanjo. That was not the first time huge sums were moved to appease members, but that particular bubble got burst, simply because a contending force had offered what was more mouth-watering, to discredit the other. For many years, the legislature was unstable because many forces outside and inside wanted to pull strings and decide how it operates. Instead of operating on a template that is geared towards liberating the country from fundamental problems, the legislature preferred to play to the gallery. The 7th Assembly was involved in the politics that heralded the Jonathan presidency. In fact, the legislature played a major role in the events that saw Jonathan become Acting President, and later president after Umar Yar’Adua had passed on in 2010. They were also deeply involved in the politics of the PDP presidential primaries of 2011, which led to the turbulent 2011 presidential elections. Majority of legislators are members of the PDP, which is why they must not be exculpated from the collecBy Alabi Williams, Deputy Editor tive scorecard of this government. For a number of reasons, including continuOST times, when citizens do an assessity, the Senate of the 7th Assembly did not ment of government in Nigeria’s presihave too many issues with appointment of dential system, all eyes are focused on the principal offices. The zoning formula worked executive, while the legislature and judiciary with ease and the transition from the 6th merely attract sparring remarks. It is true that Assembly was seamless. the buck often stops on the desk of the In the House, it was a different ball game, as President, who disburses a greater chunk of some PDP members needed to prove some the resources to execute the collective manpoint, by abandoning the script handed down date of government, but what do those who from the party leadership on zoning. In that do not control the resources do with their own arrangement, the speaker was expected to specific mandates. come from the Southwest and the deputy Two years into the 7th Assembly, what have Northwest, just a continuation of the previous members of the National Assembly brought to formula of the 6th Assembly. But the House the table, to complement what the presidency kicked and opted for Aminu Tambuwal as has done, or what radical disposition have Speaker and Emeka Ihedioha as deputy. they expressed to fast-track the transformaMulikat Akande-Adeola, the party’s choice, tion agenda of this government? also President Jonathan’s preferred candidate The legislature should know that they share a from the Southwest was overwhelmingly great deal in whatever happens to this democ- defeated with 252 to 90 votes. That set the racy, whether for good or bad. On that note, tone for a kind of recalcitrance that would reghow has the NASS fared between June 2011 and ularly play up. June 2013? The subsidy protests of January 2013 stamIt will be fair to recount the background of peded the NASS into instituting probes at the this legislature in the fourth Republic, from two chambers. The one in the House was which latter generations of legislators are going quite nicely, until Farouk Lawan, a rankstruggling to exit, without much success. It ing legislator messed it up. In the workings of was more of jamboree for the early comers in the House, Lawan could not have summoned 1999, as the legislature stormed Abuja without courage to embark on what he allegedly did much experience from the past. The legislawith Femi Otedola, without vicarious culpabilture had been embargoed since the aborted ity on the part of more members. That is the Third Republic in 1993, creating an institution- tradition in the NASS, to lobby for memberal memory shock for representative govership of choice committees because of fallouts. nance. Those who came to Abuja in 1999 were Lawan’s fallout happened to have been largely without relevant experience. They exposed. Agencies of government, where corbecame united by the allures of city life, fueled ruption is domiciled still carry on because by huge allowances. They became overfed and those who carry out oversights do not have forgot their mission in Abuja. That was when the moral high ground to operate from. Even Nigeria recorded the Ghana must Go appellathough the revelation of the probes helped to tion, which described that unveiling of huge expose and block some leakages, corruption is naira notes on the floor of the House, monies still far from being conquered. The body lanthat were meant to bribe members to endorse guage in the NASS, regarding its anti-corrup-

tion posture is not good enough. Remember the Oteh Vs Hembe scandal! On expectations, the Freedom of Information Act (FoI) was signed before the 7th Assembly came on board and it was expected that this legislature would take full advantage of it to do things differently. At inception, the National Assembly gave the impression of a legislature that was ready to liberalise and help to deepen transparency and accountability. However, more than two years after the enactment of the Freedom of Information Act, not even the legislature appears ready to abide by it. Legislators are very sensitive on the subject of how much they take home every month. They are shy to disclose the real figures, because they know that citizens would go on rampage the day they come to terms with their representatives’ total emolumentsalaries and allowances put together. The legislature has been fractured into regional and ethnic groupings over the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB). For some, the main concern is the proposal to allocate some percentage of earnings from oil (10 percent) for the development of host communities. Whereas there are other salient provisions that would sanitise the entire oil industry, this singular concern has stymied quick discourse and passage of this essential bill. For the next two years, PIB will remain a major issue that this NASS must attend to and citizens are looking for what they will deliver. The security situation became alarming as Plateau, Kaduna and the entire Northeast was ripped apart by the activities of the sectarian group referred to as Boko Haram. An anti-terrorism legislation law exists and needs updating to give the Presidency more flexibility to deal with the situation at hand, but members of the national security and intelligence committee of both Houses have not shown enough patriotism in the discharge of their assignments. They are allowing lobbyists from the security agencies to dictate their pace. The result is that there are too many loopholes available for terrorist suspects to beat the law. Even members of the NASS, who are suspected fans and supporters of terrorist groups hide behind the inchoate nature of the law to evade and stall prosecution. Each time terrorists record a large outing, by killing scores, tempers would flare up momentarily in both chambers and the heads of security units will be summoned. Although the legislature supported the emergency rule declared by President Jonathan, they did not show in clear terms that they are the ones authorized by the constitution to make laws for the good governance of the country. They have not shown that they understand the huge responsibility that is put on their shoulders as federal legislators. In the next one and a half years, this legislature would be expected to tidy the amendments they are carrying out in the constitu-

tion to pave way for good and uncontroverted 2015 elections. In the last two amendments carried out by the 6th assembly, it was clear that they were picking and choosing areas that would make political life easy for them. They were picking areas that seek to protect their interests as politicians, not areas that could fundamentally turn things around for the country. They do not want to discuss fundamental defects in this peculiarly fraudulent federal system. They do not want to hear whether Nigeria should continue to fund two chambers of a NASS that is so costly; they do not want to listen to the Patriots, or other groups, who have come up with models that could help reduce the cost of governance. What to expect! This NASS should use its remaining two years to set the country on the path of recovery on all sectors, because, this country is not heading in a sane direction.

THE GUARDIAN, Sunday, June 23, 2013

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COVER

ONWUBIKO: Cost Of Running Legislature Is Prohibitive And Unacceptable Comrade Emmanuel Nnadozie Onwubiko is a former Federal Commissioner, governing council member of Nigeria’s National Human Rights Commission (NHRC). He is the national coordinator of the Human Rights Writers’ Association Of Nigeria (HURIWA) – a democracy inclined non-governmental organisation. In this article, he passes a vote-of-no confidence on the 7th National Assembly, for among other serial failures, refusing to cut down on cost of governance. Performance of current NASS MUST first acknowledge the remarkable leadership styles showed so far by Speaker of the Federal House of Representatives Aminu Waziri Tambuwal and his able Deputy – Emeka Ihedioha. I am told by a lot of the members of the Federal House of Representatives that the duo are shining examples of good leaders who carry the opinion of the entire legislative chamber into account in decision making. The Senate President Senator David Mark and his Deputy Ike Ekweremadu have largely stabilized the senate because of their distinguished records of good leadership by example. But aside these good sides, I can say that by and large, this current National Assembly has failed to pass legislative framework to drastically reduce the prohibitive and absolutely unacceptable cost of running government and to fundamentally change the evil status quo, whereby the Nigerian government has consistently spent over 70 percent to service recurrent budget and spend less than 30 percent on capital projects for the good people of Nigeria. This lacuna is the reason for the poor state of infrastructure, like electricity power; federal roads network; educational and health facilities. The National Assembly has made heavy weather about criticizing certain Federal parastatals/agencies for being extravagant and deeply corrupt, but has done nothing to ensure that the culprits are named, shamed, and prosecuted in the competent courts of law to recover these looted funds from these government agencies at the national level. The National Assembly was recently in the news for engaging the Central Bank of Nigeria and more than 30 other federal agencies in a running battle over lack of transparency, accountability and total lack of zero – tolerance to corruption in their operations. Several months after, the National Assembly only

But aside these good sides, I can say that by and large, this current National Assembly has failed to pass legislative framework to drastically reduce the prohibitive and absolutely unacceptable cost of running government and to fundamentally change the evil status quo, whereby the Nigerian government has consistently spent over 70 percent to service recurrent budget and spend less than 30 percent on capital projects for the good people of Nigeria. This lacuna is the reason for the poor state of infrastructure, like electricity power; federal roads network; educational and health facilities.

barked without effectively biting; and the agencies still go about siphoning public fund in their custody. This much was revealed by the Minister of Finance Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, who has now ordered the freezing of bank accounts of these defaulting agencies until they refund to the National Consolidated Revenue account, the huge amount of public fund the officials stole and diverted in active conspiracy with some rogue bankers. Question must be asked why the relevant National Assembly committees failed to detect and prevent these financial crimes from being perpetuated. Besides the National Assembly members pay lip service to the strategic issue of their capacity and skill upgrading, to be able to remain a step ahead of these corrupt government officials. Low capacity Precisely, that is the point I have laboured to give you. Most people who follow international media reports know that the United States Congress is a highly respected institution with internal mechanism for checks and balances and for strict adherence to the principle of transparency and accountability. The members of the Congress of the United States and the Senate are so well groomed and trained in relevant skills and these highly trained legislators are appointed to sit in committees, whereby, they have the comparative skill advantages to be able to competently and professionally monitor the discharge of the duties spelt out in the statutes books of the United States Government for public funded institutions and persons holding public offices. Agencies of the United States government pay the highest respect to the United States Congress because of fear of legislative sanctions for any willful breaches. The other day just before Mrs. Hilary Bill Clinton left office as the Secretary of States, the whole World saw how she attended the Senate public hearing on the terrorism attack of the United States Embassy in Benghazi, Libya, which left the then Ambassador dead. At first she was too ill to attend the legislative inquisition, but insinuations mounted that she feigned sickness because of fear of the Congress. Such is the constitutional might and respectability of the United States Congress. But in Nigeria, because of the overwhelming presence of the hydra-headed monster of bribery and corruption, which usually rear their ugly heads during statutory oversight functions of the National Assembly’s relevant committees, government agencies most times compromise the members of the National Assembly with juicy contracts; commissions and/or outright bribes to influence the oversight activities of these National Assembly Committees, the end result is that the financial leakages inherent in the activities of some of these rogue elements in the federal agencies, are not checked, thereby undermining the economic prosperity of Nigeria and inevitably denying Nigerians the constitutional benefits of transparent and accountable democracy. I am not happy in the least that the National Assembly members and leadership operate notoriously opaque payment system that violates extant provisions of transparency and accountability that are em-

Onwubiko

In terms of quality of oversight functions, I will score the current National Assembly very poor score. The National Assembly hierarchy must pass a law making it illegal for companies owned by serving national legislators to benefit from public contracts because it is ethically criminal for the same elected legislators charged with the constitutional role of oversight of agencies of Federal government to also double as contractors in those same agencies. The integrity of the process of oversight by so doing is endangered and weakened. National legislators have also often misused and abused their privileges by fixing their cronies and stooges, most of whom are not academically qualified nor possess the skills to be employed by government agencies, but yet in public funded federal government agencies like the Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria, NAFDAC, Corporate Affairs Commission, Nigerian Copyright Commission and the National Communications Commissions, members of the National Assembly are notorious for engaging in job racketeering, which have largely crippled these agencies of government and have made the number of staff unwieldy. bedded in the constitution. In terms of quality of oversight functions, I will score the current National Assembly very poor score. The National Assembly hierarchy must pass a law making it illegal for companies owned by serving national legislators to benefit from public contracts because it is ethically criminal for the same elected legislators charged with the constitutional role of oversight of agencies of Federal government to also double as contractors in those same agencies. The integrity of the process of oversight by so doing is endangered and weakened. National legislators have also often misused and abused their privileges by fixing their cronies and stooges, most of whom are not academically qualified nor possess the skills to be employed by government agencies, but yet in public funded federal government agencies like the Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria, NAFDAC, Corporate Affairs Commission, Nigerian Copyright Commission and the National Communications Commissions, members of the National Assembly are notorious for engaging in job racketeering, which have largely crippled these agencies of government and have made the number of staff unwieldy. For instance, it is a notorious fact that legislators are among the biggest contractors at the national level. Any wonder then that the quality of services rendered to the general public by these government agencies have dramatically declined? Why will National Assembly members become so affluent while in office as to buy exotic private Jets? Where did they get such obscene wealth? This is precisely why the NASS hierarchy, is opposed to the request by some civil society groups

to publicly publish the details of their bogus salaries and allowances. Ironically, while the allowances of national legislators are on the geometric rise, the quality of bills presented and passed are on the arithmetic progression or I should put it logically, the quality of bills before the National Assembly have become increasingly laughable. Both the House and Senate justice and Human Rights Committees have achieved so much in driving the process of ensuring that relevant bills to make the nation’s judiciary to be hastened up are attended to, but sadly not much progress has being achieved in this direction. For instance, the National Assembly has failed to amend relevant criminal and penal laws to make dispensation of criminal justice effective, quicker and effectual. The National Assembly is yet to pass any amendments to strengthen the nation’s laws against rape and other sexual offences, thereby unleashing sexual predators on young and innocent Nigerians and the Nigeria Police Force are not sufficiently trained and capacitated to prosecute rape offenders. The National Assembly has yet to pass any bill to weed out misfits from the Nigeria police and has also not made any move to legally outlaw torture and spell out clearly severe punishments for extra legal killings and torture. The recent amendment to the prison Act, which allows Britain to transfer Nigerian prisoners in UK prisons back to Nigeria is selfish and fundamentally porous because any amendment to the extant prison Act without improving the quality of service delivered to in-

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THE GUARDIAN, Sunday, June 23, 2013

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ABUDU-BALOGUN: We Have Done Well • Frequent Changes Affect Quality Of representation Mr. Abiodun Abudu-Balogun is member representing Ijebu North/Ijebu East/Ogun Waterside Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives. In this interview with KAMAL TAYO OROPO, he contended that the legislature has done a fair job. As a member of the 7th National Assembly, how will you rate the House’ performance? IGERIANS are in better positions to judge us; they are in better position to compare us with the past legislature. But that is not say that we, as members and players, will not be able to say one or two things, especially regarding putting the records straight for the purpose of posterity. Though ultimately, Nigerians would now pass their verdicts. In lawmaking, we have passed into law a total of 37 Bills waiting for concurrence with the Senate. We have over 300 Bills, either having gone through second reading or third reading. We have passed several motions, which touch many lives. I remember one of the motions by my humble self, which addressed the issue of Kerosene scarcity. If you look at the lawmaking aspect, we have really not done badly. Indeed, we have done very well in the two years of our inauguration. On the issue of over-sight, many Nigerians now say that this is the first time the National Assembly is putting the executive in the hot seat. There is serious searchlight beaming on the activities of the government, so many investigations and probes here and there, especially from the House of Representatives. All the MDAs are now being made accountable for all their actions. Even Mr. President is not being left out of the spotlight of the House of Reps. We have been receiving a lot of kudos from Nigerians in this regard. In the cause of these probes, so many revelations are coming up; you saw what happened with the oil subsidy probe. We have so many agencies and we have records of how many agencies have not been remitting their Internal Generated Revenues (IGR) to the coffers of the Federal Government. So many issues are coming up in the cause of probes. That is exactly what we should be doing to expose corruption. We have gone to many sites and discovered that so many projects have been abandoned. And Nigerians can see how we have put these issues on the front burner, which has even led recently to the imbroglio between the legislature and the presidency. Generally, if you look at what we have been doing in the last two years, Nigerians are truly in the best position to judge us. For example, Femi Falana said during his research in the House, he said this is the first time in the history of Nigeria that the country is witnessing so many probes by the National Assembly; and this is good for our democracy, it is good for everybody and it is good for the system. At least, we are making the authorities to be accountable to the people. You cannot just do anything and expect to go scot-free. The present National Assembly is not a rubber stamp. Nigerians now see things the way it should be seen. In spite of all the positive trends, many Nigerians are still not comfortable with some of you. Lawan Farouk, for instance has a case of bribery to answer; how do you ensure that public interest is uppermost? If you are privileged to be the Senate president or the Speaker of the House, you are just first among equals. These are some the things Nigerians should appreciate. The House has no power to deal with any member and to sanction any member. These things can only be done from the constituency of the member. In the case of Lawan Farouk, we realised that issues of allegations have come up; issues of alleged bribery and so on. We also have the Herman Hembe matter, and as the Speaker said, those issues have really brought the House of Reps to its low ebb. But you have to realise that we, as members of the parliament refused to shield our members in

situations like that. We removed Lawan Farouk as chairman of education committee. Also, Herman Hembe from the capital market chairmanship. These are within our powers to do. But those are the most we can do. Don’t forget we talking about the issues of mere allegations. The issues are still in courts. It is for the courts to decide –– we are not the courts. If Nigerians are expecting us to take some more drastic measures, we cannot! We cannot sack Lawan Farouk from the National Assembly. We cannot sack Hembe from the National Assembly. If there are issues, it is between them and their constituents. It is only the constituents that have the power of a recall; we cannot do that. But we understand in the cause of our probes, so many things are coming up. And don’t forget, if you fight corruption, corruption will fight back. But if Nigerians are in too much in a hurry and cannot wait; if they want more drastic actions, they can go to their constituencies, where the power to recall can be instigated. But for us in the parliament, we are all members of the House and there is little we can do. Many Nigerians have had cause over time to doubt the quality of some of your colleagues. How sure are you that we have the best quality of men in the legislature; is this best the country can have? Yes, you are right. I must have to concede that issues of quality of members are real. But I want to also tell you, without being unduly partial, that to the best of my knowledge the present House of Representatives and the National assembly in general have good quality representation. For example, if you look at the Senate, it is made up of many past state governors. Are you telling me that a senate that has such people does not have quality representation? If some people have governed their states and now find themselves in the senate, are you saying they are not good enough for the country and they are not among the first eleven of the country? I don’t see how anyone can emerge governor of his state without belonging to the first eleven of that state. If you look at the House of Reps, there is one good thing Nigerians may not have; only about 100 members in the previous 6th Assembly made it to the present 7th House. So, what we have in the present House are about 260 new members. These 260 new members are from different backgrounds cutting across different professions. In the House we have so many who had previously held different political appointments before coming to the House. We have lawyers, media practitioners, doctors and so on. We have about three university professors in the House. Are you telling me that a parliament that has professors who have lec-

Generally, if you look at what we have been doing in the last two years, Nigerians are truly in the best position to judge us. For example, Femi Falana said during his research in the House, he said this is the first time in the history of Nigeria that the country is witnessing so many probes by the National Assembly; and this is good for our democracy, it is good for everybody and it is good for the system. At least, we are making the authorities to be accountable to the people. You cannot just do anything and expect to go scot-free. The present National Assembly is not a rubber stamp. Nigerians now see things the way it should be seen. tured for many years in the universities does not have quality? If you look at the executive, when a state governor is coming into the office, the outgoing governor will handover to the incoming governor. This, at least, offers the incoming governor a template to work with. He has something to start with immediately, same thing with the President. But in the legislative arm, there is nothing like that. Nobody handed over anything to me; telling ‘this is where I am or this is what we had done or not done. This is what I want you to do’. I mean, as a guide. That is the way the legislative arm is designed –– nobody hands over to anybody. You get there and you are on your own. You have to start all over again afresh. This affects the turnover of the legislator. If you go to some advanced democracies, you have parliamentarians that have spent 30 years and more in the parliament. It is like when you talk about the red wine; the longer it stays the better it gets. Until we are able to get the issue of turnover right and get people into the parliament serving for longer time, then this issue of Nigerians complaining about the quality of representation will continue to happen. But I want to tell you that, in spite of this problem, there are many quality people in the present House. That is not to say that we don’t have members who are truants or absentee members or unserious members, but I am telling you that majority of those in the House are serious members. Considering the huge amount it cost the nation to run this legislature, will say you say the country is getting value for money spent?

Abudu - Balogun

I agree with you that the nation is spending a lot. The annual budget of the National Assembly is N150bn –– for the whole National Assembly. At times we, Nigerians, seem not to get our facts right. This budget we are talking about includes the civil servants working in the Assembly. It also includes the National Assembly capital budget. It is not as if there is any other money coming from anywhere. Ordinary CBN (Central Bank of Nigeria) has a budget of N300bn annually. How do you situate that? And Nigerians are saying the National Assembly is too expensive. Yet, N150bn is a lot of money. But are Nigerians getting full value? Whether Nigerians are getting full value is another matter. Even if it is N1 billion, the people reserve the right to ask questions on how their money is being spent. I agree with you –– N150bn is a lot of money out of a country’s treasury every year. Are we getting results? Yes, we are getting many results. Take the fuel subsidy probe exercise, for example, how many trillions of naira have we saved for this country in this process? If we are really to quantify efforts made along this line, the country will appreciate us. Look at the amount of tax remittances our probes are unearthing and ploughing back to the economy, can you really compare that to the N150 billion annual budget to the National Assembly? These things arte there and Nigerians can investigate these issues and compare with the peanut the National Assembly gets annually. Look at our ad hoc committee, asking Director Generals almost on weekly basis, to return N20 – 30 bn. And you are telling us we are not justifying our pay, N150bn for a country as big as Nigeria? But I can understand why people are always focusing on the parliament. By its nature, the parliament operates in the open. When we are doing anything, the cameras are always there; nothing is hidden. It is a developed and people’s parliament where everything is done in the open. But, in specific terms, how much do you earning in the National Assembly? We have told everybody, but Nigerians are free to believe what the executive is telling them; we are on salaries like everyone else –– we are on monthly salaries; that’s is the truth. We don’t have constituency allowances contrary to what Nigerians are fed with. To the best of my knowledge, what we have is a running cost. We have said it severally that the National Assembly is not the executive arm and we don’t embark on projects –– we are lawmakers and not executive arms who award contracts. We don’t do contracts. The only thing we do is; in the act of lawmaking, we have what is called zonal intervention funds and we have another N30million for constituency projects under the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). In the project process every year, as a member or a senator, you are supposed to nominate projects that you want carried out in your zone. Don’t forget we know Nigeria. So, all we do is just to say, this is where we want this project or the other situated and that’s all. How they award the contract, whom they award it to and how they execute it is not our business. We don’t do anything beyond that and ensure they deliver the project and don’t just pocket the money. And these projects we are talking about, how many are they? What is the quantity? Constituency project to each member is N30 million, very insignificant. Zonal Intervention Fund is about N100 million. In some states, it is about N20 million. And these monies are not coming to us! No! This misrepresentation of what is going on often gets members of the National Assembly really angry. We don’t take any money. We dig well and sink boreholes in villages with our money, but we don’t execute projects.

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Senate And The Challenges Of Good Governance Azimazi Momoh Jimoh, Abuja OR 14 years, the Senate had passed through Fmoments different types of experiences, ranging from of internal bickering, smooth and cold relationship with the executive arm of government to very peaceful ones. In all these, what is expected of the Upper chamber is constant, robust legislation that aids smooth, peaceful governance, which guarantees maximum security and welfare for the Nigerian People. The Senate is also to help stabilise the polity through interventions in issues that are likely to create problems for the economic and socio-political life of the country. The Upper chamber suffered serious leadership crisis within the first six to eight years when it merely struggled to pass bills on appropriation. Within those eight years, the Senate was presided over by five different presidents. It was the era of banana peels, when plots and counter plots, as well as all kinds of machinations and manipulation within were commonplace. However, the Senate gained self- confidence and legislative focus when it began its 6th session in June 2007, after the initial challenges of election of its principal officers. A major test for the Upper chamber came when the country almost suffered leadership vacuum during the long absence of late President Umar

Musa Yar’Adua, a period that sparked serious controversy on whether or not the then Vice President, Goodluck Jonathan, should be allowed to take charge. A strange resolution ‘Doctrine of Necessity’ that eventually allowed Jonathan to take charge in acting capacity was initiated by the Senate. It was during the life of the Sixth Senate that serious legislative intervention was taken to prevent the 2011 elections from sliding into trouble waters. For many reasons, plans for that election were bedeviled with danger, particularly the issue of voter register review for which huge sums of money was required. For the first time, the National Assembly voted a whooping N87 billion to tackle the problems and other electoral issues. But critics still believe that that intervention was taken because most elected public officers, including senators stood to politically benefit. A problem that continued to present itself as the Senate moved from session to session is the lack of continuity of lawmakers. Hardly could 40 per cent of lawmakers make it back after an election. This often results in a situation where the factor of inexperience continued to adversely affect every session of the National Assembly. Taking a look at how the Senate performed in two years without the rancour and mudslinging of the past, Senator Solomon Ewuga, of the Con-

gress for Progressive change (CPC) is of the following views. “The first achievement of the Senate is the orchestration of democratic ideals that the Senate represents, especially. That is key to the sustenance of this country and the institutional stability to governance. The Senate as a collective brings tremendous experience, which adds incredible value and brings along potentials to Nigeria. The Senate has performed its institutional jobs as regularly as possible and as demanded by the Constitution because it is a collaborative action. We have been in collaboration for the advancement of values.” “The Senate is an arm of government that envisages collaboration and deliberate checks. But it does not mean a head-on collision with the other arms of government, particularly the executive. That will be too dangerous for the country. And I think this is what we set out to do. So it is a collaboration effect based on the doctrine of separation of powers and on the fact that it is a unison government. “Most observers of the Senate tend to use the passage of critical and important bills like that of the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) as indication that the legislature is really working. But they don’t use the ones we have passed to judge our efficiency. They just choose one or two pending bills to make their judgment. That’s not fair enough. I think the issue is to always count your

blessings. What is important here is that the senators act according to the dictates and needs of the country,” Ewuga added. On critical areas the Senate would focus on in the remaining two years, Ewuga said: “Peace and stability in this country is it. I expect employment generation. There should be an enabling environment for millions of graduates in this country to be gainfully employed. These are my expectations.” Chairman, Senate Committee on Rules and Business, Solomon Ita Enang, disclosed that during the second legislative session the Senate passed 17 bills and 30 resolutions, adding that a number of confirmations were done. He also disclosed that upon resumption this week, the Senate’s topmost priorities would be, among others, consideration of the report of constitution review committee, Electoral Act (Amendment) Bill 2013, University of Lagos Act (Amendment) Bill, Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB), among others. It was along these lines that Senate President, David Mark, spoke when the 7th Senate completed its second session. In his assessment, he said the seventh Senate had not only provided the necessary checks and balances to deepen democratic practice, it also showed a willingness to rise above partisan and parochial considerations in addressing crucial national issues, saying that as occasion often demanded, the senators had demonstrated a clear inclination for strong, responsible and responsive leadership. Taking a retrospective look at some of the decisions taken during the period under review, Mark noted that some hard and painful, but inevitable steps were taken to safeguard the continued corporate entity called Nigeria. Among such decisions, he said, was the deployment of troops to Mali. “Our decision to approve the deployment of troops to Mali is one of those painful and difficult resolutions we had to take in our national interest. No decision can be more agonising and solemn than sending the men and women of our Armed Forces in harm’s way. This Seventh Senate, on two occasions, supported the President and C-in-C’s deployment of troops in furtherance of our collective national security and foreign policy. “The patriotic contribution of these brave young men and women in dismantling the scourge of violent extremism in Mali is the price we pay for our own security and freedom. Because of geographic propinquity and cultural affinity, extremist insurgency in Mali presented a credible threat to the collective security of our own country. Unchecked, the threat was bound to escalate to proportions capable of destabilising our country and the entire sub-region,” he said. The Senate President also listed the authorisation by the Senate of the proclamation of a state of emergency at the troubled three northern states of Yobe, Borno and Adamawa to curb the menace of the insurgent Boko Haram sect. “In the face of a brutal challenge to our territorial integrity and corporate existence, and the attendant carnage, we were right to demonstrate the capacity and the will to take action,” he said He said the relationship between the legislature and the executive was cordial during the period and noted that the Senate never hesitated to collaborate with the executive without the former being seen as a mere rubber stamp of the latter. Doing this, he said, was in the national interest and always within the limits of the doctrine of separation of powers.

NASS: Not Revolutionary Enough - Onwubiko CONTINUED FROM PAGE 50 mates and improvement of the facilities of the largely archaic and dated Nigerian prison infrastructure is ab initio faulty. The Nigerian prisons are known for keeping over 65 percent of awaiting trial inmates and lunatics and/or terminally ill inmates without proper health care facilities, but the National Assembly has consistently failed to pass legislative frameworks to end this impunity and improve the quality of criminal justice delivery. This is the reason for the frequent jail breaks witnessed over the past few years, thereby endangering the security of lives and property of law abiding Nigerians. On the positive side, the anti-gay law; the Freedom of Information law and the amendment to the enabling law that set up the National Human Rights Commission of Nigeria as passed by both chambers of the National Assembly and assented to by Mr. President, are salutary and good. The National Assembly has failed to ensure that Nigeria’s porous

borders and Nigeria’s border communities that are grossly un- empowerment and capacity building of younger Nigerians. The derdeveloped are immediately developed and security of Nige- National Assembly has so far been ineffective in checking the ria’s international borders improved by the provision of monumental corruption in the administration of pensions, functional and modern security infrastructure to check the ille- leading to disappearances of billions of pensioners’ benefits. gal entry of large chunk of bad foreign elements who import On the biggest developmental nightmares facing contempoweapons and small arms that are used in the ongoing destabi- rary Nigeria such as mass poverty, hunger, unemployment, the lization of Nigeria. National Assembly has shown lack of commitment to effectively The National Assembly must as a matter of necessity, pass a leg- monitor relevant agencies to reduce these scourges. islation for the creation and establishment of national crime data The National Assembly can still redeem itself in the remaining bank and for an independent body, aside Police Service Com- two years, so they ought to make hay while Sun shines and stop mission, to monitor the use of firearms by operatives of the en- gallivanting around the world doing nothing, but wasting pubtire security agencies in Nigeria, as a way of effectively checking lic fund. The National Assembly should stop spending more the phenomenal and unprecedented rise in extra-legal killings time holidaying, but must become productive, efficient and efof innocent Nigerians by the security agencies. fective. On health tourism, which cost tax payers so much, the The National Assembly has failed to effectively monitor public National Assembly ought to pass a law prohibiting government education in Nigeria and also failed to appropriate better budget officials from spending scarce public fund to treat themselves; package for the ministry of education to improve educational their wives and mistresses including children and grand children abroad.

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Opinion Theft, Trade, Tax And Transparency By Patrick Dele Cole PPROXIMATELY US$7 billion of oil or 180,000 barrels of oil per day (bopd) is stolen from Nigeria yearly, as part of an international Trade in illicit crude facilitated by a lack of Transparency at multiple levels of the Nigerian oil and gas industry, as well as in the global oil trade. Nigeria’s lost revenue from that oil is realised in multiple ways. From the 60 per cent production share the nation should receive as joint venture partner to the multinationals and other companies that extract it; to the multiple layers of Tax it imposes on those oil companies and the sale of the crude itself. Oil theft could not be more closely associated with the themes being debated at the G8 Summit this week and yet the issue remains conspicuously off the agenda. Is Theft not as important as the other three T’s? I know many people, who would describe the activities, which the G8 seeks to curb as just that. The problem with oil Theft is that it goes even further beyond the boundaries of the three T’s and has a direct and broad impact on the communities and environment where it takes place. Something that should, if anything, make action to end it even more urgent. The Niger Delta has always been one of the world’s worst affected natural environments, ravaged by 50 years of oil exploration. Today, the communities who have been so severely affected by this environmental tragedy, and who have long campaigned for oil companies and the government to fund a clean-up operation, have become an obstacle to their own salvation. Of the 180,000 bopd that are believed to be stolen, it is widely accepted that up to 90 per cent is exported

beyond the borders of Nigeria. The remaining 10 per cent is sold into local entrepreneurs who have built thousands of rudimentary, but increasingly sophisticated illegal oil refineries. These refineries deliver illicit kerosene, petrol and diesel at affordable prices to local communities underserved by formal distribution networks. The industry and its products are so ingrained into the local economies that the local community actively Diezani Alison-Madueke promotes their protection, despite the negative impact that it has. They believe they have no alternative. This network of illegal refineries are hugely environmentally damaging and, when combined with the environmental damage from oil spills as a direct result of oil Theft, provide a significant obstacle to any attempt to clean-up, while continuing to cause further damage. To put this in perspective, the United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP) conducted an independent assessment of oil contamination in Ogoniland in 2011 and its report affirmed

the appalling scale of the destruction. A start-up fund of $1 billion was proposed for the cleanup and restoration of Ogoniland alone, a figure that will have to be multiplied several times to cover the whole of the Niger Delta. So who pays? As leaders meet to discuss ways in which they can better structure the global tax system to prevent large multinational companies avoid the income tax they need to prop up their struggling economies; to what extent should they be held accountable for the causes of oil theft and what can they realistically do to help? The Nigerian government has said that there is increasing evidence that the end users of the vast majority of stolen Nigerian crude are international oil refineries and as such, the international community must take significant responsibility for dealing with it. They argue that by receiving what are effectively stolen goods, and creating demand for the product, the refineries are complicit in the problem. To date, the international community has been reticent to act, seeking to

place the responsibility for action in the hands of the Nigerian government. The reality, as in many of these situations is that progress can only be made if there is collective action. The Nigerian government must convince the international community that it is serious about dealing with this problem and the international community must acknowledge its responsibilities and work to provide solutions. That is why the Stop the Theft campaign has issued a call to action, outlining the steps we believe need to be taken by the Nigerian government and G8 governments in order to move this process forward. Specifically, we are calling for an intergovernmental working group to be established to discuss how to: • Investigate the global trade in stolen Nigerian crude oil, from the ships used to transport it to the money used to pay for it. • Engage international experts from different sectors to discuss the development and implementation of technological and other solutions that can be employed in combating oil theft. • Support the efforts of the Nigerian government to secure its territorial waters and so prevent the unhindered movement of the vessels used to transport stolen crude. Any prospect of addressing the environmental and social catastrophe that is the Niger Delta is made almost impossible by an illicit Trade, which significantly affects the government’s Tax generation capacity. Money that might ultimately be used, if Transparency can be guaranteed, to fund a clean-up operation that could offer the region a glimmer of hope for a prosperous and healthy future. Ambassador (Dr) Dele Cole is Spokesperson for the Stop the Theft Campaign (www.stopthetheftng.com)

Opposition Parties As ‘The Noisy Neighbours’ By Maurice Chukwu ALWAYS catch myself drawing an analogy between Nigeria’s opposition parties’ incapability to offer a strong opposition to the President Jonathan-led Peoples Democratic Party, PDP administration and the rivalry that subsists between two English football clubs, Manchester United and Manchester City, both based in Manchester, England. While United strengthens their team every year with quality players, and wins virtually every major trophy they compete for, their neighbours, City go about rhapsodising yearly in the rapturous slumber and inertia of wrestling power from United. For over forty-five years, they played second fiddle to United, not winning any single trophy and, in the process, earning themselves the loathsome sobriquet ‘the noisy neighbours’. Manchester United’s former boss Sir Ferguson coined the infamous phrase as a way of belittling City’s ambition to challenge United after decades spent living in the shadow of their more illustrious cross-town rivals. City was content with name-calling and brickbats, always loudly reminding United that they (City) are the real Manchester team. This is because their Stadium is situated in the middle of the town while United’s is actually at the outskirts! Just like city, are the opposition parties in Nigeria mere ‘noisy neighbours’ of the ruling PDP? Have they exhibited the perspicacity needed to keep the Jonathan administration on its toes? Let’s find out. For democracy to thrive in any clime, the role of the opposition cannot be over emphasised. Every major policy and/or decision of the ruling party deemed not to be apposite with the expectation of the opposition (and, in most case, the masses) ought to be challenged or rivalled with a superior policy plan or a better alternative. If the ruling party presents or sponsors an unpopular bill or policy plan to the legislature, each opposition party ought to take an official position and vote against such unpopular policy through their members in the legislature. In advanced and progressive democracies, the opposition do not defeat or frustrate unpopular bills and policies through hauling of innuendoes and nuances, name-calling and hurriedly-written press statements from the parties’ National Publicity Secretaries and/or National Leaders (or any other designation or appellation that our politicians go by these days. Oh, how we love titles!). I am now reluctant to read any statement(s) beginning or purporting to begin thus: “The ABC party hereby announces, proclaims and declares that it totally and absolutely rejects and condemns the draconian decision of the clueless and oppressive ruling PDP to…Signed: National Publicity Secretary”. These press statements do not, in almost all cases, contain a

superior alternative to the policy being condemned. Perhaps, recourse to the role the Republican Party opposition has played since the inception of the Barack Obama-led Democratic Party government in the U.S. would be apt here. For every policy of the Democrats that the opposition Republicans disagrees with, they so disagree with sound arguments and publish what they perceive as the best alternative to such policy and/or bill. This would be the official position of the party on such an issue. Republican members in the House of Representatives and the Senate then argue logically and vigorously on the consensus position of their party. An example would suffice. Following the gruesome December, 2012 gun attack in a Newtown, Connecticut school which led to the death of twenty first-graders and five educators, President Barack Obama and the Democratic leaders proposed and submitted to the U.S. Senate a compromise plan to expand background checks on firearms sales as well as a proposal to ban some semi-automatic weapons modelled after military assault weapons. However, fierce opposition by conservative Republicans from pro-gun states, who insisted on right to obtain and store ammunition without registration, doomed key proposals in the gun package. The bill was eventually defeated on Wednesday April 18, 2013 in the U.S. Senate. Meanwhile, an alternative package of gun proposal was immediately proposed by conservative Republicans. According to The New York Times, that evening, President Obama convened his top aides in the Oval Office and weighed whether he should make a big push on new gun control laws, even though he had planned to start the second term focused on new immigration laws. He realised that he had to do more in the face of strong opposition. The above, in my opinion, is what opposition is meant to achieve. A strong and credible opposition puts the ruling party on its toes thereby strengthening democratic ethos. It is no longer news that on May 13, 2013 President Jonathan declared emergency rule in the three troubled Northern Sates of Borno, Yobe and Adamawa due to ‘‘the activities of insurgents and terrorists (who) have attacked government buildings and facilities…have murdered innocent citizens and state officials…have set houses ablaze, and taken women and children as hostages… have destroyed the Nigerian flag and other symbols of state authority and in their place, hoisted strange flags suggesting the exercise of alternative sovereignty… actions (which) amount to a declaration of war and a deliberate attempt to undermine the authority of the Nigerian state and threaten her territorial integrity...’’.

However, what was and is still news to me, is that three days after the President’s declaration, the most vocal opposition party in the country released a statement rejecting the imposition of emergency rule, describing same as ‘a sweetened bitter pill meant to hoodwink Nigerians’. The said party’s alternative solution to the threat posed to the nation by terrorists is that ‘the use of minimal force complemented with genuine dialogue in the short term, while in the long term good governance that delivers the dividends of democracy, including jobs for the teeming unemployed youths, will help deny terrorists the fertile ground for recruiting ready hands to perpetrate violence’. The said party then called on the National Assembly not to sanction the emergency rule. Pray, did the opposition party not listen to the President’s speech? I still recall the President maintaining in the nationwide address that all efforts at resolving the terror attacks ‘through actions, which included persuasion, dialogue and widespread consultation with the political, religious and community leaders in the affected states’ failed to ‘stop the repeated cases of mindless violence’. So what new and better alternative have the opposition presented as a panacea to terrorism? What were the official positions of the opposition parties on the proclamation before and after their National Publicity Secretaries issued statements condemning same? Now, wait for the shocker - a few days later, all the hundred Senators present and voting (including those from the opposition parties) unanimously sanctioned the proclamation. Slapdash! Somebody please tell the opposition to remove the statements condemning emergency rule from their websites as their members in the legislature think otherwise. It suffices to state that it is not every policy of the administration that the opposition should disagree with. For instance, sound government policies involving sensitive issues as security and the war on terrorism ought to be supported by the opposition. In the U.S, despite their ideological differences, both Republicans and Democrats agree that: ‘there is no negotiation with terrorists. No form of therapy or coercion will turn them from their murderous ways. Only total and complete destruction of terrorism will allow freedom to flourish’. This is patriotism, not politics. This is how it ought to be in Nigeria. The ruling party has certainly not done enough. Nigeria deserves a credible opposition to check the actions and inactions of the Jonathan administration. An opposition that would present Nigeria with a better alternative on real issue such as health care, immigration, international trade, infrastructure, power, labour, job creation, terrorism, military, war and veterans, social security, women and children, guns etc., as opposed to fanciful catch-phrases and name-callings like the ‘drunken fisherman whose boat is about to capsize’ mantra. • Chukwu is a legal practitioner in Lagos.

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54 | Sunday, June 23, 2013

Conscience, Nurtured by Truth

Opinion Nigeria’s Reputation: Good News From Barcelona! By Jossy Nkwocha HIS headline will surely elicit excitement or scorn. Let me go straightaway and announce the good news: that Nigeria, this year, made it into the list of the 50 Most Reputable Countries in the World in 2012! This was the result of the 2012 Reputation Track conducted by the US-based Reputation Institute (RI), the world’s foremost organisation that imparts reputation knowledge and monitors reputation of organisations, places and leaders. The announcement was made at the just concluded 17th international conference on Corporate reputation, Brand identity and Competitiveness held from June 5-7, 2013 in Barcelona Spain. Nigeria was noted to have made some significant improvement in its reputation. Before now, the country was not even considered for ranking. The not-so-good news, however, is that Nigeria was rated 47 out of 50. It scored only 31.54 per cent mark above Pakistan (26.59%), Iran (21.34%) and Iraq (20.32%). All the eight countries that scored below 40 per cent (China, Colombia, Russia, Saudi Arabia, etc) were noted for poor/bottom tier reputation. Two other African countries – South Africa (33rd) and Egypt (39th) made the list in the weak/vulnerable reputation category. Canada, Australia and Sweden topped the list of countries with strong/robust reputation. The criteria for the ranking were three-fold: effective government, advanced economy and appealing environment. Under “effective government”, a country with robust reputation is expected to have adopted progressive social and economic policies, is a responsible participant in the global economy, is a safe place and operates efficiently. Under “advanced economy”, a reputable country is supposed to produce high quality products/services, have many well-known brands, is an important contributor to global culture, is technologically advanced, has a well-educated workforce, and values education. And under “appealing environment”, a reputable country is supposed to be a beautiful country, is an enjoyable place, offers an appealing lifestyle, and the people are friendly and welcoming to visitors. A good reputation makes visitors to feel good about the country, makes them to respect the country, and makes them to make positive comments about the country and its people. A good reputation makes investors to invest in the country; and tourists to visit the country. A strong/robust reputation is an invaluable, intangible asset to any company, country or leader. That Nigeria was indeed mentioned among the world’s 50 most reputable countries was therefore cheering enough for me at the conference, especially with all our concerns about corruption, insecurity, challenges of governance, poor economy, weak institutions, decayed infrastructure, high unemployment, among others. The other Nigerian who attended the conference was Mr. Sina Odugbemi, head of Issues and Risks, operational communication, external affairs at the World Bank in Washington DC. While I attended the conference from Nigeria, he did from the United States. Mr.

JAW JAW By Didi Onu

Goodluck Jonathan Odugbemi was my senior colleague at the Vanguard newspapers, Lagos, between 1986 and 1988. I didn’t know how Mr. Odugbemi actually felt about the news, as he remained calm as usual. Nonetheless, the fact that Nigeria was mentioned among the most reputable countries in the world would certainly excite many Nigerians, especially government officials who would now incorporate the information into their campaigns. But for serious minded professionals, this is a wake-up call for strategies to pull Nigeria up the reputation ladder in the ranking for next year. Besides, this result shows that reputation is not earned by sloganeering, propaganda or the so-called “image-laundering” which is the practice of quacks. Reputation is the result of hard work — effective governance, appealing place, good people and strong economy. Slogans are only devised to communicate the goodness. Reputation management follows the classic 80/20 principle which advocates that we devote 80 per cent of organisational resources to achieve success in what we do, and devote 20 per cent resources to project and communicate that success. But Prof. Sam Black, the iconic public relations scholar advocates a 90/10 rule. Unfortunately, in many developing countries, they do more talk than work. As the Reputation Institute clearly stated in its report, just like companies, the world’s places —- its countries, states and cities exist in a reputation economy. How they are perceived by stakeholders, tourists, investors, students, workers and consumers can make the difference between having a robust or depressed economy. The economic impact of good reputation on countries is enormous: they attract more foreign direct investments (FDI), increased exports and foreign knowledge and talents. Investors want to invest in countries where their investments would be profitable and

safe, where there are infrastructures to harness the investment, where the people are friendly, and where there is respect for the rule of law. Tourists want a beautiful place where they can go, watch exciting scenes, meet friendly people and go back home safe. Spain has no oil. Its economy is sustained mainly by tourism. In 2012, the country recorded 57 million tourists. Out of that number, Barcelona, where the RI conference was held —- a very beautiful city—- had more than 43 million tourists! And although summer was not yet on, Barcelona as at last week was already breaming with thousands of tourists, young and old. The Nigerian government must find a way to build and manage its reputation through a strategic approach. Whoever is in charge must understand the concepts of corporate reputation and branding. Such a person must work very closely with the President (as is done in companies) and the key ministers of government. Indeed the Country’s Chief Reputation Officer (CCRO) is the President himself. What he says or does adds or subtracts from the country’s reputation. If the President truly leads by example, if he truly fights corruption, if he is truly in effective control of governance, if he truly promotes rule of law – all these will enhance the country’s reputation. That means that the minister or special adviser in charge of the country’s image/reputation must be the President’s and the Government’s key advisor. Indeed, like in the companies, he must exercise some level of oversight on all ministries and agencies of government, and report directly to the President. The government in Spain for instance, takes the country’s reputation very seriously. Two years ago, Spain found itself on the throes of serious economic crisis. The government appointed a Minister in charge of Brand Spain. The Minister addressed as High Commissioner, Mr. Carlos Espinosa de los Monteros addressed us at the conference

and spoke very strongly on the strategies the government devised to rebuild the reputation of Spain and keep tourists coming in again. Spain was on the 18th position in the 2011 reputation ranking. In 2013, they moved up to 16th position. This was not achieved by mere sloganeering that Spain is good, come to Spain! Mr. Monteros told the conference that his office monitors every credible reputation ranking, every important newspaper article about Spain, every comment about Spain by critical stakeholders, every report of any misbehaviour of any government official or agency —- and follows up to ensure that the right things are done. He was not employed as an attack dog. Mr. Monteros also ensures that good things about Spain – its strengths—are communicated effectively through various channels in many parts of the world, especially the G-8 countries (Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia, United Kingdom and United States of America) where the major economic decisions of the world are made. Building and managing reputation of a country has a lot to do with strategic communication and effective engagement with the critical stakeholders (investors, tourists, global financial institutions such as IMF and the World Bank, ambassadors, international agencies, etc). But most importantly, building reputation begins with getting things right, doing the right things, and so on. Reputation Institute advises that countries that want to raise their competitive profile must adopt a systematic approach to reputation management. That means to understand how they are perceived by current and potential external stakeholders; defining a strategy to emphasize their strengths and mitigate the weaknesses revealed in the perceptions; developing key performance indicators to ensure accountability; and making sure that all relevant government agencies are speaking and acting as one. I have a story to illustrate my point: When I arrived Barcelona Airport on June 4, 2013, my luggage was missing. I reported at the Airport’s Help desk. The officer in charge promptly contacted the Airline, which promised to deliver my luggage that evening. The officer went further to contact my hotel to confirm my reservation. Thereafter, she asked me to go to my hotel and wait for the luggage, which she promised would be delivered to me the next day in my hotel. By the time I got to my hotel, the information was already on display. And as promised, the next day, my luggage was delivered to me in good condition. The system worked for me; and I felt even better about Spain. Indeed, I think Nigeria has a lot to learn from the Reputation Institute and Spain! Nkwocha, a fellow of the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR), is former General Editor of Newswatch Magazine, and currently Head of Corporate Communications / Special Adviser to the Managing Director at Indorama Eleme Petrochemicals Limited, Port Harcourt.

THE GUARDIAN, Sunday, June 23, 2013

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POLITICS By Chuks Nwanne ECALL that since his retirement from active R politics, observers have been on the lookout for a new Maradona, a new master dribbler for the polity. Based on recent events, Kano State Governor, Rabiu Kwankwaso, seems to have rolled his sleeves to step into that position, which Gen. Ibrahim Babangida vacated. Last Monday, Kwankwaso opened up on the intrigues, which resulted in the emergence of two governors as chairmen of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF), stating that it was a battle for supremacy and a game in which supporters of the Rivers State Governor, Mr. Chibuike Amaechi, outsmarted supporters of his Plateau State counterpart, Jonah Jang. Since the result of the NGF election was made public, coupled with the accusations and counter accusations from the two camps, concerned Nigerians have been in deep thoughts over the possibility of having a free and fair election in 2015. There are doubts in every quarter. If 36 governors could not elect a leader for their small ‘unconstitutional group,’ which magic wand would be employed to prosecute the 2015 election that would involve millions of Nigerians? While addressing journalists at the Kano House in Abuja, Kwankwaso hinted that the 19 governors, who voted for Amaechi, proved to their opponents that they were still at the elementary level of politics. In his submission, Kwankwaso said those of them who supported Amaechi detested the idea of someone attempting to choose their leader, revealing further that he nominated Jang and asked the Benue State Governor, Gabriel Suswam, to support him, merely to satisfy the search for a compromise candidate by the group of 16 governors. Okay, is this not a characteristic of confirmed Maradona? While his colleagues in the Northern Governors Forum went to bed with both eyes closed, the former Minister of Defense remained in the pitch all through the night, perfecting his strategy on how best to help re-elect Amaechi. As far as Kwankwaso was concerned, the Rivers State governor had shown that he had the capacity to lead the forum and possessed the ability to galvanise their interests, a task, which he said they didn’t believe Jang could do. Now, why nominate Jang in the first place? Hmm, another feature of a Maradona. Again, in a meeting of Northern Governors Forum, one man changed the equation; nominated an unexpected candidate, asked others to withdraw and they all did without complaints. So, what do you call such person? He even boasted that if another election were to be conducted today, Amaechi would still win comfortably.

Kwankwaso…

Is He the New ‘Maradona’ Of Nigerian Politics? He admitted that he bluntly told the governor of Katsina State, Alhaji Shehu Shema, that he would never vote for him at the election because he never told him (Kwankwaso) that he was running for the chairmanship of the forum. “I told Shema that I was terribly disappointed in him. I told him, ‘you are my brother and friend and you never told me that you are contesting.’ I told him that I would never vote for him and that I was sure that he would lose the election,” he revealed. Hey, don’t loose sleep over the NGF election; it

was just a game, with Kwankwaso as the Maradona and captain of the pro-Amaechi group. “It was a game and we were trying to prove to them that nobody could shave our heads in our absence. That was why we proved to them that they were still at the elementary level of politics,” he boasted. Unfortunately, those who are calling Kwankwaso name today, did not know that the real game started with his nomination of Jang as the consensus candidate: it was indeed a smart

move that neutralised the opposition. “What we did in the Nigeria Governors’ Forum was that when we realised that we would not get Shema or Isa (Yuguda) elected, we decided to give them their chairman. I nominated Jang and asked Suswam to support him. We gave them who should lead the minority group. If another election is held today or tomorrow, Amaechi will get more than 19 votes because all of us who voted for him are much more determined to support him now. Amaechi is a good man and he has our support,” he revealed. NGF chairmanship election and the intrigues aside, Governor Akpabio must lace his boots and get on the field of play; his position as the chairman of PDP Governor’s Forum is serious under ‘threat.’ “I was ashamed of the governor of Akwa Ibom State, Godswill Akpabio; he needed to learn how to talk.” According to him, given his position as the Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party Governors’ Forum (PDP-GF), Akpabio’s comments was not befitting of his office, adding, “I think he should better keep quiet.” As for his counterparts in the Northern Governors’ Forum, who have pulled out of the forum, Kwankwaso has called for a rethink, ominously forewarning that if they failed to retrace their steps, neither the governors nor their candidates can secure future elections in the north. “I don’t see how any of them or their candidates can win any election in the north again if they are not in Northern Governors’ Forum,” he cautioned. Come to think of it, who is Kwankwaso in PDP? Where is his gut coming from? Is he not afraid of the usual suspension threats by PDP? Well, who exactly will even suspend Kwankwaso, when the entire party’s Central Working Committee members have been forced to resign; even the party Chairman, Bamanga Tukur seems to be dancing on a borrowed robe. From his boldness, Kwankwaso must have perfected his plan B in case PDP decides to wield the ‘big stick.’ If you add it to the revelation by Lai Mohammed that 23 governors are in support of APC, then you will get the clear picture. “… Many options are available to people being suspended,” Kwankwaso noted. “I began to say that if we don’t have democracy in the governors’ forum, I wonder where we will have it.” Flaunting his political credentials, the Kano Sate governor noted, “many of us joined politics before PDP; I was deputy speaker under SDP. We were in politics before many of them joined and the fact must be recognised and appreciated. We are field marshals. We are Kwankwasiyya (a movement named after Kwankwaso). We tell the truth and stand by it. We stand by the truth,

Rivers’ Lingering Political Face-off From Kelvin Ebiri (Port Harcourt) RIOR to this time, relationship between the P Rivers State Governor, Chibuike Amaechi and the presidency had been frosty over diverse

Alabo Tonye Graham-Douglas, Abiye Sekibo among others. Patience Jonathan’s presence at Bipi’s wedding was interpreted and trumpeted by Amaechi’s propaganda team to mean an attempt to galvanise more lawmakers to impeach the Governor. What further fueled this speculation was the fact that the first lady, instead of staying at the presidential lodge at the Government House, Port Harcourt, opted to stay in her newly completely home, just a few meters away from the Government House. Addressing some Kalabari chiefs who visited her she said she was not in the state to fight the governor. “I am not here to fight the Governor of Rivers State because he is my brother. We should come together to develop the state. We shouldn’t play politics

issues, but it appears the relationship may have reached a frozen point. It will be recalled that in April 2011, the wife of the president, Mrs. Patience Jonathan, stormed Rivers State to campaign for Amaechi’s re-election in her once unsafe Okrika community, but despite being in the state since penultimate Friday, the first lady has tactfully stayed away from the governor. Mrs. Jonathan had then at the Okrika National School Field, Okrika, told the multitude that congregated for the Governor’s re-election rally, how the PDP government in Rivers State led by the governor brought peace to Okrika and the rest of the state. According to her: “when people hear that we are coming to Rivers State they think that we keep armoured tanks here and there; but no, all those things are in the past now.” But two year after she declared Amaechi as the chosen one, all that seem to have a changed. At the wedding of one anti Amaechi, member of the Rivers State House of Assembly, Evans Bipi in Port Harcourt penultimate Saturday, Mrs. Jonathan declared that it was only during the governments of Rufus Ada-George and Peter Odili that people were enthusiastic to visit Port Harcourt. Governor Amaechi and his wife were conspicuously absent at the wedding populated by his political foes, such as Senator George Sekibo; Rivers State PDP chairman, Chief Felix Obuah, former Deputy Speakers’ of the House of Representatives, Chief Austin Okpara and Chief Chibudum Nwuche, Senator Lee Maeba and Amaechi

with our home. Our home remains our home. We shouldn’t play politics with our elders,” she said. It is worthy to note that Bipi representing Ogu/Bolo Constituency, and four members of the Rivers State House of Assembly Victor Ihunwo (PHALGA Constituency III); Martins Amaewhule (Obio/Akpor Constituency I), Michael Chinda (Obio/Akpor Constituency II) and Kelechi Nwogu (Omuma Constituency) had through their counsel, Mr. Emmanuel Ukala (SAN) filed a motion at a Port Harcourt High Court, seeking to be heard independently in a suit filed by Governor Amaechi, seeking to restrain the State legislature from impeaching him unconstitutionally. Amaechi had notified the court that there was plan to use five or less than that number of lawmaker to impeach him. Concerned over deteriorating security situation as a result of the lingering political crisis in the state, Governor Amaechi, last week threatened to embark on mass action if the Federal Government fails to rein in the police commissioner, Mbu Joseph Mbu and stop the prevailing culture of impunity and act of tyranny against the state government. Mbu described the governor as a dictator, denying the allegation of divulging issues discussed at the State Security Council meetings to politicians in Abuja. On deterioration of crime in the state, He said, “I will speak statistically on the crime wave and how it has reduced. I am a core professional police officer. I will beg the governor not to drag my name into politics. Nobody can influence me. It is only my conscience that can. I believe in God and I trust in God. Your governor, my governor is tyrannical; he is a dictator. Insecurity has

gone down drastically. I have respect for him and his office. He should have respect for me and the police. I am not here for any agenda. I don’t know why His Excellency has chosen the warpath with me. The crime rate has dropped in the state. There have been tremendous changes. I spent six months in Oyo State and my effort was commended”. Meanwhile, the chairman of Okrika, Tamumo Williams, lamented the failure of the Police commissioner to restore the policemen he withdrew from the council as a result of the political crisis in the state. Similarly, the chairman of Ogu/Bolo council, Mrs. Maureen Tamuno, lamented the deteriorating security on the Okrika-Ogu-Bolo waterways. She revealed that after a long lull, militancy is gradually reemerging. On his part, the federal lawmaker representing Opobo/Nkoro/Andoni Federal Constituency, Dakuku Peterside, noted that it is unfortunate that security was being compromised in the state because of politics. He said it was disheartening that all effort put in place by Amaechi to boost security is gradually eroding. Similarly, the Niger Delta Civil Society Coalition (NDCSC), a coalition of critical civil society organisations drawn from across the communities of the nine political Niger Delta Region States, has urged the presidency to end the lingering political crisis in Rivers state. NDCSC chairman, Anyakwee Nsirimovu and others in a joint statement called on the Police Service Commission and the Inspector General of Police to ensure that the Nigeria Police in all of its ramifications does not assume the character of a political, omnipotent force, that is master, rather than servant of the peoples, and officers found wanting should be dismissed forthwith.

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THE GUARDIAN, Sunday, June 23, 2013

POLITICS

DELTA GOVERNORSHIP: Clark, Orubebe In Fight To Finish From Hendrix Oliomogbe, Asaba

study it. Discipline must be enforced in the party, if two governors could be suspended, ROM his spat with Rivers State Governor, why not a minister? The law is not a Rotimi Amaechi over the sad state of the respecter of anybody. Nobody is above the East-West Road at the beginning of the year, law, the constitution of the party. If the minto his squabble with Ijaw leader and elder ister is found wanting, he has the right to statesman, Chief Edwin Clark Kiagbodo and appeal his suspension. The party provides for to his the recent suspension from the ruling that. So, it will be treated on merit.” People’s Democratic Party (PDP), by the A group, Sons and Associates of Chief E.K Burutu Local Council, Delta State branch of Clark amplified the raging cold war between the party, this is certainly not the best of Clark and Orubebe, when it pointedly times for the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, demanded a probe of the latter by the Elder Godsday Orubebe. Economic and Financial Crimes Commission There is no doubt that Orubebe fancies (EFCC). being the governor of the oil rich state of In stout defence of Clark, chief Sunday Delta, but Clark may just turn out to be his Iyawa, the Leader of the association lashed nemesis, as the duo are presently locked in a out at the beleaguered minister, whom he duel for the 2015 governorship. From the accused of waging war against the frontline present twist and turn of events, which are Ijaw leader, his benefactor. obviously not to his advantage, his purportWhen the going was good during the run up ed governorship ambition could just turn to the 2007 election and afterwards, both out to be another pipe dream. Clark and Orubebe belonged to the same In a move, which clearly ran contrary to camp, while Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan what pundits may have predicted, Orubebe’s was in another. They refused to dine on the was suspended from the PDP on June 4, same table of brotherhood with Uduaghan alongside nine others by a faction of his local for a long time until they all managed to chapter, acts that could spell disaster for the patch up their differences about a year ago. party in 2015. The tables have obviously turned. Now the A joint terse statement signed by the Burutu current face off evokes the imagery of the Council Chairman, Pastor Ogeibiri, the long and bitter fight between Clark and Secretary and three others had given reason Uduaghan. for using the sledge hammer tactic to disHaving performed woefully as the Minister lodge the supposedly erring minister: “After of the Niger Delta, going by his assessment, a hearing, preliminary to Section 21.4 of the Iyawa who spoke with reporters in Asaba constitution as amended, and by the virtue remarked that there is just no way, Orubebe of the powers conferred on us, the working would realise his ambition of becoming the committee of the party via Section 21.4 of the governor of Delta State in 2015. same constitution, hereby place Elder According to him, it was quite obvious that Godsday Orubebe and nine cohorts on susthe minister had not given a full account of pension. the billions of Naira, which was appropriat“The suspension was triggered by series of ed to his ministry, advising that the EFCC allegations of misconduct likely to cause dis- should beam its searchlight on the ministry repute, hatred, contempt, anti-party activiwith a view to bringing him to book. ties. Orubebe and the affected nine others Besides, he said that when some of the are hereby referred to the PDP disciplinary major political stakeholders kicked against committee in Burutu Local Government for the appointment of Orubebe by late further investigations.” President Umaru Yar’Adua, it was only Clark With a dismissive wave of the hand, the who stood by him, wondering why the same Minister said that report of his suspension man should turn around to attempt to chop by the factional Council Chairman was illeoff the fingers that fed him. gal, insisting that the action was superIyawa charged: “It is quite obvious that imposed on the duly elected body by a group Orubebe has failed and should not contest of people in the council. the 2015 election. He is an ingrate who is He added: “It is a group of disgruntled, ille- now biting the finger that fed him. We cangal body. You are aware that this is a govern- not associate with somebody who openly ment that stands for the truth. It is a government that is transforming. We had a PDP elected body in place and from behind, a group of people went and imposed an illegal body on the people and I said I will not recognise them because, the one that was duly elected by everybody that came to elect the national chairman and the national Exco is the one that I do recognise. And so, that is a factional group which I don’t recognise and they don’t have any power to do what they are doing and they also know that they are just looking for cheap attention and I don’t look at it.” The Minister explained that the authentic chairman who is now in court has made it abundantly clear that he is fully in charge of the party’s affairs in the local government and has also warned his followers not to partake in the macabre dance of his opponents, who are only out to cause a commotion. But for the Delta State chairman of the party, chief Peter Nwaoboshi, the notice of the suspension had reached his office and a decision was yet to be reached. He promised to dispassionately look into facts behind the suspension. Nwaoboshi however added, that if governors like Amaechi and Aliyu Wammako of Sokoto State could be suspended; there was no big deal in Orubebe’s suspension. He said the Minister merely got his fair-share. He assured that the action by Burutu Local Council would be treated on its merit but Orubebe was free in line with his constitutional right to appeal his predicament. The chairman said: “I just received the susClark pension letter today (Thursday). We will

maligned our leader. The EFCC should make Orubebe give an account of the billions of Naira that were appropriated to his ministry since he became minister.” He said that it was the peak of impudence and ingratitude for Orubebe and his agents to denigrate the status of the frontline Ijaw leader, who he described as ‘a political colossus of our time.’ As the rift between the two politicians exacerbates, Clark slammed Orubebe, explaining that even if it was to be the turn of Ijaws to produce the next governor of the state, the cap certainly does not fit the minister. He remarked that the minister had caused the Presidency a lot of pain by prematurely indicating interest in the position, as it was still too early in the day for him to start planning to contest the governorship election, knowing fully well that President Goodluck Jonathan had in the meantime forbidden them. Clark, who spoke in Warri was unequivocal: “For the purpose of argument, if the Ijaws are asked by the Delta State PDP to produce a gubernatorial candidate, it will not be Mr. Godsday Orubebe and he is fully aware of that.” Looking back, he noted that the PDP had been in crisis since 2007. It was only last year, after a period of five years and after series of litigation that the feuding factions agreed to voluntarily reconcile and the party seems to have been functioning as one family, but for the governorship ambition of Orubebe, who is busy sponsoring two court cases against the leadership of the party in his Local Council and the State Executive in various courts within Delta State and the Federal Capital Territory. Clark said President Jonathan should not be held responsible for the actions of any Ijaw man as he is not an Ijaw President but of all Nigerians. He reminded that Jonathan had ordered that none of his ministers and other government functionaries should engage in politics in order to declare their intention or supporting anyone for elective position, an action Orubebe can’t claim ignorance of. The notable Ijaw leader went ballistic: “His flagrant disobedience is no doubt an embarrassment to Mr. President, to the leaders of the party and party faithful, particularly to me that everybody believes contributed greatly to his becoming a minister, having

Orubebe

regards to the opposition from the former governor of Delta State, chief James Ibori and his supporters. “Perhaps, Mr. Orubebe has also forgotten how I accompanied him to the State House in Abuja after his confirmation at the Senate as a minister and to be sworn in as Minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria with three other colleagues of his. “And the embarrassment caused to me when the former Secretary to the Federal Government, Amb. Baba Gana Kingibe, came to inform me that Mr. President has decided not to swear in Mr. Orubebe. “I left the Executive Chambers with Mr. Godsday Orubebe and his wife in disgrace, but later summoned courage to address the State House Press on the issue. It is therefore, my advice to the Honourable Minister not to allow the spoils of office to derail him or cause him to make wrong judgment. “I am aware that all his other colleagues and other government functionaries have religiously obeyed the Presidential order. It is unfortunate and ridiculous that Mr. Godsday Orubebe should be the one to flout this order.” He demanded the PDP national chairman, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur to whip Orubebe to line and to also counsel him to withdraw the court cases so as to survive the prevailing peace in the party. Clark said that when the party gives the goahead for aspirants to indicate their interest at the appropriate time, the people will determine who will be governor and which senatorial zone he will come from. Determined not to fold their hands and watch their superhero being reduced to zero, a pro-Orubebe group, Anioma Youth Forum (AYF) advised those calling for the resignation of Orubebe to put on their thinking caps. A joint statement by Mr. Felix Ifejiokwu and Barth Ozah, the President and Secretary respectively passed a vote of confidence on Orubebe and labeled his detractors as enemies of the Presidency because of their selfish interest. Ifejiokwu and Ozah said that the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs, where Orubebe is boss has through its youth empowerment programmes and activities won the confidence of the region and greatly reduced militancy

THE GUARDIAN, Sunday, June 23, 2013

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POLITICS

Delta Opposition’s Faltering Steps Towards 2015 From Hendrix Oliomogbe, Asaba ROM an outsider’s point of view, the main FDemocratic opposition party in Delta State, the People’s Party (DPP) is in tatters, especially if recent developments are considered as yardstick. The recent suspension of Senator Pius Ewherido (Delta Central) along with the acting national deputy chairman, Mr. Olisemeka Akamukale, the vice chairman of Delta central senatorial district, Mr. Henry Olori, as well as a leader in Sapele Local Government Council, Mr. Cyril Ogodor could be used by some as parameters for assessing the strength of the party. But then things may also not be too rosy with the ruling People’s Democratic Party (PDP), as the plethora of aspirants wishing to run in the next election may turn out to be unmanageable. There is also the dimension of power shift, which if poorly managed could lead to implosion. The rebellious members of DPP were axed, according to the party’s state chairman, chief Tony Ezeagwu over allegation of flirtation with the budding All Progressives Congress (APC), an action, which he described as gross misconduct and anti-party activities. Again, the DPP, which before now was the second best party during the January 2011 re-run and the April general elections seems to be on the downward trend as some of its members in the House of Assembly, like Dr. Alphonsus Ojo (Ukwani Constituency) have since quit their membership in favour of the PDP, while Dr. Olisa Imegwu lost to the PDP candidate, Mr. Ossai Ossai in the tribunal. Also, Mr. Eme Mukoro of Ughelli Constituency lost to Mr. Taleb Tebite of the PDP in the tribunal. But an upbeat Ezeagwu dismissed insinuations that ahead of the 2015 election, times are hard for the party, insisting that the suspension of Ewherido and company will not in any way affect the fortunes of the party in the polls. Ezeagwu explained that even before the erring members joined the DPP in the run up to the election of 2011, the party had always been on the ground. They are like the proverbial fair weather friend, who abandons his colleague just when the green grasses turned grey. The DPP chairman is optimistic that the party will still triumph in the forthcoming polls, notwithstanding the fact that it refused to fuse with the budding APC. He said: “Our NEC meeting held in Abuja according to party’s constitution. When the State’s executive suspends or expels erring party members, it is only the NEC that can ratify the suspension or expulsion of that erring party person. Akamukale has gone beyond his bounds by parading himself as the national chairman of the DPP, and he has finally been expelled from the party. Chief Pius Ewherido’s suspension was also ratified, including the two others.” He explained that the public should be mindful of dealing with the “rebels” whom he accused of plotting to set up a parallel structure as the decision was in the best interest of the DPP and was taken to maintain discipline. Ezeagwu blamed the crisis in the party on newcomers who wanted to hijack its structures for their own selfish interest. The DPP chairman charged: “Akamukale is an impostor for coming up to say he has dissolved the Delta State executive. The purported congress, which he convened in Abuja is kangaroo and unrealistic. Some of the signatories at the kangaroo national congresses are not members of the party. Many of the signatories were procured without the consent of those in question.” He said that the factional chairman who was elected by the erring party members, Mr. Cyril Ashigbogwu is not a member of the DPP in Delta State and only contested during the last election into the State’s House of Assembly, but has since moved on to the PDP. Still fuming, he said that on several occasions he had had cause to warn the party’s teeming faithful to desist from fraternizing with other political associations that are capable of balkanising the DPP, but it fell on deaf ears. Left with no other choice after reaching the limits of its endurance, the party decided to wield the big stick. He said: “We still remain DPP and we have equally banned every affiliate political group masquerading within the party to balkanize

Ezeagwu

Okotie Eboh

Ogboru

it.” A close party source, who would not want his name to be mentioned, however, said that Ewherido’s ambition is at variance with that of chief Great Ogboru, who is the party leader and has been its governorship candidate in all elections since 2003, when he first ran against former governor James Ibori. That is actually the real reason why Ewherido was suspended. All that was needed to descend on him was his open romance with APC. The decision to suspend the Senator may have been announced by Ezeagwu, but the source added that it was the hand of Ogboru and the voice of the chairman. He said that the party leadership was also not pleased with Ewherido for openly hobnobbing with APC, when Ogboru, who ran against Governor Uduaghan of the ruling party in both the January 2011 re-run and the April 2011 elections still have his case pending at the Supreme Court. On his part, Ewherido insisted that he was a true member of the party and not a gold digger who is only out to make a bolt for the exit at the slightest opportunity. He still remains a faithful friend of Ogboru and will ever be. The federal lawmaker added: “I am still a member of DPP. The suspension was not in order. I never engaged in anti-party activities. I am a loyal member of the DPP and can never go against it. The fact is that Delta State executive council is supposed to be part of the national executive, which agreed to merge with APC. The DPP is now a part of APC, so holding a meeting with them is not illegal.” He tackled Ezeagwu, saying that the accusation of flirting with APC was on very shallow ground as the national executive of the party had reached a deal with APC to be part of the merger. He said that the state party leaders could be forgiven for they probably do not know that the decision to fuse with APC was that of the national leadership of the party, which is superior to that of the state. Options for Delta North IT is a fact that the Anioma people of Delta North Senatorial district suffer from a deep sense of marginalization, as it is the only zone that is yet to produce the governorship since the state was created in 1991. The problem is that with the crowd of aspirants from both the Central and South Senatorial districts; with walking sticks in hands, waiting earnestly on the sidelines to throw their bowler hats in the ring once the whistle sounds, it is still not clear how Anioma people will clinch the plum position. It is not for nothing that political analysts say that in the rough and tumble world of politics no politician willingly gives up power for sake of equity, fairness and justice. Former governors, Senator Felix Ibru and Ibori are both from Delta Central, while the incum-

bent Uduaghan is from the South Senatorial district. Against that backdrop, there is no iota of doubt that the Igbo speaking people of Delta North are determined to produce the governor in 2015 in the spirit of equity, fairness and justice, but the task is how to convince the other ethnic groups, mostly the Urhobo, who are in majority to see reason with them. While throwing his full weight behind the Anioma project, the Ijaw national leader, chief Edwin Kiagbodo Clark had declared at a civic reception in Agbor, last year that the Anioma people are fully entitled to govern the state in 2015 as it is the right of any Deltan to contest for the number one position. Clark, who spoke at the reception organised in his honour by the people of Ika nation let it be known that nobody is a second-class citizen in the state. The elder statesman remarked that it would amount to hypocrisy if he stoutly defends Jonathan, a minority and do a different thing in his own state, adding that the Anioma people do have the right to aspire for the governorship, just like any other ethnic group in the state. The Ijaw leader from the South Senatorial district advised the Anioma people to establish a cordial relationship with the other senatorial districts. He said: “Anioma does not exist in isolation in the state, they should work together with others and make known their request and others will consider it, though it is not a question of forcing it upon anybody. This state belongs to all of us and we must be patient if we are not ruling. All I have said is that certain people should not arrogate to themselves the exclusive right to govern this state. We are all equal.” He warned other ethnic groups to show support for whoever is in power and wait for their turn. But a group, the Old Delta Province Solidarity Front (ODPSF), begged to sharply differ with Clark, insisting that Anioma should not start talking of producing the governor in 2015 because the old Delta Province has not recovered from the injustice of locating two state capitals in the old Benin Province, one in Benin City and the other in Asaba. To the group, it will be a case of double plagues if the people of the defunct Delta Province, which fought for the creation of Delta State, but were ironically denied the privilege of hosting the state capital, were to be denied of the governorship in perpetuity. Undeterred, another group, the Anioma Political Forum (APF) has vowed to pursue the aspiration to occupy Government House Asaba, in 2015 with all legitimate and civil political weapons no matter whose goat is gored. The Secretary, Mr. Alex Onwuadiamu of APF

insisted that a call for political war cannot and will never deter the Anioma People from its legitimate aspiration for the governorship of Delta State, beating its chest that APF wishes to state unequivocally that it will support with all its might an aspirant of Anioma extraction to vie for the governorship of Delta State on the platform of PDP come 2015. While warning stakeholders and all political organisations to eschew rancour in their quest for relevance and attention in the political sphere, Onwuadiamu remarked that the Anioma People recognise Uduaghan as the leader of the ruling People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in the state and by implication the political leader of Delta State. The scribe argued that by so being, the governor has the inalienable right to offer political direction at all levels of Delta politics, saying all over Nigeria no ethnic nationality has ever been denied governorship on grounds of it hosting the state capital. He said: “Whilst we lay claim to the governorship of Delta State come 2015, we recognise the fact that being a multi ethnic society we shall at the appropriate time seek the understanding of other ethnic nationalities in pursuance of our quest for the governorship of the state.” Ezeagwu of the DPP said that he would not want to be drawn into talk of power shift, as it is a PDP matter, which should not be foisted on the other parties. His party will only address the issue of zoning when the Supreme Court finally rules on his legal challenge of the victory of Uduaghan in the 2011 election. Chief Adolor Okotie Eboh, the Delta State chairman of the opposition Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), was brutally frank when he said that talk of power shift from one Senatorial district to another does cut any ice with him. All that matters to him is a candidate with an antecedent. Okotie Eboh’s personal opinion is that the best that Deltans can accept is somebody who can deliver to the people. It doesn’t matter if the candidate is from any of the Senatorial districts, whether South, Central or North. He said that nobody is godfather to him, adding: “We are a grassroots party, so we don’t need godfathers. The people themselves will deliver the party as they own it.” Fired by the sterling performance of Governor Adams Oshiomole of neighbouring Edo State, he said that the ACN was looking forward to bringing the former unionist to come and campaign for the party in Delta State. The opposition party chairman assured: “Very soon, we will bring him to come and address us. Delta ACN members are inspired by Oshiomole’s performance in Edo State. We are very proud of him.” The hope is that the political gladiators may be able to maturely handle the unfolding political scenario and not foul the landscape. All that the people demand is performance.

58 |

THE GUARDIAN, Sunday, June 23, 2013

POLITICS

ADEBUTU: Labour Party Will Make The Kitchen Too Hot For Amosun Ogun Government Makes Nine Economic Mistakes Out Of Ten Ladi Adebutu, former chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), former federal legislator in the aborted Third Republic and now member of Labour Party (LP) in Ogun State explains to GBENGA AKINFENWA that the ACN government in two years has retarded economic growth in the state. What are your grievances against the government in power? FTER two years, you cannot tell us exactly what transpired. We have records of the years preceding this government. No Bond was taken. No Bond, underlined, because the mantra this present ACN government preached then was “Bond is bondage.” But this government now, despite that mantra, has received various Bonds and incurred various debts, which they haven’t explained. The last government had overdraft, which at the end of its tenure, was less than incoming monies from various sources, such as allocations and so on. In fact, this government inherited a positive balance book, but now in two years, we have this issue of N200 Billion that is not addressed and we are told there were fake loans. Where were the fake loans obtained? What are the details of the fake loans? What is the value of the fake loans and what is the fake loan? Because I don’t understand! But the truth of the matter is that these people are simply inept. We have situations where roads are being built into deserts, no destination. The road under construction from the express junction at Iperu end here and going all the way to Sabo in Shagamu; anybody that truly had an understanding of what is being done would know that Ogijo is just five to 10 kilometres from that road. If that road were to go another 10 kilometers, all the border areas we have with Lagos state will now have proper and adequate road network to be part of the community. But when you do that road up to Sabo and leave the rest impassable, the consequence is that that road is costing us a ridiculous amount of N17bn. The roads that were done with similar agreement to that road came in at about N50mn per kilometres; but what we now have is roads being built at N1.5bn per kilometre. Obviously, there are two things about this, that the projects are not well thought of, or they are just a means of siphoning our money because I do not understand that in the period of three years, cost of doing roads have gone up from N50m to N1.5bn in the same community and in the same area. These excesses are unexplainable. In the last few weeks, our children have been out of schools because government is not paying the salaries of teachers. But the truth of the matter is that the 26 socalled Model Schools are being built at N1bn a piece. I see that, as the height of irresponsibility, if a government will not pay its workers and now goes on a spending spree. We have schools here that have defective roofing; we have schools here that don’t have chairs and table for pupils to do proper academic work; we have teachers here that have not been re-trained since the last government left over two years ago, yet, somebody proposes to build 26 of those schools. Shortly, we will make photographs of those model schools available to you and you will publish them so that the nation can see and help us. Shortly, we’ll publish various road works and the comparative ones that were done at N50m per kilometer vis a viz the ones that were built for N1.5b per kilometer. These are the problems that we have. We have three Free Trade Zones in this state. The solution for Ogun State is industrialisation; those three free trade zones, even people from outside our immediate community have appreciated them. Now, Dangote group is building a refinery, hopefully, to the tune of US$8b in one of those free trade zones. These zones are there for the emancipation of our people

Adebutu from poverty, but see where we are. This government has turned a blind eye to those projects. If one borrows billions to develop projects that have multiplying effect in the lives of our people, we will understand because one of the fundamental criteria that you must acknowledge is that these projects will ultimately be able to pay for themselves. When we have a situation where our resources are being wasted in order to guarantee a method of impoverishing our people, we have to really think very hard. The free trade zones are there, nothing has happened. There was a programme to turn the rubber plantation in Ikenne into an industrial garden, but unfortunately those programmes are on hold. Similarly we had a programme that will cost the government of Ogun State zero kobo to develop a cargo airport here; nobody is working on that anymore. We have the good fortune of having fine coastlines that have been identified for a deep-sea port to improve the commerce of this area. All this was done by the past administration, but to our surprise, all these projects are now off the shelves. It seems the ability to do good government is now totally lacking. The ideas are just not there. Even, the small enterprises are being choked; the enabling environment is being choked, despite the fact that, hundreds of companies were attracted to Ogun State as a choice location for investment. This was done by the last administration and now this government is acquiring taxes from those concerns but they don’t even have the foresight to expand this programme. Ogun State is in a serious dilemma and if we don’t arrest this, it is going to get worse. The Labour Party, I can assure you, is the only

way forward to sort out this perpetual issue of youth unemployment and worker discontent and I can tell you, it is the only vehicle that can take Nigeria out of an impending disaster. For the first time, the local government workers went on strike. In the history of Ogun State, it has never happened and these people have gone on strike because their aspirations have not been met. I brought up these issues because there is a danger looming. If a government is becoming so unconcerned about the wellbeing of its people, if wages are not paid and pensions are just not paid and no investment in the development of the human resources, then we are in a big mess. There is a need, as was done in the past, to engage the unemployed to look at agriculture, a labour-intensive industry, to get these children off the roads. But it is a big pity that what we are seeing here is a strong desire to loot and just make away with our wealth. If you remember the last local government elections, there was an abject rape of democracy and the only reason why the will of the people was not allowed to flourish in those elections was a determination to keep control of those 20 local governments in the hands of the governor. No local government has received its due allocation from day one of the inception of this administration. If you look around the three, four local governments that are in the immediate vicinity of Abeokuta, not one project has been done. In some cases, you found that not even salaries have been paid. That was the reason why council elections were bastardised, so that all of them have to fall under one umbrella of the ACN and the looting could be done harmoniously. And I call on all well-meaning Nigerians to

For the first time, the local government workers went on strike. In the history of Ogun State, it has never happened and these people have gone on strike because their aspirations have not been met. I brought up these issues because there is a danger looming. If a government is becoming so unconcerned about the wellbeing of its people, if wages are not paid and pensions are just not paid and no investment in the development of the human resources, then we are in a big mess

actually come to the rescue of Ogun State by being part of this Labour Party process, to genuinely and constitutionally remove government from the hands of ravenous, rapacious, greedy people and hand this government to people that are competent. What difference do you think Labour can make, when all the parties are more of the same? By the very nature of the Labour Party, it is a party of compassion for the average man; it is a party that has to work. The culture of work for profit is understood, that is a fundamental tenet of the labour movement – value for work done. On a wider scope, the personalities involved in the labour movement today are people that have aptitude, that actually know what they are doing, they have come from various sections of the community to form a united front to save our state. Aptitude, ability to reason before actions are taken is a very intrinsic part of government. Nine times out of ten, this government actually acts before thinking. It is the only government that has demolished before thinking of compensation. I would have thought that in accordance with the laws of the land, you sit down and put a financial face on what you are about to do, you would consult, you make sure the money is available, then you’ll arrange compensation and alternatives for people; then you’ll go on and do the process. But what we have seen here is, you actually demolished first; after you have demolished and people are in trauma, you now start thinking whether they should be compensated or how much should they be compensated? That is the clear nature of this government. These various investors that came into Ogun State over the last two years, virtually all have been molested. But interestingly, none has been sent away and interestingly, you are taking taxes from every single one of them. But you have continually created a disabling environment; the environment in which these people came is now different. But once you harassed investors and you realise you are making taxes from them, your tone changes. Anybody with common sense would have realised that if you did not harass these investors, you would still get these taxes and even get more investors. The rate of coming of these investors has declined nearly to zero over the last two years. What happened to the cargo airport project? The agreement with the investor for that project was that Ogun State would provide the land, resettlement of whoever could have been affected by loss of land and also provide access roads to that airport. The access roads would come anyway, a good government would provide this anyway. Part of that programme of industrialising that area is the dualisation of the road from Sagamu to Ikenne. There would have been an industry in that rubber plantation, that road would now have come back all the way to Ilishan and there would have been an expansion of those roads. From all intent and purpose, all that was required had been done already. But do you know fate now smiled on us; the Federal Government now took a decision to develop five cargo airports. Because Ogun State was ongoing already, the Federal Government actually offered Ogun State that whatever difficulty you might even have, as a federal government we want to come in and be part of this process, so that you can develop this cargo airport as an alternative to what we have in Lagos. The Ibikunle Amosun government said they have no interest in airport. For me, that is the height of irresponsibility. Whether that airport is in Egba or Remo, it is in Nigeria and it is for the people of Nigeria and the people of Ogun State. But for whatever small mindedness, a sitting governor refused the help of the federal government to build an airport.

THE GUARDIAN, Sunday, June 23, 2013

FOREIGNNEWS

President Rousseff Unveils Reforms To Stem Protests BRAZIL RAZILIAN President Dilma B Rousseff has unveiled a series of reforms in an attempt to end days of nationwide anti-government protests. In a televised address she said she would draft a new plan to benefit public transport and that all oil royalties would be used in education. She also said that thousands of doctors would be drafted in from overseas to improve the national health service. Earlier, she held an emergency cabinet meeting to discuss the

protests. The demonstrations began over transport fare rises in Sao Paulo, but quickly grew into rallies across the country against corruption and other issues. On Thursday night more than a million people took to the streets and there was violence in various cities in which dozens were injured and two people died. Protests continued on Friday with an estimated 1,000 people marching in Rio de Janeiro. Witnesses said some stores were looted and an empty arts centre building was invaded. Police were pelted with rocks and responded

with tear gas. Demonstrations also took place in Sao Paulo, where traffic was brought to a halt but no violence was reported, and in Fortaleza in Brazil’s north-east. In her address - pre-recorded and broadcast nationally on TV

and radio –– Mrs Rousseff said she was listening to the demonstrators’ concerns. She promised to meet the leaders of the peaceful protests saying she needed “their contribution, their energy and their ability”.

President Rousseff, according to a BBC report in Sao Paulo, struck a conciliatory note for the most challenging speech she has had to make as Brazil’s leader. “I want institutions that are more transparent, more resistant to wrongdoing,” she said.

Group Agrees Urgent Support For Rebels OREIGN ministers of the Friends of FQatar, Syria group, who are meeting in have agreed to provide urgent support to rebels who are fighting President Bashar al-Assad. Qatar’s PM Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim bin Jaber al-Thani said “providing arms may be the only means of achieving peace”. The group also condemned the Syrian government for its use of Iranian and Hezbollah fighters. More than 90,000 people have died in more than two years of conflict. The Syrian government says it is fighting foreign-backed “terrorists”. The Friends of Syria group includes the US, Britain, France and Germany as well as Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Egypt and Jordan. Its joint statement said the mem-

SYRIA bers had agreed to “provide urgently all necessary materiel and equipment to the opposition on the ground, each country in its own way in order to enable them to counter brutal attacks by the regime and its allies”. Support would be channelled through the Western-backed rebel military command. The group also called on the immediate withdrawal of Lebanese Hezbollah and Iranian fighters from Syria. The meeting in Qatar’s capital, Doha, comes a week after the US announced it would provide Syrian rebels with “direct military aid”.

Govt Mulls Legal Action Over Smog Fires SINGAPORE HE authorities in Singapore are exploring whether to charge two Singapore-based companies in connection with severe smog triggered by forest fires in Indonesia. The companies own land on the Indonesian island of Sumatra. Singapore’s foreign minister said he had asked the attorney-general to consider the legal options. However, he said it was mainly up to Indonesia to take action against the companies.

The firms, Asia Pacific Resources International (April) and Sinar Mas, are headquartered in Singapore but have Indonesian owners. “The majority of hotspots in Riau (province) are inside April and Sinar Mas concessions,” Indonesian presidential aide Kuntoro Mangkusubroto told Reuters news agency. Asia Pacific Resources International has issued a statement to the BBC denying the allegations.

People wear face masks on Orchard road in Singapore… yesterday.

Five Killed In Fresh Mumbai Building Collapse T least five people have been A killed in a building collapse in the Indian city of Mumbai –– the second such incident in as many days. Six people were injured when the four-storey building came crashing down early in the morning, officials say.

Fuel Prices Rocket By 44 Percent, Sparking Protests put. NDONESIA’S government has INDONESIA President Susilo Bambang Imonths cut a huge fuel subsidy after Yudhoyono had been trying to of political haggling, causing petrol prices to rise by 44 percent and diesel by 22 percent. Thousands of motorists rushed to fill up before midnight, after the measure was announced late on Friday. The announcement sparked clashes in the capital, Jakarta, where protesters blocked roads and fought with police. Indonesians had been demonstrating on the streets of many major cities all week in anticipation of the rise. The measure was agreed by parliament on Monday, but MPs did

not say when the new prices would come into effect. Late on Friday, Energy Minister Jero Wacik announced that there would be new prices from midnight on Friday. “The new price for Premium fuel is 6,500 rupiah ($0.66; £0.42) per litre, up from 4,500 rupiah, and Solar diesel will cost 5,500 rupiah per litre, also up from 4,500 rupiah per litre,” he said in a statement. The subsidies are estimated to cost about $20bn a year, equivalent to almost 3 percent of Indonesia’s total economic out-

reform the subsidies since early last year. But previous attempts were derailed by violent protests. Indonesia has not implemented a major fuel price rise since 2008, and has some of the lowest prices in the world even after the rise. Analysts say Mr Yudhoyono’s failure was threatening the credibility of his government and putting severe pressure on the economy. Economists and international investors have applauded the move, but most Indonesians have been unimpressed.

Kerry Cautious On Taliban Talks In Qatar UNITED STATES S Secretary of State John Kerry U has expressed caution over whether peace talks on Afghanistan with the Taliban can take place. A row over the status of a Taliban office in Qatar’s capital Doha has overshadowed efforts to start peace negotiations there. Mr Kerry said he did not know if the talks could be put back on track. However, the US special representative on Afghanistan, James

Dobbin, is reported to be in Doha. A US official was quoted by the AFP news agency as saying that Dobbin, who is responsible for both Afghanistan and Pakistan, would have talks with Kerry and Qatari officials. Kerry told reporters in Doha: “We need to see if we can get back on track.” However, he added that he did not know if that was possible or not. “We are waiting to find out whether the Taliban will respond,” Kerry said. Kerry said that if the Taliban did

PHOTO: AFP

not decide to “move forward” in the near future, the Taliban office in Doha might have to be closed. Washington had announced on June 18 that it was opening direct peace talks with the Taliban in Qatar, as Nato-led combat forces prepare to leave Afghanistan by the end of 2014. The US met the Taliban secretly in 2011 in Qatar, but these would be the first open talks. Afghan President Hamid Karzai announced his government was also sending negotiators to Qatar to meet the Taliban.

INDIA The building was vacated by a city firm two years ago, but illegal dwellers –– believed to be vegetable sellers –– used to take shelter there overnight. Ten people died after the collapse of another building near Mumbai on Friday. Eight people were also injured after the latest incident in Thane district, about 35km (20 miles) from central Mumbai. Police are now investigating the two cases. A local official was quoted yesterday by India’s NDTV as saying the building that went down had earlier been declared “dangerous” by the

Mumbai authorities. The building, which was reportedly built 30 years ago, was vacated by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) two years ago. It was not immediately known whether any people were trapped under the rubble. Reports also say such incidents are common in India and are often blamed on poor construction practices. In April, 74 people were killed in another building collapse on the outskirts of Mumbai. And earlier this month, four people were killed when a fivestorey building collapsed in the city.

…Rescue Efforts Intensify, As Flood Death Toll Rises FFORTS have intensified in areas over the past several days. E northern India to rescue tens of But during a visit to the area, thousands of people trapped by Home Minister Shushil Shinde flash floods that have already killed nearly 600 people. The army is evacuating survivors in mountainous Uttarakhand state by helicopter and special trains are carrying people from affected areas. More than 40,000 people are still stranded in what the government has described as a “national crisis”. Officials have admitted a lack of co-ordination in the rescue effort. Forecasters are predicting more rain. Early monsoon rains in India this year are believed to be the heaviest in 60 years. The rainy season generally lasts from June to September, bringing rain, which is critical to farming. Government officials say more than 33,000 people have already been rescued from the worst-hit

admitted there was a ‘lack of coordination amongst agencies involved in relief operations”. Many locals are also complaining of neglect from relief agencies, alleging priority is being given to tourists and Hindu pilgrims, the BBC in Dehradun reports. “Whatever is humanly possible is being done,” Information Minister Manish Tewari told reporters. The authorities say they are yet to reach many survivors in remote areas cut off by flash floods, as the army is struggling to repair roads and bridges. One of the worst-hit areas is the Kedarnath Valley, where thousands of pilgrims remain stranded. Many survivors have been evacuated to the state capital Dehradun, where relatives of those missing await news.

TheGuardian

60 | Sunday, June 23, 2013

Sports Conscience, Nurtured by Truth

Guardian on her performance, alongside anther sprinter, Believe Utobivwe, attracted the attention of Solomon Ogba, who was then NITED State-based sprinter, Blessing Commissioner for Sports in Delta State. Okagbare, is at it again. At a time many Okagbare was moved to Delta State University, sports loving-Nigerians are still battling to Abraka where she eventually got the state goverase the sad memories of Team Nigeria’s disernment scholarship to study in the United appointing outing at the London 2012 States. Olympics Games from their memories, the Meanwhile, the AFN has vowed to visit the Sapele-born star has again chosen to throw sins of doping athletes on their coaches. This is caution to the wind. the federation’s effort to discourage the abuse Okagbare, who is seen as a pampered athlete of banned drugs by Nigerian athletes. by many of her contemporaries, shocked athAccording to AFN medical director, Ken letics followers with her outburst at the U.J Anugueje, coaches whose athletes fail dope Esuene Stadium, Calabar last Wednesday, test at any AFN organised competition will be shortly after winning the 100m title, saying banned along side their athletes. that nobody should expect anything from her “Coaches will be held accountable if any of at the fast approaching 14th IAAF World their athletes failed a dope test. We want to Championship in Moscow, Russia, because, in take a firm stand against doping in our counher words, “Nigeria has not contributed anytry,” he said at the U.J Esuene Stadium. thing to my athletics career,” a declaration He said that each member country of the which came as a rude shock to enthusiasts of world athletics ruling body IAAF was at liberty track and field. to fix their own doping rules, adding that the Okagbare had just retained her 100m title, new regulation will take effect this year. Okagbare millions of naira. She is First Bank were reports that when Okagbare finished beating fellow US-based Gloria Asumnu and “We have the support of the sports ministry Ambassador and I am very sure the Federal last in that 100m race, virtually all other athothers and as usual, journalists covering the in what we are trying to do. In fact it was the Government has done a lot for Blessing letes in Team Nigeria’s camp celebrated late championship swooped on her for on-the-spot through the AFN. She should keep quiet sports minister that muted the idea and the into the night. But expectedly, the same reaction as the practice all over the globe. They and concentrate on how she can win a AFN whole heartedly adopted it.” Okagbare has chosen to take that path of met the same ‘unrepentant’ Okagbare. In another development, former Nigerian medal for Nigeria at the world champi‘arrogance’ once again in the build up to “Nigeria has not done anything for me, so, no onship. Why should everything about quarter miler, US-based Sunday Uti, has said another major championship. one should expect anything from me. All I have Okagbare be money, money all the time? that the Nigerian 4x400m relay team would Okagbare was ‘almost’ begged to apologise been doing since becoming an international do well at the World Championships in She was said to have instigated the Nigeria to Nigerians after the failure at the London athlete has been by my personal effort and Moscow following impressive performances relay team not to compete at the London Olympics. She did and Nigerians in their nothing from anybody,” she stated. from some members of the team. Olympics over unpaid allowances. It is not usual way, ‘understood’ and forgave the ‘arro- The Nigeria team featuring Noah Akwu, Biola Some of the journalists felt that Okagbare fair,” the official said angrily. gant’ and ‘overpampered’ athlete, believing might have been angered by her slow race Onokoya, Isa Salihu and Tobi Ogumola ran Some journalists covering athletics have (11.25 seconds) in the final. The Guardian decid- long imposed self-ban on themselves from that she would use the occasion to learn 3.04. 26 seconds to qualify for the Moscow 2013 some useful lesions, that could make her a ed to approach her about an hour later after championships after a hard try at the Warri talking to Okagbare because of ‘pride.’ better person in the future. But with this disshe might have rested. The reaction was worst. Grand Prix and relays. Okagbare is aiming to win her first gold play of ‘madness’ in Calabar, there is serious The conversation between Okagbare and The “The men 4x400m from what I have seen will medal at the world championships. Her doubt if Okagbare has learnt any lesion from do well. You can see that they are determined Guardian: only recognisable medal so far, is the the past. The Guardian: Blessing, congratulations on to make something out of nothing. bronze she won in the long jump at the Okagbare failed to qualify for the final of the your retaining your 100m title. “All we need to do is to encourage them a lot. Beijing 2008 Olympics. long jump at the London Olympics Games, an By the time they go for the world champiOkagbare: Thank you. With Okagbare firmly seated as the ‘pilot’ event she picked a bronze in Beijing 2008. The Guardian: You had an easy win in this race in Team Nigeria’s cockpit at the 2012, onships in Moscow, they will be in a better However, she has shown good running almost strolling from the starting block to the London Olympics and with millions of frame of mind to pursue success.” form this season, both in the sprint and the finish line unlike last year when you had to Uti, who won bronze with the Nigerians having fastened their seatbelts in jump, giving the nation the come from behind to beat Asumnu. What is Nigerian 4x400m at the Los anticipation of a fun-filled night on the day hope of a medal at the world the magic? Angeles 1984 Olympics, said of the 100m women’s final, she crash-land- championship in Moscow Okagbare: It means I prepared well for this Nigerian athletics was making ed the Nigerian flight and the hopes of mil- in August. That is, if championship and my season had been good. lions of sports loving Nigerians went up in some progress. “The ship is heading Okagbare did not The Guardian: It means things will be different flame. There was no sign of remorse. for the right direction and with a allow ‘bane pride’ this year, especially at the World champilittle bit more of effort we will get A report few days later that the same to get into onship, because since 1999 in Spain, Nigeria to where we want our athletics Okagbare incited other Nigerian athletes her head. has not won a gold medal at the event? to be.” not to compete in the relay event over The success She flared up. AFN president, Ogba has unpaid allowances elicited a huge disapstory of Okagbare: Why should things be different? said that that the team to pointment and anger amongst Nigerians. Blessing Nigeria has not done anything for me and this year’s world champiShe was labeled unpatriotic, though some Okagbare nobody should expect anything from me. And key followers of athletics were quick to onship in Moscow would do began in 2006, I am not expecting anything from the country point out that Okagbare is over-pampered everything to break the long when she represented ahead the world championship. It is between jinx of not winning medals. by some top officials of the AFN and hangDelta State my God and me alone. She ended the conversa- ers-on, who could not look at her face and “Last year, we came to Polytechnic, Otefe, tion and went away. Calabar to pick our athletes tell her the hard truth a young athlete Oghara at the West What could have happened? Has the AFN for the African would need to succeed. African Polytechnic Games offended its ‘pet’ athlete in any way? Championship in Porto Perhaps, Okagbare’s greatest undoing, at Yaba Poly, Lagos. She won Something must be fishy, so, The Guardian Novo and we break a long which made fans and a majority of her col- two gold medals and a publidecided to take the issue to the AFN president leagues to ‘hate’ her, is her ‘pride’ and over jinx by finishing top on the cation by Solomon Ogba and Technical Director, Navy medals table. That had not hapconfidence, which almost turned her into a The Commodore Omatseye Nesiama. pened for a very long time. We took dictator while enjoying the love Ogba: You mean Blessing reacted that way that same team to London and support of the AFN, after winning the race? I will see her later. Olympics and eleven of our athletes Delta State government, Nesiama: I can’t believe she said so because were in the semi finals and five in First Bank and Federal many people have said that Blessing’s attitude Government. In fact, the the finals. It has not happened has changed for good since she came into before. athlete never thought or Calabar for this championship. Let me find out considered the possibil“This is the year of the what the problem is. world champiity that she might fall at Nesiama went to Okagbare, sat on the track onship and I the Olympics. with her and had discussion for about 15 minwant to assure With Okagbare desertutes. At the end, they stood up and he Nigerians, ed by majority of her (Nesiama) invited The Guardian and some especially the supporters and admirother journalists around for a chat with government ers, all the critics who Okagbare standing by his side. But as she sight- had waited almost and people of ed journalists coming, the athlete walked Cross River sate breathlessly for her fall, away, an act some of the journalists saw as a that we will prewasted no time in great disrespect to the authority. pare the athletes jumping at her. Some athletics officials have reasoned that in Calabar to break There Okagbare has no reason to complain, as she another jinx in has been well taken care of, much to the envy Moscow.” of other Nigerian athletes. Speaking with The Guardian, one official said: “If Nigeria as a country is not taking care of her, we have Nigerians who are taking care of her needs. “She should have been more tactful with her comments. If not for the efforts of certain individuals who supported her, Blessing wouldn’t be where she is today. There are many others who, if given the same opportunity, will even do better than she is doing. “Last year, I read in some newspapers that Delta State government gave

From Gowon Akpodonor, Calabar

Okagbare: Big Athlete, Big Mistake

THE GUARDIAN Sunday, June 23, 2013

City’s Interest In Cavani Wanes ANCHESTER City appear M to be out of the race for Napoli striker Edinson Cavani,

Fellaini

Arsenal To Make Second Offer For Fellaini RSENAL have made A Marouane Fellaini a contract offer as they set their sights on sealing a deal for the Everton midfielder. The Gunners, who have already activated the Belgian’s €25.5 million release clause, are believed to have proposed to his representatives a starting salary of €82,000-a-week. This is less than Fellaini’s current €88,000-a-week wage at Goodison Park but Arsenal are expected to increase their informal offer during further discussions with the player’s camp. It is understood that official talks will begin with Fellaini when he is given permission to do so by Everton, which is expected to be at some point this month. Arsenal activated Fellaini’s buy-out clause a fortnight ago

as they prepare to smash the €20m barrier on two marquee signings this summer. A Gunners delegation is in Spain this weekend to tie up the signing of Real Madrid striker Gonzalo Higuain, who has agreed personal terms on a deal starting at €117,000-aweek. Arsenal and Real will thrash out the fee for the Argentine, with the Londoners hopeful an offer around the €23m mark can close the deal. Arsenal will then turn their attention to securing a second statement signing of the summer as Arsene Wenger makes full use of the biggest transfer kitty in the club’s history. Fellaini is currently on his summer break, which has included time spent in the Spanish resort of Marbella, but the Belgium international is expected to return from his

holiday next week. Arsenal are in pole position to capture the versatile midfielder after making a concerted attempt to capture a player who has long been admired by Wenger. New Manchester United manager David Moyes is yet to make a move for the player who worked under him for five years at Everton, which, given that Chelsea have dropped their interest in Fellaini, could leave the road clear for Arsenal. It would be regarded as a considerable statement of intent if Wenger completes the signings of both Fellaini and Higuain. Intriguingly, the Arsenal manager also retains a strong interest in Wayne Rooney but will not continue his pursuit of Fiorentina’s Stevan Jovetic if he captures Higuain.

Schalke Gunning For Fulham’s Riether CHALkE want to sign SonlyFulham’s Sascha Riether one month after the defender signed permanent terms at Craven Cottage -but the German club will not pay over the odds. The right-back impressed last season when on loan from Cologne and subse-

quently earned a long-term deal in May. But Schalke now wants to take Riether back to Germany and their ability to offer UEFA Champions League football could work in their favour. However, the Bundesliga club’s general manager, Horst Heldt, does not want to pay a

ishing fourth in the 2012/13 Serie A, are also said to be lining up a bid for Villa, along with Barcelona squad-mate Jonathan Dos Santos. And Villa’s representative, Victor Onate, told Tuttomercatoweb: “It would be an exaggeration to speak about an official interest but we know Fiorentina’s plans and they are fascinating. “I know the technical director, Eduardo Macia, with whom I worked in Valencia, and we are constantly in touch. “Fiorentina’s season was good and they want to grow again.”

in the elite European competition by finishing second in Serie A last season, their best result since they last won the Scudetto in 1990. De Laurentiis is aiming to push on further from that mark, and said: “Rafa Benitez is an international name. “We have made very big progress in the last four years and I hope in the next five years to jump again and again and again. “Benitez will help in that process of going up, with results which will put us in the condition to play - I hope for ever - in the Champions League.”

Cavani

Isco’s Future Could Be Decided Today ALAGA forward, Isco says M his future could be decided by today, with

Manchester City and Real Madrid waiting in the wings. The Spanish starlet, who big fee for the 30-year-old. helped his country to “If the asking price is too European U21 Championship high, it will not happen,” Heldt is quoted as saying in the Daily Star. Riether made 34 appearances in the Premier League in the last campaign and was named Fulham’s Player of the Season.

Villa May Head To Fiorentina, Agent Hints Ambitious Fiorentina, who The opportunity to play firstAVID Villa’s agent has hintD ed that the Barcelona strik- will play in the Europa team football will likely er would consider a move to League next season after fin- prove a main factor in Villa’s Fiorentina this summer. Reports continue to suggest the former Valencia forward will leave Camp Nou following the €57 million (£48.6m) arrival of Brazil superstar Neymar. Spain’s all-time record goalscorer Villa has consequently been linked with a host of clubs around Europe, including Premier League derby rivals Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur. “It would be an exaggeration to speak about an official interest but we know Fiorentina’s plans and they are fascinating,” said Villa’s agent.

with Real Madrid seemingly favourites to sign the Uruguay international. Napoli president Aurelio de Laurentiis claimed Friday that City are not prepared to meet their £53.6million asking price for Cavani. And with Chelsea not in contact as yet, De Laurentiis said Real are the only club to have made an acceptable offer. Cavani, who scored 38 goals last season, is one of the hottest properties in the world game and has been consistently linked with a bigmoney move. But it appears City’s interest in the 26-year-old, who scored three goals against them in two Champions League games in 2011, could be cooling. De Laurentiis said: “Manchester City have not the money to pay for Cavani. The Abu Dhabi (owners) have said they will never spend €63m for Cavani. “They say, ‘We can give other things’, but they are not in the interest of our club.” The name of City striker Edin Dzeko was mentioned later in the press conference. De Laurentiis added: “Chelsea? Certain kind of agents may tell you Chelsea will call you, but maybe he has spoken with somebody who has spoken with somebody, who has spoken with somebody who says ‘maybe’. “My company never received a call. It is very difficult to pay the €63m because Financial Fair Play is conditioning everybody. “At this time, Real Madrid are the only club who have made a firm offer for Cavani. It is human, if Real Madrid call, to answer. He knows he has a clause and must decide.”

De Laurentiis was speaking at a press conference to unveil new coach Rafael Benitez, who professed himself delighted to have joined a Champions League side who are “still growing”. Benitez was announced last month as the successor to Walter Mazzarri in the Naples hot-seat and said Friday: “I am very happy, very happy. “A lot of journalists are here from different countries, that shows the club is growing. We are in the Champions League and still growing.” Napoli secured their place

decision-making process, especially with the 2014 World Cup on the horizon. It could likely to be the 31year-old’s last major international tournament and he will not want to miss out when Spain attempt to defend their world title. Asked about the possibility of Villa moving away from Barcelona, Onate added: “Leaving a club like this is not easy. But next year there is the World Cup and the boy will face it as a protagonist. “If he was to leave, we will seek for an important project. Italy or England makes Isco no difference.”

glory on Tuesday, has found himself at the centre of a transfer tug-of-war since the 2012/13 campaign came to a close. With Malaga’s financial struggles well-documented, and with coach Manuel

Pellegrini having decided to leave his post for one at the Etihad Stadium, it did not take long for Isco to become one of European football’s hottest properties. City and Real have led the chase from the start, and are known to have put offers to the talented 21-year-old. They are now waiting to hear back, with conflicting reports suggesting that both clubs consider themselves favourites to secure Isco’s signature. Both are already wellstocked for creativity - with City having added Fernandinho and Jesus Navas to a group which already includes Samir Nasri and David Silva, while Real’s midfield options include the likes of Luka Modric, Angel Di Maria, Mesut Ozil and kaka. Isco would face fierce competition for a starting berth at either club and is determined to make the right call for his career. He has thought long and hard about his decision, keeping everyone waiting, but has now hinted that a lengthy transfer saga is nearing a conclusion. He said: “I prefer not to comment about my future, but

THE GUARDIAN, Sunday, June 23, 2013

THE GuARDIAN Sunday, June 23, 2013

SPORTS

Neymar Among World’s Best Three, Says Scolari Felipe Scolari firmly ltheuIz believes Neymar is among ...Would Love To Train Balotelli world’s three best footballers. The 21-year-old Barcelona superstar was instrumental in the Selecao’s victories over Japan and Mexico, scoring an audacious goal in both games and producing a terrific assist for Jo in the latter. With the Azzurri the next test on the horizon, Scolari believes his player is now up there with the likes of lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo on current form. “Neymar is one of the three best players in the world,” the 64-year-old told AS. “In Brazil we all know what he is capable of and we have seen him do some amazing things for a 21-year-old.” Neymar has been touted to reach the top for a number of years now, with some claiming he could one day better Messi’s current exploits by the end of his career. He made his Brazil debut in August 2010, and has won 36 caps, scoring 22 goals in the process. The former Santos man signed for Barcelona earlier this month in a deal worth €57m. Meanwhile, Scolari has admitted that he would love to work with Mario Balotelli. The Azzurri striker has been in fine form since his January move to AC Milan from Manchester City and the

Selecao boss believes he would form a perfect partnership with Neymar. “Balotelli is very strong and I would love to train him,” he told reporters.

“Our defenders know his qualities already. He reminds me of Serginho from the 1982 World Cup squad and would make a perfect partnership with Neymar.”

Neymar

Tahiti Gets last Chance To Delight Growing Fan Base HE little team with the big T heart will have one more chance to entertain its rapidly growing fan base in today at the Confederations Cup. Tahiti, a team of mostly amateurs that has been outscored 16-1 in their opening two matches at the World Cup warm-up tournament, will face uruguay at the Arena Pernambuco in their final Group B match. Although Tahiti has little to play for after being eliminated following a 10-0 drubbing by Spain on Thursday, uruguay will be expecting all three points as it tries to reach the semifinals. Tahiti, however, has won over the Brazilian public and many other football fans around the globe. With only one professional player in the squad, the South Pacific islanders qualified for the Confederations Cup by win-

ning the Oceania Nations Cup. Against world champion Spain on Thursday at the Maracana Stadium, Tahiti went on the attack right from the start and looked good despite the end result. “It’s great to play in an offensive way, but your defense should not collapse,” said Tahiti coach Eddie Etaeta, who was moved by the overwhelming support his team has received from the local fans. “We may lose again on Sunday (today) against uruguay, but we’ve touched the hearts of the Brazilian people.’’ Spain, which plays Nigeria at the same time in Fortaleza, leads Group B with six points. Both uruguay and Nigeria are next with three points, while Tahiti is last with zero. With all three points from an expected win, uruguay will

assure itself a spot in the semifinals if Spain gets at least a draw against Nigeria. That’s why uruguay was more focused on Thursday’s 2-1 win over Nigeria than their final group match against the Tahitians. “Since the draw we knew that this was the huge match to play,’’ uruguay coach Oscar Tabarez said of Thursday’s victory. ‘’We have taken a huge step toward the semifinals but we’re not there yet.” uruguay will be expected to have both luis Suarez and Diego Forlan up front, and both will be capable of pouring in the goals. Etaeta will be ready for the onslaught. “It’s true,” Etaeta said, “that when you qualify and come to the Confederations Cup you immediately realise that it will be very difficult, almost impossible, to compete with such a high level of teams.”

Prandelli Sorry For Balotelli’s Quip TAly boss Cesare Prandelli IMario has apologised for saying Balotelli’s skin colour was the reason he was the only player allowed to leave the team hotel in Salvador. The Azzurri Confederations Cup squad were kept inside on Friday to ensure they avoided the ongoing protests going on in the city and further afield.

AC Milan striker Balotelli was the exception, though, because he was doing charity work. Prandelli was quoted in the Daily Mail as saying at a press conference: “He was the only one who had permission because his colour is a little different than ours.” But later in the press confer-

ence, he clarified his comments saying: “I’m sorry. It was a joke. Of course. Before I said something about the colour of our skin. I am glad we clarified that issue about why he was the only one allowed out. “He was surrounded by all these people but he was working with a charity and doing something nice.”

TheGuardian

Sunday, June 23, 2013

Conscience, Nurtured by Truth

Nigeria’s Abdul Ajagun scores a goal during a group stage football match between Nigeria and Portugal at the FIFA Under 20 World Cup at Kadir Has Stadium in Kayseri on Friday.

Confedration Cup

Super Eagles Aim To Shock Spain Again UPER Eagles will hope to SSpain shock world champions late again today in Fortaleza at the 2013 Confederations Cup in Brazil. Nigeria shocked the world when they beat highly-rated Spain 3-2 at the 1998 World Cup in Nantes, France with Sunday Oliseh’s superb goal a deserving winner. The first meeting between the two teams was at the 1968 Olympics when Spain

thrashed Nigeria 3-0. Spain currently set the pace in the group with six points from two games, while Nigeria are third on three points with Uruguay in second place. Nigeria will need a big win against Spain to reach the semi-finals as Uruguay are expected to run up the scores against whipping boys, Tahiti also today. Eagles defender, Efe

Ambrose told MTNFootball.com the world champions are beatable. “What is important to us now is to be focussed. It is a match we know we need to win and to achieve that we need maximum concentration,” Ambrose said. “Spain can be beaten, all we need do is play as a team and take our chances and remain united. We have a good chance to beat Spain. We are

Africa number one and have no reason to be afraid of any team. We will give our best.” Chelsea midfielder, John Mikel Obi has shone in Brazil and said Nigeria can hold their own against any team in the world. He is particularly happy to be playing against his Chelsea teammate Fernando Torres. “We will do our best to salvage the situation,” he said.

However, the Eagles are sweating in the fitness of Ahmed Musa, Kenneth Omeruo and Nnamdi Oduamadi after they received serious knocks in Thursday’s gritty loss to South American champions, Uruguay. Ever impressive central defender, Kenneth Omeruo has a deep cut just above his eyes and has been wearing a plaster since after the game.

FIFA U20 World Cup: Ajagun Promises To Fightback IGERIA skipper, N Abduljaleel Ajagun has promised a fight back by the team after they lost 3-2 to Portugal in an opening U20 World Cup game. “We are all disappointed we lost the game, but we are also looking forward to our next game against Cuba on Monday (tomorrow),” said

Ajagun, whose two secondhalf goals were not enough to stop a Portugal victory on Friday night in front of over 10,000 fans at the Kadir Has Stadium in Kayseri. “We will improve in our next game and score the goals that will get us back in the competition.” Coach John Obuh also said

the match against Cuba should now be the focus. “It was a keenly contested game but unfortunately we lost, this was not what we had hoped for,” Obuh said. “We have to take the defeat in good faith so as to face the next game because we have to qualify to the next round.” Portugal raced to a two-goal

lead in the first half. The tricky Bruma, who was not at the Toulon International Tournament on account of an U19 engagement, made his presence felt on the half hour when he put away his chance after he was set up by skipper, Joao Mario. Big striker, Aladje, who was a major injury doubt before

Published by Guardian Newspapers Limited, Rutam House, Isolo, Lagos Tel: 4489600, 2798269, 2798270, 07098147948, 07098147951 Fax: 4489712; Advert Hotline Lagos: 7736351, Abuja: 07098513445 All correspondence to Guardian Newspapers Limited, P.M.B. 1217, Oshodi, Lagos, Nigeria. (ISSN NO 0189-5125) Editor: E-mail letters@ngrguardiannews.com ABRAHAM OBOMEYOMA OGBODO • A member of the Audit Bureau of Circulation ••ABC

this match, then made it 2-0 four minutes after goalkeeper Samuel Okani failed to hold on to a low cross from the left. However, the Flying Eagles fought back gamely after the interval with skipper Ajagun grabbing two goals to draw his team level. First, he put away a pass from Olanrewaju Kayode after 57 minutes and 10 minutes later got his team at par when his delightful free kick beat outstanding Portugal goalkeeper Jose Sa.

PHOTO: AFP

Nadal, Murray In Federer’s Way At Wimbledon OGER Federer faces a R tough road to another Wimbledon final after Friday’s draw threw Rafa Nadal and home favourite, Andy Murray into the champion’s path and cleared the way for world number one Novak Djokovic. The third seed could face Spaniard Nadal, seeded only fifth to reflect his current ranking as he works his way back from injury, in what would likely be an epic quarter-final on the grass of southwest London. Federer and Nadal, the big danger in the draw, played three finals in 2006, 2007 and 2008. If the Swiss seven-times winner gets through the quarterfinal, he faces a potential clash with last year’s finalist, Murray in the semi-finals. World number one Novak Djokovic would be on course to face seventh seed Tomas Berdych in the quarter-finals but will avoid any of his three main rivals until the final. Djokovic plays Florian Mayer in his opening match and also has fourth seed David Ferrer in his half of the draw. Nadal, the eight-times French Open winner who suffered a shock second-round defeat in London last year, starts out against Belgian Steve Darcis while Federer’s first opponent is Romanian Victor Hanescu. Second seed Murray’s opener is against world number 95 Benjamin Becker, the 31year-old German he beat in the quarter-finals on his way to victory in the Aegon Championships at Queen’s Club last week.