FRI 08 MAR 2013 The Guardian Nigeria

TheGuardian ‘Why licensed oil blocks can’t operate’ Conscience, Nurtured by Truth

Friday, March 8, 2013

Vol. 29, No. 12,489

By Roseline Okere IGHT years after some oilE prospecting companies were issued licences, they are

still finding it difficult to begin operations due to encumbrances such as paucity of funds, inability to perfect documents, marginality of re-

serve and productivity.

A document obtained by The Guardian from the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) showed that operations of the oil blocks have delayed take-off due to their inability to access funds, difficulty in agreeing to operational synergies with original

International Oil Companies (IOCs), the increasing cost of labour, goods and service, technology limitations and problems. community It was learnt that there are 200 marginal oil fields in the Niger Delta Basin with a maximum reserve base of about five billion barrels of oil.

www.ngrguardiannews.com

In 2004, the Federal Government issued licences to 31 companies to acquire 24 marginal oil fields. But only nine of these fields are into production, according to the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR).

Besides, only a few of the 77 oil blocks awarded to oil firms in

2005 have even started production.

In a licensing round held in March 2005, Nigeria offered a total of 77 deepwater and inland blocks. The following companies, among others, became equity holders in Nigeria’s oil blocks: Buston Energy Resources Limited, OPL 901;

N150

Gas Transmission & Power Limited, OPL 905; Afren Global Energy Resources Limited (AGER), OPL 907 and 917; Taleveras - MTM Petroleum SPV, OPL 914; New Nigeria Development Company, 809, 810, 722 and 733; Jevkon Oil CONTINUED ON PAGE 2

Debe not known to us as OdumegwuOjukwu’s son, family tells court

By Joseph Onyekwere GRANDSON of the late Sir A Louis Ojukwu, founder of Ojukwu Transport Limited (OTL), Lotanna Ojukwu, has countered the prayers of Chief Debe Odumegwu-Ojukwu, the purported first son of the late Chief Chukwuemeka Odumegwu-Ojukwu, who is seeking the leave of court to enforce his fundamental human rights as a member of the family.

Lotanna, in a 22-paragraph affidavit deposed to before a Federal High Court in Lagos stated that Debe was never a grandson of Sir Lious Ojukwu.

“The applicant, to the best of my knowledge, as well as to the Ojukwu family, is not and has never been a grandchild of the late Sir L.P.O. Ojukwu”, he swore, stressing that all the respondents did know him as a son of Emeka Odumegwu-

CONTINUED ON PAGE 2

President Goodluck Jonathan (right) and Borno State Govenor Kashim Shettima, during the President’s visit to Maiduguri, Borno State… yesterday.

PHOTO: STATE HOUSE

Jonathan in Borno, says govt can’t grant Boko Haram amnesty now From Saxone Akhaine (Northern Bureau Chief) and Njadvara Musa (Maiduguri) RESIDENT Goodluck P Jonathan has declared that the Federal Government can-

not discuss amnesty with Boko Haram now unless its members clearly identify themselves along with their grievances to government.

He said it was not possible to grant amnesty to ghosts.

Jonathan made the declaration yesterday at a stakeholders’ meeting at the

• North East seeks N100 billion rehabilitation scheme • Belgore, others blame foreign interests for insecurity Government House, Damaturu, during his one-day working visit to Yobe State.

Besides, a former Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Alfa Belgore (rtd), Governor of Benue State, Gabriel Suswam and other prominent north-

erners have identified the influence of foreign interests as responsible for the insecurity in the North. They alleged that Boko Haram was receiving external support to destabilise Nigeria.

At the meeting with Jonathan,

the stakeholders, comprising top government officials, members of the National and State Houses of Assembly, elder statesmen, traders and community leaders, also urged the Federal Government to launch a N100 billion

Boko Haram Rehabilitation and Reform (BHRR) programme and oil exploration in the Lake Chad Basin, and bring an end to an alleged Federal Government’s marginalisation of the North-East sub-region since 1960.

Senators end row, okay PIB for second reading – Page 5

On the amnesty for Boko Haram members, Jonathan said: “You cannot declare amnesty for ghosts. Boko Haram is still operating as a ghost. You don’t see the person. I am from the Niger Delta and I know the amnesty that has been declared by the President while I was the vice president.

“But even some of these names you hear like John Dakubo, when I was deputy governor of Bayelsa… I came for a meeting with President

CONTINUED ON PAGE 2

THE GUARDIAN, Friday, March 8, 2013

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Northerners seek N100b reform scheme CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Obasanjo and that was the first time I met Asari at the Presidential Villa. I did not see them and I did not even know them. In the Niger Delta, if you call them they will come. And they will tell you their grievances rightly or wrongly. But they will be there to tell you.

That is what we want from Boko Haram.

“This is why we are doing this.

But the Boko Haram, did you see anybody that is a Boko Haram?”

The President told the stakeholders at the interactive session that amnesty could not

be declared for Boko Haram.

He said: “For you to declare amnesty, you must be communicating with people. You cannot declare amnesty for people that are operating under a veil! So we have not even discussed the issue of amnesty. Let them tell us their problems.”

Jonathan added: “If amnesty will solve the problem, that problem has been answered.

We can design the amnesty.”

He, however, noted that even the Niger Delta amnesty was poorly managed.

On oil exploration, he said that since seismic survey in the Lake Chad Basin was not

the business of government, N12 billion was budgeted for oil exploration in the basin, while in this year’s budget, N16 billion was appropriated and signed.

He added: “I am coming to Borno and Yobe states in June this year along with the group managing director of NNPC and the minister of state for finance to account for what they have done with the N28 billion oil exploration funds in the Lake Chad. It is thereafter that people will see the hitting of oil and gas in the North East sub-region of this country.”

Responding to Senator Bukar Abba Ibrahim’s alleged marginalisation by government, the President said: “ Senator Bukar was saying that the marginalisation of the North

East started in 1960; and that is difficult for me. Even if he was the governor he could not solve the problem. But I believe that we will work together to make the whole country developed. I also observed that the North East has the highest number of ministers of state, but I will ensure that in the next federal cabinet reshuffle, the North East geo-political zone gets more ministers into my cabinet to enable them to redress the marginalisation issue.”

In addressing the North East sub-region’s desertification problems, he said the Green Wall Project had been allocated N10 billion, under which irrigation projects would be established.

While receiving the president at the council chamber, Gover-

nor Ibrahim Gaidam said his administration had been expending billions of naira on fighting the Boko Haram insurgency for three years and a half.

Gaidam lamented: “Funds that could have been used for the provision of social services are being depleted on the fight against insurgency. It is in this regard that I make a special appeal to Mr. President to come to our rescue by allocating intervention funds to the state government to enable it to cope with the current security challenges.”

At a town hall meeting in Arewa House, Kaduna yesterday, northern leaders agreed that the existing security problems in the nation may be linked to the warning by the American government to political leaders to be wary of Nigeria being

‘Debe not known to us as Odumegwu-Ojukwu’s son’ CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Ojukwu.

Debe had sued OTL, asking the court to enforce his fundamental human rights. Joined in the suit are Prof. Joseph Ojukwu, Emmanuel Ojukwu, Lotanna, Bianca Ojukwu, Patricia Ojukwu, Mrs. Margaret Mogbo (nee Ojukwu), Inspector-General of Police, former Commissioner of Police, Anambra State, Ibrahim Muktar and Mike Okoli, Deputy Commissioner of Police, Anambra State.

The applicant, in his originating motion, sought the court to declare that serial and sustained threat by the second, third and fourth respondents during a meeting with the applicant in Lagos to maim or kill him if he did not stop interfering with the management of property owned OTL (first respondent) violates his right to life as guaranteed by the constitution.

He also wants a declaration that his denial and exclusion by the respondents from perform-

ing the dust-to-dust funeral rites during the burial of his father, Emeka Odumegwu-Ojukwu, was unconstitutional, illegal and wrong. According to him, such act violates his fundamental rights to the dignity of his person and freedom from discrimination as guaranteed by the constitution.

In his 57-paragraph affidavit, Debe maintains that he is a bonafide member of Ojukwu family born to Emeka Ojukwu of Umudim Nnewi, Anambra State and his wife Margaret, on August 3, 1956. He averred that he was having a flourishing career in the Nigerian Police Force when his services were suddenly truncated at the instance of the second, third, fourth and fifth respondents who came begging him to go and manage OTL on their behalf even though they did not contribute anything to his upbringing.

“All the children and grandchildren of the founder of the first respondent had enjoyed full care, attention, nurture and qualitative education at the expense of

the estate as stipulated by the said founder, the late Sir Louis Odumegwu-Ojukwu, but all of these were denied me by the respondents till date,” he claimed.

But Lotanna, in response, denied the allegations and described the application as misconceived and replete with falsehood, adding that the Ojukwu family is not aware of any Margaret ever being a wife of the late Emeka Odumegwu-Ojukwu.

He said: “ In further answer to the above more particularly paragraph 34 of the affidavit in support of motion, it is on record that the applicant who was given some of the property of the first respondent to manage for 12 years starting from 1995 to 2007 did not make any returns to the first respondent.

The first respondent decided not to renew the management agreement it had with the applicant. The applicant instituted suit No. LD/794/2011 against the first respondent and some of its directors. The suit is still pending in the court as at date.”

a failed nation by 2015.

Belgore who chaired the town hall meeting organised by a Northern-based Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO), known as Come And Let Us Reason Together (CITAR), declared that “God Almighty is very kind to this country. From three, four years ago they were saying that in 2015 Nigeria will not exist, they are lying, we shall be there.”

“When you look at what is happening now, some people taking up arms, majority of the people shooting in North East of Nigeria are not from Nigeria. They were trained in neighbouring countries by those people who were saying we are not going to exist. What they don’t know is that God has united this country, not language, not religion because in a family there is Muslim, there is Christian, even atheist. Even among the Christian sect, there are Catholics, there are Methodists, there are Anglicans. We love ourselves so much. So whatever method is used to divide us, we are going to be victorious and Nigeria will remain one forever.”

Suswam who delivered the keynote address on the occasion explained that “Nigeria as a country has always derived its strength from its diversity.”

Among the personalities on the occasion were former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Alhaji Ghali Na’Abba, former Military Administrator of Katsina State, Senator Joseph Aka’agaga, former Justice of the Supreme Court, Justice Umar Kalgo, National Treasurer of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Bala Koaje, Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) Chairman, Alhaji Aliko Muhammed, and representatives of Governors of Kaduna, Kano and Kebbi states.

‘Why licensed oil blocks can’t operate’ CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

Limited, OPL 723; Chinig Partnership Global Services Limited, OPL 732; Clean Waters Refinery Limited, OPL 233; and Inlaks Petroleum Resources, 240. and 239 OPL Already, the Federal Government has extended the farmout date of the non-producing marginal fields by four years with effect from 2011 to enable the companies to address their challenges and bring the production. into fields It was learnt that these companies have limited assets and finance to participate effectively in the business.

It is estimated that a marginal field in the Niger Delta Basin will cost about $50 to $80 million as development cost for a few years. Foreign technical or financial partners will in most cases contribute 40 per cent of amount. this Amid these low performing companies, the Federal Government appears bent on issuing another round of oil-prospecting licences as soon as the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) is passed.

There were 26 companies involved in marginal oil fields, many of which partnered international companies to provide technical expertise and finance. They are Associated Oil & Gas Limited; Bayelsa Oil Company Limited; Bicta Energy Management Services Limited; Brittania U-Nig Chorus

Energy Dansaki Petroleum; Unlimited Del Sigma Energie Eurafric Energy Limited; Excel Frontier Oil Limited and Goland Petroleum DevelopLimited.

Co. ment Others are Guarantee Petroleum Limited; Independent Energy Limited; Midwestern Oil & Gas; Millenium Oil & Gas Limited; Movido Exploration & Production Limited; Network Exploration & Production Limited; Niger Delta Petroleum Resources Limited; Pillar Oil Limited; Platform Petroleum Limited; Prime Exploration & Production; Sahara Sogenal Limited; Universal Energy Resources Limited and Petroman.

Waltersmith Nine of the 24 companies granted licences are into production and they are Midwestern Oil and Gas Company Limited with current average of production daily 10,786bpd; Oriental Energy Resources Limited, 36,872bpd; Britannia-U Nigeria Limited, 2,333bpd; Energia Limited, 3,256bpd; Niger Delta Petroleum Resources, 1,048bpd; Pillar Oil Limited, 2,487bpd, Walter Smith Petroman Oil Limited, 3,395bpd and Frontier Oil Limited, 3-6mmscf per day.

The DPR confirmed to The Guardian that start-up assets were largely sub-economic for some of the companies that were unable to start production.

It listed other challenges to

include the inability to access funds with the right people, difficulty in agreeing to operational synergies with original International Oil Companies increasing the cost of (IOCs), people, goods and service, technology limitations and problems. community The DPR said that the Federal Government had extended the farm-out date of the nonproducing marginal fields by four years with effect from 2011 to enable the companies to address the challenges and bring the fields into production.

The Executive Director, Production & Exploration of Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Abiye Membere, told The Guardian that some of the owners of the oil blocks had complained about funds as the reason for the delay in the take-off of blocks. oil some Membere said: “Some of them have problems with funding.

The truth is that no one will buy any oil block and will refuse to produce it. When they do not have the necessary financial backing, it is going to be difficult for them to do anyserious.” thing In his response to the non-passage of the PIB as the possible reason for the delay, Membere stated: “PIB should not be an issue. Anybody mentioning PIB is just giving an excuse. Payment of signature bonus should not also be a problem because the investors were al-

ready aware of their contractual obligation before taking up blocks.” oil the To check this trend, some stakeholders feel that the Federal Government should reverse fiscal terms to a flat rate of 50 per cent and suspend royalty payment for a minimum of two to three years from the start of production to ensure profitability for marginal field operators.

They feel the Federal Government should consider a tax holiday of three years by suspending VAT, import fees and education tax to ensure the profitability of the marginal fields.

While speaking at the February meeting of the Nigerian Association of Petroleum Explorationists (NAPE) at the weekend, the Managing Director of Seplat Petroleum, Austin Avuru, said that apart from NNPC/NPDC, the key game changer in the affairs of the enterprising independents was the ability to build operational capacity and raise adequate funds to finance their growth.

“If this is done, production from Nigerian independents could top 250 kbpd by 2015”, he said.

“The result will be a new dawn for Nigerian independents unaccelerated by derlined growth, renewed onshore exploration, appraisal and development campaigns as well as accelerated gas development,” added. he

THE GUARDIAN, Friday, March 8, 2013

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THE GUARDIAN, Friday, March 8, 2013

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Govt dodging debate on foreign reserve, says Ezekwesili From Mathias Okwe, Abuja VEN as security agencies E have started probe of ministries and parastatals under

Editor, The Guardian, Martins Oloja (left); Managing Director, Guardian Newspapers Limited (GNL), Emeka Izeze, and wife of the late Assistant Political Editor, John-Abba Ogbodo, Veronica, during a condolence visit by GNL Management to the Ogbodos in Abuja… yesterday.

PHOTO: LADIDI LUCY ELUKPO

President to monitor constituency projects From Mathias Okwe ( Assistant Business Editor, Abuja)

• Govt implements Oronsaye panel’s report

RESIDENT Goodluck P Jonathan is to monitor the implementation of con-

President has appointed his Minister of Special Duties to undertake this task in addition to his regular schedule.

She also said that the 2013 budget makes provision for an aggregate expenditure of N4.987 trillion, representing a modest increase of 6.2 per cent over the N4.697 trillion appropriated for 2012. This is made up of N387.97 billion for Statutory Transfers; N591.76 billion for Debt Service; N2.38 trillion for Recurrent (NonDebt) Expenditure, of which N1.717 trillion is the provision for personnel cost while overhead cost is projected at N208.9; and a total of N1.62 trillion has been provisioned for Capital Expenditure.

In addition, N273.5 billion has been provisioned for the Subsidy Reinvestment (SURE-P) programme.

Government, according to the minister, remains focused on critical economic and social sectors. Some of these sectors are largely driven by private sector activities, while others require a great deal of public sector support.

She listed some of the key al-

stituency projects always requested by members of the National Assembly and included in the Federal Government spending plan.

The sum of N100 billion has been set aside for constituency projects in the 2013 budget.

Also, to cut down on the cost of governance, the Federal Government will this year start the implementation of Stephen Oronsaye’s panel recommendations of the reduction in cost of governance in the country.

Disclosing this to journalists yesterday in Abuja on the recently signed N4.987 trillion 2013 budget, Minister of Finance, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, said the aim was to track the amount involved and ensure that it was actually spent on the projects submitted so as to account for the funds.

Hitherto, members of the National Assembly were allowed to superintend the use of the funds and project implementation.

Already, she revealed that the

locations as follows: Critical Infrastructure (including Power, Works, Transport, Aviation, Gas pipelines, and Federal Capital Territory) – N497 billion; Human Capital Development (i.e. Education and Health) – N705 billion; and Agriculture/Water Resources – N175 billion. Over N950 billion which was also allocated for national security purposes, comprised: N320 billion for the Police, N364 billion for the Armed Forces, N115 billion for the Office of the NSA, and N154 billion for the Ministry of the Interior.

On the key priorities of the 2013 budget, the minister said: “First, the cost of governance is coming down! Government has sustained its policy of re-balancing its expenditure in favour of capital investment over the medium term. I am therefore pleased to announce that the share of recurrent spending in total expenditure has reduced from 74.4 per cent in 2011 to 67.5 per cent in 2013. Similarly, capital spending as a share of total expenditure has increased from 25.6 per cent in

2011 to 32.5 per cent in 2013.

“Second, on debt management, we remain committed to … maturing debt obligations, and have also set aside N25 billion in a sinking fund to be used for retirement of maturing debt obligations in the future. Government has further reduced yearly domestic borrowing to finance the budget deficit from N852 billion in 2011, to N744 in 2012, and now to N577 billion in 2013!

“We are also making concerted efforts to defray the debts of our foreign missions. In this context, we have made a provision of N13 billion in the 2013 budget to help clear accumulated debts as at the cut-off date of June 2012. Government has also established a committee under the Chairmanship of the Minister of Foreign Affairs, which will work out a system to better manage the assets of our foreign missions.

“Third, let me turn to infrastructure investments. We recognise that Nigeria’s infrastructure deficit remains one of the binding constraints to growth in the economy.

Therefore, our strategy is to prioritise infrastructure investments in the budget, and also to leverage additional external financing for infrastructure investments in the country.

“We plan to augment our domestic resources with a proposed $1 billion EuroBond as well as a Nigeria Diaspora Bond which will harness savings from Nigerians abroad.

These additional financial resources will be invested in various infrastructure projects such as building the country’s gas to power infrastructure. We plan to use PPPs aggressively.

“We successfully resolved these changes in the past two weeks, and Mr. President will send a proposal to the National Assembly for amendment of the 2013 Budget. Let me also add here that Mr. President has assigned the Minister of Special Duties to assist in overseeing the implementation of the N100 billion constituency projects across the country.

“For example, Budget 2013 has some important infrastructure projects in the transportation sector, such as the second Niger Bridge.”

Hope rises for traders as Okorocha, Fashola visit Ladipo Market

By Anthony Chidubem Nwachukwu, Chijioke Iremeka and Abdulwaheed Usamah

Ndigbo, Lagos gov chart part for progress

OPE of reopening the H Ladipo Spare Parts Market in Mushin, Lagos, which was

formally presented its new leadership to the governor.

Meanwhile, Fashola told the guest-governor and traders that the developmental efforts in Mushin Local Council stopped a kilometre away from the market because the contractors could not access the market, which he added, would be re-opened as soon as cleaning and demolition exercise were complete.

According to him, the work has become a joint effort by the traders, their leaders and the government: “Most traders are tax-payers and government cannot leave them behind while developing other sectors.

“The state government and traders have no problem, we

shut almost two weeks ago, rose as Imo State Governor, Rochas Okorocha, and his Lagos State counterpart, Babatunde Raji Fashola, visited the market yesterday to determine the extent of work done.

Okorocha’s visit came on the heels of the recent courtesy visit to Fashola by the umbrella body of all Igbo in Lagos, Ndigbo Lagos, which stressed that it exists to promote common interests and enhance harmonious co-existence between its people and their host community. Led by its President-General, Prof. Anya O. Anya, the group exchanged views with government and

only need to do some work and finish it so that the traders can get back to their daily commercial activities. The factories in and around the market must be able to operate and keep our young people at work, while traders are doing their own businesses.”

Also, Okorocha said: “When I heard that business was not moving well, I decided to come and determine what went wrong. I have seen the work done, against the first impression I had. Fashola had also promised to embark on meaningful projects that could make the traders happy.”

He appealed to the governor to fix the remaining part of the roads in the market, which

were yet to receive attention, stating: “As a performing governor, I know he would give me this as a gift to one’s friend.

I’m sure once this is done, he will make the market look like any other part of the state.

“I want to appeal to traders to show understanding and shun factionalisation. Cooperate with him and I will be here to launch the new Ladipo with electricity, water and good road networks.”

According to a release sent to The Guardian by the Publicity Secretary, Chuma Igwe, Ndigbo Lagos also used the opportunity to raise the issue of Ladipo Spare Parts Market, which closure coincided with the visit, as well as the frictions in other markets. It pleaded

for the reopening of the market, even as it “condemned the deficit of good conduct and orderliness by operators in the market.”

In his response, the statement noted, the governor immediately set up a committee comprising four commissioners and a general manager of LASG, as well as seven persons appointed by Ndigbo Lagos, to investigate all issues causing the persistent friction at Ladipo and other mentioned markets, and report back to him.

On grievances and complaints by non-indigenes on the high handedness by LASG enforcement officials, the governor enjoined all residents in Lagos to take advantage of the structures put in place to handle grievances, just as he condemned any resort to

immediate past Dr. Oby Ezekwesili, the former minister has alleged that the Federal Government was evading debate on the controversial issue of the correct amount of foreign reserve left by Obasanjo’s administration.

Ezekwesili expressed her disappointment in a statement she circulated in Abuja yesterday. She stated that since the Nigerian government agrees that there was leakage in the system, it was necessary for a public debate to put the matter to rest.

Her words: “Well, since they are finally admitting “Fiscal Leakages”, perhaps with a debate we can all learn more. The Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, more than anyone knows that my speech stated that the foreign reserve was $45 billion and not the “$67 billion foreign reserve” they have been quoting to paint the picture of “false accusation” and hence manipulate and distract everyone.

“He knows that they are distorting the point of my article by using their “straw number” of $67 billion which I did not use in my speech. My speech stated $45 billion foreign reserve and $22 billion ECA and he more than anyone knows that Excess Crude Account is a sub-set of foreign reserve!

“Sanusi knows that the foreign reserve is a “composite” or “aggregate” amount of ALL official foreign exchange belonging to a country. So, I wonder why they are seeking to confuse the point for citizens?

He knows that I separated the ECA amount in that speech deliberately to make a separate point on the terrible fiscal choices of expenditure that wrecked what was supposed to be “savings for rainy days”.

Adamawa Assembly passes Fiscal Responsibility Bill DAMAWA State House of A Assembly yesterday passed the state’s Fiscal Responsibility Bill.

The passage followed the consideration and adoption of a report submitted at the plenary by the House Committee on Finance, Appropriation and Budget.

According to a News Agency of Nigeria (NANS) report, the House Majority Leader, Ishaq Bala (PDP Yola-North), moved for the third reading and passage of the bill into law, and was seconded by Alhaji Usman Lamorde (PDP MubiSouth).

The Speaker, Alhaji Ahmadu Fintiri, directed the Clerk of the House to prepare a clean copy of the law and send same to the governor for his assent.

Lamorde said the law provides for the establishment of a Fiscal Responsibility Commission that would enforce sound fiscal management regime. He described the law, which was sponsored by the Executive, as a major breakthrough for the state.

He said it would promote prudence, transparency and accountability in the management of financial resources of the state government.

THE GUARDIAN, Friday, March 8, 2013

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News NECO releases Nov/Dec 2012 SSCE results From John Ogiji, Minna HE National Examinations T Council (NECO), has released its November /December Senior Schools Certificate Examinations, (SSCE) results with a slight improvement in the performance of candidates compared to the previous years.

According to the results released yesterday in Minna by the Registrar and Chief Executive of the council, Prof.

Promise Opara, out of the 75,623 candidates who sat for the examination, 41,228 passed with credits in Mathematics, representing (54.8 per cent) while English Language has 25,630 candidates who passed with credits and this represents 33.89 per cent.

However, examination malpractices still took a shine out of the minimal improvement recorded as 21,274 cases were recorded across the country among the 75, 623 candidates who sat for the exams out of the 83,755 candidates that actually registered for the exams.

On the table of malpractices, Taraba State topped the list with 563 cases, representing 18.82 per cent, closely followed by Imo with 1,343 cases representing 15.56 per cent of candidates that sat the examination, while Jigawa followed in tow with 14. 61per cent.

Court reinstates sacked council chief From Anietie Akpan, Calabar Cross River State High Court sitting in Calabar has reinstated the impeached Vice Chairman of Boki Local Government Area, Mr. Krees Ojonde Ojong. He was impeached in a questionable circumstance on February 12, 2012.

After over a year of litigation, Justice Obojor Ogar ordered the setting aside of all the procedural steps taken by the first and second defendants (Boki Legislative Council and its leader, Isaac Kekung respectively), leading to the removal of the claimant (Ojong) as Vice Chairman.

According to the judgement, the steps taken were in violation of the mandatory provisions of Section 12 (4) and (5) of the Local Government Law 2001.

Ojong was impeached by the Boki legislative council in Kakwagom Customary Court, which was outside Boki Legislative Chamber in Boje, the capital of Boki Local Government.

The Vice Chairman was alleged to have committed seven impeachable offences including a penchant for fomenting trouble, diversion of N40, 000 revenue to his personal account and refusal to honour invitations by the House among others.

A committee was constituted that found him guilty of three of the seven offences and consequently impeached.

Ojong had dragged the Boki Legislative Council, its leader, Isaac Kekung and deputy leader, James A. Asu to court.

A

Bisi Akande [left]; Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Chief launcher of the Book, Jim Ovia; Edo State Governor, Adams Oshiomhole; Ogun State Governor, Ibikunle Amosun and his wife, Olufunso; and Oyo State Governor Isiaka Ajimobi, during the Book Presentation titled: “Financialism, Water from an Empty Well” in Lagos…yesterday

Senators end row, okay PIB for second reading From Bridget Chiedu Onochie and Terhemba Daka (Abuja) FTER being on the trenches over the controversial Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB), warring northern and southern senators yesterday had to sheath their swords and unanimously endorsed the bill for a second reading.

Meanwhile, the House of Representatives yesterday moved to grant constitutional immunity to members of legislative Houses in Nigeria.

In a related development, the House yesterday passed for second reading a Bill to provide for the establishment of a National Commission Against the Proliferation of Small Arms and Light Weapons in the country.

Some senators had argued for the passage of the PIB, saying it was for the country’s benefits.

Senator Olubunmi Adetunbi

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• Reps seek constitutional immunity for legislative Houses • Canvass body on arms’ control (Ekiti North) harped on lack of regulatory agency for the petroleum sector. “My position on this bill is largely that of regulation because there are basic principles for regulatory authorities and I think that is what is missing in this bill”, he said.

Senator Smart Adeyemi (Kogi-West), had in his contribution, stressed that in canvassing national unity, efforts should be made to guarantee equity and balance. He hoped that the agency charged with the exploration of oil across the country in the bill would perform according to expectations.

Senate President, David Mark, who later intervened over the row at the end of a three-day debate, cautioned

that the bill should not be seen as North versus South, noting that what is good for one part of the country is equally good for the other.

He observed that in the course of the debate, lawmakers were united over certain provisions in the bill, including the power of Petroleum Minister, adequate funding and independence of frontier exploration agency, as well as the power of the President to issue licences to oil companies and award oil blocs.

Mark, who at this point succeeded in stabilising emotions and raging sentiments, described the bill as a worthy one. He, however, wondered if it would guarantee the much-expected transparency in the oil sector.

Referring the Bill to a joint committee on Petroleum UpStream, Petroleum DownStream, Judiciary and Gas for further legislative inputs, Mark called for clause by clause scrutiny so that at the end of the day, it is discarded for want of objectivity.

The Legislative Houses’ Powers and Privileges’ Act made provisions for certain level of immunity from civil and, or criminal proceedings, against lawmakers in the course of carrying out their duties.

But sponsors of the two Bills, which were consolidated for debate on the floor yesterday, Chairman of the House Committee on Justice, Ali Ahmed and Ralph Igbokwe, argued that past experiences have

shown that the Act was not in tandem with Section 4(8) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), and thus a challenge to its application.

The Bill, if passed into law, would prevent members of the Legislature from criminal and civil court cases being instituted against them in respect of the words spoken or written at the plenary sessions, or at committee proceedings, to the effect that such shall not be questioned in any court or any place outside the Parliament.

When established, the Parliament said the commission would coordinate and implement activities to fight against the proliferation of small arms and light weapons in Nigeria in line with the Economic Community of West African (ECOWAS) Convention on small arms and light weapons.

NAFDAC begins verification of HIV cure claims

By Chukwuma Muanya O ascertain the veracity of their acclaimed breakthroughs, the National Agency for Food Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has inaugurated a committee of professors of medicine to probe all the HIV cure claims in the country.

Meanwhile, the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN), National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA) and the Nigerian Academy of Science (NAS) have called for a replication of the United States procedure in Nigeria through clinical trials to test whether very early therapy can control infection in others.

The NAFDAC’s Director General, Dr. Paul Orhii, in an interview with The Guardian yesterday said the agency had inaugurated a committee of professors of medicine to verify all cure claims in Nigeria.

Orhii said: “What we have

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• NMA, PSN task govt on U.S. researchers’ feat done is that we have formed a committee of professors of medicine in Nigeria to see what we can do. We are meeting next month to work out ways of doing clinical trials for all the cure claims in Nigeria. This is because if you allow everybody to make claims of cure for HIV we will be doing ourselves a lot of harm.

“If you claim that you have cure, we will find a doctor who has patients and re-evaluate it, and do a blinded trial so that the Intellectual Property Right (IPR) is protected.

When we have finished the screening, we will then begin the approval process.

He added: “I do not want it to be said that it was during my tenure that somebody claimed to have found a cure for HIV, malaria, cancer, diabetes or any other disease and we did not verify it and lose the opportunity. Maybe later

it will be said that we did not give the person a chance to prove the claims.

“I have decided we should examine these things and approve them if they are found useful. I have already held meetings with the committee of professors of medicine before the conference next month where all the people who have herbal concoction cure claims will be invited. With this their IPR is protected because most of them think that their work will be stolen.”

President, NMA, Dr Osahon Enabulele, and his counterpart at the PSN, Olumide Akintayo, yesterday commended the team of U.S. researchers for their research efforts and finding, which undoubtedly opens a new vista in the global efforts to produce a cure for HIV/AIDS. However, Enabulele can-

vassed the need for replication of similar studies in Nigeria and other parts of Africa (with use of similar factors employed in the 18 months treatment of the child).

He told The Guardian that in line with this objective, the NMA has directed its Research Committee as well as its HIV/AIDS Committee to deeply understudy the research finding with a view to replicating similar research studies in Nigeria, in collaboration with relevant research institutions, universities and NACA. Enabulele said while NMA appreciated the need for replication of the research study, the association nevertheless consider the case of the Mississippi baby a great fillip to on-going researches to generate a cure for HIV/AIDS, and therefore expect the enthusiasm of

researchers in Africa and Nigeria in particular where there is still an immense burden of HIV/AIDS, to be fired up.

He, therefore, called on governments at all levels, universities and research institutions and agencies, particularly NACA, to invest more in researches aimed at discovering a global cure for HIV/AIDS. The NMA president further explained: “While we urge further research studies in Nigeria and other African countries, what is immediately obvious is that the current finding by the U.S. Research Team potentially offers, in the least, tremendous hope to Infants/Children afflicted with HIV/AIDS. Expectedly, this will help reduce Infant and Child Mortality and the global burden of HIV/AIDS. Truly, it will help accelerate progress towards the attainment of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), particularly MDGs 4 and 6.

THE GUARDIAN, Friday, March 8, 2013

6 NEWS

N’Delta coalition wants imbalance in oil block allocation tackled

By Seye Olumide and Nkechi Onyedika, Uyo HE Prof. Pat Utomi-led coalition of ethnic and political pressure groups in the Niger Delta under the aegis of the United Niger Delta Energy Development Security Strategy (UNDEDSS), has urged the Federal Government to scrap ownership of all oil blocks in Nigeria.

The demand is coming on the heels of revelation in the National Assembly by Senator Ita Enang (Akwa Ibom North East) that 83 per cent of oil blocks in Nigeria were owned either directly by individuals from the North or companies owned by them.

In a statement yesterday, the Secretary General of the coalition, Mr. Tony Uranta said although the revelation was not news “what was depressing was Northern Senators’ opposition to a bill that would ensure justice and equity to the Niger Delta people who have suffered and are still suffering so much degradation and other health related issues from exploration and exploitation of oil in the region for too long.”

The coalition said it is imperative of the government to scrap ownership of all oil blocs and begin at zero point to re-allocate them in the spirit of fairness and equity.

Said he, “Since the nation is reluctant to give either total control or make sure the Niger Delta gets what it deserves, oil blocs should now be allocated based on federal character principle.”

He added that the decision of UNDEDSS was also based on the heels of the division in the Senate over the proposed Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB), which the executive said was aimed at reforming the oil sector.

According to him, “the division over the passage of the bill was caused by a clause for additional 10 per cent oil producing community fund, which some senators wanted to be expunged.

Uranta described the inability of the National Assembly to pass the PIB since the Sixth Assembly when it was first introduced as unfair to the Niger Delta Region.

“Whilst we talk of derivative

Akpabio opposes abrogation of onshore offshore dichotomy

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President Goodluck Jonathan principle of 13 per cent to the Niger Delta, we must remember that over 60 per cent of the federal allocation to councils in Nigeria go to the North.

“A lot of monies are being paid to the northern states based on the local government councils.

“While Bayelsa, for instance, gets an allocation indirectly derived from the oil it produces for eight councils, Kano gets allocation for up to 44 councils.

“These are the injustice in the system that should touch the heart of any right thinking person in this nation,” he said.

He added that the 13 per cent derivative fund already in practice was not enough to take care of the havoc caused by oil exploration in the Niger Delta Region.

He also pointed to the fact that the passage of the PIB “would ensure that the Niger Delta gets a little more for its sufferings, it was for the benefit of all Nigerians and not just oil host community

Petroleum Minster, Deziani Allison-Madueke alone. All regions in Nigeria have something to gain from the bill when passed.”

Meanwhile, Akwa Ibom State Governor, Godswill Akpabio has kicked against the clamour for abrogation of onshore offshore oil dichotomy, describing it as retrogressive and being done in bad faith.

Speaking when the Minister of Information, Mr. Labaran Maku, led the National Good Governance Tour team on a courtesy visit to him yesterday in Uyo, Akpabio noted that the onshore offshore oil dichotomy was a compromise position for water depth of 200 metres, adding that thousands of oil well in the Niger Delta are not covered by derivation.

He observed that the law only allows 13 per cent derivation for only 200mts, adding that anything above 200 meters does not get any derivation so some of the oil well in the Niger Delta.

The governor stated that some critics complain about the demand for more allocation to oil producing states be-

cause they feel that 13 per cent derivation is not well utilised, but our peculiar situation and devastation of our environment make it necessary for our demand to be considered.

He said: “Some individuals in Nigeria makes more than N4 billion per month from their oil block, the wealth in the hands of some individuals in Nigeria is more than the wealth of between five-10 states joined together, well it is their luck because they got it using their military positions. Things like this clearly shows that if those resources were not taken out of the country but used to build factories and create employment, opportunities, some of the poverty in the northern and southern part of the country will not occur.”

Akpabio, who blamed the high rate of poverty in the country on over-dependence on oil, noted that every state of the federation has one mineral deposit or the other hence the need to explore alternative sources of revenue

Why mental disorder persists, by experts

By Chukwuma Muanya DISCLOSURE came yesterA day from experts that 99 per cent of mental disorders are curable through medication and psychiatric treatment but the chances are being hampered by stigmatization and dearth of psychiatrists.

Consultant psychiatrists, Prof. Femi Olugbile, who is also the permanent secretary Lagos State Ministry of Health and Dr. Rotimi Coker of the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH), yesterday at a workshop on responsible drinking, mental health and the menace of drug abuse, blamed the increasing cases of suicide in the country on undiagnosed and untreated mild mental disorders.

They said early symptoms of mental disorder include: Persistent headache, backache, talking to self, low mood, loss of enjoyment in what gives one pleasure, fatigue, poor coordination, inability to eat, erectile dysfunction in men, chronic sensation or hotness of the body, among others.

To tackle the menace, the psychiatrists in their different presentations at the workshop organised by Guinness Nigeria Plc and the Lagos State Ministry of Health, called for speedy integration of mental health care and treatment into services offered at primary health care centres across the country.

They also said that the recently adopted Lagos State mental health policy was already tackling the growing cases of drunk drivers; and of-

fenders would soon be arrested and prosecuted.

The psychiatrists urged Nigerians to seek early treatment if they were confronted with any of the symptoms to prevent degeneration into psychoactive disorder that is usually untreatable and leads to suicide.

Coker said: “Mental disorders are all over the world.

People are committing suicide, epilepsy, anxiety, mild depression and phobia are on the rise. Unfortunately most doctors will not be able to recognise mild depression.

The one that people recognise is severely psychoactive disorder or the one that most people call madness. But it is only one per cent of the population will have that.

“Children also suffer from mental disorder. 20 per cent

of children between seven and 14 years old have one form of mental disorder or the other; and one out of every 10 Nigerian will eventually have mental disorder.”

The psychiatrist said some of the major consequences of mental disorders are sudden deaths from suicide, unemployment, low productivity, stress on career, marital breakdown, reduced access to intervention, social stigma, unwanted pregnancy, among others.

Coker further explained: “Suicide is on the increase in Nigeria especially in Lagos.

Last year three people jumped into the lagoon from the Third Mainland Bridge.

We have recorded suicide cases at LASUTH. People can commit suicide while depressed.

for the country.

According to him, “we have high rate of poverty in the country because we depend so much on oil. Let us stop this dependence on oil; let’s stop these manipulative tendencies to bring certain sections of the society down. There is no single person from the South South that owns oil block even though we produce the oil.

“The exploration of oil has huge negative impact on the eco system. If the soil wants to balance itself, the first area to be affected is the Niger Delta and other sections of Nigeria will move on. We should try to stop dwelling on things that divides the country and focus on things that unites the country”.

NPC faults Lagos council’s claims on 2006 census HE National Population T Commission (NPC) yesterday faulted the claims of inaccurate enumeration

by Eti-Osa Local Council Area of Lagos State.

The Deputy Director, Planning of the commission, Mr. Tauhid Jubril, who was testifying before the Census Tribunal ‘C’ in Abuja, said that the council was adequately enumerated.

According to a News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) report, the Eti-Osa Council is challenging the 283,791 population figure for its area in the 2006 population census.

Jubril said over 50,000 unused NPC 01 forms were returned after the exercise.

“The council was fully and adequately enumerated.

The high population being claimed by Eti-Osa Local Council is not correct because it was discovered that the population in the area was reduced in 2006, due to migration.

“A lot of people migrated to their various states to avail themselves of the opportunity to be enumerated in their respective councils.

The NPC 01 is a household questionnaire, which contained age and other details of every person in every household. After the exercise, over 50,000 unused NPC 01 forms were returned to our office.”

According to Jubril, “the 2006 census met international best practice. The commission adopted a defact’ method for accuracy.

The method was based on those who were physically seen in every household.”

According to him, the commission demarcated the council into 1,067 enumeration areas and employed the services of 2,495 enumerators for efficient and accurate census exercise.

After hearing the testimony of the witness, Chairman of the tribunal, Mrs. Ifeyinwa Obegolu, adjourned the case to April 4 for adoption of final written addresses.

Nwodo lauds Senate’s move against recruitment irregularities in MDAs He also stressed the need ORMER National ChairFProgressive man of the de-registered for soul-searching among Action Congress the lawmakers, saying “he (PAC), Charles Nwodo, has applauded the Senate for investigating the alleged recruitment irregularities in Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs).

Nwodo told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) yesterday in Abuja that the irregularities in recruiting workers into federal establishments were becoming worrisome.

He said that the scam needed to be tackled with all sense of urgency in order to restore sanity, noting that corruption is at the root of the scam pervading the system, as people now have to pay money to get employment.

“The perpetrators of the scam now see it as a must to steal money in order to recover the money they spent while struggling to get a job,” Nwodo said, calling on Nigerians to shun the act because it is an embarrassment to the nation in the international community.

who wants equity comes with clean hands. They should avoid being bribed by the chief executive officers in order not to compromise their responsibilities,” he said.

Nwodo said punishment should be meted out to culprits in the recruitment scam so as to serve as a deterrent to other Nigerians with similar tendencies.

According to him, the implication of the actions of the unscrupulous Nigerians indulging in the scam is that the children of the poor would not get employed in spite of their qualifications and competence.

He noted that any person employed through bribery and corruption would not be upright in actions.

Nwodo expressed optimism that the Senate’s attempt at checking the trend would go a long way in curbing the rate of unemployment in the country.

THE GUARDIAN, Friday, March 8, 2013

NCP appeals against de-registration

By Joseph Onyekwere ATIONAL Conscience Party (NCP) has swiftly appealed against the judgment of a Federal High Court, Lagos, which upheld the powers of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to deregister political parties in Nigeria.

The party filed a one-ground notice of appeal at the Court of Appeal in Lagos on Thursday.

Justice Okon Abang had on Wednesday affirmed the constitutionality of Section 78(7)(ii) of Electoral Act 2010, which states that a political party must win presidential, governor election, or win a seat in the National Assembly or state Houses of Assembly to remain alive.

Abang had in his judgment said the provisions of the law were not in conflict with provisions of the Constitution and the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Right Enforcement and Ratification Act as contended by the plaintiffs.

However, counsel for the party, Mr. Marcus Eyarhono, in the one ground notice of appeal, urged the appellate court to allow the appeal and set aside the whole judgment.

Eyarhono said the trial judge, erred in law for refusing to invalidate Section 78(7)(ii) of Electoral Act 2010.

He said: “The court erred in law when it held that the provisions of Section 78(7)(ii) of Electoral Act 2010 is consistent with the provisions of Section 40 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, as amended and Article 10 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights (Ratification and Enforcement) Act.

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PTI pledges commitment to training in oil sector

By Ujunwa Atueyi N view of the ongoing transformation in oil and gas sector, the management of Petroleum Training Institute (PTI), Delta State, has reassured Federal Government of its commitment to continually train competent technical manpower capable of restoring hope in the oil sector.

The Ag Principal/Chief Executive of PTI, Mrs. Nnenna Dennar, gave the assurance at the 2012 Long Service Award ceremony, recently held at the Staff Club Gymnasium, conference centre complex, Effurun, where she implored award recipients to continue in their doggedness in fulfilling the vision of the founding fathers of the institute.

She reminded them of the place of PTI in the new Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB), adding that concerted effort is imperative in providing ‘quality education and technological manpower to the Nigerian petroleum industry and other African countries’.

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NEWS 7

Buhari in London, tasks Jonathan on poverty, education, INEC From Tunde Oyedoyin, London ORMER Military Head of State and co-founder of the newly formed mega opposition party, All Peoples Congress (APC), Gen. (rtd) Muhammadu Buhari has urged President Goodluck Jonathan to reduce the high level of poverty, insecurity and electoral fraud in Nigeria.

Delivering his keynote speech at the British Houses of Parliament (Gladstone Conference Room) on Tuesday night, Buhari also urged the government to revive both the manufacturing and agricultural sectors in order to generate business and employment and thereby improve living conditions for the over 100 million Nigerians, which according to the Nigerian Bureau of Statistics, are living in poverty–below $2 per day.

Buhari, who also spoke on “Stable Democracy and Nigeria’s Economy” at the Ben Television organised 4th British African Diaspora Lecture Series, warned Jonathan to urgently tackle the high levels of poverty and illiteracy in the country in order for Africa’s most populous nation to truly enjoy the dividends of democracy.

Buhari, who contested the April 2011 Presidential Elections on the platform of the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), also made a case against both the Nigerian judiciary and the Independent National Election Commission (INEC), saying the former needs to be impartial and the latter needs to be reconstituted if Nigerians wants free and fair elections in 2015.

In the 12-page paper, which he described as “a soldier’s and politician’s broad observations on democracy and economic development” in Nigeria, Buhari noted that: “Democracy can best flourish when a certain level of educational attainment or literacy exists in the society.”

Accordingly, “the vast majority of the voters must be in a position to read and write and consequently distinguish which is which on the voters’ card to make their choices truly theirs.” He lamented that these conditions do not exist for the majority of the Nigerian voting population.

El-Rufai urges Nigerians abroad to join politics

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Buhari Basing his arguments on last presidential elections of 2011, where he was one of the candidates, Buhari also named the judiciary as one of clogs in the country’s wheel of democratic progress. “In 2011, all pretences at legality and propriety were cast aside. In the South-South and South–Eastern states, turnout of voters was recorded by INEC at between 85 percent – 95 per cent even though in the morning of the election, the media reported sparse attendance at polling booths.”

He noted that in the “rest of the country where opposition parties were able to guard and monitor the conduct of the presidential election, turnout averaged about 46 per cent. In many constituencies in the SouthSouth and South –East, votes cast far exceeded registered figures.”

Former Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, also during the launching of his book, The Accidental Public Servant at one of London’s most popular Nigerian restaurants, Mama Calabar, in Wembley on Wednesday night called on Nigerians in Diaspora to join politics in order to bring about the much-needed transforma-

Bank lauded over verification of SGBN’s ex-customers From Abiodun Fagbemi, Ilorin ORMER customers of the defunct Societe Generale Bank of Nigeria (SGBN) have praised its new owners, Heritage Bank Company Nigeria Limited, (HBCN), for living up to its promises on verification for the customers of the moribund financial institution.

The exercise, which has led to the refund of the SGBN depositors’ money (of the concerned customers) they claimed, has boosted the image of the family members of the late Olusola Saraki, the owners of the bank, are.

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Some of the customers in separate chats with The Guardian in Ilorin, said they had initially lost all hopes of regaining their deposits, citing the long time between the liquidation period and the clamour for the customers accounts verification.

The customers are Fiolu Pharmacy, Mrs Bola Olakonu, Ilorin, and Alhaji Bisi Adebayo, also an Ilorin-based business man.

For example, Fiolu said: “By this development, I will want to remain a customer of the new bank. I had thought all

hope had been lost on my money at the SGBN, but when I got back my money it was like a dream to me. “ Operations Manger of the defunct SGBN, Mrs Folasade Yusuf, in a chat with The Guardian said Heritage remained the only bank in the history of banking in the country that would pay customers 100 per cent of their deposits after a takeover.

Yusuf added that many customers of the SGBN were not collecting back their money as they all believed that the new bank would take them to their

tion that Nigerians and the international community have long yearned for.

He then challenged the audience, mainly distinguished professionals against leaving the political space for political jobbers.

He made a passionate plea to other Nigerians in the Diaspora to join both the APC and the civil service in order to

bring about the movement for change.

He cited the duo of Chief Phillip Asiodu and Allison Ayida as notable examples of brilliant Nigerians who had stints in the civil service despite studying in Oxford University. He told the audience to take a cue from the Nigerian military, noting that it boasts some of the best minds in the country.

“Some of the best minds are in the military. You cannot be a colonel in the Nigerian Army without holding a Masters’ degree.

Although he did admit that “the political system supports those who are not a threat to anyone,” el-Rufai was quick to add that “unless good people go there in large numbers, we’ll just be sidekicks” to the mediocre.

He called on capable Nigerians to put themselves forward for political offices, noting that without more involvement from credible and professional Nigerians, the political space will continue to breed incompetent leaders. “We’ll get better leaders if more of you get involved.” More importantly, “we must put our fate in the hands of people who can lift us, not just people close to us or going to the same church or mosque with us. They mustn’t just be people from our state or town or tribe, they must be people who have the credentials to do it.”

Asked for his take on dealing with looting of public funds, El-Rufai said those who steal public money should be named and shamed. “I think one of the problems we have in Nigeria is the lack of consequences for bad behaviour.

We tend to forgive quickly.

Besides, there seems to be a conspiracy of silence once people who loot the public treasury leave office.”

The former minister said this should not continue.

“Let’s start naming and shaming people and put them on trial.” However, he also pointed out that there’s no point going about looking for those who must have corruptly enriched themselves in the distant past.

“In my opinion, we should just draw a line and move on.

We should not keep looking back, because if you keep looking back, you won’t be able to plan for the future.”

He listed multiple taxationproperty taxes and taxing luxury items-as one creative way of clawing the money back from corrupt public officials. “That’s an innovative way of clawing back the money without going through the uncertainty of the judiciary. The most important thing is to get back the money. You can design a system of taxation that will claw back all the money within 10 years, but I don’t know what my party’s line will be.”

TheGuardian SUNDAY, MARCH 10, 2013

Yoruba Marginalisation: Jonathan Has Been Unfair To

Fasehun

Obasanjo

Odumakin

HE Yoruba of Nigeria’s Southwest say they gave President Jonathan the second T largest and ‘cleanest’ bloc of votes in the 2011 presidential election. Their pain, however, is that since he was inaugurated, Mr. President has worked progressively to obfuscate the zone in political appointments and in the federal bureaucracy. They have listed all the wrongs the administration has done against the zone and have promised not to stop crying out loud, even as they plan to extract their pound of flesh in 2015.

– GG Darah Says, Read Two New Columns For Witty ‘No Retreat No Humour And Satire – Surrender’

MERGER TALKS: Buhari I Know, The Others I Don’t

THE PIB DEBATE

ASTOR Tunde Bakare of the Latter Rain Assembly and vice presidential candidate of the CPC in 2011.

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THE GUARDIAN, Friday, March 8, 2013

Edo community alleges neglect by kinsmen in govt Uwadiae urges patience From Alemma-Ozioruva Aliu, Benin City LDERS and youths in UtoE ka, Ovia North-East Local Council Area of Edo State yesterday carpeted political office holders from the area whom they said have not done enough to lift the council from poverty and infrastructural under-development.

They made the allegation while receiving the President of One Love Foundation, Patrick Eholor, who initiated activities in the community to strengthen its socio-economic life.

Speaking on behalf of the people, Chairman of Utoka Community Development Association, Aigbihomwan Aigbe, commended the initiative of Eholor and accused the Senator representing the area, Ehigie Uzamere; member of the House of Representatives, Francis Osahon; Edo State Commissioner in the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Henry Okhuarobo; his counterpart in Edo State Oil and Gas Producing Areas Development Commission (EDOSOGPADEC), Vincent Uwadiae and the member also representing the area in the House of Assembly, Bright Osayandes, of neglecting the oil-producing community.

Kwara gov visits slain CP’s family From Lawrence Njoku, Enugu OVERNOR Fatai Ahmed G yesterday visited the family of Kwara State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Chinweike Asadu, who was killed at the weekend.

Ahmed, who spent about 30 minutes at Asadu’s Amorji Nike residence in EnuguEast Local Council, assured that his government would participate actively in the burial.

He described Asadu as a diligent officer, who would be missed greatly in Kwara.

Unknown gunmen murdered Asadu on Saturday at about 10 pm, while his police orderly and driver, who were with him, sustained serious bullet wounds and are in hospital in Enugu.

The situation was said to have forced mass withdrawal of pupils and students from the schools for fear of sudden collapse of the structures and the inconvenience of studying under leaking roofs and flooded classrooms during the rainy season But in his reaction yesterday, Uwadiae told The Guardian on phone that his commission has neither abandoned nor neglected any community in the council, including the Utoka.

“I am just leaving a stakeholders’ meeting in Oluku where this issue was raised.

That certain areas have not been taken care of does not mean they have been abandoned. We have three wards, including Utoka, in the council that have not benefitted.

We will definitely be there; we will do what we can for them in the next set of areas that we will capture in our projects. My trust is to take care of the entire council, I don’t have any sentiment on this matter,” he said.

The community commended Eholor who, despite not being an elected official, has continually identified with the people.

It was learnt that the community has begun to be worried over possible collapse of its primary and secondary schools’ infrastructure because several years running, the roofing, ceilings, walls and flooring had gone bad, while the windows and doors have become naked.

The situation was said to have forced mass withdrawal of pupils and students from the schools for fear of sudden collapse of the structures and the inconvenience of studying under leaking roofs and flooded classrooms during the rainy season, until Eholor came to the rescue.

The community also lamented the poor state of the road that links it with the outside world, saying “during the rains, the road becomes unmotorable, forcing the people to rely on expensive commercial motorcycling services for movement to and out of the community.”

Benue State Governor Gabriel Suswam (left), Methodist Archbishop of the North (Kaduna), Most Rev. Oche Job and former Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Alfa Belgore, at the one-day town hall meeting organised by Citar Non-governmental Organisation held in Arewa House, Kaduna…yesterday

EFCC re-arraigns Nnamani, associates

By Lemmy Ughegbe (Abuja) and Joseph Onyekwere (Lagos)

George, others go to S’ Court over conviction

HE Economic and FinanT cial Crimes Commission (EFCC) yesterday re-

The case is hereby adjourned to May 28 for trial, while the earlier bail granted to the accused is hereby extended in the same terms

arraigned former governor of Enugu State, Chimaroke Nnamani, before a Federal High Court Lagos over alleged money laundering.

He is standing trial together with his former aide and seven companies on an amended 105-count charge.

The others are Sunday Anyaogu, Rainbownet (Nig) Ltd, Hillgate (Nig) Ltd, Cosmos Fm, Capital City Automobile (Nig) Ltd, Renaissance University Teaching Hospital and Mea Mater Elizabeth High School.

They, however, pleaded not guilty to the charge.

The re-arraignment of the accused is sequel to the assignment of the case to a new judge following the transfer of the previous trial judge, Justice Charles Archibong, from the Lagos division.

Justice Mohammed Yunusa now becomes the third judge to sit over the matter. The first trial judge was Justice Tijani Abubakar.

After the re-arraignment of the accused, their counsel, Ricky Tarfa (SAN) urged the court to allow them continue with the earlier bail granted to them by Archibong.

Consequently, Yunusa ruled that the accused be allowed to continue with the earlier

bail granted. He said: “The case is hereby adjourned to May 28 for trial, while the earlier bail granted to the accused is hereby extended in the same terms.”

Meanwhile, a former Deputy National Chairman (Southwest) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Olabode George, yesterday prayed the Supreme Court to set aside judgment of the Court of Appeal, which confirmed the verdict of the Lagos State High Court, wherein he was convicted and sentenced to a two-year jail term for contracts splitting and inflation in 2009.

Although George, a former chairman of the Board of the Nigerian Port Authority (NPA), and five others who were convicted have since served their two years jail term each, but they believe there was miscarriage of judgment and therefore have prayed the apex court to upturn their conviction and affirm their innocence.

Other ex-convicts in the matter include Arc. Aminu Dabo, Capt. O. Abidoye, Alh. Abdullahi Aminu Tafida, Zan-

na Maideribi and Sule Aliyu as 2nd to 6th appellants respectively.

When the matter came up for hearing, the appellants asked Justice Tanko Mohammed-led five-man panel to grant them extension of time within which to file and regularise their appeals having filed them out of time.

The court granted the applications and adjourned the matter to September 26, 2013 to allow parties time to file applications for consolidation of the six different appeals, as well as hear the Nnamani and the others were first arraigned in 2007.

The prosecutor, Mr. Kelvin Uzozie, had told the court that they laundered various sums of money in the tune of N5 billion believed to be proceeds of crime, by lodging same, in a secret account, with the aim of concealing the nature of the proceeds.

He also accused them of failing to comply with the lawful inquiry of the then EFCC Director of Operations, Mr. Ibrahim Lamourde (who is now the agency’s chairman).

Fayemi okays N263m bursaries for 1,339 students From Muyiwa Adeyemi, Ado-Ekiti OVERNOR Kayode Fayemi G has approved the disbursement of about N263 million as scholarships to 1,393 students of Ekiti State origin in tertiary institutions in Nigeria and abroad.

The Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Mr. Kehinde Ojo, who made this known in Ado-Ekiti, the state capital, said the amount would clear all outstanding awards.

He said the essence of giving out bursary and scholarship awards is to assist students pass through tertiary institutions with minimal stress. It is also to lessen the burden on the parents.

Rivers lawmakers laud Amaechi From Ann Godwin, Port Harcourt OLLOWING perceived attacks on the Rivers State Governor, Chibuike Amaechi, members of the House of Assembly yesterday passed a vote of confidence on him.

The vote followed a motion by the Leader of the House, Chidi Lloyd, who said it was necessary to highlight that he (Amaechi) has stirred development in the state rather than allow series of criticisms against the governor.

While majority of the lawmakers voted in favour of the motion, Michael Chinda, representing Obia/Akpor II, said the governor was only carrying out his responsibility as the chief executive of the state and does not deserve any applause for so doing the job for, which he was elected for.

Some other lawmakers, who tried to align with Chinda’s position, including Matins Amaewule, were not allowed to contribute to the debate by the Speaker.

But Golden Chioma, Irene Inimgba, Paul Ngo and Victoria Nyeche, among others, who contributed to the debate, affirmed that the governor has done well in driving home good governance and development, stressing that it was time to encourage him.

The Speaker, Otelemaba Dan Amachree, in his ruling put the prayers of the motion to vote and 23 members were in support of it while three members abstained.

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THE GUARDIAN, Friday, March 8, 2013

WorldReport Thousands pay respects as Cuba gives Chavez hero’s send-off

Fraud claims throw Kenya’s presidential vote into chaos

Latin American allies, others in Caracas for state funeral today

the nation into further disarray yesterday after it alleged vote-rigging and demanded that the count be halted.

The accusations by outgoing Vice President Kalonzo Musyoka – Prime Minister Raila Odinga’s running mate – came a day after their chief rival, Deputy Prime Minister Uhuru Kenyatta, protested at the inclusion of spoiled ballots in the vote count, a process that could increase the chances of a second round runoff.

But the International Criminal Court (ICC) has postponed the trial of Kenyatta to July 9, Agence France Presse (AFP) quoted a statement by the court yesterday as saying.

It said “serious issues” might not be resolved before the initial April start date of the trial over Kenyatta’s alleged role in

ENEZUELANS, in their thouV sands, yesterday filed past the remains of President Hugo Chavez, crying, making the sign of the cross and giving military salutes as an era ended and elections loomed in the oil-rich nation.

Chavez lay in state in a halfopen casket in the Caracas military academy, with eyes closed behind a glass, wearing olive green military fatigues, a black tie and the iconic red beret that became a symbol of his 14-year socialist rule.

Some of Chavez’s closest Latin American allies, including Bolivian President Evo Morales, Argentine President Cristina Kirchner and Uruguay’s Jose Mujica, have already arrived in Caracas ahead of the state funeral today.

Russia, China and Iran hailed Chavez – who had cultivated close ties with foes of the West as a way of thumbing his nose at Washington – as a great leader.

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and Belarussian strongman Alexander Lukashenko will be among world leaders attending the funeral.

But in Cuba yesterday, its leaders gave Chavez a send-off fit for one of their own, with huge crowds turning out to pay homage to the late Venezuelan leader in the Revolution Plaza in Havana and Santiago.

Cuban President Raul Castro, dressed in military uniform, placed a wreath before an image of Chavez, who died Tuesday after a long struggle with cancer, in the ceremony in Santiago, 900 kilometres southeast of Havana.

Supporters of the late Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez shout slogans outside the Military Academy chapel as they wait to pay last respects to the leader in Caracas…yesterday.

PHOTO: AFP Also, Cuba’s new number two, Miguel Diaz-Canel, led another mass turnout at Havana’s vast Revolution Plaza, the iconic public square from which revolutionary leader, Fidel Castro, used to address the Cuban people.

Other events memorialising Chavez were to take place in plazas across Cuba yesterday, an honor typically reserved for only historic leaders of the Cuban revolution.

In this case, tradition was set aside to remember a crucial oil-rich ally whose largesse has kept the communist-ruled island economically afloat during his 14-yearrule.

During his illness, Chavez was treated almost exclusively in Cuba where his cancer was first detected in June 2011. He underwent four rounds of surgery, chemo and radiation therapy before returning home for the last time February 18.

After his death in Caracas, the Cuban government declared that “Chavez is also Cuban” and was hailed as a “true son” of Fidel Castro.

However, thousands of Venezuelans stood in line for hours through the night to get a glimpse of the former paratrooper whose oil-funded socialism earned him friends and foes at home and abroad.

“He’s in there, but my

comandante is immortal,” said Saul Mantano, a 49-yearold salesman with a Chavez hat and a Venezuelan flag. “I didn’t want to see him dead, but it’s a reality now.”

Soldiers and civilians, many clad in red, walked past the casket with just seconds to look at their commander, some pumping their fist to their hearts. They were forbidden from taking pictures.

Chavez lay with a red sash on his stomach with the word “militia” – the 120-strong armed civilian force that he had formed. A four-man honour guard and four tall candelabras flanked the coffin, with a golden sword at the foot of it.

African leaders endorse Ghana’s ICT park HANA’S President John G Mahama, some government and private sector leaders have endorsed the take-off of an innovative ICT-driven park located in the outskirts of Accra, the country’s capital.

They include Nigerian governors Godswill Akpabio (of Akwa-Ibom State) and Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola (Osun State).

At the official launch of the park called Home Office People Environment (Hope City), Mahama said the initiative was a major intervention that would definitely transform the lives of Africans.

He pointed out that the world today was driven by knowledge and every idea, which pushes the boundaries of impossibility.

His words: “Wealth and economic growth is no longer dependent on natural resources but the power of knowledge and ideas and that is why the advanced nations are investing heavily in the service and knowledge economy.”

According to him, his administration is delighted that an

indigenous Ghanaian company, RLG, is the pivot of the initiative, promising government support to ensure its success.

Mahama urged other investors to look in the direction of Ghana for similar investment, pledging tax exemptions and other friendly policies.

Roland Agambire, Chairman Agams Group and Chief Executive Officer, RLG Communications, said that the Hope City was historic because it was a vertical city, which would have the tallest buildings on the continent and an eco-friendly place of convergence of Africa’s ICT brains.

He said: “The IT hub would be made of six towers including a 75-storey, 270m tower that will be the highest building in Africa.

“It will have facilities for IT University equipped with facilities for design, fabrication and assembling of a number of innovative products including ICT hardware and

software development, residential area, offices, sports and other creational facilities”.

According to him, HOPE City will afford Africa the platform to bridge the ICT gap with the rest of the world and will accommodate over 50,000 people who will live and work there.

He said that the City like his company RLG is already partnering with Microsoft in an initiative that will actively engage 300 million youths.

Agambire whose company manufactures RLG-branded phones in Africa stated that this would help improve the continent’s competitiveness while equipping the beneficiaries (youths of 15-24 years) with relevant start-up skills to enable them drive sustainable economic growth.

Hope City, which is due for completion in 2016, will cost $10 million.

In his speech, Aregbesola stated that he was in Ghana to applaud the initiative because of RLG’s work in Osun State.

He disclosed that RLG was

now training 20,000 youths on how to maintain, repair, assemble, manufacture and market current digital equipment, and therefore, the HOPE CITY would definitely impact positively on the ICT growth of Africa.

Akpabio noted that HOPE CITY was an ambitious dream that would transform the information technology industry and the economy of Ghana in particular and Africa in general.

Describing the City as a bold attempt to increase ICT penetration in Africa, he promised that Akwa-Ibom was already in talks with the initiators of the project to form a formidable synergy that would benefit indigenes of the state.

Ali Faramaway, Microsoft Vice President, Middle East/Africa said that his organization was happy to partner with innovative projects on the continent. He stated that Microsoft was constantly working on how information technology can enable Africa have a better story.

ICC postpones Kenyatta’s trial to July 9 HE party of one of the leadT ing candidates in Kenya’s presidential election plunged

deadly violence that followed the 2007 elections in Kenya.

Monday’s elections in the regional powerhouse were the first since 2007 when a dispute over the counting process erupted into weeks of deadly violence that left more than 1,100 people dead.

“We have evidence that the results we have received have been doctored,” Odinga’s running mate, outgoing vice president Kalonzo Musyoka, told reporters, adding that in some cases “total votes cast exceeds the actual number of registered voters.”

Odinga says he was robbed of victory in the last polls in 2007 when disputed results triggered the bloody ethnic killings.

But Musyoka urged calm, stressing that his accusations were “not a call to mass action” and that the party was “committed to the prin-

N’Korea threatens U.S. with nuclear strike as UN expands sanctions itself against any North EW sanctions were yesterKorean ballistic missile strike, N day imposed against after Pyongyang threatened North Korea by the United Nations (UN) Security Council amid escalating tensions as the Asian country threatened a pre-emptive nuclear strike against the United States (U.S.).

The council unanimously passed a resolution, agreed by the United States and China, which added new names to the UN sanctions blacklist and tightened restrictions on the North’s financial dealings, notably its “bulk cash” transfers.

North Korea said ahead of the meeting that a new war was “unavoidable” because of South Korean-U.S. military exercises.

The North’s military “will exercise the right to a preemptive nuclear attack to destroy the strongholds of the aggressors,” said the foreign ministry.

The United States said it was “fully capable” of defending

to launch the nuclear attack.

White House spokesman, Jay Carney, told reporters that the U.S. military could deal with any such attack and repeated earlier warnings that North Korea would gain nothing by threats and provocations.

North Korea now faces one of the toughest UN sanctions regimes ever imposed after three nuclear tests in 2006, 2009 and the latest on February 12.

And resolution 2094 agreed by the 15-member Security Council threatened “further significant measures” if the North stages a new nuclear test or rocket launch.

The resolution expresses “gravest concern” over the nuclear test and adds three new individuals, a government science academy and trading company to the UN blacklist for a travel ban and assets freeze.

Bin Laden’s son-in-law held in Jordan over ties with Al Qaeda NE Suleiman Abu Ghaith, a Abu Ghaith’s capture came O son-in-law of the late from Representative Peter Osama bin Laden who alleged- King, a senior Republican ly served as al Qaeda’s spokesman, has been arrested and detained in Jordan in an operation led by Jordanian authorities and the FBI. United States (U.S.) government sources said yesterday that Abu Ghaith, a militant who had appeared in videos representing al Qaeda after the September 11 attacks on New York and Washington in 2001, had initially been picked up in Turkey.

Reuters reported that the Turkish government then deported him to Jordan, said the sources, where local authorities and the FBI took custody of him.

Initial public confirmation of

member of the House of Representatives Intelligence Committee and former chairman of the House Committee on Homeland Security.

“I commend our CIA and FBI, our allies in Jordan, and President (Barack) Obama for their capture of al-Qaeda spokesman Sulaiman Abu Ghaith. I trust he received a vigorous interrogation, and will face swift and certain justice,” King said in a statement.

“Propaganda statements in which Abu Ghaith and his late father-in-law, Osama bin Laden, praised the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 are alone enough to merit the most serious punishment,” he

THE GUARDIAN, Friday, March 8, 2013

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Politics Southeast needs separate bill to create state, says Enugu Speaker Eugene Odoh, Speaker of the Enugu State House of Assembly, spoke to Lawrence Njoku in Enugu on several national issues.

IGERIANS are calling for Peoples Constitution. Does this have the capacity to entrench participatory democracy in the polity?

When people say that they need a Peoples Constitution, what they really mean is that they are advocating a process of constitutional amendment that must carry the people along. Carrying along not just the stakeholders, but also the entire citizens of Nigeria, which they want to be made part of the process.

The National Assembly has organised public hearings several times in most of the geopolitical zones and the essence is to ensure that the people of the geopolitical zones know exactly what the senators are doing with respect to the amendment of the 1999 Constitution.

If the Senators and Reps take these engagements at the public hearings and the views of the people into account, I think the production (amendment) will symbolise that the people have taken part in the constitution. This is because whatever they are to deliberate upon must be inputs they received from the respective people that had attended the public hearings, both at the senatorial and constituency levels.

Creation of state dominated the hearings of the National Assembly in the Southeast zone. Does this represent the only thing to be reviewed for a better Southeast, and thus Nigeria?

I think to create an additional state in the Southeast is something that is overdue. The zone has lost several trillions of naira as a result of lack of creation of states.

The issue of creation of additional state from the Southeast is becoming a psychological thing; it is creating a kind of complex amongst the people of the region and it is fair and proper that the Nigerian nation see reasons to making sure that the Southeast geopolitical zone gets additional state, which, of course, should not be put in the basket clamour for state creation.

So, I believe that the clamour is quite genuine and we want to urge the National Assembly to expeditiously, by way of a separate bill, create an additional state in the Southeast, which must not be in the proposal for (amendment of the) 1999 Constitution. It should be separate and be made to occasion equilibrium so that at the end of the day, the people of the Southeast can beat their chests and be like other political zones.

To me this (lack of additional state) has actually brought a lot of problems, and in most cases they (southeasterners) tell you that they marginalise the southeast. This state (creation) is very cardinal in the said marginalisation of the Southeast.

You can imagine a situation where an average state in Nigeria gets about N4 billion monthly and then a geopolitical zone that has about six states will now get about N24 billion and the zone with seven states gets like N28 billion and the Southeast will come back with only N20 billion.

So also is the production of senators.

Each state is supposed to produce three senators and you see the Southeast producing less. The zone is losing; we are shortchanged in terms of state creation and it goes in all cadre of government. It is long overdue and I think the National

• Autonomy for state legislatures not negotiable

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Odoh Assembly should judiciously look into the creation of state in the Southeast as an urgent matter.

Do you think that the National Assembly can grant this request knowing too well that there are areas already in opposition against state creation as well as the difficulty in amending the clause in the Constitution to grant state creation?

I think the issue is that we are looking at what is proper; we are not looking at the clamour for selfish interest.

The clamour for creation of state in the Southeast has nothing to do with selfish interest; it has nothing to do with even favouring the Southeast; it has nothing to with the Southeast agitating for something they do not deserve. It has to do with occasioning equilibrium in the Nigerian polity.

Of course, the process of state creation is very simple. Once the National Assembly sees reason to create a state banking on the memorandum or memoranda sent by the Southeast, the next thing is to pass it to the various Houses of Assembly and I am sure they are going to rectify it.

The Houses of Assembly in Nigeria are made up of responsible individuals and organisations. As a matter of fact, they are filled with people who know what equilibrium and fairness in politics are and I can assure that the moment the National Assembly play their own ball, it will not be difficult for the State Houses of Assembly to rectify it.

It is with a view to occasioning equity and not aimed at shortchanging anybody; and it is very important if we say we are moving together as a nation. We cannot say that we are moving together when others are permanently shortchanged — and this should be the guiding principle.

Therefore, as much as the process

appears cumbersome, it can be surmounted if we give regard to the fact that it is for equilibrium and good governance.

HOW should the contentious issue of autonomy of councils be solved?

I am of the view that local governments should be autonomous just like the State Houses of Assembly.

There is no way we can run a federal system of government if the component arms that make up the federal system are not strengthened. We have the federal and state governments in the federal system and if the various components like the local governments and Houses of Assembly that make up the system are not strengthened, it will certainly impact negatively on development.

If the local governments are autonomous, it will help them determine what they would use their funds to do; that will be in the best interest of the people. I don’t think there is anything wrong if local governments are autonomous; it will make the chairmen to be held accountable for their deeds while in office.

I am a strong advocate for the autonomy of the local government.

The rivalry being generated following the issue is unnecessary. Those who have contrary views should bury the same for the sake of development and democracy.

We should tell ourselves the truth: that this tier of government has not really lived up to expectation because it is denied the needed funds to carry out projects. But these funds used by governors anyhow they want. That is the only way we can come out of it.

I need not re-emphasise that we have made up our minds that the

Houses of Assembly in Nigeria must be autonomous in the ongoing constitutional amendment. It is our hope that the National Assembly gets that integrated.

We have submitted a memorandum and at the end of the day, we hope that upon inclusion of the said clause, the State Assemblies will have some measure of financial autonomy. The essence is not to affect any individual but to strengthen the entire democratic process.

We cannot be talking of running a true federalism when the components that make up the federalism are very weak. The components of true federalism at the state level are the executive, the judiciary and legislature and all these arms must be strengthened if you are talking about good governance. When you strengthen the component arms, it will enable you get out the best from them — for you to have something on the table that will lead to national growth.

From your experience, is it just financial autonomy that could make the State Houses of Assembly live up to expectation? What are the other handicaps?

Why we are saying that the Houses of Assembly should be autonomous is that in most cases, most state governments don’t realise their budgets. By autonomy under this circumstance, it means that whatever is appropriated by the state legislature should be released to them. In cases where the state governments may not realise budgets for which they have proposed for in the in coming year, what they are expected to do is to release to the state legislature what was released (budgeted).

The autonomy itself connotes for a legislature to embark on any project, be it in the Assembly or what has to do with the Assembly; they don’t need to apply to the executive any longer. All they need is to know what was appropriated to them and make the application to the Office of the Accountant General and assess their money. I don’t think it will inhibit any arm of government or prevent anybody from functioning well.

Financial autonomy is basically the handicap most Houses of Assembly have because in the course of not being financially autonomous, you will, at the end of the day, surrender yourself to what ordinarily you would not have done. Once a state Assembly is financially autonomous, I don’t think they will have any problem.

State Houses of Assembly are in the habit of not carrying civil society groups along on issue of budget.

What has been the situation with the Enugu Assembly?

We are working very well with civil society groups in Enugu State. This year, the moment the budget was presented, the civil society groups applied and I approved it almost immediately, to enable them do the necessary analysis, which they did and made suggestions.

Several committees have considered the suggestions and I assure you the suggestions formed the basis of what the budget will look like when we pass it.

WHAT were you trying to achieve when you refused to disclose contents of the said letter Governor Chime transmitted to you when he was travelling during his leave recently?

I think the letter may not be an issue that bothers anybody. A letter, of course, was transmitted and equally scheduled by the Clerk of the House and read on the floor of the House.

The Constitution does not give room to debate the letter; it only gives room that the letter should be read out and it was done. It is the same as when the governor came back and transmitted a letter to House; we equally scheduled and read it before the House.

The emphasis on not reading or hoarding is quite immaterial from what we are doing. So far, the governor duly transmitted a letter, and so far, he is back (he has travelled again) and has transmitted another letter to the contrary, which permitted him to resume duty.

The House of Assembly lived up to its expectation at the material time not just before members of the public but before the law. There is nothing the House of Assembly would have done (differently). We got a letter of transmission, indicating that the governor had gone on vacation and as being peddled by the press, it had no limitation. We were, in the letter, requested to corporate with the then Acting Governor to run the state and we did.

People had expected the House to impeach the governor, but I tell you that the issue of impeachment does not come in any way because in law, as at the time the governor transmits a letter, he ceases to be the governor pending when he transmits a letter back. So, if you impeach him, whom are you impeaching?

Secondly, what has constituted an impeachable offence? For you to impeach, there must be an offence.

But people use impeachment as if it is something that you can pick up in the beer parlour.

Going on vacation is not an impeachable offence. What happened was that the governor set out on vacation, to enable him to attend to medical issues, which turned out the way he never envisaged. It is natural. It was not his plan not to come or return to work.

The House of Assembly at the period functioned effectively, passed the necessary bills, and motions and went as far as entertaining the 2013 budget read by the Acting Governor; and we are working to ensure passage of the budget. This is what a reasonable House of Assembly should have done; I do not expect that a reasonable House of Assembly should join the fray and cause more crises.

I want to use this medium to thank the House of Assembly here for resisting all manner of pressure established over that situation.

What has been the situation with the Enugu Assembly in terms of motions, bills, among others, since you came in as Speaker six years ago?

What we tried to do was to create attitudinal change in respect to time management. We have had cause to amend our standing orders, which were before now those of the old Anambra State.

Prior to my emergence, we were known as crisis point but we have maintained peace, which has translated into improvement in infrastructure, development of rural villages, and by virtue translated into local government development.

Between 2007 and now, we have passed over 100 motions and 40 bills into laws and six are outstanding.

We hope to do more.

THE GUARDIAN, Friday, March 8, 2013

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THE GUARDIAN, Friday, March 8, 2013

TheMetroSection ‘Our son was mistaken for an armed robber’

Briefs Memorial service for Ben Ukwuoma

Controversy trails alleged police killing of varsity student

HE first year memorial T service in honour of Mr. Ben Ukwuoma holds on Sunday, March 10, 2013, at Archbishop Vining Memorial Cathedral Church (AVMCC), Ikeja GRA, Lagos, at 7.00am.

Mr. Ukwuoma, until his death was the News Editor/Health Editor of The Guardian Newspapers and is survived by a son, Chima, brothers and others.

The late Seyi Fasere

His parents: Mr and Mrs. Fasere

From Muyiwa Adeyemi (Head South West Bureau, Ado Ekiti) FOURTH -YEAR Business Administration student of Ekiti State University (EKSU), Seyi Fasere, was expected to begin his second semester examination in the next two weeks, but Seyi would never write the exam.

Reason: He was allegedly shot dead by the police in Ilupeju-Ekiti in a controversial circumstance.

Seyi had gone to Ilupeju-Ekiti to meet her mother, Mrs. Florence Fasere to collect his school fees and on his way back to school, the commercial vehicle he boarded ran into a cross-fire between the police and armed robbers who just operated at a first generation bank in Oye-Ekiti.

All the commuters ran into the bush to escape being hit by bullets, but Seyi was said to have been arrested where he was hiding on that fateful Thursday of February 28, and, by Friday, he was already a dead man.

Seyi’s mother who just gave her son N100, 000 as part of his school fees, being a part-time student of EKSU, did not know what had happened to her son but another commuter, who boarded the same vehicle with Seyi,

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Mrs. Victoria Adewuyi, went to inform her of the incident and asked her to contact her son to know if he survived the incident.

At that moment, the 65 -year-oldmother began to search for her son and later heard that the police had arrested him. However, by the time she and her husband living in Ado Ekiti got to the police station, they found Seyi already a dead man.

The couple said while they were asking questions about the death of their son, they alleged that they were thoroughly beaten by the police who also detained them.

According to Seyi’s mother: “In our presence, when we insisted that our son was not an armed robber, the police were just beating us and also detained us. We learnt that one of the robbers sustained serious gunshot wounds during the gun duel with the police, escaped with it and the police shot Seyi as a cover-up. But as God would have it, there was a heavy downpour that night and the erosion washed out the robber out of his hiding place and he was later arrested by the police.”

“We heard one of the police officers (names withheld) boasting how he

shot Seyi on the neck. “It was sad and bad for the police to have caught Seyi where he was hiding, tied his hands and detained him from Thursday till Friday before being shot, just to create the impression that they had caught a robber. They even spread the news about town that he was a member of the armed robbery gang. But the second day, a heavy rain fell and the robber, who sustained injury during the gun duel, was washed out of the culvert where he was hiding before the police now realized that their game was up.”.

Mrs. Fasere added that the injured robber, who is now receiving treatment at the Federal Medical Centre, Ido Ekiti also disclosed that all the members of the gang are from Kogi State and that Seyi was not a member.

The 72-year-old witness, Mrs. Adewuyi, who corroborated Mrs. Fasere’s explanation, said the deceased was never a member of the robbery gang. She said he was just a victim of circumstance, adding that she boarded the same car with Seyi before they ran into the robbery gang.

Ukwuoma When contacted, the Police Public Relations Officer of the State Police Command, Mr Victor Babayemi , who confirmed the story said the police was able to smash the robbery operation owing to the ingenuity of his men.

Babayemi, an Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP), added that Seyi ‘s corpse was discovered in the bush the second day when his men combed the scene of the incident, thereby dispelling the insinuation that he was arrested and shot by his men to cover up.

The PPRO said: “One of the robbers who was shot and arrested said he could not identify Seyi because he was not among the team that attacked the station. He said that he was part of the team that attacked the bank. He also explained that their gang leader recruited them separately. So we do not know if he was one of the robbers or he was caught in the crossfire. But we are still investigating.

But Mrs. Fasere has called on the Inspector General of Police, Alhaji Mohammed Abubakar to investigate the alleged extra-judicial killing of his son, Seyi Fasere, by the police.

Alaafin, Alake absent at S’West monarchs’ peace parley From Iyabo Lawal, Ibadan E Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi and the Alake of Egbaland, Oba Adedotun Gbadebo were yesterday conspicuously absent at the Peace and Conflict Resolution meeting set up to broker peace among the warring monarchs in the South -West.

The meeting, which was initiated by the Olugbo of Ugboland, Oba Fredrick Obateru Akinruntan, to resolve the crises among the monarchs had in attendance many notable traditional rulers from the zone.

Aside the absence of the two monarchs, reporters who converged on the Premier Hotel, Ibadan venue of the meeting, had a raw deal in the hands of the hotel management who directed its security personnel to walk them out.

The management, claiming

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to be acting on orders from above, was hostile to journalists who stayed with other palace assistants at the lobby of the hotel.

Reporters were ordered to stay under the shade outside the hotel to await the conclusion of the meeting.

Among the notable kings that attended the meeting were the Ooni of Ife, Oba Okunade Sijuade, Olubadan of Ibadan, Oba Samuel Odugade, Soun of Ogbomoso, Oba Jimoh Oyewumi, Owa Obokun of Ijeshaland, Oba Adekunle Aromolaran, Awujale of Ijebuland, Oba Sikiru Adetona, Osemawe of Ondo, Oba Victor Kiladejo, Ewi of Ado-Ekiti, Oba Rufus Adejuyigbe, Olowo of Owo, Oba Olateru Olagbegi and many others.

When they started arriving the venue of the meeting, they first sat at the lobby of the hotel.

The convener of the meeting, Oba Akinrutan was seen making phone calls to other kings who were not at the meeting.

When contacted, the Personal Assistant to the Alaafin of Oyo, Alhaji Fehintola Azeez said the royal fa-

ther was not aware of the peace meeting.

He said: “We are not aware of any meeting. We are just coming from Lagos.”

Lagos mega trade fair begins today HE fourth Lagos Mega T Trade Fair begins today to end on Sunday, March 17, 2013 at Tafawa Balewa Square, Race Course, Lagos.

With the theme, Consolidating Global Economic & Political Gains, 500 exhibitors and over 100,000 participants are expected at the fair.

The Convener, Wole Osunkunle, said small and large-scale enterprises.

Would be promoted.

Osunkunle, who is the Managing Director, Oswald Associate Ltd., disclosed that all efforts had been put in place to ensure a peaceful and business environment with discounted prices.

Ogbakor Ikwerre (Lagos) meets Sunday HE general meeting of OgT bakor Ikwerre (Lagos) will hold on Sunday, March 10, at Club 1919, Nigerian Railway Compound, opposite AP Filling Station, Ebute Metta, Lagos at 3.00p.m.

Obafaye, 82, for burial rites for Pa Michael FwhoUNERAL Orungbeminija Obafaye, died on February 8, 2013, at the age of 82, begin with a Christian wake on Friday, March 15, 2013 at Ayetoro Kiri Kabba/Bunu Local Council, Kogi State at 5pm.

He will be buried on Saturday, March 16, 2013.

He is survived by children among whom is Lagos State Commandant of Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Shem Obafaye.

A cross-section of Yoruba obas at the meeting ...yesterday

PHOTO: NAJEEM RAHEEM

Obafaye

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THE GUARDIAN, Friday, March 8, 2013

Indian businessman arraigned over N13.8 million fraud

By Bertram Nwannekanma and Yetunde Ayobami-Ojo OR fraudulently obtaining Nokia phones valued at N13.8million and issuing a dud cheque to Okay Computers, an Indian businessman, Patrick Fernadez, was yesterday arraigned before an Ikeja High Court, Lagos by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

Fernadez was arraigned before the court presided over by Justice Adeniyi Onigbanjo on a five-count charge bordering on obtaining by false pretence.

The offence, the anti- graft agency said, was committed between March 29 and April 1, 2012, in Ikeja.

According to the charge, Fernadez was alleged to have fraudulently obtained different types of Nokia phone sets worth N13.8million, property of Okay Computers.

Fernadez was also accused of issuing a dud cheque after collecting the goods on the assurance that the money would be ready within one week.

Fernadez, according to the EFCC, on or

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about April 7, 2012, issued a dud cheque of FCMB No. 10564279, in the sum of N8.150 million, which, when presented for payment, was returned unpaid on the grounds of insufficient funds in the account.

According to the EFCC, the offence is contrary to section 1(3) of the advanced fee fraud and other fraud related offences Act 14, 2006, issuance of dud cheque contrary to section 1(1) of dishonoured cheques Act laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004.

The defendant pleaded not guilty when the charges were read to him, and was admitted to bail by Justice Adeniyi Onigbanjo, in the sum of N2million, with two sureties in like sum.

Onigbanjo added that the defendant should deposit his international travel documents to the commission and he said that the defendant should be remanded in Ikoyi prison custody, pending when he caould perfect his bail application.

Further hearing on the matter has been adjourned till September 17 and September 19.

Photonews

Edo State Governor, Adams Oshiomhole (middle), Commander 4 Brigade, Nigerian Army, Benin City, Brig-Gen., Pat Akem (left) and General Officer Commanding (GOC) 2 Division, Maj.-Gen. Ahmed Tijani during the GOC’s visit to the governor ...on Wednesday

Apapa NSE woos students, challenges them on diligence

By Adeniyi Adunola and Toyosi Ajayi HE Apapa branch of the T Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE), has urged secondary school students to consider careers in engineering, which would lead to their living fulfilled lives.

Speaking during a career talk organized for science students from eight senior secondary schools under Mainland Zone of Local Education Authority, District IV, Yaba-Lagos by the branch, the General Secretary, Reuben Eboh, said the idea was to create awareness among the students of how exciting and rewarding their studying and qualifying as engineers can be.

Also, speaking at the event, the National President of Association of Professional Women Engineers (APWEN),

a division of NSE, Mrs. Olayinka Abdul told the students that, “engineering is a daily activity, from the time one wakes up till bedtime involving much creativity which determines what the engineer achieves.”

She also told them that a hallmark of engineers is a disposition to help others, to make a difference and always aiming at doing things in a better way.

She said pupils hoping to become engineers must have a team spirit and be able to share knowledge.

She urged them to be focused, diligent and hardworking and not to allow their parents choose a career different from the one they have passion for.

One of the pupils, Olatunde Afeez of Mainland Senior High School told The

Guardian he found the career talk very helpful and it has showed him the way to becoming an engineer by knowing the basic subjects he should pay more attention to in class.

Another pupil, Kehinde Adeshina of Anwar-udeen Senior High School said the programme would assist them choose their careers and remain focused and diligent in future.

The programme which was held at Mainland High School also drew participants from Methodist Girls High School, Fazt-I-Omar Senior High School, Eletu-Odibo Senior High School, , Herbert Macaulay Senior High School, Anwar-udeen Senior High School, Wesley Girls Senior High School and Birrel Avenue Senior High School.

Acting Principal/Chief Executive Officer, Petroleum Institute (PTI), Mrs. Nnenna C. Dennar (middle), Mr. G. E. Aggrey, representing the Managing Director, Nigerian Gas Company ( fifth right), A. C. Ezeribe, representing the Managing Director, Warri Refining and Petrochemical Company (fifth left), members of PTI top management and recipients cutting the Long Service Award Cake in honour of the recipients

Two teenagers arrested for raping their step-sister From Hendrix Oliomogbe, Asaba OR allegedly having carnal knowledge of their six-yearold step-sister, two teenagers, Felix and Stanley Inia, have been arrested by the Delta State Police Command, Asaba.

Felix, 19 and Stanley, 16, were said to have sexually assaulted Precious Kankamor at OgbeIjoh, Warri South Local Council of Delta State, an act which eventually led to the death of the young girl.

The suspects were said to have had carnal knowledge of

F

the minor by forcefully penetrating her, which led to severe injuries in her private part.

The young girl was also said to have developed a protruding stomach, leading to medical complications that resulted in her death.

The suspects’ mother got married to the father of the deceased after the death of her husband.

They allegedly committed the crime last month when they were left with the victim at home while others had gone out for the day’s activities.

A police source said: “The younger brother said he sold the idea to his elder brother.

He (Stanley) assured his brother that there was nothing to be afraid of and that he (Stanley) had been doing it with other children in the area.”

The Delta State Police Command Public Relations Officer, Mr. Famous Ajieh confirmed the arrest of the suspects, adding that they would be charged to court as soon as investigation was concluded.

Rivers State Governor, Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi (middle) with the leadership of Ogbakor Ikwerre Organisation Worldwide when the group paid a solidarity and support visit to the governor in Port Harcourt...on Monday

Ekiti State Governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi with members of the IBM Corporate Service Corps Team, shortly after their final presentation ceremony, in Ado-Ekiti... on Wednesday.

Deputy Director, Family Health and Nutrition, Lagos State Ministry of Health, Dr. (Mrs.) Folashade Oludara, the mother of the baby, Mrs. Opeyemi Abodunrin and Senior Sales Manager, Multipro Enterprises Ltd., Mr. Jude Nzeata at the national immunization plus days campaign exercise, Ifako Ijaye Primary Healthcare Centre in Lagos...

PHOTO: SUNDAY AKINLOLU

Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Fidelity Bank Plc, Mr. Reginald Ihejiahi handing over the keys of the brand new Hyundai Accent car to the winner of the Fidelity 25th Anniversary Cars and Cash Savings Promo, Mr Arinzechi Ogechukwu Victus at a prize presentation held at the Corporate Head Office of the bank at 2, Kofo Abayomi Street, Victoria Island, Lagos…yesterday

14 | THE GUARDIAN, Friday, March 8, 2013

TheGuardian Conscience Nurtured by Truth

FOUNDER: ALEX U. IBRU (1945 – 2011)

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

Editorial The poverty question T was not surprising that poverty was the kernel of discourse by former President of the United States, Bill Clinton, at a public function in Abeokuta, Ogun State, recently. Poverty is now a universal concern and in Nigeria, it is one menace that is gnawing at the national soul. President Clinton did not say anything new even as he took the critical path in expressing his thoughts on poverty and that it was responsible for the violence in some parts of the country. While his contentions on the cause of current violence is open to debate, his position is a significant wake-up call to a selfish and docile Nigerian elite on the need to do right by the people.

Once again, Clinton’s position is nothing but plain emphasis of the obvious.

One of the ever-present and unifying factors in the country today is the widespread poverty plaguing the majority of the people. Although it harbours the potential of fuelling insurgency as witnessed in the Niger-Delta, those insurgents to their credit, did articulate their grievances in terms of impoverishment of their people and environmental degradation. However, the current insurgency in the northern part of the country has a different set of logic: the insurgents want a Sharia state. This for sure is a tall order in a plural and secular society which Nigeria is.

Which, of course, takes nothing away from the urgent need to tackle the menace of want in the midst of plenty. Poverty in Nigeria is not a child of providence, but the consequence of elite misrule. The sundry social problems in the country can be traced to a faulty monolithic economy and a leadership bereft of ideas and vision of nation-building. Abundant oil wealth, itself a huge national asset for socio-economic transformation, has become a sore point on the national psyche. Successive leaders have not only wasted the resources of the country on some white elephant projects but also bled the country through excessive self-indulgence. Half-hearted efforts at diversification of the economy never paid off. The net effect is the alienation of the people and their relegation to abject poverty.

In the last one decade, social indicators about Nigeria have been negative.

Transparency International (TI) has often rated Nigeria as one of the most corrupt countries in the world. In 2000, Nigeria topped the list. In the same vein, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has ranked Nigeria low on its Human Development Index (HDI) with life expectancy put at 52 years. Recently, in a damning report, the Global Financial Integrity said between 2000 and 2009, illicit fund outflow from Nigeria stood at $182 billion.

By contrast, some countries with less or equal endowment as Nigeria have taken their people out of poverty. With strong commitment to poverty reduction, China has maintained a high growth rate for more than three decades since the beginning of economic reforms in 1978, with sustained increase in average living standards by World Bank benchmark of people living on less than $1.25 per day. Brazil’s progressive social policy of redistribution has helped it achieve more rapid poverty reduction. In Brazil, the proportion of the population in poverty is significantly lower than in China. Its poverty level fell from about 17 per cent to eight per cent over 1981-2005 with a fair annual rate of poverty reduction of 3.2 per cent. Venezuela’s unemployment dropped from 14.5 per cent of the total labour force in 1999 to 7.6 per cent in 2009. Poverty has also decreased. In 1999, 23.4 per cent of the population was marked as being in extreme poverty, this fell to 8.5 per cent in 2011.

Nigeria’s leadership on a balance sheet, advertises macro indicators of growth in the Gross Domestic Product (GDP), which it claims on the average has grown between 2.7 - 7.10 per cent in the last one decade or so. This information is sold to impoverished Nigerians by all means of propaganda advertorial in ways that accentuate the irresponsibility of the ruling elite. These leaders are, however, to be reminded that the economy is growing in GDP terms but people are not being lifted out of poverty. Real development is one that is sustainable and in which there are infrastructural and industrial productivity as well as the improvement in the wellbeing of the people. The prevalent system in which over 70 per cent of the annual budget is expended on recurrent expenditure largely in the form of remuneration and perquisites for top political office holders, is not one in which the goals of development are ever achievable.

Beyond the material poverty of the people is the poverty of ideas amongst Nigeria’s leaders. Successive leadership has demonstrated incapacity to articulate any vision for the country’s tomorrow. They have failed to come to terms with the universal truth of governance: that it is about the people. The consequence of their inaction and paralysis is the prevalent social problems confronting Nigeria today. In the past, leadership in some parts of the country de-emphasized human capacity development and expressed evident disdain for Western education, which therefore created a fertile ground for perverted consciousness that has become the determinant of religious extremism.

Given the abundant resources at the nation’s disposal, Nigerians ought not to be helpless and hopeless. Unfortunately, the resources have not been well utilized for the good of the people. Rather, they have been rampantly looted by the leaders, an inept lot on whose watch the country continues to bleed.

So, while public officials mouth empty rhetoric about the country not being broke while mismanaging the nation’s resources, poverty holds the majority of Nigerians in its pangs.

It is a shame.

I

LETTER

Violence against women: Turning outrage into action As we commemorate International Women’s SDay,IR: we must look back on a year of shocking crimes of violence against women and girls and ask ourselves how to usher in a better future.

One young woman was gangraped to death. Another later committed suicide out of a sense of shame that should have attached to the perpetrators. Young teens were

This year on International Women’s Day, we convert our outrage into action. We declare that we will prosecute crimes against women – and never allow women to be subjected to punishments for the abuses they have suffered. We renew our pledge to combat this global health menace wherever it may lurk – in homes and businesses, in war zones and placid countries, and in the minds of people who allow violence to continue.

shot at close range for daring to seek an education. These atrocities, which rightly sparked global outrage, were part of a mucah larger problem that pervades virtually every society and every realm of life.

Look around at the women you are with. Think of those you cherish in your families and your communities and understand that there is a statistical likelihood that many of them have suffered violence in their lifetime.

Even more have comforted a sister or friend, sharing their grief and anger following an attack.

This year on International Women’s Day, we convert our outrage into action. We declare that we will prosecute crimes against women – and never allow women to be subjected to punishments for the abuses they have suffered. We renew our pledge to combat this global health menace wherever it may lurk – in homes and businesses, in war zones and placid countries, and in the minds of people who allow violence to continue.

We also make a special promise to women in conflict situations, where sexual violence too often becomes a tool of war aimed at humiliating the enemy by destroying their dignity. To those women we say: the United Nations stands with you. As

Secretary-General, I insist that the welfare of all victims of sexual violence in conflict must be at the forefront of our activities. And I instruct my senior advisors to make our response to sexual violence a priority in all of our peace-making, peacekeeping and peace building activities.

The United Nations system is advancing our UNiTE to End Violence against Women campaign, which is based on the simple but powerful premise that all women and girls have a fundamental human right to live free of violence.

This week in New York, at the Commission on the Status of Women, the world is holding the largest-ever UN assembly on ending violence against women. We will make the most of this gathering – and we keep pressing for progress long after it concludes.

I welcome the many governments, groups and individuals who have contributed to this campaign. I urge everyone to join our effort. Whether you lend your funds to a cause or your voice to an outcry, you can be part of our global push to end this injustice and provide women and girls with the security, safety and freedom they deserve.

• Ban Ki-moon, Secretary-General of the United Nations.

THE GUARDIAN, Friday, March 8, 2013

15

Business AutoWheels P43

BusinessTravel P46

Mercedes unveils 6-wheeldrive luxo SUV

Nigerian carriers groan over absence of flight simulators

Govt receives $32.7m from KEPCO/NEDC

By Roseline Okere HE Federal Government has T received $32.7 million (N51.7 billion) from KEPCO/NEDC Consortium, as mandatory 25 per cent of $131 million (N207 billion) down payment for acquisition of Eko Distribution Company.

The deadline given to 10 successful bidders to make 75 per cent down payment for the acquisition of the GENCOS/DISCOS expires today.

Sources at the Bureau for Public Enterprise (BPE), yesterday, confirmed the development made by the KEPCO/NEDC, saying it was made on Monday.

The Federal Government had since signed the contracts with winners of the bid for Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN) successor companies. The deals will lead to their eventual take-over of the companies.

The government had warned that any bidder who failed to meet up with the deadline given to them by the Federal Government would be replaced with the next preferred bidder.

The Minister of Power, Prof.

Chinedu Nebo, had assured that the Federal Government would ensure that all outstanding bills were paid by government agencies before the eventual take over of the electricity companies by midyear.

“This is to ensure that regulatory agencies, market operators, system operators and MDAs are consistently delivering on their respective mandate and to ensure that payment are being made as at when due.

“It has always been a problem that many of the government agencies are owing a lot of billions. This is not going to continue as the privatisation enters into conclusion,” he stated.

The roadmap to power sector that was launched by President Goodluck Jonathan in August 2012, was based on removing obstacles to private sector investment to ensure accelerated development of the Nigeria’s electricity market; and to improve service

Chief Executive Officer of Kreston International Global Network of Accounting Firms, Jon Lisby (left); Principal Partner, Peak Professional Services (Chartered Accountants), Andrew Uxiase; and Technical Consultant, Ignatius Adegunle, at the signing in ceremony of Peak Professional Services’ membership of Kreston International, in Lagos, yesterday.

PHOTO: AYODELE ADENIRAN

Economic restructuring Nigeria needs, by governors, Tinubu, Kalu, others

By Ade Ogidan, Business Editor, Kamal Oropo and Tunde Akinola HE nation’s economy may sustain its current prostrate posture unless it undergoes a restructuring agenda, to halt the current scenario whereby Nigerians are being made to “draw water from an empty well.”

This was the conclusion reached yesterday from contributions made by former Governor of Lagos State, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, former Minister of Finance, Dr. Kalu Idika Kalu and some state governors, at the launch of a book—“Financialism: Water from and Empty Well”, by Tinubu and former ConsulGeneral in the USA Embassy in Nigeria, Brian Browne.

Five governors—Adams Oshiomole of Edo State; Ibikunle Amosun of Ogun;

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Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola of Osun; Owelle Rochas Okorocha, Imo—all concurred that the economy can ill-afford the current structure, which lacks focus on production and productivity.

Specifically, Tinubu said the Federal Government should reform the financial sector “so that it becomes an effective artery that sends funds to the heart of the real sector once again.”

Also, “the national government must formulate a national industrial policy that focuses on developing labour intensive industries”, while restructuring our educational system “to prepare our youths for the present challenges of this economy and not educate them in a manner more appropriate for another land.”

He also stressed the need “to overhaul our agricultural system and put in place a price support mechanism, so that those who toil the land and who feed us do not go continuously poorer the more they toil.”

He added: “We must establish commodity exchange boards exclusive for farmers, which will go a long way to support them and provide agricultural pricing support mechanisms and consequently enhance food security.

“The challenge before our nation today is how to protect millions who toil the land, ensure they make reasonable returns and boost agricultural production.

“Instead of stealing from our children and stealing the pension fund of the retired, this government

must answer the moral call of providing one meal per day for school children up to high school level.

“In Nigeria today, with our lack of infrastructure, the absence of a concrete industrial policy and with the paucity of long-term funding to fuel the real sector, we ask the economy to do the impossible. It’s like attempting to draw water from an empty well.”

Tinubu took a swipe at the nation’s foreign reserve policy, describing it as counterproductive, given the need of the economy to be rehydrated, at this point in time.

“The accumulation of money by the Federal Government is a misplaced objective for these times. We have about $46 billion in foreign reserves, earning about one or two per cent, while

we have about $42 billion in domestic debt, which government is paying up to 16 per cent on.

“This makes no sense and it crowds out private sector borrowers and investors.

Our driving purpose must be to channel idle human and material capacity into productive streams that furnish jobs and manufacture tangible goods, bettering the living conditions of every citizen.

“I believe in the national government saving money.

If savings is for a purpose other than itself. For a government that prints its own currency, to save that currency for merely savings sake is to accumulate worthless paper.

“Instead, our money must

CONTINUED ON PAGE 16

NTDC seals hospitality promotion pact with German group From Andrew Iro Okungbowa, Berlin a move to expose the IketNNigerian hospitality marto the international community and create more visibility for hotels and other related tourism outfits in the country, the Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation (NTDC), has signed a pact

with the management team of Preferred Hotel Group, publishers of Preferred Hotels and Resorts and Preferred Boutique Destination Guide.

The new promotional deal, which was signed at the ongoing international travel and tourism trade expo (ITB Berlin) in Berlin by the Director-General of NTDC,

Otunba Olusegun Runsewe, is to expose and help propel Nigeria hospitality outfits to a new level.

According to Runsewe, this will add more value to Nigeria hospitality and give confidence to the international market once they see Nigerian hotels listed in the guide as the guide is internationally acclaimed.

The DG also explained that the deal would create market for Nigeria’s hospitality industry, as it will give easy access to most travellers and ease the problem of booking hotels as most tourists have been complaining of not knowing the availability of rooms in Nigeria and how to access them.

To begin with, he said that hotels and other related tourism outfits, which are registered by NTDC in Lagos, Kano, Port Harcourt, Calabar and Abuja, would be the first set of beneficiaries of this new scheme.

Speaking at the occasion, the Vice President, Business Development, Asia Pacific, Middle East and Africa, of

Preferred Hotel Group, Jose Venture, said the pact is a historic one, as Nigeria is one of the few Africa countries on the list of the group.

According to him, Nigerian businesses would gain tremendously from it, as the group’s publication has a wide range and used by many international travellers and corporations.

THE GuARDIAN, Friday, March 8, 2013

16 BuSINESS

Demand for pilotage service on the increase in Lagos

By David Ogah HE Nigerian Ports T Authority (NPA) may have concluded plans to procure four tug boats to improve pilotage services and to boost efficiency of port operations as the demand to the service has tripled over the years.

Investigations revealed yesterday that there have been insufficient pilotage services from the NPA in the recent times, as the demand for the service had increased over the years due to increased vessel traffic to the Nigerian ports.

The authority has only six tugboats in its fleet to pilot vessels in and out of the seaports nationwide.

But NPA spokesman, Captain Iheanacho Ebubeogu, said few days ago that the NPA had begun a renewed effort to procure four new tugboats, so as to boost service delivery to the shipping community.

It would be recalled that NPA contracted the pilotage services to a private concern— Landfall and Towage limited(LTL)— about six years ago with the agreement to ensure the functionality of four of the six tug boats it inherited for the service at all times.

But the company has not been able to put the six equipment into use at the same time because of constant maintenance and mandatory regular preventive services needed to keep them run-

ning.

Besides, class experts for reclassification often presented the tugboats for annual survey and inspection.

An engineer in the company who spoke with The Guardian yesterday on condition of anonymity, said the idea behind meticulous maintenance of the equipment was to ensure that service delivery to foreign trading ships remained effective in view of the soaring cargo volume to Nigeria, “It is gladdening to note that the NPA management has intensified efforts to procure more tug boats, but until that is done, we cannot utilize them”, he said, adding that only equipment being maintained by the LTL were presently in Lloyds class, in the country.

“To remain in Lloyds class also means that every two and a half year, each boat must also go for intermediate maintenance service, which simply means a dry-docking exercise that takes a period of three months to complete; while every five years, each boat must go for a more comprehensive Special Survey and another three months drydocking exercise.

“In other words, each tug boat, in every five years, goes for six-month dry docking treatment, aside for the regular preventive and annual maintenance exercise”, he explained, stressing that these

were largely the reasons why the equipment managers could not be able to make the services of the six tugs available all year round.

An importer, Mazi Innocent Igboanugo while speaking on the importance of tugs to the industry, described the LTL as a department of the NPA, specially manned by experts and few locals, saddled with the responsibility of ensuring that

vital service delivery was not hampered.

“That department used to be with the NPA; but now, it has been outsourced to the experts, so as to enable them do it professionally. I am aware that 90 percent of the past four years, the towage company has provided between four and five tugs for the authority, even though sometimes the figure could be

as high as six tug boats daily.

“I am also aware that when the towage firm failed to deliver at least four tugs daily they were sanctioned or penalized.

That is to underscore the importance of tugs to the industry,” he explained Meanwhile, the spokesman of the NPA, Capt. Ebubeogu has assured port operators that a new initiative aimed at procuring not fewer than four

new tug boats was already in the pipeline.

He maintained that while the ports presently do not have enough tug boats, the subsisting contract with the LTT letters of which was in agreement that five boats could be made operational, while the sixth be kept on standby could still go a long way in ensuring enviable service delivery, if followed to the

BoI, Ogun partner on empowerment scheme for women

By Femi Adekoya O address local capacity utilisation and empower women and youths in the country, the Bank of Industry (BoI) has revealed plans to partner with the Ogun State government to build an agricultural packaging and processing plant.

Managing Director of BoI, Evelyn Oputu, who disclosed this during a visit by First Lady of Ogun State, Mrs Olufunsho Amosun to the bank’s corporate office in Lagos, recently, explained that the move was in line with the bank’s empowerment programme that will address the "bottom pyramid of the society," especially those relating to the feminine gender.

Oputu, while affirming the bank’s commitment to support the Ogun State first lady in her ambition to build an agricultural packaging and processing plant, explained that women empowerment is vital to economic development, even as the paradigm shift on such empowerment was introduced to take care of women.

To achieve this, the bank, she said, introduced a policy to ensure that 85 per cent of its fund is geared towards developing SMEs, while it introduced SMEs desk in order to facilitate their access to loan in key areas where they demand such loans.

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Oputu, who noted that women had the tendency to get to the higher level when given the opportunity, stressed the need to make women empowerment prominent in the rural areas where majority of women still live in poverty.

She said that gender issue is very important and has been taken to the forefront since she assumed office, noting that before then, women empowerment and finance had always been relegated to the background.

“We are open to support and help and will do so. What we now need is a formal proposal from you. We would like a

situation where women and youths are empowered with modern farm equipments even as we are looking for more women who want to develop the natural resoures of this country” Oputu stated.

Amosun revealed that her foundation had begun moves towards building an agricultural packaging and processing plant to empower women and youth.

She disclosed that the foundation had approached foreign investor for support, and explained that her foundation intends to develop about 500 acres of land for the planting of tomatoes crops, and processing of about 5000

tonnes of the finished product daily.

She said the empowerment programme was part of her initiative to complement the state government's effort on employment generation and capacity building through series of retail training to support the five-point agenda of the state government in uplifting people with special needs.

"When women are empowered and supported, the society stands better chances to benefit. This directly leads to stronger economic base for families and give them opportunities to remain healthier”, she added.

Economic restructuring Nigeria needs CONTINUED FROM PAGE 15 catalyse developments, enriching the broadest spectrum of people. To say we are saving money for a rainy day while everyone is already drenched and wading through flood waters makes little sense to me”, he said.

Kalu lamented that the discovery of crude oil in the country has not translated to blessing for the economy and called for strategic refocusing to agriculture and industrialisation.

According to him, “Nigerian masses demand to know the reason for our inability to organise a system that would provide

good political leadership that can effectively revive the agricultural and industrial sectors.”

Aregbesola pointed out that the gargantuan importation saga is symptomatic of a weak economic system that has heralded the current “de-industrialization tragedy” in the country.

Amosun decried the nation’s monetary policy that has sustained a doubledigit interest rate regime and the concomitant unsavoury impact on the country’s real sector.

Oshioomole demanded equity within the socio-economic system, through an effective elimination of con-

tradictions inherent in the prevailing economic structure, pointing out that the reward system should be focused on promoting productivity, especially for workers who are toiling to enhance production.

Okorocha canvassed a paradigm shift from the current production and productivity-retarding policies.

“We should be tired of singing the old song of poverty by now. We need not destroy the psyche of the people, including those unborn. There is hope for a brighter future but we must address the issue of resource management in the system.”

THE GUARDIAN, Friday, March 8, 2013

BUSINESS 17

Nigeria to earn $10 million yearly from honey production, says expert From Joke Falaju, Abuja F optimally tapped into, honey production can generate $10million additional revenue to the country’s foreign exchange annually, an expert that specialises in beekeeping and honey processing in Africa, Dr. Betty Nnadi has said.

The Managing Director of Betty Farms who disclosed this yesterday at a four-day training working organised for youth and women on bee-

I

keeping and honey processing under the youth and women agribusiness investment programme at Sheda in Abuja, said that with so many mango trees scattered all over the country, Nigeria honey remained the best all over the world.

She mentioned that the country had a huge potential for harvesting honey, adding that Turkey had a huge demand of 10 tones of honey annually.

Resort Savings and Loans gets over N100m disbursement from FMBN ESORT Savings and Loans R Plc, a mortgage bank with head office based in Lagos has an approval to disburse over N100 million from the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria to customers who had applied for the National Housing Fund loan through the bank.

The Managing Director of the bank, Mr. Abimbola Olayinka made this known on Friday 1st March 2013 during an interactive session with journalists.

Olayinka stated that the bank had recently processed over 3,000 NHF applications from both employed and self employed customers who have met the basic requirements to access the longterm mortgage facility.

At the end of year 2012, the Federal Mortgage Bank approved N165 million to different categories of customers who applied through Resort Savings and Loans.

Commenting on the recent disbursement of funds to it, the managing director of Resort Savings and Loans Plc said that the opportunity to access the fund was opened to all Nigerians from the ages of 18 years to 60 years of age, once such a person is a contributor to the NHF scheme. He encouraged the self employed citizens to start contributing as well since some accredited Primary Mortgage Banks such as Resort Savings could help them with their monthly remittance. Being a mortgage facility that has a single digit interest rate of six per cent per annum, it is the most affordable housing

loan facility that can be obtained in Nigeria. The repayment tenor is also very flexible as it can be for duration of 30 years, depending on the applicant age.

He assured customers that those who had applied for housing loan through the bank would not be disappointed once all the requirements were met, as the era of endless wait for NHF subscribers was over.

Giving further clarifications, the MD highlighted, the several opportunities for those who wanted to own their own home in Nigeria through long-term mortgage facilities. They can access mortgage loan up to a maximum of N15 million through the NHF scheme.

He acknowledged the fact that the Federal Mortgage Bank had from time to time, granted approvals for Resort NHF clients at different stages of their loan application. “This has been really encouraging. We hope to keep up the spirit and ensure that our customers get optimal satisfaction.”

On repayment terms, he said: “The beauty of housing loan is that there is no pressure on the customer to repay, there is always a long period which depends on the age of the client to pay back.

“The repayment amount is also like that of a monthly tenement rent, so why pay to a landlord when you can use that same amount to service your loan and own your own home in the process. The property acquired by the customer also serves as the collateral for the loan.”

Skye Bank’s lending to maritime operators hits $500m

By Chijioke Nelson kYE Bank Plc said that it had Sthegranted credit facilities to tune of $500 million to operators in the nation’s maritime sector, as part of its commitment to the development of the industry and the country at large.

The total facility, it said, was part of money provided to indigenous ship owners and stakeholders for the acquisition of ships and other critical work tools to enable them play very active roles in the industry.

The bank’s General Manager, Corporate Banking 11 Group, who is responsible for the maritime and aviation sectors, Segun Opeke, disclosed this at a forum, noting that the bank was prepared to

expand its credit lines to the operators to further develop the industry.

According to him, the bank was responsible for the provision of credit facilities to indigenous ship owners for the acquisition of an estimated 50 per cent of the entire indigenous fleet in the country.

“Many operators attest to the bank’s influence on the development of the industry, particularly in the participation of indigenous shipping companies, general cargo business and oil movement in the coastal areas.

“Skye Bank has been widely acknowledged by maritime operators for its pioneering role in maritime financing and has won many awards in this regard,” he said.

“It is estimated that the sector could generate as much as nine-10 million dollars each year from sales of honey and beeswax and employ about 5,000 people,” Nnadi said.

“In recent years, demand for the product both in the local and the international market have increased. Turkey request for over 10 tonnes of honey every year and Nigeria has bigger market in the United Arab Emirate (AEU), East Africa Region, while the markets for beeswax are in Japan and European Union countries,” Nnadi explained.

Nnadi advised that beekeeping be made priority in socioeconomic development and environment conservation in the country.

The Permanent Secretary Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Mrs. Ibukun Odusote in her opening remarks said that the group of trainees would essentially function on their own rights as an organised beekeepers and honey processors that could have links with their counterparts all over the world in terms of marketing and sharing of ideas.

Represented by the ministry’s Director of Planning, Research and Statistic, Umar Hussaini, Odusote said at the end of the training, “each trainee will be supported with a starter pack comprising; Top Bar Hive, Trap Hive, Bellow Smoker, Bee Suits and Veils, Hive Tools, Boots, Hand

Gloves and Swam Trap.”

She mentioned that the training which had 65 per cent practical session and 35 per cent theory would prepare them to grasp the production aspect, thereby creating the need for honey processing and packaging so as to create wealth and employment.

She, however, assured that any trainee that showed high level of commitment and seriousness, putting what he learned into practice would be further supported and encouraged in forming cooperative groups so that the ministry could facilitate them to win a honey processing plant.

The Director Gender and Youth Department in the

ministry, Mr. Abubakar Garuba, said that the workshop which was first of its kind was organised to train youth and women in beekeeping and honey processing in order to reduce the unemployment rate in the country.

“The ministry’s intention is to among others, encourage local production and honey processing development, facilitate trade development and showcase Small and Medium Enterprises potentials for wealth creation in agricultural enterprises.

The programme funded by the Millennium Development Goals for the achievement of Goals 1 and 2 drew its participants from the 37 states and the FCT.

THE GUARDIAN, Friday, March 8, 2013

18 BUSINESS

FG to stake N100 million in Kogi State rice production From Joke Falaju, Abuja N an effort to boost rice production in Kogi State, the federal government has said that it was supporting the state government rice initiative with N100 million to sustain its land clearing activities.

The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Dr. Akinwunmi Adesina who disclosed this during a courtesy call to the state governor, said that the financial support would also assist selected micro finance bank to boost lending to farmers in the state, emphasizing that 30 per cent of the fund should go to women farmers.

He also approved an immediate supply of 1, 000 (50Kg) bags of rice seeds and 6, 000 bags of fertiliser to the state.

Commending the state government for its giant stride in the agricultural sector, he said that Kogi State alone could feed the nation if its abundant agricultural lands were optimally utilized.

According to the minister, Nigeria with a total arable land area of 84 million hectares, of which only 40 per cent is cultivated, had no reason to be a net importer of food.

The minister applauded the state’s initiative that encouraged local government to clear 50 hectares of land.

He appealed to other states to borrow a leaf from this initiative and said that if all states of the federation could make such efforts, it would help the country achieved food security.

Adesina affirmed that

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To achieve this we now treat agriculture as a business, to generate wealth. If each state of the federation takes agriculture as a business and invests heavily in agriculture, we will unleash the economic revival of all our rural areas, feed ourselves, put our youths to work and become food self-sufficient. Nigeria must produce what it eats, eat what it produces, and if it is not produced in Nigeria, it is not good enough for Nigerians Nigeria, with Kogi’s progress in agriculture, was well on course with its policy to become self-sufficient in rice production by 2015. He added that in the past one year 14 new private sectors integrated rice mills had come on stream and with a total capacity of 240,000 MT. He disclosed that plans had reached advanced stage for the importation of 100 largescale integrated rice mills, which would make Nigeria be self-sufficient in the processing of rice at industrial scale.

These mills, he stressed would be owned and operated by the private sector and would be supported through financing from the China EXIM Bank.

The minister disclosed that four of these rice mills would be located in Kogi State.

The goal of Agricultural Transformation Agenda (ATA) according to the minister was to add 20 million MT of food to the domestic food supply and create 3.5 million jobs by 2015.

“To achieve this we now treat agriculture as a business, to generate wealth. If each state of the federation takes agriculture as a business and invests heavily in agriculture, we will unleash the economic revival of all our rural areas, feed ourselves, put our youths to work and become food self-

sufficient. Nigeria must produce what it eats, eat what it produces, and if it is not produced in Nigeria, it is not good enough for Nigerians.”

Briefing the minister on the progress made in the state under the Agricultural Transformation Agenda (ATA), the Executive Governor, Captain Idris Wada said that Kogi State had focused on two major components of the ATA, which the state had comparative advantage on, which are, Accelerated Rice Production Programme and Cassava Value Chain Production Programme.

As part of the drive to boost rice production, the governor disclosed that the state was establishing rice farms around Koto, Okumi, Galele and Sarki Numa Irrigation Project sites.

Wada added that the state was fully prepared for the rice revolution and had embarked on the clearing of 6,750 hectares of land out of which 3, 000 hectares has already been cleared and 80 per cent of it had been cultivated.

The programme, according to him had provided employment for over 3000 youths and women in the state.

The governor expressed appreciation to the federal government for its encouragement and support to the state’s agricultural initiatives.

Ogun Customs collects N5.5b revenue, seizes 1,000 smuggled items From Charles Coffie Gyamfi, Abeokuta HE Idiroko area of the Nigeria Customs, Ogun State, last year generated N5.5 billion as revenue from import duties. This is against the N3.6billion it recorded in 2011, the Custom Area Comptroller, Mr. Ade Dosunmu disclosed at the weekend.

Dosunmu who spoke in Idiroko while briefing journalists on the activities of his agency disclosed that the impressive increase was as a result of his men and officers’ ability to reduce to the barest minimum nefarious activities of smugglers in the area.

Besides, Dosunmu disclosed that the area could now boast of one of the most sophisticated scanning machines, which now identifies smuggled items with ease.

His words: “Since my assumption of office as the Area Comptroller of this Command, I have been able to connect and partner with the traditional institutions, youths and community leaders of the borderline communities.”

He added: “These relations have been so well-managed that they have paid off. The incidences of attacks on officers by smugglers and youths from these communities have drastically reduced

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because youths from these communities have now become informants to our operation officers.”

The Custom boss revealed that the Area command had jointly signed an agreement with their Beninoise counterpart towards jointly combating smuggling activities in their respective border areas.

According to Dosunmu who assumed office not too long ago: “In the month of January 2013 alone, the command has a record revenue collection of N568, 371, 344.48 as against the N381, 753, 378.66 recorded within the same period in 2012. According to him such achievement had never been recorded in the command.

According to him in the antismuggling efforts of the command in 2012, 1,084 seizures with Duty Paid Value (DPV) of N694, 087, 462 were made.

The seizures, Dosunmu explained, included vehicles, bags of rice, frozen poultry products, second hand clothes and shoes as well as textiles and Indian hemp among others.

He listed his achievements to include the establishments of an X-Ray machine at the staff clinic in Idiroko and “under my administration, I have created an acre of land for all imported cars landed from across the border with Benin Republic for duty payment.”

THE GUARDIAN, Friday, March 8, 2013

19

Weekend

HIV: New U.S. discovery generates debate

Arts & Culture P. 26

Duker…

Nollywood ambassador at driver’s seat of AFRIFESTNET

Autowheels P.44

MercedesBenz unveils six-wheeldrive luxo SUV

Business Travels P.46

Nigerian carriers groan over absence of flight simulators

20 WEEKEND

THE GUARDIAN, Friday, March 8 , 2013

Nigeria begins scientific The recent announcement by researchers in the United States (U.S) of the elimination of the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) in a child has spurred their counterparts in Nigeria into action. The National Agency for Food Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has formed a committee of professors of medicine to scientifically evaluate all HIV cure claims in the country; while the Nigeria Medical Association (NMA), the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN), the National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA) and the Nigerian Academy of Science (NAS) want replication of procedure in Nigeria through clinical trials.

Women and children attending postnatal clinic… they are the most vulnerable to HIV/AIDS

By Chukwuma Muanya pothesis.

FLURRY of cautious optimism has continued to trail the March 4 announcement by a team of researchers at the John Hopkins Children’s Centre in Baltimore, United States, (U.S) that a female child had been “functionally cured” of the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), which causes the Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS).

Led by a Virologist, Deborah Persaud, the team told delegates at the 20th yearly Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections held in Atlanta, Georgia, that the child’s mother was living with the HIV at the time she gave birth and had not received antiretroviral (ARV) medication or prenatal care. Persaud also revealed that the child had been born prematurely in July 2010 in Mississippi (U.S) and had been given a triple regimen of antiretroviral drugs 30 hours after her birth, due to her high risk of exposure to the HIV. The treatment continued until she was 18 months old.

Some 10 months later, when the child was 28 months old, doctors in Mississippi, in collaboration with researchers including Persaud, examined the child and confirmed that that the virus was no longer detectable in her blood. Persaud affirmed that the child, now two and a half years old, is not taking any medication and still healthy, although, tests show that the viral DNA remains. She also announced that plans were underway for clinical trials to test the hy-

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The United States National Institute of Health (NIH), which co-funded the study in conjunction with the Foundation for AIDS Research, also known as amfAR, said the child was given a triple-cocktail of drugs including Epivir, made by GlaxoSmithKline (GLAXF); Viramune, made by Boehringer Ingelhim; and Zidovudine, made by Ranbaxy Laboratories and other generic drug makers. The child was also treated with a Kaletra drug combination, produced

by Abbott (ABT, Fortune 500) Laboratories.

But the World Health Organisation (WHO), while welcoming the development, said it would not change its position on the need to provide antiretroviral treatment to HIV-positive women and their babies, to prevent infants from being infected. “The implications of this case study are not very clear at this point, until more information becomes available,” the organization said in a statement.

Apart from the WHO, both United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and Joint United Nations Programme on AIDS (UNAIDS) have also welcomed the new discovery. The UN agencies said in a statement:

“This news gives us great hope that a cure for HIV in children is possible and could bring us one step closer to an AIDS-free generation. This also underscores the need for research and innovation especially in the area of early diagnostics.”

In Nigeria, the Federal Government, through the National Agency for Food Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), has assembled a committee of Professors of Medicine to probe all the HIV cure claims in the country. Nigerian researchers, led by the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN), the National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA) and the Nigerian Academy of Science (NAS), are looking at the possibility of a replication of the US procedure in the country through clinical trials, to establish whether very early therapy can control infection in others.

However, the Nigerian Medical Association’s (NMA) President, Dr Osahon Enabulele, and his counterpart at the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN), Olumide Akintayo, have commended the team of US researchers for their efforts.

Enabulele canvassed the need for a replica-

Some 10 months later, when the child was 28 months old, doctors in Mississippi, in collaboration with researchers including Persaud, examined the child and confirmed that that the virus was no longer detectable in her blood. Persaud affirmed that the child, now two and a half years old, is not taking any medication and still healthy, although, tests show that the viral DNA remains

tion of the exercise in Nigeria and other parts of Africa.

He told The Guardian that in line with this objective, the NMA has directed its Research and HIV/AIDS Committees, to deeply understudy the research finding with a view to replicating it in Nigeria, in collaboration with relevant research institutions, universities and NACA. Enabulele said while NMA appreciates the need for a replication of the research study, the association nevertheless considers the Mississippi case as a fillip to on-going researches to find a cure for HIV/AIDS. He expects the new discovery renew the enthusiasm of researchers in Africa and Nigeria in particular.

Enabulele called on governments at all levels, the universities, research institutions and agencies, particularly NACA, to invest more in research activities aimed at discovering a global cure for HIV/AIDS. He said: “While we urge further research studies in Nigeria and other African countries, what is immediately obvious is that the current finding by the United States research team potentially offers, at least, tremendous hope for children afflicted with HIV/AIDS. Expectedly, this will help reduce infant and child mortality and the global burden of HIV/AIDS. It will help accelerate progress towards the attainment of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), particularly MDGs 4 and 6.

“The NMA also views the heartwarming finding as one that once again underscores the need for adequate and appropriate test-

THE GUARDIAN, Friday, March 8 , 2013

WEEKEND 21

enquiry into HIV cure claims

Abalaka

ing and investigation of pregnant mothers; particularly the assessment of their retroviral status(es), to facilitate early detection and treatment of infected pregnant mothers and their newborns. This is especially important in resource poor and developing countries with limited capacity for highly intensive and well funded researches into HIV/AIDS.” According to the WHO and UNICEF, 330,000 children were newly infected with HIV in 2011. At the end of that year, only 28 per cent of children under the age of 15, living with the virus were receiving treatment, compared to 54 per cent of eligible adults. Data also shows that just 28 per cent of HIV-exposed babies were tested for this disease within six weeks of birth in 2010, due to the high costs of early diagnostics and limited access to services and medicines.

In 2011, the UNAIDS and its partners launched a global plan for the elimination of new HIV infections among children by 2015 and keeping their mothers alive.

Indeed, significant progress has also been made in Nigeria, with the Prevention of Mother To Child Transmission of HIV (PMTCT) initiative of the federal government, although, experts insist that continued support and research are needed.

On why the Committee of Professors was formed, NAFDAC’s Director General, Dr Paul Orhii explained: “What we have done is that we have formed the committee to see what we can do. We are meeting next month to work out ways of doing clinical trials for all the cure claims in Nigeria. If you allow everybody to make claims of cure for HIV, we will be doing ourselves a lot of harm. If you claim that you have cure, we will find a doctor who has patients, re-evaluate it, and carry out a trial, so that the Intellectual Property Right (IPR) is protected. When we have finished the screening, we will then begin the approval process.

“I do not want it to be said that it was during my tenure that somebody claimed to have found a cure for HIV, malaria, cancer, diabetes or any other disease and we did not verify it and lose the opportunity.

Maybe later, it will be said that we did not give the person a chance to prove the claims. Let us examine these things and approve them if they are found useful. I have already held meetings with the committee of professors of medicine before the conference next month, where all the people who have herbal concoction cure claims are invited. With this, their IPR is protected because most of them think that their work will be stolen.”

Cure Claims: A Nigerian doctor, Jeremiah Abalaka declared in 1999, that he had found a cure for HIV/AIDS. He discussed the efficacy of his ‘vaccine,’ which he claimed cured his patients of the virus in Gwagwalada , a few kilometers outside the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja.

The 51-year-old trained surgeon with a graduate qualification in Immunology, said he had since January 2000 cured more

Ibeh

than 24 patients, who were converted from HIV sero-positive to sero-negative by five weekly shots.

Also, Prof. Isaiah Ibeh of the University of Benin, Edo State had, in January, announced the development of a new drug that could possibly cure HIV and AIDS. Ibeh, who is the university’s Dean of the School of Basic Medical Sciences, told reporters in Benin that his new herbal drug had undergone “series of successful tests.” According to him, research on the project started in 2010 and culminated in the development of ‘Deconcotion X (DX)–Liquid or Bioclean 11 for the cure of HIV and AIDS. He had claimed: “The existing retroviral drugs are intervention drugs for the management of AIDS but our new discovery is a possible cure.”

Another claim by the President of Gambia, Yahya Jammeh of the discovery of a certain anti HIV/AIDS herbal medication, capable of clearing the virus, has been slammed by international researchers and described as unfounded and unscientific.

Comparing the various cure claims with the new development in the U.S, the NAFDAC Director General observed: “The US researchers used the usual drugs to stop the virus from replicating. They are not claiming a cure. They are even urging for caution.

The Nigerian case is different. For instance, all the people Dr. Jeremaiah Abalaka claimed to have treated have died. So all these claims have to be verified.

“In the US, it is a regular treatment and clinical trials had been done with the drugs.

Persaud

Orhii

But here, somebody just wakes up and says he has found a cure. What the United States researchers are saying is that, they are using regular drugs and the child is cured. The US case is different from what we have here. We must do scientific evaluation.”

Enabulele said: “There is no basis for comparison between the US breakthrough and claims of cure by Nigerian researchers.

There are various issues. The US study was documented for a period of over 18 months by a team of researchers in an institute, not an individual. The US team presented their findings at a conference for criticism and analysis and they have scientific evidence to show. It should also be noted that the US researchers are not claiming a cure, but that they were able to keep the virus in a place where it cannot multiply and is undetectable.”

But contrary to claims in certain quarters that Nigerian does not have the capacity to test and treat babies for HIV until after six months, a medical laboratory scientist at the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH) Teaching Hospital, Osogbo, Osun State, Mrs. E.O Bamisaye, in a statement, insisted that there is appropriate technology, which she described as “polymerase chain reaction” which “is being deployed to diagnose HIV of neonates at birth.”

Bamisaye noted the technology is being employed in the hospital’s Haematology Laboratory and nationwide in most medical laboratories being supported by the U.S President’s Emergency Plan For AIDS Relief

(PEPFAR). She further explained: “Due to bureaucracy of sample collection, documentation and result transfer- in case of referral from one laboratory to another more equipped laboratory- the parent and clinician are informed of the status of their babies about six weeks after birth. Pending the release of result, the neonates, whose mothers are HIV positive, are treated as positive until results say otherwise. As a member of HIV care team in my hospital, I am also aware that drugs for treatment are given right from birth to pediatric patients, and not after a year.”

The Guardian, however, reliably gathered that Nigerian children might not be able to benefit yet because of late diagnosis and treatment of children born with HIV in the country. The earliest that children are tested for HIV in the country is six months and the treatment does not start until after diagnosis. There is also no Paediatric ARV for treating HIV positive children less than one year in the country.

The US child is one of only two people known to have been ‘functionally’ cured of HIV. According to findings, it is difficult to prove that people who were functionally cured are completely free of the virus HIV, but they effectively control the virus, and their immune systems stay healthy without treatment.

Timothy Ray Brown, known as the ‘Berlin patient’, was the first person known to have been cured of HIV. Doctors reported in 2008 that he was given a bone-marrow transplant that replaced his own immune cells with cells invulnerable to the virus, leading to a functional cure. But the technique is deemed too risky for most people with HIV. Also, scientists at Melbourne’s Alfred Hospital (Australia) and Monash University have just announced that they have used a cancer drug to wake up dormant HIV from its genetic hiding place, making it more susceptible to treatment.

Sharon Lewin, the Alfred Hospital’s Director of infectious diseases, says 20 patients are taking part in a trial. “The next step is to follow what happens to those viruses once they’ve been woken up,” she said, adding that the researchers hope the discovery could eventually lead to a cure for the virus.

The Need for Caution However, President of Nigeria Academy of Science (NAS), Prof. Oyewale Tomori, noted that the researchers have cautioned that the report on the baby girl involves just one patient. He also observed that the findings appear to have little relevance to people who contract HIV as adults or adolescents.

His words: “It is clear that this single case does not alter previous knowledge and information about curing AIDS, especially in adults with well established AIDS. Remember, this was a case treated early and aggressively. There is need for caution. How long will the child remain ‘cured’ without treatment? What is the long-term effect of the aggressive treatment on the development of the child? These are questions that only time will answer.”

It is clear that this single case does not alter previous knowledge and information about curing AIDS, especially in adults with well-established AIDS. Remember, this was a case treated early and aggressively. There is need for caution. How long will the child remain ‘cured’ without treatment? What is the long-term effect of the aggressive treatment on the development of the child? These are questions that only time will answer

Idoko… this supports our position that early treatment is key

Tomori… there is need to improve the research environment at home, through provision of better clinical and laboratory facilities

22

THE GUARDIAN, Friday, March 8, 2013

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THE GUARDIAN, Friday, March 8, 2013

23

ExecutiveBrief In association with TRIPPLEA ASSOCIATES LIMITED

EDITION 257

EXECUTIVE MANAGEMENT INFOTECH4DEXECUTIVES CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE EXECUTIVE FINANCE

assey Daniel, the founder of SMEclub – a Multipurpose Co-operB ative Society, holds a B.Sc. in Business Administration from the University Of Lagos, and MBA from IESE Business School, Barcelona, Spain. He worked in some Nigerian banks over a period of 15 years, during which he gained experience in business development, corporate strategy, research and brand marketing.

Daniel is a Master Card Foundation Scholar at the School of Applied Microfinance, Kenya and he has attended several local and international courses in microfinance management and enterprise development. He is a consultant to USAID and UKAID on various enterprise development programs and has been a FATE Foundation facilitator and mentor since 2004. Bassey is driven by the vision to equip African businesses for global competitiveness.

In this interview with Tito Philips Jnr., Bassey spoke on his unwavering dedication and determination to the development of entrepreneurship in Africa.

Can you please tell us a little about yourself and your business?

What do you do? How do you do it? Why do you do it and who do you do it for?

My name is Bassey Daniel, formerly a banker, now a business and financial consultant. I have several business and social interests, but the one I choose to talk about here is my role as President of SMEclub Multipurpose Co-operative Society. I am driven by a passion to help serious-minded young people actualize their business dreams. I believe that our socio-economic growth lies in promoting the spirit of entrepreneurship and supporting small businesses.

How would you describe your entrepreneurial journey into the world of business? Were there any key incidents or life changing events that inspired your decision to become an entrepreneur?

Well, I was a banker for over 15 years. At some point in my career I was asked to manage what was called the “SME Desk”. If you can remember, back in 2001 or so, the Bankers Committee decided to create the Small and Medium Industries Equity Investment Scheme (SMIEIS). Nigerian banks decided to contribute 10% of their net profit every year to a fund for equity investment in SMEs. In my bank I was essentially the investment analyst. My job was to review investment proposals submitted by entrepreneurs and recommend viable ones to the bank’s investment committee. I didn’t see a lot of properly packaged proposals. Even when the business idea itself was brilliant, few people were able to demonstrate that they would be able to translate the idea into a viable business. One big lesson I took from that experience was that, while most entrepreneurs would mention investment capital as

Bassey Daniel

Equipping African Businesses for Global Competitiveness their number one constraint, the biggest challenges are really lack of necessary business information and entrepreneurial/managerial competence. That realization is what gave impetus to start SMEclub, as a community and resource centre to help build entrepreneurial capacity in Africans and provide access to world-class enterprise development tools.

sectors and industries. To determine the viability of any new business proposition, I ask a few questions; Are there enough people in the chosen target market who will be willing and able to buy the product/service at the price required to deliver a profit? What does the future hold for this industry, sector, and product? Is the market growing, flat, declining? Are there diversification opportunities?

Can the product be sold to different market segments or is its sucWhen you started out in business, what specific idea, purpose or cess tied to the fortunes of a specific sector? Is there a committed vision was your key driving force? The idea behind SMEclub was management with the ability to manage all aspects of the business to create a platform for business people to interact and learn – technical/production, marketing, administration? from each other, access good quality business information, Do you have mentors, business coach or external consultants that access professional services, network and tap into financial and you work closely with to grow yourself and your business? If yes, to other enterprise development resources. what extent would you describe their impact on your business? If What is your take on the general notion that entrepreneurs no, are there any particular reasons? I have a network of friends should build a business around what they naturally love to do? and professional colleagues I use as sounding boards, but I have I subscribe to it completely. Passion drives excellence and pro- never thought of myself as needing a mentor or coach in the real ductivity. A time comes in every business growth process when sense of the word. So you could say I have a support ecosystem of the going gets really tough. At that point it takes passion to contacts that deserve credit for my growth. It is that same form of weather the storm. I honestly believe that the key reason for the ecosystem (a network of business professionals and mentors) that high mortality rate of small businesses is wrong choice of busi- SMEclub tries to establish in every community so that every entreness. There are too many me-too businesses out there. It also preneur would have fairly easy access to the help they need. partly explains the prevalence of mediocre approaches to business. An entrepreneur who loves and takes pride in what he How do you strategically use your time as an entrepreneur? What does is more likely to pay attention to quality and excellence, key activities would you recommend entrepreneurs use their time rather than just pursue profits. He is also more likely to put up a for? To remain strategic means to constantly have the big picture fight and make sacrifices to save his dream when the going gets in mind when making operational decisions. That requires a contough, rather than simply throw in the towel and move on to scious effort. It requires discipline. It is very easy, particularly in the early stages of business, when the promoter has to do everything, some new “great opportunity”. to be so absorbed in the daily grind of the business as to lose sight What is your personal life mission as an entrepreneur? That is; of the big picture. I would recommend a number of things: Create what contributions do you want to make with your life or what a vision and mission statement first for yourself, then for your busiwould you like to be remembered for as an entrepreneur ness. Make sure they are heartfelt. That is, don’t borrow a catchy through the businesses you create when you die? I want to statement from an admired company. Think through what doing make a positive impact in everything I do – to promote quality, this particular business means to you; how it will help actualize professionalism and excellence. I have invested in small busi- your personal goals. Going back to the subject of loving what you nesses spanning different sectors and this general principle do, if your business goals are not consistent with (and support) guides our operations in each one. So, I like to think of myself as your personal goals, you are in the wrong business. Develop a busisomeone with a passion for excellence. ness plan (a combination of operational and financial plans) for In terms of the legacy I would like to your business and set SMART goals. Spend a few hours every week leave behind, it is associated with the thinking about how your daily activities contribute to your strateSMEclub. By the time I retire I would like gic plans – the big picture. Is there anything you are doing which is to have built a strong institution with a inconsistent with your strategic goals? Make time (i.e. don’t claim reputation and track record for helping to be too busy) to review your business plan every quarter (3 young people start and grow their busi- months). Are you meeting the goals you set? If not, why not? Are nesses, thus creating jobs, building the goals still realistic? How has your environment changed? How their communities and realizing their do the changes likely to affect your business? Do you need to business dreams. More than anything change some of your strategies? Taking time to reflect in this way else, I would like to be remembered as may make the difference between success and failure.

Founder of SMEclub, an organization that helped many businesses start and How do you generate profitable customers for your business? grow. I would like to leave behind a long What unusual approaches do you adopt for marketing your prodlist of highly successful “SMEclub alum- ucts/services? Different strategies work for different business types.

It depends on the market segments being targeted. Electronic ni” businesses. media such as email, internet, mobile and social networks offer the What would you describe as the pur- best returns on investment for certain market segments. For othpose of entrepreneurship? That is; what ers they do not give much mileage. Traditional media are still relerole do entrepreneurs play in the vant and powerful – radio, TV, print, outdoor, etc. We use a combiworld? I believe the future of every econ- nation of several methods to achieve the objective, but because omy lies in the hands of entrepreneurs. most of our offerings are targeted at middle-aged people and Every major economy in the world younger; we use more of internet based channels. I don’t know if today owes its ascendancy and prosper- any of our methods can be called unusual. We probably could use ity to the spirit of enterprise. some ideas on unusual media and methods, particularly if they Governments can only do so much. offer improved ROI – we are not interested in being unusual for the While capitalism has its disadvantages, I fun of it. believe it is still better than other options because it promotes creativity, When starting out a new business, who are the likely possible partinnovation and rapid development by ners or professional service providers you would recommend encouraging and rewarding free enter- every entrepreneur work with? You may register a business name prise. The decline of communism is a yourself, but if you want a limited liability company, you need a lawyer to guide you through the incorporation process. Make sure strong indication of its inefficacy. you have the technical ability to produce the goods and/or provide How do you identify business opportu- the services you are offering the market. Make sure you have comnities and what metrics do you use to petences for marketing and book keeping. If you are not good with measure their viability? Business ideas these aspects of the business (nobody really can do every single one simply come from just paying attention of these things well by himself), find partners who can, employ to the world around us. Nobody can staff who can or outsource to third parties. It is typical for small claim to be a guru on generating busi- business owners to want to do everything themselves as they try to ness ideas. I make it a point to observe minimize their costs. That makes sense, but bear in mind that certrends, both locally and internationally. tain duties require professional training to perform. Trying to bite When I visit malls overseas, it is not just more than you can chew is being penny wise, pound foolish. At the to shop. I pay attention to how things very minimum try to have a team of professionals at your disposal are being done, what new products are including a lawyer, an accountant and a marketing expert. They coming into the market, new trends in may be paid professionals or friends willing to do you a good turn consumer behavior and think about – whatever works for you. how they might affect certain business For Advertisement E-mail:editor.executivebrief@trippleagroup.com

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24 | EXECUTIVEBRIEF

THE GUARDIAN, Friday, March 8, 2013

Executive Management

Customer Experience

Organizational Culture Change - 6 Advantages to Enhance Performance

Good Customer Service 6 Basic Rules

By Marcella Bremer f you don't know where you're going, any road will get you there! What the rabbit said to Alice is also true when reversed. If you don't know where you are now, you'll never get where you want to be.

This is what happens to some managers and organizations.

The only thing lacking is a precise bearing. Standing precisely here, what would be the most effective way to reach that future? So, having your goals set and preparing to change, spend 15 minutes to assess your organizational culture.

Learn the current potential and possible resistance right here, right now, before your feet. Knowing it is dealing with it. Overcome resistance and mobilize your organization's potential. It is a powerful starting point for successful change. Leave no sooner than after you've done this! Are you ready? Just follow me!

Fifteen minutes will do for managers and staff to assess their organizational culture quickly, easily and reliably. The Organizational Culture Assessment Instrument (OCAI) is developed by professors Kim Cameron and Robert Quinn and is a validated research method. No wonder that the OCAI is currently used by over 10,000 companies worldwide.

How come that this instrument takes only so little time and is still valid?

I

The Competing Values Framework - Cameron & Quinn learned from statistical analysis that out of a list of thirtynine indicators of effectiveness for organizations, only two dimensions made the difference. So four quadrants were constructed, corresponding with four organizational culture types that differ strongly on these two dimensions: Internal focus and integration VS External focus and differentiation: Stability and control VS Flexibility and discretion.

Organizations in the two left quadrants are internally focused, like: What is important for us and how do we want to work? The two quadrants on the right consist of organizations that are externally focused on: What is important for the market, competitors and customers? The upper quadrants desire flexibility, while at the bottom organizations value stability and control.

In short, the four archetypes of culture are: 1. Clan Culture: A friendly, people-oriented working environment where colleagues have a lot in common, similar to a family. They value teamwork and consensus. Executives are seen as mentors or father figures. There is great involvement. Success is defined as addressing the needs of clients and caring for people.

2. Adhocracy Culture: A dynamic and creative working environment. Employees take initiatives and risks. Leaders are seen as innovators.

Experiments, innovation and prominence are emphasized.

Success is growth and creating new products or services.

3. Market Culture: A resultsbased organization that emphasizes finishing work and getting things done. People are competitive and focused on goals. Leaders are hard drivers, producers, and rivals at the same time. Market penetration and stock are the definitions of success.

4. Hierarchy Culture: A formalized and structured work environment. Procedures are leading. Leaders are efficiencybased coordinators. Keeping the organization functioning smoothly is most crucial.

Reliable delivery, smooth planning and low costs define success.

The organizational culture assessment shows four statements for each of the above key features of culture. By dividing 100 points over these four descriptions, you'll get a weighed assessment of the current culture mix. Just like in reality you don't need to choose just one culture type.

Reality is ambivalent and so is organizational culture. The Competing Values Framework states that the values and the corresponding organizational cultures compete with each other. Organizations can spend their money, attention and time only once, so they tend to emphasize certain values.

Quinn and Cameron found that flexible organizations are the most effective, which sometimes leads to contradictory behavior. Research shows that there is no single "best" culture type. The best mix of culture types depends on the situation.

In a saturated market for instance, you could flourish with a competitive market culture, while this culture would produce opposite effects in a start up company that thrives

on innovation, creativity and serving new developing markets.

You can find your unique culture mix of for instance, people-oriented clan culture and results-oriented market culture. Knowing your specific mix of internal focus and flexibility (clan culture) versus external focus and stability (market culture), you can prepare a successful pathway to the preferred situation.

In the assessment you also define the preferred situation.

Just rate the six key aspects of organizational culture again, but this time you keep the preferred future in mind. You divide 100 points while you imagine its five years from now and the desired situation has come true. The outcome!

Now you know where you stand and where you want to go! In just 15 minutes an entire team or organization can assess their starting point and their goal. Before there was an automated version of the OCAI, it was a lot of work to calculate the profiles by hand.

6 Advantages to Performance Conclusively, diagnosing and changing organizational culture can actually pay off if it's done correctly. Don't neglect culture since it's such an important factor. Let culture work for you and enhance performance. As a consultant guiding organizational change I got enthusiastic about using the Organizational Culture Assessment Instrument. A discriminate factor for success that beforehand was considered "vague" and impossible to manage, was made easy to grasp and even utilize, mobilizing employees beyond their "normal" resistance to change.

The OCAI has 6 advantages that help organizations enhance performance: It's focused: it measures the six key dimensions that were found to make a difference in organizational success.

It's timely: both assessing and developing a change strategy can be accomplished in a reasonable period.

It's involving: either by including all personnel or those who give direction and guide change.

It's manageable: it can be implemented by a (management) team; outside consultants aren't necessarily needed.

It's valid: the OCAI is validated and people recognize their outcomes.

By Ayesha Khalid Khan Good customer service is one of the main pillars of any business. You can recommend promotions and lower prices to get as many new clients as you would like, but unless you can get a few of those clients to return, your company will not stay lucrative for long. If you are a good dealer, you can sell anything to any person one time. Although it will be your attitude towards customer service that decides whether or not you will ever be capable of selling that person anything else. The real meaning of good service is creating an association with clients that he would like to pursue.

You form and maintain such an association by considering the single factual secret of good service; “You will be evaluated by what you do, not by what you

speak.”

If you really want to have excellent service, all you have to do is guarantee that your business does the following things without fail:

speak and show him that you are paying attention by giving the suitable replies, for instance, advising how to deal with the problem he is facing.

4) Handle criticism. No one is fond of listening to complaints, but if you give the criticism your consideration, you may be

able to satisfy this one individual this one time; and position your business to collect the gains of good customer service.

1) Answer your phone.

Ensure that someone is receiving the phone when anyone calls your company.

People who call would like to talk to a live person and not just a “phony recorded robot”.

5) Guide your workforce to always be supportive, polite, and well-informed. Speak to them regarding good service on a regular basis. Most significantly, offer each member of your workforce an adequate amount of information as well as authority to make those little customer satisfying decisions.

2) Do not guarantee anything unless you are 100% sure about it. Trustworthiness is among the keys to any good relationship, and good service to customer is no exception. Think before you make any promise since nothing irritates clients more than an unfulfilled promise.

6) Take an additional step. For example, if an individual comes to your shop and needs your assistance to find something, do not merely say, “It is in 4th aisle.” Instead, lead the customer to that item. Whatever the additional step may be, if you would like to offer good service, take it. Your customers see when you make an additional effort and will inform other individuals.

3) Pay attention to your clients. Let your client

L-R. Chief Gideon Iwuoha (president automobile dealers and friends association), Chief Henry Amobi (Chairman, board of trustees of the association) and emeka ugwuzor, immediate past president of the association at the swearing in/hand over ceremony of the newly elected executives of the association recently.

Action is the foundational key to all success. Pablo Picasso

Literature: With Sista Power, women forge collaboration

P. 26

Visual Arts: Marker 2013 puts African art in the sun

P. 36

Theatre: Redefining the status quo

P. 39

Film: Another Presidential handshakefor Nollywood

P. 40

SHOWBLAST

Cooking flavouring

takes reality TV to new heights

By Chuks Nwanne N Nigeria, reality TV show is the order of the day.

To a large extent, it has provided entertainment Icontents for TV stations and viewers. Though some producers are making efforts to recreate themselves, by making new additions to their concepts, others seem to be following the bandwagon; it has become all comers affair. While some have been able to sustain their projects beyond the first edition, a good number of such shows have now been rested for either lack of fund or poor production.

Currently, the airwave is seriously dominated with music reality shows, which are usually foreign formats produced with franchise. However, as far as viewers are concerned, it is all about repetition.

Taking a new dimension in the reality TV show concept, Unilever Nigeria Plc, through its Knorr brand, recently launched a new programme tagged Knorr Taste Quest. Produced by Royal Roots Communication, a wholly Nigerian production company, the ongoing cooking competition, which involves both male and female cooks, is being introduced as a way of presenting a platform and opportunity for food lovers in Nigeria to showcase their various cooking skills as well as present the rich Nigerian cuisine to the world. The imitative, according to the producers, is designed to provide an alternative for TV viewers, who seem to be finding reality shows boring and repetitive, “The show would go a long way to impact every participant as every contestant that gets to the show will leave with something worthwhile. Our root strengths lies in our expertise in local and international dishes and these we will showcase on the show,� the Marketing Director, Unilever Nig. Plc, Mr. David Okeme said at the launch.

After rigorous auditions by the judges, 20 lucky contestants were selected out of over 6000 applications. However, the list was later trimmed down to 12 contestants, who are currently slugging it out in the Knorr kitchen, under the watchful eyes of the judges. Initially, it was fun all the way, as the contestants had time to network and relate with one another. But along the line, it dawned on the contenders that the show was specifically designed to get the best out of them.

In the house, the contestants are given cooking tasks using a variety of key ingredients. During the first task, they were required to work with Catfish and Cocoyam as their key ingredients. You need to see the drama, as the contestants, including some the males, struggled to kill their catfish, as it was given to them alive. At the end of that task, Gregory Owie and Saratu Mamman were put on probation.

The following week, they were given Breadfruit, Okro, Chicken livers and Ginger as the key ingredients to make a two-course meal. Initially it looked like it would be a very hard task as breadfruit, though sold in major markets in Nigeria, is not a common food staple eaten by most people. The contestants however proved their worth as aspiring chefs, as they creatively presented dishes that certainly looked very sumptuous to viewers. At the end of the task, Lalu Surdiham, an Indonesian, who works in Nigeria as a chef, emerged winner and was rewarded with a microwave oven.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 38

Duker...

Africa’s new movie boss

THE GUARDIAN, Friday, March 8, 2013

26 ARTS

Literature

By Anote Ajeluorou VER wondered why the only female presiE dential candidate Sarah Jubril in the last presidential primary in 2011 in the Peoples Democratic Party had just one vote despite having hundreds of women that cast their votes? Why do women always fail to stand together in communion with their kind to achieve a common purpose? What could women not achieve should they chose to stand together and work in collaborative partnership rather than bicker over silly issues?

What specific strength can women display for working together?

These are some of the salient issues a new book on female power has strongly lent credence. Sista Power by lifestyle coach and motivational speaker, Bidemi Mark-Mordi, deals with the positive power women wield and how collaboration like minds could help achieve great things for the greater good of society. The book was launched last weekend in Lagos amongst a close circle of friends and associates. The author Mark-Mordi is also the publisher of a female magazine, Effectual, modeled after the once famous Digest.

In order for the audience at the presentation to gain better insight into the book, a panel of four discussed the book. The moderator, Mr. Tunde Fagbohunlu remarked that the book stresses the importance of collaboration, which could be viewed against the background of the twin collaborative evils - corruption and violence -threatening the corporate existence of Nigeria. He wondered whether there wasn’t more collaboration amongst anti-social elements, those that stand for evil than those that stand for good “for the kind of society we now have in Nigeria”.

Fagbohunlu decried the “insularity among those who stand for good in society. The author is urging for less insularity among good people for the good of society. The book is about collaboration among women so they could play greater roles that uphold social values; it’s about step by step ways of achieving effective collaboration among women.

Importantly, the author uses the metaphor of the midwife”.

A panelist, Mrs. Unyime-Ivy King commended the author for giving women a weapon that is capable of uniting their otherwise divisive tendency. She noted, “We can do much more together than we will alone. This is a generation where people want to belong without really being themselves”. King stated that relationships had never been in more dire circumstances than now and that Sista Power would help a majority of people understand God’s purpose for relationships and their collaborative influences on society generally.

She noted, “How can we relate in meaningful ways and be truly ourselves, even amongst Christians? This is a powerful book.

Collaboration is really for everybody – men and women alike. People are so fake these days, which is sad.”

For feminist, girl empowerment campaigner, Iheoma Obibisaid the book spoke to me about what we do every day. It’s an opportunity for older women to work with younger women,

Forging collaboration among women in Sista Power

President, Christian Booksellers Association of Nigeria (CBAN), Mrs. Modupe Ehirim; Mr. Mark Mordi and his wife and author of Sista Power, Mrs. Bidemi Mark-Mordi; Executive Director, Ashoka Fellow, Alliances for Africa, Iheoma Obibi and event moderator, Mr. Tunde Fagbohunlu at the launch of Sista Power at the weekend in Lagos the opportunity to think outside the box and offer another paradigm is something I came away with reading the book. Younger women out there need to learn the virtues of collaboration; girls need to be given the confidence to dream, to aspire to anything in life”.

Also Mr. Kayode Akomolafe, a pastor and panelist, stressed the different paradigms Sista Power offers makes it a fantastic book. He also commended the midwife metaphor the author employs, and said the intervention of

Author’s mother, Mrs. Blessing Okiche; the author, Ifediora Okiche; Prof. Akachi Ezeigbo and Vice President, Lagos State Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Mrs. Toki Mabogunje displaying the book Cosmic Circle at the launch of Okiche’s poetry collection last week… in Lagos PHOTO: CHARLES OKOLO

the midwife in the life of individuals was crucial in weathering the peculiar storms of life. He gave two instances of interventions he’d made in the lives of people, of a man who attempted suicide because he couldn’t afford a simple surgical solution for his son’s cleft lip and pay his school fees and offering help to a woman who had a medical condition.

In each of these instances, Akomolafe said there were a lot more wealthier Nigerians than he, but who did not feel compelled enough to help the man who attempted suicide, noting, “The use of the concept of a midwife is profound and it runs through the book. So, it’s not just collaboration among women but it’s about the webmaster (God) who weaves intricately the webs of our lives.

We all have roles to play in life and there is the danger that failing in that role results in the death of someone”.

Also present was President, Christian Booksellers Association of Nigeria, Mrs. Modupe Ehirim, who, while commending the author, also asked buyers to make a gift of the book to three people they know and constantly remind them to read the book by insisting on feedback on it. She said that that way the proper import of the book in people’s lives could be fully realised.

While responding, the author Mark-Mordi said she used to think that only smart people wrote books until she tried her it only to discover that “it is the working of the holy spirit. It’s God displaying his huge sense of humour. It’s about the message God planted in my heart. I didn’t set out to write about collaboration but God put it in my heart”.

The author further urged Nigerians to read the book and apply the principles in it “for our nation to be better. I’m determined that

Nigeria be greater and we must do our bit”.

POETRY

Shakara

By Habib Akewusola Any pretty lady in aso-oke or ankara Perfect African attire With a few yards of wrapper.

I love to see as she waka, My sisi doesn’t shit inside Shalanga, The back big like calabash oil full her mouth, She don go kiss fray pan.

My African baby you too fine, Follow me go river benue sea side So we go enter lipopo for mid night.

Abeg cook hot banga, I also like akara and bread, Tuwo shinkafa will also make sense, Only you I see in the whole planet.

Shakara is this invincible garment Expresses pride and celebrate My dark endowment, African Baby is the channel She miraculously glitters at night After been a slave with The camels.

Africa is perfect, Those rudiments are part Of today’s assets

THE GUARDIAN, Friday, March 8, 2013

ARTS 27

Stories by Anote Ajeluorou OUNDING a new home is not always easy, Fmore and founding a new community is even arduous. More often than not, such founding rests on a bitter struggle to come to terms with unprecedented forces. Such founding father usually fight to a bitter end to stake a claim to unknown territory. Indeed, while the founders might have wrestled with uncommon adversaries, the story usually ends in triumphant adulation for descendants to come.

This is the story of Nduka, a man who went through the fire of pain as he struggled with a perverted destiny and managed to bequeath a glorious legacy to his offsprings, whose roots continue to spread.

This is the story of Wings of the Night written

by Azuka Onwuka (Nesma Xandria Ltd, Lagos; 2011). Wings of the Night is the tragic tale of Nduka, a hardworking man and much endowed; a man whom the gods and men smiled at. He rose from a bitter beginning when his widowed mother had to battle his uncle to stake a claim to his late father’s property. In spite of this, he rose to a position of eminence in his community. But that is as far as he could go. A tragic fate that would dodge his heels and change his bearing forever started when his young son, Chima took ill and is taken for treatment in a distant community alongside his wife.

On their way back, the canoe capsizes and he looses his wife and son, including the canoe man. It takes him two years to recover from this incident. Just when his is set to put it behind him, tragedy strikes again in the form of an envious best friend, Okoli, who is jealous of the strides Nduka is making: he would soon remarry and take the ozo title, the highest title in the land, ahead of him. In his bid to burn down Nduka’s yam barn to thwart him, he sets his friend’s entire household on fire. Nduka’s four remaining children are roasted in the inferno.

Nduka is distraught. But he is too nobleminded to commit suicide although he contemplates it. In his great grief, Okoli owns up to his crime against him. His friend’s revelation leaves Nduka numbed. While his friend goes the way of infamy by hanging himself, Nduka takes his sheep and leaves his native town forever so he could shepherd his sheep in solace away from anyone he knows. He gives his sheep his children’s names just to keep his mind sane. However, in the communities he sojourns as a vagrant sheperd, he is seen as a madman on account of his unkempt looks and solitary habitation.

Until coincidence brings him face to face with Nkechi, the Chima he lost some 10 years back in Agu River alongside his late wife. A combination of factors brings him close to the community he’s been shepherding his sheep and his final discovery of his son who supposedly drowned in a river. Upon this revelation and

Wings of the Night…

tracing the tragic tale of a people’s suffering from the severe wounds he suffered in the hands of leopard he kills, Nduka eventually dies a partially fulfilled man, as Umunduka, a vibrant community is founded in his honour through his drowned but found son, Chima.

NWUKA’s Wings of the Night, set far back O in pre-colonial era, is a celebratory work that traces Africa back to pre-modern times and re-enacts what had gone before to which much of this generation is ignorant.

Now, if Nduka’s tragic fate predestined?

Why was he destined to suffer such terrible fate when he’d done neither man nor god?

Why would one man be singled out for so much suffering? These are some of the questions that will plague the readers of this charming work that traces the past to the present.

No doubt, Onwuka is a student of legendary author, Chinua Achebe, a man he dedicates the book to; he models his narrative after him in terms of simplicity of telling, use of proverbs and other Igbo tropes. But Onwuka succeeds to a point; perhaps some of the major lapses are Onwuka’s persistent use of the past participle ‘had’ in his narrative; it drags the narrative flow. The simple past tense is more direct. But he could be forgiven; he wrote Wings of the Night while an under graduate some 20 years ago.

Onwuka’s imitation of Achebe in his attempt at direct transliteration or approximation of Igbo usage to English language suffers from poor handling. He strains too much to fit into the mold of the master; Onwuka would need to carve his own narrative niche to create his own unique language of narration.

Also, the re-enactment of the legendary beginning of Umunduka community by Chief Moses Nzeako, as had become the norm, seems ill conceived as effective narrative device. While it is a clever style to adopt, it should have been introduced a bit earlier as a prologue to herald the tale. Thrusting it at readers at the end makes it hugely contrived and therefore not a convincing device.

On the whole, Onwuka’s narrative offers wholesome reading, especially his profoundly realistic handling of Nduka’s tragedy; it gets branded deeply into the reader’s sub-conscious. Onwuka is to be commended for this.

CAFUS G-Project set to raise geniuses for the nation AFUS G-Project, a new reality C show will soon hit TV screens across the country. Conceived with the vision of raising a generation of geniuses for nation-building the reality show promises to raise the moral tone in the areas of music, dance and comedy as seen on TV. For a token registration fee, the three most talented participants stand the chance of winning amazing prizes, which include N2.5 million, one year music recording contract and a car for first prize; N1.5 million for second prize and N1 million for third prize. The show is open to all Nigerians with a talent in music, dance and comedy.

According to the organiser of the show and founder of CAFUS Obed Foundation, Mr. Prince Obed Chinonyerem, “the reality TV show is a divinely inspired platform to change the mind set of this generation of youth that are daily bombarded with so much unwholesome materials in the various media – both traditional and social. The show will be aired on Galazy TV, STV, NTA, and TVC. At the media launch of the project in Ikeja, Lagos, last week, Chinonyerem said: “It is time for somebody to tell our nation that the youth are derailing and that they need to be brought back on track. Ours is a foundation that stands for integrity; it’s not a church or a gospel thing. We want to raise geniuses and help make Nigeria better.”

Beyond the reality TV show, Chinonyerem said the CAFUS Obed

Foundation has perfected other programmes to help cushion current hardship biting a large segment of the society. Apart from CAFUS GProject designed to promote music, dance and comedy, other areas his foundation will make impact, he noted, include sports and education.

He stated that his other programmes would help achieve the UN Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), adding, “we strongly believe

that through these programmes our nation will greatly benefit, as our young people will be groomed, empowered and encouraged to make good use of the great potentials God has endowed them with.

“This is the time every good citizen of Nigeria should be committed. My prayer is that God will give us a peaceful nation filled with unity, love, joy and compas-

CAFUS in-house music band, The Dwellers with founder, Chinonyerem at the event

sionate hearts for nation-building.”

Earlier chairman of the event, Rev. Zaccheaus Idiare commended Chinonyerem for envisioning the project, which he described as progressive by its nature, and prayed for its success. He added, “this is a dream put in Obed’s heart by God. I enjoin all Nigerians to partner with the organisers to realise the goals of

the project. While every Nigerian is thinking of what they can get out of Nigeria, Obed is thinking of what he can give back to the society and the country as a whole. This is Obed’s baby that needs to be nurtured, fed and nourished; we should all help in the nourishment to make it great.”

Further explaining the aims of the reality show, Mr. Hanson Iheuko, project team representative, said, “the project is designed to empowerment the youth and make the less privileged to be useful to themselves and the society.

He noted that the show was hinged on good moral values, as it was founded on God’s principles.

Ihueko also added said the show was envisioned to correct the wholesome stuff youth had become used to in similar TV shows.

He said: “What we see on TV doesn’t speak too well of us as a people.

We ought to use our gifts to teach moral lessons.”

Also giving full expression to the vision being espoused by CAFUS Obed Foundation was The Dwellers band, an arm of the foundation, which was on hand to thrill the audience to soul and gospel music.

The band is made up of talented young people that had cut their teeth in various TV reality shows and other talent hunt shows.

The highlight of the event was the special recognition awards CAFUS Obed Foundation gave to individuals who have distinguished themselves in the service to humanity.

For further enquiries and registration interested participants are advised to visit www.cafusgproject.com.

THE GUARDIAN, Friday, March 8, 2013

28 ARTS

Revue Duker… Nollywood ambassador at

driver’s seat of AFRIFESTNET

Berlinale Palast, official theatre of the festival

Fidelis Duker (left); Emeka Ossai; and Chief Adebayo Salami at the dinner with President Goodluck Jonathan

By Shaibu Husseini (who was in Berlin and Ouagadougou) ORMER President of the Director Guild of Frunning Nigeria (DGN) and founder of the nine years yearly Abuja International Film Festival (AIFF) Fidelis Duker has been appointed President of the African Film Festival Network (AFRIFESTNET), a continental body for film festival organisers.

Duker’s appointment followed a vote of no confidence passed by members of AFRIFEST on their pioneer President Kwame Owosu.

Although, Owosu from Ghana is believed to have resigned as President prior to the meeting where the decision to oust him was taken, members said the decision to ‘sack’ Owosu and to elevate Duker from his position as Vice President to that of President followed the inability of Owosu to direct the affairs of the continental body since he got the mandate to lead the network almost two years ago.

Members complained that Owosso took a back seat after the maiden congress of the network held in Accra in 2011. ‘Nothing has been heard about the network since then and Owosso himself just switched off on everyone’ a member from Morocco lamented. A motion to remove Owosso and to have Duke succeed him was raised at a recent emergency meeting and members say they unanimously adopted the motion and endorsed the decision to have Duke succeed Owosso. Duke will call the shots until when a fresh election would be conducted to either re-elect Duke and his team or elect a new leadership for the body.

Observers see Duke’s elevation as a plus for Hollywood. The directing force behind some of the sectors critically acclaimed offerings like

Senseless and Monica Lewinsky is perhaps the first practitioner in recent history to hold a very influential continental position. This is why they consider Duke’s appointment an opportunity for Hollywood to assert its position as a leading motion picture production force in the continent. They also think that Hollywood, which Duke has no doubt contributed in growing, should exploit the opportunity of being at the head of an influential organisation like AFRIFEST to secure a good share of voice in the continental festival and film circuit. Observers strongly believe that getting involved in international politics is one sure step to take especially if players intend for the industry to be reckoned with outside of Nigeria.

Indeed it has widely being argued that Hollywood needs to begin to play the international politics of filmmaking if it intends to be

Alain Gomis

AFFRIFESTNET president, Fidelis Duker taken seriously outside Nigeria. While other developing film societies like Kenya and South Africa whose infrastructure and film industries are now perfectly used to handle large scale outside productions, are finding spots to perch on internationally, Hollywood and its practitioners are so locked down in local politics including intra and inter guild and association squabbles. Hollywood as an observer remarked has continued to play the number game while countries that have made themselves visible in international for a are the ones benefiting from major international funding, production and distribution opportunities.

Even the Nigerian Film Corporation (NFC), an agency of government set up to develop the industry has been so withdrawn from developments in the industry that it has allowed some of its functions including that of galvanising the industry to be performed by a Senior Special Assistant to the President. Just this Saturday in Lagos, President Goodluck Jonathan had to rely on his office on strategy and documentation to organise a salutary dinner for the iconic Hollywood. It was unsure if the NFC had any input in that dinner that was well attended. The NFC in the estimation of informed observers has lost control of an industry it is supposed to regulate. Even the Association of Movie Producers (AMP) and several other associations and guilds that should lead the way and make its presence felt at international film meets are still unsure of how they intend to commemorate 20 years of the existence of commercial movie production in Nigeria. The AMP failed to commemorate the event in September 2012, the month the phenomenal Living in Bondage was released 20 years ago and a time the AMP has

now formally landmarked to be the start period for an industry that is today called Nollywood. There are indeed no signs that it is even ready to roll out red carpets for any of the events it had promoted will be used to commemorate 20 years of Nollywood as there are no specific dates for the programme of commemoration which the leadership of AMP say will climax in June 2013. Yet the AMP would claim sole right to the event and would not allow any other person or group reflect on the existence of the self styled industry.

Observers wonder whether there will be any need to hold any other commemorative event after that lavish dinner by the President attended by three governors including Governor Godswill Akpabio of Akwa Ibom state. It appears that the dinner the President held with the practitioners last week will be the only event that will be held around the Nollywood at 20 commemorations. ‘’Anything after it will be an anti-climax’’ a member of AMP said.

But the story of Nollywood still needs to be told by the practitioners themselves. The AMP and other associations and guild still need to take the Nollywood story out. They need to attend festivals and movie meets and they need to also seek opportunities at those meets to tell the true Nollywood story. The just held biennial Festival of Pan African Cinema in Ouagadougou otherwise called FESPACO closed on March 3 in Burkina Faso and not a single head of the so many associations in Nollywood showed up in FESPACO. Yet there were so many forums opened to them to tell the Nollywood story from the CONTINUED FROM PAGE 28

THE GUARDIAn, Friday, March 8, 2013

ARTS 29

Timi Laminisa of Ede… five years on the throne

By Siyan Oyeweso n Wednesday, March 5, 2008, the ancient city of Ede O and the culture emporium of Yorubaland played host to several dignitaries from all walks of nigerian life.

Gomis at FESPACO 2013

...Nollywood’s close-up on international politics of film CONTINUED FROM PAGE 28 point of view of the practitioners. If nollywood was absent in FESPACO, it was also absent at the 63rd edition of the Berlin International film Festival which closed on February 18, When other less developed film societies like Ghana, Kenya, Mali, Congo and Senegal were scrambling to get a share of the international film voice through their participation of high profile film events like the Berlinale, nollywood and its practitioners were at home celebrating 20 years of producing movies in large quantities. The ten-day long festival closed and there was not a single official of any of the so many guilds or association in attendance. Even officials of the nigerian Film Corporation (nFC) who, at least since Afolabi Adesanya became Managing Director of the agency a little near eight year ago, usually put up appearances on behalf of the industry were absent this year. Their absence may not be unconnected with lack of funds but even then nollywood would have been represented at Berlinale. They have always argued that there is no use attending festivals because nigeria doesn’t have any film showing in or out of competition, but observers say that argument is lame as Berlinale, reputed to be one of the most important cinema showcases in the world offers more than just the platform to showcase films. The festival attended by hordes of national and international practitioners have provided moviegoers the opportunity to network and exchange ideas. Some industries have even secured international funding from organisations that seek projects around the world to fund. For instance, the meeting of the World Cinema Fund held during Berlinale and it was held in association with the Federal Foundation for Culture and in cooperation with the Goethe Institut, the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development, Deutsche Welle / DW Academy, the Foreign Ministry and German producers. The World Cinema Fund works to develop and support cinema in regions with a weak film infrastructure, while fostering cultural diversity in German cinemas. The fund supports films that could not be made without additional funding: films that stand out with an unconventional aesthetic approach, that tell powerful stories and transmit an authentic image of their cultural roots. The fund has an annual budget of approximately 400,000 EUR and supports exclusively the production and distribution of feature films and feature-length documentaries from regions like Latin America, Central

America, the Caribbean, and Africa. These kinds of funds will continue to elude nollywood, as long as it does not exploit the opportunities presented to exploit the funds.

F nollywood was absent at the Berlinale, Igave Ghana was not. Akosua Adoma Owusu Ghana something to cheer about at the Berlinale and officials of the Ghana Film Commission sat through the World Cinema Fund meeting. Owusu’s 26 minutes short film Kwaku Ananse featured in the short film corner. The movie recounts a tale from Ghana about how the spider wants and collects all bits of wisdom but ultimately the vessel breaks. The story centres around a young woman who had to face up to her father’s polygamous life but in the end encounters herself. But Owusu’s film didn’t get the short film prize. She lost it to JeanBernard Marlin’s The Runaway, which was awarded the Golden Bear. However it was Child’s Pose by Callin Peter netzer that got the Berlinale top prize—The Golden Bear. It was adjudged the best film of the Berlinale.

IGERIA has not been lucky to have its n entry considered at Berlinale and indeed in other first rate festivals around the world. The organisers have often complained that entries are usually sent late and even when they are sent a bulk of them beg for post -production redemption. It is the same reason that the organisers of the FESPACO have always advanced for not accepting works from nollywood. The issue of quality aside, the organizers of FESPACO have always insisted that all entries for its main competition must be on celluloid or should be blown up to that standard. It is the reason why no entry from a core nollywood practitioner has made the FESPACO officials selection list within the last three decades. But with the advancement in digitization of the film industry, festival organizers may be compelled to accept entries in the format that nollywood practitioners work on. Observers expect that now that nigerian movie practitioners are beginning to make films on superior digital format, they should be in Berlin at the next edition in February 2014 even if on the fringes.

Festivalgoer’s have been asking a lot about ‘nollywood’’ and its offering. The cinema of India was in Berlinale so they expect that nollywood which placed second after India in the UnESCO 2005 survey of movie producing societies in the world should find a space in Berlin next year to exhibit its best offerings.

Meanwhile the Senegalese director Alain Gomis has won the Golden Stallion prize for

best film at the FESPACO. Gomis film titled Tey (Today) starring Saul Williams and Aissa Maiga which examined the relationship between the living and the dead was adjudged the best film of the biennial festival out of over 20 other films including nigeria’s newton Aduaka’s One Man Show that were entered for the main competition. It will be the first time that a Senegalese film will receive the FESPACO top prize. The FESPACO jury described the film as one “cinematic grace”. Gomis dedicated the prize to his home country Senegalese and its citizens. He said he felt proud to win the top prize. Gomis paid glowing tributes to his colleagues in Senegal who battle to make films under very difficult conditions. ‘’This is for all Senegalese especially those that have over the last few years struggled, toiled and persevered to make films in difficult conditions. I congratulate them and dedicate this award to them for keeping the flame alive” Gomis said. Saul Williams who featured as the lead actor in They received the prize for best male lead. The other prize winners include Yema by Algerian Djamila Sahraoui, (Silver Stallion), and La Pirogue (The Dugout) by Senegalese Moussa Touré (Bronze Stallion). The award for Best First Feature Film went to Les Enfants De Toumaron by Harri Krisna and Sharvan Anenden from Mauritius. The film exposes the life of four youngsters and their fight for survival. nadia El Fani got the award for Best documentary for the film Meme Pas Mal while the award for Best Short Film went to Les Souliers de l’Aid by Anis Lasoued from Tunisia.

Promoted as a platform that allows filmmakers to network and catch up on the latest trends in African cinema, FESPACO berthed in 1969 to contribute to the expansion and development of African Cinema as a means of expression and awareness raising. But observers say that what should undeniably be an integral piece of the African film industry has favoured Franco-phone African filmmakers more than it has helped those from Anglophone Africa. Filmmakers from Anglophone Africa have complained severally about alienation by the organizers who are majorly from Francophone Africa. They feel that the organizers have created ‘unnecessary borders’ and are now even contemplating on berthing a festival that will protect their interest. If that happens, the whole idea of FESPACO being a neutral space and the crossroads of Africa and her cinema would have been defeated.

Among such dignitaries were two of nigeria’s first class traditional rulers, the Ooni of Ife, HRM Oba Okunade Sijuwade Olubuse II and the Alaafin of Oyo, HRM Oba Lamidi Olayiwola Adeyemi III. The event was the coronation ceremony of the 13th Timi of new Ede, Oba Munirudeen Adesola Lawal, Laminisa I. The monarch made history as the first Oba to emerge from the Laminisa segment of the Lalemo Ruling House of Ede since the foundation of new Ede in 1817 by Timi Kubolaje Agbonran Gbakanija.

Last Tuesday, history re-enacted itself in Ede as Timi Lawal Laminisa I celebrated the fifth anniversary of his installation and coronation as the 13th Timi of Ede. Again, the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Olayiwola Adeyemi III and the Ooni of Ife, Oba Okunade Sijuwade Olubuse II will lead a powerful delegation of royal fathers from all over Yorubaland to the epochre event.

The historical significance of the event lies in the fact that Ede is one of the most ancient Yoruba towns. It was established directly from Oyo during the reign of the 4th Alaafin of Oyo, Alaafin Sango, and this was certainly before the 16th Century. The founding father of Ede, Agbale Olofa-Ina, was given a military mandate to protect the territorial integrity of Oyo-Ile against incessant Ijesa incursions into the Oyo territory. Thus Ede started as an army with a state rather than the conventional pattern of a state with army.

One important achievement recorded during the reign of Oba Laminisa I was the establishment of Adeleke University, a private university, in Ede. Adeleke University came into formal existence in 2010 and is fully owned by Spring Time Development Foundation, a charitable non-profit making and non-Government Organization founded in 1996 by Dr. Deji Adeleke, a scion of the Adeleke dynasty of Ede. The university matriculated its first set of 191 students on 28th February 2012. One significant point to note is that Adeleke University has not only boosted the image of Ede nationally, it has impacted positively on the town as an international centre of academic excellence. In December 2012, Adeleke University collaborated with Osun State University and the Centre of West African Studies, University of Birmingham to host an International Workshop on Everyday Religion and Tolerance in Ede South West nigeria. The presence of the university has also impacted positively on housing, transport and business sectors in the town.

Another major hallmark of Oba Munirudeen Adesola Lawal’s reign was the decision by the Visitor to the Redeemer’s University, Pastor Enoch Adejare Adeboye, to locate the Permanent site of the University at Ede. Earlier in 2004 the Late Timi of Ede, Oba Tijani Oladokun Oyewusi Agbonran II had offered acres of land to the RCCG but in the words of Pastor Adeboye “God told me that the land should be used to build a University”.

Although the Redeemer’s University currently operates from Mowe, Ogun State, the certificate that was issued to the University by the national University Commission read Redeemers University Ede. Since 2005 when the Redeemer’s University took off at Mowe, the movement to Ede was slowed down by some hurdles and challenges. However, on February 17 2012, the authorities of the Redeemer’s University were in Timi’s Palace to inform him that the Permanent site of the University would be in Ede. This visit was particularly pleasing to the Timi and the entire people of Edeland as they had almost lost hope that the University would ever come back to Ede. As a mark of appreciation, Timi Laminisa led a powerful delegation to the Visitor, Redeemer’s University, Pastor Enoch Adejare Adeboye on Tuesday 22nd February 2012 for to the word of God on the choice of Ede keeping faith with as the Permanent site of the University.

Today, massive construction works, are on-going at the Redeemers University’s Permanent Site, Ede. The people of Ede are not only giving maximum support to the authorities of Redeemer’s University, they are also highly elated about the news that the 2013 Convocation Ceremony of Redeemer’s University will take place in Ede. On other novel feature of Timi Laminisa reign has been the remarkable level of peace and religious tolerance prevailing in the town. In spite of the predominant muslim population of the town, Ede is haven to people of all faiths and nationalities. The community is not only hospitable, it embraces visitors and non-indigenes alike with warm and open hands.

It is also noteworthy that Ede under Timi Laminisa I, has also increased its energy needs and power base. In fact, a 132 KVA national transmitting station will soon commence operation in Ede while two acres of land have been acquired by the Federal Council of Ede Descendants Union for use as Power Holding Company of nigeria (PHCn) business district office.

Timi Laminisa also made a mark on 1st March 2013 when he elevated four Baales in Ede South Local Government Area to Part II Oba. The elevated Baales are now referred to as Olu: Olu of Sekona, Oba Abduwahid Adebowale Adekolu I, Olu of Akoda, Oba Ganiyu Ojelade Oladele (Sogunro II), Olu of Ologobi of Ogobi, Oba Wasiu Iwaloye, and Alajue of Alajue, Oba Ibrahim Adesola.

During his tenure, too, a number of sons and daughters of Ede have been appointed to public offices in the state of Osun in recognition of their sterling worth.

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VisualArts African artists need Marker 2013 for wider visibility, says Silva

By Tajudeen Sowole

When six Nigerian artists join their counterparts from four countries across West Africa at Marker 2013, a sub-event of the yearly Art Dubai Fair, in UAE, the curator, Bisi Silva will strengthen her profile in the development of contemporary African art N independent curator whose international credit in curaA torial practice cut across biennales and other major art exhibitions in Africa and Europe, Ms Bisi Silva, ahead of the opening of Marker 2013 has seen prospects for African art. She has also stressed the importance of curatorial practice in contemporary art of the continent. Marker 2013 holds from March 20-23.

Aside being the founder of Centre for Contemporary Art (CCA), Lagos, Silva has co-curated art events such as the just held three-venues transcontinental exhibition The Progress of Love, veteran photographer, J.D. Okhai Ojeikere’s: Moments of Beauty at Kiasma, Helsinki (2011); 2nd Thessaloniki Biennale of Contemporary Art, in Greece’s ‘Praxis: Art in Times of Uncertainty’ (2009); and Dakar Biennale, Dak’Art 2006 in Senegal.

For the first time, Middle East appears to find expression in Nigeria’s contemporary art lexicon, courtesy of Marker 2013.

How did Silva get involved in this historic outing? It’s like a coincidence, she disclosed to her guest shortly after taking a quick break from a drawing workshop at CCA’s art gallery.

Two years ago, through Antonia Carver, the director of Art Dubai Fair, the hint of a possible African presence at the Dubai yearly gathering came, she said. “I heard that the fair was interested in doing something on Africa in a year or two, and Antonia and I started discussing last year.”

Clearly the search for a curator must have been easier for the organisers. “They talked about somebody to create the five spaces. We thought it’s better to start with the West African sub-region”. And that the organisers recognised the diversity of the continent as against the European perspectives of ‘Africa as a country’ offers adequate opportunity for artists to express themselves. In fact, Silva hinted that in the future “there might be an opportunity to focus on another sub-region like East, South or Central Africa.”

In the last five years, there has been a phenomenal rise in cultural content across West Africa, of which the contemporary art of the people has contributed so much. Given the dynamics that has arisen in this short period, it is expected that the five spaces would not fall short of adequate representation of the drastic growth in art of West Africa, to which Silva agreed and assured that the artists selected properly represents the current status of the sub-region’s art.

She noted, “We got some of the few countries that have been extremely active in the last five years in West Africa. We have Raw Material Company from Senegal; Maison Carpe Diem, Segou, Mali, which has a link to the country’s first commercial gallery in the 1990s, specializing in photography; Espace doual’art, the grand daddy of us all, has been going on for nearly 20 years and singlehandedly developed the contemporary art sector of Cameroon; Nubuke Foundation from Ghana; and CCA, going on in the last five years and has cut a niche for itself within the big Nigeria’s artistic landscape.”

According to the organisers, the theme of Marker 2013 focuses on emerging big cities and the effect of urbanisation on the people’s tradition. It would be interesting to know how the artists interpret the issue of growing cities and preservation of heritage. Silva noted that every culture practitioner should be concerned about how heritage was being preserved.

For Marker 2013 however, each artist, she explained, might not exactly be focusing on how or not a government’s policy affects preservation of heritage, but how engaging the contents of their work are. “This is an art exhibition, not a conference or seminar. The artists are therefore expressing their day-to-day experience, not exactly focusing on the policy of government”.

There exists a commonality among the artists, she added, which will be on “a common interest in how the cities affect the social and economic lives of the people. For example, one of the artists looks at architecture and how the new are submerging the old; sky scrappers with no ventilation, whereas African community setting is largely communal. It’s interesting to probe how this, for example, impacts on us in the next 100 years.”

Six artists from Nigeria – the largest number of the four countries – are mixed media artists Ndidi Dike and Taye Idahor, sound artist Emeka Ogbor, photographers Ade Adekola and Charles Okereke as well as designer Carol Akpokien.

Subsequent editions of Marker may not have African spaces, but this year’s event offers a window for Nigerians and other African artists in general to look beyond their immediate environment. The idea is to go into new market, new experience,

One of the works for Marker 2013, Lagos Market by Ndidi Dike, a C-print collage of acquired objects from the market Silva said, adding, “I think most of them, if not all are showing in the Middle East for the first time. Having six artists working in different ways shows the diversity of practice in Nigeria.”

As a curator, Marker 2013 is not exactly a new challenge for Silva rather, “it’s exciting to take works into diverse spaces.” Every curator, she argued, should move around. “A curator should be able to engage other people and other culture with artists’ works. It’s the global dynamics of contemporary art of today, and I like to see that Nigerian artists are not left out”.

Curatorial practice in Nigeria has apparently taken a back seat, despite the recent growth in the nation’s art. Marker, she disclosed, brings an opportunity to encourage young artists who have been learning the ropes through CCA. As she noted, “Basically, this is what CCA does. Grooming young people in art administration and other related disciplines. We have worked with young people like Oyinda Fakeye, Jude Anogwih and others. Idahor and another young artist, Ekanem Konu are going to Marker 2013 to represent CCA at the curatorial level (I am not going to Marker as a CCA person). We want to develop art infrastructure, so that when artists come out of schools, they can be curators if they so choose to. I hope that in the next five to 10 years, there would be more curators, not just in Nigeria, but across Africa.”

Although Nigerian art administrators such as Silva and others in the Diaspora regularly participate in several international art gatherings across Europe, but quite ironically, there is no biennale or a strong yearly international art event at home. In fact, another Nigerian, Okwui Enwezor, who is currently a curator in Munich, Germany, has made a mark in the curatorial practice abroad as the artistic director of Documenta 11 exhibition in the same country in 1998-2002.

However each year, Art Expo Nigeria struggles to hold while African Regional Summit on Visual Arts (ARESUVA) is now moribund after the organisers changed it from a yearly event to a biennale. Why can’t people like Silva, Enwezor and others pull resources together and assist in rescuing Art Expo Nigeria and ARESUVA? As desirable as a rescue mission for Nigeria’s major international events are, it’s beyond people outside the government, Silva argued, adding, “I don’t particularly want to set up a biennale; it’s not part of my goal or aspiration” and charged the Society of Nigerian Artists SNA to take up the challenge by “tapping into some of the resource persons like us.”

She noted that “biennales around the world are governmentorganised; most cities use biennale or yearly fairs as marketing

Curator of Marker, Bisi Silva. strategy for tourism.” And if anyone has the duty to rescue Nigeria’s international art events, the institution that is funded by government to do that is not living up to its role.”

Still on how to explore the opportunity in Marker 2013, she enthused that mainstream Nigerian galleries have responded, saying, “This is the beginning for us. I am really excited we are responding positively. We have one or two collectors going, two galleries - Omenka, AAF, Biodunomolayo and some other artists”.

Silva hoped that on returning to Nigeria, “we will share our experiences with others, maybe at a forum.”

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Sculptor, Remi’s

‘World Tallest

By Tajudeen Sowole LAcED at an imposing view outside Kalakuta Museum, Ikeja, Lagos, a mixed media piece in sculptural drum-depiction tagged World Tallest Drum was actually in a familiar terrain – remnant of late Afrobeat legend’s memorabilia, fela Anikulapo Kuti. potentially a museum piece, the drum stands at 11 feet tall, and on display after it was unveiled, according to it’s promoter, as “World Tallest Drum”, during the last Black History Month celebration in Badagry, Lagos State.

It looked like a perfect addition to the objects and other materials inside the new museum. “The drum is on a temporary display here,” the promoter, femi coker clarified during a chat inside the top floor of the museum.

“It’s here as a tribute to an African icon, fela Kuti.”

Although not exactly a functional drum, coker said it could be a novelty to see aagere (masquerades on stilts) play the drum. It’s largely of wood, with image carvings in traditional art forms laced round in up to 10 layers. About half of the drum from top, coker disclosed, has been dug so that when the surfaced is hit, it produces a tone.

Sculpted by Jonathan remi Edward under femi Art Warehouse, the drum, if accorded its deserved due by Guinness Book of World records would be another score for Nigerian art. In 2010, a painting, which is 33, 696 ft x 138.2, said to have been produced by 250 volunteers, was recorded as “the largest painting by numbers of artists”.

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Noting that the current record for drum is “world’s largest drum, which was given based on its size, not height”, coker hoped that remi’s work would win the Guinness World Book record as the tallest drum.

Beyond the chase for a world record, however, he explained that the drum “pays tribute to the immense contributions of blacks and people of African descent to world’s civilization”, adding that it was in “honour of the irrepressible African spirit; a salute to pan Africanism”.

And in the pan African spirit, the drum derives its origin from some tribes, including the Yoruba-speaking people of West Africa, coker disclosed. “It was inspired by the Sato drum of Togo, Benin and and the Ogu people of Badagry and Ogun state.”

The drum, he said took remi three months to finish. “It was constructed inside the premises of Badagry Heritage Museum, where femi Art Warehouse is located”, he noted. coker described the artist as “a naturally gifted artist, almost self-taught, but had tutelage under his elder brother and worked as a studio assistant to late prof. Ben Enwonwu in the1980s”.

He hoped to take the drum on a tour across the country if he could secure a sponsor. coker is the initiator of Easter Artfest & Badagry International Art Fair in collaboration with the Lagos State Government. femi Art Warehouse has been a participant at The International Art Expo in Lagos since its inception and also a member of the Art Galleries Association of Nigeria. femi Art Warehouse is the creator of The World’s Biggest African Textile collage (Guinness World record Holder in view).

Sculptor, Jonathan Remi Edward’s ‘World Tallest Drum’

In her father’s memory, Ogbogu returns Negro Art N keeping with the legacy of her father and Ibogu, affirming her passion for art, funmi Ogdaughter of renowned artist, Ernest Azubuike Emdim, recently opened a new art gallery. Named after the late father’s alias, the gallery, Negro Arts on Adeniran Ogunsanya, Surulere host its maiden exhibition from April 1 – 6, 2013.

Ogbogu, a Micro Biology graduate of University of Benin, who claims that art flows in the family, disclosed that she opened the gallery in order to meet the demands of many art collectors in Nigeria especially those in Lagos mainland. The gallery is already stocked with different art works of varied media that can meet the needs of collectors.

Ogbogu said she joined the gallery business in memory of her father to promote art appreciation in Surulere, noting, “We are bringing the beauty of African creativity to art lovers in Surulere and environs. Our vision is to have A painting from Negro Art Gallery’s collection

NGO, Lagos State partner to nurture talent in youngsters

By Florence Utor NOT-fOr-prOfIT organization, See Joy foundation’s art competition for secondary schools, which recently had 10 talented students compete for prizes has restated its commitment to reduce poverty in Nigeria by working with children to encourage creativity.

Held in partnership with Lagos State Government, the art competition is designed to enable youngsters look inwards beyond classroom teaching to discover their innate talents.

The art competition, which took place in Lagos state’s public schools focused on schools in Oshodi, Mushin, and Isolo LGAs. The four-months’ long project period had 80 art works se-

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lected for the first phase, with 35 works chosen for the second stage to enable the judges choose the final 10.

The 10 most talented students that emerged received intensive training in drawing and painting works for a period of two weeks at the Universal Studio of Arts, National Theatre, Iganmu, Lagos, where Obasi Joseph, of Ajumon Junior Grammar school emerged as the overall winner.

While speaking at the event, chairman of the foundation, Austin Nonyelim Izagbo explained that, “The creative mind scheme is very dynamic, as it is not only built to showcase drawing potentials, but one that examines every facet of life. To this end, in the nearest future we will be talking

talents like comedy, swimming, poetry, acting, arithmetic and analytical skills, and spelling competition etc.

The ultimate goal is to provide equal opportunities to socially disadvantaged children by making available the privileges of the private/Ivy-League schools.

“We have pioneered various initiatives aimed at putting smiles on the faces of the less privileged which include payment of fees for orphans and those from extremely poor backgrounds, skills acquisition training and financial empowerment for women, especially widows and widowers as well as free medical check ups and distribution of first aid drugs to the less privileged and old people.”

One of the works from Negro Art Gallery

art appreciation in every home and business environment while growing and developing our local artistic talents. We are doing this through exhibitions, buying, selling and promotion of African artworks and artists. We want to build a clientele that believes in beauty and in artworks that speak to their emotional, intellectual and creative cores.”

Negro Art Gallery provides an avenue to discovering and nurturing the creative talents in young people by providing role models for them in the art world. The gallery also provides an outlet for individuals, family and friends to take some time out of their busy schedules and experience the spiritual, emotional, therapeutic, and social benefits of inspirational works of design and beauty from great talents. Some of these works provide an alternate reality so one has an opportunity to contemplate on beauty and balance quite apart from the daily grind of ‘normal’ everyday life and reconnect with the rest of humanity.

The gallery features works from well known professional artists with many years of experience, as well as budding artists with lots of potential for creating master pieces if nurtured and encouraged. The artists include Tony Nwalupue, Demola Tukuru, Lucky Isaiah, Wahab Aromire, Marshal Nwanwu and Anthony Emdim among others. The paintings include oils, acrylic, and mixed media on paper, canvas and boards of different sizes. The gallery also features works made from metal etchings on board, framed works, fibre glass works, carvings both local Nigerian designs and other African countries, sculpture and others.

The paintings include landscapes, portraits, still life, real life, and religious works. Also to be found are artworks that help reconnect with African culture and history as Africans and indeed works for different occasions including gifts for birthdays, weddings, anniversaries, send-forth/ farewells, beautification (interior and exterior decoration) of homes and offices, as souvenirs/ memorabilias, as donation, and as a store of value.

Ogbogu also disclosed that as part of plans to meet the collectors’ needs, the gallery would showcase its works in its maiden exhibition scheduled to hold from the April 1, to 6 at the gallery. Art lovers and the public are expected to visit and be motivated and inspired by the art on offer.

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THE GUARDIAN, Friday, March 8, 2013

Showblast With Knorr Taste Quest, reality TV show takes a new dimension

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 25 ROM that slow start, the Knorr Taste Quest FBefore kitchen started getting hotter every week. long, Ngozy Obasa and Mercy Peter were evicted from the show for poor performance, leaving the remaining ten contestants to fight for the grand prize; becoming Nigeria’s best, in addition to the star prize of a 2013 model Hyundai SUV, One Million Naira, one year supply of Knorr and lots of kitchen equipments.

In another task, the contestants were given avocado, mozzarella cheese, beef fillet, baby prawns, and pecan nuts as key ingredients to make a two-course meal. The introduction of mozzarella cheese and pecan nuts would be seen as strange to some, as these are ingredients not commonly used by most households in Nigeria, however part of the essence of the show is to educate Nigerians on the different ways to create interesting and tasty dishes. Patricia Allison came out tops as the winner of the task as she made a very unique meal o f avocado pecan salad, pasta with tomato-cream base and rum ice-cream.

It was another exciting episode of the Knorr Taste Quest, as the remaining ten contestants in the show got to work cooking up a storm as the struggle to Nigeria’s best in culinary matters gets tougher with every week. The judges as usual did not make it any easier for the hopefuls as the ingredients for this task was as unexpected as possible. The contestants were given pine nuts, baby carrots, green bananas, mushrooms and couscous, to make a starter and main course meal, and they had only 60 minutes to achieve this.

On the choice of ingredients, Executive Chef, Dr Roberts described them as simple and basic with nutritional benefits. In the episode, TV personality and Film director, Kemi Adetiba joined as a judge. However, the moment of truth arrived when it was time for the presentation of dishes.

The judges had mixed reviews on the taste and presentation of the different dishes, but they however seemed to agree on the best and worst.

Saratu won the task with her dish of mushroom and banana, and yorkshire pudding. Kemi Adetiba, who spoke on behalf of the judges, described her meal as “lovely and well worth deserving of the Twenty Thousand Naira prize.”

The same could not however be said for Bolarinwa and Damilola, who fell in the bottom two, and were put on probation.

By the following week, the competition took a different dimension. Away from the usual task, it was a very educative session for the contestants, as the judges of the show, Executive chef, Dr Roberts and Sou chef, Chef Fregz decided to train and guide the ten remaining contestants into preparing better dishes. The objective was also to educate the contestants and viewers on how to use basic everyday ingredients. To bring the training closer to the show, the judges used

most of the major ingredients that were given to the contestants as in their previous tasks. They were trained on preparing, portioning and plating food in a professional and appealing way.

Techniques addressed during the session include knife skills, prepping, seasoning, with emphasis on planning and thinking before starting out the tasks. For the contestants, the episode was probably a relief. The programme is currently showing on local stations within and outside

Lagos, with the winner set to emerge in weeks to come.

Aside from the overall winner, the 1st runner up will get N1m cash prize and kitchen equipment worth N300, 000, the 2nd runner up will win N500, 000 and kitchen equipment worth N300, 000, while all 20 contestants would go home with different kitchen equipment and could also win cash vouchers if they win any of the special tasks.

Excitement in Bayelsa, as AMAA returns to Yenagoa EW weeks to the 9th edition of the yearly Africa Movie Academy Award (AMAA), the Bayelsa State government has announced its readiness to host Africa’s most prestigious motion picture award, designed to celebrate and honour film makers and other professionals in the industry across Africa and in the Diaspora.

The state, which has hosted the seven previous editions of the awards, will come alive again in April when celebrities, statesmen, local and international media exec-

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through massive investment in infrastructure and other social amenities.”

Through the AMAA project, the government noted that, “visitors to Bayelsa will see the progress the state is making under the leadership of Governor Dickson and the role we are playing at the level of Bayelsa State Tourism Development Agency in making sure the state becomes a destination of choice in terms of leisure and doing business. For filmmakers, they will also see suitable locations in Bayelsa for their films,’’ she said According to the CEO of AMAA, Bayelsa State has always been part of the AMAA project.

“Even when the awards cereMultiChoice, the show is proudly sponsored by mony was hosted in Lagos last Amstel Malta. year, Bayelsa State was still part of Aside from Femi Kuti, who will be treating the audi- it. We are happy to be going back ence with rich Afrobeat groove, the event will also fea- to our home this year. Bayelsa ture Kelekel Love singer, Tiwa Savage and award-win- has always been part of AMAA ning Kenyan Afro-pop group, Sauti Sol. and our story can never be a comIn addition, a host of high profile guests from indus- plete one without this great state try insiders to leading captains of industry will also that has supported our efforts in attend the highly anticipated event, with a large con- the last 8 years. AMAA this year in Bayelsa will be a great opportunitingent of guests jetting into Lagos from Southern, East and West Africa, specifically to be present on the ty to bring together filmmakers across the world. It will provide night.

According to M-Net Africa Managing Director Biola networking and co-production opportunities for professionals Alabi, “the AfricaMagic team has been focused and in the industry and we are workworking hard to make it an unforgettable, inspiring ing with the Bayelsa Tourism celebration of African film success and TV talent. It’s our way of showing just how much we value what our Development Agency to make sure we deliver a good experiartists, both in front of and behind the scenes, conences to all our guests.’’ tribute to our lives and the lives of our audiences.”

utives and captains of industry will converge on Yenagoa, the state capital for the awards. As for the locals, this is another opportunity to make brisk money from visitors and tourists, who grace the event.

In a joint statement signed by the Director General, Bayelsa State Tourism Development Agency, Mrs Ebizi Ndiomu-Brown and the Chief Executive Officer of Africa Film Academy, organisers of the awards, Ms Peace Anyiam-Osigwe, the state government expressed its determination to partner with the awards promoters to deliver a new and

exciting experience to Nigerian and international visitors that will attend the awards.

“We are happy in Bayelsa to have AMAA return to its home. The story of AMAA and Bayelsa has been a story of partnership for socio-economic development of our state and people; we want to continue in this way. The Governor of this state His Excellency Seriake Dickson is poised to ensure that all visitors to Bayelsa for AMAA will see a new Bayelsa where he is leading a team of committed public servants to revamp the economy of the state

Femi Kuti for AfricaMagic Viewers’ Choice Award HEAD of the AfricaMagic Viewers’ Choice Awards A billed for March 9, at the Expo Hall, Eko Hotel, Victoria Island, organizers of the ceremony has unveiled Afro-beat musician Femi Kuti as the headliner for the event. The Grammy Award nominee will lead his Positive Force band to the classy event, which will be screened live to over 50 countries on the African continent on Dstv and GOtv platforms.

Destined as a glam night for African stars to showcase their style, the night will open with a special red carpet reception to be hosted by Channel O presenter Denrele Edun, alongside AfricaMagic hosts Helen Paul and Uti Nwachukwu, Dolapo Oni and Eku Edewor, Lawrence Maleka and Nic Wang’ondu and Sarah Hassan.

With Big Brother Africa presenter IK Osakioduwa and lady Vimbai Muntinhiri, the main ceremony will go live at 7.pm and is expected to last for about two-hour and 30-minute. Organised in association with

THE GUARDIAN, Friday, March 8, 2013

ARTS 39

Theatre

Grip Am… A switch in status

By Omiko Awa OW else could one be in control of his situaH tion other than to use what one has to get the desired out come? This universal truism was recently put to test in Ola Rotimi’s classic play, Grip Am. It starts with Imbrobro, Shama’s wife, who complains of not having enough provisions in the house and how the husband, a fisherman, is wretched and never bothers to improve his financial status. Not long after this soliloquy, Shama returns from his fishing expenditure and requests for food. Quarrel ensues as Imbrobro confronts Shama, also called Ise, for not leaving any money for the upkeep of the family before setting out for work.

The brawl escalates when Shama discovers that some people from his neighbourhood have been stealing the fish he hangs on the tree in his compound to dry, despite the charm tied to the tree to prevent such acts. He accuses his wife of conniving with the thieves.

In one of their usual fights, Orunmila, a divine visitor, appears to them. The strange one says he was sent by Eledumare, the Almighty One,

to them and that they should each ask for what they wanted and it shall be done accordingly.

To Shama, it’s payback time for all those who have been pilfering his fish, so he requests that he be given the power to command anybody he sees on his tree to be glued to it whenever he says ‘grip am’ until he releases the person. Worried that her husband does not know who is good and always beats her at the slightest provocation, Imbrobro asks Orunmila to send Death to kill her husband, so she could have some peace.

Orunmila departs and Shama’s landlord calls to collect his tent. While waiting for his tenant to come from his farm, the landlord decides to help himself to the dried fish hanging from the tree. Just as he tries to get it, Shama sees him and shouts ‘grip am’ - and he remains glued to the tree.

To free him, Shama asks him to write off his debts, bequeath his land to him and swear never to return or lay claim to the land.

Under duress the pain-stricken landlord complies and is set free. At the peak of Shama’s celebration of his new status, Death comes and demands he goes with him. He

pleads that he should be allowed to eat one of the fish on the tree. He is allowed, but he tricks Death to get it for him. To hasten his mission, Death tries to help him out, but just as he touches the tree Shama shouts his magic word, ‘grip am’ and he is glued to the tree.

Just as he treated his landlord, Shama makes Death swear that he will never visit him and his belligerent wife again and Death promises as Shama instructs.

Performed by Black-Soul Company, the play was produced by Deleke Gbolade at the garden waterfront space of Eko Hotel and Suites, Lagos.

Though a reconstructed version of Ola Rotimi’s classic, the stage play, which is rendered in Pidgin English, still retains its hilarious characters and message of how the rich that controls the means of production - land, capital and labour - exploit the poor to get richer.

It’s a call for the poor to look inward and use their strength and inward potentials to get from the rich what have been taken from them, with a view to liberating themselves from the shackles of want and servitude.

The characterization depicts the various role expectations while the setting allowed the producer to express his ingenuity with space.

Although the play is part of the British Council, Lagos’ Theatre Festival experimental project of adopting any available space for theatre, it must pointed out that while experimenting, the African story must be told in the right perspective.

A major point of departure and concern was the producer’s characterization of Orunmila, the grand priest and custodian of Ifá oracle in the Yoruba religious pantheon. Why did he dress him as a Whiteman? This is a clear case of misrepresentation. Since the plot is Yoruba setting, the producer should have allowed Orunmila to wear a traditional Yoruba priest’s costume and hold a traditional religious insignia instead of the Christian robe and bell he carried. This is confused role delineation that breeds a conflict of culture and a major deviation of true characterization.

However and in spite of this shortcoming, the performance was a good attempt at telling the African story in a light mood. Also, the open waterfront garden provided a natural, near village environment for the characters to express themselves and for the audience to feel and relate with the plot.

THE GUARDIAn, Friday, March 8, 2013

40 ARTS

Film Enter Project Nollywood with presidential grant

By Shaibu Husseini RACTITIOnERS of the nigerian motion picP ture industry dubbed Nollywood ought to consider themselves lucky. They have a President that has demonstrated considerable admiration and disposition towards them.

President Goodluck Jonathan proved his admiration for the industry and showed that he was something of a Nollywood practitioner by inclination when he again announced the provision of funds for the development of the industry.

President Jonathan had on Saturday, at a presidential dinner to celebrate the home video industry at 20, held at the State House, Marina, Lagos announced the provision of a n3 billion naira grant for the development of Nollywood under a scheme the President said will be called ‘Project Nollywood’. The President announced that the scheme would be managed by the Ministry of Finance in collaboration with the Ministry of Culture and Tourism.

The President also gave an assurance that the project will be launched in the first week of April and when it is launched, President Jonathan said the funds would include grants for capacity building, commissioning of best scripts and for infrastructural development. The President said: ‘’ “I assure you that my Administration will continue to give Nollywood every possible support and assistance to take the nigerian movie industry to even greater heights of success…I have invited the private sector to this dinner because I believe that they can also support efforts to further develop our entire creative industry.”

The provision of the n3 billion grant is in response to a position canvassed by foremost scriptwriter and director Amaka Igwe who in

presenting the practitioners position to the President at the dinner decried the state of distribution in nigeria. ‘’Solve distribution, build capacity and infrastructure and Nollywood will get to the height we all desire’’ Igwe said.

However this is the second time the President will announce the provision of funding for not just the motion picture industry but for the creative industry. The President had in 2010 announced the provision of a $200 million revolving loan for the development of the creative industry. Two years after, only about n766 million out of the n32 billion provided and domiciled at the nigerian Import and Export Bank (nEXIM) has been accessed. Kene Mkparor of Film House Limited has led his outfit to access a substantial amount for the construction of cinemas across the country while Mr. Tony Abulu of Black Ivory Communications remains the only motion picture practitioner who has accessed the funds for movie production. Abulu got the funds to produce the Hollywood and Nollywood collaboration Dr Bello. Practitioners say they have been unable to access the funds because of the stringent conditions attached to accessing the funds. ‘’You are asked to go and bring a collateral whose value is more than the funds you seek. If I have such, I wont go to the bank. I will sell a part of it and make my film’’ a filmmaker said at the venue of the dinner. Even President Jonathan acknowledged that he has received several complaints of inaccessibility of the funds. He however assured that government was in discussion with the issuing bank to redouble effort in assisting practitioners asses the funds. He said: “I have asked nEXIM and the Bank of Industry to redouble their efforts in assisting the industry to access loans’’.

Practitioners left the venue of the dinner satisfied with the decision of the President to provide a grant that will specifically be used to develop the movie industry. But they want the President to address the issue of supervision of the motion picture industry. They observed that although the President has Finance and Encourage Realisation Of MOPICOn Bill...’

• national Film and video Censors Board should become national Film And video Classification Board • nigerian Film Corporation should become the nigerian Film Commission • Return The Censors Board and film Corporation To Ministry Of Culture • Local Councils Should Build Community Cinemas • InitIate Effective Policies, Strategies To Tackle Piracy HE nigeria motion picture industry popuT larly called Nollywood is 19 years old. In this few years, it has positioned itself as the most viable information disemination and image making tool in Africa as well as a veritable source of income for nigeria. Providing employment for hundreds of thousands of people.

The industry has not utilized up to 10% of it’s potentials, while it’s continued growth has been hampered by a number of issues. Some of which are:1) STRUCTURE:- Nollywood can be called a successful experiment in that it’s meteoric rice was not planned. now to move it to the next level and to successfully harness all it’s potentials, there is a need to establish policies and

Laws that will guide motion picture practice in the country while strengthening existing ones.

A) THE REvISED nIGERIAn FILM POLICY. The existing nigerian film policy came into existence in 1992 hence did not take into consideration the emergence of the phenomenon called nOLLYWOOD. Recognising the inability of the policy to address the affairs in the new film industry, Government in 2006 under the then Minister, Mr. Chukwuemeka Chikelu had the policy reviewed. This reviewed film policy meant to bring the motion picture industry in line with international best practices and prepare it for sustainable growth stated in other things that• The national Film and video Censors Board should become the national Film and video Classification Board and restrict itself to the business of film classification • That the nigerian Film Corporation should become the nigerian Film Commission and concern itself primarily with developmental initiatives.

• That a practitioners council to be called Motion Picture practitioners Council of nigeria (MOPPICOn) must be set up to administer, regulate and control motion picture practice in the country.

• That all Local Governments must be mandated to build community Cinemas.

The Revised film policy bill, MOPPICOn bill and the Revived nFC bill have been ready since 2006. And for all sorts of reasons, has not gone beyond the Ministry of Information since then.

Cross section of delegates at 2nd Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) business and investment forum and exhibition held at Cavendish Conference Centre, London…on February 28

By Oghogho Obayuwana –Foreign Affairs Editor vEn the making of a film is now to E be employed as a tool for sustaining the current momentum a more integrated West African region.

To this end, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has said it would l present a special prize and trophy for the best film on regional integration or citizen creativity at the 23rd Edition of the Ouagadougou Pan-African Cinema and Television Festival (FESPACO).

The prize worth some 10,000 US dollars is expected to be presented by the President of the ECOWAS Commission,

ECOWAS creates film award for integration Kadré Désiré Ouédraogo, at the closing ceremony of the biennial African Cinema festival by the weekend in the Burkinabe capital.

Similarly, the African Union (AU) is also presenting a special prize for peace and security, worth eight million FCFA, to reward the best African cinema production, that promotes the culture of peace and non-violence on the continent.

The two prizes underscore the importance of regional integration, peace

and security as prerequisites for development and prosperity in Africa, The opening ceremony of the event which attracted some 30,000 spectators at the 4th August Stadium, was chaired Prime Minister, Beyon Luc Adolphe Tiao, who represented President of Burkina Faso, Blaise Compaore.

Welcoming film makers, producers and enthusiasts , the Mayor of Ouagadougou, Mr. Simon

Compaoré, recalled that the town has staged the biennial African festival since 1969, with the current edition with the theme African Cinema and Public Policy in Africa.

The Burkinabe Minister of Culture and Tourism, Mr. Baba Hama, said the theme represented a call on African decision-makers to consider socio-economic dimensions in their policy choices and the continent’s development agenda.

Some 101 films entered for prizes in

PHOTO: ADE OMOLOJA seven categories, with 20 of them competing for the coveted Yennenga prize. The last FESPACO Edition was won by Moroccan film maker Mohamed Muftakir, with his maiden film Pégase.

One of the innovations of the current edition, is the special recognition of women with all the panels of judges chaired by women.

FESPACO is an international cultural event and platform for exchange

by African filmmakers and producers as well as a tool for development and preservation of African cinema as a medium of expression, education as well as sensitization.

THE GuarDIaN, Friday, March 8, 2013

arTS 41

artHouse Artmosphere in Ibadan hosts prominent writers

rTMoSPHErE, a platform for the promoa tion of creative expressions in literature, music and the arts in Nigeria organized by WriteHouse Collective, a creative enterprise, culture and arts firm with the support of Ibridge Hub, a collaborative space for people with great ideas to meet, learn and work and a growing league of literary and culture enthusiasts across South-West Nigeria, holds on Saturday, March 16, at NuStreams Conference and Culture Centre, KM 110 abeokuta road, off alalubosa G.r.a., Ibadan, by 3pm to 6pm.

Conversations will play host a crème of writers, Victor Ehikamenor, visual artist, creative communicator and author of Excuse Me, Emmanuel Iduma, literary and technology radical and author of Farad, Emmanuel uweru okoh, author of celebrated debut poetry collection, Gardens and Caves, and Kayode Taiwo olla, author of debut novel, Sprouting again.

What does fiction, fictiveness and literature hope to achieve the social, political and cultural landscape of a nation? This will be the crux of our discourse in this edition. There will also

be Poetry, Spoken Word and Music presentations from a long list of emerging voices.

Tosyn Bucknor, Jimmy Jatt set for Nigerian Broadcaster’s Nite

oPular radio presenter and on-air-personP ality, Tosyn Bucknor has been voted in to become the first celebrity broadcaster to be hosted at the maiden edition of the Nigerian Broadcaster’s Nite (NBN); an event that is expected to further celebrate the achievements of the Nigerian broadcast industry as well as its practitioners.

The event, which was earlier set to hold and host celebrity VJ, Denrele Edun on February 28, was unavoidably rescheduled following the shocking demise of rising singer, Susan Harvey popularly known as Goldie; a very close associate of Denrele. according to the organisers, the Nigerian Broadcaster’s Nite now holds on March 28 at one of the biggest lounges in lagos, ‘Club Vegas;’ situated along the Sheraton - opebi link road in Ikeja.

––Compiled by Florence Utor

Security Exclusive magazine debuts Mental Health officer, Lagos State Ministry of Health, Dr. Dolapo Fasawe; Special Guest of Hour and Lagos State Commissioner for Transportation, Mr. Kayode Opeifa; President, Association of Nigerian Theatre Practitioners (ANTP), Mr. Jide Kosoko and Head, Sustainability and Responsibility, Guinness Nigeria Plc, Mrs. Adviane Nwagun at a workshop on Responsible Drinking and Mental Health on Wednesday… in Lagos

MOCPED confab opens on Monday HE second Biennial 2013 at the college’s auditoriState, Professor olugbemiro T International Conference of um.

Jegede while Professor the Michael otedola College of The keynote speaker would oluwaseun omotayo of the Primary Education (MoCPED), Epe, lagos, with the theme, Global Terrorism, Education and Millennium Development Goals will run from March 11 to 15,

be a former Executive Secretary, association of african universities, Ghana, and the present Secretary to the State Government of Kogi

university of Education, Winneba, Ghana would be the lead paper presenter.

The chief host is the Provost of the college, Prof. olu akeusola.

NEW general-interest feaa tures magazine, called Security Exclusive has hit the newsstands. It is published by Mediagate Communications limited, with Mr. Folu Koyi as Managing Director/ Editor-inChief. It’s primarily targeted at the security industry, the high-gloss, all-colour, bimonthly magazine features exclusive adventure stories, reports and interviews. It gives security a wider definition beyond physical protection of lives and property, as it also delves into the emotion-

L-R: Head, Department of Music UNIPORT, Prof Onyee N. Nwankpa (left); Emeritus Professor E.J. Alagoa; DG CBAAC, Prof Tunde Babawale; Vice-Chancellor, UNIPORT, Prof Joseph Ajienka; Prof. Okon Edet Uya of University of Calabar; Director, Exhibition and Museum CBAAC, Lady (Dr.) Gloria Chuma-Ibe; Director, Research and Publication CBAAC, Dr. Anthony Onwumah; Director, Exhibition and Museum CBAAC, Mrs. Funmi Ladele; and Dr. Cosmas Mereku, University of Winneba, Ghana… at the 2013 Black History Month celebration held at the University of Port Harcourt on February 18.

Prof. Olupona delivers Unilorin’s public lecture practices to shift with time positively and thereby be able to stand the rigours of the modern time challenges effectively.

Higher Education in Nigeria. The lecIn view of this therefore, a seasoned ture, according to the Vice- Chancellor, scholar, Professor of african and african Prof. abdulganiyu ambali, is expected american Studies (FaS), Professor of to foster international relationship african religious Traditions, Harvard between universities around the globe Divinity School, Harvard university and to further enhance the global acceptable norms among the academia. Cabot Fellow, 2012-2013, Professor Jacob Kehinde olupona from Harvard The VC is optimistic that it will also creuniversity, Cambridge, Massachusetts ate an enabling opportunity for stakehas been invited to deliver the lecture holders in the tertiary educational sysentitled: Rethinking Higher Education in tem to have an overview of the current educational trends in practice in one of Contemporary Nigeria: Reforms, the top ranked universities in the world. Challenges and Possibilities. The venue is the university of Ilorin auditorium Prof. ambali has always advocated the beginning from10am. need for the educational system and N March 19, 2013, the university of o Ilorin will hold a public lecture aimed at repositioning the standard of

Olupona

al (romance, agony, and the likes).

The idea is to provide relaxation for busy executives and the security-conscious, while discussing serious issues bordering on security and safety

at home, in transit, and the work environment.

The public presentation of the magazine is scheduled for Saturday, March 16, 2013 at the Eko Hotel & Suites, Victoria Island, lagos.

LASU celebrates Duro Ladipo on stage th

oNDaY 11 marks the 35 year of Duro ladipo, one of the M icons of Nigerian theatre passing away. To mark this occasion, the Department of Theatre arts and Music, lagos State university (laSu), ojo, in collaboration with Back-To-Mbari Koncept, a performing arts organisation, will put up a stage performance in honour of the late theatre icon that wrote Nigeria’s name in gold during the 1963 london Commonwealth arts Festival. according to ladepo Duro-ladipo, MD/CEo Back-To-Mbari Koncepan, “laSu is collaborating with Back-to-Mbari to give the event all necessary artistic and intellectual support with the Vice Chancellor, Professor John oladapo obafunwa enjoining the acting Head, Department of Theatre arts and Music, Dr. Tunji azeez to ensure that the event is a memorable one.

He says: “the programme includes a public lecture titled, Remembering Duro Ladipo 35years after, to be delivered by Prof.

Duro oni, former Dean, Faculty of arts, and current Deputy Vice Chancellor, university of lagos; public presentation of Duro ladipo’s evergreen melodies on CD titled Duro; and the stage presentation of the English version of Duro ladipo’s epic play, Ajagun-Nla written by ladepo Duro-ladipo and directed

by Shina ayodele, a lecturer in the Department of Theatre arts and Music, laSu.” While the cast and crew of the play are essentially drawn from the university, a good number of professionals will be on hand to boost the production.

Commencing at 12 noon at the New laSu auditorium, the event is strictly by invitation while the play runs at the Theatre arts auditorium, laSu. Meanwhile, the management of the National Theatre, Iganmu lagos in collaboration with Back-To Mbari Koncept has reserved Cinema Hall 2 on Sat 30 and Sun 31 for the public presentation of the play.

Kalakuta Diaries for launch on Tuesday NEW book on the late lega endary Afrobeat musician and revolutionary social crusader for a just Nigerian society, Fela anikulapo-Kuti entitled Kalakuta Diaries is scheduled for launch next week Tuesday, March 12, 2013. The high profile event is billed to hold at Nigeria Institute for International affairs (NIIa), Victoria Island, lagos. Time is 10am and it’s open to the general public.

Written by uwa Erhabor, one of Fela’s boys and protocol officer in the famous Kalakuta republic, Kalakuta Dairies chronicles the inner circle of the enigmatic personality. The book is also a

narrative of some of the defining moments that characterised the life and times of the man, whose music and revolutionary fervour continue to resonate some 15 years after he passed on. The launch will offer Fela’s friends, family and fans across generations a moment to reflect on the life of a man who was ready to take on authority at his own peril. Fela lived an exciting life and Kalakuta Dairies has been described as vintage read both on Fela and the political landscape he gave so much colour and character.

THE GUARDIAN, Friday, March 8, 2013

42

For The Record Competitive strategy: The perpetual struggle for a successful life (1) Being text of an inaugural lecture delivered by Prof. Ben Emukufia Akpoyomare Oghojafor, professor and Dean of Business Administration (Strategic Management), Department of Business Administration, Faculty of Business Administration, University of Lagos (UNILAG) at the Main Auditorium on Wednesday, January 23, 2013.

INTRODUCTION R. Vice-Chancellor, Sir, permit me to begin this historic inaugural lecture with a reflection on the thoughts about Africans by Sir Frederick Lugard, the erstwhile Governor- General of Nigeria, who amalgamated the North and South into modern Nigeria. In line with the colonialist propaganda of the time, meant primarily to facilitate the economic exploitation of Africa, he wrote: •“In character and temperament, the typical African of this race-type is a happy, thriftless excitable person.

1. lacking in self-control 2. lacking in discipline, and 3. lacking in foresight.

4. full of personal vanity, 5. with little sense of veracity, fond of music 6. his thoughts are concentrated on the events and feelings of the moment and 7. he suffers little from the apprehension for the future, or grief for the past.

8. He lacks the power of organisation, and he is conspicuously 9. deficient in management and control alike of men or business.

10. He loves the display of power, but fails to realize its responsibility....

Perhaps the two traits which have impressed me as those most characteristic of the African native are his “lack of apprehension and his lack of ability to visualize the future” Spotlight on Our Values Lugard’s 10 observed traits are still very visible today, 100 years after. Does it mean we are eternally shackled by our values and thinking habits?

Because ... as a man thinks, so is he!!

We must rise above all the odds identified by Lord Luggard and move our nation forward.

Over the years I have tried to phantom the fundamental reason behind the struggles of man on earth, right from the day of birth till he bids it farewell. But the closer I seem to get, the farther away it appears because of what I do not know but which knows me: competitive rivalry. Man lives daily to fight for every necessity of life through contest. Surely, resources have been created by God for all but are not accessible to all. The point is that some want to enjoy the benefits of these resources at the expense of others in order to win the crown of superiority. But others always put up non-resilient efforts to impede those struggling to harness the benefits of the earth’s resources because, in their own opinion, they, too, have equal rights to them. In my examination of this matter, I went back to the aged history of creation, as can be found in the Holy Bible, and I discovered that competition is as old as the human race. The first sin of disobedience committed against God by Adam and Eve was the result of a competition won by the serpent against man.

The serpent, in a bid to see that man does not have any advantage over other creatures, ensured that Man lost his immortality and became mortal like other creatures (Genesis 3: 1-24).

The first murder that was recorded in the history of man on earth was the result of a “sacrifice competition”, won by Abel and lost by Cain. This led to the killing of his brother (Abel), following the frustration arising from the competition (Genesis 4:1-14).

David won the competition against Saul and the Israelite women sang praises of him as an indication that he won the battle that qualified him to be king and he eventually became one (I Samuel 18:6-8).

Jesus Christ, Our Lord and Saviour, won the competition against the devil on the Cross of Calvary to win the crown for which Christians and Elders in Heaven have been worshiping Him as the Prince of Peace for the past 2012 years (Revelation 4:1-11). There-

M

Prof. Oghojafor fore, one may ask: Who, then, has the solution to this cycle of struggles, this quest for success?

Whether at the individual level, the family level, the micro/macro societal level or the organisational level, competitive strategy has become a critical tool that must be understood by whosoever wants to record success in life above his/her contemporaries. Hence, as human beings, we all “live”, “eat”, and “do” competition every time, everyday, everywhere, especially whenever success is the end result. In the course of this lecture, I shall demonstrate that competitive strategy is the perpetual struggle for a successful life, using the example of individuals, groups, the micro-society, organisations, the macro society, and the global world in general.

Mr. Vice-Chancellor, Sir, and my respected audience, please, take a close look at the diagrams below to view the fundamental and biological nature of the competition that evolved in the formation of you and me.

I want to prove to you all that, the competition of life for an un-born child begins right from the intention of the supposed father and mother to engage in the business of procreating. The male semen, which is the fluid discharged at ejaculation into the female vagina that consists of secretion of glands associated with the urogenital track, is today responsible for the generation and existence of man on earth. The semen contains spermatozoa and a single discharge of it (about a teaspoonful on the average) contains about 250 millions spermatozoa. All these (250 millions) are released at a go to fertilize a mature female ovum, thereby marking the commencement of the competition for success in life. But in this race, only a few of these spermatozoa will travel as far as the fallopian tube. This is similar to the Darwinian theory of survival of the fittest (1859).

A closer look at the picture, earlier shown, indicates a more severe and intense competition among the few that made it into the fallopian

tube, the moment they spot an egg (ovum). Unfortunately, it is the head of only the single spermatozoon, that can penetrate the ovum, that will win the competition by succeeding in fertilizing the ovum while the remaining 249,999 millions spermatozoa will permanently loose the battle of life competition right at the pre-conception stage. It is the victorious single spermatozoon that will graduate to Diploid Zygote, leading to the development of a new individual. May I quickly bring the attention of my audience to the magnanimity and generosity of God, our Maker, who will never be partial but who will be ever ready to set the stage of opportunities for all at every point in time to take advantage of even at the pre- conception stage. If you have not won the spermatozoa competition, you would not have ever had the opportunity of being counted among the human race, nor would you have the grace of being seated among my audience today.

This is incontrovertible evidence that the race of life is a natural race of competition.

Mr. Vice-Chancellor, Sir, for the benefits of my general listeners, irrespective of their educational backgrounds, I will not concern myself much with techniques, methods and models that underlie my discipline. Rather, I will simplify all the key theories with illustrations that are found around us so that the lives and conditions of individuals, groups, firms, industries, institutions (including University of Lagos) and Nigeria can begin to be changed for the better.

Therefore, from the foregoing, it is worth noting that, the measurement of the success of a particular firm, too, will largely depend on what such a firm has the ability to acquire at the expense of other firms in the industry. This is simply known as competitive rivalry. If any firm today declares a profit, such a firm will be doing so at the expense of its competitors in the competing period/year under review. Even whenever we talk about the nations of the world and their categorization into developed countries, developing/under-developed countries,

I want to prove to you all that, the competition of life for an un-born child begins right from the intention of the supposed father and mother to engage in the business of procreating. The male semen, which is the fluid discharged at ejaculation into the female vagina that consists of secretion of glands associated with the urogenital track, is today responsible for the generation and existence of man on earth. The semen contains spermatozoa and a single discharge of it (about a teaspoonful on the average) contains about 250 millions spermatozoa. All these (250 millions) are released at a go to fertilize a mature female ovum, thereby marking the commencement of the competition for success in life.

we are talking about who is winning and who is losing in the global competition for economic ranking. This ranking ultimately influences the pace of development of these countries, depending on the categories they fall into. Ignoring competition is ignoring success and ignoring success is ignoring life. The main focus of this lecture will be on the need to understand competitive strategy, its intricacies, methods and applications for ensuring success and competitive advantage. The relevant question then is: What is Strategy?

There is no consensus on the definition of the term strategy among scholars and practitioners.

However, all the definitions centre on its being a means of achieving an objective goal (Oghojafor, 2000).

A strategy is a plan or an intention designed by the owner to achieve a particular vision/mission (Oghojafor, 2002). It specifically involves building the tactics that will allow the owner to gain a position of advantage over his contemporaries in a way and manner that will result in overwhelming success. In a broader outlook, Thompson, Gamble and Strickland (2006) view strategy from a company’s point of view as: “Activities consisting of the competitive moves and business approaches that managers employ to grow the business, stake out a market position, attract and please customers, compete successfully, conduct operations and achieve targeted objectives.”

Porter (1990), in defining strategy, says: “It is an internally consistent configuration of activities that distinguish a firm from its rivals.”

Strategy, at any point in time, is meant to give one a competitive edge over one’s rivals (Oghojafor, 2000). In war, strategies are meant to ensure overrunning the enemies in the most efficient and effective ways in order to achieve maximum victory. This was the approach President Obasanjo used in reacting to the Ode Village’s alleged complicity in the deaths of some military personnel of Nigeria. In every facet of human endeavours today, strategies are employed, whether consciously or unconsciously, for every success recorded! Can you, please, quickly think back and recall some of those things you had to put in place before you earned your past successes, and even your present successes in life? Some of you might have attributed these to good luck! No matter what, every success in life requires its own unique strategy. The difference between the rich and the poor, the good and the bad, the winner and the looser, lies in the proper application of strategy, or the lack of it. This is despite the fact that poverty in general (poverty of the: spirit, mind, pocket, wisdom, forgiveness, mercy, etc.) in our land is a product of the failure of contemporary leadership including those of the past across levels/spheres of our life especially at the political class level.

Johnson, Scholes and Whittington (2008) considered strategy as the: “direction and scope of an organisation over the long-term which achieves advantage in a changing environment through its configuration of resources and competencies with the aim of fulfilling stakeholders’ expectations.”

A firm will only have the ability to outperform risks, if it has the singular ability to establish a difference that it can preserve (Porter, 1996).

According to Stopford (2001), “strategy is concerned with making choices among two or more alternatives.”

He further noted that when choosing a strategy, a firm would decide to pursue one course of action instead of others. Indeed, the main point of strategy is to help decision-makers to choose among the competing priorities and alternatives facing their firms.

As a matter of fact, it is the understanding and building of strategy by individuals and firms that have led to the contemporary competitive business environment in the world. In other words, the complexities arising from the interplay of strategies by opposing firms have led to the designing of strategies at various levels of the operations of firms so that they can take a good advantage of opportunities (Oghojafor, 1998). This now leads us to explaining the origin and levels or types of strategy that a firm can have.

TO BE CONTINUED

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THE GUARDIAN, Friday, March 8, 2013

AutoWheels Mercedes-Benz unveils six-wheel-drive luxo SUV

Mercedes Benz G63AMG 6X6 SUV

HERE are so many possiT ble permutations of a metal box on four wheels designed to go fast over any terrain, and from the Jeep Wrangler to the Range Rover, all of them have been explored in some degree with varying levels of ability and luxury.

It was only a matter of time before a group of certified engineers gathered together and said “Screw it, let’s go six-wheel-drive.”

Those engineers work for Mercedes-Benz, and this creation, the G63 AMG 6x6,

isn’t a concept, but a luxury SUV that the German automaker will build for a handful of wealthy customers.

Six-wheel-drive trucks have been in military and commercial use for decades; Mercedes made a few for use before World War II, and its commercial division has supplied a 6x6 version of the old Gelandewagen to Austrian forces since 2011.

But that truck features a bare metal cabin and power from a 185-hp diesel. The AMG engineers swapped

the drivetrain from the G63 AMG, featuring a 5.5-liter, twin-turbo V-8 good for 536 hp, mated to a seven-speed transmission, good enough to hustle the 8,300-lb. juggernaut to 60 mph in about six seconds.

Inside, there’s room for four passengers to ride in a tableau of luxury, from the quilted white leather seats and carbon-fiber accented dash to the bamboo-lined cargo area.

As for the six wheels, they’re not just for show. AMG splits the torque 30/40/30 among

the axles from front to rear for maximum traction, with locking differentials for all 37-inch wheels; the 6x6 can ford water more than three feet deep and its 52-degree approach angle means it will climb most anything

short of a sheer cliff face.

For desert travels, the tires can be inflated and deflated from a panel in the cabin.

According to Autoweek, Mercedes plans to build about 20 to 30 of these behemoths starting in

October for a price just below the $457,000.

AMG will charge for an allelectric SLS, and if you have to ask about miles per gallon, then clearly you don’t own enough oil wells to afford one

Fashola to open Lagos Motor Fair, 50 foreign firms set to participate

By Taiwo Hassan

RGANISERS of this year’s Lagos Motor Fair, the O BKG exhibition group, said few days ago that about 50 foreign auto companies have indicated their interest to participate in this year’s auto fair in May. Managing Director, BKG exhibition, Ifeanyi Agwu told journalists in Lagos that some of the foreign auto companies were interested in exploring the Nigerian auto market because of its endowed opportunities.

According to Agwu, this year’s auto fair will showcase different automobile

spare parts, including stateof-the-art auto wheels from the stable of both local and foreign auto companies, which are determined to make the fair a memorable one.

As the organisers of the auto fair, Agwu pointed out that efforts have been in top gear to ensure that the venue for the fair, the Federal Palace Hotels is able to accommodate all exhibitors who will be willing to showcase their products at the fair.

Besides, the managing director said that the Lagos State Governor, Babatunde Raji Fashola will declare open the auto fair, adding

that his company was working in partnership with the Lagos State Ministry of Transport to ensure that the fair is a success.

“We are expecting the Lagos State Governor to declare the event open on the opening day, which is May 10th. He (Governor) and other important dignitaries will be at the event and he is the special guest of honour on the day. We already have about 50 foreign spare parts companies from all over the world who have express their intention to grace the auto fair.

According to him, “they are willing to participate in

the auto fair as a way to explore the Nigerian auto industry, which they say has abundant opportunities,” Agwu said.

He however hinted that this year’s Lagos Motor Fair will have two session; the first is the motor fair, already scheduled for May 10th while the second is the auto parts session, which is slated for May 13th at the same venue.

According to him, despite the challenges, his company was not deter and have put in place resources and human capital to ensure that this year is successful.

“Despites being in its eight edition, we still have chal-

Fashola

lenges at hand. These are both primary and secondary in nature, but we are

looking at the future because one day, we will have the fair we are dreaming of,” he said.

On the change of venue, the BKG exhibition’s boss explained that the change in venue occurred after consultation with their partners.

“We decided to move the event from the popular Tafawa Belewa Square (TBS), Lagos to Federal Palace Hotels because the location is good, better and accessible to all the participants and exhibitors. But we hope that the turnout for this year’s exhibition will be rewarding,” Agwu said.

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THE GUARDIAN, Friday, March 8 , 2013

AUTOWHEELS

Last sixth-generation Chevy Corvette leaves the factory The final example of a sixth-generation Chevrolet Corvette, a white 427 convertible, is heading to General Motors’ corporate museum, rolled from the assembly line in Bowling Green, Ky. The plant will now retool to build the seventh generation Corvette, the convertible edition of which we’ll see more of this weekend.

Unfortunately for GM, the retooling will take much of 2013, leaving dealers with a dwindling stock of Vettes.

Last month, the Corvette was outsold by the Ford Raptor.

Chevrolet corvette C60 Brand

LAMATA boss to deliver keynote address at transport awards

Coscharis Group opens new auto service centre

Stories by Taiwo Hassan

Nigeria, has given reason for the establishment of the multi-million Naira ultra-modern Chacom quick lane tyre and auto service centre in Lagos, saying it was meant to provide after-sales services for vehicles from the company.

According to Coscharis, it was important to set up the modern auto service centre because of the way the growth of brand in the country’s auto market especially, as Ford brand has gained wide acceptance in the Nigerian automobile market.

According to the company, the acceptance growth has led to rapid increase in the

RANSPORT Day T Newspaper, has reiterated its readiness to host the maiden edition of the Nigeria Transport Awards (NTA) in Lagos, come April 11, 2013.

According to the organisers, the Managing Director of the Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (LAMATA), Dr. Dayo Mobereola, will deliver the lead paper, titled: “Multi-Modal Transportation: The Lagos Experience,” at the award ceremony.

In a press statement made available to The Guardian, the Managing Editor of Transport Day, Frank Kintum said: “The award is meant to recognise players (companies and individuals) in the Nigerian Transport Industry, covering all modes of transportation”.

The award which is being backed by key stakeholders in the transport sector, media, transport analysts and communications experts is also supported by the Nigeria Transport Round Table, a pressure group in the Nigerian transport circles.

According to Kintum, “Though the award is packaged by Transport Day Newspaper, we decided to ensure that some credible panel-lists who are not part of Transport Day be involved in the selection process”.

OSCHARIS Group, sole C distributor of BMW and Ford brand of vehicles in

demand for Ford vehicles.

President and Chief Executive Officer, Coscharis Group, Dr. Cosmas Maduka, made this known at the official launching of the Chacom Quick Lane and Auto Service centre in Lagos, saying the idea to established the service centre came as part of the company’s effort to address some of the after-sales challenges communicated to the Coscharis’ management through customers feedback mechanism about Ford brand.

According to him, the Coscharis group has diversified into auto sales and auto services by investing millions of Naira in after-sales facilities.

Maduka’s who spoke at the

occasion through the company’s Group General Manager, Sola Adigun.

He said that the company decided to partner Ford Motor Corporation of USA, Quick Lane Tyre and Auto Centre USA and its Nigerian representative- Chacom Motors to set up the service centre in order to make life easier for the Nigerian vehicle owner, especially of the Ford brand.

“However, we have come to the understanding, judging by the rate at which the brand is growing in our market, that we cannot provide all the after-sales needs alone. Thus the idea of collaborating with our partners Ford Motor Corporation of USA, Quick Lane Tyre and Auto Centre

USA and some like-minds in our local market such as Chacom Motors, to set up the Nigerian version of the American quick service centre network, Quick Lane, to bring quick and qualitative after-sales services closer to our teeming customers, using genuine spare parts and lubricants. We have also appointed some certified spare-parts dealers who will stock and sell spare-parts to customers who may intend to bring their own service parts/ lubricants to their choice Ford service centre for service,” Maduka said.

He said that Quick Lane, as an automobile service centre brand, has over 600 outlets in the USA and Canada where it is providing the

Ford plans new parts distribution centre in sub-Saharan Africa ORD Motor Company has take steps to make parts available to its customers more quickly than ever before by expanding its Middle East Parts Distribution Center (PDC).

The countries in the region were expanded to speed up the process of parts delivery to dealers in the SubSaharan Africa (SSA) and to improve customers satisfaction in the region where sales of products is said to

F

be on the increase.

The PDC is capable of stocking up to 50,000 unique types of parts, or 6 million total pieces from all of Ford’s production locations around the globe.

Previously, Ford dealers ordered parts from each vehicle’s country of origin (North America, Europe, South Africa and Thailand), which resulted in lengthy delivery and shipping times that varied greatly, depend-

ing on the source location.

More regular shipments from a single location will significantly reduce the time customers will have to wait for parts to arrive at their service locations, as approximately 92 percent of the parts most often used for vehicle service or repairs will be in stock and immediately available at the PDC. Order to delivery time from the PDC to dealers in SSA will improve substantially, with

parts orders now arriving at dealerships in as few as two days.

With more parts readily available, the PDC will improve lead time for special-order parts as well, reducing vehicle downtime for customers and fleets.

“Ford is committed to providing customers throughout Sub-Saharan Africa with exceptional customer service and an improved ownership experience,” said John

Sonata, Santa Fe win awards on safety, fuel economy HE Hyundai Motor T brands- Sonata and Santa Fe have continued to demonstrate their effectiveness over meeting customer needs, especially in United States of America, where both cars were named “BEST BETS” in the 33rd edition of The Car Book, America’s first consumer car buying guide.

According to the company, it also the third consecutive year Hyundai Sonata has earned such distinction.

“We appreciate the fact that Hyundai has made a significant contribution to improving the market choice for the American buy-

services.

“They specialise on vehicle maintenance and light repair including air conditioning, auto service, brakes, tyres, batteries and much more. All of these services are performed by factory-trained experts and on customers’ schedule.

“Customers do not need an appointment and will get service while waiting, even on evenings and weekends.

Furthermore, Quick Lane will take care of any make or model, using quality parts and lubricants from trusted brands like Motorcraft. Not to mention eleven top brand name tires like Goodyear, Continental, Michelin and more,” the Coscharis boss added.

ers,” said Jack Gilles, author, The Car Book.

He said: “During these most challenging times for the auto industry, the fact that Hyundai vehicles have the quality and features most important to today’s car buyer is a testament to Hyundai’s desire to meet customer needs.”

Now in its 33rd consecutive year, The Car Book has been the consumer’s best guide to smart and sensible car buying.

The publication’s “BEST BETS” distinctions are awarded to new vehicles each year, which cater to the

needs of American consumers, and in turn, make a significant contribution to the American automotive market.

Vehicles are rated in nine key Car Book categories: crash tests, safety features, rollover, preventative maintenance, repair costs, warranty, fuel economy, customer complaints, and insurance costs.

While receiving the “BEST BETS” award for both these vehicles, Director, Product Planning, Hyundai Motor America, Scott Margason said that the award demonstrated Hyundai’s commit-

ment to quality across its entire lineup.

“Customer feedback is an invaluable part of Hyundai product development. We strive every day to cater to the changing needs of our customers, and the “BEST BETS” distinctions showcase our ability to process feedback into the quality products that Hyundai owners demand.”

The Sonata is fast becoming one of the most reliable vehicles in Hyundai’s lineup. With its impressive fuel economy, class-leading technologies, such as Blue Link and 7-inch Infotainment

System, and its seductive, Fluidic Sculpture design, the Sonata maintains its competitive edge amongst premium rivals in the midsize sedan segment.

The all-new Santa Fe delivered Hyundai’s recipe of bold design and high-output powertrains. With a host of features to please drivers and passengers, functionality, versatility and comfort are key areas in which the Santa Fe exceeds customer expectations.

Santa Fe and Sonata were most recently the stars in four of Hyundai’s five Super Bowl ads.

Earp, Ford Customer Service Division Regional Manager, Sub-Saharan Africa. “By providing a one-stop-shop resource for parts for our dealers, Ford is demonstrating its commitment to customer service in SSA.” The facility began servicing 25 Sub-Saharan Africa countries this month. With the SSA launch, Ford’s facility now services more than 35 countries throughout Africa and the Middle East.

A group of dealers from Sub-Saharan Africa visited the PDC last year and came away pleased at the prospect of one-stop shopping for all of their parts needs. Dealers believe the PDC’s service to Sub-Saharan Africa will allow them to grow their businesses and improve service to their customers by enabling them to stock a wider assortment of parts.

Ford is also providing inventory management support, helping dealers maintain sufficient parts inventory levels tosatisfy customer demand and support vehicle sales growth in the region.

Ford sold 13,371vehicles in Sub-Saharan Africa in 2012, representing a 16 per cent increase from 2011.

THE GUARDIAN, Friday, March 8, 2013

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ThE GUARDIAN, Friday, March 8, 2013

BusinessTravel Nigerian carriers groan over absence of flight simulators Flight simulation reduces significantly the cost of flight crew training. For Nigerian carriers, like every other thing, it does not matter. WOLE SHADARE, who was recently on tour of British Airways maintenance hangar in Cardiff, Wales and multi billion pounds simulator-training facilities in London, writes that it does matter for the airlines to save costs and to improve aviation safety After years of slow growth, the global market for civil aviation simulation training is finally showing the signs of recovery.

URRENTLY, there are about 900 C full-flight simulators in the world, owned by airline training centres, independent training organizations and aircraft manufacturers.

According to Airbus, the European plane maker, the number is set to more than double over the next couple of decades to meet the demand for more than half a million new pilots, as well as to support pilots in active service.

Full-flight simulators are vital in supporting the aviation growth.

According to a popular Boeing forecast, some 517,000 new pilots will need to be trained globally in the next 20 years’ time.

Given that each new simulator costs about $25m to buy and a further $1m per year to operate, the market will be worth a whopping $25billion, perhaps even more, according to industry forecast.

For Nigerian airlines, it is still a far distance for them as none has aircraft simulators that would make it easier and cost effective for them. Airlines in Nigeria spend huge amount of money to train and re-train their pilots abroad with Lufthansa, British Airways, Iberia, Delta, United Airlines, South Africa Airways, Ethiopian Airways, Kenya Airways and many other airlines outside the shores of

An aircraft simulator the country.

For the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology (NCAT), Zaria, simulators for trainee pilots are nothing to write home about. Some are said to be as old as the college, just as there are a handful for light airplanes.

A pilot with liquidated Nigeria Airways, Captain Dele Ore lamented that none of the airlines has the equipment for retraining of their pilots, adding that the cost to do the exercise abroad is very enormous.

Ore said it would be difficult to put a figure to what the carriers lose annually for their pilots to undergo the six monthly simulators training abroad.

In all, Nigerian airlines spend more than $100 million annually for train and retrain their pilots; a huge drain on their meager resources.

Acquisition of the facilities would greatly reduce cost and earn them more money.

Not a few believe that regular and constant simulator training for pilots could assist them to minimise the serious incidence of pilot errors that had been attributed to over 80 per cent of plane crashes, not only in Nigeria, but globally.

The equipment helps pilots to simulate foggy or adverse weather situation, helps them to handle emergencies in airplanes. They could simulate smoke, fire, which helps them when handling real simulations There are several ways to acquire a full-flight simulator – airlines may get it from the aircraft manufacturers after purchasing a new aircraft for a very good rate, purchase a newly manufactured model or buy used full-

flight simulators from the operators or companies specialised in selling simulators.

A recent facility tour put together by Europe’s mega carrier, British Airway, both in its home in Cardiff, Wales and London heathrow Airport was an eye opener on the benefit of running your own maintenance and training facilities.

British Airways prides itself as safety driven, maintenance conscious carrier with its multi-billion pounds investment in airline business.

The airline boasts over 15 different types of aircraft simulators for pilots, cabin crew. The simulators are for B737, B777, B747, just as the firm is at the verge of acquiring more for its latest super jumbo A380, expected to be delivered to the carrier later this year.

Flight Training Manager, British

Airways, Andy Clubb disclosed that his company has comemrcialised its simulation training department, adding that it costs a trainee about 500 pounds per hour to be trained on any of the airline’s simulation equipment, which he said has been another way of revenue generation for the airline.

According to him, it cost the airline about 10 million pounds to acquire each simulation equipment, noting that before could renew his license, such would go through 10 simulation sessions, examinations and a land check on such pilot. he stated that the UK plays a major role in developing flight simulation technology, noting that UK flight simulation industry makes a significant contribution to revenue generation and employment in the UK economy.

The flight simulation industry exploits advances in commercial offthe-shelf technologies to increase capability and reduce development cost.

Besides, Clubb emphasised that concerns that flight simulators were unrealistic and that aircraft provide better training in some quarters have been dispelled by professionals in the sector, stressing that training in a flight simulator could be more effective than training in an aircraft.

Country Manager, British Airways and Iberia (Nigeria), Mr. Kola Olayinka, hinted that having the equipment could also add as additional revenue for airlines. he lamented the huge loss of revenue lost to capital flight annually, occasioned by offshore recurrent training. he added airline operators would spend less in sending crews abroad for recurrent training. his words, “This is another way of making money in the industry, but unfortunately, most of our investors are not looking in that direction.

Every aviation investors should not think of owing airline business because there are several businesses one can go into in the sector”.

Bombardier partners Arik on routes expansion

By Wole Shadare IGERIA’S flag carrier airline, Arik has concluded plans to partner Canadian aircraft maker, Bombardier with a view to acquiring more stateof-the-art airplanes for its ambitious route expansion programme.

In the same vein, the nation’s biggest airline disclosed its readiness to build aircraft Maintenance Repair and Overhaul (MRO) in Lagos.

The airline unfolded these plans recently when the President of Bombardier, Perre Beaudoin, took a tour of the airline’s facilities in Lagos. he said that the firm intended to sell more of its aircraft in Nigeria by utilising the good partnership it had with Arik Air, which started scheduled commercial operation with new Bombardier aircraft, CRJ 900 in 2006.

The Bombardier president also said that the aircraft manufacturing company also had other partners in the country who operated private Bombardier jets.

According to him: “We have a lot of partners in Nigeria, first of all, private aeroplane operators, but most importantly Arik Air; we are beginning to find out that it is extraordinary airline and I

N

• Airline plans to build maintenance facility promised Mr. Joseph (Arumemi –Ikhide, chairman, Arik Air) we shall visit and that is what I’m doing today.” he stated that Bombardier manufactures regional aircraft, which could be of immense benefit for inter-city destinations in various parts of Africa and because of the aircraft’s fuel economy and comfort, airline like Arik could maximise its domestic and regional operations with Bombardier regional jets.

“With the feedback I get from our customer, Arik Air, people love CRJ 900. It is a very quiet airplane, very comfortable; it flies very smoothly through turbulence. The feedback I get both for CRJ 900 and Q400 is very appreciated by the customers. I think we are on the way; of course others may have brand recognition but with time as we are adding airplanes in this country and most importantly we are making regional connections, I think people will love the fact that they are making very short flights and getting to your destinations without having to connect to other flights.

The Chairman of Arik Air, Joseph

Arumemi–Ikhide disclosed during the facility tour that on the airline would sign an agreement with Lufthansa for the building of MRO facility in Nigeria where Nigerian airlines and others would carry out maintenance checks on their aircraft.

“Right now, on March 19 we will be at hamburg (Germany) to sign agreement with Lufthansa on the construction of maintenance hangar.

Bombardier is buying into it and also Boeing.

This hangar you see (at Arik Air headquarters) is going to be rebuilt and it is going to be manned

by Lufthansa and it will be for C Check, not only for Arik, but for all the airlines. It will provide service for modern aircraft.”

On the visit of Bombardier president to Nigeria he said that the management of Arik Air was happy to receive Beaudoin, noting that his visit was an indication that Arik Air and Bombardier had strong partnership, which would continue to grow stronger as the two companies deepen their business.

“We are very happy that Bombardier is here.

They were the initiator of Arikå Air. They were

here at the beginning. They gave us the opportunity of bringing new airplane in Nigeria after over 25 years we had had new aircraft. So it is good for the president of Bombardier to come and see what he helped to create in Africa. This is a better assistance from the people of Canada which they gave to Nigeria through Bombardier.”

Arumemi–Ikhide said that Arik Air would buy more Bombardier CRJ 900, Q400 and C series as it expanded and added more local and regional routes.

“Yes, we will buy more CRJ 900 as you know the aircraft is loved by our countrymen. It has helped us to develop routes. We go to new routes like Gombe, Katsina and Ibadan. We always use the CRJ as the forerunner, even in Asaba; it has been very successful. It is very stable in the weather; very comfortable. We are looking forward to discussing about getting more, the CRJ 1000 and of course more of the Q400 and in future we think of getting the C series. Bombardier products are very good.

That’s why we said that rather than go the other way, government should look at Bombardier rather than other products.”

Etihad, Kenya Airways sign new partnership deal

By Chika Goodluck-Ogazi TIhAD Airways has signed a E strategic commercial partnership agreement with Kenya Airways, the national flag carrier of Kenya.

Etihad Airways will place its EY

code on Kenya Airways flights from Nairobi to 27 destinations across Kenya Airways’ network in Africa.

Kenya Airways will place its KQ code on Etihad Airways’ daily service from Nairobi to Abu Dhabi and, subject to government approval, onwards to up to 32 key destina-

tions across Etihad’s global network.

The African airline will also launch a new three times a week service between Nairobi and Abu Dhabi from mid-summer 2013.

The agreement has paved the way for greater collaboration between

the airlines on the joint procurement of services for ground handling, line and heavy maintenance, training and cargo operations.

The new codeshare with Kenya Airways will complement Etihad’s existing scheduled service between Nairobi to Abu Dhabi, which pro-

vides passengers with sub-four hour connections over its hub in the UAE to destinations across North Asia, South East Asia, the Indian Sub continent and Australia.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 47

THE GUARDIAN, Friday, March 8, 2013

BUSINESS TRAVERL 47

Group tasks govts on carbon emissions

By Chika Goodluck-Ogazi HE International Air Transport Association (IATA) has called on governments to adapt the global approach market-based measures (MBMs), that would help aviation industry manage the two per cent of manmade carbon emissions for which it is responsible.

The group also stressed the need for governments and the industry to align on all four pillars of the aviation industry’s strategy on climate change like investment in new technology, more effi-

T

cient operations, better infrastructure and positive economic measure.

According to IATA, the aviation value chain for airlines, airports, air navigation service providers and manufacturers has agreed to three sequential targets on climate change of 1.5 per cent average annual improvement in fuel efficiency to 2020, capping emissions with carbon neutral-growth from 2020 (CNG2020), and cutting net emissions in half by 2050 compared to 2005 levels.

Speaking at the Greener Skies

Conference in Hong Kong, China, recently, the Director General, Tony Tyler said: “A lot of progress has been made on aviation and the environment. The European Union Emissions Trading Scheme (EU ETS) was a roadblock to establishing a global approach to MBMs. With that roadblock removed we are well positioned for a breakthrough on MBMs. “Governments are fully focused on the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) to agree upon a global solution at their upcoming

Assembly. And the industry is united and working hard to support that by finding an equitable way to share the burden of achieving CNG2020. A lot of hard work lies ahead but we are committed to achieving a positive result”, he added.

Tyler, who said that ICAO has identified three options: carbon offsetting, carbon offsetting with a revenue-generating component, and a full global emissions trading scheme, maintained that, “Whichever option is chosen, the devil will be in the details.

And it is critically important to ensure that the agreement preserves fair competition”.

He explained that: “Finding a global approach to MBMs is important. But attention is needed on all four pillars of the industry’s united strategy.

Moreover, MBMs will be a temporary measure. The longterm solution for aviation’s carbon emissions requires progress on technology, operations and infrastructure”.

The IATA boss specifically cited the need for greater attention to be focused on the commercialization of sustain-

British Airways’ multibillion pounds aircraft maintenance hangar in Cardiff, Wales.

able biofuels and improvements in air traffic management: According to him, “More than 1500 commercial biofuel flights have been completed since certification was granted in 2011. But the cost is too high and the supply too limited. Governments can help us by making biofuel production a strategic priority, and following an action list to foster research and development, de-risk investment, agree to global sustainability criteria, and support supply chain collaboration.

PHOTO: Wole Shadare

Sabre migrates Etihad Airways to CSS system CONTINUED FROM PAGE 46 The President and Chief Executive Officer, Etihad Airways, James Hogan, said, “Last year we launched new services to Tripoli, Nairobi and Lagos, and over the last five years we have more than doubled our services to Africa, reflecting the increasing importance of the continent. During the same period we have flown nearly three million passengers between Africa and the UAE, and key destinations across our network.”

Kenya Airlines has joined a growing list of airlines to have, launched new services to Abu Dhabi International Airport as a direct result of Etihad Airways’ partnership strategy.

These airlines include: airberlin Air

Seychelles, Alitalia, CSA Czech Airlines, Garuda, Hainan Airlines, RAK Airways and Virgin Australia.

The codeshare agreement with Kenyan Airways brings to 42 the number of Etihad Airways codeshare partners, creating a combined passenger network of 349 destinations.

Also, Etihad Airways’ ‘Big Switch’ to its new Sabre Airline Solutions ‘SabreSonic’ Customer Sales and Service (CSS) system has been successfully completed with minimal operational disruption across the airline’s global flight network during the cutover period.

The Big Switch started at 11pm (UAE time) on Friday 22 February and the main cutover was completed for start of business (UAE time) on

Sunday 24 February, with the SabreSonic CSS fully implemented and all sales channels, web and check-in systems back online by mid-afternoon.

The first passenger checked-in, using the new system at 7pm on Saturday 23 February for flight EY 221 Abu Dhabi to Karachi. At the same time, the first sale made through SabreSonic CSS at the Abu Dhabi Contact Centre was a Pearl Business Class ticket to Manila.

Meanwhile, Sabre Airline Solutions has successfully migrated Etihad Airways to its new ‘SabreSonic’ Customer Sales and Service (CSS) system. The switch was successfully completed with mini- mal operational disruption across the airline’s global flight network dur-

ing the cutover period.

Sam Gilliland, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Sabre Holdings, said: “Over the past few days, teams from Etihad Airways and Sabre have worked diligently on the successful migration onto our SabreSonic Cus-tomer Sales and Service system.

Etihad Airways and Sabre directly relate the success of the migration to the outstanding project management.

“We are confident that Sabre- Sonic will deliver outstanding value to Etihad Airways through increased revenues, the ability to personalize the travel experience to their customers and improved operational efficiency. We welcome Etihad Airways to our community.”

A look at Akwa Ibom aircraft maintenance, repairs facility

By Captain Dele Ore IRCRAFT maintenance A and engineering duty can be very complex and varied in an environment where opportunities for error abound. Maintenance personnel- at least in the most developed aviation systems frequently work under considerable time pressures.

Personnel at the maintenance base and at the flight line stations realise the importance of meeting scheduled departure times.

Operators have increased aircraft utilisation in order to counteract the economic problems that plague the industry. Aircraft maintenance technicians are also maintaining a fleet that is increasing in age. It is not uncommon to find 20 to 25 year old aircraft in many airline fleets, including those of major operators. In addition,

many operators intend to keep some of these aircraft in service in the foreseeable future, perhaps beyond the turn of the century. Engine hush kits will make some older narrow-body aircraft economically and environmentally viable. However, these aircraft are maintenance-intensive. The old airframes require careful inspection for signs of fatigue, corrosion and general deterioration. This places an increased burden on the maintenance workforce. It creates stressful work situations, particularly for those engaged in inspection tasks, because additional maintenance is required and because the consequences may be serious if the signs of aging, which are frequently subtle, remain undetected.

This therefore leads us to the issue of all-important Maintenance Repair and

Overhaul facility in Nigeria.

The lack of this particular maintenance capacity is the bane of Nigerian airlines survival and profitability apart from the prohibitive cost of Aviation Fuel. As at today Nigeria still lacks the capacity to carry out certain categories of aircraft maintenance, especially on the brand of Aircraft used for commercial purposes, such as B737, the Embraer, the Fokker, ATR, etc series. The all-important “C” checks and above has to be done outside Nigeria in such places as Addis-Ababa, Ethiopia, Europe, USA etc. Of course this costs a lot of money as the airline involved has to pay in hard currency. The government has to muster the political and financial muscle to establish a national maintenance centre to help our airlines to keep afloat and save them from

extinction.

This issue alone has become the tale of woes of so many grounded domestic Airlines from Gas Air the first domestic commercial Airline in the 1980’s to others such as Harco, Harka, Freedom, Trans-Sahara, Okada space World, AI-bakar, Savannah, Fresh, Dasab and EAS/Nicon Airlines. Today four airiness; namely, ARIK AIR, Medview, Aerocontractors and IRS Airlines are the only surviving airlines, any of which can become distressed due to lack of adequate MROs. The president on the occasion Akwa-Ibom said that the federal government would partner with Akwa-Ibom to develop the aircraft maintenance facility to become a National Aircraft Maintenance Repair and Overhaul facility (MRO) for Nigeria. As a matter of urgency the president

should set up an implementation committee of professionals in various areas to fast-track the immediate realisation of the objective of the MRO at Akwa Ibom whose members shall include engineers, pilots, air traffic controllers, financial experts, representatives of ministry and Presidency, as well as Akwa Ibom State Government. The MRO should enjoy a tax exemption for seven years for profitability. The term of reference of the suggested committee should include and not limited to: Working out the modalities of federal government and Akwa-Ibom government partnership. . Invitation of private sector investment for the project. . Identifying and resolving any issues that might be impediment for an effective implementation of the MRO. . Identifying funding require-

ments and options and make appropriaterecommendations. . Determining the identified ICT implications for the implementation of the project. . Identifying prospective users of the MRO . Investigating and making recommendations on areas of risks to the projects. . Making recommendations on the long time sustainability of the MRO including climatic peculiarity, environmental consideration and competitors, and . Making any other recommendations that may be relevant to the achievement of the objectives of the MRO This suggested committee should be inaugurated immediately and be expected to complete their job within two months.

• Ore is the president of Aviation Round Table (ART)

THE GUARDIAN, Friday, March 8 , 2013

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FridayWorship In the Name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful “We will show them Our signs in the universe and in their own selves, until it becomes manifest to them that this (Quran, Islam) is the truth. Is it not sufficient in regard to your Lord that He is a witness over all things?”

(Q41vs.53)

By Afis A. Oladosu LA-KAREEM Khayrah is probably O one of her mother’s fondest children. She is probably one of those children who are lucky to have a parent who is always there; a parent who believes she should always be there for her children. Her mother is probably one of those women who strongly believe that the womb should not be separated from the foetus; that no matter the age and status of their daughter, she will always remain a daughter: somebody to be cared for, somebody to be attended to, night and day. Thus, even after gaining admission to the University, her mother still continues to pander to her desires. She treats her daughter as if she was still in the cradle. .

Thus on February 26, 2013, Khayrah’s mother visited her as usual in her hall- The Queen Elizabeth Hall- in the University of Ibadan. Brethren, here is her story: “My Mummy brought raw beef for me in Queen’s Hall. I took the meat to the kitchenette to boil. As the meat started to simmer, an inscription of Allah’s name in Arabic language began to appear on a piece of the meat in the pot. The more the meat got boiled, the clearer the

“Surely, the religion with Allah is ISLAM, complete submission”... Qur’an 3:19

Sign of Allah in meat at University of Ibadan inscription became. I then decided to fry that slice of meat whether the name will disappear. Lo! It became more engraved on the meat after frying. The experience really shocked me.”. .

Brethren, Khayrah’s immediate reaction was understandably that of wonderment and awe. She was completely swept off her feet by what she beheld. The following questions must have agitated her mind: What is this? How could this have occurred? What does this mean? Is someone playing pranks on me here?. .

The appearance of the Name of the Almighty on the meat soon became the talk of the town. One of the most interesting reactions it elicited was from an Imam of a mosque in the city. Apparently seizing on his friends’ negative reaction to similar occurrences in the past, the Imam told them: “I can’t believe this is happening or could have happened. In fact this is magic. You know what, I’m sure somebody entered that particular piece of meat, took his knife and inscribed the Name of the Almighty Allah on it.”. .

His friends, most of who were not Muslims, opened their mouth in total surprise. “How could someone have entered the meat and inscribed anything on it?” one of them queried. Then the Imam responded saying: “The one who entered it to inscribe His Name is the sole power in control of the heavens and the earth!”. .

But the most incredulous reaction to this event was from another acquaintance. When she heard the story, she raised her hands to the heavens and prayed: “God, please protect us all from eating poison in this country!”. .

Brethren, reactions to events like this have always been autochthonous and eclectic. It has always oscillated between outright denial and complete acceptance. But my concern today is the rate at which these events now occur almost on a regular basis. Only recently, a child was born with the Quran in his hands. Only recently, a cock emerged in the backwaters of the city calling the Adhan. Only recently a baby was born with the Name of the Almighty written boldly on his laps. Only recently, a baby was born in Ogun state. It came to the world clutching the Muslim rosary.

Sometimes in 1995, news went to town about the discovery of a miraculous rock opposite the abattoir in Jos, Plateau State, which cracked into two. On one side were the first verse of the Glorious Qur’an, Alhamdulilah meaning “praise be to Allah.” On the other side were engraved the completion of the same verse Rabul-’alamiin, “Lord of all the worlds.” But that was not the end; the wife of a pastor residing near the rock gave birth to a baby boy having similar Arabic inscriptions on his right hand. Efforts made by the family to erase the inscription

proved abortive because the more they tried to rub it off the bolder it appeared!

Brethren, what do these events portend? Of what relevance are these events to your faith as a Muslim? Perhaps the following could be offered in response. Each time these events occur, it reminds me of myself – that I am also a signan ayah- of and for the existence of the Almighty. .

In other words, these events usually function to occasion in me some introspection. It returns me to my origin. It should also remind you of your beginning. Brother, what were you before you became Mr Somebody? Sister, what were you before you became Mrs Somebody? You were a mixture of sperm and egg. You were nothing before you became something.

Thus the appearance of the Name of the Almighty in a piece of meat should therefore awaken you to the ‘magic’ wrought by nobody other than the Almighty when He brought you to the world by His Will. The same way His Name appeared on that meat was the same you, yes, you became a fetusfrom nothing. .

Brethren, the appearance of the Name of the Almighty on a piece of meat should also remind you that whatever He promises to do He will always do it. A thousand four hundred and thirty four years ago, the Almighty promised to send signs that will guide humanity back to Him from the world

(Q41vs.53). He has been fulfilling that promise since then. In fact He fulfils that promise everyday. He fulfils it each time the sun appears in the horizon at dawn. He fulfils it each time the night appears at dusk. The question is: are you fulfilling your own part of the bargain? Are you fulfilling the pledge you made to Him? Are you worthy of His these blessings of His under your care? Are you still not in doubt about your faith? Dear brother, do you still not occasionally wonder whether the Almighty is there listening to your supplication? Dear sister, do you not doubt His power to do that thing and undo that other thing?. .

Brethren, I thought these events now occur regularly nowadays ahead of another reality: the imminence of the end of the world. Or is it the nearness of retribution to those who still doubt His existence? I say this because I consider these events as a privilege.

Brethren, no privilege would come your way without responsibility.

Every choice in this life of ours comes with a price tag. .

“Whoever goes right, then he goes right only for the benefit of his own self. And whoever goes astray, then, he goes astray to his own loss. No one laden with burden can bear another’s burden.

And We never punish until We have sent a Messenger (to give warning).” (guardianfridayworship@gmail.com)

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Opinion The controversial varsity report

By Adewale Kupoluyi

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HE nation’s universities may be heading for another crisis going by the rejection of the controversial report of a committee raised to revamp the ailing sector. The 10-member Federal Government Committee on NEEDS Assessment of Nigerian Public Universities committee was headed by the former Executive Secretary of the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund), Prof.

Mahmood Yakubu, and included the immediate past President of Academic Staff Union of Nigerian Universities (ASUU), Prof. Nwachukwu Awuzie and other interest groups.

The government’s move address the challenges in the ivory towers culminated in the setting up the NEEDS Committee, to ascertain the specific needs of universities, and determining priority areas in the deployment of limited resources. In the process, the NEEDS Assessment took an inventory of all physical facilities for teaching and learning, learning resources ranging from lecture theatres, laboratories, workshop, studios, as well as municipal service such as roads, water, electricity, security, health, recreational facilities, etc. The Committee also assessed staff-student ratios, staff and student population in relation to available facilities, to determine the specific areas of pressure and how resources can be effectively channelled to address critical needs.

The 189 recommendations in the report had advanced reasons why Nigerian universities have been unable to compete favourably with their counterparts across the globe.

Highlights of the report revealed that currently 37,504 academics are listed in public universities with 83 per cent of them being male and 18 per cent being female and of this number, 23,030 (61 per cent are employed in federal universities while 14, 474 (39 per cent) teach in state-owned universities. Teaching staff to student ratio revealed further disparities between Nigerian universities and their counterparts elsewhere in the world. The ratio of teaching staff to students in selected institutions is as follows: University of Abuja – 1 to 122, Lagos State University – 1 to 144 and the National Open University of Nigeria – 1 to 363. In contrast, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology is 1-9, Cambridge – 1 to 3, NUS – 1 to 12, ICFUPM – 1 to 9, Technion – 1 to 15 and the prestigious Harvard University – 1 to 4.

Part of the committee’s recommendations says that overall administrative costs, including the cost of any out-sourced functions, such as clean-

ing and security, should not exceed 18 to 20 per cent and that managers, who failed to access and properly utilise their universities’ allocation of TETFund subventions for research, staff development and scholarships, conference attendance, publications, and so on, should be sanctioned. The committee maintained that no university should be allowed to remain without a governing council, whose members are appointed purely on merit and to stay in office only as provided by the law and that, vice-chancellors should be transparent, accountable and resultoriented in their dealings. Moreover, all non-establishment positions created by some vice-chancellors; such as Personal Assistants and Special Assistants and the like are to be banned in the university system and that the council of each university should ensure compliance. All abandoned projects are to be completed, or continued with before new ones are started by incoming vice-chancellors. Besides, all refectories, sporting arenas, convocation squares that are converted into ‘lecture halls’ should be reverted back to their original intended purpose as it noted that less than 10 per cent of the universities have video conferencing facility, whereby less than 20 per cent use interactive boards while more than 50 per cent do not even use public address systems in their lecture halls.

On the regulatory body, government was advised to empower and re-strengthen the National Universities Commission, to enforce all accreditation criteria and ensure objectivity and patriotism in the conduct of its activities. To this end, any university that falsified records, hired equipment or mercenary staff just for accreditation purpose should be closed down for a minimum of five years. The report called on the government and other funding agencies to support teaching, learning and research and while university managers should pursue the mission, vision and core values of their institutions, while in the attempt to spur national development, universities should not only be producing skilful and qualitative graduates that would not only lead in innovation, creativity, discoveries and competing favourably with their foreign counterparts.

These objectives can be achieved - according to the committee - if and when universities train and produce all-rounded graduates and technical experts in the areas of Information and Communication Technology, high-tech engineering,

medical sciences, agricultural sciences and natural sciences, among others. To strengthen the importance of universities to national development, the committee recommended that government should get the appropriate power agency to put all Nigerian universities on dedicated electricity lines and be accorded priority consideration during distribution.

To ensure that all university academics have the minimum teaching qualification, the government would have to direct the appropriate regulatory agencies to issue a moratorium of five years, when all teaching staff in the university system are expected to have acquired their doctorate degrees and that while this is on, all new employments into academic position must meet the academic requirement of having, or pursuing their doctorate degrees while visiting lectureship should be regulated.

And perhaps, the most controversial is the recommendation that government should study the feasibility and viability of converting all nonteaching staff in Nigerian universities into the staff of Federal or State Ministry of Education with full control over their employment. This controversial recommendation has been seriously criticized by the non-teaching staff of universities. To them, the report is “unfavourable”, cruel and untenable, as they called on the government to jettison it, noting that non-teaching staff were strategic to the running of the university system.

Already, the Presidential Review Committee on the Report of the NEEDS Assessment in the public universities had a Technical Committee that would review the recommendations and come out with workable solutions. For anyone that is familiar with the university system, it will be seen that findings of the committee is not far from the truth, especially going by the state of affairs in the citadels of learning.

There is little wonder that none of the 129 Nigerian universities – public or private – is listed among the top 100 in the university world ranking, due to the enormous problems identified in the report. Sadly, no Nigerian university is ever in the reckoning for the world universities’ ranking. In January 2012, the world webometrics ranking rated the best Nigerian university mere 1,639th while in Africa, only three of our universities made the list of the first best 100.

Graduates of higher institutions of learning are no longer taken seriously as many employers of

labour often subject them to writing a litany of tests and examinations. Because of the rot in the system, the rich and the elite prefer to send their children and wards to foreign universities, at the expense of the nation.

It is worrisome that Nigerians allegedly spend an average of $500 million annually on European and American universities, which represents about 70 per cent of the total allocation to all federal universities in 2008 as over 20,000 students are said to be undertaking various courses in the United Kingdom alone and there is the projection of a jump to over 30,000 by 2015.

Studying abroad undoubtedly has its own merits, including opportunity to attend a top-class university in a different cultural setting and, of course, brighter international career opportunities. Unfortunately, much of the resources of the universities, which should have been used to rectify these anomalies end up as recurrent expenditure – payment of salaries and spending on non-capital projects. The precarious situation is ever bogged down by poor funding as well as illconceived, inconsistent and outright failure of government policies. For instance, the 2013 budget’s allocation of N426.53 billion to education, though a drastic improvement over those of past years – is still a far cry from a bail-out.

Over the years, all the staff unions – Academic Staff Union of Nigerian Universities, Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities, the Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions and the National Association of Academic Technologists had embarked on strike actions for the non-implementation of the 2009 agreement signed with the Federal Government to improve the university system in terms of increased funding, improved conditions of service, autonomy, academic freedom, among others.

Several attempts were made in the past by the government, organized private sectors and other concerned stakeholders to turn-around the system. The crux of the matter has always been that of treating public reports with disdain. Therefore, the NEEDS Assessment report can only be beneficial to the nation and acceptable to all parties, only if the valuable inputs by the stakeholders in the university system are respected and the recommendations in the white paper subjected to thorough analysis and the final lines of action are sincerely implemented.

• Kupoluyi writes from the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta.

Death and humanist funerals in Nigeria

By Leo Igwe N February 9, 2013, the former Chairman of the Nigerian O Humanist Movement, Eze Ebisike died after a brief illness.

On March 2, he was buried in his hometown, Okpokume, Mpam, Ekwerazu Ahiazu Mbiase in Imo State. Ebisike was an ex-Catholic priest and an atheist. He was buried after a short humanist funeral ceremony in the compound. The ceremony was a historic event because it was the first time, in that part of the country that someone who was an atheist was given a nonreligious funeral.

Funerals constitute a vital part of the local culture and tradition. Most people attach a lot of importance to rites marking the end of life. Some people plan for their own funerals even though they know they won’t be there to celebrate it! People devote time, energy and resources to mourning the dead and paying their last respects.

But like most other aspects of culture, funeral ceremonies have been based on religion and supernaturalism. A funeral is a ‘spiritual’ and godly exercise. Hence people think that a funeral must be conducted in line with the teachings of one of the traditional religions; Islam or Christianity. They cannot imagine a godless funeral service or a non-religious or non-theistic way of mourning the dead. This is to be expected given the ubiquity of the theistic cosmological outlook. Most people believe in a god that rewards or punishes people after death.

There is a strong belief that death is not the end of life, that death is a kind of transition from this life to the ‘next life’, that there is a heaven and a hell.

But humanists do not hold to these beliefs. For humanists, death is the end of life. When people die they decompose just like all other living things. Post mortem life in heaven and hell is viewed at best as a comforting illusion. The evidence for a personal god is simply not there. There has also been no evidence produced for the existence of a soul. And the whole idea of the soul leaving the body is just wishful thinking.

So, clearly religious funeral ceremonies are not in line with

humanist values. They express superstitious and irrational notions, which humanists reject. In a typical religious funeral service, there is a strong current of supernatural ideas of reality, and a dualistic idea of the world and of life. And humanists do not entertain such views. For humanists, a funeral ceremony is not a rite of passage for the deceased. A funeral is a celebration of a life lived, a life which has ended. A funeral is an opportunity for family and friends to pay tribute to the memory of someone who has died.

For humanists, when people die, they live on in the minds and memories of their loved ones, not in a heaven or a hell. They live on in the legacies they leave behind, in the good (and also the bad) which they did. They live on in their children, their descendants. Funerals are special times to remember and to relive those sweet memories, and pay our last respects to a person whom we are lucky to have shared this short life with.

Due to different ideas and attitudes to death and dying, funerals should not be religious for everyone. Funerals can be secular. Religious funerals are ceremonies in line with the values and beliefs of theistic and religious people while secular or humanist funerals are ceremonies conducted in a way that agrees with the values and beliefs of non-religious people.

But in Nigeria, many people do not acknowledge that there is a need for secular funerals. While people appreciate the need to bury a Christian in a Christian way, the Muslim in a Muslim way or the traditional religionist in a way in line with traditional religious beliefs, this is not the case for atheists, agnostics and freethinkers. Very often family and community members do not respect the wishes of their humanist members and friends to be buried in a secular way. In most cases when atheists die, family and community members impose religious funerals on them. And this should not happen. It should rather be a case of religious funerals for religious people and secular or humanist funerals for non-religious people. We need to ensure that freethinking non-religious people do not continue to live their life with the knowledge that, at the end of their life, family and community members will impose on them a funeral ceremony that

is not in accordance with the outlook they upheld while alive.

A Nigerian humanist who was a columnist with one of the local newspapers died in 2011. Before he died, he made known his wish to be given a secular funeral. But he feared that the family would not respect his wishes. And the family did not. He was given a religious funeral ceremony. In another case, a religious service at a local church was also part of the funeral of a popular Nigerian humanist who died last year. My question is this: when people organise religious funerals for non-religious people, do they think they are doing the right thing? Would they want similar things done unto them – that they, being Christian, be buried in a Muslim way or vice versa? I mean do people really think that they are honouring the name and memory of their humanist friend or family member when they ‘bury them in a religious way’?

Giving atheists religious funerals is a disservice that has been going on for some time. And now is the time for it to stop. However, many non-religious persons will be indifferent to the whole idea of religious versus non-religious funerals. They simply do not care. Their argument is that since they believe that death marks the absolute end of life, they are not perturbed by what happens after they are dead or the kind of funeral they receive. For them a religious or a secular funeral does not make any difference, it does not change anything. The Dead is dead, period. But there are those who care.

Religious as well as humanist funeral ceremonies are for the living. And there are non-religious persons who would not want their memories to be insulted or corrupted by a religious funeral service. It is important that people respect the wish of their humanist friends and family members and accord them a funeral that is in line with their beliefs and outlook. For me, like Eze Ebisike, when I die, if there is a funeral, I would like to be given a secular/humanist funeral service. I would like my family members and friends to respect this wish. That I be accorded a funeral ceremony that is in line with the humanist ideas, values and beliefs that I professed and lived by during my lifetime.

• Igwe is the founder of the Nigerian Humanist Movement.

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THE GUARDIAN, Friday, March 8, 2013

Opinion Let God defend Himself

By Alabi Adekilekun E like to discuss other religions based on the concept and principle of the one we profess. The recent attack on health workers in Kano has prompted this piece about the people who are perpetrating evil in the name of Religion of Peace. But people act not for the sake of God, but for the sake of materialism and flamboyant life they dream of living. It is crystal clear when you see a clergyman acquiring wealth and living in luxury as if that will avail him eternal life.

Ignorantly, some will conclude that the killings by deviant Islamic sect (Boko Haram) is what Islam teaches but the enlightened ones will argue that the sect’s faithful are among the black sheep of the religion they profess; of course there are black sheep in all religions the world over. The Holy Quran says, “…take not life, which God hath made sacred, except by way of justice and law: thus doth He command you, that ye may learn wisdom.” [Al-Qur’an 6:151]. Going through the context of this verse, one sees that whoever takes a life unjustifiably has disbelieved what Allah revealed to Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessing be upon him).

It is very easy to commit blasphemy by abusing the Prophet.

Do perpetrators care to know about his tolerance and patience?

He was born in Makkah and called to prophethood when he was 40 years by telling people to bear witness that, “There is no deity worthy of worship except God.” Only because his people were pagans and already are addicted to their lifestyle and enslaving people. When persecution started, they killed some of his followers, laid embargo on him for three years, during which he lost his beloved wife (Khadijah) and dear uncle. Seven different tribes formed coalition against him so that his tribe won’t be able to revenge. To their surprise, God exonerated him and he escaped to exile. The host country gave him warm welcome but the enemies who ejected him from his fatherland were not satisfied and they took up arms against him in exile.

Has any leader who lived in exile ever suffered such treatment?

If you were in his shoes, what will be your reaction against your un-repentant enemies? He exercised religious tolerance, showed exceptional patience, yet the enemies made life uncomfortable for him in exile. He later took up arms against them. That was when he started fighting against infidelity of his people. He fought 27 battles before his demise yet the casualties were less than 2000. Compared to the casualties of World Wars I and II, he applied the rule of engagement completely, which is absent in unholy wars by super powers of today who kill indiscriminately.

Even in a state of war, Islam enjoins that one deals with the enemy nobly on the battlefield. Islam has drawn a clear line of distinction between the combatants and the non-combatants of the enemy country. As far as the non-combatant population is concerned such as women, children, the old and the infirm, etc., the instructions of the Prophet are as follows: “Do not kill

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any old person, any child or any woman.” “Do not kill the monks in monasteries” or “Do not kill the people who are sitting in places of worship.” During a war, the Prophet saw the corpse of a woman lying on the ground and observed: “She was not fighting. How then she came to be killed?” Thus non-combatants are guaranteed security of life even if their state is at war with an Islamic state. The question is: why does Boko Haram target churches if they are really fighting for the sake of Allah? Congregations in churches are among the non-combatant and it is needless to fight them.

God says, “…if any one slew a person – unless it be for murder or for spreading mischief in the land – it would be as if he slew the whole people: and if any one saved a life, it would be as if he saved the life of the whole people.” (Al-Qur’an 5:32). Where is the verse of Quran to justify any unholy mission? Simply, they are unleashing violence according to other dictates.

The text is clear, “There is no compulsion in religion. Verily, the right path has become distinct from the wrong path. Whoever disbelieves in false deities and believes in Allah, then he has grasped the most trustworthy handhold that will never break.

And Allah is All-Hearer, All-Knower.” (Al-Qur’an 2:255). This is the evidence that Muslims are enjoined in the Scripture not to impose religion on anybody. Islam has been pronounced the fastest growing religion the world over since 1984 and no war was fought in the name of Islam.

Some ignorant Muslims do abuse Jesus; I call them uninformed and half-baked followers of the Prophet. No one becomes a complete Muslim (believer in Islamic monotheism) except he believes in Jesus, if he doesn’t, it means he is not a Muslim. The prophet Muhammad testified to the birth, ascension and return of Jesus as the sign of End Time in The Quran.

With the following figure, you will marvel that Muhammad pronounced Jesus more than himself or any of his family members including his parents. Do you know that in the whole 114 chapters and 6666 verses of the Quran both his parents were not mentioned at all while a chapter is devoted to Mary, the mother of Jesus and her name is mentioned 36 times in the Quran, 50 per cent more than 18 times it is mentioned in the Bible. I wonder why the Prophet mentioned his name only five times and mentioned Jesus’ name 25 times, 200 per cent more than his. You can see how selfless the Prophet was. However, no Muslim reads Quran without mentioning Jesus and Mary’s names and also send blessing on them. Yet, Christians see Muslims as enemies. They ought to take Muslims as friends and commend them for the recognition given household of Jesus in their Scripture – The Quran.

The human being is a social animal who cannot live in isolation. We can’t put up with animalistic behaviour and still claim to be human. There is no country or society that is practicing one religion. Even in Saudi Arabia where the population is 100 per cent Muslims, it still contains over 40,000 Americans living

and working in the Holy Land. I believe Christian morning devotions are going on in Christian homes even though there is no church erected. Gone are the days when there was no mosque in the Eastern part of Nigeria and no church in the Northern part of our dear country. We must be able to learn to live together in peace, as religious tolerance is the cradle of peace in any society.

When Jesus was reigning in Jerusalem, many of his people disbelieved Him and they were the ones who plotted his crucifixion according to the Bible. Up till today, his enemies are still residing in Jerusalem. Likewise, when Muhammad was called to disseminate the message, his people rose against him; he escaped crucifixion yet a woman still poisoned him. Up till today, his enemies are still residing where he ruled. If someone chooses to be an atheist, that is his life; if another chooses to be a Christian and another chooses to be Muslim, it is individual choice. I believe no one can Christianise Nigeria or Islamise it.

Nigeria is a secular country where everyone is free to practice religion that appeals to him. No one can impose any religion on others.

Every society contains deviants and when they commit any atrocity, it is only law enforcement agencies that can apprehend them. If someone belongs to a particular religion and commits a crime, we mustn’t associate his action to the religion he practices. Adolf Hitler massacred six million Jews legitimately according to the provision of Germany’s constitution as at then. But no one associated what he did to his religion but with Nazism. Mussolini entered Libya to colonise them and massacred many Libyans. Did anybody talk about his religion? The apartheid government in South Africa was populated by regular church-goers who unleashed racism and segregation against the black and coloured of South Africa.

In America, racism and segregation wars were waged against the blacks. Even in the church that belonged to the whites, blacks couldn’t worship in it. They killed many activists; Martin Luther King Jnr and Malcolm X were brutally murdered by people who believed they were more superior to the black people.

Those whites were regular church-goers meaning they were Christians.

If one of identical twins commits a crime, can we convict the other? Every individual has a name and each should be called by his name not by religion. If Boko Haram is making security in the country blinking, why can’t security experts strategise on the tactics that will restore peace back to violent states. We have the army, navy, air force, police and civil defense in place, if they can’t do it, I doubt their expertise.

Let us stop attributing violence to religion but to individual perpetrator. I pledge to Nigeria my country, to be faithful loyal and honest, to serve Nigeria with all my strength, to defend our unity, and uphold and honour our glory. So help me God. • Adekilekun is President of Words Analysis Global Concepts, Abuja.

Revelers and public funds

By Ernest Omoarelojie UBLIC officials at whatever level are becomP ing ingenious for the wrong reasons. One effective means of fund mismanagement is organised tours that are of little benefit to the people they claim to serve. It does not matter that for all intents and purposes, the tour has no direct, indirect, immediate or future relevance. It does not matter either if the tour is conducted at the expense of provision of basic infrastructure for the people. What matters most is what they stand to gain individually or collectively, as we have witnessed in the activities of many public office holders. Though Nigerians have suffered for so long from the malaise, it appears the culture is not about to be retired.

A case in point is the round-the-country good governance tour being undertaken by Minister of Information, Labaran Maku, alongside over 120 others. The absurdity of the whole exercise was recently brought to the fore when Edo State Governor, Comrade Adams Aliyu Oshiomhole, told a bewildered audience in Benin City, the state capital, that the minister sent him a proposal to the effect that the state should bankroll all expenses incurred by the group on its cameo trip to the state. The request, according to the governor, is expected to cover hotel accommodation, feeding, logistics, etc.

Interestingly, Maku and his good governance group has already toured some states of the federation. Beyond his television claims that

“the state is working” which is lost as soon as the camera turns away from him, no other impression is left for the imagination. To imagine that the states affected may have approved millions in public funds to accommodate, feed and provide logistics for anyone to end up mouthing those vile rhetorics says so much about those in charge in affected states. That is, putting it m i l d l y .

Be that as it may, let me point out here that it has been argued elsewhere that nothing can be more wrong than the Federal Government employing its personnel as propagandist for the states. The states have their own and they have deployed their resources in whatever public relations stunt they want to make their people aware that their elected representatives are doing the jobs for which they were elected. In other words, anyone familiar with governance, vis a vis the way states work, understands that there are numerous channels for relaying to the people what is happening in terms of development projects being put in place. The truth of the matter is that taking advantage of every option available can become a disservice, it is when the process is duplicated more for revelry and particularly, pecuniary benefits as the Maku inspired good governance tour appears to be. The reasons for this conclusion is not far to seek.

Before Maku thought about his good governance concept, Edo, like other states, developed and executed its brand of very effective public relations. It produced copies of booklets with sufficient pictorial evidence of all the projects it executed since the advent of the Oshiomhole ad-

ministration. At every given opportunity, especially during anniversary celebrations, it distributed them freely to the people, more for verifications than anything else. It is a public knowledge that a lot of television air time, including documentaries, newspapers and/or magazine coverages have also been paid for (and they have extensively done their jobs) with a view to taking the said evidences farther to those who have no access to the booklets. The essence, directly or otherwise, is to take the message of infrastructural development in the state to the people for assessment, as they are the direct beneficiaries of the life changing projects.

Practically therefore, is there any chance that Maku’s cameo good governance tour can have even a quarter of the impact of the avenues above? The answer is better imagined than said.

But it would have been a disservice to the people of the state if Oshiomhole had agreed to deploy part of their very lean resource to servicing a revelry like the good governance tour. Indeed, it would have amounted to bad governance on his part. That perhaps explains why he responded uniquely. “Why should I take Edo State tax payers’ money to finance a Federal Government project? I don’t need Abuja to help me tell Edo people what I am doing in the state...I expect the Federal Government to finance its officials.”

As it is in Edo State, so it is in other states where the people are already aware of what their governments have done or failed to do in terms of good governance – whatever the phrase represents. Thus, the most pertinent question begging for answer is this; beyond the possibility of

reaping substantial financial largesse from all the states toured, what other impact does Maku’s good governance tour intend to have on the people?

Despite being harassed by debilitating challenges, including economic and security, Nigerians have not lost sight of the fact that Maku is a federal subject on a federal mission. They are aware that by every stretch of the imagination, the mission cannot be of any more benefit to the states than it is for the Federal Government that is using it as a publicity stunt for its vaunted transformation agenda. The Federal Government is not known to undertake altruistic projects. Even if it had done one before, it certainly has not done so for states governed by opposition parties. Nigerians are therefore wondering why it is not only undertaking this unnecessary tour but also coercing the states to fund it. Maku ought to have answered this question first before sending funding proposals to state governments.

It is therefore not a surprise that Nobel laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka expressed profound happiness that Comrade Oshiomhole dismissed Maku and his good governance funding proposals. The time has come for public office holders to stop being frivolous in the manner they handle public funds. The Oshiomhole example is heart warming and Nigerians expect other state governors who have not swallowed the good governance bait to distance themselves from committing their state resources to funding it.

• Omoarelojie wrote from Benin City.

THE GUARDIAN, Friday, March 8 , 2013

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SEC unveils plan to boost CIS policy on the capital market

By Bukky Olajide

HE Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) said it has put in place structure that would strengthen the Collective Investment Schemes (CIS) framework to boosts investment on the country’s the capital market.

The Director-General, SEC, Ms. Arunma Oteh, told journalists at a media briefing in Lagos on Wednesday.

She said that the CIS platform was not doing as well as it should be in the Nigerian market, adding that the commission was set to come up with guidelines and framework aimed at boosting and increasing participation in that market.

According to her, the CIS is an investment platform that has huge growth potential to investors who are interested in diversifying their risks, hence the need for the commission to focus on building that segment of investment.

“We cannot overemphasis the importance of investing in CIS and we have put in efforts aimed at strengthening the framework of CIS investment. We are glad to note that there has been a lot of interest in the CIS of recent.

“Presently, we have investments worth N103 billion on CIS and we are tightening the regulation on this

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segment, because it is a real area of opportunities for investors who want to manage their risks. We hope to see more interest

in that market in the next few months.”

The SEC boss said that the apex body was working closely with the Ministry

for Agriculture on ways that the sector could be more represented in the market.

She noted that the agricul-

tural sector remained a critical sector, as it contributes about 42 per cent to the country’s Gross Domestic Product.

“SEC was doing all it could to ensure that more agrobusiness came on board the Nigerian Stock Exchange,” Oteh said.

Vitafoam shareholders approve N245.7 million dividend for 2012

By Helen Oji

ITAFOAM Nigeria Plc will soon disburse N245.7 million as dividend to its shareholders.

With the approval from shareholder yesterday, the company is expected to pay 30 kobo per share for the financial year ended September 30, 2012.

Reviewing the company’s performance at the 51st yearly general meeting in Lagos yesterday, the Chairman of the company, Chief Samuel Bolarinde explained that the company posted a turnover of N14.1 billion, up from N13.9 billion recorded in 2011.

The company’s profit after tax however declined from N673.02 million to N546.7 million during the year under review.

Bolarinde assured shareholders that the company would continue to be committed and focused in its operations in order to sustain its position in the industry and create more value for shareholders.

According to him, “ the state of insecurity continued to be a major concern to

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Nigerians, as further loss of lives and property were witnessed during the year.

Apart from insecurity, which has affected distribution of goods, rising cost of raw materials inputs impacted negatively on profit margin.

“Some of these costs could not be passed to consumers in view of the need to remain competitive in products pricing.

The Board and management will continue to take proactive steps towards ensuring that the company remains ahead of perennial challenges and sustain returns to shareholders.”

He told shareholders that the company has embarked on various initiatives in order to maintain its market leadership in the industry.

He explained that the comfort centre model that has created brand visibility for the company has been finetuned in line with international standard.

He said the company has also developed the Vita shop concept in order to stimulate entrepreneurial spirit and further increase

visibility across the country, adding that the shops are operated by private entrepreneurs under carefully articulated guidelines.

“To counter the activities of counterfeiters and fakers of our products and sustain the brand value, the company has launched an IT-driven anti-adulteration cam-

paign nationwide which allows a consumer to verify the authenticity of a product at a point of purchase.

This will be supported with a media campaign to educate the consumers.

It is envisaged that this initiative will strengthen consumer confidence and galvanize sales.

“Our online selling through the Vitafoam response centre with home delivery services is another innovations that is already enjoying widespread of acceptability, particularly among city dwellers.

Impressive sales are already being recorded through this channel.” He said.

Executive Vice-Chairman/Chief Executive Officer, Honeywell Flour Mills Plc, Babatunde Odunayo (left); Chairman, Dr. Oba Otudeko; and Company Secretary, Mrs. Oluyemisi Busari, at the extra-ordinary general meeting of the company, in Lagos, last weekend.

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Sports Lagos International Polo Tourney

Ahead Brazil 2014 World Cup

Shoreline silences Linetrale Delaney, as Lagos Goodfellows whitewash HST

Martins returns, as Keshi names 15 Europe-based stars for Kenya game From Ezeocha Nzeh, Abuja of Spain hitman, LwasEVANTE Obafemi Martins, who left out of the Super Eagles squad to the South Africa 2013 CAF Nations Cup, is among the foreign-based players named by Coach Stephen Keshi for Nigeria’s Brazil 2014 World Cup qualifier against Kenya on March 23.

But West Bromwich Albion star, Osaze Odemwingie, who like Martins missed the Nations Cup, is still shut out of the team that has two new players making their debut in the squad.

Also missing from the list are Inter Milan’s Joel Obi, and Newcastle United’s Shola Ameobi.

Obi has been struggling with injuries lately and has played little or no role in his team’s campaigns this season, while Ameobi’s absence could be linked to his nonavailability for the Eagles Nations Cup campaign due to the nature of his contract with Newcastle United.

Eleven of the players invited were at the Nations Cup, which Nigeria won last month in South Africa, with the notable absentee being top striker, Emmanuel Emenike, who is still nurs-

OLA Kareem yesterday put K up a virtuoso display to help Ironclad Shoreline record a 11 –

ing the injury he copped in the semifinal of the Nations Cup. The debutants in the list are Babatunde Michael of Ukraine’s Kryvbas Kryvyi Rih, and John Ogu of Academica de Coimbra of Portugal.

Michael was a member of the national Under-23 team that failed to qualify for the London 2012 Olympic Games.

Midfielder, Nnamdi Oduamadi, who between 2011 and 2012 shuttled between the national Under23 team and the Super Eagles is also recalled the senior national team for the game against the Harambee Stars.

The regular faces in the list are goalkeepers Vincent Enyeama and Austin Ejide, defenders, Efe Ambrose, Kenneth Omeruo, and Elderson Echiejile, while midfielders are Ogenyi Onazi, John Obi Mikel, and Fegor Ogude.

Attackers, Victor Moses, Brown Ideye and Ahmed Musa, are also on the list.

The home-based players’ list was released on Wednesday with the players expected in camp this weekend, while their foreignbased counterparts will join them a week later.

FIFA examines report of Nigeria’s alleged ban of lesbian footballers world govern- Championship eight times, Fto OOTBALL’S ing body, FIFA has written but exited the 2011 Women’s the Nigerian Football Association over claims lesbians are now banned from playing football in the country.

Chairperson of the Nigeria Women Football League (NWFL), Dilichukwu Onyedinma was quoted as making the statement.

“Any player associated with it will be disqualified,” she is quoted as saying.

While contravening Fifa’s anti-discrimination policies, the situation is made more complicated because homosexuality is illegal in Nigeria.

Currently, a Same-Sex Marriage (Prohibition) Bill that specifically outlaws same-sex unions is awaiting a signature from President Goodluck Jonathan to go in to law.

If that occurs, gatherings of homosexuals or any other support for gay clubs, organisations, unions - whether in secret or in public -will be banned, with same-sex couples facing up to 14 years in prison.

In a speech at the NWFL’s recent annual general assembly, Onyedinma is reported to have said that lesbian players would no longer be eligible for the Nigeria women’s national team and would “be sacked” from their club sides.

The Super Falcons have won the Africa Women’s

World Cup at the group stage and did not qualify for London 2012.

Obafemi Martins is among the foreign-based players listed for Super Eagles’ World Cup qualifier against Kenya.

8 upset win over defending champions, Linetrale Delaney, in the Majekodunnmi Cup as the Lagos Polo International Tournament heads to its homestretch.

Marcelo Pasqual scored in the ding minutes of the fifth chukka to hand Delaney a 8-7 lead, but a late rally by the Shoreline was completed by two quick goals by Kareem in the sixth and final chukka. The atmosphere that greeted the result was similar to the one on Wednesday when Anadariya beat Fifth Chukker, last year’s finalists in the same cup.

Earlier, Lagos Goodfellows continued its match for glory by beating HST 10½ –3 in the Low Cup of the Lagos Polo International Tournament, which is now in its homestretch.

Former Lagos State Commissioner for Finance, Wale Edun played a circuit breaker role for the Goodfellows by curtailing the moves of HST, which paraded the Mdehli brothers, Mohammed and Kareem.

Thomas Usher scored two 40yards penalty to give Goodfellows a 2-½ lead but Ali Bajarwhi’s 60-yard shot rolled in slowly to the goal to give HST a slender ½ - goal lead. Usher scored another penalty from 30 yards just before as the lively opening chukka came to an end.

Wale Edu’s son, Tobi, then put his name on the scorers’ sheet by scrambling in a shot soon after, while Usher again scored a high goal shot from 30 yards to give the Goodfellows a 5- 2½ lead.

Usher also scored another goal in the early part of the third chukka before Tobi finished off a solo move by tapping in for 7- 2½ - lead.

Delta boosts African Youths Athletics championship with N300m

By Gowon Akpodonor ELTA State government has given a grant of N300 million to the Local Organising Committee (LOC) for the organization of the maiden African Youth Athletics Championship holding in Warri from March 27 to 31.

Chairman of the LOC, Amaju Pinnick made the disclosure yesterday in Lagos, just as members of the Mountain of Fire and Miracle Ministries (MFM) joined officials of the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) in the screening of athletes that will represent Nigeria in the championship.

Pinnick said that Delta State Executive Council (Exco) approved the N300million grant on Wednesday in Asaba, adding that the Delta state oil producing communities (DESOPADEC) has given a ‘grant-inkind’ by agreeing to construct ‘a special’ warm-up track for the athletes in Warri. The countries will start arriving from March 24.

According to Pinnick, who is the chairman of Delta State Sports Commission, the African Youth Athletics championship has the backing of the federal government saying: “Delta is

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DESOPADEC constructs warm-up track in Warri, as Church screens Team Nigeria athletes in Lagos only hosting it on behalf of Nigeria.”

Team Nigeria is preparing a large contingent of 80 athletes made up of 40 male and 40 female athletes for the championship. The screening of the athletes started at Yaba Technical College in Lagos yesterday, venue of the on-going Pastor D.K. Olukoya U-18 Athletics championship in Lagos.

Pinnick stated that the gov-

ernment and people of Delta State would use the championship to showcase the rich culture of the people to African youths and visitors coming Warri, promising that the LOC would put in place adequate security measure for the visitors.

Meanwhile, the AFN and members of the Mountain of Fire and Miracle Ministries spent over four hours in screening athletes who will represent the country in the competition. The exercise

yielded fruits as one athlete was screened out on the ground of ineligibility.

AFN President, Chief Solomon Ogba, who was part of the screening exercise said yesterday that athletes picked from the Pastor Olukoya U-18 Athletics Championship would be camped immediately at the University of Port Harcourt in preparation for the African Youth Athletics tourney in Warri.

Two members of the LOC, former Ogun Sports Commissioner, Bukola

Olopade and former African Queen of the track, Mary Onyali-Omagbemi have appealed to corporate bodies and well-meaning Nigerians to identify with the African Youth Athletics championship, saying, “this is the maiden edition of the championship and we want to set a standard, which future host countries will find difficult to equal. So what we need are more sponsors for the competition because the N300m grant we got from Delta State government is far from the amount we need to stage the competition.”

Man docked for swindling former Eagles’ skipper, Kanu of N1.4b ANAGING Director of M Kanu Nwankwo’s Hardley Suites Hotel, Lagos, Ayoola Gam Ikon, 49, has been arrested and charged to court for allegedly defrauding the Super Eagles former Captain of N1.4 billion.

Operatives of the Inspector General of Police Monitoring Unit arrested Ikon, the managing director of the hotel situated at Waziri Ibrahim Crescent, off Elsie Femi Pearse Street, Victoria Island, Lagos, for allegedly stealing the N1.4 bil-

lion belonging to the hotel owned by Kanu.

Also arrested along with him over the alleged fraud is a hotel staff, Oke Samuel.

According to PMNews, they were arraigned before an Igbosere Magistrate’s court on a 19-count charge of felony to wit, obtaining money under false pretence.

The police alleged in charge suit No. K/8/2013 that Ikon was arrested following a complaint by the management of Hardley Suites Limited,

Nwankwo Kanu and Ogbonna Kanu, that Ikon between 2005 and 2012 allegedly defrauded them of the sum of about N1.4 billion on the pretence of using the money to expand the existing facilities of the hotel by constructing and furnishing of additional blocks of 30 suites and conference facilities.

But he allegedly failed to use the money for the purpose and allegedly converted the money to his personal use.

He was also alleged to have forged a special resolution pur-

portedly made by the board of directors of Hardley Suites Limited to obtain loans of N187 million, N50 million and N493 million from Skye Bank Plc without authorisation.

The offences, the accused allegedly committed, according to the prosecutor, A.M. Animashaun, contravenes sections 8 (a) 1 (a) of the advanced fee fraud and other fraud related offences Act 2006 as applicable in Lagos State.

The accused pleaded not guilty to all the charges.

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THE GUARDIAN, Friday March 8, 2013

SchoolSports Premier Lotto Lagos Schools Athletics Championship

Our coaches will groom discovered stars, says Oshodi

By Olalekan Okusan ITH the stage set for the grand finale of the maiden Premier Lotto Lagos Schools Athletics Championship, Lagos State Commissioner for Youth, Sports and Social Development, Wahid Oshodi has said that stars unearthed at the competition would be groomed by top coaches in the state.

Oshodi, who lauded the support of the sponsor – Premier Lotto, which he described as a rewarding experience. “We are quite grateful to the directors of Premier Lotto. It was not too difficult convincing them to bankroll the championship because the Chairman of the company, Chief Kensington

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Cornerstone inter-house games holds tomorrow ORNERSTONE Group of C Schools, Egbe, Lagos would tomorrow hold its 2013

Athlete in action at the district six qualifiers of the maiden Premier Lotto Lagos Schools Athletics Championship held at Teslim Balogun Stadium on Wednesday.

PHOTO: FEMI ADEBESIN-KUTI

Let’s use sports to develop our schools, says Adesina RINCIPAL, International competition of the school uals communities, demonP stration of sporting superioriSchool, Olabisi Onabanjo recently.

University, Ago Iwoye, Ogun According to him, competi- ty for its own sake or hunting State, Mr. Tiriba Adesina has said that the nation must use sports to develop the schools, communities and the country rather than seeing it as a do or die affair.

He made this known at the eighth Inter-House Sports

tive sport is now beyond the intention of the originator, Greeks, when it was invented.

“It has come to be associated with various extended human and social craving, which include development of friendly ties among individ-

Okeyemi dethrones Olusanya at Soyemi school’s competition HE years of dominance by T Olusanya House (green) was halted at the weekend after Okeyemi (red) emerged as new champion at the interhouse sports competition of Dr. Soyemi Memorial Nursery and Primary School.

There was no inkling that Okeyemi can be crowned the champion but at the end of the medal count, the team amassed 17 gold, five silver and eight bronze medals to be announced as winner.

As if what befell Olusanya was expected, League House (white) also beat the former champion to the second position with 12 gold, eight silver and 10 bronze medals.

Olusanya managed to finish third with 10 gold, 14 silver and 12 bronze medals, while School House (yellow) settled for fourth place with one gold, 10 silver and nine bronze medals.

Super Eagles former Captain, Henry Nwosu

chaired the one-day sports fiesta. He charged the pupils to embrace sports as it helps them to develop sound mind.

“As long as you are doing sports, you will be fit but you must also take your studies serious with it,” Nwosu counseled.

for talents etc.”

Also, he bemoaned the cost of organising modern sporting activities or being part of it. As part of the preparation for this Inter-House Sports, he informed that the school decided in 2011 to construct a sporting arena worth over one-million-naira.

“We are seeking for support in the development of sports in the institution. We appreciate the members of the Management Board, PTA, for their support and encouragement in organising this competition and the development of the school,” Tiriba said.

In his welcome address, Mrs. Adenike Mustapha said training initiatives should be strategically aligned to the overall school mission and goals.

inter-house sports competition at Unity Primary School,

by Hostel Bus Stop, Egbe, Lagos.

The competitions would involve the schools’ three wings - nursery, primary and college.

The Group’s Proprietress, Chief (Mrs.) A.O. Adewale in a statement said Oba Ashimiyu Atanda Adebowale, Elegbe of Egbe Kingdom, would grace the occasion as the Royal Father of the Day, while the Vice Chairman, Egbe-Idimu Local Development Council, Chief Kunle Sanyaolu is the chief guest of honour.

The Executive Chairman of Habol Petroleum, Chief S.A. Hameed would preside at the occasion.

Other guests scheduled for the occasion include the Chairman of Diamond Aquarius Food, Chief S.A. Sulaimon and Chief (Mrs.) F.I. Oshodi of the Oando Petroleum.

Adebutu is very passionate about the development of the youth and consequently they also believe that sports is a key factor in the development of the youth.

“This partnership has been a very rewarding experience as we have a very strong team responsible for engaging the private sector and getting them involved in sports and they have worked very hard to make this partnership a reality. With this gesture, Premier Lotto Limited have been model sponsors and we have thoroughly enjoyed partnering with them to develop schools athletics in the state.”

On what happens to athletes discovered, he said, “well the first step is discovering that talent, which competitions like this enable us to do. With regards coaching, our coaches will maintain contact and monitor the top stars from the competition, inviting them for training sessions as and when possible. The standard of coaching in Lagos State continues to develop, and these athletes will

be able benefit from that. “ It is in this regard that the Governor, Babatunde Fashola has approved the appointment of Lee Evans (former 400m world record holder and Olympics gold medalist) to lead our coaching crew for the development of these young athletes. We have a team of coaches working with the state athletics association and the Ministry of education.

They will assist the physical education teachers in our school.”

For him, “I am very impressed but not surprised with the athletes’ performance. What these two weeks have shown is what a lot of us have been saying for ages that there is tremendous talent in this country and it starts with the schools. True the athletes are a bit raw and need proper coaching to develop their style and technique, but what has clearly been revealed by this competition is that we have great talent across this state, and thankfully that talent is being discovered.

Athletes compete in the relay event of the 15th biennial inter-house sports competition of Maryland Convent Private School…last week

Green dominates Maryland Convent events REEN House (Infant Jesus) G emerged the champion of the 15th biennial Inter house sports of the Maryland Convent Private School, which took place at the school premises recently.

The champions won 12 gold,

Pupils compete in the sack race of Dowen College sports meet held at the University of Lagos Sports Complex.

PHOTO: OSENI YUSUF

four silver and four bronze medals while second placed Yellow House (St Anthony) garnered six gold, seven silver and four bronze medals.

Blue House (Fr Augustine Planques) placed third with four gold, four silver and eight bronze medals. In fourth place is White House (Lady of Apostle) with three gold medal, eight silver and two bronze medal while Red House (St Agnes) popped up in the rear with two gold, three silver and eight bronze medals.

Sponsor of the event, Chikki noodles said that in addition to increasing the exposure of its product to consumers, the sponsorship of events like would help the management of the company contribute it quota to the development of kids.

It further said that it would also help build a favourable image for the company and

bring the awareness of Chikki noodles closer to children who are the main target of the product.

The school headmistress, Rev Sister Gladys Osagie said that the competition gave the pupils the opportunity to showcase their talent while also entertaining the parents who came to cheer them to victory.

She stated that the emphasis of the school is to combine sports with education noting that it has the potential of exposing athletes and bring them enormous wealth.

“In our school, sports have been given emphasis as one of the three domains recognised by the educational enterprise (cognitive, affective and psycho-motor). The highest function of education is to bring about an integrated individual who is capable of dealing with life as a whole,” she added.

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THE GUARDIAN, Friday, March 8, 2013

UEFA Champions League Fallout

Ferdinand escapes UEFA hammer

PSG pedigree still in doubt Q

UESTIONS remain as to how good Paris St Germain is after the bigspending Ligue 1 leaders enjoyed a relatively easy ride into the quarter-finals of the Champions League.

PSG reached the last eight for the first time in 18 years, squeezing past Valencia 3-2 on aggregate with a 1-1 home draw on Wednesday having only for about 10 minutes looked in danger of being knocked out.

Valencia went 1-0 up courtesy of Jonas’s strike in the 55th minute but Ezequiel Lavezzi equalised in the 66th minute.

The club has spent 200 million euros on transfers since Qatar investors took over in 2011 so expectation is high, but despite their place in the last eight, PSG have yet to be really tested.

They played Porto, Dynamo Kiev and Dinamo Zagreb in their group games, winning five of the six matches. The defeat was a 1-0 loss at Porto.

“I do not know if we can go all the way,” said coach Carlo Ancelotti, who took over from Antoine Kombouare in Dec. 2011.

“At the beginning of the competition, nobody knew what we could do. Reaching the quarter-finals on the first year is something fantastic.”

PSG’s undeniable qualities are offset by worrying shortcomings when it comes to

inspiration. They rely on a backbone of goalkeeper Salvatore Sirigu, centre back Thiago Silva, midfielder Blaise Matuidi and striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

Sirigu has been solid since joining from Palermo in 2011, former AC Milan defender Thiago has shown stunning composure and France international Matuidi is, according to Ancelotti, “one of the best midfielders in Europe”.

Ibrahimovic has netted 22 goals from 24 games in Ligue 1 but was suspended on Wednesday and his creative spirit was sorely missed as PSG looked short of ideas up front despite Javier Pastore’s efforts.

As usual, PSG surrendered possession, with Valencia enjoying almost 65 per cent of it, a statistic they would expect to pay dearly for against the likes of Real Madrid, Juventus or Barcelona should they qualify.

“We experienced several problems during this game,” midfielder Clement Chantome conceded.

“We did not play a great game but the most important thing was to qualify for the quarter-finals,” said striker Kevin Gameiro, whose dazzling run led to Lavezzi’s equaliser.

The draw will be made on March 15 and PSG could get a favourable tie against the likes of Schalke 04,

ANCHESTER United M defender, Rio Ferdinand will not face any UEFA action for sarcastically applauding referee Cuneyt Cakir after the club’s controversial Champions League exit to Real Madrid on Tuesday.

The Red Devils went ahead through a Sergio Ramos own goal, but Nani was later sent off for high tackle on Alvaro Arbeloa, a decision that seemed to shock most of the players on the pitch and has been criticised by many since.

Quick-fire goals from Luka Modric and Cristiano Ronaldo then saw the Spanish giants progress and Sir Alex Ferguson’s men crash out, much to the disgust of Ferguson who was “too distraught” to attend his postmatch press conference.

Ferdinand was also clearly

Ferdinard

Baia sure of Barcelona comeback against AC Milan ORMER Barcelona and Fis confident Porto goalkeeper, Vitor Baia that the Catalans have what it takes to overturn their first-leg defeat against AC Milan and qualify for the quarterfinals of the Champions League.

The Blaugrana were beaten 2-0 at the San Siro in last month’s opening leg, but Baia has little doubt that they will eventually emerge victorious once the home tie is complete.

“Knowing the players, the

fans and the club’s history, I am confident that Barcelona have what it takes to pull off a historical comeback against Milan,” Baia told La Xarxa.

The former Portugal goalkeeper also had his say on Victor Valdes’ four-match ban following his dismissal against Real Madrid, and he feels the punishment is rather harsh.

“Valdes’ four-game suspension is a very severe punishment,” Baia said. “It’s a lot of games for a player who pretty

much has a clean sheet when it comes to this kind of behaviour.

“It can be difficult to keep your emotions in check when you think an injustice has happened, and that’s how Victor must have felt.”

Valdes will miss the Primera Division games against Deportivo La Coruna, Rayo Vallecano, Celta Vigo and Real Mallorca due to his ban, paving the way for Jose Manuel Pinto to feature in goal.

angered by the decision when he sarcastically clapped right in the face of the referee at the full-time whistle; however, UEFA has indicated that neither the player nor manager will face punishment for his actions.

“From the report we have received from the referee we will not take any action apart from the disciplinary proceedings against Manchester United for the red card of Nani and for post-match media obligations not being fulfilled,” a UEFA spokesman told reporters.

Further to the United boss refusing to talk to the media after the clash, none of the club’s players were available for comment either, which goes against UEFA’s rules on post-match media obligations.

The rule states, “both clubs must make their manager/head coach available for this press conference.

All players of both teams are obliged to pass through the mixed zone in order to conduct interviews with the media. Players must fulfil interview requests from audiovisual rights holders before conducting interviews for their club media platforms.”

UEFA’s disciplinary body will continue to asses the redcard incident, though, to determine whether Nani’s challenge is worth of punishment beyond a one-match ban.

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288 athletes set for grand finale of Premier Lotto Athletics meet

By Olalekan Okusan FTER two weeks of exciting moment at the district qualifiers of the maiden Premier Lotto Lagos Schools Athletics Championship, 288 finalists will burn the track at the grand finale holding tomorrow at Teslim Balogun Stadium.

The athletes drawn from the six education districts in the state jostled for places during the qualifiers and they are

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expected to represent their various districts at the finale.

With each district producing 48 finalists, the competition is among secondary students in public and private schools in the state and is bankrolled by Premier Lotto Limited in collaboration with the Lagos State Ministry of Youth, Sports and Social Development as well as Ministry of Education with technical support from the state athletics association.

DStv Basketball League

Athletes try to cross finish line during the heat of the boys’ 400metre at the district qualifiers of maiden Premier Lotto Lagos Schools Athletics Championship at Teslim Balogun Stadium on Wednesday.

PHOTO: FEMI ADEBESIN-KUTI

Al- Makura’s wife preaches peace, as Total Child College wins Imasuangbon tourney From Ezeocha Nzeh, Abuja ASARAWA State Governor’s Wife, Maro Al- Makura had held the organisers of the 5th Kenneth Imasuangbon football tournaments for secondary schools in the Federal Capital Territory, (FCT) for the peaceful way they managed the two-week competition, which featured more than 120 secondary schools.

Al-Makura, who represented her husband as the guest of honour at the finals of the tournament held at the Area 10 Parade Ground, Abuja, said the yearly tournament has added value to the curriculum of the FCT schools.

The Nasarawa State first lady, whose son, Hassan Al- Makura, from the Pace Setters Academy won the fairplay award, added, “the unity that existed among the more than 120 pub-

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16 teams for FCT football academies championship From Ezeocha Nzeh, Abuja IXTEEN football academies registered in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) will compete for the first FCT Football Academies Championship, which begins tomorrow in Abuja.

Speaking at a press briefing on the championship yesterday in Abuja, initiator of the weeklong event, Comrade Bishop Emmanuel Amakiri, said he decided to involve his organisation, The Nigeria Youth Movement For Peace, Empowerment and Transformation (NIMPET), in the sponsorship of the football championship to raise the hope of Nigerian youths, adding that the championship would help raise more football talents in the country.

Amakiri, who said that registration for the championship was free, added that the local organising committee of the football tournament has insisted that only those football academies duly registered with both the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) and FCT Football Association, are allowed to take part in the championship.

The initiator, who is also the proprietor of Amakson Soccer Academy in Abuja, said, “we want to through this championship, which will become a yearly event, make the few Nigerian youths taking part in it know that they are in a society where there is hope

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lic and private schools in the FCT has added to the laurels won by the initiator of the football tournament.

“He has ignited all the secondary schools in the FCT since the past two weeks when the tournament started at the various centres. This is likened to what used to be during the days of the defunct Principals Cup in Nigeria.

“He also incorporated the public schools to prove that there is no difference in the country as far as sports is concerned. I hope that this competition becomes a national things.”

Earlier in his speech, the initiator of the tournament and former governorship aspirant

in Edo State, Kenneth Imasuangbon, said he decided to replicate the now dead Principal’s Cup in the Kenneth Imasuagbon Cup for FCT schools because of his belief schools in FCT and Nigeria in general should participate in sporting activities.

Total Child College, Dutse, emerged the 2013 male champions by beating Government Secondary School, Gwarimpa, via a 5-4 penalty shoot out victory after the regulation time ended 1-1, while GSS Gwarimpa won the female trophy by beating GSS Gwagwa 3-2 also on penalty after a goalless regulation time.

Oluyole Warriors coach talks tough ahead league opener

By Adeyinka Adedipe LUYOLE Warriors’ Coach, Oluyemi Abiodun has said that his team was ready to return to glory days after getting promotion to the elite division after 13 years of absence.

Coach Abiodun said the team has the backing of the commissioner for sports in Oyo State, Dapo Lam-Adesina and the chairman of the state basketball association.

Engr.

Babatunde Babalola.

“We are proud to say that we are enjoying all the support we can get to excel from the Commissioner for Youth and Sports in Oyo State. LamAdesina and our able association Chairman, Babatunde Babalola.”

To underline its preparedness for the new season, the warriors played three warm up games against the University of Ibadan (UI) and it feeder team.

It defeated the UI team twice, (51-28 and 56-18 points) while it

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beat its feeder team 70-27.

The coach said, “the players are battle ready to make a strong statement in the league and will not disappoint its teeming fans and supporters.

“The three warm-up games we recently played have helped the coaching crew to assess the readiness of the players for the task ahead.

“We are battle ready for the league and will not be leaving anything to chance as we are prepared to compete in the ever tough Atlantic conference.

Though the league has suffered a week postponement, the coach said it would not disturb its team preparation. “We are not bothered about the leagues postponement. We are staying focused and we are ready to stay in the top flight for as long as we can.”

Oluyole Warriors will open it campaign against league defending champion, Royal Hoopers in Ibadan on March 16.

According to the organisers, the tournament is aimed at promoting athletics in schools, as well as, to discover new talents.

Speaking ahead of tomorrow’s finale, the pair of Olamide Oluwaseun and Maria Diamond, who have berthed in the grand finale at the district two qualifiers last week, are optimistic that district two would be a team to beat.

Oluwaseun, who secured her place in the grand finale after winning the girls’ 1500m said she was sure that her efforts would be crowned on Saturday.

For Diamond, a triple medalist at the last Lagos State Sports Festival tagged Ibile Games; she is ready to confront any opposition in the finale.

“I am familiar with competing at big stage and I know Saturday will not be an exception and I am ready to be the best in 400, 800 and 4X400relay events. My district is also a team to beat on Saturday. We are fully ready,” Diamond boasted.

For Lagos State Commissioner for Youth, Sports and Social Development, Wahid Oshodi, the finale promises to exciting as the district qualifiers have confirmed what to expect in the grand finale.

“I’m excited with the performance of the athletes because the talent we have witnessed in the district championships have wet everyone’s appetite. The standard is high and the stage is set for the athletes to express themselves and show the world what they can do.

THE GUARDIAN, Friday, March 8, 2013

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Golf Weekly

Odegha

100 enter for ULO Open Championship as Korblah arrives Stories by Eno-Abasi Sunday BOUT 100 professional golfers from the West African sub-region including Nigeria, have indicated interest to play in the ULO Open Golf Championship slated for the Otukpo Golf and Country Club, Akpegede, Otukpo, Benue State.

The tournament, which tees off on Thursday, March 14, will run through to Sunday, March 17.

The club, also known as St Marks, will play host to about half of the professional tournaments listed on the calendar of the professional Golfers’ Association of Nigeria (PGAN).

About five Ghanaian professional players, Camerounian and Senegalese players, who are members of the PGAN, are expected to feature at the event, which organisers are said to be planning two other legs to take place at the Ibori Golf and Country Club, Asaba, Delta State and IBB Golf and country Club, Abuja.

St. Marks has hosted the two PGAN-sanctioned events played this season. They are the Benue Governors Cup and the Pa Mark Memorial Championship. Both presented a winning purse of N10

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million and N5 million in that order.

Nigerian golfers, who are still in search of their maiden win this season say they were doing their best to redeem their image, which has been sullen owing to the gradual domination of the tour’s winners list by two Ghanaians.

According to Minna, Niger State-based Sunday Odegha, “we are working towards reversing the trend, that is why people like me are working hard to keep in shape and give the leaders a good fight.

“The situation, where Nigerian pros appear not to be winning most events in the recent past is not one without a cure. For me the cure is work hard, improve your game and your scores will be improved,” Odegha stated.

On whether the challenge posed by the Otukpo course was such that his compatriots could not beat the course the way Korblah, who is the resident professional does, he said no, stressing that “it is not so tough to beat the course. All we need is to improve on our sighting and take into consideration, the course outlay because we have no choice than to play

the course the way it is.”

He expressed hope that in the not too distant future, Nigerian pros would soon return to winning ways in order to give their supporters and sponsors, something to cheer about.

Speaking in the same vein, especially against the backdrop of the forthcoming ULO Open Championship, Port Harcourt-based Gift Willy said, “we are preparing well for the event. Hopefully we will be able to carry the day

this time.

Willy, currently placed 15th on the PGAN 2013 Order of Merit said, “as we speak, I am on the golf course practicing ahead of the ULO Open Championship.

If all go as planned, Cameroun’s Tata Leslie will join his other compatriots Desire Ebela and others to play the even, after discharge his financial obligations to the PGAN. Korblah, in an interview with The Guardian said he was

unrelenting in his determination to improve on his game and remain atop the Order of Merit for as long as he can afford.

“There is no time that I will stop practicing because I feel I have done enough. So at the moment, I am doing practicing hard and hoping that I have a good game next week,” said the 49-year-old.

Korblah, who is also Ghana’s number one player informed that in the next couple of days, four of his

compatriots, including John Mawuli and Vincent Torgah, will arrive Nigeria to be part of the tournament, which he is the overwhelming favourite to win.

“I have never won the ULO Open Championship. I thank God it is coming to my home this time. I think this is the time to win the event. Having won the two tournaments so far played this season, I would say the year is looking quite bright and I am happy with the way things are.”

Akujobi Memorial tourney holds tomorrow HE third Daniel Ogechi Akujobi Memorial Golf Tournament will hold tomorrow at the golf section of Ikoyi Club 1938 with over 100 golfers expected to trade swings.

The tourney, at the behest of the Daniel Ogechi Akujobi Memorial Foundation (DOAF) is in honour of Master Akujobi, who passed on via a ghastly auto crash along the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, Ogun State, on his way back to school.

At the tourney, golfers, friends and business partners

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will be treated to an exciting round of golf, where funds raised will, according to organisers, be primarily channeled to the foundation’s Accident and Emergency (A&E) Centre located close to the accident site at Mowe, Ogun State, among several other health and educational projects.

Specifically, they maintained that the funds would go a long way in reducing child mortality, improve maternal health and combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases among underprivi-

leged teens in the society.

The foundation’s programme’s Manager, Sorochi Ugorji, speaking ahead of the tourney said the choice of the sport of golf to Mark the remembrance was because of its capacity to allow over 100 players of various ages and social class, among other things, to actively compete, adding that the sport also has the ability to improve the health condition of the players.

Ugorji further added that golfers generally understand the needs of the less privi-

leged and disadvantaged in the society and golf was also a favorite sport of the late Master Akujobi.

The event kicked off with a qualifier on the March 3rd, 2013 at the club while the main event holds tomorrow.

Winners and guests will be hosted to a cocktail at the same venue later in the evening.

The programme’s manager assured that this edition would be an improved one and called on groups and individuals to key into the foundation’s vision to ensure total functionality of the centre.

THE GUARDIAN, Friday, March 8, 2013

63

TheGuardian

Friday, March 8, 2013

Conscience, Nurtured by Truth

By Emmanuel Onwubiko ENATOR Chris Anyanwu, one of Nigeria’s best Srepresenting known media entrepreneurs and the senator Owerri, Imo State Senatorial Zone, has just made a ground breaking revelation that foreign vessels invade Nigeria’s waters to cart away fishes worth several billions of naira yearly.

Please send reactions and feedback for YOUTH SPEAK to: Witty, sharp and very articulate, Anyanwu, one editorial@risenetworks.org and 07067976667- SMS ONLY of the few female senators in the current political dispensation, spoke in an interview with a national daily in which she also called attention to the institutional neglect suffered by the Nigerian Navy. She went on to speak on the need to harmonise the legislative frameworks guiding the operations of multiple government agencies in the maritime territory, which she aptly described as chaotic.

Speaking specifically on the fish resources, Anyanwu who is the Senate Committee chairman on Navy, stated thus; “A lot of our fish stock is stolen in this country. Nobody talks about it.

We talk about crude oil. The fish stock stolen is enough to give us the roads that we don’t have but when you look at it side by side with crude oil that is stolen, its pales so we don’t talk about that. But at some point once we get action going at sea, we have the right vessels, the right support, we have the right linkages, some of those things would cease to happen at least, gradually. It is not going to happen overnight.”

Reading the above explosive revelation by someone who should know, one thing struck me and I began to reflect on the potentials of government and other good spirited stakeholders encouraging and enthroning the enabling environment including provision of strategic working capital, grants and the fixing of rural infrastructure. This is to enable the young university graduates roaming the streets searching endlessly for the non-available white collar jobs, venture into fish farming as a viable alternative source of job opportunity and wealth creation.

From available scientific data, Nigeria is a potentially huge market for fish farming which can create millions of jobs for our youth and help reduce the national tragedy that has become youth unemployment.

Besides creating rapid youth employment opportunities, massive fish farming by youths will bridge the yawning gap in meeting Nigeria’s protein needs to improve the living condition of the populace.

Grema, H. A; Geidam, Y.A.; and Egwu, G. O; distinguished animal science scholars wrote a piece titled “Fish production in Nigeria: An update”, published in the volume 32, issue 3 edition of “Nigerian veterinary Journal”, the most authoritative voice on animal science sub-sector in Nigeria.

These scholars argue, “In recent times, veteri- Akinwumi Adesina, Minister of Agriculture narians and animal scientists have contributed to the development of techniques to increase tion to encourage the Nigerian youth to the need to harness the full potential of aquathe sources of animal protein in order to sup- embrace fish farming as a dignifying profes- culture, which he said, would lead to the prosional career which will economically empow- duction of 2.66 million metric tonnes of fish plement existing sources of protein.”

Fish is an important source of protein and pro- er them and transform them from serial job yearly to meet national fish protein requirevides about 40 per cent of the dietary intake of seekers to respectable creators of wealth and ment.

“Nigeria currently produces 680,000 metric animal protein. With the need for self-reliance employment opportunities for themselves tonnes of fish from local sources including at both national and grassroots level, fish pro- and millions of others in their age group.

Adesina as the minister of Agriculture is 200,000 metric tonnes from aquaculture. duction offers a good potential if properly adopted, so argue the animal science scholars. expected to roll out practicable strategies on This is less than 10 per cent of the total potenAdditionally, according to them, increase in how the government and other stakeholders tial”, he said.

From the foregoing facts, it is clear that small-scale aquaculture in towns and villages can contribute positively to providing the will create employment and alleviate poverty. much needed working capital by way of Nigeria needs to immediately set in motion Fish production involves controlling culture grants to enable willing Nigerian youth to mechanisms on how the Presidency can direct the ministries of Finance; Youth Affairs; environment and rearing fish in captivity; to embrace fish farming.

However, the minister of Agriculture, who Agriculture and Rural Development, and enhance production and good husbandry management practices as well as prevent diseases spoke last year at the 27th Annual general Labour and Productivity to commence the meeting of Fisheries Society of Nigeria, which implementation of a national policy on the and predators.

However, the main factors affecting aquacul- took place in Yenogoa, Bayelsa State, stated promotion of fish farming. This sub-sector ture in Nigeria, according to the that fish farming had the enormous poten- should be seen as one pragmatic panacea to scholars, include extreme climatic conditions, tials for wealth creation and sustainable jobs the disturbing youth unemployment, which flood, water pollution, ignorance and lack of for millions of young university graduates constitutes a grave threat to our national security. It is youths who are involved in sophistiadequate technology. Other factors working seeking.

He said the current situation whereby cated crimes of kidnapping for ransom payagainst the sub-sector are lack of loans and grants, fish diseases and problems of preserva- Nigeria spends about N97 billion on the ment; terrorism and the kindred organised importation of 700,000 metric tonnes of fish crimes. tion.

In a well written piece published by a nationDespite all the challenges, these scholars yearly, is no longer acceptable. Describing the believe that fish production has the potential to development as unsustainable, he said impor- al newspaper on July 3, 2012, titled “Fish farmexpand the national resource base, generate tation of fish constituted a huge drain on the ing is a lucrative business”, the author gave well foreign exchange and elevate the socio-eco- national foreign exchange. He emphasised argued reasons why Nigerian government nomic status of fish farmers.

The current Minister of Agriculture and Rural The YOUTHSPEAK Column which is published daily is an initiative of THE GUARDIAN, and Development, Dr. Akinwumi Adesina is a well- powered by RISE NETWORKS, Nigeria’s Leading Youth Development Centre, as a substantial respected activist in Agriculture. He has on dif- advocacy platform available for ALL Nigerian Youth to engage Leadership at all levels, engage ferent occasions, publicly voiced his determina- Society and contribute to National Discourse on diverse issues especially those that are peculiar to Nigeria. Regarding submission of articles, we welcome writers‘ contributions by way of The incursion of foreign trawlers in the well crafted, analytical and thought provoking opinion pieces that are concise, topical and All articles (which are not expected to be more than 2000 words) should be fishery segment of the maritime indus- non-defamatory! sent to editorial@risenetworks.org To read the online Version of this same article plus past try is also making Nigeria to lose about publications and to find out more about Youth Speak, please visit www.risenetworks.org/youthspeak and join the ongoing National Conversations’’.

Fish farming as panacea to youth unemployment

N300 billion as a result of inadequate protection of our waters. Instead, we now depend on importation. Right now, Nigeria imports between 700,000 and 900,000 metric tonnes of fish yearly to partially meet a shortfall of about 1,800,00 metric tonnes

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should empower the youth to embark on commercial fish farming.

He said, “Nigerians are large consumers of fish and it remains one of the main products consumed in terms of animal protein. Study has shown that local supplies are meeting only about 50 per cent of demand for fish. The fishery sector is estimated to contribute 3.5 per cent of Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and provides direct and indirect employment to over six million people”.

The writer went on to say that despite the popularity of farming in Nigeria, the fish farming industry could best be described as one at the infant stage when compared to the large market potential for its production and marketing.

This is mainly due to unavailability of fingerlings attributable to inadequate infrastructure for hatcheries for fingerlings, so submitted the writer.

To buttress the gains derivable from locally driven fish farming, however, the minister, speaking at the ministerial platform in commemoration of Democracy Day in Abuja, revealed that Nigeria is saving N300 million yearly from the substitution of imported fish feeds, with an estimate of 25 per cent of the 45,000 metric tonnes imported into the country. He said the country spends about N117.7 billion yearly on the importation of fish feeds, but that four major investors in feeds production had been identified to increase capacity to meet local demands. One is in Plateau State; another is in Oyo State. There is another in Kaduna State and the fourth is an Israeli company. He gave the assurance that all of them had declared interest in the massive feed production. The minister said 120 prospective investors had been trained in Tilapia production technology to improve total yield.

From the look of things, it would appear the government’s approach to fish farming is at best cosmetic and elitist. The government must go to the drawing board to work out strategies to attract young Nigerians and to get financial institutions to provide them soft loans and grants to enable them embark on huge commercial fish farming.

The Federal Ministry of Works should actively collaborate with the 36 states to ensure that there is a workable national synergy for reviving rural roads infrastructure to facilitate movement of produce to the markets. Local industries and factories including hotels should be encouraged by law to patronise these fish products to dampen importation. The National Assembly and the Nigeria’s Governors’ Forum have great roles to play to actualise this objective.

The Federal Government must also implement effective and efficient pro-active security measures to protect our marine resources.

A national daily on January 14, 2013 reported that Nigeria loses much of our fish resources to foreign thieves, thus confirming the revelation made by Anyanwu. The newspaper reported thus; “The incursion of foreign trawlers in the fishery segment of the maritime industry is also making Nigeria to lose about N300 billion as a result of inadequate protection of our waters.

Instead, we now depend on importation. Right now, Nigeria imports between 700,000 and 900,000 metric tonnes of fish yearly to partially meet a shortfall of about 1,800,00 metric tonnes.”

The newspaper added: “Stakeholders fear that the fishing industry was at the brink of collapse, owing to the dangers of pirates and foreign trawlers. With huge maritime potential of a coastline measuring about 853 kilometers, Nigeria should be self-sufficient in fish production and be able to export aquatic foods.”

The newspaper quoted the Finance Minister, Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, as saying that the security threats in the Gulf of Guinea of which Nigeria is a major problem as these had steadily risen from 45 per cent in 2010 to 64 per cent in 2012, threatening Nigeria’s more than 600 million potential in fishing business. She added that the development had created major economic problems for the country and it should be urgently addressed.

Recently, because of the incessant attacks on fishing crew, the Nigerian Trawler Owners Association (NTOA) called its fleet of over 200 trawlers and 20,000 workers back to the shore, leading to a shortfall in fish supply.

According to NTOA, foreign trawlers from European and Asian countries come to the nation’s coasts to raid tonnes of fish. They come with better industrial trawlers that can stay in the sea for weeks and even months, equipped with ice boxes.

Specifically, the International Maritime Bureau (IMB) said piracy figures and attacks worldwide are on the rise, and cases of death are always recorded. The bureau said that this is a major challenge to the world. Nigeria should therefore check this menace so as to make the fish farming subsector beneficial to the national economy.

• Onwubiko of the Human Rights Writers’ Association of Nigeria