Thur 20 Mar 2014

TheGuardian Conscience, Nurtured by Truth

Thursday, March 20, 2014

Vol. 30, No. 12,866

www.ngrguardiannews.com

N150

Govt nullifies Immigration recruitment From Mohammed Abubakar (Abuja) and Joseph Wantu (Makurdi) HE Federal Executive T Council (FEC) yesterday ordered an immediate cancellation of last Saturday’s ill-fated Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) recruitment, where scores of people died.

In the place of the cancelled exercise, President Goodluck Jonathan has constituted a presidential committee to conduct a fresh recruitment exercise into the Service.

And the President directed that all those who were in-

• Raises fresh placement panel • Pledges automatic jobs for injured victims • Offers slots for dead applicants’ family members jured in the cause of the exercise across the country would be given automatic recruitment into the Service He equally ordered that for the families of those who lost their dear ones, three spaces would be provided for three young people one of whom must be a woman in the new recruitment exercise.

In a related development, former Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Abubakar Tsav, Idoma Youths Progressive Movement (IYPM) and the Northern Youths Assembly of Nigeria (NYAN) have condemned the calls for the sack of the Interior Minister, Abba Moro, over last Saturday’s recruitment tragedy.

The new recruitment panel,

which is to be headed by the Chairman of the Federal Civil Service Commission (FCSC) with the Comptroller-General of the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS), also has the representatives of the Inspector-General of Police (IGP); Commandant-General of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps

(NSCDC); Director-General of the State Security Service (SSS) and Corps Marshal and Chief Executive of the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) as members.

Information Minister, Labaran Maku, while briefing State House correspondents on the outcome of the meeting chaired by Jonathan, said the FEC noted

with grief and deep regrets the tragic loss of young Nigerians who died in different centres across the country in the ill-fated exercise.

According to him, “FEC, in sending condolences to the families of the deceased and also in sending special wishes to those who are injured and still undergoing treatment in hospitals in parts of the country, expressed total regrets that this tragedy took place at all.

“Council members were full of grief when the issue was discussed at the FEC. We expressed our condolences CONTINUED ON PAGE 2

Jonathan appoints new NNPC chiefs –Page 4 Defected PDP govs deny receiving court processes –Page 5

‘Beware of fake kidney care centres’ –Page 60 & 61

How NEMA tackles disasters in Nigeria –Page 76

Minister of Petroleum, Diezani Alison-Madueke (middle) during the Nigerian oil and gas strategic seminar in Abuja… yesterday.

Sultan, others seek collective move against terrorism From Saxone Akhaine (Kaduna) and Anietie Akpan (Calabar) ORRIED by the destrucW tive activities of Boko Haram and other insurgent groups, the apex Islamic organisation in the North, Jama’at Nasril Islam (JNI), has

called on all Nigerians, Muslims and non-Muslims, to join hands to fight those bent on disintegrating Nigeria.

Meanwhile, the Canadian government has offered to assist the Federal Government to check the activities of the

• ‘Almost the whole North is on fire’ • Canada to help tackle insurgents insurgents.

The JNI, under the headship of the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammadu Sa’ad

Abubakar, yesterday said it was time for all patriotic Nigerians to embark on the mission to defeat all agents of

disintegration because living the battle for the military alone may not help the country.

Addressing a press conference in Kaduna, the SecretaryGeneral of the Islamic organisation, Dr. Khalid

Abubakar Aliyu, stated that the activities of the Boko Haram and other insurgent groups or gunmen who are unleashing terror in many communities in the North are meant to destroy Nigeria.

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Thursday, March 20, 2014

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Canada promises to help Nigeria tackle insurgents CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Aliyu said: “It is becoming increasingly glaring that our dear nation, Nigeria, and especially northern Nigeria, is drifting towards serious situation of violent conflicts, insecurity and destruction.

One needs not be told that almost the whole North is on fire.

“While almost the entire North-East is engulfed by recurrent killings and bombings in the name of the supposed Boko Haram, in Birnin Gwari (Kaduna State), some parts of Zamfara, Kebbi and other parts of the North-West, the killings are perpetrated by unidentified criminals.

“In Benue State, it is Tiv/Fulani conflict which has long been hijacked by terrorists and political criminals, while in Nasarawa State, it is Ombatse. A few days ago, various attacks were reported in Kaduna, and Taraba, and the most recent was the Giwa Barrack attack, in Maiduguri, Borno State.

“As if all these are not enough, now, the insecurity has taken a new and equally very dangerous dimension in Katsina State (Faskari) where the hitherto united Hausa and Fulani are being set against each other, this is despite the long warning about the possibility of the said clash.

“We could also not forget the Buni Yadi massacre which, so far, is the most terrible and traumatising inhumanity displayed in our recent history. It could be observed that while, initially, the killings were carried out at reasonable intervals, the situation has worsened to the level that killings and destruction of property have become almost a daily occurrence.”

The JNI lamented that “while

initially lives were lost in units and/or tens, now deaths are counted in hundreds and even thousands. We are worried that many businesses have closed down and property destroyed. Even our places of worship have not been spared. We are concerned that many schools have been burnt, with thousands of our children now not attending schools.

“For how long shall we continue to see women raped and children slaughtered in our communities? Why should we be made refugees in our fatherland? Shall we continue to fold our arms and keep silent when the future of our country is being jeopardised? We must also express our worry about the recent unfortunate happenings in southern part of Kaduna State. We are disturbed that after relative peace has been achieved for some time, now the enemies of our country want to turn back the hand of the clock and set the state on fire.

“It is unfortunate that without any investigation, and out of share prejudice and hate, some people have started raising accusing fingers on certain tribal groups. We have found the unguarded utterances by those people as quite misleading and very dangerous. We caution that in times of difficulties, false claims and chauvinistic accusations would only add fuel to an already damaging fire.

Nigeria belongs to all of us, and we must agree to allow all citizens to live in peace and pursue their legitimate rights.”

The group further expressed disappointment and fear that “in the North today, police stations and military barracks which are supposed to be the most secured places, have become vulnerable to all sorts of attacks”, adding that even the military seemed to have been overpowered by the insurgents.

“With all this, what seems most disturbing is the fact that our initial confidence that the Nigerian security agencies were capable of protecting the lives and property of Nigerians, has unfortunately been challenged by the overwhelming nature of the insurgency and criminal acts

being perpetrated in the country.”

It is against this background, Aliyu stated, that “JNI calls on all Nigerians, Muslims and non- Muslims, northerners and southerners, to take time and ponder over these overwhelming challenges within the context of the future of our dear nation.

“We believe that it is high time all Nigerians come together, think together and take positive steps towards salvaging our dear nation.

“We must all see this insecurity as a challenge to all Nigerians. We must understand that these spates of bombings and incessant killings, if not immediately stopped, would engulf the entire nation in a manner that we will all regret. Nigerian religious bodies, professional and labour groups, civil society organisations and all well-

meaning Nigerians should all come out boldly and play their role in addressing this insecurity once and for all.”

The JNI said: “As for those in the position of authority, we urge them to fear Allah in the discharge of their responsibility as leaders. Nigerians are looking upon them to take the nation to the path of development, peace and progress. Nigerians are yearning for justice and good governance.

“Nigerians are badly in need of security, and government must intensify efforts to stop these repeated acts of terror unleashed on innocent Nigerians by unscrupulous elements.”

Briefing newsmen at the Ernest Etim Bassey Press Centre in Calabar yesterday, the Canadian High Commissioner to Nigeria, Mr. Perry Calderwood, said the assistance would come in form of support in training law en-

forcement agencies on investigative techniques.

He said the training would dwell on activities that would help Nigeria track down terrorist activities and prevent them from other attacks.

“We have provided a couple of training courses and we are looking for more in the months ahead on investigative techniques to help the law enforcement officers in the security services of Nigeria track terrorist activities,” he said.

While sympathising with Nigeria on the recent killings and destruction of property

by Boko Haram, Calderwood said his home government was looking for ways to provide niche support to Nigeria.

According to him, the international community has been supportive in terms of security challenges, adding that Nigeria would not be an exception to the kind gesture. He suggested that measures should be taken in

identifying reasons behind terrorist activities in the country because “in Nigeria’s case specifically, I think it is a complex situation. In different parts of the world, there is terrorism and there are different areas to tackle them and secondly, you have to try to identify why this is happening, undermine the circumstances that are leading to a small number of people that are leading this extremist groups.”

Calderwood who was in Cross River for the inauguration of completion of the seven healthcare centres across the state, said the project titled “The College of Health Technology and Primary Health Care Development” is to promote certain development in the well-being of the people.

He said the Canadian government has spent over N3 billion in the health sector in both Cross River and Bauchi states.

Provost, Nigerian Institute of Journalism (NIJ), Elizabeth Ikem (left), Publisher, Vanguard Newspapers, Sam Amuka-Pemu and former Governor of Lagos State and Life Patron, NIJ, Lateef Jakande, during the fourth convocation ceremony of the Institute in Lagos… yesterday.

PHOTO: FEMI ADEBESIN-KUTI

Govt raises fresh recruitment panel for Immigration CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 to the President and Vice President and we indeed reassured Nigerians that all of us, who have the privilege of serving this country at this time, are feeling the pains with the families of our young ones who lost their lives.

“We are parents and we know what this means to those who have had the opportunity to train their children and are waiting for the opportunity for these children to now take their place and help their families, only to lose them under this very difficult circumstances that took place on Saturday.”

He noted that the Council reaffirmed the commitment of the administration to ensuring that this kind of tragedy does not repeat itself in this country. “Consequently, the President also took certain measures which he announced to the FEC. “The first is that the Immigration exercise has been completely cancelled and he has directed that a new exercise will be conducted by a special committee under the chairmanship of the Chairman, Civil Service Commission, to conduct the

recruitment exercise to fill the vacancies of the Nigerian Immigration Service.

“This committee will proceed to conduct the exercise to fill the vacancies in the Nigerian Immigration Service. The President also directed that for the families of those who lost their dear ones, three spaces should be provided for three young people one of which must be a woman in the new recruitment exercise .

“Also, all those who were injured in the cause of the exercise across the country will be given automatic recruitment into the Service.

The President has also directed that as soon as he returns from his trip abroad, he will meet with families of the deceased to express his personal condolences to them over the sad tragedy that took place on Saturday.

“He instructed all Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) not to embark on exercise of this nature in recruiting people into the public service because what happened could have been avoided. So, the President directed that no one outside the Armed Forces and the police who

usually recruit people through such exercise is allowed to embark on this kind of exercise witnessed last Saturday.

“All of us expressed our regrets about what happened.

Our hearts go out there to the families of the deceased.

This nation is fully behind them, the grief is not their own, the grief is that of all Nigerians and is the grief of the government and the people of Nigeria. We regret it and we pray for the repose of the souls of those who have departed.

“Council noted that it is regrettable that this took place at a time that every effort was being made by government to increase spaces available for employment.

For example, last year, we were able to get 1.6 million employed in the various sectors of the economy and the public service. However, this incident that took place is so painful and we will not want to see in this country young job seekers losing their lives in the process of seeking for job after school training.

“We assure the nation today that every step will be taken to look into the various lapses in recruitment

exercises into the public service to ensure that all those who are qualified get access to employment without going through this kind of experience.”

Tsav exonerated the minister, saying he does not deserve to be blamed in the controversy surrounding the exercise. Tsav in a chat with The Guardian said the minister was not wrong in any way, pointing out that those calling for his sack should have a rethink in the interest of peace as he was not directly involved in the exercise.

“The Minister of Interior has done nothing wrong. He is not directly involved in the recruitment, so why should he be sanctioned? As far as I am concerned, he is not culpable”, Tsav maintained.

The IYPM and NYAN in a joint statement signed by its President, Igoche Matthew and Speaker, Obande Gideon, respectively, blamed the NIS for the deaths and not Moro.

They, however, condoled with the affected families and further called on the Federal Government to quickly arrange a palliative for them.

THE GUARDIAN www.ngrguardiannews.com

Thursday, March 20, 2014 3

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NEWS Thursday, March 20, 2014

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Police foil planned protest over Kaduna killings From Saxone Akhaine, Northern Bureau Chief OVES by youths of Southern Kaduna extraction to protest incessant killings in the area, was yesterday foiled by the State Police Command.

As security operatives got wind of the planned procession, anti-riot tanks and armed policemen were drafted to strategic locations in Kaduna metropolis to prevent possible breakdown of law and order.

As at 7 a.m. yesterday, major parts of Kaduna metropolis, like Sabon Tashan, Ungwar

M

Television, Kachia roads were heavily guarded by the police.

Besides, the National Youth Leader of the Southern Kaduna Peoples Union (SOKAPU), Mr. Sabastine Luka, and three of his officials were on Tuesday detained for about four hours over a planned prayer session for victims of last Saturday’s killings in three Moroa villages, in Kaura Local Government Areas of the state.

The others detained along with Luka were: Bavoshia Nyan, Kaboshio Paulinus

and Sunday Kasai.

The news of their detention later generated anger and anxiety as youths vowed to storm the State Police Command Headquarters where the leaders were being held.

Sources told The Guardian that some community leaders, however, prevailed on the youths to remain calm as their detained leaders were later released.

The prayer session by the youths was however, held at the Bajju Town Hall, Television quarters, Kaduna with hundreds of Christian wor-

shippers all in black thronged the venue as early as 6.30 a.m. amid tight security Goje said: “SOKAPU is very disappointed with this kind of show of arms against aggrieved Southern Kaduna People, who had congregated here to mourn and pray for their loves ones killed in hundreds back home in their sleep. We do not know that this government has so much arms and personnel”.

“We are therefore shocked that this fierce looking po-

licemen and soldiers so well armed cannot go to Kaura and protect lives and property, but converge here against peaceful worshipers.”

“There has been no fewer that 600 killed in 54 raids on Southern Kaduna villages, since 2011, and it is like there is no government in place at all. We condemn this kind of insensitivity and we call on the Federal Government to station soldiers to Kaura council before it is too late.

The genocide in Southern Kaduna must stop now.”

Fayemi, Omisore, Olasunkanmi pick forms in Ekiti, Osun From Muyiwa Adeyemi (Ado Ekiti) and Azimazi Momoh Jimoh (Abuja) KITI State Governor KayE ode Fayemi yesterday obtained the All Progressives Congress’ (APC) expression of interest and nomination form to seek re-election as governor of the state.

The governor, who presented a Zenith Bank cheque of N5.5 million to obtain the form at the national headquarters of the party in Abuja, stated that he is seeking re-election in order to consolidate the “good works” which his administration started in 2010.

He promised to run an issuebased campaign devoid of violence, adding that the business of government would not suffer during the period of electioneering.

According to the statement by the Chief Press Secretary to the governor, Mr. Yinka Oyebode, the Fayemi, who was accompanied by his Deputy, Prof. Modupe Adelabu, lawmakers representing the state at the National Assembly, the Director-General of his campaign organisation, Bimbo Daramola, Speaker of the House of Assembly, Dr Adewale Omirin and a crowd of supporters arrived the APC National Secretariat in Abuja at about 11 a.m. yesterday.

He was received by the National Secretary of the party, Alhaji Tijani Tumsah and the National Organising Secretary, Osita Izulaso.

Also, the race for the governorship of Osun State hotted up yesterday as two key aspirants to that office collected the nomination forms of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to contest the primary election.

USTICE Lateefat Okunnu of a Lagos High Court sitting in Ikeja yesterday adjourned the trial of Opeyemi Ajuyah and four others till March 24, 2014 due to the absence of counsel to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mr. Rotimi Oyedepo.

Ajuyah and his co-defendants Abdullahi ArisekolaAlao, Olanrewaju Olalusi, two companies, Axenergy Ltd, and Majope Investment Ltd were alleged to have conspired to defraud the Fed-

J

From Mohammed Abubakar, Abuja RESIDENT Goodluck P Jonathan has appointed five new Group Executive Directors (GEDs) for the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) to fill critical vacancies which currently exist in the Corporation.

Those appointed, according to a statement by the Presidential Spokesman, Dr. Reuben Abati, included Mr. Ian Gregory Udoh, Group Executive Director, Refining and Petrochemicals; Dr. Dan Iwoene Efebo, Group Executive Director, Corporate Services; Aisha Mata Abdurrahman, Group Executive Director, Business Development; Mr. Adebayo Ibikunle Ibirogba, Group Executive Director, Engineering and Technical and Joseph Thlama Dawha, Acting Group Executive Director, Exploration and Production.

All the appointments are with immediate effect.

Stakeholders parley today on trado-medical packaging, others Chief Executive Officer, Nordica Fertility, Abayomi Ajayi (left); Chairman, Senate Committee on Health, Senator Okowa Ifeanyi Arthur; Director, Harshley Medical Centre, Pennsylvania U.S., Gerald Harkins; Brand Ambassador for Endometriosis Support Group Nigeria/Former Miss Nigeria, Chief Adenike Oshinowo and Chairman, Association for Reproductive and Family Health, Prof. Oladapo Ladipo during the annual Endometriosis Lecture in Abuja… recently.

PHOTO: LADIDI LUCY-ELUKPO

Ondo records 330 per cent IGR increase From Niyi Bello, Akure NDO State government recorded more than 330 per cent increase in internally generated revenue between 2009 and 2014, Governor Olusegun Mimiko announced on Tuesday.

The governor, who spoke at a one-day conference on Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) in the six states of the South West geo-political zone and Kwara, organised by the United Kingdom Depart-

O

ment for International Development (DFID) at Akure, the state capital, said his administration was able to achieve this feat by introducing innovations that paid off in increased revenue.

According to the governor, who was represented by his Deputy, Alhaji Alli Olanusi, the state was getting “a paltry N3 billion” at the inception of the administration in 2009 and that “today, we collect IGR in excess of N10 billion

and we hope to increase it in the immediate future to N15 billion.”

The governor said the state decided to increase its revenue drive because of the need to cut the umbilical cord of total dependence on monthly allocation from the federal purse which he said is at the mercy of the vagaries of the petroleum trade which is the mainstay of the country’s economy.

According to him, “oil, which

is the mainstay of our economy, is facing dire existential challenges both in the international space and locally.

These challenges include, but are not limited to, the increasing shift to the use of renewable energy, the discovery of new oil fields in different countries, the instability of oil prices, illegal oil bunkering, pipeline vandalisation, oil theft and the concomitant dwindling revenue accruing to the federation account

‘Fani-Kayode disbursed N3.8b aviation fund’

By Bertram Nwannekanma FEDERAL High Court, LaA gos presided over by Justice Rita Ofili-Ajumogobia was yesterday told by a prosecution witness, Mr. Bashir Abdullahi, that Femi FaniKayode, a former minister of Aviation, disbursed N3.8 billion of the N11 billion Aviation Intervention Fund (AIF) released during his tenure,

leaving a balance of N7.2 billion to the ministry’s account.

Abdullahi, a third prosecution witness at the on going trial of Fani-Kayode by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for money laundering charges, however, said investigations showed that no part of the funds was missing during the tenure of the ac-

cused.

Led in evidence by Festus Keyamo, the witness, an investigating police officer with the EFCC, said the case file was assigned to him in 2008 for investigation, prompting his writings to the First Inland Bank to produce the statement of account of the accused, which was later deposited with the EFCC He also told the court that

the former minister was invited to the EFCC during investigation, where he made seven statements in writing as regards the Aviation Intervention Fund (AIF) received during his tenure.

The witness said the statements, which were later admitted by the court in exhibits as PD4 series, revealed that no part of the funds was missing during the tenure of the accused.

Absence of EFCC counsel stalls alleged subsidy scam trial

By Yetunde Ayobami Ojo

Jonathan appoints new NNPC chiefs

eral Government to the tune of N1.1 billion subsidy payment.

The defendants are facing an eight-count charge bordering on conspiracy, obtaining money under false pretences, forgery, uttering and use of false documents.

At the resumed hearing of the matter, there was no counsel to represent the EFCC after Justice Okunnu stood down the matter for almost two hours.

The two defence counsel made oral applications, urging the court to dismiss the

charges against their clients.

Counsel to Axenergy, Oluwadare Falana, said the prosecution had repeatedly refused to show up and that his “humble application is to pray the court to dismiss the charge against the first and second defendants.”

He said, “Since December 27th, 2013, the court gave new dates for the continuation of trial. The prosecution is not doing anything serious to continue the trial.

They have been absent at the last dates of adjournment.

“We are, therefore, asking the court to dismiss the charges against the first and second defendants.”

Also counsel to Ajuyah and Majope Investment Ltd, Abidemi Oguntoye, aligned himself with the submission of Falana.

He said the prosecution had deliberately disregarded the authority of the court. He also called for the dismissal of the charges preferred against his clients.

Justice Okunnu in a short ruling refused the applications, saying “in view of the

fact that justice in criminal cases is not just for the complainants and the prosecution but for the society at large.”

She, therefore, ordered that the “cost of N5, 000.00 be paid by the prosecution into the coffers of the court for the waste of tax payers’ money used in running the court.”

Meanwhile, the judge, in another ruling, granted permission to Olalusi to travel to the United Kingdom to represent his employers at a business meeting.

ISTURBED by frequent D infractions of regulatory guidelines in the communication of traditional medical products and services, two regulatory agencies, the Advertising Practitioners Council of Nigeria (APCON) and the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) are jointly organising a one-day stakeholders’ forum to review the activities of this sector and bring them in line with the regulatory guidelines of both bodies.

The forum, scheduled for today at the Media Centre of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), Iganmu, Lagos, will have as theme: ‘‘Regulating Trado-Medical Packaging and Communication for a Healthy Society.’’

Papers that will be presented and discussed at the forum include: ‘Tradomedical advertising: What we must do’; ‘Guidelines for the broadcast of tradomedical programmes’; and ‘guidelines for the production and consumption of herbal products.’

Speaking on the planned event, Chairman of the Planning Committee, Mrs. Bunmi Cole noted that the forum would afford stakeholders an opportunity to review the packaging and communicating of tradomedical products and services by practitioners in this sector.

She stated that ‘‘all registered and yet to register traditional medicine practitioners and marketers, pharmaceutical companies, educational institutions, medical bodies, ministries of health, relevant research institutions, advertising agencies and media are required to attend,’’ adding “no fee would be charged for participation.”

Thursday, March 20, 2014 NEWS

THE GUARDIAN www.ngrguardiannews.com

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News Jang discontinues slander cases to mark 70th birthday From Isa Abdulsalami Ahovi Jos OVERNOR of Plateau G State, Dr. Jonah David Jang has withdrawn court cases against various individuals and media outfits that published defamatory stories and materials against his person.

A statement issued yesterday by the state Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Hon. Edward G. Pwajok said the governor as part of his 70th birthday celebration, has decided to forgive all persons and media organisations that injured his hard-earned family reputation and personal pedigree.

Pwajok said the governor is led by divine spirit to show magnanimity to his detractors by directing the immediate discontinuance of all cases filed by him and on his behalf in different courts.

According to the statement, Governor Jang expects that the individuals will appreciate this unprecedented gesture and media organisations concerned, all of whom the governor considers to be his good friends and partners in progress.

The governor uses this opportunity to advise media organisations to verify their facts properly and thoroughly before publication.

Students of James Hope College, Agbor, Delta State, with the President of Dangote Group, Alhaji Aliko Dangote (sixth left) and the Founder of the college, Mr. Jim Ovia (seventh right), during their visit to the school…yesterday

Reps plan hearing on killing of Nigerians overseas From Adamu Abuh, Abuja HE House of RepresentaT tives yesterday moved towards stopping the killing of Nigerians schooling in neighbouring Ghana and overseas.

Adopting a motion spon-

sored by Abike Dabiri-Erewa, the House, presided by Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, mandated its Committees on Diaspora, Human Rights, Justice and

NAFDAC, W’African counterparts move to harmonise drug regulations From Emeka Anuforo, Abuja IGERIA and other West N African countries under the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) are intensifying regional efforts to harmonise drug regulations.

The effort is in line with the African Medicine Regulatory Harmonisation (AMRH) scheme, which took off in 2009, with the support of Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

Harmonised regulation continent-wide could cut drug lag delays between registration

and marketing of drugs, thought to be responsible for deaths, as many are still denied drugs they need, officials have said.

National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) is leading the regional efforts for West Africa and is at the forefront for the African wide initiative.

Senior Regulatory Adviser at Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Dr. Vincent Ahonkhai, said the second phase to harmonise drug regulation agencies in West Africa could get underway next year.

students in search of education abroad were fast becoming endangered species, Dabiri-Erewa cited several instances where Nigerian students met their untimely deaths in the hands of unknown persons.

Making reference to Malaysia as one of such instances where the local police killed one Tunde Adelabu, a student of Lagenda University in the Asian country, she stated that reports indicate that about 80 Nigerians students are currently in danger in Malaysia with no intervention whatsoever from the Nigerian Embassy in Malaysia.

She stated that four Nigerian students in Ghana have been killed in mysterious circumstances in the last few months, noting that there was the case of a 17-year-old Nigerian girl who was

stabbed multiple times and burnt to death by an unknown group of Russians.

Abike-Dabiri, who is the chairman of the House Committee on Diaspora, also said there was the case of a 19-year-old son of a popular Nigerian sports caster, who died mysteriously in Dubai and another case of a Nigerian man in South Africa, who was stripped naked and beaten publicly by South Africa police.

The lawmaker, who lamented that so far no investigation has been carried out, no arrests made in respect of these killings, urged the House to intervene in the matter to save the lives of Nigerian students abroad.

Micah Umoh (PDP-AkwaIbom), who spoke in support of the motion, said it behooves on the authorities to table the matter before the United Nations (UN), African Union (AU) and Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).

Council because the list has been doctored and thugs have hijacked the voting materials”.

Also Abiodun Aluko told newsmen that there was no ward congress in the state.

He specifically accused one of the aspirants to have colluded with the officials to doctor the list.

He said, “Any result announced is a ruse as there was no congress. The list has been doctored and our people have boycotted the congress”.

But the Publicity Secretary of the party, Pastor Kola Oluwawole said the congress was going on smoothly at Moba Local Council.

Commenting on the protest by the youths, Oluwawole blamed the youths for being ignorant of the rules for selection of candidates by the

party.

According to him, “whether the method to be used was consensus or primaries, there was need for the selection of delegates. Even if it is going to be consensus, the delegates would have to be elected from across all the 177 wards in the state to go and affirm the party’s candidate.

The issue has been resolved and the team from Abuja has distributed materials to the returning officers in the wards and the results would be collated,” he said.

The ominous sign of the problem with the Ward Congress manifested as earlier as 10 am when some armed youths besieged the party secretariat in Ajilosun and prevented the National Ward Congress Committee of the party from distributing voting materials.

• Stop NPA from awarding dredging contract

Ahonkhai stressed: “Long approval time is contributing to drug lag, where a drug is available in some parts of the world, but takes a long time to come to Nigeria. On average, vaccines take up to 16 months to go into use in Nigeria, generic medicines take up to 27 months, and up to two years in other sub-Saharan countries.”

Director General of NAFDAC, Dr. Paul Orhii, said his agency limited its timeline for registration to 90 days after to deal with applications that have lingered for years or abandoned on account of red tape.

Foreign Affairs, to conduct a public hearing on the incessant cases of maltreatment of Nigerians abroad.

The lawmakers also directed Nigerian Embassies in Ghana, Malaysia, Russia, U.A.E and South Africa to ensure that cases of abuse and maltreatment of Nigerians are thoroughly investigated to a logical conclusion.

Before the adoption of the motion, Tambuwal specifically directed the aforementioned committees to conclude work and report back to the House within two months.

In the motion titled: “Killings of Nigerian Students Abroad”, Dabiri- Erewa (APC Lagos) said it was unfortunate that the number of Nigerian students being murdered abroad is increasing by the day.

Expressing concern that the

Defected PDP govs deny receiving court processes From Muyiwa Adeyemi (Ado Ekiti) and Lemmy Ughegbe Abuja HE five governors who deT fected from the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC) yesterday at Federal High Court, Abuja Division denied being served court processes in the suit seeking to unseat them on account of their said defection.

Meanwhile, confusion trailed yesterday, the Ward Congress of the Ekiti State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), as party thugs, in some local councils hijacked the voting materials to elect delegates for the Saturday’s governorship primaries and escaped to unknown destinations.

Miffed by the governors’ defection, PDP had through its

• Violence trails party’s congress in Ekiti counsel, Dr. Alex Aigbe Izinyon (SAN) approached the court with an action seeking to get its pound of flesh from them.

The defected governors are Alhaji Murtala Nyako (Adamawa); Rotimi Amaechi (Rivers); Aliyu Wamakko (Sokoto); Rabiu Kwakwanso (Kano); and Abdulfatai Ahmed (Kwara).

When the matter came up, counsel for the defendants, Prince Lateef Fagbemi (SAN) submitted that the plaintiffs have not properly served with processes and hence hearing in the matter could not proceed.

Counsel for the plaintiff, Izinyon told the court that defendants have been trying to avoid service, describing it as a way to frustrate the hearing.

But he prayed the court to grant the plaintiff leave to serve the defendants in their various liaison offices instead on the national office, which has been in contention.

After listening to all the parties, the presiding judge, Justice Gabriel Kolawole adjourned till April 7 to hear the application on service and possibly give ruling.

Specifically, the PDP’s secretariat in Ado Ekiti was like a battlefield as political thugs suspected to be loyalists of an aspirant beat up the returning officers, smashed the door and carted away the voting materials. Also at Gbonyin and Ikere local councils suspected party thugs also hijacked voting materials.

Among the 14 aspirants that scaled through the screening,

three of them were said to have collected N2.5 million delegates forms. They are former Minister of Police Affairs, Navy Captain Caleb Olubolade (rtd), former governor of the state, Mr. Ayo Fayose and former Afenifere spokesperson, Prince Dayo Adeyeye.

The PDP chairman in Ado Local Council, Hon. Kola Lawal who regretted the action of the party thugs said the party members began to smell troubles when all the names in the list of the electorate were found to be fake, but while trying to sort it out, thugs believed to be loyalists of an aspirant besieged the secretariat and beat everybody and escaped with the voting materials.

He said, “As I am speaking to you no congress holds in any of the 13 wards in Ado Local

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THE GUARDIAN www.ngrguardiannews.com

Thursday, March 20, 2014 NEWS

Obiano wants lawmakers’ support to build new Anambra

NYSC moves to adjust posting policy From Murtala Muhammed, Kano HE governing board of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) has said the current policy of posting corps members to various places of primary assignments is undergoing structural adjustment and when finally reviewed, would see members posted to places relevant to their trainings.

Chairman of the board, Chief Gordon Bozimo, who disclosed this yesterday while addressing corps members at the NYSC Orientation Camp in Karaye, Kano State, said the planned posting modification has been forwarded for necessary approval.

Meanwhile, the ‘Batch A’ 2014 members currently undergoing the three-week regimental exercise have stressed the imperative of facility-based, entrepreneurship training on camp. They equally demanded a raise in their trans-

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• Corps members urge facility-based camp training port allowance and adequate protection from security threat.

In the past two years, the agency has restricted corps members to agricultural, education, rural and community development settings regardless of their fields of study. However, Bozimo, represented by Prof. Risikuwa Arabu Shehu, who led team, said the board was considering delimitation of postings to encourage productivity.

Bozimo revealed that NYSC has signed a memorandum

of understanding with commercial banks to deploy their services to orientation camps nationwide to facilitate financial transactions and prevent the risk of transporting out of the camp.

On his part, Shehu explained that the board was in Kano as part of its statutory mandate to examine activities and challenges on camp and to recommend appropriate actions. He urged corps members to be patriotic and dedicated to serving their fatherland, irrespective of de-

velopmental challenges.

“The board is not unmindful of challenges of serving in places different from your disciplines,” he said. “In order to address this, the board has recommended adjustment, and very soon, corps members would be posted to places where they would contribute more to national development”, he added.

However, lamenting the kind of entrepreneurship training on camp, some members insisted that the training might not make any

impact without basic facility.

One of them, Mr. Emmanuel Johnson, said the various lectures being offered on skills acquisition would not make any impact if not backed with practical training.

Responding, Shehu assured that the agency would “do everything humanly possible to facilitate practical-based training on camp,” as “this entrepreneurship training is a sure way to self-reliance.”

He added: “The board is already facilitating financial support for corps members to start their own businesses instead of waiting for white collar jobs.”

SERAP seeks repatriation of ‘Abacha loot’

By Bertram Nwannekanma (Lagos) and John Okeke (Abuja) HE Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has asked the United States (U.S.) Attorney General, Eric Holder (Jr.), to repatriate the sum of $458 million stolen from Nigeria by the former Head of State, the late Gen. Sani Abacha, and his accomplices without further delay.

Speaking through its volunteer counsel, Alexander Sierck and Nicholai Diamond of Cameron LPP in Washington DC, SERAP, in the letter dated March 18, 2014, titled, “Re: Abacha Kleptocracy Forfeiture Action,” “respectfully requests that the U.S. Department of Justice establish a general process for the repatriation of assets seized as part of its Kleptocracy Initiative.”

According to them, the request “arises in the specific context of the department’s March 6, 2014, announcement that it has frozen over $458 million in corruption proceeds, which have been hidden in bank accounts around the world by former Nigerian dictator, Sani Abacha, and conspirators, to implement the civil forfeiture complaint filed in federal district court here in Washington.

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Rivers State Governor, Rotimi Amaechi (left) and the Chief Judge, Justice Peter Nwoke Chukwuma Agumagu, during Agumagu’s swearing-in ceremony after a Federal High Court judgment

Senate passes N’Assembly Service Bill From Bridget Chiedu Onochie and Azimazi Momoh Jimoh (Abuja)

• NASS to appoint Clerk, others

HE Senate yesterday T passed the National Assembly Service Commission

staff of the National Assembly, including the Clerk.

It also aimed at addressing the issue of staff stagnation at the National Assembly. According to the Chairman, Senate Committee on Establishment and Public Service, Aloysius Etok, the bill “will address or minimize the rivalry among the core legislative staff and non-legislative staff, who work in various administrative and technical departments of the National Assembly.

“This bill, with the creation of additional four directors, will expand the National Assembly bureaucracy, take care of future expansion, strengthen the service and motivate staff efficiency.”

And to strengthen it further, the new amendment stated that the commission “shall not be subject to the direction or control of any authority or person in exercise of its duties.”

Etok explained that the bill would primarily create capacity, enhance professionalism, open up the commission, as well as encourage members of the National Assembly staff to put in their best.

More so, the bill provided

Amendment Bill, which, among other amendments, empowers the commission to play key role in the appointment, discipline and removal of all members of

Zamfara tackles acute malnutrition with N30m From Isah Ibrahim, Gusau

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HIS year, the Zamfara State government will spend over N30 million to complement the Community Management of Acute Malnutrition (CMAM) campaign run by developmental partners, Save the Children and United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF).

Secretary to the State Government, Alhaji Tijjani Yahaya Kaura, disclosed this when officials of Maternal Newborn and Child Health (MNCH) advocacy coalition paid him a visit in his office in Gusau yesterday.

Tijjani said the government would ensure that funds allocated for nutrition programmes were accessed and judiciously used within the fiscal year, wondering why “no single naira was accessed from the N20 million bud-

geted for nutrition” in the previous year.

He further assured the coalition that his office would study the draft policy on Human Resource for Health, which it presented, and make necessary consultation before presenting it to the State Executive Council for adoption.

Also, he said his office would study the comprehensive MNCH fact sheet presented and develop an action plan for the governor’s approval in order to address the problems associated with maternal and mortality situation in the state.

Earlier, the state MNCH Coalition Coordinator, Alhaji Ibrahim Tudu, said the body is an advocacy forum initiated to accelerate the government’s commitment to improving the state’s health service delivery.

for the removal of the Clerk of the National Assembly, whose position is equivalent to the Head of Civil Service.

This particular function used to be performed by the President.

However, the amendment states: “A person holding the office of the Clerk to the National Assembly shall only be removed by the commission acting on an address supported by a simple majority of each House of the National Assembly praying that he be removed for inability to discharge his functions due to infirmity of the mind or body or any other cause for misconduct.”

The bill also provided for the funding of the National Assembly Service, with Section 15 stipulating that the National Assembly shall establish a fund for the National Assembly Service, and provision for the fund shall be made in its annual budget.

Nevertheless, head of the commission will be appointed by the President and confirmed by the National Assembly. Speaking on the financial implication of the amendment to the National Assembly, considering that

it has been on a fixed budget of N150 billion per annum, Etok said the presiding officer would not hesitate to propose an increase when necessary.

The process of amendment began in the Fifth Assembly and was first passed into law in the sixth, but was denied Presidential assent.

From Kodilinye Obiagwu, Awka NAMBRA lawmakers, espeA cially the state House of Assembly members, will have a great deal of support to render the new administration in its efforts to build a better state for all, Governor Willie Obiano has said.

Commending the Assembly members for their commitment to the good of Anambra during a meeting with them at the Government House in Awka yesterday, Obiano, who expounded on his agenda for the Legislature, said it is “the true backbone of democracy and the single most important repository of the sovereign will of the people.”

He noted that his early meeting with them “underscores the importance of the Legislature in a democracy, as well as his high regard for the parliamentarians.” He further stated his belief in, and respect for the role of the Legislature in a progressive and successful governance.

“Before I began to take political leadership seriously, I had always known that any democracy without a strong parliament is a farce,” Obiano said, adding: “I have the greatest regard for you and what you represent in the quest for a new and better Anambra.”

Stressing the imperative of a cordial relationship between the Executive and Legislative arms, Obiano noted: “I have no doubt that if Anambra is to make the long anticipated transition from merely aspiring to greatness to attaining actual greatness, my administration must close ranks with you.

“We must work together to unlock the potentials of our people and launch Anambra into a new phase of development.”

To that end, Obiano told the lawmakers that his administration is committed to “building a parliament that should be seen as the bulwark of democracy. I anticipate a Legislature that is capable of observing the standard checks, balances and a meaningful separation of powers while delivering on its high promise to the people.”

He further paid tribute to his predecessor, Mr. Peter Obi, for taking the state so far, while thanking the legislators for supporting him before and during the last gubernatorial election in the state.

UK agency partners Nigerians in Diaspora on economic relations

By Tunde Akinola OR deeper economic relations between Nigeria and the United Kingdom, the UK Trade and Investment (UKTI) is collaborating with Nigerians in the Square Mile, through a trade mission, to showcase excellence and innovation in finance, professional and business services sectors.

Nigerians in the Square Mile is an organisation of highly successful Nigerian professionals in the leading London City institutions. The visit focused at displaying the vast array of opportunities in Nigeria and giving first-hand insight into forthcoming business developments and current opportunities in key sectors of the economy.

The mission also aims at providing delegates with a better

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knowledge of the Nigerian market and giving them a fuller appreciation of the many and varied opportunities on offer.

Addressing newsmen in Lagos yesterday, the British Deputy High Commissioner, Peter Carter, said that during this five-day mission, the companies represented would have a wide range of meetings, including with representatives of industries and state governments.

Chairman of the Square Mile, Paul Onifade, said the goal is to “celebrate the success of Nigerians in the City by promoting higher standards, knowledge sharing, mentoring and fostering a sense of community among Nigerians in London and Nigeria through focused networking.”

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Thursday, March 20, 2014 7

8 | Thursday, March 20, 2014

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PHOTONEWS

Sales Director, Hytera, Richard Xie (left); Hytera Partners, Robert Vercoe; Karl Teller and Emmanuel Ekong at the Security, Telecommunications and Safety Gadgets Exhibition organised by Securex West PHOTO: GABRIEL IKHAHON Africa in Lagos.

Director General, NAFDAC, Dr. Paul Orhii (right) and Air Vice Marshal Monday Riku Morgan, during his courtesy visit to NAFDAC office in Lagos.

Permanent Secretary, Sokoto State Ministry of Science and Technology, Shehu Goronyo (left);Â Senior Manager, Governmental Affairs, MTN Nigeria, Austin Iyashere; Speaker of the state House of Assembly, Lawal Muhammad Zayyana and Director, MTN Foundation, Muhammadu Danlami at the commissioning of the six workshops refurbished by MTN Foundation at the Government Technical College, Farfaru, Sokoto.

West Africa Sales Manager, Bloomberg lp, Femi Okulaja (left); Chairman, Automation Committee, Financial Markets Dealers Association (FMDA), Bayo Adeyemo; Executive Secretary/Chief Executive Officer, FMDA, Wale Abe and Divisional Head, Operations and Technology Division, FMDA, Dipo Odeyemi, at the launch of FMDQ and Bloomberg E-Bond in Lagos.

Ketiku Christopher Olayinka (left); Odubiyi Adekunle Oladele; Deborah Akinseye; Egbaiyelo Francis Olushola; Neji Peter Eta; Prof. Antonios Georgious, (Lead Consultant); Dr. Zenon Adamek (College Principal); Ibitola Florence Idowu and Akinseye Martins Damilola, all participants at the Effective Human Resources Techniques Course at Peacock College, United Kingdom.

Former Lagos State Accountant-General, Akinwumi Ambode (left); award recipient, Adeniji Kazeem; ex Inspector General of Police, Musiliu Smith and Bolaji Are at the ninth merit award of the Ansa-ur-Ud Deen Society of Nigeria, Lagos branch at the National Theatre, Lagos.

Marketing Director, Nigerian Breweries Plc, Walter Drenth (left); Chairman, Advertisers Association of Nigeria (ADVAN) Awards Committee, Yomi Ifaturoti; Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Nigerian Breweries Plc, Nicolaas Vervelde and the second Vice President, ADVAN, Lampe Omoyele, during the visit

by ADVAN members to Nigerian Breweries corporate headquarters in Lagos.

Founding Partner, Udo Udoma & Bello-Osagie Barristers & Solicitors, Senator Udo Udoma (left); Executive Director, Business Development, Nigerian Stock Exchange, Haruna Jalo-Waziri; Senior Partner, Myma Bello-Osagie and Managing Partner, Udo Udoma & Bello-Osagie Barristers & Solicitors, Dan Agbor during the closing bell ringing at the Nigerian Stock Exchange in honour of the firm’s 30th anniversary.

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Thursday, March 20, 2014 | 9

WorldReport Egypt army chiefs killed in clash with militants

Family anger mounts, as Malaysia jet search appears deadlocked

N Egyptian army brigadier A general and a colonel were killed in a raid yesterday on a

HINESE relatives’ anger over from Flight MH370, which vanC sparse information on the ished from air traffic control fate of their loved ones on board a missing Malaysian airliner sparked chaotic scenes yesterday at the headquarters of an increasingly deadlocked search operation.

Malaysia’s transport minister ordered an inquiry after security guards carried out the distraught mother of a passenger on Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 from a briefing room where she had protested about a lack of transparency, 12 days after the plane vanished.

“They are just saying wait for information. Wait for information. We don’t know how long we have to wait,” cried the woman before being whisked away from a massive media scrum.

Minister Hishammuddin Hussein said he regretted the anguish.

“Malaysia is doing everything in its power to find MH370 and hopefully bring some degree of closure for those whose family members are missing,” he said in a statement.

Prospects that a 26-nation operation would lead to quick results appeared to be dwindling, however, as investigators confirmed they were focusing on the remote southern Indian Ocean after failing to find any traces of the jet further north.

“Our top priority is being given to that area,” Hishammuddin told the news conference, confirming an earlier Reuters report.

No wreckage has been found

Zuma under scrutiny over ‘ excessive’ home renovations

OUTH Africa’s public ombudsSof the man said yesterday that some $23 million taxpayer-funded refurbishments at President Jacob Zuma’s luxurious residence were unlawful and ordered him to repay part of the cost.

“Some of these measures can be legitimately classified as unlawful and the acts involved constitute improper conduct and maladministration,” Thuli Madonsela said in a much-awaited report released just weeks ahead of the May presidential election.

The scathing report, titled ‘Secure in Comfort’ - which also implicated several ministers found that Zuma violated the executive ethics code by failing to protect state resources.

The leading opposition Democratic Alliance said in light of the “damning findings”, it will urgently initiate impeachment proceedings against Zuma. The ombudsman ordered that Zuma pay a “reasonable percentage” of the cost of the renovations not related to security at his sprawling homestead.

However the exact amount to be reimbursed was not disclosed and Madonsela said it would be up to the Treasury to determine a figure.

Zuma’s residence in the rural southern village of Nkandla cost South African taxpayers 246 million rand ($23 million) in a project touted as a security upgrade.

screens off Malaysia’s east coast at 1:21 a.m. local time on March 8, less than an hour after taking off from Kuala Lumpur bound for Beijing.

An unprecedented search for the Boeing 777-200ER is under way in two vast search “corridors”: one arcing north overland from Laos towards the Caspian Sea, the other curving south across the Indian Ocean from west of Indonesia’s Sumatra island to west of Australia.

“The working assumption is that it went south, and furthermore that it went to the southern end of that corridor,” said a source close to the investigation.

The view is based on the lack of any evidence from countries along the northern corridor that the plane entered their airspace, and the failure to find any trace of wreckage in searches in the upper part of the southern corri-

Pope Francis greets the crowd as he arrives for his general audience at St Peter’s square at the Vatican…yesterday.

PHOTO: AFP

Tears, threats as Ukrainians quit naval headquarters KRAINIAN servicemen U filed out of navy headquarters in Sevastopol yesterday with tears in their eyes after the base was seized by pro-Moscow militants, Russian troops and Cossack forces.

The assault began when some 200 unarmed militants — some of them in balaclavas — sawed through a fence and overran the base while the Ukrainian servicemen barricaded themselves inside.

Russian troops and Cossacks then arrived on the scene and

sailors including one whose eyes welled up were seen leaving their barracks without their weapons and taking a few belongings with them.

“We have been temporarily disbanded and everyone now has to make a choice” — serve the new pro-Moscow government of Crimea or leave the peninsula altogether, one of them, Vlad, told AFP as he walked away in his military uniform.

“I was born here and I grew up here and I have been serving for 20 years. Where am I going to

go?” said Vlad, one of an estimated 22,000 Ukrainian military personnel stranded in Crimea as it transitions to Russian rule.

Another man, Sergiy, who said he worked at the base along with between 400 and 500 people, told AFP he felt “betrayed” by top brass.

“Those serving in Crimea have been betrayed by the admiral, the commanders in Kiev. We will wait for what they decide now. If they tell me to leave Crimea, I will leave. I am not a partisan,” he said.

jihadist hideout, as security forces close their pincers on militants in the Nile Delta.

The Islamist militants have increasingly shifted their campaign from the restless Sinai Peninsula to the capital and other Nile Delta areas, with bombing and shooting attacks on security forces.

In the early morning raid north of Cairo, five jihadists with the AlQaeda-inspired Ansar Beit alMaqdis group were also killed in a shootout that last for hours, the interior ministry said.

The group has claimed responsibility for some of the deadliest attacks in a low-level insurgency that has killed more than 200 policemen and soldiers since the army overthrew Islamist president Mohamed Morsi in July.

The cell targeted was suspected of involvement in a Saturday attack on a military checkpoint that killed six soldiers, and the assassination in January of a deputy interior minister in Cairo.

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Thursday, March 20, 2014 www.ngrguardiannews.com

Return of Super Stores ignites Onikan Stadium

By Tope Templer Olaiya, Assistant Lagos City Editor HERE’S a new frenzy in town for lovers of the round-leather game and it’s not Chelsea, Arsenal or Barcelona; it is Stationery Stores Football Club, the darling team of Lagos fans.

Since returning to national reckoning by raising a team to compete in the second-tier Nigerian National League (NNL), which began last month, Onikan Stadium, the ancestral home ground of the club in Lagos Island is now the place to be for football lovers on match days.

Affectionately known to Lagos fans as ‘Flaming Flamingoes’ or ‘Super Stores,’ the team recently got a lifeline from the owners, the Adebajo family and the organized supporters of the club by Adebayo Olowo-Ake, who worked tirelessly with others to ensure Stores are resurrected after several years of inactivity following a family impasse.

Now a limited liability company, chairman of the board of directors, Tilewa Adebajo, whose father, Sir Israel Adebajo, founded the club in 1958, told The Guardian they are happy to be back. “We have already played six games and it is our plan to win promotion and go further. However, going forward, we will take issues of corporate governance seriously.”

Stationery Stores have had its fair share of top-flight football, which has not been rosy.

They have won two games, drawn two and

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will change. We have seen in the past where topflight competitions are staged in Nigeria and the stadia are empty. This never happened, especially in those days when Stationery Stores played lost two in this order: Stores vs Abia Comets 1-1; time they had more than 200 people watching Shooting Stars or Enugu Rangers or Bendel Gateway FC vs Stores 1-1; Stores vs Shooting Stars football at Onikan was in 2002. It got so bad that Insurance. There was a lot of followership, cama2-0; MFM vs Stores 4-0; Stores vs Ekiti United 3-2 they removed the entire turnstile erected at the raderie and excitement. and Gabros vs Stores 1-0. gate to manage entry of ticket holders into the “With the return of Stores, we are beginning to Of the six games played so far, the most mem- stadium because nobody was paying anymore see the return of spectators. The return will also orable was the 2-0 win over Shooting Stars of until Stationery Stores returned. reignite followership in Lagos. Lagos has been Ibadan, which sport followers dubbed a local Against Shooting Stars, the entire stadium was quiet football wise for a long time; there has version of an El Classico match between Real filled except the area reserved for the supporters been no club to galvanize the whole of Lagos. We Madrid and Barcelona. The 2-0 score line of the visiting team. Same turnout was recorded were thinking that it would take about 15 games notwithstanding, the game was a perfect platin its home game against Ekiti United. The club’s to create the kind of excitement we are already form to rekindle the memories of old between supporters club marshaled by Adebayo Olowoseeing now after six games. By the end of this two rivals and crowd pullers of Nigerian footAke hopes to gross 20,000 spectators before the season, we would have changed the entire landball, whose exploits in the 70s and 80s marked end of the season. scape in terms of followership of domestic foota golden era for domestic football in the counAfter following the club for over three decades, ball.” try.

Adebayo is no stranger to the intrigues that Olowo-Ake believes all stakeholders in the StaThe atmosphere surrounding the football are- brought Stationery Stores to its abyss and spirited tionery Stores project have learnt their lessons na was electrifying, and in a sheer frenzy that attempts to bring it back on board. In a chat not and that the club is back to stay. “The owners resonated beyond the wildest dreams of any spanning 20 minutes, The Guardian lost count of have learnt lessons from what happened, the football fanatic, the loud beat of drums, songs, the number of times he mentioned Stationery supporters have learnt lessons, the Nigerian dancing and the numerous fans wearing the Stores. It’s a project dear to his heart.

Football Federation itself has learnt lessons, traditional yellow and maroon colours added Fans allude to the fact that the history of Nigerincluding other clubs. Stationery Stores tried to to the vibrant mood in the neighbourhood. ian football would be incomplete without mencome back like twice and failed until this latest Like in the days of yore, it is usually a carnival- tioning Stationery Stores, which held sway even effort. like atmosphere at the Onikan Stadium on before the advent of professional football. “That “One thing I know as a supporter of the club is match days with hundreds of Lagosians from Stores is back means a lot for Nigerian football. It that Stationery Stores of old is back much all works of life clapping, dancing, chanting the used to be the most supported football club in the stronger now. Everybody is working together to traditional songs of their team and cheering country and its supporters are known for their ensure the club stabilizes. After playing only them to victory. In the club’s first game against fanatical followership. three games, the club got a sponsor. That is a Abia Comets on February 15, there were over Olowo-Ake continued: “Now that the club is record; there are a lot of domestic premiership 3,000 spectators at Onikan Stadium. back, the feeling that some of us have is that the teams that don’t even have sponsorship,” he According to the stadium managers, the last atmosphere that characterizes Nigerian football added.

• Supporters club hopes to net 20,000 spectators on match day

This Is Lagos

Haven homes opens new housing estate in Lekki OR many who are familiar FHomes, with the name Haven they are aware that it

Bottles and satchet water blocking drainage channels on Rosanwo Street, Aguda, Surulere.

PHOTOS: CHARLES OKOLO

ing to Nigerians.

The event will be graced by government officials, members has not become just the fore- of the public and celebrities most luxury home builders in that include 2 Face and Annie Nigeria but has given many Idibia, who themselves are Nigerians the opportunity to proud homeowners in the presrealize their dreams of owning tigious Haven Home estate. magnificent homes.

Most recently, the company’s Recently, the firm has gone flagship estate, Richmond Gate one step further to establish an Estate in lekki, was fully sold ultra modern show-home in out on all the current homes Lekki, where the members of being built and the ones yet to the public will discover first- be built have an unprecedenthand the numerous benefits of ed waiting list of subscribers. owning a Haven Home.

To Join the Haven Homes waitWhen the place is declared ing list atttacts a fully refundopen at Lekki on the 29th of able deposit of N2 million, March 2014, Haven Homes by which can either be used to offthis unusual gesture would set the purchase price of the have raised the bar and readi- unit allocated or can be refundness to bring affordable hous- ed at any time before alloca-

THE GUARDIAN www.ngrguardiannews.com

Thursday, March 20, 2014

Road users seek intervention on bad portions of Lekki-Epe expressway Ibeju Township, among others.

These portions are death traps as HE deplorable condition of Lekki-Epe motorists, especially those that are not Expressway from Ajah to Ibeju-Lekki- familiar with the terrain, often run onto Okegun Elerangbe towards Epe Town- heap of sands, craters created by erosion ship has made the plying of the stretch of and stagnant water at the sides of the road. road a dangerous venture as accidents on A Road Safety officer who spoke to The Guardian on the condition of anonymity, the axis occur almost on a daily basis.

Motorists who are not familiar with the while expressing sadness at the way the expressway had been abandoned said: terrain can easily get involve in an accident because of the damage that erosion “Something needs to be done urgently on this road otherwise very soon, vehicles will had done to the road and activities of not be able to pass the bad spots.” trucks conveying sand from the bush to A bus driver, who identified himself as the main road.

Lateef Yusuf, said he had seen many Apart from these, sands pouring out from sand diggers’ trucks that have taken motorists run into the bad portions, particularly, those that are not familiar with the over the axis are another threat to a smooth ride on the expressway. The sand route.

According to him, “If someone who is not covers both sides of the expressway leavfamiliar with the road enters some of ditching a narrow portion for commuters. es, that could be deadly. Government Added to these hazards are trucks and other commercial drivers who drive reck- should do something about the place before it claims lives. lessly, not minding the bad condition of “Many of the vehicles that ran into the bad the road. parts of the road were damaged. Last Areas most affected include portions at month, a bus that was trying to avoid an Lakowe, opposite Lakes Golf Course in Ibeju-Lekki, Sangotedo, Awoyaya, Okegun, oncoming trailer because of a bad portion

By Tunde Alao

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Lekki-Epe expressway

swerved and it nearly tumble because it was on high speed.”

It was gathered that except Lagos State Government resolves the issue between it and the Lekki Concession Company (LCC), otherwise any hope of fixing the bad sections of the road may not materialize soon.

Recently, a statement credited to a top government official had it that government has cancelled the concession agreement it entered with the LCC. The controversial N50 billion concessional agreements was signed in 2006 but became effective in 2008.

Few weeks ago, the Lagos State Commissioner for Budget and Economic Planning, Mr. Ben Akabueze, led a team of the State Executive Council to the House of Assembly to present a request for approval of supplementary budget.

He told the Lawmakers that the request was to enable the government acquire the 100 per cent concession of the Eti-Osa-Lekki-Epe Expressway and have it entirely under the control of the state government.

Commenting on the development, the Commissioner for Finance, Mr. Ayo Gbeleyi, explained that the state government would hand the concessionaire N15 billion to take the highway back from Tinubu and other investors.

He added that N6.8 billion would be expended on servicing existing debt obligations of LCC and another N3.5 billion would be used on third party liabilities.

The commissioner also disclosed that N32 billion had so far been expended on the highway, with Lagos contributing N5 billion in 2008 when the deal took effect.

But the road users implored the concerned government agencies such as the Ministry for Works and Infrastructure, Lagos State Public Works Corporation (LSPWC), Ibeju-Lekki and Eti-Osa Local governments among others, to commence rehabilitation of the affected portions to make the road motorable and at the same time prevent accidents for the time being.

LAGOS ASSEMBLY DIARY

NIS recruitment: Lawmakers mourn victims, flay FG policies

By Wole Oyebade OR lives that were lost nationwide at the weekend, the Lagos State House of Assembly was in sombre mood on Monday, as it condemned the disastrous outing of the mass recruitment exercise organised by Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS).

For about two of the three hours spent at the plenary, the mood was a mixture of grief and anger. Relations to some members of the House were victims of the stampede.

It was yet another disaster that was both unnecessary and avoidable, the lawmakers said.

The House also blamed the Federal Government for its “insensitivity” to primary responsibility of welfare and security of the citizenry.

In a related development, the House Committee on Environment has been mandated to investigate another case of environmental pollution in Ikeja, where

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showed the insensitivity of the Federal Government to the plight of Nigerian about 13 students of a secondary school masses. slumped and were hospitalised after She said given the advances in ICT, inhaling poisonous gas. mobilising thousands of applicants into It was the second air-contamination stadia was unnecessary and “a show of a incident in six months, and third in two nation that has failed to plan.” years around Agidingbi industrial layout Rotimi Olowo, representing Somolu I in Ikeja, the state capital. constituency, observed that it was a sinisPrior to observing a minute silence for ter attempt to exploit Nigerians, which souls of the departed NIS applicants, must not go unpunished.

Deputy Majority Leader of the House, Gbolahan Yishawu, representing Eti-Osa Lola Akande, expressed condolences to II Constituency, added that it was a reflecfamilies that lost loved ones in the tragic tion of a lopsided economic system, incident. where government is the highest employAkande, who brought the issue under er of labour, as against the Small and Matters of Urgent Public Importance, Medium Scale Enterprises (SMEs) in ideal expressed shock at the stampede settings. episodes.

He said: “But we cannot afford to continAbout 20 people, including pregnant ue like this while precious lives of our women were trampled to death in Abuja, youths are wasted on daily basis. How Benin, Minna and Port Harcourt. will they explain to parents that their Akande said the incident, though an sons and daughters had died in the extension of pockets of gruesome process of job recruitment they never killings across the country, further got?”

• To probe pollution incident in Ikeja

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Corporation decries clustering of water pipes in drains HE Lagos Water Corporation Itire, Yaba/Ebute-Metta, Isolo T (LWC) has frowned at the ille- (Ago-Palace) and other areas gal practices of connecting where the practice is predomilong service pipes through drains to its water mains by the residents of Lagos.

Speaking at the Ijora Headquarters of the corporation, the Group Managing Director, Shayo Holloway, said the practice, which he described as worrisome was totally unacceptable to the Corporation.

He pointed out that the practice, apart from compromising the water quality in areas where such pipes are illegally connected also leads to health hazards like Typhoid, Cholera, dysentery and Hepatitis. He, therefore, advised members of the public to desist from the unhygienic practice.

As part of the measures to halt the trend, the Corporation boss disclosed that his officials were working with the local councils like Oshodi, Oworonshoki, Shomolu, Mushin, Surulere,

nant by extending LWC mains to areas where water is required, thereby enabling shorter connection and make water readily available to the populace.

Sholloway, who acknowledged the support of the Lagos State Government at the ongoing laying and dualisation of mains on both sides of Bode Thomas, Adelabu, Akerele streets’ extension; said the inclusion of Isheri Road, Pedro Road (part of Shipeolu and Bakare Streets), Shomolu Street (Salami Suaibu Street), Old Yaba Road, Hughes Avenue, Yaba area of Lagos Metropolis to the project would further reduce this problem.

He advised those who wish to connect to Lagos Water Corporation mains to call the toll free line on 0800-lagoswater (080052467-92837) for assistance.

RIGHT OF REPLY

RE: Crusader Group reignites battle of Caucauses in Lagos State UR attention has been O drawn to a publication on the page 13 of The Guardian of

Thursday, March 13 ‘CRUSADER GROUP REIGNITES BATTLE OF CAUCAUSES IN LAGOS STATE’ in which the personality and the integrity of the interim Chairman of All Progressives Congress (APC), Lagos State, Otunba Henry Oladele Ajomale was maligned.

Sir, we strongly express our disdain at the bias reporting by your reporter, MR. TEMPLER OLAIYA and the subjective approach of THE GUARDIAN to the said publication, as no effort whatsoever was made to balance the story before it was published.

We want to believe that your publication was an outcome of the boast of a sitting Local Government Chairman and his desperation for the House of Representatives ticket in 2015, vowed to use the media in defaming the hardworking and no-nonsense Chairman. It was highly highly disgusting that a National newspaper of the ‘The Guardian status would engage in one-sided reporting on a story concerning a national figure like Otunba Henry Ajomale, a diplomat, Legal luminary and former Commissioner who operates an open door policy at his Acme road, Ogba office.

In response to the malicious report, it will interest you and your teeming readers that there was no time the Chief of Staff ( COS) to Governor Babatunde Raji Fashola , SAN, Mr. Lanre Babalola indicated any intention to contest for

the Party’s Governorship ticket in 2015 or approached Otunba Henry Oladele Ajomale for support as reported by your newspaper.

We then wonder where your reporter got information for his SPONSORED story that the party’s state interim Chairman is the brain behind political ambition of an to the State Governor, claiming “repeated dials” by somebody who was not approached for his own side of the Story before publication.

As if that was not enough, your reporter went further to play out the script of his sponsor(s) alleging that the Chairman’s “plans are that he wants to push his son forward to run for House of Assembly into Isolo Constituency II” this is a clear indication that the publication is not in the best interest of the general public, but satisfaction of the devilish desire of some political bigots.

Though we have immediately contacted our solicitors on their advice concerning the malicious publication, we however also decided to apply leniency based on the fact of the mutual relationship between us and the media. Hence we demanded a retraction of the story with the immediate publication of this rejoinder .

Thank you.

Yours faithfully, Adekunle Olayinka Special Assistant to the Interim State Chairman

12

THE GUARDIAN www.ngrguardiannews.com

Thursday, March 20, 2014

Politics 2015 may create flashpoints in Cross River From Anietie Akpan, Calabar S the battle for 2015 draws closer, the A Governor of Cross River State, Senator Liyel Imoke, has inaugurated caucus leaders for Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state, pledging there would not be any imposition of his successor.

The caucuses, according to him, are to help streamline the number of aspirants who will run the 2015 primaries in the state.

However, some party members have suspected the governor’s action, describing it as a strategy put in place to eliminate those that may not be in the good books of government, as was the case in the PDP council primaries that ushered in the current chairmen.

If the cloud of political tension in the state is any guide, definitely, come 2015, the three senatorial districts will be flashpoints, as regards most of the positions to be contested for, especially the governorship slot.

In the Central senatorial district, there are speculations of no love lost between the Governor Imoke and the member representing Etung/Obubra Federal Constituency, Mr. Owan Enoh on the one hand and the Senate Leader, Victor Ndoma-Egba on the other hand.

It is alleged that either Enoh or Imoke may run for the senatorial seat against NdomaEgba.

While Ndoma-Egba had indicated intention to inform his party of his fourth-term bid for the Senate despite the suspected “gang-up” against his coming back, Enoh had not made his intention known while Imoke has repeatedly said he was not interested in the Senate seat.

According to Ndoma-Egba, going to the Senate for the fourth time was not a do-or-die affair, as power comes from God. Still, he insisted that he had much to attract to the state if given the ticket.

In the North, where most of the governorship aspirants come from, there is a clear-cut battle between the Group General Manager (CRUDE) of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Mr. Godwin Jedy-Agba and the powers-that-be in the state, as any interaction between any PDP chapter or state executive members and state cabinet members is viewed in bad light and anti-state interest.

However, Jedy-Agba has not made any formal declaration as regards his much-gabbed governorship ambition.

The Guardian gathered that there is a directive from the party in the state, that any executive member, either at the chapter or state level, must get clearance first from the party before meeting with any aspirant, or to be precise, meeting with Jedy-Agba.

This situation has built-up tension and serious factions in the North, thus throwing up Jedy-Agba against the state.

In fact, the cold war is so strong that most PDP office holders hide to meet with JedyAgba while some others, who dared the government, had gotten their fingers burnt.

In the South, a similar cold war is brewing, as there are speculations that the long-term serving Chairman of the State Water Board, Mr. Gershom Bassey, may likely enter the governorship race even though the party has zoned it to the North and Governor Imoke had on several occasions confirmed the same.

Political stickers of Bassey, a close ally of Imoke and former Governor Donald Duke,

Imoke

Ndoma-Egba

Enoh

Jedy-Agba

Bassey

Duke

are conspicuously displayed on many vehicles, announcing him as an aspirant for 2015 but no position is stated.

One of the stickers, powered by the Southern Agenda, reads, “Team Gersh. Gershom Bassey.

The Man we know! 2015.”

In a telephone interview in Calabar, Bassey, who did not indicate intention for any position, said the party ticket would be given to “the most popular man.”

“I am a team player. If now the party says, ‘contest for councilor,’ I will contest,” he said.

Reacting to his stickers displayed around the state and the speculations that he may run for the governorship, the fast-talking Bassey said: “It is the work of the electorate, party men and supporters. People have the freedom of speech; so, it is okay for people to express their mind.

“When the time comes, we will sit and decide who will go within our group and for what position, then go to the field. But everybody constitutionally will contest. We are a family and the party can decide, ‘you, go for this position or not.’”

Commenting on the seeming crisis between the governor and the Senate Leader, Bassey said: “There is no crisis. I read the Senate Leader’s interview in the papers in which he said, ‘going back to the Senate is not a do-or-die affair.’

“I like that position because only God gives power. It is not good to hang on to one particu-

If the cloud of political tension in the state is any guide, definitely, come 2015, the three senatorial districts will be flashpoints, as regards most of the positions to be contested for, especially the governorship slot. In the Central senatorial district, there are speculations of no love lost between the Governor Imoke and the member representing Etung/Obubra Federal Constituency, Mr. Owan Enoh on the one hand and the Senate Leader, Victor Ndoma-Egba on the other hand. It is alleged that either Enoh or Imoke may run for the senatorial seat against Ndoma-Egba. While Ndoma-Egba had indicated intention to inform his party of his fourth-term bid for the Senate despite the suspected ‘gang-up’ against his coming back, Enoh had not made his intention known while Imoke has repeatedly said he was not interested in the Senate seat.

The governor noted that people had been arrogating to him the power to anoint a special candidate, who would be his successor so that he (Imoke) would not be rubbished when he vacated the seat of governor of the state. But Imoke said: ‘Those who say such (a thing) are not students of history to know that the likely person, who will rubbish you, is the one you think will protect you because he will not want to assert himself; rather (he will) come every morning to your doorsteps to bow down before you.

For a governor to emerge, his capacity, integrity and background must be above average and I will not support someone outside the family (PDP) to become the next governor of the state because such a person will not have knowledge about the people.’ lar position.”

ONETHELESS, opening up on 2015, Senator N Imoke, while inaugurating the North and Central senatorial caucuses at the weekend, said: “The emergence of governor in Cross River State in 2015 will be based on a clean credible process because the position of a governor is too important for one person to decide.”

He stated that the inauguration of the PDP caucuses for the Northern and Central senatorial districts of the state would play a role in the emergence of the next governor.

“I do not know who will be governor come 2015, but I know my successor would be someone who has the knowledge about the people and he must be a family (PDP) member and not outsider,” he said.

The governor noted that people had been arrogating to him the power to anoint a special candidate, who would be his successor so that he (Imoke) would not be rubbished when he vacated the seat of governor of the state.

But Imoke said: “Those who say such (a thing) are not students of history to know that the likely person, who will rubbish you, is the one you think will protect you because he will not want to assert himself; rather (he will) come every morning to your doorsteps to bow down before you.

“For a governor to emerge, his capacity, integrity and background must be above average and I will not support someone outside the

family (PDP) to become the next governor of the state because such a person will not have knowledge about the people.”

Senator Imoke, who had taken excuse for the absence Senator Ndoma-Egba from the inauguration of the senatorial caucus in Ikom, added that the exercise was to satisfy the constitutional framework of the party that would serve the people’s interest and also drag development to the people of Cross River State, which would surpass his achievement.

He said: “The caucus, particularly of the Northern senatorial district, should form a synergy and frequently communicate with their brothers from the South and Central senatorial districts, to ensure a regular communication and dialogue toward the selection of the next governor of the state.”

Governor Imoke, who did not dabble in the current intrigues and rumours going round that he has blessed three governorship aspirants, used the opportunity to call for unity of purpose among the people of Northern senatorial district and warned against politics of “push him down” syndrome.

In a similar vein, the State Chairman of the PDP, Ntufam John Okon, called for unity among the people of Northern senatorial district.

He stressed that, “the party that was sinking has once again regained its structure, which other parties cannot, which shows that PDP will come out strong and bold in the next general elections.”

THE GUARDIAN www.ngrguardiannews.com

Thursday, March 20, 2014 13

TheGuardian

14 | Thursday, March 20, 2014

www.ngrguardiannews.com

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 LETTERS

That the steel Time to stop the senseless killings S industry may work IGERIA’S steel sector, especially the Ajaokuta Steel Company, is a perfect N illustration of why Nigeria’s industrialisation or attempt at one remains stunted. Good ideas, great promise, lifting so much hope of an industrialised Nigeria but effectively squandered on the altar of corruption and incompetence.

The other day, the Ministry of Mines and Steel Development declared, after a team from the ministry led by the Permanent Secretary visited the Ajaokuta industrial complex for an on the spot assessment of its condition and what to be done to move it forward, that the Federal Government would now seek alternative sources of funding the company. That alternative sources will take the form of signing Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), to complete the remaining part of the plant.

This new move certainly cannot elicit much enthusiasm among Nigerians.

Such high expectations had been elicited at inception through the abundant opportunities offered by the high quantity and quality of iron ore deposit in Ajaokuta. Unfortunately, decades of unfulfilled promises would appear to have done severe damage to the project if not annihilated the chances of building anything out of it. Along with it have also died hopes and expectations.

This squandering of the hope of industrialisation and positive multiplier effects such as job creation, foreign exchange earnings and the like, is not unconnected with a number of factors, all rooted in a peculiarly Nigerian malaise. The first relates to the unserious attitude of successive Nigerian governments to business agreements. It would be recalled that under the privatization programme of the Olusegun Obasanjo administration, the Ajaokuta Steel Company was given out on concession to Global Infrastructure Holdings Limited for $300 million. However, following allegations of asset stripping against the company, the concession was terminated by the late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua’s administration, who appointed a sole administrator to run the place. Other companies, most notably SOLGAS, an American energy company, have suffered similar fate at different times.

Besides, the high degree of policy inconsistency also remains a major source of problem affecting the company. It is on record that successive governments in Nigeria have a way of always aspiring to discredit and undo what their immediate predecessor did as though to score and accumulate cheap political capital. By concessioning today and deconcessioning tomorrow, a wrong signal is being sent to the global community of investors who would take it that extra-precaution is required in doing business with Nigeria. This presupposes the absence of a well-crafted and codified developmental road map for the country, especially regarding industrialisation.

Moreover, endemic and systemic corruption that has become second nature to Nigeria has not helped matters. Because of the huge and varied opportunities the steel industry offers political leaders to lubricate the wheels of their extended patronage networks and fill their pockets, it would seem there is a deliberate ploy to keep the steel project down. Over the years, successive administrations seemed to cash-in on the underdevelopment of the company to further their political and economic interests. The latest in this trend was that jamboree visit of the ministry and the resultant search for new sources of funding. No doubt, President Goodluck Jonathan’s Transformation Agenda needs a transformed steel industry but unseriousness seems to be government’s posture on this.

The result is that many would-be investors no longer have confidence in the industry in particular and in Nigeria in general. The lack of credibility also means that investors can no longer take the Nigerian government serious on the project. The acute demonstration of lack of character and gross irresponsibility thereof, are bound to always resurrect and confront successive Nigerian governments in the new search for investors in the company.

It is so unfortunate that Ajaokuta rather than be a major part of the solution, has become part of the problems of Nigeria to be solved. This is at a time when other countries are moving at a faster pace on the industrialization lane. The Chinese, for example, have just celebrated getting the fastest train running.

Nigeria cannot afford to continue along this path of self-destruction. If the whole hue and cry about the transformation agenda will ever transcend the realm of cliché, one of the surest ways of doing that is to find a sustainable way of making the steel project work. The starting point will be dealing decisively with the flip-flops of Nigeria as a foundation for regaining some measure of international credibility and restoring investors’ confidence in the industry and in Nigeria.

IR: I have been searching my soul for answers to why a group of faceless criminals should take lives even of the innocent and young Nigerians as if they are doing it for a just cause. The recent Yobe killings that have once again called the attention of the world to our country for the wrong reasons is one killing too many. At the last count, it is on record that about 60 or so pupils of Government Unity Secondary School in Yobe were sent to their early graves by the messengers of death called Boko Haram.

In the face of this heartless endeavour, I thought the President should have put a halt to the jamboree that is called centenary celebration of a country that has frittered its future away in an act of moronic prodigality. In the first place, I just cannot understand what we are celebrating except our abysmal failure to convert our potentials into making life more abundant for the masses of this country. The fact that we continued with the celebration not bothering that so many innocent lives have been lost in this orgy of mindless violence shows how much scant regard we have for life.

It is a clear demonstration of sheer ineptitude and incompetence that up till now, the Federal Government cannot put a final stop to the Boko Haram insurgency in spite of

the claims that it is on top of the situation. In a serious country, President Jonathan will not even seek re-election because by now he has already proven that he is a resounding failure.

I learnt that the security forces took off one hour before the insurgents arrived apparently running away to fight another day. This is understandable because they cannot match the insurgents in terms of fire power and morale.

A situation where we continue to lose lives in this manner cannot be excused anymore. It is beginning to look unlikely that the Federal Government can win this war. For if a war still restricted to a particular region of the country cannot

be won, what if it spills over to other parts of the country?

Only recently the new Chief of Defence Staff told the whole world that by April the security forces would have put paid to the Boko Haram insurgency.

Not to talk about a man of his stature in the military playing to the gallery, the group is doing everything to prove him wrong. Unless we can effectively man our porous borders, these merchants of evil are not going away anytime soon. The time is now for government to prevent further killings. I only hope that those who are saddled with the responsibility of keeping us safe are listening.

• Emmanuel Ogundele, Lagos.

INEC, control political campaigns IR: Despite the fact that our Sfrowned extant electoral laws at early electioneering campaign, our political leaders, both ruling and opposition at the national level, have been very busy with indirect campaigns. This is more worrisome while some parts of the country are at the moment engulfed in carnage that more often than not can be described as a WAR. Have these people heard of massacre in Mafa, Bama, Buni Yadi, Konduga, Kawuri, Idzge, and other centres of disaster in Borno, Yobe and Adamawa states or they are more interested in welcoming decamped politicians from

one party to another? By the way, what does the law say on early campaign? Section 99 (1) of the 2010 Electoral Act (as Amended) warns that “the period of campaigning in public by every political party shall commence 90 days before polling day and end 24 hours prior to that day.”

Then why are our political leaders circumspecting the law deceptively? The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) must wake up to its mandate and check the growing indirect campaigns by the two major political parties in the country: PDP and APC. • Jimoh Salman, Kuje, Abuja.

Thursday, March 20, 2014

THE GUARDIAN www.ngrguardiannews.com

15

Opinion National dialogue as centennial event

By Lindsay Barrett Y coincidence rather than design, Dr. B Goodluck Jonathan’s decision to convene a national confab this year has turned out to be one of the most appropriate decisions ever taken by a Nigerian leader on behalf of ordinary citizens. If for no other reason, the fact that this year marks the 100th anniversary of the colonial amalgamation of the territories that now co-exist within the borders of Africa’s most populous nation makes the national dialogue a truly historical objective.

The call for a national conference is neither a new initiative nor one that is peculiar to, or even normally associated with, the party of the incumbent administration, but the president’s description of the parley as a “national dialogue” establishes a parameter that truly encapsulates public desire at this seminal moment in the nation’s history. It is important that the popular will and the desire to define national priorities in terms of their impact on the lives of the people and the nature of their association should be tested regularly. This exercise is necessary in order to ensure that national objectives provide solutions to the periodic challenges to systematic order and public expectation that keep emerging in all sections of the nation, and the opportunity for public discourse should be a periodic objective throughout the next century of Nigeria’s existence.

Coming, as it has, in this centennial year, the key components of this dialogue must reflect the concerns of all sectors of modern Nigerian society. The nation’s managers need to be persuaded to build structures of socio-economic control and public service based on policies that enhance national unity rather than those that provoke national division.

The sentiments, opinions, and values that emerge from deliberations at the conference should serve as the basis for the development of such policies. After a century of co-existence, the strains and stresses of regional interests that sometimes threaten national cohesion are still surprisingly strong. In order to confront these factors in a genuinely cooperative spirit it is imperative that those selected to voice the peoples’ wishes in the discourse must be able to reflect on the course of history as it has influenced the shaping of the modern nation.

This dialogue must provide an opportunity for that reflection while also encouraging the processes of both reform of outdated practices and the preservation of the unique cultural strengths of the community. If this opportunity is properly utilised, Nigeria will be strengthened and rendered more valuable as a focal point of overall African progress in the future. This must be the core objective of the convening of this confab.

Some observers have expressed doubts over the relevance of this exercise because of the fear that it could deteriorate into one of the most challenging moments of political discontent in the one hundred years of Nigeria’s national experience. On the other hand, some observers are of the opinion that the failure to make an effort to relieve the pressure of regional differences and competitive expectations through discussion will provoke latent social tensions and lead to explosive dissent.

The institution of the national dialogue, these latter observers believe, should be managed in such a way as to provide an appropriate forum for the expression of pressing national concerns while still regarding the constitutional parliament as the final arbiter of regulatory conduct. If this can be achieved in this centennial year it will contribute significantly to the continuing relevance and viability of the Nigerian entity, not only as a national unit but also as a global concept. Instead of undermining the existing order the national dialogue could provide clear objectives that emanate from the wishes of the majority of the people. If it is conducted properly, it could also serve to correct existing anomalies and to preserve those principles that have sharpened the national experience over the last century.

One of the important objectives of any deliberation among the contending forces of national experience in Nigeria should be the establishment of fundamental principles of coexistence in the economic, political, and sociocultural spheres of existence. There could hardly be a more appropriate time for the establishment of these principles than this centennial year.

The initial purpose for the colonial amalgamation of 1914 gradually gave way to internal motivation for unity and eventual independence to become the core factor of the national reality. However, it has become increasingly obvious that in the 53 years since independence, an overriding factor of national politics

has been the constant threat that competitive interests will undermine national cohesion. When volatile factors such as religious division, ethnic difference, and economic marginalisation are deployed in the search for public control of national resources, this threat increases. In the last decade this concern has been further exacerbated by quasireligious terrorism in the North of the country, economic protest and insurgency in the Niger Delta, and the promotion of regional contempt for Dr. Jonathan’s Presidency as an element of political discourse.

These provocative factors must be scrutinised and discussed rationally in the course of the national dialogue.

The suggestion that the national dialogue should have been postponed because political campaigning for next year’s elections has already begun is a disingenuous one. In fact, apart from the Nigerian penchant for injecting loud and violent rhetoric into what should be a rational discourse during political debates, there is no good reason why the national conference should be considered a threat to the electoral process itself. The suggestion that at least some sections of the dialogue should be conducted by elected participants was a good one and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) should have at least provided one of the institutional delegations to the conference. However, it has now begun to emerge that certain elements of the existing political class would prefer to impose their prejudices on the system rather than discuss the relevance of public opinion at this seminal point in the nation’s history. Those who hold this view tend to be reactionary political operatives whose objective is to protect the status quo ante without considering the changing values of the Nigerian masses. In the final analysis, the Nigerian experience of nationhood, from amalgamation through the development of pre and post-independence nationalism and the development of internal methods of conflict resolution justify the decision to conduct a national dialogue as a part of the nation’s centennial anniversary.

The inauguration of the national dialogue does not automatically guarantee stable and rational discourse among participants, nor does it ensure that either the outcome or the conduct of the conversation will provide national stability. There has been a perceptive

growth of irrational violence across large swathes of national territory from the far North through the central territories commonly known as the Middle Belt and including a surprising resurgence of criminal activity parading as insurgency (especially through the kidnapping of persons linked to major political figures) in some parts of the Niger Delta.

These activities have exposed the profound divisions and stresses that provoke the concern of those who support the conference, but they also provoke substantial elements of dissent encouraging vocal opposition to the meeting.

One of the true tests of the success or failure of the exercise will be the extent to which dissident opinions will find a place in the proceedings and whether solutions for issues raised by these will eventually be reflected in the final resolutions that emerge from the confab. In the event that the discourse is marshaled credibly by those appointed to guide the process, the key issues that are likely to emerge will focus on the federal system of national governance and distribution of the nation’s economic resources.

There can hardly be any doubt that these topics will generate a lot of rhetorical heat and provoke hostility in some of the exchanges at the parley. Nevertheless, the decision to confront the demons of national uncertainty and dissent through discussion, rather than through confrontation and contest, suggests that those who support the process are determined to avoid a breakdown of law and order. On the other hand, it is noticeable that many of those who oppose the meeting are prone to use the language of abuse rather than of either concern or consensus in articulating their position.

It is imperative that tolerance and cooperation should be deployed as major elements of the national discourse, especially at this point in the existence of the Nigerian nation when a century of co-existence has defined the national reality. It is both the survival and the transformation of this reality for the enhanced development of the association that creates relevance and justification for the national dialogue. With this in mind, those who engage in the discussions at the parley and those who are dead set against it must find a point of common agreement to guide their utterances. It will be a disservice to the national entity if instead of generating harmony the dialogue should become the basis for disunity after 100 years of co-existence.

• Barrett wrote from Lagos.

Never again to job aptitude tests

By Eben Alonge HOUGH I had graduated from the University of Ibadan (U.I.) T with so much confidence, high hopes and enthusiasm in March 2006, having successfully led over a thousand people as a campus fellowship president, I, however, roamed the states of Nigeria writing aptitude tests that fetched me no job. I was probably not as smart or as lucky as some of my mates who wrote and passed the several aptitude tests conducted on U.I. campus by the new generation banks and some other companies just before the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) later in August. Maybe not their fault, I am just not good at mathem a t i c s .

I had gone round from Abuja to Lagos, Ibadan, Akure and so on writing all manner of tests and yet I was not called for interviews. The few ones I had interviews with said they would get back to me...it is almost eight years now! At each examination centre, you meet a sea of applicants, fresh and old, beautiful and ugly, brilliant and dull. You also meet all manner of ‘attires’ – suits, parachutes, jackets, oversised and extremely tight. You obviously know that most of us borrowed whatsoever we wore to those venues just to be in our ‘bests’. An endless search for non-existent jobs for me gradually led to frustration, anger and inferiority complex.

The turnaround came one morning in the course of my Masters programme in U.I., sometime in 2008, when we all woke up on campus to the influx of several thousands of job seekers trooping to the conference centre to write the usual aptitude test (four banks or so were conducting tests that day). You need not be told to quickly put on your own suits or whichever you

had then and dash into the crowd. I remember I could not even wait to take my bath that morning. People had travelled down from all over the country to write this particular test.

We barely got a space to stand, from the Conference Centre main hall to the front of Chapel hall, for those familiar with U.I., there was hardly any space to stand or breathe in some fresh air. That day, I met again several other people we had been writing similar exams since 2006, congregating again. We were already forming a kind of Association of Aptitude Test Writers (or failures). I saw frustration, anxiety, hopelessness, and yet a strong desire to succeed on all the faces present. The worst part that day was that new and fresh job seekers were also already joining us, a kind of induction into the association. These were people we left back in school and assured we were going to conquer the world! They were obviously more zealous, as that was, may be, their first or second attempt, while ours, the older ones, was maybe the 10th, or 12th or even 20th for some.

That day I looked up and down, as we shamelessly pressed at one another in order to gain entrance into the conference centre main hall and I said to myself: Never again! I became angry in my spirit, removed my jacket and walked away... never again to return! That day I made some decisions that turned my life around forever: (1) I will never again participate in this fruitless chase for nonexisting jobs.

(2) I will not allow any aptitude test define who I am or who I am not.

(3) I will not allow failure in an exam affect my mood (4) I will look inwards and ‘locate me’, ‘develop me’, ‘brand me’ and ‘sell me’.

(5) I will create wealth with my gift, give people job with my calling, add value to the society with my talent, and be a celebrity with what only I am good at.

(6) I will create my world around my passion. No one can mark me down and judge me as a failure with my talent. I can choose to brand my talent in my own way – it’s mine, and mine alone.

Friends, those decisions have gone a long way to help and stabilise me today. I immediately stopped being desperate for job, and as a result jobs naturally flowed towards me. And the few times I had to work for others till date, I worked like I am leasing me, as a brand/an entity to help grow the organisation I worked for. I never again saw it like they were helping me. I am rather helping them. It is a privilege for them to have me.

I dictated my terms, I had my time. I sacked them at will. I pursued my personal dreams. Today, I am happy and satisfied. Not because I have got so much money, but because I am able to brand me...I have written and published my own books, I have written and recorded my own songs.

I have been privileged by the grace of God to travel a little across Nigeria, across South Africa and to as far as North America, not on some other people’s jobs, but because I chose to discover me and brand me. I have travelled to speak, encourage, motivate, preach, push people into their destinies and to lead worship. I have sold my works in Naira, in Rand, in Pounds Sterling and in Dollars. The two books I have written Break Rules and More Than Just A Song would be good for your perusal. Also, my musical albums DreamSong, Rehoboth, From Me To You and I Believe are also highly inspirational.

You will love them.

• Alonge contributed the piece via ebenalonge@yahoo.com

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THE GUARDIAN www.ngrguardiannews.com

Thursday, March 20, 2014

Opinion Utomi and limits of partisanship

By Tochukwu Akunyili AT Utomi, though a politician who has never P enjoyed much electoral success is yet one of the few Nigerian politicians who, in one way or the other, makes any observer entertain the feeling that when the history of our dear nation is written, he will evoke in generations yet to come loud sighs for the unfortunate fact that he never was selected by this generation to be the man at the helm of affairs.

In his recent piece published in The Guardian as The Limits of Partisanship, he embarked on a journey which would be an uphill task for a lot of his fellows parading themselves in Nigeria’s political theatre. The piece set out with two major objectives: The first was to advocate the necessity of a limit to partisanship in democratic politics; the second to advocate the need for a consistent political ideology in Nigerian party politics. Most importantly, however, Utomi’s piece calls for cogent reflection on a number of questions. One such cogent question which this piece, among other things, will attempt to elaborate is: what state with claims of seriousness at development weeds out its best from attaining political office?

First, let us begin with Utomi’s reflections on the limits of partisanship. Here, Utomi seems to get things on their head. He calls for a limit to partisanship in Nigeria’s politicking but he obviously seems to forget that it is only when there is a clear-cut ideology that partisanship can have limits. Therefore, the lack of a limit to partisanship as is obviously observable in contemporary Nigerian politicking is not a factor of a lack of any limit to partisanship but instead is a product of the lack of any consistent political ideology guiding Nigeria’s political parties. This is why our politicians are at no pains to move from one political platform today to another the next day. In other climes, where political ideology guides political affiliation, prostituting across political lines is more infrequent.

Therefore, what is currently obtainable in Nigeria’s political scenery, for example, the overflow of the personal interest of politicians onto the national political theatre, the blatant pur-

suit of personal and material gains of the political class, the lack of an idea of where the nation is being taken to (except when headed to oblivion is a destination) and the rise of a calibre of politicians and public officials who most Nigerians think are a bunch of heartless legalized criminals and stooges stealing the nation dry is first a consequence of politics without ideology as it is a consequence of a lack limits to partisanship.

As against Utomi’s position, I wish to clarify that the cheap macabre dance of Nigeria’s political prostitutes, parading themselves in flowing garbs of political heavyweights, is not a failure of cooperation but a failure of ideology and principle. Did not a former Vice-President, instrumental to the formation of a major political party desert his brainchild to pursue presidential nomination in a party he had scorned just because he thought it an easier means of ascending to the presidency? This practice of politics of no ideologies can only increase the sense of political malaise within the country. Such political paralysis, as this, will continue to deface Nigerian politics until Nigerian citizens learn to demand more of their public office holders.

The second task of Utomi’s piece which was an advocacy for ideology in Nigerian politicking, as is already observable, is closely related to a call for limits in partisanship. This is because one cannot call for a limit to partisanship if there is no existing political ideology in the political clime. In his piece, Utomi defines the All Progressives Congress (APC) as a political party attempting to position itself as left of centre, people’s entrepreneurial and justice-focused. He expressed hopes that this struggle of the APC to engage in a politics of ideology will make its major opposition, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), a better party. He hopes that such conflict of ideas and interests in politicking will ultimately make Nigeria a better nation.

Such hopes as he expresses are indeed sincere and adequate. Time is ripe for defining our politics along ideological instead of only racial lines. If any consistent national growth is to be made, then our transition from racially-inclined politics to discussion of topical issues which

have kept Nigeria on its knees might well be the turning point. But instead, the otherwise is the case. Thus, we have focused only on racial differences – a focus which has seen Nigerians concentrate on their differences instead of concentrating on commonly shared ideologies.

This concentration on differences, as we can bear collective testimony to, has done its quota in creation of division lines within the Nigerian polity. The results are evident: a stagnation of our economic development, political maturity and national integration. The transition then from a politics of differences as currently practised in Nigeria to a politics of ideology must be fast and swift, otherwise we will continue to applaud and reward mediocrity instead of quality.

For young Nigerians like me, it still remains baffling how things got so bad. As a fresh graduate in the editorial room of the Anambra State government, I heard from older colleagues of a time when the discussion of ideologies and ideas couched very often in the oratorical flights of Azikiwe, Akintola and Mbadiwe led discussions in the House of the First Republic. From experience, (an experience which I know that history supports), I am yet to see where intellectual nitwits – a lot of who are scattered in Nigeria’s political landscape – led a nation to sustained economic growth or a multi-racial nation to national cohesion.

Nigeria cannot develop if we do not put in place a democratic structure which repays merit and which enables the selection of the best and non-corrupt for public and political office. This is why the recent ethno-phobic piece of Salisu Mustapha is regrettable. The present system in which a corrupt political oligarchy has maintained a stranglehold on Nigeria’s political situation must be done away with. This is a fact that Nigerians already know but one which the ordinary citizen has to rise up and demand for. Many notable Africans, among them recently, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala and Sonala Olumhense have recently reiterated that the problems of good governance afflicting Nigeria cannot be appropriately addressed if we do not have in place a democratic avenue for voting into office able and qualified political leaders.

Utomi made this same point in his piece. We need a new calibre of leaders, people who are willing and ready to serve. There are many of these individuals in our nation but we must create for them opportunities for attaining political office.

This is why the present situation in which the cost of prosecuting elections is so expensive that in most cases only the few who got their wealth through unenviable crimes either become elected or are godfathers to those who are elected. This system encourages corruption and political godfatherism – two evils which arguably are the bane of our current political arrangement. To cure this ill, we need to enact and enforce relevant electoral guidelines that will limit the influence of corrupt and vested interests in the emergence of candidates for political office.

Finally, to all these, I add then, the need for societal reform – this is a reform that will be wideranging and aimed at sanitizing the entire Nigerian society. This reform is necessary because the problem with Nigeria is not just its leaders but one that is endemic and found at all sectors of the nation. From the worst nightmare and embarrassment of our nation which in my opinion is its policemen and women to the civil servants who will demand pure water moni before a file is attended, there is need that we sanitise all these.

This societal reform and sanitization of the Nigerian polity will also be targeted at curing the problem of citizen political apathy, the adulation of moneybags irrespective of where they have come from, the inability of Nigerian citizens to challenge authority creating thereby a successive generation of cronies and dimwits.

Most importantly, however, we must sit down and renegotiate the terms of our nationhood – we must ask ourselves how best we want to ride with the gigantic creation of Britain. If we decide that this Nigerian venture is worthy of continued undertaking, then we must put in place the necessary checks and balances that are relevant for its success!

• Akunyili is a student of public policy at the University of Erfurt, Germany.

National conference, ultimate truth

By Peter Kehinde HE convergence of opinions has established the fact that we T need a conference of Nigerians to review the way we live together. Two people living under the same roof surely have different ways: one always feels his way is better than the other. As a Catholic priest, I remember settling down recently with another priest; we had to convoke a meeting to ensure a life together without rancour. We talked about food. We ended up drawing up a timetable for meals having made useful and mutual concessions. I also remember going to meet my doctor to complain about my rising blood pressure. After a thorough examination, he recommended I should stay away from certain category of food. The first was pounded yam, a staple where I come from.

Even though it was not easy staying away from it, I had to go out of my way to engender a greater good: improving my general wellbeing. We need no soothsayer to tell us there are things we ought to do right that we have not done right because of overriding insistence to cling to our different ways. There are things we ought not to do, which we have been doing to despise those on the left. We need to talk about these things to heal our society. The range of issues is diverse: federalism, resource control, security, youth unemployment, place of traditional institution, corruption, etc.

We must talk freely, frankly, let out the liberty of conscience, which is the fundamental freedom. As Senator Femi Okunrounmu said, those to represent us at the conference should not be those who will go there to sleep or those who will be there for the money and not for quality representation. Rather we should delegate people with conscience who have long attention span and know their onion. Through such free exchange of ideas alone we will gain knowledge, we will be able to understand the issues and discover the truth of order and cooperative action. But letting loose discordant winds of doctrine going into the conference will only be injurious to a united Nigeria of our dream. For example, some have already concluded even before the conference that Nigeria will break.

Some leftist groups are at the conference with a mainstream posture doing everything to ensure their ideas hold sway at the

conference whether they come out with superior arguments or not. Some mainstream groups are at the conference to defend their dominance on the landscape. No group is planning to go out of its way to engender the general wellbeing of Nigeria. This is the feeling that came to me from my interaction with Nigerians. This is the plank that holds the conclusion that the conference will break Nigeria. This article warns against this kind of brazing presumption. Never presume that events will turn out a certain way!

Some insights from history: During the Vietnam War, the facts carried in the media seemed to indicate that it was an important pursuit. But now history seemed to have established that the Vietnam War was a demoralizing national mistake. The presumption of the moment, as in the case of the Vietnam War, has received repairs from the ultimate truth of history. Another example from the United States: For generations in the Deep South, respected newspapers in the U.S. tended to see the civil rights movement as disruptive and divisive action far more damaging than the institution of segregation. That was the presumption. The eventual truth is that it is a revolutionary instrument ensuring freedom for all. Now liberty has become the song of America. The problem with truth, unfortunately, is that it comes only with time. If truth is let out by a free exchange of ideas, in the end truth will win out.

Attendance of delegates and listening to discussions are basic part of the structure of such free exchange of ideas (free speech).

People gave you mandate to attend. You will not represent them if you do not attend. If you don’t attend sessions or discussions, you have a lessened capacity to speak. Listening is also important. The discussions will be rowdy and uncouth if delegates do not listen to one another. Shouting someone on his feet to speak down is evil. This is because such unruly act necessarily hurts the one speaking or one about to speak. It kills the truth by hurting its conception. It may hurt the delegate’s capacity to continue to conceive and spawn the truth. It is like the abortion of a pregnancy at conception. The woman will lose the pregnancy. She may lose the baby. She may lose her life. The family may lose both the child and the mother. Damages done to vital reproductive organs procuring abortion may hurt continued conception.

Like a family, such unruly act of a delegate or some delegates

hurt other delegates who want to listen. They may lose the consciousness to conceive truth, propagate and preserve it. In psychology, listening is golden. It is good to establish the difference between listening and hearing. Hearing is innate in every human being, male and female. Listening is a skill we need to develop just the same way we develop effective speaking.

Delegates to the conference should create avenue to develop the art of speaking so they don’t bore their hearers with irritations. Hearers of the message should learn how to become effective listeners. Listening involves paying attention and processing what the speaker is saying. It needs a lot of mental silence, reflection and interpretation, implying patiently absolving the ideas. In other words, it involves seeking out the speaker’s ideas and giving those ideas back to him. You can do this by summarizing all he/she has said mentally to make sure his ideas are understood.

Communication, which is a relationship, engagement, or interaction, requires that one person speak while the other listens.

Listening is itself a form of communication. Listening to another person sends the message that you care and that you are truly interested in the other person’s ideas. Without the ability to listen effectively, true intimacy and mutual respect among delegates, two of the hallmarks of a successful relationship, are not even possible. When you fail to listen to your partner/client/fellow delegate, you may impart the message that he or she doesn’t count, that you are the one with all the knowledge, and that you lack respect for him/her. These are hardly the qualities of a thriving and mutually beneficial relationship. Effective listening means that you want to learn from, enjoy, care about, trust, understand, and nurture your partner/client/fellow delegate.

A good listener sends the message that he or she is interested in the world and to new ideas and life experiences. To listen well is one way to show that you can love well. It is one basic way to resolve problems including national problems.

If all conditions are right, a new Nigeria characterised by fellow feeling, harmony, cooperative action, peace and love might dawn even before the end of the conference. Once again if truth is let out by a free exchange of ideas, in the end truth will win out.

• Fr. Kehinde, a media scholar and social commentator, lives in Lagos.

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TheMetroSection All we are saying : ‘No more extortion...’

• Enugu commuters stranded with fuel scarcity and drivers’ strike From Kodilinye Obiagwu and Lawrence Njoku, Enugu HILE commuters are reeling from the W added cost of transportation imposed as a consequence of the epileptic supply of petrol in the state, a strike by commercial bus drivers on some routes has compounded their hardship.

For three days since Monday, commuters from Abakpa Nike, the most populated and widely spread settlement in the state and the Trans-Ekulu area, one of the newly developed residential reserves, part of which is gradually joining the Abakpa Nike settlement, have been left stranded at bus stops, forced to scramble for seats in even taxis, walk long distances and pay unusual fares.

The strike, which has affected commuters in these areas, is to protest alleged extortion, exploitation and intimidation of commercial bus drivers by policemen. Compliance by the bus drivers have been almost 100 per cent as uncooperative bus drivers, who sneaked onto the roads to ferry stranded commuters have been forced off the roads by a task force mandated to enforce compliance. Windscreens and some vehicles have been broken in the process, while some passengers have lost money as the some drivers try to evade the ubiquitous task forces.

A curious angle was added yesterday, when vowing to continue the strike, the drivers threatened to force tricycles, aka Keke off the roads. The tricycles and taxies have become beneficiaries of the strike as they offer succour to commuters at arbitrary fares.

Yesterday, as the strike entered its third day, the state Police Public Relations Officer, Ebere Amaraizu, who had earlier declined comment on the development said on phone that the police is actually trying to enforce law and order in a manner that the bus drivers do not constitute nuisance or become obstacles to other road users.

According to him, “It is common with them to stop abruptly and anywhere to pick passengers. This is what the Police is trying to stop. But some recalcitrant bus drivers who feel disturbed about what the Police is doing there have refused to work thereby causing unnecessary hardship to the residents.”

Some of the protesters On the allegations of extortion, he said that “the Police did not and do not force anybody to give them money. There is no complaint of extortion before the Police Command. The Commissioner of Police had discussed with them and asked them to resume work while investigations continue on the allegations.”

Meanwhile, the drivers who ply the metropolis on the Abakpa, Obiagu, New Market, Abakpa-old Park and New Haven routes insist that the activities of policemen on the routes

are behind their resolve to remain on strike.

They claimed that drivers were arrested and detained on trump-up charges and minor traffic offences despite the money they “drop” for policemen.

After marching on the streets with placards, the drivers in a letter signed by their spokesperson, Chibueze Eze, stated that: “We bus drivers express our heart’s feelings over what has been happening to us at various bus routes. The police in Abakpa have humiliated us for more

than one year now” and they have asked the Enugu State Government to prevail on police to stop further harassment of their members in course of doing their legitimate business.

“We have no roundabout at Abakpa, and when you make a turn in the street they will arrest you and impound your vehicle on grounds that you have contravened a traffic law on a street,” he added.

According to him, arrested members were released on payment of N5000.

Early morning fire razes filling station in Lagos

By Isaac taiwo T was a gloomy day for the owner and workers at the Mobil Filling Station on Akilo Road, off Oba Akran in Ikeja, Lagos as well as the owners of four vehicles including three cars and a minibus, when a fuel tanker with Registration Number BDG-169XJ carrying 33,000 litres of petrol hit an object while entering the filling station and burst into massive flames.

According to an eye-witness and a victim, Adegboyega Ogundare, the incident occurred at about 6.05 a.m. when the tanker was trying to enter the filling station through a wrong direction and subsequently, hit the object that ignited fire.

In his words: “I was in the mini-bus and a car was in between our bus and the tanker. All of a sudden, there was a fire outbreak, which spread immediately to other vehicles behind the bus.”

According to Ogundare, who sustained injury on one of his

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arms while he was getting out of his vehicle, “there was a stampede as all the vehicles started to burn at the same time and we were all caught up in the flames.”

“Everybody started to run for their dear lives. The fire did not only stop at the filling station but crossed the road to the trees on the other side of the road and moving towards Guinness.”

“The driver of our bus jumped out and every passenger began to run and there was no one who did not get minor burns or get injured one way or the other.”

“Another mini bus that was parked in the filling station and far from where the fire started also caught fire and was razed.”

“The saving grace was that it did not happen at a period of heavy traffic along the busy road, otherwise, it would have been another story entirely, as the fire could have spread to Ikeja and probably, into parts of Agege,” he said.

The fire threw the entire vicinity into darkness as the trans-

former very close to the filling station was burnt.

The incident resulted into a heavy traffic as Police swung into action by stopping vehicles coming from opposite directions before getting to the accident spot.

Many people trekked from Ikeja to Agege while those coming from Agege had to walk down to Ikeja.

Fire fighters faced a great task putting out the fire while members of the police force, LASTMA and other agencies swung into action to ensure law and order.

Members of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) were also there on time to put things in order while a LASAMBUS Van with Registration Number LA 157-A08 was also there.

Ogundare was given a first aid. One of the officials in the vehicle said that after receiving first aid, Ogundare would be taken to the Trauma Centre at the Toll Gate along Lagos-Ibadan Expressway.

Four feared killed during cult war in Lagos

By Odita Sunday O fewer than four persons were feared killed while several others were injured at the Ijora Badiya area of Lagos State when suspected members of cult groups clashed yesterday.

The Guardian gathered that one of the prime suspects, one Niyi aka “Star” an alleged cult member, who was allegedly released from Prisons, led his gang members to attack and killed a

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member of a rival cult group, simply identified as Adele.

In a reprisal attack, friends of the deceased were said to have killed three others and injuring so many persons during the free-for-all.

Police source had it that Niyi had earlier been indicted in a murder-related case by the Police authorities at Ijora Badia.

It was also gathered that he was arrested and taken to court by the Police for prose-

cution over murder of another cult member, but he allegedly ‘bribed’ his way out of the prison as an awaiting-trial inmate.

The state Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) Ngozi Braide, who confirmed the incident to The Guardian said that only one person was killed.

He also confirmed that there seven suspected cult members.

A Police source also said that

even the deceased was also on the wanted list of the Police, until his death.

It was gathered that the deceased before his death resided at No. 5, Ijora Oloye Street in Ijora, Lagos.

The Police source said: “He was 25 years old. It was people that identified Ojora before Niyi allegedly stabbed him to death. He did not die on the spot but on his way to the hospital.

“But the matter is yet to be re-

ported to the Police. Even members of his family never reported the matter to the Police but we had gone to the hospital with the intention to collect his body for burial but the Police prevented the family from claiming the body because the deceased was a suspect and his case is still under investigation.

“Investigation revealed that the deceased’s killer is at present at large, even though he is supposed to be in prison cus-

tody as awaiting trial in-mate for alleged murder.

It was also gathered that Police might charge Niyi for another first-degree murder for allegedly killing Ojora.

Meanwhile, tension has continued to mount at the Ijora Badia, a surburb of Lagos State even as Police have promised that there was no cause for alarm as a detachment of Policemen fro Mobile Squadrons has been dispatched to the crisis spot.

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Business ‘Why Nigeria’s oil output may slide by 20 per cent’ From Collins Olayinka, Abuja

•Shell, ExxonMobil seek industry reforms

HE prevailing inadequate T funding of oil exploration projects in Nigeria may lead

that to simply replace natural production decline rates requires much of the funding that is currently available. I would therefore urge all players in the industry to keep looking for innovative ways to inject additional capital.”

The regional Shell chief also solicited close collaboration among industry players to engender fair fiscal environment.

He added: “As the world around us changes, especially with regards to oil prices and industry costs, it is natural that fiscal environments are reviewed to maintain a fair investment climate for all stakeholders in the industry.

The oil industry requires large bets to be placed, and often over a period measured in decades, not just years.

“Fiscal stability and predictability are absolutely key in ensuring investors of all sizes can commit confidently, government revenues can be

to 20 per cent fall in the output of the commodity in the country, the Vice President, Nigeria and Gabon Shell Upstream, Markus Droll has said.

Speaking in Abuja at the ongoing Nigeria Oil and Gas (NOG) conference and exhibition, Droll stated that more funding is needed for the country to fulfill its oil and gas potentials.

He said: “Our belief is that for Nigeria to fulfill its oil and gas potential, more funding is required by the industry than we have seen in recent years.

We are in a high cost environment, and in order to collectively climb towards significant higher production levels, we do need to find better ways to fund development.

“Decline rates in the country can be as high as 15 to 20 per cent and you will appreciate

forecast reliably, and a capable service industry is maintained with steady workload. If we can’t succeed on this, my fear is that we will not attract as much capital to Nigeria as we need.”

The Chairman of Shell Companies in Nigeria, Mutiu Sunmonu, pointed out that the bureaucratic bottlenecks associated with doing business in the country is another formidable obstacle to the growth of Nigeria’s oil and gas sector.

This was not different from the submissions of other key operators in the industry who lamented the harsh business environment even as Sunmonu hinted that investors could start sourcing alternatives if the situation remains unchanged.

His words: “Frankly speaking, as I speak here today, if I just look at the Shell hassle of moving project through in this environment, it’s overwhelm-

ing. And when you have to go through some of these hassles, every investor will start to think about alternatives.”

He noted that the idea of having parallel evaluation and parallel negotiation of the same contract is a waste of time insisting that there must be a common approach where all the processes are done on once and for all basis.

He added: “If we are not cost efficient, this industry will die because there will not be enough money to do as much projects that will enable the government of this country to realize the aspiration it has set. The very first thing for me is practicality. We are running this business with out sufficient sense of practicality.

Operators, contractors, regulators need to have a much more practical approach to the way we do business here.”

While also lamenting the lack of proper funding models for the industry, he warned that failure to conclude one this year would

Managing Director, Berger Paints Nigeria Plc, Tor Nygard (left); Executive Director, Business Development, The Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE), Haruna Jalo-Waziri; Chairman, Berger Paints Nigeria Plc, Clement A. Olowokande and Director, Dr. Raymond C. Obieri at the ‘Facts Behind the Figures’ presentation of the company at the Exchange in Lagos, yesterday.

NLNG pays N220 billion into federation account From Collins Olayinka, Abuja

•Budgets N2b to boost manpower development in varsities

HE Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG) contributed N220 billion into the federation account in 2013, its managing director, Babs Omotowa has said.

This comes as the NLNG unveiled its plan to spend N2 billion on six universities drawn from the six geo-political zones of the country to boost the study of engineering profession.

Omotowa, who disclosed this yesterday in Abuja on the sideline of the ongoing Nigeria Oil and Gas (NOG), named the universities to include University of Ibadan, University of Nigeria Nsukka, University of Maiduguri, University of Ilorin, University of Port Harcourt and Ahmadu Bello University Zaria.

He highlighted that the company has monetized about four trillion cubic feet of gas that would have been flared and contributed four per cent to Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in 2013.

He added: “The NLNG paid income tax of about N220 billion into the federation account last year. The company contributed to the reduction in the amount cooking gas cost in the market and also we are producing about 80 per cent of local consumption of cooking gas presently.

While we are the fourth largest LNG in the world, we are also the seventh gas producers in the world.”

Omotowa hinted that $2 million would be spent on the construction of modern engineering laboratories

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equipped with cutting-edge equipment.

The NLNG boss lamented the fact that no Nigerian university is listed among the top 500 universities in the world, describing the situation as worrisome.

His words: “No Nigerian university is ranked amongst the 500 best universities in the world today; neither is our ranking amongst African universities impressive. All the predictions about Nigeria’s ascent as a developed country will only come true if and when we also take firm steps to fix our educational system.

“Well-meaning stakeholders need to urgently join hands to turnaround the poor quality of education in the country for the future of Nigeria to be bet-

ter. This is why Nigeria LNG, committed to helping build a better Nigeria, is initiating the 2billion NLNG University Support Programme to help bring engineering education up to speed with world class standards.”

He added that NLNG Corporate Social Responsibility portfolio spans education, healthcare, infrastructure, enterprise and capacity development across the country, explaining, “but amongst all these, we consider education a special focus area. This, therefore, is part of our contribution to compliment the various efforts of government, the academia and other stakeholders to improve the quality of the education in the country.”

mean no project will be executed leading to low revenue for the government and huge loses to operators.

“There have been different discussions and models being put forward to enable easier funding we need to bring this to closure. We can’t continue to discuss the same thing yearly. We have to take the view that you either fund projects or there will be no project”, he stated.

In his contribution, the Managing Director of ExxonMobil Companies in Nigeria, Mark Ward said the sector is still being governed by laws and regulation made in the 1960’s at the inception of oil production in the country.

“Most of us on this stage have been in Nigeria for many

years and we have not seen things getting better. And so you wonder why that is the case, because many of the things in place dates back to 1960 when N500, 000 used to be a lot of money,” he said.

Mark explained that the inefficiency in the industry is occasioned by the outdated process of contract award, which results in delay of contact execution.

He explained: “Every single contract has to go through the process that worked in the 1960’s, it’s very difficult and takes a long time and its overwhelming the system, so clearly there is a need for reform. Reform is needed to solve some of the fundamental issues associated with the inefficiency we see in the system that dates back to the origin of the industry.”

‘Enterprise Bank ready for sale’

By Chijioke Nelson HE Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Enterprise Bank Limited, Mallam Ahmed Kuru, said the financial institution is now ready for sale, subject to the decision of the core investorthe Asset Management Company of Nigeria (AMCON).

Kuru said that the mandate for the bank’s operations on intervention, which includes running the financial institution professionally, efficiently, commercially and profitably, has been achieved.

Reeling out indices that he said are verifiable at a Breakfast Forum organized

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by the bank, yesterday, Kuru noted that the financial institution has long returned to the path of profitability, with 20 per cent year-on-year increases in the last three years.

He said that the sale of the bank was earlier slated for the first quarter of this year, but later extended to October, admitting that there were over 20 local and international financial institutions bidding for the bank.

Kuru said that the mandate of the present board and management was to focus on value creation through the bank’s activities, not meddle with the issue of the investor that CONTINUED ON PAGE 22

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22 BUSINESS

NCC decries multiple taxation in telecoms sector From Niyi Bello, Akure HE burden of multiple taxaT tion on telephone service providers by different levels of governments, denials of rights of way for expansion of telecommunication infrastructure and vandalization of equipment have been identified by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) as the major factors militating against the attainment of quality service in the country’s telecommunication sector, regarded as one of the fastest growing in the world.

Chairman of the NCC, Peter Igho, who identified these impediments to industry expansion during a courtesy call on Ondo State governor, Dr. Olusegun Mimiko in his Akure Office during the week, appealed to governments to ease these burdens for the sector to record the desired growth.

The NCC boss specifically appealed to Mimiko, who is a member of the National Economic Council on Multiple Taxation, Levies and Charges on ICT Infrastructure in Nigeria, under the Chairmanship of VicePresident Namadi Sambo, to further influence the reduction in the taxes and levies payable by telecommunication companies operating in Nigeria.

He described the outlined impediments as being beyond the scope of the NCC as the regulatory body of the telecommunication industry “but within the mandate of the government”, and that the commission is already tackling those under its control to achieve maximum results.

According to him, “the issue of right of way and multiple taxations deserves serious attention. There are multiple taxations and regulations that await the service providers at the various levels of government, including state govern-

ments and even some communities.

“In most cases, unfortunately, telecom masts and towers easily become specific targets for multiple taxes and regulations even where there are other masts and towers in existence, or even when appropriate taxes have been imposed at the Federal level.

“The resolution of these issues would go beyond enhancing quality of service as it would contribute to expansion of infrastructure and attraction of investment in the sector for the benefit of the nation.

“As we all know, rights of way for deployment of infrastructure determines the ease with which service providers can easily and quickly deploy or add new infrastructures at a given time and place. Related also is the vandalization of equipment across the nation, which also contributes negatively to quality of service.”

The NCC boss, who was accompanied on the visit by members of the board and management of the commission also blamed ignorance of how the communication system works across the globe on the way authorities in Nigeria seek to limit the infrastructure of the service providers especially in the erection of masts.

He said: “In the United Kingdom, there are more than 65,000 base stations for telecommunication services in a land that is far less than Nigeria’s. Nigeria is yet to achieve 25,000 installations across its huge land mass, yet many feel that we already have enough and are defacing the environment.

“This of course is causing infrastructure deficit and the situation is alreasy becoming very discouraging to the service providers who are being forced to depend on very few base stations to serve the populace.”

Igho however sought the support of the Ondo governor as

the commission according to him, “is currently pursuing a major broadband infrastructure deployment programme and we would expect progressive governments to join hands with us and also plan ahead to tap on these potentials.”

He also disclosed that the commission is currently putting on efforts in the provision of Emergency Communication Centres (ECC)

across the country and that by this, the NCC “has elected to assist the Federal and state governments to introduce this most desired service across the nation in partnership with state governments.

“The pilot of these centres in Awka and Minna were currently commissioned. Few more centres located in some other state would be commissioned soon. It may not be out of place to say that all citizens

of Ondo state would appreciate this service.”

Mimiko who requested the NCC to assist the state in the provision of a three-digit line to be deployed in the operations of the state’s intervention programmes in healthcare delivery such as the Abiye Safe Motherhood programme, the Trauma and Kidney Care Centres, charged the commission to put in place a quality measurement

mechanism ‘that will tell us the efficiency of our telecom service.”

According to him, “the perception of Nigerians that the service providers are only out to cheat them and milk them dry must be changed and the NCC must see to it because for each minute that subscribers are denied usage of their telephones through bad service, billions of naira are skimmed from them.”

Chief Operating Officer, Smile Communications Nigeria Limited, Tom Allen (left); Chairman, Dr. Ernest Azudialu Obiejesi; Managing Director, Century Power, Dr. Chukwueloka Umeh; and Managing Director, Ericsson Nigeria, Kamar Abass, at a special press conference to announce the rollout of Smile broadband internet services held in Lagos.

Enterprise Bank awaits new investors, says MD CONTINUED FROM PAGE 21 would buy the bank, which is reserved for the core investor, to avoid distraction.

According to him, on resumption of duties at the bank, its technology was obsolete, branches were more like a bureau de change

offices and operating without profit.

“Now, we have changed and upgraded the technologies and servers driving our operations, equipped and refurbished our 160 branch network, even the channels of service delivery, with profit.

We have healthy risk assets.

“Our mandate was not a size game, but that of efficient operations, ensuring a highly motivated workforce through training and capacity building and returning the bank to profitability. We have achieved these mandates.

“Our corporate governance is now high and has been affirmed by CBN. We now have improved profitability year-on-year, processes, technology and fully motivated workforce.

“AMCON will divest at its own time, ours is to create and maintain value so that the investors could recoup their investment and make gain as well. We have always told our customers to have no fear and that divesting is good for the bank and industry,” he said.

Kuru assured that divesting

and sale of bank should never be a cause for panic as banks can be bought and sold by any entity at any time, with the difference being change in shareholding and investors.

He pointed out that the bank’s loan growth target has grown from N5 billion in 2011 to N76 billion in 2012; N100 billion, last year; and N105 billion for 2014.

According to him, lending, like any other bank in Nigeria, is the core revenue base of the bank, both from foreign exchange and treasury activities.

Thursday, March 20, 2014 BUSINESS | 23

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Govt seeks increased Chinese investment in Nigeria HE Minister of State for T Foreign Affairs 1, Prof. Viola Onwuliri, has called for increased Chinese direct investment in Nigeria.

Onwuliri made the call yesterday in Abuja when she received a Chinese business delegation currently on a 12-

day investment exploratory tour of Nigeria.

She noted that the yearly bilateral trade between Nigeria and China had maintained a steady increase from two billion dollars in 2002 to over 13 billion dollars in 2012.

The minister told the 21-man

team, comprising chief executives of leading Chinese conglomerates, that there were boundless opportunities for fresh investments in Nigeria. ``Nigeria is a foremost investor’s destination; the largest country on the continent and one of the fastest

growing economies in the world. ``With a population of over 167 million people, any business that you want to bring on board will have enough patronage, and the return of investment is one of the highest in the world,’’ she said.

Nebo seeks implementation of gas to power master plan HE Minister of Power, Prof. to buy the gas at competitive in the power, oil and gas sec- Government will continue to tor to build a more formida- create the enabling environT Chinedu Nebo, on Tuesday price.

He said the issue of paying for ble synergy in the realisation ment for the Generating and called for the effective implementation of the gas to power master plan to fast track the economic development of Nigeria.

Nebo made the call at the ongoing Nigeria Oil and Gas Conference and Exhibition in Abuja.

Represented by Frank Edozie, Senior Special Assistant to the Minister on Gas, Nebo stressed the need to reduce gas flaring and channel the gas for domestic use.

The minister said that the Federal Government, through legislation and the launch of the gas master plan, had been able to reduce the menace of gas flaring in the country.

He said the gas master plan, if properly implemented, would ensure the effective exploitation and management of Nigeria's gas sector for the benefit of Nigerians. ``The gas master plan has three key strategies which include stimulating multiplier effect of gas in the domestic economy and this will be facilitated through the gas to power project. ``It will also help position Nigeria competitively in the gas export market and guarantee long term energy security in Nigeria,’’ he said.

Nebo said the power sector remains the largest consumer of gas in the domestic economy, and stressed the need to develop the financial muscle

Experts want govt to check companies' tax imbalances OME tax experts have urged Sharmonise the Federal Government to the existing tax laws to check disparities in taxes being paid by local and foreign companies.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that under the existing tax regime, indigenous companies are taxed on all their incomes, while the foreign companies are taxed only on their Nigeria-sourced income.

The experts told NAN in separate interviews on Tuesday in Abuja that the existing tax regime placed the local companies at a disadvantage.

According to them, the imbalance also included tax evasion by expatriates who circumvent the residency laws on tax payment.

One of the experts, Thomas Achimugu, said that the existing tax regime in the country should be reviewed to promote healthy competition among companies in the country.

Achimugu decried the existing situation where Nigerian companies paid more tax than foreign firms, including the multinationals.

He said that the preference being enjoyed by foreign companies could discourage local businesses.

gas at a competitive price had been a major challenge for the power sector, and expressed optimism that the situation would be gradually resolved with the privatisation of the sector.

The minister said the introduction of a sector-based pricing intervention was conceived in the short-mediumterm to ensure the realisation of the gas to power plan.

Nebo called on stakeholders

of the gas to power plan.

He noted that Nigeria had transited from a demand constrained gas market to primarily a supply constrained one, hence the need for all hands to be on deck.

The minister, who noted the high rising prices of gas in the international market, stressed the need for the domestic market to also be able to buy the gas at competitive price.

According to him, the Federal

Distributing Companies (Gencos and Discos) to thrive.

Earlier, NNPC Group Executive Director, Gas, David Ige, said the corporation was working round the clock to ensure availability of gas for the power plants.

Ige, however, said there was need to accelerate the various projects on gas pipeline infrastructure so that the new Independent Power plants could fully come on stream.

The minister said that the Chinese had notified her of their interest to invest billions of naira in several areas of the economy in the next few months.

According to her, the Chinese showed interest in power, agriculture, real estate, geological exploration, housing construction, railway and mining.

The leader of the delegation, Zhou Dewen, said that more Chinese companies were interested in investing in Nigeria because of its huge natural resources and returns on investment.

He said since the arrival of the delegation on Sunday, they had had fruitful discussions with governments and business associations.

To affirm their interest in investing Nigeria, Dewen said the business delegation would visit Ogun, Imo, Abia, Benue, Enugu and Nasarawa

states.

Dr Tony Chime, regional Vice President, China-Africa Investment Club, said members of the delegation were ``people who control over 500 companies in China’’.

Amb. Usman Baraya, Chief of Protocol in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said that the establishment of a new Nigeria Consulate in Guangzhou underscored the blossoming ties with China. ``At the beginning of the millennium, we had less than one million telephone lines in Nigeria, but through active collaboration and partnership, especially with Chinese firm Huawei, we have over 130 million lines.’’

Baraya urged prospective Chinese investors to take a cue from the revolution in Nigeria telecommunications market and venture into other areas of investment.

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24 | Thursday, March 20, 2014

INTERNATIONAL ECONOMY

UK unemployment steadies at 7.2% RITAIN’S unemployment B rate held steady in the three months through January as Bank of England policy makers said the pound’s advance is keeping price pressures in check.

The jobless rate measured

by International Labour Organization methods was 7.2 percent, the same as in the final quarter of 2013, the Office for National Statistics said in London today. Jobless claims, a narrower measure of unemployment, fell 34,600, and wage growth accelerated.

The data was published as the BOE released the minutes of its March Monetary Policy Committee meeting, showing officials voted unanimously to keep the benchmark rate at a recordlow 0.5 percent. The MPC said the pound’s advance had led to a tightening of financial conditions and the currency may appreciate fur-

ther as the economy strengthens.

“Sterling had appreciated by another 1.5 percent during the month, and it was possible that this gradual appreciation would continue if prospects in the U.K. continued to be seen as increasingly favorable relative to those of it’s main trading partners,” the BOE said.

Britain’s currency reached $1.6823 on Feb. 17, the highest level since November 2009. It rose 0.2 percent today to $1.6621 as of 10:25 a.m.

London time.

The BOE is “keen to keep ratehike expectations pushed back with an emphasis on sterling strength,” said James Knightley, an economist at ING Bank in London.

“Nonetheless, with the U.K. growth and employment story looking very healthy we are comfortable with the view that the BOE will end up tightening policy within the

next twelve months.”

The MPC is currently operating under its first form of forward guidance and won’t consider increasing its benchmark rate at least until unemployment falls to 7 percent.

The pledge has knockouts linked to the inflation outlook and the MPC said today that none of those have been breached.

“All members agreed that the probability of inflation being above 2.5 percent in 18-24 months time remained less than 50 percent,” the MPC said. “If anything the appreciation of sterling on the month made that prospect a little less likely.”

The report came hours before Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne announces his annual budget to Parliament. His fiscal watchdog is likely to raise its 2014 growth forecast to 2.7 percent from 2.4 percent, according to a Bloomberg

survey.

In the minutes, the BOE said there were signs that U.K. growth was broadening, though there remained “some way to go to ensure that the recovery was both balanced and sustainable.”

The ILO unemployment rate was in line with the median forecast in a Bloomberg survey. Unemployment fell 63,000 to 2.33 million people in the three months through January compared with the August-October period.

Monthly estimates based on a restricted sample show the jobless rate fell to 6.9 percent in January, the lowest since February 2009.

The drop in jobless claims last month, the 16th in a row, was more than the 25,000 predicted in a Bloomberg survey, and pushed the claimant-count rate down to 3.5 percent. In January, claims declined 33,900, more than initially estimated.

Fed to trim bond buying, rewrite rates guidance HE Federal Reserve is set to T trim its bond-buying stimulus for a third time in a row on Wednesday, and will probably rewrite its guidance on when it might eventually raise interest rates.

The moves would represent both continuity at the U.S. central bank as Janet Yellen chairs her first policy-setting meeting and a nod to economic reality.

A reduction in the Fed's monthly purchases of Treasuries and mortgagebacked securities by $5 billion each, as widely expected, would bring the monthly total to $55 billion and keep the central bank on track for a measured wind down of the program as laid out by Yellen's predecessor, Ben Bernanke.

Less certain is what the Fed will do about its interest rate guidance. It has said since December 2012 that it would not consider raising shortterm rates until the jobless rate dropped to at least 6.5 percent, as long as inflation looked set to remain contained.

But the unemployment rate has already dropped to 6.7 percent, in part because of discouraged job hunters giving up the search, and officials think the economy is still far from ready for higher borrowing costs.

Top Fed policymakers have indicated they are likely to scrap the numerical threshold and move to more qualitative guidance, but exactly how they will frame it is not certain.

The challenge they face is making the change without shifting market expectations for the timing of a first rate hike, now seen as coming midway through next year - in line with views also held by top Fed officials.

Bank of the West chief economist Scott Anderson said the upshot will probably be "a less transparent, and perhaps less helpful, qualitative statement" of the economic conditions the Fed wants to see before raising rates.

It wants to ensure "that another sharp decline in the unemployment rate for the wrong reasons doesn't send long-term interest rates soaring on expectations of an imminent rate hike," Anderson said.

The Fed has kept overnight

rates near zero since December 2008 and has bought more than $3 trillion in long-term debt to keep borrowing costs down and spur investment and hiring.

It began to scale back its stimulus in December, announcing it would trim its monthly bond purchases by $10 billion, after it saw the economy pick up speed in the fall. In January, the Fed said it would cut the purchases by a further $10 billion.

At the same time, it has sought to tamp down any market expectations that rate rises will soon follow with its so-called forward guidance.

But the jobless rate threshold could soon be breached, and officials want to find a more durable way to telegraph their view on when they will

China's yuan slides to near one-year low as economic risks mount HINA'S yuan fell beyond 6.20 to the dollar on Wednesday for the first time since April last year amid market speculation the central bank will keep the currency weak as economic

C

growth slows.

The yuan has tumbled 0.8 percent so far this week after the People's Bank of China (PBOC) on Saturday doubled the daily trading band allowed for the currency to 2 percent from the

mid-point that it sets each day.

Spot yuan briefly fell as low as 6.2040 in early afternoon trade before ending at 6.1965. That marked a 0.07 percent loss on the day from Tuesday's close, and a fall of 1 percent from the mid-point.

"We see risks of further nearterm yuan weakness, but do not expect this to extend beyond the second quarter.

It is not in the PBOC's interests to have a sustained depreciation in the currency, as this will increase financial stability risks," economists at ANZ said in a research note.

Other analysts agreed that allowing the yuan to weaken too far, too fast would only increase the stresses on Chinese companies and the broader economy.

ANZ expects the currency to return to a modest appreciation trend in the second half, but still end the year weaker for the first time since Beijing unshackled it from its fixed exchange rate to the dollar in 2005.

The currency has risen more than 30 percent since then, attracting a growing number of global investors, big

and small, many of whom have come to see it as a oneway appreciation bet.

ANZ like many other market watchers has now dialed back expectations for the yuan, revising its year-end yuan forecast to 6.08 from 5.98.

"The yuan may not appreciate this year given China's weak economy," agreed one trader in Shanghai. "The return of yuan strength will not only rely on when the economy bottoms out, but when fresh long yuan funds come in."

While the recent slide in the yuan is widely seen as a move engineered by the central bank to punish speculators, it has coincided with heightened anxiety among global investors that longstanding risks in China may be coming to a head.

The economy clearly lost steam in the first two months of the year and rising debt worries following the country's first domestic bond default are adding to pressure on its currency and stock markets. A flurry of local media reports of troubled steel and property companies have compounded market jitters.

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Appointments NLC flays govt on ASUP, COEASU strike

By Yetunde Ebosele IGERIA Labour Congress N (NLC) has called on the federal government to put an end to what it described as ‘suffering of students’ by urgently bringing to an end the ongoing strike embarked upon by the members the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP) and the Colleges of

Education Academic Staff Union (COEASU).

According to NLC, the federal government is to blame for the recent breakdown of talks between the Minister of Education and the leadership of ASUP over the full implementation of the 2009 agreement.

The polytechnic lecturers have been on strike since October 2013, while their

counterparts in Colleges of Education have also been on similar industrial action since December 2013.

A statement issued by NLC explained that the congress was concerned that the prolonged strike action had led to the disruption of the academic calendar, “truancy and vices among students as well as threatened the health of education in the sub-sector.”

It added: “Government’s serial breach of agreements with the unions, especially in the education sector has had a telling effect on the well-being of the economy generally and education in particular.

“It is saddening that government is fast acquiring for itself a reputation of a partner that cannot be trusted to keep agreements it voluntarily entered into.Yet, government

cannot afford an image which inspires no confidence in the citizenry or the unions.

“Government’s dispute with COEASU, in our view, presents it with an ample opportunity to restore it’s damaged image during its prolonged disagreement with ASUU and not to further soil it.

“All normal societies are governed by sets of laws and agreements and Nigeria

Chairman, Public Policy Advocacy Committee of the Chartered Institute of Personnel Management (CIPM), Aderemi Adegboyega, President, Victor Famuyibo and Registrar/CEO, Sunday Adeyemi at a media briefing stating the institute’s position on the ill-fated Nigeria Immigration Service’s recruitment exercise on Tuesday in Lagos.

Improving women’s access to opportunities will develop the nation, says Oteh

By Bisi Alabi Williams HE Director General of the Nigerian Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Aruma Oteh has said that government reforms of the nation’s investment climate and the regulating of macroeconomic stability would improve access to finance for women entrepreneurs.

Oteh said this at the 2014 Annual Lecture of Women in Management, Business and Public Service (WIMBIZ) in Lagos.

According to her, improving access to opportunities for Nigerian women would go a long way in developing the nation and bridging existing gender gaps.

She praised the President Goodluck Jonathan administration for increasing the participation of women in governance by appointing women into strategic positions where they had proved themselves.

Specifically, she applauded the appointment of the first woman Chief Justice of the Federation, Aloma Murktar who according to her had been instrumental in checking corruption in the judiciary for the very first time, while charging other arms of

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government to emulate the judiciary.

According to Oteh, who was the guest lecturer at this year’s annual lecture, there was no better time to be a Nigerian woman than now because ‘the world of today is a world full of unlimited opportunities particularly women’.

“These are exciting times to be a woman. Despite the gender disparities and other factors working against the progress of women factors affecting women. Today, there is no reason for any of us women not to be bold, strategic and courageous enough to excel in whatever we do.”

She encouraged those present at the lecture to take a cue from the president who believes in women and encourages them; women should make the most effective use of situations opportunities all around them. She noted that while government is doing its bit, women should position themselves, be focused, improve themselves and be the best they can wherever they find themselves.

Commending WIMBIZ for its consistency, hard work and dedication in developing women as catalyst and

change - agents in nation building, she reminded them that as professional women, they must work hard because there is no limitation to hard work. “For you to get to the next level in your life and career, you must believe in yourself, have a plan, create wealth by savings, invest in companies, in bonds despite the limitations. You must look beyond the challenges and fight your way. I strongly believe that men and women should come to the table essentially be what we are but we must allow the best person to lead us.”

On Nigeria’s image and how it has discouraged President Obama from visiting Nigeria, she said that she would not canvass for President Obama and his wife to visit Nigeria because he needed to know that Nigeria was truly the giant of Africa, hence, there is need for him to identify with Nigeria who is a key player in the region. She said that Nigerians were the only ones to blame for the image of the nation abroad.

My stake on this is for every one of us to ask ourselves what we do in our sphere of influence to change this perception. Every one of us

should go out there and prove ourselves. We must take up the challenge that we are a honest and hard working people,” she said.

On his part, Jimi Disu, a veteran journalist and blogger charged women to look beyond the challenges that many of them face at home and in the work place and fight their way to the top.

Disu who moderated the interactive section during the annual lecture, said women are essentially victims of men’s brutality.

Be said that women had all it took to excel just like the men. Thus, rather than complaining that they were not given opportunities, they should take up the challenges and work very hard.

That, he noted, was the only way they could make a difference.

“When I look at women, I see them as assets, potentials that can turn around the fortunes of our nation. As key players in the nation’s development you must distinguish yourself in your chosen careers. I commend the good work that WIMBIZ is doing. I urge you to continue this good work”.

should not be an exception.

Impunity breeds counter impunity and is certainly a roller coaster to anarchy. In the light of the above, government should get its priority right by speedily responding to the demands of COEASU and ASUP for the sake of our children, our parents, our teachers, education system and the nation at large” Among the demands of ASUP are the non-release of a White Paper on the Visitation Panel to federal polytechnics, non release of funds for the implementation of CONTISS 15 migration and its arrears, the continued discrimination against polytechnic graduates in public service and during job search, the non-establishment of National Polytechnics Commission and continued recognition of the National Board for Technical Education as a regulatory body for Nigeria polytechnics, the slow speed in the review of the Polytechnics Act by the National Assembly, the underfunding of Nigeria Polytechnics as well as the alleged lopsided disbursement of TETFund grants and other financial interventions in the education sector, “which has been to the disadvantage of the polytechnics” and the worrisome state of state owned polytechnics, and the continued appointment of unqualified persons as rectors and provosts of polytechnics, monotechnics and Colleges of Technology by some state governments.

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APPOINTMENTS Thursday, March 20, 2014

Forum tasks entrepreneurs on global trends in business development

By Bisi Alabi Williams NTREPRENEURS and business executives have been charged to be focused globally as well as to evolve new work etiquettes that would make them more competitive in the international arena.

This was the focus at the 2014 summit in Lagos organised

by Poise Nigeria Limited for practicing and aspiring business executives.

According to the summit, the need to evolve that change has become even more pertinent, if Nigerians are to head multinational corporations both at home and abroad.

Speaking at the summit, Chief Executive Officer, Crosbridge Consult, Akosua Agyeman, said performance thinking is the critical part before an organisation starts thinking at all.

“The storyline is that everyone has a brain but if the brain is not adequately used, things will not happen for us.

She said everyone has a brain but it is not everyone that thinks well or use his or her brains well.

“Be mindful of the way you use your brain. You must have a plan, be objective and be at your best. Performance thinking is the ability to use various thinking modes to identify critical information related to the performance in various levels,” Agyeman said.

According to her, the 21st century executive who desires to excel “must under-

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stand why and relate it to performance. He who knows how will have a job but he who knows why will always be the boss. When you look at your organisation, don’t be static; you must be innovation, pragmatic and able to deliver on your promise. In order to stay ahead as a 21st Century Executive and as a team leader, you must most have a programme that will always increase your performance.

Above all, have a global mindset and you will excel in whatever you do.”

On personal mindset, she said a person’s mindset, has to do with the individual’s mind, hence it is the way the mind is set is the way the individual is.

“Human resources are the greatest assets of any organization. This is what determines the quality of the human resource. An individual’s competitiveness is greatly determined by their innovation.

Hence, the link is how you think.

She advised the discerning executive to always think globally, and act locally because if he cannot his thinking right, he wouldn’t get things right.

That is why people get to places not with their feet but with their thinking. She advise leaders to always prepare their people, if they cannot prepare themselves, they cannot prepare others.

The Chief Executive Officer of Poise Nigeria Ltd, Mrs. Mavi Isibor, said, “in today’s complex world of international business, the demand is grow-

ing for globally-minded, culturally-sophisticated executives who can produce results on the world stage, regardless of nationality.”

She pointed out that global executives with global mindsets were the key to sustainable competitive advantage in the global economy, saying that employing a wide spectrum of people from different countries can bring different experiences and fresh thinking into

the organisation.

Isibor noted that to be successful in an international assignment, an executive with a global mindset must relish diversity and embrace change.

According to the Human Resources Executive, MTN Nigeria Communications Ltd Amina Oyagbola, global leadership is the process of influencing individuals, groups, and organisations inside and outside the boundaries of the

global organisation, representing diverse cultural, political, institutional systems to contribute towards the achievement of the organisation’s goals.

Speaking on ‘The Global Mentality of an Executive’, she pointed out that governments alone couldn’t solve today’s global problems, by business, or civil society alone. The cooperation and partnerships of everyone is

needed. She noted that there is a need for the global leaders to be aware of these problems and to create awareness among others.

She said the world needs global leaders because today’s global problems cannot be solved by government alone, or by businesses alone or by the civil service alone. The ability is to influence individual groups, organizations and systems for greater results.

ACCA career fairs equip students, graduates for employment

By Chijioke Nelson HE Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) Nigeria said its yearly career fair is aimed at equipping its students, those of the tertiary institutions and unemployed graduates the firsthand knowledge of job requirements.

The global accounting body had just concluded its job fairs in Abuja, Port Harcourt and Lagos, attracting thousands of youths as participants and major employers of labour and recruitment agencies in the country, including Deloitte, KPMG, EY, GTBank, United Bank for Africa Plc, Etisalat and Ecobank, among others.

The event, which was free for all participants, afforded all in attendance a one-on-one review of Curriculum Vitae

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(CV) job seekers, mentoring and meeting of tuition providers by students and prospective students for ACCA certification.

According ACCA, the opportunity is a deliberate effort to bring together all its partners in the projects from the banking sector, the construction industry, telecommunication, as well as representatives of some Ministries, Departments and Agencies directly involved in job creation to interface with the students of accountancy in the tertiary institutions, as well as qualified and interested ones.

The Director, sub-Sahara Africa, ACCA, Jamil Ampomah, explained that the cost of the event was part of ACCA’s demonstration of commitment to its members and non-members’ success,

adding that it was planned for with its resources.

“It is not about cost, but our feeling of responsibility and quest to remain relevant as change agents, which is the brand value of every student and member of ACCA. We are doing the same in 11 countries of Africa, where we are present, with a total of 90,000 membership and students.

“Today, our recruitment partners and companies who value highly our qualifications are reviewing CVs and making appointments to follow through. Others are being directed to available job opportunities, while some are being mentored on the art of writing good CV. “Last year, our fair focused on engaging employers, students and tuition providers, but this year we added mentoring. Every ambiguity

about employment and career in finance, particularly with ACCA, is being provided.

“For us, it is significant to get over 20 international brands, who are also big employers, together and job seekers and students having access to them without charge,” Ampomah said.

But the Head of ACCA Nigeria, Oluwatoyin Ademola, said that the value can be seen easily by imagining how many organisations that used to do this before now or at present.

“It’s not only about unemployment, but also about employability. The most intelligent don’t always get the job due to lack of knowledge of what is expected of the person. It may be the issue of CV, dress code at an interview and simple courtesies.

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Ondo TESCOM boss harps on effective manpower supervision From Niyi Bello, Akure OR Nigeria to derive maximum socio-economic and political benefits from its vast pool of human resources especially the youths who constitute the largest chunk of the population, extra efforts should be made to ensure that the country’s education system is geared towards quality delivery, the Chairman of Ondo State Teaching Service Commission (TESCOM), Dr. Bakkita Bello, has canvassed.

Bello, a former Speaker of the State House of Assembly stated this at the commencement of a high level advisory meeting on monitoring and supervision of public secondary schools in the state, said the abundant energy of the average youth must be harnessed for personal and national growth.

He said this could only be made possible if conscious efforts are made in the process of education delivery, to ensure that adequate quality control mechanism are entrenched in the administration of secondary education across the country.

The TESCOM boss in an address to a gathering of resource persons and stakeholders in the state secondary education sector including officials of the state government led by the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Dr. Aderotimi Adelola, said his tenure in office would create a positive shift towards effective supervision and monitoring of the about 300 secondary schools under his watch.

He argued that with effective monitoring, “we are assured of the production of quality products that will reflect the huge amount of investments, both material and human, that the state government is investing on the education of our youths.”

According to him, “we are witnessing a deliberate efforts by the TESCOM Board and Management to ensure that our public secondary schools are well-monitored and

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supervised with a view to improving the performances of our children and to enable them compete favourably with their counterparts anywhere in the world. Doing this, the huge investment of the present administration in the education sector will not go down the drain.

Effective monitoring and supervision are the main tools that if well-utilised by all stakeholders will put our teachers on their toes and at the same time, assist our students in acquiring the needed lifelong skills and knowledge that will enable them improve on their performances tremendously in the forthcoming as well as subsequent WASSCE, NECO examinations and other tests.”

He tasked participants at the one-day parley to “suggest harmonious relationship among the community, school and government for the development of the school system, generate guidelines and develop

instruments for effective monitoring and supervision”, in order to realise the objective of quality education delivery.

In his address, Adelola recollected that on assumption of office five years ago, “the present administration in Ondo State critically evaluated the education sector with a view to finding out the reason behind low level performances of learners and that at the end of the evaluation, various challenges were identified which prompted the state government to confront the challenges headlong.”

The SSG stated that among the steps taken in a multidimensional improvement strategy to address the rot, was the creation of Quality Education Assurance Agency for effective supervision of schools stressing that. “monitoring and supervision are essential ingredients of total quality management in any organisation.”

UBA foundation sponsors overseas training for LASUTH doctors, nurses S part of concerted efforts A to improve on child mortality in Nigeria, UBA Foundation is sponsoring doctors and nurses from the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH) to India for Neo-Natal care studies.

The Group Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer UBA Plc, Phillips Oduoza and Managing Director UBA Foundation, Ms. Ijeoma Aso at the UBA Head Office, Marina Lagos, presented the cheque for the sum of N5.8million representing the cost of their training recently to officials of LASUTH. The move according to Aso is in furtherance of the Foundation’s intervention in the area of child mortality in Nigeria, which motivated it to donate incubators to teaching hospitals across the

country.

“This is taking our incubator initiative a notch further.

Last year we gave out incubators to teaching hospitals across Nigeria and now we are sending medical personnel for further training on behalf our little ones.

Healthcare for infants deserves a lot of focus,” she said.

Also speaking at the event, the UBA GMD harped on training and retraining particularly in the health sector.

“Given the advancement in technology, new ways and new equipment’s have been discovered in treating ailment and handling medical cases. It is to this end that we felt compelled to come to the aid of LASUTH in further enhancing and developing the knowledge base of our doctors and nurses,” said

Govt reiterates commitment to tackle unemployment From Kanayo Umeh, Abuja HE Minister of Youth Development, Boni Haruna has disclosed that the administration of President Goodluck Jonathan is set to put in place robust measures, which would ultimately reduce significantly the menace of youth unemployment in the country through the National Youth Policy.

Speaking during a courtesy call in his office, in Abuja by the delegation of members of Villanova Old Boys Association, the Minister expressed sadness at the unfortunate death of some youths at the Immigration recruitment exercise.

He revealed that he was depressed at the news of the incident, promising that he would be more committed to alleviating the plight of millions of unemployed youths in the country.

Haruna opined that the Ministry under him was

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working assiduously towards putting in place measures that will seek to develop the entrepreneurial skills and potentials of the youth.

He reasoned that with adequate entrepreneurial skills and provision of some funds, it would be possible for Government through the National Youth Policy to reduce the number of unemployed youths significantly.

His passion, he disclosed further would be to realise this strategic objective, stating that, the NYSC would provide a veritable platform to achieve this goal.

The Minister then disclosed that the NYSC would be reviewed to deliver on the mandate of empowering youths to create jobs for selfemployment and employ others, thereby reducing poverty.

Besides, he noted that Nigerian youths were dynamic and resourceful

and as such can have their energy re-channeled towards more creative ventures.

According to him, unless this was done, unemployment would be a potential bomb adding that, the ministry would demonstrate more passion and commitment towards addressing it.

He used the occasion to condole the families of the youths who lost their lives and promised to devote his time towards formulation of development programmes for the youth sector under the transformation agenda of President Jonathan.

Earlier, he thanked the delegation of the Villanova Old Boys Association for paying him the visit. He pledged to fulfil the divine purpose why God has sent him to work in the Ministry at this particular time, while thanking President Goodluck Jonathan for the opportunity to serve the nation.

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APPOINTMENTS Thursday, March 20, 2014

Shell, FRSC train 540 volunteers on basic crash rescue From Collins Olayinka, Abuja HE Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Company (SNEPCO) and Federal Road safety Commission (FRSC) are collaborating to provide basic crash rescue and first aid training for 540 volunteers across the country.

Speaking at the inauguration of the National Community Post-Crash Care Initiative (NCPCCI) in Abuja, the Managing Director of SNEPCO, Chike Onyejekwe explained that the skills that would be acquired and the tools provided will enable the volunteers provide effective assistance to victims, within

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the critical minutes after crash.

The SNAPCO boss, who bemoaned the loss of lives due to inappropriate tools, added that within the PostCrash Care Support, SNEPCO would be providing victim extraction equipment.

“Rescuers currently attempt extraction by hand or using makeshift tools. These methods are often unsuccessful or adversely impact the victim.

Mechanised victim extraction, using mechanical extraction equipment such as spreaders, cutters and glasscutters enables a safe, speedy and successful victim extraction,” he stated.

He said the initiative is leveraging on the willingness of those living along major corridors that are accident-prone, who always rush out to help accident victims.

“This programme leverages on a wonderful aspect of our culture – helping one another.

It utilises key resources, the human roadside community members, who normally rush out to assist when crash occurs. These lay bystanders, are normally the first to the scene and due to limitations in formal emergency services, are sometimes the only available support for crash victims in rural area, where a vast number of the fatal road

crashes occur. Unfortunately, due to lack of skills and tools, they are often unable to provide requite assistance,” he explained.

Although the equipment is few in the country, he said SNEPCO would be providing 12 of such equipment for the benefit of accident victims.

He added: “World Rescue Organisation United Kingdom to provide technical competence strengthening in mechanised victim extraction for statutory rescue organisations. It is our hope that these contributions will provide benefits to all Nigerians far beyond the contribution, as we continue to support the Federal Government as it

strives to achieve 50 per cent reduction in road traffic crashes by 2020.”

In his speech at the handing over of the equipment to the FRSC, the Corp Marshall of the Commission, Osita Chidoka, said NCPCCI was painstakingly designed by the FRSC to bridge the shortcoming that is associated with rescue activities involving first responders across the country.

The 540 volunteers were drawn from the identified areas such as Okene-Zariagi and Koton Karfi roads in Kogi State, Onitsha-Awka by Akwuzu junction and Onitsha-Ihiala-Mgbidi by Ihiala in Anambra State,

Enugu-9th Mile and EnuguAbakaliki roads in Enugu State, Owerri-Aba and OwerriOkigwe roads in Imo State, Lagos-Ibadan, Lekki-Epe and Badagry-Seme border roads in Lagos State, Kaduna-Abuja and Kaduna-Zaria roads in Kaduna State, Asaba-Benin and AgborAbraka roads in Delta State, Suleja-Lambatta-Lapai roads in Niger State.

Others include IbadanOgbomoso, Ibadan-Ife and Ibadan-Lagos roads in Oyo State, Gombe-Bauchi and Gombe-Yola roads in Gombe State, Port Harcourt Eastwest and Eastwest-Sabenwa roads in Rivers State and Ijebu OdeOre and Sagamu-Ibadan roads in Ogun State.

Women acquire training on public procurement From Nkechi Onyedika, Abuja S part of efforts to empower women through job creation, the federal government has commenced the training of 250 rural women on road maintenance basic techniques and entrepreneurial skills.

Other areas were the training of 50 professional women in public procurement and training of five rural women in small items public procurement.

Speaking at the flag-off of the training under the Growing Girls and Women in Nigeria (G-WIN) Project, Minister of Works, Mike Onolememen said the project is part of present administrations transformation

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agenda and seeks to integrate women and girls who have been deprived of access to deserved aspiration.

He noted that the G-WIN project is part of President Jonathan’s policy direction towards gender equality, poverty alleviation, wealth creation in line with the Vision 20:2020 and the millennium development Goals (MDGs).

Represented by the Permanent Secretary in the ministry, Dr. Abubakar Mohammed, the minister explained that the Federal Ministry of Works is among the five pilot ministries identified to pioneer the mainstreaming of gender issues, especially to empower the

Nigerian women for the task ahead.

Onolememen observed that the programme would impact positively on the socio-economic lives of the beneficiaries.

In her remarks, Minister of Women Affairs, Hajia Zainab Maina said that men over the years have dominated the construction industry and pointed out that it is important to bridge the gender gap to ensure that women are represented in the sector.

Maina noted that the G-WIN project would help empower and integrate women and girls in the national development process, especially in the critical sectors of the economy.

Director, sub-Sahara Africa, Association of Certified Chartered Accountants (ACCA), Jamil Ampomah (left) and Head, ACCA Nigeria, Oluwatoyin Ademola, at a media briefing, during the career fair it organised, in Lagos.

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ScienceGuardian Genome sequencing stumbles towards clinic ECHNOLOGY can uncover T disease risks but faces technical, scientific hurdles.

CU-Boulder postdoctoral researcher Tesfayohanes Yakob, left, and research engineer Dana Haushulz are shown here with a novel solar-thermal toilet developed by a team led by CU-Boulder Professor Karl Linden as part of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation’s “Reinvent the Toilet Challenge” to improve sanitation and hygiene in developing countries. Credit: Image courtesy of University of Colorado at Boulder

Solar-powered toilet debuts Turns human waste into electricity, fertilizer REVOLUTIONARY University of Colorado Boulder toilet fueled by the sun that is being developed to help some of the 2.5 billion people around the world lacking safe and sustainable sanitation will be unveiled in India this month.

The self-contained, waterless toilet, designed and built using a $777,000 grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, has the capability of heating human waste to a high enough temperature to sterilise human waste and create biochar, a highly porous charcoal, said project principal investigator Karl Linden, professor of Environmental Engineering.

The biochar has a one-two punch in that it can be used to both increase crop yields and sequester carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas.

The project is part of the Gates Foundation’s “Reinvent the Toilet Challenge,” an effort to develop a next-generation toilet that can be used to disinfect liquid and solid waste while generating useful end products, both in developing and developed nations, said Linden. Since the 2012 grant, Linden and his CUBoulder team have received an additional $1 million from the Gates Foundation for the project, which includes a team of more than a dozen faculty, research professionals and students, many working full time on the effort.

According to the Gates

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Foundation, the awards recognise researchers, who are developing ways to manage human waste that will help improve the health and lives of people around the world. Unsafe methods to capture and treat human waste result in serious health problems and death- food and water tainted with pathogens from fecal matter results in the deaths of roughly 700,000 children each year.

Linden’s team is one of 16 around the world funded by the Gates “Reinvent the Toilet Challenge” since 2011. All have shipped their inventions to Delhi, where they will be on display March 22 for scientists, engineers and dignitaries. Other institutional winners of the grants range from Caltech to Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands and the National University of Singapore.

The CU-Boulder invention consists of eight parabolic mirrors that focus concentrated sunlight to a spot no larger than a postage stamp on a quartz-glass rod connected to eight bundles of fiber-optic cables, each consisting of thousands of intertwined, fused fibers, said Linden. The energy generated by the sun and transferred to the fiber-optic cable system- similar in some ways to a data transmission line- can heat up the reaction chamber to over 600 degrees Fahrenheit to treat the waste material, disinfect pathogens

in both feces and urine, and produce char.

Meanwhile, scientists from Nanyang Technological University (NTU) had in 2012 invented a new toilet system that will turn human waste into electricity and fertilisers and also reduce the amount of water needed for flushing by up to 90 per cent compared to current toilet systems in Singapore.

Dubbed the No-Mix Vacuum Toilet, it has two chambers that separate the liquid and solid wastes.

Using vacuum suction technology, such as those used in aircraft lavatories, flushing liquids would now take only 0.2 litres of water while flushing solids require just one litre.

The existing conventional water closet uses about four to six litres of water per flush.

If installed in a public restroom flushed 100 times a day, this next generation toilet system, will save about 160,000 litres in a year — enough to fill a small pool 10 x 8 metres x 2m.

The NTU scientists are now looking to carry out trials by installing the toilet prototypes in two NTU restrooms.

If all goes well, the world can expect to see and even sit on the new toilet in the next three years.

Associate Prof. Wang JingYuan, director of the Residues and Resource Reclamation Centre (R3C) at NTU, who is leading the research project, said that their ultimate aim is not only for the new toilet system to save water, but to

have a complete recovery of resources so that none will be wasted in resource-scarce Singapore.

Linden said, “biochar is a valuable material. It has good water holding capacity and it can be used in agricultural areas to hold in nutrients and bring more stability to the soils.”

A soil mixture containing 10 per cent biochar can hold up to 50 per cent more water and increase the availability of plant nutrients, he said.

Additionally, the biochar can be burned as charcoal and provides energy comparable to that of commercial charcoal.

Linden is working closely with project co-investigators Prof. R. Scott Summers of Environmental Engineering and Prof. Alan Weimer, Chemical and Biological Engineering and a team of postdoctoral fellows, professionals, graduate students, undergraduates and a high school student.

“We are doing something that has never been done before,” said Linden. “While the idea of concentrating solar energy is not new, transmitting it flexibly to a customisable location via fiberoptic cables is the really unique aspect of this project.” The interdisciplinary project requires chemical engineers for heat transfer and solar energy work, environmental engineers for waste treatment and stabilisation, mechanical engineers to build actuators and moving parts and electrical engineers to design control sys-

Current technology for sequencing a person’s whole genome does not always capture data on key genes.

Sequencing a person’s entire genome can reveal potentially life-saving information about the presence of mutations associated with diseases.

But there are drawbacks- a study published this week in Nature finds that current sequencing technology does not always capture the complete genome, and illustrates the challenges of interpreting what the results mean for an individual patient.

“There are many steps that have to be worked out to ensure that we gain the most health-care benefit,” says William Feero, a physician at the Maine Dartmouth Family Medicine Residency in Fairfield, Maine, who was not involved in the study.

Researchers at Stanford University in California, examined whether a wholegenome scan could identify

disease risks in healthy people — a use of the technology that is within financial reach as the cost of sequencing drops.

The team of doctors, genetic counsellors and scientists report today in the Journal of the American Medical Association that it sequenced the whole genomes of 12 people with no diagnosed genetic diseases, looking for genetic mutations that might cause disease. Every patient was found to have two to six such mutations, and one woman found out that she carried a mutation in the gene BRCA1, which is linked to greater risk of ovarian and breast cancer. She opted to have her ovaries removed as a result.

But the researchers, led by cardiologists, Euan Ashley and Thomas Quertermous, also found that between the two genome sequencing services they used- Illumina, based in San Diego, California, and Complete Genomics, based in Mountain View, California10-19 per cent of genes known to be linked to disease were not adequately sequenced.

Africa’s air pollution underestimated in climate change models UMAN activity in Africa H significantly contributes to air pollution. However, no detailed data regarding country-by-country pollutant emissions in the continent was available until now.

To remedy this, a joint French-Ivory Coast team headed by the Laboratoire d’Aérologie (CNRS / Université Toulouse III — Paul Sabatier) mapped these emissions in Africa for 2005, before estimating them for 2030, using three scenarios.

The researchers showed that the climate change models used by the IPCC underestimate Africa’s emissions, which could account for 20 to 55 per cent of global anthropogenic emissions of gaseous and particulate pollutants by 2030. This work, published on March 11, 2014 in the journal Environment Research Letters, will help not only to improve existing climate models, but also to assess the health impacts of pollution in Africa’s urban areas.

Air pollutant emission inventories are essential in measuring the impact of pollution on air quality and the climate, as they are fed into atmospheric and climate models to make projections for the future. Although regional inventories for Europe, Asia and North America are extremely detailed, those for Africa were only global until now.

In order to fill this gap, the researchers drew up anthropogenic emission maps for 2005 for every country in

Africa. To do this, they used a variety of data, such as fuel consumption questionnaires submitted to the authorities of various countries, field surveys, and the results of research programmes such as AMMA (West African Monsoon programme) and POLCA (African Capitals Pollution programme).

The scientists also included highly polluting gas and particle emission sources in Africa, such as two-wheeled vehicles and old cars and trucks in cities, as well as charcoal making for cooking. Today, depending on the particles and gases considered (black carbon, organic carbon, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxide, carbon monoxide, etc), all these anthropogenic emission sources account for between 5 and 20 per cent of the world’s pollution. Africa’s contribution to climate change cannot therefore be overlooked.

On the basis of the inventories for 2005, the researchers estimated African pollutant emissions for 2030 using three scenarios. Two of these, featured in the POLES economic model, either describe a world with no environmental policy, or one that includes the commitments of the Kyoto Protocol (in other words, a 5.5 per cent reduction of greenhouse gas emissions over the 2008-2012 period compared to 1990 levels).

The scientists constructed a third scenario involving spe-

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32 | SCIENCEGUARDIAN Thursday, March 20, 2014

Saving women’s lives from unsafe abortion

By Chukwuma Muanya LESSING Abraham was 18B year old when she was ganged raped. Her drink was drugged during a date with one of the gang members.

Blessing, an orphan, had lost her parents in an auto crash when she was six, and now lives with her maternal uncle and his wife.

Blessing could not tell her foster parents about the rape incidence because of the fear of being sent away to an imminent bleak future.

Three months after, Blessing who was preparing for her Senior Secondary Certificate Exams (SSCE) could not see her period. Blessing was pregnant.

With little money she stole from her uncle and the help of her more experienced classmate, procured abortion from a nearby patent medicine vendor, popularly called chemist.

The chemist ruptured Blessing’s uterus in the process. She returned home but was never the same again.

Two weeks after, she was still bleeding with severe fever and was rushed to the hospital. Blessing died from complications of unsafe abortion from a quack ‘doctor’, The Chemist.

Mrs. Ekaete Umoru has been married for 15 years without children. Ekaete, now 45 years, has visited so many fertility clinics across the country without any success.

She confided in a friend: “I got pregnant when I was sixteen, after having sex with my ‘uncle’. He took me to a roadside clinic where I had abortion. I got pregnant severally for him but to save his marriage, he procured abortion for me. His wife found out after the fifth abortion.

“My uncle had traveled and I got very sick and passed out.

She had to take me to the hospital where it was discovered that my uterus has been severely damaged as a result of the abortions.”

Ekaete cannot have her own children.

Blessing and Ekaete represent millions of Nigerian girls especially between the ages of 15 and 25 that have either lost their lives or can no longer have their own children because their wombs have

been severely damaged.

Why are Nigerian women dying from unwanted pregnancies that can be prevented by abstaining from sex, using contraceptives such as condoms, using emergency contraception after sex or rape, and going to a trained medical doctor to safely terminate the pregnancy when it is inevitable?

According to reports by the Guttmacher Institute with support from the Federal Ministry of Health (FMoH), in Nigeria, abortion is legally restricted, permitted only to save the life of the mother.

The Guttmacher Institute is a non-profit organization, which works to advance reproductive health including abortion rights.

But at least 760,000 abortions happen every year, mostly outside the legal parameters, and from 3,000 to 34,000 women die annually from unsafe abortions.

The report noted that the numbers range widely because of the difficulty tallying the secret procedures.

While safe abortions have a very low complication rate, unsafe ones- those performed by providers without adequate training or in a setting that does not meet medical standards- can lead to hemorrhaging, infection and perforation of the bowels or uterus and death.

Abortion providers here are part of a shadowy economy. Many are poorly trained, and the market is unregulated. But while abortions are secret, they happen all the time and across the social spectrum. Some wealthy Nigerians can access and afford skilled doctors; many poor women like Blessing and Ekaette are left with dangerous, cut-rate quacks.

A consultant obstetrician and gynaecologist and Country Director of Ipas, a non-governmental organization, Dr. Ejike Orji, said out of 100 women who die during pregnancy, 45 are traceable to complications arising from abortion.

Orji said that the statistics of women who die every day in Nigeria from unsafe abortion remains a moving target except in Lagos State, which recently did an Maternal Death Review (MDR), adding

Abortion providers here are part of a shadowy economy. Many are poorly trained, and the market is unregulated. But while abortions are secret, they happen all the time and across the social spectrum. Some wealthy Nigerians can access and afford skilled doctors; many poor women like Blessing and Ekaette are left with dangerous, cut-rate quacks. that plans towards institutionalising MDR are ongoing to convince governments to undertake evaluation of the maternal death rate in the states.

Unsafe Abortion According to a study published by the World Health Organisation (WHO) titled “Unsafe abortion: the preventable pandemic”, ending the silent pandemic of unsafe abortion is an urgent public health and human rights imperative.

The researchers include Prof. Friday E. Okonofua of the University of Benin, Edo State and others.

The study published in the WHO Journal Paper reads: “As with other more visible global-health issues, this scourge threatens women throughout the developing world.

Every year, about 19 to 20 million abortions are done by individuals without the requisite skills, or in environments below minimum medical standards, or both. Nearly all unsafe abortions (97 per cent) are in developing countries.

“An estimated 68 000 women die as a result, and millions more have complications, many permanent.

Important causes of death include haemorrhage, infection, and poisoning.”

According to the Guttmacher Institute official statistics on the prevalence of abortion in Nigeria do not exist because abortion is severely restricted.

Unofficially, one in 10 Nigerian women of child-

bearing age say that they have had an abortion. Among women who have had an abortion, four in 10 have had at least two.

Women of all backgrounds have abortions, but the proportion varies among population groups. While rates of unwanted pregnancy are similar between the country’s North and South regions, higher proportions of women in the South have obtained an abortion.

Possible reasons for this disparity may be that women in the South have better access to hospitals and clinics that will perform abortions than their counterparts in the North, and are more likely to have the means to pay for one.

Fifty-five percent of women obtaining abortions are younger than 25, 63 per cent have never been married and 60 per cent are childless. The proportion of women who have ever had an abortion is higher among Catholics (19 per cent) than among Protestants and Muslims (11 per cent and five per cent, respectively), higher among women with some university education than among those with no schooling (18 per cent versus five per cent), and higher among non poor women than among poor women that is 15 per cent versus eight per cent.

Furthermore, age and marital status are primary factors in the decision to obtain an abortion. Overall, 27 per cent of women who have had an abortion say that the reason they wanted to terminate

their pregnancy was that they were unmarried, while 19 per cent report that they were still in school or were too young to have a child.

Among women who were younger than 20 at the time of their abortion, one in three indicated that they ended the pregnancy because they were too young or because they would have had to leave school if they had a baby. By contrast, women who were in their 30s and 40s, most of whom were married, reported that the primary reason they had an abortion was to stop or delay further childbearing.

Abortion providers and techniques Despite legal restrictions, some women go directly to a hospital or clinic to have an abortion. A study of women admitted into 33 private and public hospitals for abortionrelated services found that 33 per cent of them were seeking to obtain an abortion, while the remainder were seeking treatment of complications of abortions carried out elsewhere, presumably under much less safe conditions.

Thirty-five percent of women in the study reported that it took them more than one attempt to terminate their pregnancy: Some 35 per cent had consulted a chemist; 13 per cent had gone to a nurse or midwife; 10 per cent had relied on a friend, partner or relative; and six per cent had turned to a traditional healer before reaching a hospital.

Techniques vary greatly among abortion providers.

Hospital and medical facilities typically employ safe procedures, such as surgical abortions using either dilation and curettage or manual vacuum aspiration (MVA); the latter is widely believed to be the safer method. Chemists typically provide liquid concoctions made from herbs and other ingredients, dispense tablets, give injections or insert objects into women’s bodies to induce bleeding.

Many chemists lack medical training in appropriate use of medications. Given that a high proportion of women who arrive at hospitals for abortion-related services have already attempted a pregnancy termination, it is evident that these measures are often

Pregnant woman... undergoing induced but unsafe abortion...While safe abortions have a very low complication rate, unsafe ones- those performed by providers without adequate training or in a setting that does not meet medical standards- can lead to hemorrhaging, infection and perforation of the bowels or uterus and death

ineffective and life-threatening.

Health consequences of unsafe abortion Unsafe abortion impacts every level of Nigerian society.

It compromises the health and well-being of women, thereby compromising the well-being of their families and communities. It also imposes a tremendous burden on Nigeria’s health care system, as post-abortion care diminishes the system’s capacity to provide other services.

Nigerian women experience a variety of complications from unsafe procedures.

These include retained pregnancy tissue, infection, hemorrhage, septic shock, anemia, intra-abdominal injury (including perforation of the uterus and damage to the cervix or bowel) and reactions to chemicals or drugs used to induce abortion. Other longterm medical problems, such as chronic pelvic pain or pelvic inflammatory disease, an increased risk of ectopic pregnancy and infertility may result if complications are not promptly or properly treated.

Going forward To address the situation, Ipas African Alliance penultimate week in Nairobi, Kenya convened a regional workshop for journalists to share recent advances on the issue of addressing unsafe abortion in the continent, and strengthen skills on how to report about the practice.

The workshop, which took place in Nairobi, Kenya from March 4 to 5, 2014, drew journalists from Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia.

Policy Advisor at the Ipas Africa Alliance, Suzanne Majani, said most African government have signed relevant legal instruments aimed at reducing maternal mortality and promotion of women’s rights, but to this date only one country in Africa has met Millennium Development Goal (MDG) 5 of reducing maternal mortality by threequarters by the year 2015, and despite some progress over the last 20 or so years, Africa still has the largest burden of maternal mortality in the world.

Majani, who is a lawyer, said providing access to safe abortion is thus a critical step towards reducing the unacceptably high rates of maternal deaths in Africa. She said the need to reduce maternal mortality including from unsafe abortion has been recognized in several legal frameworks globally and regionally.

These frameworks, according to Majani, include the Programme of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development (1994), the Millennium Development Goals (2000), the Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights on the Rights of Women in Africa (2003), and the Maputo Plan of Action on Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (2006). The African Union has also scaled up its focus on addressing maternal mortality and morbidity in recent years, evidence of increased political will often from the highest levels.

She said, at the global level, a broad range of stakeholders have recently began review-

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NaturalHealth Honey offers new approach to fighting antibiotic resistance ONEY, that delectable H condiment for breads and fruits, could be one sweet solution to the serious, ever-growing problem of bacterial resistance to antibiotics, researchers said in Dallas, United States on Tuesday. Medical professionals sometimes use honey successfully as a topical dressing, but it could play a larger role in fighting infections, the researchers predicted.

“The unique property of honey lies in its ability to fight infection on multiple levels, making it more difficult for bacteria to develop resistance,” said study leader Dr. Susan M. Meschwitz. That is, it uses a combination of weapons, including hydrogen peroxide, acidity, osmotic effect, high sugar concentration and polyphenols- all of which actively kill bacterial cells, she explained. The osmotic effect, which is the result of the high sugar concentration in honey, draws water from the bacterial cells, dehydrating and killing them.

This study was presented the 247th National Meeting of the American Chemical Society (ACS).

Scientists enlist grapefruit to prevent kidney damage

NEW evolutionary theory A in BioEssays claims that consuming a diet very low in nutrients can extend lifespan in laboratory animals, a finding, which could hold clues to promoting healthier ageing in humans.

Scientists have known for decades that severely restricted food intake reduces the incidence of diseases of old age, such as cancer, and increases lifespan.

“This effect has been demonstrated in laboratories around the world, in species ranging from yeast to flies to mice.

There is also some evidence that it occurs in primates,” says lead author, Dr. Margo Adler, an evolutionary biologist at UNSW Australia.

The most widely accepted theory is that this effect evolved to improve survival during times of famine. “But we think that lifespan extension from dietary restriction is more likely to be a laboratory artefact,” says Adler.

Lifespan extension is unlikely to occur in the wild, because dietary restriction compromises the immune system’s ability to fight off disease and reduces the muscle strength necessary to flee a predator.

“Unlike in the benign conditions of the lab, most animals in the wild are killed young by parasites or predators,” says Adler.

Why breastfed babies are so smart of studies over the LdrenOADS years have shown that chilwho were breastfed score higher on IQ tests and perform better in school, but the reason why remained unclear.

Is it the mother-baby bonding time, something in the milk itself or some unseen attribute of mothers who breastfeed their babies?

Now a new study by sociologists at Brigham Young University pinpoints two parenting skills as the real source of this cognitive boost: Responding to children’s emotional cues and reading to children starting at nine months of age.

Breastfeeding mothers tend to do both of those things, said lead study author Ben Gibbs.

“It’s really the parenting that makes the difference,” said Gibbs.

“Breastfeeding matters in others ways, but this actually gives us a better mechanism and can shape our confidence about interventions that promote school readiness.”

Gibbs authored the study with fellow BYU Prof. Renata Forste for the March issue of The Journal of Pediatrics.

According to their analysis, improvements in sensitivity to emotional cues and time reading to children could yield 2-3 months’ worth of brain development by age 4 (as measured by math and reading readiness assessments).

“Because these are four-yearolds, a month or two represents a non-trivial chunk of time,” Gibbs said. “And if a child is on the edge of needing special education, even a small boost across some eligibility line could shape a child’s educational trajectory.”

Eat more, die young: Why eating a diet very low in nutrients can extend lifespan

Grapefruit...a component of grapefruit and other citrus fruits, naringenin, successfully blocks the formation of kidney cysts

Can eating meals rich in citrus fruits especially grapefruits be key to preventing kidney damage?

Several studies have found that drinks and meals replete with citrus can prevent kidney cysts, stroke, diabetes, obesity, yellow fever and urinary tract infections. CHUKWUMA MUANYA writes.

HE verdict is out: Citrus T fruits especially grapefruit can protect humans from developing kidney damage.

Why? Grapefruit prevents humans from developing all the predisposing conditions to kidney damage including obesity, diabetes, hypertension, stroke, urinary tract infections and yellow fever.

Scientists at Royal Holloway, University of London, have discovered that a natural product found in grapefruit can prevent kidney cysts from forming.

The study published today in British Journal of Pharmacology has identified that a component of grapefruit and other citrus fruits, naringenin, successfully blocks the formation of kidney cysts.

Naringenin has been found to successfully block the formation of kidney cysts, an effect that occurs in polycystic kidney disease, by regulating the PKD2 protein responsible for the condition. With few treatments currently available, symptoms include high blood pressure and loss of kidney function, and lead to the need for dialysis.

The discovery of the benefits of naringenin could prove to be a vital step forward in the

future treatment and prevention of kidney disease.

Until now, alcoholic decoction of grapefruit seed, botanically called Citrus paradisi, which belongs to the plant family Rutaceae is traditionally used for the management of diabetes mellitus and obesity by the natives of South-West Nigeria. Despite its ancestral use, scientific validations of its therapeutic uses in the management of these conditions are lacking.

However, a previous study had suggested that a substance in grapefruit could prove to e the key to fighting obesity and diabetes. The substance, a flavonoid called “naringenin,” is a naturally occurring compound in all citrus fruit, but especially in grapefruit, giving it its characteristic bitter taste.

Grapefruit is a tropical and subtropical citrus tree grown for its fruit, which was originally named the forbidden fruit of Barbados.

Phytochemical analysis indicates that grapefruit seed extract contains high levels of Vitamin C, Vitamin E and the polyphenolic flavonone glycosides hesperidin, neohesperidin, nariratin and naringin.

These compounds have been shown to be powerful antioxi-

dants individually and collectively. Grapefruit seed extract has therefore since been regarded as one of the most powerful natural antioxidants.

Meanwhile, Prof. Robin Williams, from the School of Biological Sciences at Royal Holloway, said, “this discovery is vital in helping us to understand how polycystic kidney disease may be controlled and ultimately treated. Kidney disease is a debilitating condition that can be fatal and finding a treatment is a truly urgent health priority.”

Known as polycystic kidney disease, this is an inherited disorder, which leads to the loss of kidney function, high blood pressure and the need for dialysis. Few treatment options are currently available.

The team of scientists from Royal Holloway University, St George’s, University of London and Kingston University London used a simple, singlecelled amoeba to identify that naringenin regulates the PKD2 protein responsible for polycystic kidney disease and as a result, blocks formation of cysts.

“This discovery provides an important step forward in understanding how polycystic kidney disease may be con-

trolled,” said Prof. Robin Williams from the School of Biological Sciences at Royal Holloway.

“In the study, we have demonstrated how effective the amoeba Dictyostelium is in the discovery of new treatments and their targets.

Having previously applied the same method of testing in our work into epilepsy and bipolar treatments, it is clear that this new approach could help us reduce reliance on animal testing and provide major improvements.”

To test how this discovery could apply in treatments, the team used a mammalian kidney cell-line, and triggered the formation of cysts in these cells. They were then able to block the formation of the cysts by adding naringenin and saw that when levels of the PKD2 protein were reduced in the kidney cells, so was the block in cyst formation, confirming that the effect was connected.

Dr. Mark Carew, from the School of Pharmacy and Chemistry at Kingston University, said, “further investigation is underway to understand the action of naringenin at the molecular

CONTINUED ON PAGE 39

Large waist linked to poor health AVING a big belly has conH sequences beyond trouble squeezing into your pants. It’s detrimental to your health, even if you have a healthy body mass index (BMI), a new international collaborative study led by a Mayo Clinic researcher found.

Men and women with large waist circumferences were more likely to die younger, and were more likely to die from illnesses such as heart disease, respiratory problems, and cancer after accounting for body mass index, smoking, alcohol use and physical activity. The study is published in the March edition of Mayo Clinic Proceedings.

The researchers pooled data from 11 different cohort studies, including more than 600,000 people from around the world. They found that men with waists 43 inches or greater in circumference had a 50 per cent higher mortality risk than men with waists less than 35 inches, and this translated to about a three-year lower life expectancy after age 40.

Women with a waist circumference of 37 inches or greater had about an 80 per cent higher mortality risk than women with a waist circumference of 27 inches or less, and this translated to about a five-year lower life expectancy after age 40.

Thursday, March 20, 2014 SCIENCE & HEALTH

THE GUARDIAN www.ngrguardiannews.com

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Third-hand smoke compound causes DNA damage, potentially cancer EFTOVER cigarette smoke that clings to walls and Lfurniture is a smelly nuisance, but now research suggests that it could pose a far more serious threat, especially to young children who put toys and other smokeaffected items into their mouths.

Scientists reported Tuesday that one compound from this “third-hand smoke,” which forms when second-hand smoke reacts with indoor air, damages DNA and sticks to it in a way that could potentially cause cancer.

Their talk was one of more than 10,000 presentations at the 247th National Meeting & Exposition of the American Chemical Society (ACS) in Dallas this week.

Dr. Bo Hang, who presented the research, said that although the idea of thirdhand smoke made its debut in research circles just a few years ago in 2009, evidence already strongly suggests it could threaten human health.

“The best argument for instituting a ban on smoking indoors is actually thirdhand smoke,” said Hang, a scientist at Lawrence

Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL).

Researchers have found that many of the more than 4,000 compounds in secondhand smoke, which wafts through the air as a cigarette is smoked, can linger indoors long after a cigarette is stubbed out. Based on studies led by Hugo Destaillats, also at LBNL, these substances can go on to react with indoor pollutants such as ozone and nitrous acid, creating brandnew compounds, some of which may be carcinogenic.

One of those compounds goes by the acronym NNA. Hang’s research has shown that NNA, a tobacco-specific nitrosamine, locks onto DNA to form a bulky adduct (a piece of DNA bound to a cancer-causing chemical), as well as other adducts, in lab test tubes. Other large compounds that attach to DNA tend to cause genetic mutations. NNA also breaks the DNA about as often as a related compound called NNK, which is a well-studied byproduct of nicotine and a known potent carcinogen.

This kind of DNA damage can lead to uncontrolled cell growth and the formation of cancerous tumors.

Vice President, Federal Republic of Nigeria, Architect Namadi Sambo (second from right), Managing Director (MD)/Chief Executive Officer (CEO), May & Baker Nigeria pLc, Mr. Nnamdi Okafor (left), Minister of Health, Prof. Onyebuchi Chukwu, and Governor of Ondo State, Dr. Olusegun Mimiko (right) at the just concluded Presidential Summit on Universal Health Coverage at the Presidential Villa, Aso Rock Abuja… recently

Breast cancer awareness exhibition: Strong messages relayed in pictures

By Wole Oyebade

Controversial pesticides linked to human neurotoxicity UROPE should slash the acceptable human exposure limits on two neonicotinoids- a class of insecticide previously linked to bee declines- says a key European Union safety agency.

In a report released recently, the European Food Safety Agency (EFSA), based in Parma, Italy, says that recent research suggests that acetamiprid and imidacloprid “may affect the developing human nervous system”.

The European Commission, which requested that the EFSA look at a potential link to human health in the first place- now has to decide what action to take on the basis of the agency’s recommendation.

Neonicotinoid chemicals have been a controversial subject this year, after the EFSA in January linked imidacloprid and two other ‘neonics’ to declines in bee health.

Debate over the chemicals’ role in declines in insect pollinators that had been ongoing in the scientific literature jumped into the mainstream (see ‘Europe debates risk to bees’).

That January assessment relating to bee health was of

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three neonicotinoids deemed a priority: thiamethoxam, clothianidin and imidacloprid.

Assessment of the impact on bees of two other compounds- acetamiprid and thiacloprid- is currently on hold while that work continues.

But the EFSA is also looking at the impact of neonicotinoids on humans. These chemicals work as agonists of insect nicotinic acetylcholine receptors, but their effect on mammals has been unclear.

The EFSA explicitly cites a paper from last year by a Tokyo-based team as shaping its thinking.

That paper, published in PLoS ONE by Junko KimuraKuroda of the Toyko Metropolitan Institute of Medical Science, and colleagues, found that both acetamiprid and imidacloprid triggered similar effects in cultures of rat neurons as are seen with nicotine. The authors point out that as nicotine may disrupt brain development in humans, so neonicotinoids “may adversely affect human health, especially the developing brain”.

into the Lagos City SingTEPPING Hall to be part of the ongoCancer Awareness Exhibition, one is tempted to believe it is one of those exhibitions. How thoroughly mistaken that assumption turns out to be.

Though the beautiful pictures taken with some of the best cameras in the world are neatly hung, the effect the pictures have on the attendees is, certainly not what the fainthearted can contain.

The messages that each of these pictures send out is short, and straight to the point. Breast cancer is serious, guard against it. In fact, not even the harmless pose of the breast cancer survivors that adorn the hall is enough to dilute the strong messages being relayed.

One of the pictures, that of a woman whose breast has been sown right across the left half of a once charming chest is capable of eliciting some tears even from a military general as the mastectomy scar of zip-like stitches seems to bring to live, the pains, trauma and fears, which constantly assails the survivor.

Amongst other reasons, the images captured by the lens of professional photographers and currently on exhibition, are meant to sensitise the pub-

lic on breast cancer, early detection and the compelling need to raise support for survivors in the country.

The images, as captured by Yetunde Ayeni-Babaeko and Co, are those of a few that are fortunate to survive the ordeal because the malaise was detected early.

Over 80 per cent of breast cancer patients in the country don’t get that lucky. They present when cancer has spread beyond the breast and beyond repair.

Breast cancer is the most common cancer and a leading cause of death among women in Nigeria. By being aware of its symptoms and early diagnosis, more women can survive breast cancer if promptly treated. The disease and its treatment though affect women physically and emotionally.

To help breast cancer patients and to debunk the myths surrounding it is the motivation behind creation of “The battle scars exhibition,” in partnership with Camara Studios, Sebeccly Cancer Care and Goethe-Institute Lagos.

Ayeni-Babaeko, at the exhibition, informed that the photographs had been taken by a group of professional and aspiring female photographers who spent quality time with the survivors.

Over the last two years,

Sebeccly Cancer Care has worked closely with the photographers to connect them with members of the breast cancer support group in order to provide an insight into the challenges faced by cancer survivors.

“It was really difficult to have each and every one of them captured,” Ayeni-Babaeko told The Guardian. And it is for reasons not unconnected with stigmatisation, which breast cancer survivors in the country have had to contend with.

Except you are a family member or close relative of a survivor, you may hardly notice.

Where breast reconstruction technology is still far-fetched, the survivor uses artificial (prosthesis) breast to look good. Underneath the disguise are their pains, fears and silent plea for support.

For Ayeni-Babaeko, helping out with the cameras was the least they could do. Said she: “It is about breaking the barrier of stigmatisation, ignorance and enlightening the people to reduce intolerance in this country.

“Breast cancer patients keep it away even from relatives and appropriate caregivers.

This takes them to alternative medicines that worsen the situation. That is the essence of our exhibition; to show the light and reiterate that it is a disease that can happen to

anyone. People need something they can relate with more than just giving them flyers. With this image, people feel connected with the survivors and see the organisation (Sebeccly) that really needs their financial support,” she said.

In response to the global burden of breast cancer, the World Health Organisation (WHO) recommends that every country should have a cancer treatment machine per one million people. Today, Nigeria has about six, of which only two are working. Experts stress that early detection remains the most viable option Nigerians are left with.

Representative of Sebeccly Cancer Care Foundation, Clementine Ometu noted that the NGO has a shared belief in raising the awareness profile of cancer survivorship and reducing the stigma associated with cancer in Nigeria. This is in line with target-five of the World Cancer Declaration, which is aimed at reducing stigma and dispelling the damaging myths and misconceptions.

She said: “Through this exhibition, Sebeccly believes the public will be inspired to join us in the fight against cancer, to understand how cancer affects us all and take steps in reducing the Nigerian cancer burden.

Abia approves waiver for employment of health professionals From Gordi Udeajah, Umuahia S part of efforts to improve healthcare services in Abia State, Governor Theodore Orji has granted the enabling waiver for the employment of the needed various health professionals in the sector.

Abia State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Okechukwu Ogah, who confirmed this to The Guardian while reviewing government’s intervention in the health sector, said that what is being done now is to consolidate on what has been achieved in the sector where there are

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about 710 Primary Health Centers (PHC).

He said that the PHCs are scattered across the state such that in every two kilometers, there is at least one even as there are two or more in each of the state 291 wards.

Aside these, he said there are numerous private hospitals in the state. “In Abia health sector, the problem now is not the facilities but the human resources or personnel, which is the professionals that can manage them and professionally identify simple problems,

handle them and refer those they cannot, to the secondary level.”

Ogah who is the National Secretary of Nigerian Cardiologists Association (NCA), said that applications for the needed various professionals in the health sector will soon commence through the relevant Forms, which are accessible online.

He also said that the state partners with the Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria Limited on Midwifery Service Scheme (MSS) explaining that under the MSS, the fore-

most Oil Company granted scholarship to fifty Abians to be trained in midwifery.

He said: “Nigeria has high maternal mortality rate, we do not have enough qualified people within the communities especially in the rural areas who can identify and handle simple problems related to child birth.

The fifty offered scholarship will after their midwifery training, be deployed to the Local Government Areas (LGAs) to work in the PHCs”.

According to the Commissioner, the state also partners with the World

Health Organization (WHO) on what he called “Rapid Access Expansion 2015” (RAES) whose one ingredient is Integrated Community Care Management of Malaria, Diarrhea and Pneumonia, which he said are some major causes of death in Nigeria including high blood pressure.

Under the RAES partnership , the Health Commissioner said that the WHO is deploying one and half million US dollars each year for the next four years to the state through a Non Governmental Organization

(NGO) called Society for Family Health (SFH).

According to him, the essence is to reach the unreached areas in order to capture where there are difficulties in accessing health care either due to bad road, poverty or lack of drugs or health workers are not there.

Another partnership he said that the state has gone into is with the MTN Foundation, which has been slated for launch on 6 March 2014 in Umuahia and thereafter rotate in turns to the other 16 LGAs of the state.

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THE GUARDIAN www.ngrguardiannews.com

SCIENCE HEALTH Thursday, March 20, 2014

The Guardian, others nominated for maiden Healthcare Excellence Awards

By Chukwuma Muanya HE Guardian Newspapers Tsations and over 50 other organiand individuals have

National Coordinator of the National Malaria Elimination Programme, Dr. Nnenna Ezeigwe (middle) and some participants at the 12th Yearly Review Meeting for State Malaria Programme Managers in Abuja PHOTO: EMEKA ANUFORO

Boosting action, investment against malaria in Nigeria NCOURAGING further E action and investment in the fight against malaria in Nigeria was the high point of the 12th yearly review meeting for state malaria programme managers, which kicked off this week in Abuja.

Reducing the impact of malaria is key to the achievements of the Millennium Development Goals agreed by every United Nations member state. These include not only combating the disease itself, but also goals related to women and children’s rights and health, access to education and the reduction of extreme poverty.

Accordingly, the 12th state malaria review meeting provided opportunity for the states and the malaria community in General to share progress and impact made to date in order to encourage further action and investment against this disease.

National Coordinator of the National Malaria Elimination Programme, Dr Nnenna Ezeigwe, told The Guardian that was convened to basically update the knowledge of state policy marks and programme managers on malaria issues, including long lasting insecticide treated mosquito nets (LLINs); initiate resource mobilization for the implementation of the new strategic plan. She said the meeting would also review malaria programme implementation, identify challenges and professor solutions, among others.

She said the stakeholders would review progress and restrategize as well as advocate for more resources.

Minister of Health, Prof.

Onyebuchi Chukwu stressed that Nigeria and its partners had made tremendous progress with activities aimed at controlling malaria in Nigeria.

He stressed that despite the progress made, a lot of work still needs to be put in.

His words: “Yet malaria, though preventable, easily treatable and curable, continues to be a major public

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ments in reducing the morbidity and mortality resulting from malaria. We should also not lose sight of our modest achievements in the implementation of the National Malaria Strategic Plan (20092013).

“Over the past few years, there has been some decline in the number of deaths attributable to Malaria as it is now responsible for two to 10 deaths of children under 5.

“To bolster prevention of malaria, the federal ministry of health, in collaboration with partners, distributed over 60 million LLNS to all households in the 37 states of Nigeria in the last 4 years.

There are also ongoing replacement campaigns in about 14 states. Similarly, in 2013,millions of Artemisinin based combination therapy (ACT) treatment courses and rapid diagnostic test kits were distributed through MDG and partners.”

The Minister listed achievements in 2013 to include the establishments of malaria parasite sentinel surveillance sites in all the states of the federation.

He went on: “In collaboration with Global Fund, we have supplied all the secondary and some tertiary public health facilities with microscopes and also improved the capacity of laboratory scientists is in Nigeria, including the completion of rapid diagnostic test kits ( RDTs)implementation research in the public sector which revealed a high willingness to use RDT among health workers and those suspected to have malaria Chukwu said: “The federal

In spite of these achievements, a lot still needs to be done to achieve the targets set by government combat malaria in the nearest future. To reach our vision of a malaria free Nigeria, a more concerted effort to scale up implementation, especially at the community levels is imperative.

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From: Emeka Anuforo

health problem in Africa and Nigeria in particular and constitutes a major barrier to social and economic development. The question now becomes, why?

“As my ministry is charged with realizing Mr. President’s transformation agenda in the area of improved health and well being of the citizenry, I am deeply concerned about this situation and can no longer tolerate lip service to the fight against malaria in the country. This is more so as the citizenry are beginning to question the sincerity of the partnership given that the resources committed to malaria over the decades are not commensurate with the progress made.

“This calls for sober reflection by all of us seated who are in the forefront of the fight in Nigeria. For us, the question is not whether malaria can be eliminated because through the science of epidemiology we know the answer but whether we are prepared and willing to do all that it takes to get that done.”

Chukwu went on: “As a first step in that direction, the last National Council in Health directed that the National Programme be renamed National Malaria Elimination Programme, to reflect the collective aspiration of Nigerians to be free of the scourge.

Similarly, the state programmes are to follow suite and it is my hope that all partners and stakeholders would support Nigeria to realize their aspirations.

“I want to assure you all of the commitment if the federal government to support the endeavors of the state govern-

government of Nigeria provided its counterpart funding to Global Fund to ensure that HIV-AIDS, tuberculosis and most importantly, malaria receives the desired funding for implementation of its intervention.The National Policy for malaria is currently been revised while the National Malaria Strategic Plan ( NMSP: 2014-2020) which will guide implementation from 2014 to 2020 has been finalized. We were able to finalize on a new malaria risk map showing a 50% gradual shift from hyper and holoendemic to meso-endemic pattern from 2000 to 2010 and this portends great hope for the future.

“In spite of these achievements, a lot still needs to be done to achieve the targets set by government combat malaria in the nearest future.

To reach our vision of a malaria free Nigeria, a more concerted effort to scale up implementation, especially at the community levels is imperative.”

He called for increased domestic funding for malaria interventions.

Chukwu added: “I therefore, urge all levels of government to work with our development partners as well as the private sector to increase access to pull resources for malaria implementation. The support, collaboration and robust partnership my ministry has enjoyed with the Roll Back Malaria Partners are remarkable and highly valued. This will be sustained.

“To further ensure a nationwide representation of our achievements in the LLIN access, the Ministry and partners have concluded plans to commence replacement campaigns in states that recorded low coverage with LLINs as well as those states whose nets are already worn out. In addition, a coordinated approach to create demand for improved LLIN utilization among the populace has also been out in place. During this process, over 50 Million LLINs will be distributed in 16 states selected for replacement campaign between now and the first quarter of 2015.

made the final nomination of the Nigerian Healthcare Excellence Awards (NHEA) which comes up tomorrow, Friday, March 21, 2014, at Eko Hotel & Suites, Lagos.

Some of the other nominees are; University of Benin Teaching Hospital, University College Hospital (Ibadan), UBA Foundation, Phillips Healthcare, JNC International, Biostadt, Sproxil, Swipha, Fidson, Greenlife, Crest View, Pathcare, Lagoon, Reddington, Obio Cottage Hospital (Rivers), Providian Medical Diagnostic (Kano), Total Health Trust, Flying Doctors, Smart Health, Vanguard, Channels, MiTV, NigerianInfo FM, MTN Foundation, Diamond Bank, GE Healthcare, MeCure, Lagos State, Kano State, Ondo State, Lilly Hospitals (Warri), etc.

Dr. Enoma Alade of Anadach Group, United States, said: “It was a very thorough exercise that was made by the selection committee following over 1,200 nominations forms received from the public.”

According to a member of the Advisory, Bisi Bright, “We have ensured that those nominated are organisations and individuals who by every

measure of global best practice have demonstrated their professionalism and commitment to healthcare delivery service in Nigeria.”

President, Association of General & Private Medical Practitioners of Nigeria (AGPMPN), Dr. Anthony Omolola, said: “A credible and professionally organised healthcare award for our industry is long overdue. We welcome the NHEA initiative and hope it will stimulate continuous drive for excellence in the medical field.”

NHEA is aimed at recognizing the rapid growth in the healthcare sector, and the capacity of individuals and corporate organisations to influence and set new performance standards in Nigeria and beyond.

The Chairman of the Jury/Selection Committee and an expert in Health Economics, University of Ibadan (UI), Oyo State, is Prof.

Soyibo Adedoyin. While Dr. Jim Rice, Project Director, Management Science of Health, USA is the Chairman of the Advisory Board.

NHEA, which has a total of 16 categories has the support of the Nigeria medical fraternity and the Federal Ministry of Health. The event is part of a two-day MediPharma Africa Conference & Exhibition programme. The Minister of Health, Prof. Onyebuchi Chukwu, is expected as Special Guest of Honour.

Healing Stripes Hospital marks WKD with free medical check up

By Gbenga Salau N marking the World Kinney Day, which was celeIbrated around the globe last week, Healing Stripes Hospital, Lagos, organised an Health awareness walk, free kidney screening, free medical check up and free dialysis for some Lagos residents. The theme of the event was Kidneys Age Just Like You. The day started with a walk from the hospital at Prince Alaba Oniru Way to Ajose Adeogun back to Alaba Oniru Way after which two experts gave talks on how to make the kidney healthy.

Thereafter, free medical check up was conducted for all present at the Healing Stripes Hospital venue of the programme.

Miss Alinta Cynthia was one of those who enjoyed the free medical check up. She said the lecture on good healthy living and how to prevent kidney disease was very insightful for her. “I have learnt that it is good to be cautious and not wait for the symptoms to show up.”

According to her, she also learnt that too much in take of salt could negatively affect the kidney while regular exercise would help the kidney

function better. She commended the organisers, enjoining them to keep up the good work.

For Malgwi-Jemima Ruth, if not for the free check up, she would probably not have gone for a medical check because she would not be able to afford it for now. She called on other churches to emulate the organisers of the event.

The Medical Director of the hospital, Dr Ezinne Onyemere, said that the walk and brief talk were meant to create awareness on the importance of the kidneys.

“For this year, we are trying to let people know that just as you get older, you kidney age too. The kidney starts functioning from the womb and while you go through life. It is something people need to be aware off so that they take care of the kidney just as they take care of their body.”

Onyemere said that during the screening, 80 sessions of dialysis would be conducted free as a way of giving back to the society.

She said that Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) was a major health issue that should be urgently addressed disclosing that two major ailments that contribute to CKD are high blood pressure and diabetes.

Nigeria Academy of Pharmacy holds inaugural meeting today HE Nigeria Academy of T Pharmacy (NAP) will today hold its inaugural meeting at Pili-Pili Restaurant, Sheraton Hotel, Lagos.

President, Pharmaceutical Society of Nigerian (PSN), Olumide

Akintayo, in a press statement made available to The Guardian said: “All Fellows of the Academy are expected to attend this important meeting which will serve as a prelude to the formal inauguration of the Academy.

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THE GUARDIAN www.ngrguardiannews.com

SCIENCE HEALTH Thursday, March 20, 2014

Air pollution increases risk for hypertension in pregnant women REATHING the air outB side their homes may be just as toxic to pregnant women - if not more so - as breathing in cigarette smoke, increasing a momto-be’s risk of developing deadly complications such as preeclampsia, according to findings from a new University of Florida (UF) study.

UF researchers compared birth data with Environmental Protection Agency estimates of air pollution, finding that heavy exposure to four air pollutants led to a significantly increased risk for developing a high blood pressure disorder during pregnancy.

The research was published in the January issue of the Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health.

The pollutants include two specific types of fine and coarse particulate matter, carbon monoxide and sulfur dioxide. According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), particulate matter includes acids, dust, metals and soil particles. These inhalable particles are released from industries and forest fires and can form when gases react with each other in the air. Sulfur dioxide is emitted from power plants and

industries. Most carbon monoxide is produced by car exhaust.

“Fetal development is very sensitive to environmental factors,” said Dr. Xiaohui Xu, an assistant professor of Epidemiology in the colleges of Public Health and Health Professions and Medicine. “That is why we wanted to do this research.

Hypertension (high blood pressure), in particular, is associated with increased morbidity and mortality, causing a lot of problems for the mother and fetus, including preterm delivery.”

Hypertensive disorders such as gestational hypertension, preeclampsia and the deadly condition it leads to, eclampsia, affect about 10 per cent of pregnancies.

Despite the serious risks to mother and baby, little is known about what specifically causes these conditions to develop in pregnant women, the researchers say.

To gain a better understanding of how environmental factors may play a role in increasing the risk of developing hypertension during pregnancy, the researchers examined data from women, who gave birth in Jacksonville, Fla., between 2004 and 2005 and environmental data from their communities.

Wealthy neighborhoods fuel materialistic desires, study says Individuals who live in affluent areas more likely to spend compulsively, less likely to save HERE you live could W affect whether or not you spend compulsively, according to new research from San Francisco State University published Monday in the Journal of Consumer Culture.

Individuals, who live in wealthy neighborhoods are more likely to have materialistic values and poor spending habits, the study says, particularly if they are young, living in urban areas and relatively poor compared with their surroundings. The study is the first to show a connection between neighborhood socioeconomic status and materialism.

The reason for the link, said co-author and SF State Associate Professor of Psychology, Ryan Howell, may have to do with “relative

deprivation,” or the feeling someone gets when they believe they are less well-off than those around them. If someone is bombarded with images or reminders of wealth, such as an abundance of investment banks nearby or neighbors driving luxury cars, they are likelier to feel a need to spend money they may not have to project an image of wealth they don’t actually possess.

“People, who live in more affluent areas are vulnerable to this implicit social comparison, where you start to see other people spending a lot of money,” Howell said.

“Because you feel the need to live up to that standard, you end up impulsively buying material items, even though they don’t actually make you happier.”

Deputy Governor of Bauchi State, Alhaji Sagir Aminu Saleh (3rd left); receiving a key to the ultra-modern science laboratory from Mr. Sam Otuonye, manager, Policy, Government and Public Affairs, Chevron Nigeria Limited, during the handover ceremony of the science laboratories. Left is Meg Irozuru of Petrobras and right is Femi Adejumo of Famf

Yuguda seeks support for manpower, skill acquisition development

By Wole Oyebade ETERMINED to boost technological innovation in the country, the Governor of Bauchi State, Isa Yuguda, has called for additional support in the states efforts towards manpower and skill acquisition development.

Yuguda, yesterday, in Abuja, at the handover ceremony of ultra modern science laboratory complexes, donated by Chevron and its Agbami partners, to one school each in Bauchi, Kebbi, Kaduna and Jigawa urged for new learning media and skill to teach children.

He said, “it is our collective responsibility to scout for means to bridge the gaps with additional technology to support manpower, skill acquisition and development.

“The projects constitute an aspect of the strategic intervention plan of the Agbami partners in the education and health sectors.”

The benefitting schools include Government Girls Secondary School, Lima in Bauchi, State Haruna Rasheed College, Birnin-

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Chevron donates science labs to schools in Bauchi, Kebbi, Kaduna, Jigawa Kebbi in Kebbi, Government Science Secondary School, Ikara in Kaduna, and Academy for the Gifted, Bamaina in Jigawa.

The Agbami partners are firms that operate Agbami Field, considered Chevron’s single largest oil find in deepwater West Africa, some 113 kilometres offshore, with an estimated 900 million barrels of recoverable reserves.

They include Star Deepwater, Famfa Oil, Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Statoil and Petroleo Brasileiro.

The facilities, which consist of chemistry, biology and physics laboratories were handed over to the representatives of the governments of the four states by Mr. Sam Otuonye, manager, Policy, Government and Public Affairs, Chevron Nigeria Limited, on behalf of Jeff Ewing, Star Deepwater Director, at a ceremony in Abuja, Federal Capital Territory.

Kaduna state Deputy Governor, Nuhu Bajega said the complexes would help

boost efforts to improve education standards but complained that despite improvements, “we still find we are lagging behind in our efforts” to change education standards.

Representative of the managing director of Statoil, an Agbami partner, Dorcas Akpowa, said, “the science laboratories are projects to assist the government in providing qualitative education to the people. We believe access to quality education holds the key to the development of the country.”

Bauchi State Deputy Governor, Alhaji Sagir Aminu Saleh, who received the key on behalf of his state, noted the importance of the teaching and learning of science as the bedrock for national development.

Quoting John Dewey, he said, “if we teach today’s children as we taught yesterday, we rob our children of tomorrow… I have no doubt in my mind that there can be no better time for such an important intervention by Star Deepwater Nigeria

Limited and its Agbami partners than now; we need to turn around the strategies … so that our young children can become the scientists, technologists, engineers and doctors of the future.”

Star Deepwater Director, Jeffrey Ewing said the partners chose states several hundred kilometers from the hub of Nigeria’s oil and gas exploration activities because they considered the entire country as the Agbami community.

Ewing attributed the successful completion of the laboratories to the valuable cooperation and commitment of the governments of the four states.

“The science laboratories we are handing over today have been implemented with the strong support of the state governments and the people. The projects constitute an aspect of the strategic intervention plan of the Agbami partners in the education sector.”

Last year, Agbami awarded scholarships to 71 students combined from the four

Lagos begins goitre control programme in Badagry

By Wole Oyebade O fewer than 50 people resident in Badagry local government area of Lagos State have been screened for goitre; a swelling of the neck or larynx resulting from enlargement of the thyroid gland, as the state government kick started a control programme to curb the alarming rate of people suffering from the disease.

The State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Jide Idris, who made this known recently at the Ajara Vetho Primary Healthcare Centre in Badagry during a screening programme organised for those suffering from the disease noted that the specialised screening mission

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for patients suffering goitre was necessitated by the high number of cases seen during a free medical mission held in Badagry local government area.

Idris said, “recently a free medical mission was conducted in Badagry between 9th and 12th of December, 2013. During this mission it was observed that there were a high number of people with neck swellings amongst the local residents, who came to seek medical intervention. At the end of the mission, several patients were registered with this compliant, the observation was brought to the governor’s notice and he directed that an intervention be planned for all documented

cases. This is the reason why the governor approved the goitre control programme to provide sustainable solution to the disease need.”

The commissioner added that the selective screening mission was taken to Badagry Local Council because of the occurrence of an alarming number of neck swellings in the area stressing that, due to physical and financial burden of referring patients suffering from this disease to secondary and tertiary health facilities, it became necessary for the Lagos State government to develop a comprehensive strategy that will offer an effective and holistic approach whose impact will be felt in the long term.

“It was in realisation of the burden of referring these patients to the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH), coupled with the fact that the clinical management of thyroid swellings requires primary care, health education and disease prevention, secondary care, diagnosis, treatment and follow up and tertiary care, rehabilitation, as well as, considering the resource requirement to successfully offer a lasting solution, that it became necessary to develop a selective, specialised medical mission for these patients which would last over a period of two and three months,” Idris explained.

He noted that the first

phase of the goitre control programme, which was piloted in Badagry LGA involved a clinical assessment of the patients and an epidemiological survey of the community in order to determine the true extent of the disease burden, as well as, investigate the determinants of the disease.

According to him, “the exercise is also aimed at instituting preventive measures that will reduce the prevalence of the disease in the region, determine those patients that are more suited for medical treatment with drugs, and provide selection criteria for patients more suited and stable for surgery.”

The commissioner added

that subsequently after the screening exercise, patients suffering from the disease will be offered definitive care as deemed appropriate following the review of a team of highly skilled surgeons and endocrinologists.

“However, in order to reduce the incidence of the disease burden in the long term, measures are being put in place to stem the root cause of this alarming number in the community. They include measures such as health education of the community members, iodisation of their salt, and other processes that the public health professionals of the state my judge suitable,” Idris said.

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‘How MLCN’s new plan will check sub-standard diagnostic products’ Prof. Anthony Emeribe is the registrar/chief executive officer of the Medical Laboratory Science Council of Nigeria (MLCN), an agency with the mandate to regulate the practice of Medical Laboratory Science in Nigeria. In this interview with EMEKA ANUFORO in Abuja, he speaks on a new five year strategic plan for the council, efforts to enforce regulation and a fresh clamp down to reduce sub standard products in the diagnostic market by at least 50 per cent. Excerpts: HAT is the main thinking W behind the five-year strategic plan?

The strategic plan of medical lab council of Nigeria really was developed to help abridge the misconception about what council is all about the mandate of the Council, about the scope of services for which council has been established. And of course, very importantly, with this information now, it becomes easier to let the various stakeholders, from government to various stakeholders (practitioners, providers of medical lab services, among others), to know the direction where we are going to in the area of effective regulation, because normally the thing is that regulation has to do with norms in the society.

We are the Police as regards medial lab services: human resources, facilities, infrastructure diagnosis and so on.

That is why we have done this, so that between 2014 and 2018, anybody who browses through it will see where we are coming from, and where we are going to, and what are the milestones. In this age of performance indicators, it becomes easier with the plan for somebody to know how we are progressing, the extent of implementation of our performance indicators, among others.

Very crucially, the public owns the institution, the government. It enables government to know where we are heading to and what is required. This is in the hands of all the key stakeholders: National Assembly, the executive and so on. The idea is so that they will be able to know where we are going to, what Council has set-up to do for the general public, the expectations in terms of funding, and all that. All that was integrated into the plan.

If you were to summarize it all, what would you say is the Cruz of the plan?

There are key goals of the strategic plan, ranging form quality medical laboratory services delivery in terms of ensuring that laboratories are well approved, in terms of capturing them into a database, in terms of ensuring they have keyed into continuous quality improvement, and they have gotten to a level of being certified and accredited.

The other goal has to do with laboratory workforce. We have reasonable number, but it is not enough. What has happened in terms of laboratory service sin this country is that there are a lot of charlatans in the system, whereas those who are qualified are not having the work. Those who have no business are there.

This also has declared zero tolerance to quacks in the set up. Zero tolerance to substandard products, zero tolerance to untrained and uncertified human resources. It is part of the goals. So, human resources, quality diagnosis care, continuous quality improvement, external quality assessment, among others.

What we are doing also from

the strategic plan is that we want to ensure that no laboratory in this country whether public, private, faith based, community based, should be carrying out testing of human or animal specimen without having the component of external assurance.

You cannot stand on your own and think that what you generate is accurate and reliable. We have said in several fora that laboratory service result bring in empirical data, science into healthcare delivery, very important. But once the results are not accurate, it is better we don’t have them at all.

So, every body has a part to ensure that we have quality, accurate and reproducible result. For you to get that, there are indices that you need to consider and take into place.

There are 17 key objectives and five goals that have been covered in that strategic plan.

What are the main plans in the area of human capacity?

We have 19 universities accredited by Council. We also have over 40 colleges of health technology. The 19 universities train medical lab scientists. The over 40 colleges of health technology train medical lab technicians and medical lab assistants.

Council oversees the quality of the training. Council also gives approval for their carrying capacity. Our plan is that over the next 10 years, we should have add 10, 000 added to the stock of what we have now, taking into cognizance the carrying capacity in every university and the various colleges of health technology.

What about the lab the president commissioned recently in Lagos, how is it performing?

The Public Health In-vitro Diagnosis Control Laboratory that the president commissioned last December in Lagos is essentially there to fulfill one of the mandates Council that has to do with regulation, production, importation, use of in-vitro diagnosis in terms of laboratory reagents, chemicals, test kits, associated technologies and equipment. With the commissioning of the labora-

Emeribe tory, we have now put the processes in place. We have gone far. We have gotten human resources, we have gotten the materials to work with in the laboratory, we have gotten the Central Bank of Nigeria to put in place use of Council’s certification as a prerequisite for granting approval for importation in terms of payment (forex).

We are now in the process of getting the other stakeholders’ key in. That is where we are now. We are ready. We have commenced registering the importers and manufacturers and distributors of these products. We want to ensure that anybody who has to market these products will be captured in our database, and not just from the site of importation, where the office is located, who are the directors, outlets across the country, among others. We are on that right now. When we are through with that, concurrently, we are product registration.

We are sure that by the time we put all these things in

place, and running fast fairly, the issue of substandard and fake diagnostic kits and reagents in the market would have dropped by more than 50 per cent where it is downwards.

The challenge we have in the laboratory sector, the challenges we have with medical diagnosis based on laboratory is contributing significantly to substandard products, where we are having over 50 per cent of the products in the market being substandard for these diagnostics. For food and drugs, which NAFDAC oversees, they are less that 20% because of the continuous work in that area. That is what we have now restructured to do for the diagnostic market.

Moving now to those at the receiving end, you started a campaign that if people don’t see your logo, they shouldn’t use certain facilities. Where are you with that?

We have done a reminder across to all providers of lab services, that the law is explicit on this. Council is structured to maintain good stan-

dard of medical labs and services including mandatory inspection, approval and monitoring of all medical laboratories in Nigeria.

We have done a reminder to them all again that any laboratory, wherever it is located, that has not gotten the approval of Council whether registered with state ministry of health or not, you have to get mandatory Medical Lab Science Council of Nigeria approval. For those places that we have approved, you will see our logo or sign.

We have over 10,000 laboratories in this country, less than 3000 is in our database.

That is not satisfactory.

Are those the only ones registered?

The ones we have approved, as required by law. If you say registered, ok. Most of the others are not yet.

We are passing a message across so that every body begins to know about it before we get back to the field and start sealing them for non-compliance. That seems to be the only language some people understand. They wouldn’t ordinarily want to comply with the law until you start using enforcement and coercion, which is not the best. But we have no choice than to go that way f they don’t go into the system properly.

What are the technical differences between accreditation and registration?

For a lab to run, you need to have approval. If it is a public laboratory, there is a law establishing the institution, or an edict, depending whether it is state or private. If it is private institution, you need the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) and of course, you have to register with the state ministry of

health.

But more importantly, when you have gotten this, you have to apply to Council to tell Council that you are desirous of establishing a diagnostic laboratory, a medical laboratory for purposes of processing human specimens and issuing out results. Council then sends its inspectors to look at what you have, not just in terms of infrastructure, in terms of personnel and in terms of processes. Once these gets back to us, we look at the report, then approve or not to approve or ask you to do additional things. It is only when you have gotten that that you are now in database of council.

In essence, you are now formally recognized as a medical laboratory. That is step one.

Step two is that now laboratories are encouraged to improve their quality so we expect you to do two things.

Get into the national database by which you have now being approved, and then you have to key into external quality assessment. Council has a national EQA laboratory in Zaria at the National TB and Laboratory centre. You key in there and we start sending periodic panels to you. Panels that mimic human specie with which you can carry out different tests and then we get your results periodically. We have a national EQA team (corrective action committee). As we send these panels to you, you process them the way you process routine specimen.

It is critical that every lab be in the national database. It is critical that every lab enrolls into the national EQA program, and then also it is important that every lab now enrolls into the national continue quality improvement.

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How grapefruit stops kidney damage, by researchers CONTINUED FROM PAGE 33 level. This work will entail looking at the function of the PKD2 protein as a cell growth regulator.”

“Indeed, this study provides a good example of how chemicals identified in plants can help us develop new drugs for the treatment of disease,” added Prof. Debbie Baines from St George’s, University of London.

“Autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease affects between one in 10 people on dialysis and one in eight with a kidney transplant. Kidney Research United Kingdom (UK) welcomes this publication that may provide hope for a future new treatment for polycystic kidney disease, alongside its own on-going research focusing on tackling this common genetic kidney disease,” said Elaine Davies, head of Research Operations at Kidney Research UK. An earlier study had found that eating higher amounts of a compound in citrus fruits, especially oranges and grapefruit, may lower ischemic stroke risk. Women who ate high amounts of the compound had a 19 per cent lower risk of ischemic stroke than women who consumed the least amount.

A compound in citrus fruits may reduce your stroke risk, according to research reported in Stroke: Journal of the American Heart Association. Eating higher amounts of a compound in citrus fruits, especially oranges and grapefruit, may lower ischemic stroke risk. Women who ate high amounts of the compound had a 19 per cent lower risk of ischemic stroke than women, who consumed the least amount.

This prospective study is one of the first in which researchers examine how consuming flavonoid subclasses affects the risk of stroke. Flavonoids are a class of compounds present in fruits, vegetables, dark chocolate and red wine.

“Studies have shown higher fruit, vegetable and specifically vitamin C intake is associated with reduced stroke risk,” said Dr. Aedín Cassidy, the study’s lead author and professor of nutrition at Norwich Medical School in the University of East Anglia in Norwich, United Kingdom.

“Flavonoids are thought to provide some of that protection through several mechanisms, including improved blood vessel function and an anti-inflammatory effect.”

Cassidy and colleagues used 14-years of follow-up data from the Nurse’s Health Study, which included 69,622 women, who reported their food intake, including details on fruit and vegetable consumption every four years. Researchers examined the relationship of the six main subclasses of flavonoids commonly consumed in the U.S. diet — flavanones, anthocyanins, flavan-3-ols, flavonoid polymers, flavonols and flavones — with risk of ischemic, hemorrhagic and total stroke.

As expected, the researchers didn’t find a beneficial association between total flavonoid consumption and stroke risk, as the biological activity of the sub-classes differ. However, they found that women who ate high amounts of flavanones in citrus had a 19 percent lower risk of blood clot-related (ischemic) stroke than women who consumed the least amounts.

In the study, flavanones came

primarily from oranges and orange juice (82 percent) and grapefruit and grapefruit juice (14 percent).

However, researchers recommended that consumers increase their citrus fruit intake, rather than juice, due to the high sugar content of commercial fruit juices.

A previous study found that citrus fruit and juice intake, but not intake of other fruits, protected against risk of ischemic stroke and intracerebral hemorrhage. Another study found no association between yellow and orange fruits and stroke risk, but did link increased consumption of white fruits like apples and pears with lower stroke risk. An additional study found that Swedish women, who ate the highest levels of antioxidants — about 50 per cent from fruits and vegetables — had fewer

strokes than those with lower antioxidant levels.

More studies are needed to confirm the association between flavanone consumption and stroke risk, and to gain a better understanding about why the association occurs, the authors said.

Another study published in Asian Journal of Tropical Medicine indicates that the peel oil of grapefruit stops the yellow fever vector, Aedes aegypti.

The researchers from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Enugu State, conducted laboratory bioassay of the essential oil extracted from the grapefruit (Citrus paradisi) peel by steam distillation was carried out against the develop- mental stages of the yellow fever vector Aedes aegypti to evaluate its toxicity, and ovicidal and larvicidal potency.

Volatile oil components were

isolated and characterised by coupled gas chromatography/mass spectrometry included varying levels of monoterpene aldehydes, alcohols, and esters.

Test results of the essential oil showed that egg hatching was completely inhibited at 400 ppm, while further de-velopment of first to second larval stage was inhibited at 100 ppm.

Regression analysis results also indicated that the peel essential oil significantly reduced the viability of the test eggs and inhibited the development of first larval stage to second larval instar.

The results indicated that the peel oil could be a potent persistent larvicide.

Another study published in International Journal of Morphology has demonstrated the ameliorating effects of grapefruit seed extract on tes-

ticular morphology and function of varicocelised rats Varicoceles are abnormal tortuosity and dilatation of the veins of the pampiniform plexus that drain the testis. The patho-physiology of testicular damage in varicocele has not been completely understood.

However, there is an increasing body of evidence pointing towards the role of reactive oxygen species and oxidative stress in the pathogenesis of varicocele related sub-fertility.

The researchers examined the role of pro-anthocynidinrich ethanol extract of grapefruit seed as an antioxidant in protecting the testis against damage in experimental varicocele.

Three groups of rats were constructed as the first group had intact rats; experimental bilateral varicoceles were established by complete liga-

tion of the left and right main spermatic veins in the later two groups. The third group had inadditiondailygavageadministrationof10mg/kgbodyweightethanolextractofgrapefruitseed.

Eight weeks after varicocele induction, bilateral testicular weights, bilateral testicular volumes, bilateral caudal epididymal sperm characteristics, and bilateral testicular histology and serum hormone levels were tested. It was found that the testes of grapefruit seed extract treated animals had better functional and histological profiles compared to the untreated varicocelised animals. These results indicated the effectiveness of grapefruit seed extract for preservation of testes function morphology in varicocelised subjects.

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42 | SCIENCEGUARDIAN Thursday, March 20, 2014

Drug reduces heavy drinking in patients New research reinforces danger in pregnancy EAVY drinking is comH mon in the United States and takes a personal and societal toll, with an annual estimated cost of $223.5 billion due to losses in workplace productivity, health care and criminal justice expenses.

Data shows that 23 percent of individuals age 12 or older reported drinking five or more drinks on one occasion in the previous month, and almost seven percent reported doing so on at least five days per month. Despite this, few heavy drinkers seek out treatment- especially those who do not meet the clinical criteria for an alcohol use disorder, but whose drinking causes substantial damage to individuals, their families and the community.

Researchers at Penn Medicine have shown that the anticonvulsant medication, topiramate, previously shown to reduce drinking in patients committed to abstinence from alcohol, can also be helpful in treating problem drinkers whose aim is to curb their alcohol consumption – particularly among a specific group of patients whose genetic makeup appears to be linked to the efficacy of the therapy.

Their findings are published in the current issue of

the American Journal of Psychiatry.

Meanwhile, women who drink alcohol at moderate or heavy levels in the early stages of their pregnancy might damage the growth and function of their placenta - the organ responsible for supplying everything that a developing infant needs until birth - research at The University of Manchester shows.

Placentas studied in a laboratory environment showed that drinking alcohol at moderate (2/3 standard drinks) to high (4-6 standard drinks) rates reduced the cell growth in a woman’s placenta.

The research, published in the journal PLoS One and funded by the British Medical Association, investigated the effect of alcohol and its major toxic breakdown product, acetaldehyde, had on the placenta in the first few weeks – a period essential for normal development where three primary germ cell layers in the very early infant develop into internal organs. While placental cell growth was reduced at mid and heavy drinking levels, the cells that ensure the placenta attaches to the mother were unaffect-

Heavy drinking...women who drink alcohol at moderate or heavy levels in the early stages of their pregnancy might damage the growth and function of their placenta ed. Alcohol at very low concentrations (1-2units, equal to half or one standard drink) did not have any effect on growth or function.

Scientists also found alcohol at moderate to heavy levels reduced the transport of an important amino acid – known as taurine - from mother to baby via the pla-

centa. Taurine is vital for brain and physiological development.

However, acetaldehyde did not have any effect on the transportation of taurine suggesting alcohol is the main culprit.

Reduced taurine has been shown to have negative effects on behaviour and physical development, so this

might explain why some neurological symptoms are seen in children of alcoholic mothers, the researchers conclude.

“This study represents an important next step in understanding and treating problem drinking,” says Henry R. Kranzler, MD, professor of Psychiatry, director

of Penn’s Center for Studies of Addiction and lead author on the study.

“Our study is the first we are aware of in which topiramate was evaluated as a treatment option for patients who want to limit their drinking to safe levels, rather than stop drinking altogether.”

Religious leaders living with HIV call for support, new approach to fighting scourge From Emeka Anuforo, Abuja SSOCIATION of Religious Leaders Living with or Personally Affected by Human Immuno-deficiency Virus (HIV)/Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) in Nigeria (NINERELA), has called upon Nigerians to support it to position Nigeria on the path to achieving zero new infection of HIV, zero AIDS related deaths and zero HIV related discrimination.

The association also canvassed the promotion of the SAVE approach as a way of working more effectively to prevent HIV infection.

National Coordinator of NINERELA, Reverend Ezra Batssa, described the SAVE model as s a holistic way of preventing HIV. “It incorporates the principles of the ABC approach (Abstinence, Be faithful and Condom use), while also providing comprehensive information about other, non-sexual routes of HIV transmission and prevention.”

He spoke further: “ The Save Model is broken down as S- standing for Safer Practices; A- Access treatment and nutrition support for Persons Living with HIV (PLHIV); VVoluntary HIV Counseling and Testing (VCT); and EEmpowerment of PLHIV and people affected by HIV/AIDS (PABA).”

Batssa, who spoke at a meeting on the SAVE Model in Abuja, noted that the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) had infiltrated various spheres and sectors of the Nigerian society, ravaged lives and destabilized families with sex accounting for over 80 per cent of new infections.

He noted: “Today, over three million Nigerians are currently living with HIV and

A

with a prevalence rate of 4.1 per cent, the virus still continues to spread. The situation is even worse among young people aged 15 to 35, at a prevalence rate of 5.6 per cent - a population that accounts for Nigeria’s most productive work force. This ugly development has motivated the Government of Nigeria through the National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA) with the support of the organized Civil Society and other social develop-

ment partners to take up strategic steps toward preventing the further spread of the virus.

“Several measures were adapted to this effect, the most prominent of which is the famous ABC approach of HIV prevention. This household acronym which stands for Abstinence, Being faithful and correct Condom use has played a significant role in reducing the spread of HIV in Nigeria from a prevalence rate of 5.8 per cent in 2001 to 4.1

per

cent today.

“This handsome achievement has however not come without a cost as this Alpha HIV prevention approach which is almost as popular as HIV itself was focused only on the sexually transmitted HIV and drawing the attention of most people to Sex – a topic which a good number of Nigerians across social and religious quarters find inconvenient. Many prevention messages went on to put thus; “abstain from sex. However, if you cannot abstain, be faith-

ful to your spouse in sex, and if you fail on both A and B, then adopt C which is correct and consistent condom use.”

He went on: “In a country deeply rooted in religious and moral values, many Nigerians welcomed the concepts of abstinence until marriage and being faithful in marriage. However, the C component of the message did not receive as much approval. In fact, it met some good degree of resistance as many Nigerian opinion leaders thought of it a deterrent to

adherence to the A and B components of the message.

As such, one has to fail on abstinence and being faithful to adopt condom use. In other words, one has to be a “really bad person” to take the C option. Also, the focus on sex meant that the ABC model of HIV prevention was blind to other modes of HIV transmission like blood transfusion, mother to child transmission and infected skin piercing objects. This left route unchecked for onward spread of HIV.

Unsafe abortion raises maternal deaths, infertility risk CONTINUED FROM PAGE 32 ing implementation of the Programme of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) and the MDGs, expiring in 2014 and 2015 respectively.

Majani further explained: “Additionally, consultations and negotiations have begun at regional and UN level on what should constitute the next globally agreed development framework after 2015.

This framework, currently referred to as the Post 2015 Development Agenda, will be key in harnessing political will and resources towards addressing sexual and reproductive health in the years to come.”

To the WHO, legalisation of abortion on request is a necessary but insufficient step toward improving women’s health; in some countries, such as India, where abortion has been legal for decades, access to competent care remains restricted because of other barriers.

The WHO report reads:

“Access to safe abortion improves women’s health, and vice versa, as documented in Romania during the regime of President Nicolae Ceausescu.

“The availability of modern contraception can reduce but never eliminate the need for abortion. Direct costs of treating abortion complications burden impoverished health care systems, and indirect costs also drain struggling economies.

“The development of manual vacuum aspiration to empty the uterus, and the use of misoprostol, an oxytocic agent, have improved the care of women. Access to safe, legal abortion is a fundamental right of women, irrespective of where they live. The underlying causes of morbidity and mortality from unsafe abortion today are not blood loss and infection but, rather, apathy and disdain toward women.”

A progress report of the Commission on Maternal New Born and Child Health by the released by the Executive

Council of the African Union (AU) at the Twenty-First Ordinary Session in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia in 2012 reads: “Considering that removing legal restrictions to abortion facilitates the provision and uptake of post-abortion care, and that safe abortion services can significantly reduce maternal deaths, countries that have very restrictive abortion laws should explore the possibilities of reforming their relevant policies.”

The AU through the Campaign on Accelerated Reduction of Maternal, New born and Child Mortality in Africa (CARMMA) advocates for recognizing preventable maternal mortality and morbidity as a pressing humanrights issue that violates a woman’s rights to health, life, education, dignity, and information.

The 2013 Annual Status Report on Maternal Newborn and Child Health in Africa by the AU titled “Low-cost, highimpact Maternal and Child Health (MNCH) interventions in Africa” recommended

among other things: “ensuring universal access to high impact low cost maternal, newborn and child health interventions and strengthening health systems with focus on human resources for health and ensuring availability of essential and life saving commodities for women and children.”

According to the Guttmacher Institute report, key action steps to help reduce unsafe abortion’s burden on women, their families and the health system, and to improve sexual and reproductive health in Nigeria, include the following: • Providers should disseminate accurate information about contraception, and provide the full range of contraceptive services and supplies.

• The government should subsidize the full range of contraceptive services and supplies.

• Providers should offer counselling to aid couples in choosing the contraceptive method that works best for them and in using it correctly and consistently.

• Universities and medical schools should provide more effective and widespread training of Nigerian doctors in abortion procedures.

• The government should increase the availability of effective and efficient postabortion care technology, such as MVA equipment, at low cost; train physicians in its operation and maintenance; and train nurses to provide contraceptive counseling after treatment.

• The government should increase and facilitate the acquisition of supplies for providing the most costeffective and safest postabortion care.

• To better prevent unintended pregnancy among young people and help reduce the demand for abortion, schools should offer medically accurate and age- appropriate family life education for adolescents, including information about modern contraception.

• The government should reform existing laws restricting access to safe abortions.

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Evangelist may never walk again

By Chukwuma Muanya 2 year-old chorister and evangelist from St. Barth’s Anglican Church Satellite Town, Ojo, Lagos, Chidi Uchenna, is now on a wheel chair and may not be able to walk again after an auto crash that left him with fractured spinal cord.

Uchenna, who was the only survivor of a car accident at Shagamu in 2009, was until the unfortunate incident a very active member of the Choir, the Anglican Youth Fellowship (AYF) and Evangelical Fellowship of the Anglican Communion (EFAC) of St. Bath’s Anglican Church urgently needs N12 million to travel abroad for surgery and rehabilitation.

Uchenna who hails from Alor in Idemili North Local Government of Anambra State has since been taken to hospitals in Lagos, Onitsha and Enugu in search for ‘cure’ and has spent all his resources and even that of his family. Uchenna is now sitting helpless on a wheel chair and living on the mercy of people especially those of the Anglican Communion.

Uchenna is still single and also has wounds and ulcers on both legs that are yet to heal five years after the accident.

A clinical summary on Uchenna from Memfys Hospital for Neurosurgery Kilometre 2 Enugu-Onitsha Expressway, Enugu, Enugu State, and signed by the Consultant Radiologist, Dr. A. C. Onuh, states: “Follow up

3

Needs urgent surgery, rehabilitation CT scan RTA three years ago resulting in spinal injury.

Paraplegia and loss of sphincter control.”

The MRI/CT/X-Ray report dated March 23, 2012, reads: “Non contrast MRI scan of the Thoraco-Lumbo-sacral spine was conducted using BT1-0.35T system. Images were obtained in axial T1, T2;

Before the accident

coronal T2 and sagittal T1 sequences. There is anterior wedge fracture of T2 vertebral body resulting in acute angle kyphus deformity. The thecal sac is compressed at the T12 level and the spinal cord appears atrophied from T9 level downwards.

The T11/T12 disc space is narrowed. Mild thoracic dex-

troscoliosis noted.”

Dextroscoliosis is a curvature of the spine to the right side of the body.

It concluded: “Old wedge fracture of T12. Association thecal sac compression with cord injury/atrophy.”

His former Vicar and priest at St. Barth’s Anglican Church Satellite Town who is now the Vicar and Arch.

Deacon at St Paul Anglican Church Oke Afa, Isolo, Lagos,

After the accident

Rev. Chiedu Ekpunobi, told The Guardian: “This young man’s case is quite unfortunate. He was one of my parishioners. He was very active. He was the assistant Choir Master. He was into buying and selling and was doing well for himself until this unfortunate incident.

“Uchenna needs help urgently to enable him have his life back. There are arrangements with a facility

in Spain for a surgery that promises to rehabilitate him and plans for him to learn a vocation to sustain him.

“We have been helping him but we cannot do this one alone. We need help. We cannot allow him to waste away like this. I urge the good people of Nigeria to come to this young man’s aid.”

Rev. Ekpunobi can be contacted on 08023168259, chieduekpu@yahoo.com.

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SCIENCE HEALTH Thursday, March 20, 2014

NHF seeks legislation to enforce heart-friendly oil

By Chukwuma Muanya and Kenechukwu Ezeonyejiaku ORRIED by the high W number of unhealthy food products in the Nigerian market and determined to reduce suffering and death from heart diseases in the population, the Nigerian Heart Foundation (NHF) has called on the government to make the Heart Check food labeling programme compulsory.

The Foundation also decried the rising cases of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) in the country such as hypertension, diabetes, heart failure, kidney damage, and arthritis, and called for legislation to make the use of heart-friendly oil mandatory.

The NHF linked the indiscriminate use of cooking oil to heart diseases and warned that hypertension, diabetes, and obesity remain the major cause of kidney damage in the country.

The experts, which include a consultant nephrologist, medical director of Ibadan Hypertension Clinic, and Chairman Board of Nigerian Heart Foundation (NHF), Emeritus Prof. Oladapo Olujimi Akinkugbe, Executive Director NHF, Dr. Kingsley Akinroye and Akinkugbe yesterday at the NHF formal launch and endorsement of Power Oil, product of Raffles LFTZ (DUFIL), makers of Indomie Noddles, said the NHF/National Agency for Food Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) Heart Check Food Labelling Programme is a systematic endorsement of food items certifying them healthy for consumption and heart friendly with emphasis on low fats and cholesterol, low sodium and low glucose.

Akinkugbe said eating the right amount of foods that are heart-healthy and nutritious which is part of the Global Strategy to reducing NCDs including heart diseases, cancer and diabetes mellitus.

He decried a situation where only five companies

Akinkugbe have signed on the Heart Check Food Labelling Programme while there are about 300 manufacturing companies in Nigeria. “We want to ensure that food products, such as vegetable oil, water, beverages, fruit juices and fish have the heart friendly logo,” Akinkugbe said.

The hypertension expert further explained, “the programme aims to emphasise the importance of creating awareness and sensitisation of manufacturers in the food and beverage industries on the importance of reformulations and marketing of foods, which are heart-healthy. The programme aims to facilitate

a reorientation of food manufacturing companies and the public towards demand for healthy and nutritious foods.

“However, a critical main challenge towards achieving the objectives of Heart Check Food Labelling programme is the dearth of analytical laboratories in the country to carry out detailed food analysis as stipulated by international requirements. We need well equipped laboratories in order to be able to evaluate food products and certify them heart friendly within our country.”

Akinroye said that the Foundation’s aim is to promote healthy heart in the

population of Nigerians to make sure that products that they consume are free from heart causing diseases through laboratory analysis to certify them so.

He said, “we are looking at the health of Nigerians and more important, we are looking at their heart health, which is the aim of NHF to promote healthy heart in the population of Nigerians. As we do know that heart disease is the number one killer disease, it is the one that that drops the life expectancy of the nation and in Africa now, more Nigerians are dying of heart disease. But we do know that the nutrition and the food we consume are very, very important as a risk factor of heart disease.

“To known about the fat, cholesterol and salt in our diet is very important and that is why NHF has taken up this endorsement programme, looking at companies that have passed through NAFDAC and Standard Organisation of Nigeria (SON) to make sure that their products are heart healthy.

“These companies are subjected through analysis both within and outside the country in the laboratory to ensure that they confirm by the protocol and if they do meet it, they are endorsed by the foundation and are giving the stamp and Power Oil has passed through that. It has been analysed and NHF is happy to endorse the product.”

Meanwhile, the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, DUFIL Prima Foods Plc., Deepak Singhal said that power oil is part of RBD Palm Olein in category, which means that it is refined, bleached, deodorant and fractionated in such a way that it gives one a product that can be used in frying. He said further that it is manufactured with good qualities of products, machineries and practices with a state of the art plants and good resources to ensure that every product that they produce is standardised and heart healthy.

Obesity associated with lower academic attainment in teenage girls new study has shown that A obesity in adolescent girls is associated with lower academic attainment levels throughout their teenage years.

The research conducted by the Universities of Strathclyde, Dundee, Georgia and Bristol is the most comprehensive study yet carried out into the association between obesity and academic attainment in adolescence. The results are published in the International Journal of Obesity.

The results showed that girls who were obese, as measured by BMI (body mass index) at age 11 had lower academic attainment at 11, 13

and 16 years when compared to those of a healthy weight.

The study took into account possible mediating factors but found that these did not affect the overall results.

Attainment in the core subjects of English, Maths and Science for obese girls was lower by an amount equivalent to a D instead of a C, which was the average in the sample.

Associations between obesity and academic attainment were less clear in boys.

University of Strathclyde Professor of Physical Activity and Public Health Science, John Reilly — the Principal Investigator of the studysaid: “Further work is needed

to understand why obesity is negatively related to academic attainment, but it is clear that teenagers, parents, and policymakers in education and public health should be aware of the lifelong educational and economic impact of obesity.”

Dr. Josie Booth, of the School of Psychology at the University of Dundee, said: “There is a clear pattern which shows that girls who are in the obese range are performing more poorly than their counterparts in the healthy weight range throughout their teenage years.”

The study examined data from almost 6000 children

from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC), including academic attainment assessed by national tests at 11, 13 and 16 years and weight status. 71.4 per cent were healthy weight (1935 male, 2325 female), 13.3 per cent overweight (372 male, 420 female) and 15.3 per cent obese (448 male, 466 female).

The researchers took into account potentially distorting factors such as socio-economic deprivation, mental health, IQ and age of menarche (onset of the menstrual cycle) but found these did not change the relationship between obesity and academic attainment.

Cause, complications, management of Diabetes Mellitus IABETES Mellitus is a D metabolic disorder caused by failure of insulin to pump glucose into the cells of the body. The failure can be at the level of the cells where the cells do not respond to insulin by opening the door through which glucose passes into the cells. Insulin failure can also be due to complete or partial failure of the betacells of the pancreas, with the result that there is no insulin or not enough in circulation.

There are mainly two types of diabetes: Type 1 DM, which used to be known as juvenile diabetes is common among young children. It is due to an autoimmune disorder whereby the immune system of an individual attacks and destroys the beta cells of the pancreas of the same individual. In this type of diabetes, there is no insulin in circulation at all and the individual must receive a short of insulin daily for life.

Type 2 DM, used to be known as adult diabetes mellitus, affects mainly adults. It is a disorder that is associated with partial failure of the function of insulin. In this type of DM, the patients are not dependent on insulin. They are treated with drugs by the orthodox medical practitioners. This is the focus of our discussion and in alternative medicine, patients have done well with lifestyle and diet changes, exercise and natural supplements.

Insulin resistance As I mentioned earlier, insulin, a hormone produced and secreted by the beta cells of the pancreas, it is responsible for driving glucose in the blood circulation into the cells either for energy production or storage as fat. What this means is that after every carbohydrate meal and the glucose level in the blood begins to rise, insulin production and release also start to increase. This insulin drives the glucose above the normal blood level of insulin into the cells. When that is done and the level of glucose in the blood returns to normal, insulin secretion stops.

Now, our meals in this part of the world is a high carbohydrate and high fat diet. The carbohydrate portion of what we eat is mainly starchy foods that have high glycaemic indices. The glycaemic index of a nutrient is the rate at which such a nutrient is absorbed into the blood (or the rate at which a nutrient appears in

the blood) and causes the release of insulin.

These starchy nutrients with high glycaemic indices being the main stay of our diet cause a sudden release of insulin into the circulation. I am talking of foods such as white flour products, polished rice, pasta, yam, potatoes etc.

These types of food cause what is known as an insulin spike or surge. This is the sudden outpouring of insulin into the circulation in response to the sudden increase of glucose.

This will, in a short period of time drive all the glucose into the cells. When this is done, the individual begins to feel hungry and reaches for a soft drink and a snack, both of which will stimulate another insulin spike.

This is repeated all day long for several weeks, months and years until there comes a time when the cells no longer respond appropriately to the insulin; response begin to diminish.

As it happens, the level of glucose in the blood will continue to rise and force the beta cells of the pancreas to secrete more insulin to try and drive the glucose into the cells. As this goes on, the level of insulin reaches an all-time high, a condition that is known as hyperinsulinaemia. There are very high levels of insulin in the circulation, which effectively regulate the blood glucose level. This is the disorder that is referred to as Insulin Resistance.

Even though the high blood insulin level may effectively control the blood glucose level, this level of insulin in the blood may give rise to certain serious health challenges. The following are features of the adverse effects of elevated insulin level in the body, hypertention, low High Density Lipo-protein (HDL) that is ‘good’ cholesterol, high Low Density Lipo-protein (LDL) that is ‘bad’ cholesterol, high triglycerides, increased incidences of blood clots, increased rate of inflammation of the arteries and development of central obesity (weight gain mainly around the lower abdomen, giving an apple appearance.

Syndrome X Dr. Gerald Reavens of Stanford University in America gave this term, Syndrome X, to a collection of these features that are caused by insulin resistance. We shall continue this discussion next week Thursday as we look more closely at Syndrome X.

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46 Thursday, March 20, 2014

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Thursday, March 20, 2014 47

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Education How Ghana profits from Nigeria’s troubled tertiary education system Since Nigeria’s tertiary education milieu became replete with industrial actions, most parents have been fed on a steady diet of how schooling in Ghana is the way out of the situation. Their strike-weary children are jumping at the opportunity to wrap up their studies in regulation time. As movement of the country’s tertiary institutions become jerkier, the flow of student traffic from Nigeria to Ghana is tipping the scale. Sadly, most of these private universities in Ghana, apart from being sub-standard, overcrowded and housed in ad hoc structures, are allegedly fleecing Nigerian parents/students just as the “degrees” they award are suspect, forcing many to believe that the whole process is entirely a rip-off. Now stakeholders are calling for serious actions to reposition education in the country. Calls for a thorough scrutiny of these degrees before holders are mobilised for the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) programme are also rife. ENO-ABASI SUNDAY and UJUNWA ATUEYI write.

HECKERED academic calendar, C perennial strikes by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP) and Colleges of Education Academic Staff Union (COEASU); low carrying capacity of federal government-owned public universities; alleged frustration by the Joint Admissions and Matriculations Board (JAMB); post-JAMB tests by most universities, the menace of religious bigots and terrorist groupBoko Haram; inadequate facilities and the neckbreaking school fees some top notch private universities in the country charge just to mention a few, may have all joined forces to decapitate tertiary education in Nigeria.

Hordes of parents and guardians in their search for a way out of the quagmire have landed in Ghana, where they think there exists a better and assured academic environment for their children and wards.

Before now, the options for the not too rich, when it comes to acquiring tertiary education used to be countries like Ukraine, Cyprus, Malta and Turkey among others.

But contemporary Nigerian students are now opting for privately owned universities in Ghana. Interestingly, these institutions, which some academics in that country hold suspect, remain very attractive to so many Nigerian students for a number of reasons.

Top on the list is their flexible admission procedures and the ridiculously low admission requirements, which serve as nectar to some lazy Nigerian students, who loathe stiff competition for the limited slots available in federal government-owned universities in both countries.

Even though the facilities in most of the privately owned tertiary institutions in Ghana are decrepit, the students and their parents are taking consolation in the fact that a three or fouryear programme comes to an end at its prescribed termination date.

Still smarting from a six-month long industrial action, the university system in Nigeria, which had been grounded, is yet to regain its breath and verve. A good number of parents and guardians are not waiting for that to happen hence their haste in combing the nooks and crannies of the neighbouring country for just any structure where their young ones can acquire the elusive tertiary education.

In September 2012, the entire country was jolted when the Chairman, Committee of Pro-chancellors of Nigeria, Dr. Wale Babalakin, revealed that Nigerians were spending about N160b annually to fund the education of some 75, 000 students schooling in that country. This, he said was in addition to the huge sums also expended on the same purpose for their children or wards in the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Malaysia and the United Arab Emirates.

Babalakin, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), who was speaking at the first Leading Light award presentation of the University of Ilorin Alumni Association, had said that Nigeria’s budget for education in 2011 was not up to N160bn. By implication, Nigerians spent more money getting educated in Ghanaian tertiary institutions in 2011 than the Federal Government spent on the education sector in the same year.

On that occasion, Babalakin who recalled that in 1975, four Nigerian universities were rated among the top 20 varsities in Africa lamented that none of the country’s top notch universities could now be ranked amongst the continent’s first 10.

Last year, the Committee of Vice-Chancellors of

Wike Nigerian Universities, recommended necessary policy interventions to address the challenges facing universities and other higher institutions in the country, if a situation where Nigerian students have become wanderers must be put paid to.

Prof. Michael Faborode, the Secretary-General of the committee, said that the policy was necessary due to the challenges of weak governance structure and process in the Nigerian higher education sector.

Faborode who was speaking at a two-day meeting on Consultative Policy Dialogue on the Future and Relevance of Nigeria Universities and other Tertiary Institutions,” in a paper entitled, “Towards Higher Education Transformation,” lamented that the absence of policy interventions, “...has contributed to the disruption of academic calendar owing to the constant bickering between the academic staff union, other staff unions, university management and governments.”

At that meeting, which was organised by Trust Africa, an African Foundation with headquarters in Dakar, Senegal in collaboration with the Committee of Vice Chancellors of Nigerian Universities, one of the key resolutions was the need to restore effective culture of consultation, partnership and collaboration between governments and management of higher institutions.

He regretted that while Ghana commits a whooping 31 per cent of its budget to education, Nigeria’s budgetary provision for the sector was a paltry eight per cent urging that there was an urgent need to restore the integrity of higher education in terms of work ethics and morality, transparency, productivity, democratisation and total commitment to the ideals of the Ivory Tower.

For the Regional International Officer of University of Essex, United Kingdom, Mr. Arinze Odiari, policy summersaults, poor budgeting, unsteady calendar, corrupt practices of education providers and managers, coupled with lack of good welfare packages for Nigerian teachers were some of the factors driving Nigerian students to seek tertiary education abroad.

This untoward development, has also given

Okebukola rise to many phoney education agencies and consultants as well as create room for the invasion of the Nigerian market by foreign institutions, who promise to provide overseas education to the bewildered Nigerian students.

In a chat with The Guardian at a two-day education fair held in Oyo and Lagos states respectively at the behest of Brookline Consult, an education-consulting firm, Odiari noted that: “The country’s education policy has not been favourable, the budget for education is not enough and the available money has not been well spent. The strike action that lasted for six months was a big distraction for any system that meant well for its people.

So, “The leaders should be more responsive to the cause of improving education and managers of institution, lectures should put in enough selfless services. We hear teachers are not well taken care of and students can buy marks. All these poor practices cannot be seen at the international arena, and until all these distractions are handled there won’t be a change.”

Ogunmola Aderebigbe, a parent is stridently calling for the thorough scrutiny of certificates brought back by young Nigerians from these universities in Ghana. Aderebigbe, who said he was shocked at the condition, which Nigerian children were studying in some of the privately owned tertiary institutions while on a visit there stressed that allowing them enjoy the same privileges as graduates without validating their certificates would worsen matters in future.

“In view of the allegations that have trailed the genuineness of these private universities and in view of what I saw on a visit there, their certificates should be scrutinised before they are mobilised for NYSC,” he stressed.

For Vice-Chancellor of Ondo State University of Science & Technology (OSUSTECH), Prof.

Tolu Odugbemi, the fact that Nigerians are going out in large numbers in search of educational institutions to acquire “qualifications” is a signal that we have to work harder to improve not only on quantity but the quality of our institutions in Nigeria.

While pointing out that genuine institutions exist alongside substandard ones in all parts of the world, he said “our youths are therefore to be offered advice on possible choices on institutions they can attend anywhere.”

He lamented that with the country at crossroads, “instead of our present educational system helping to propel us forward in development, we face a gloomy picture of decay because of wrong ideas and teachings that made “self” instead of the “society” as a centre of development. The over-development of “self” in positive ways would not have harmed the nation but the greed attached to “self-development” has.

The seasoned scholar who said, “Education is a tool for development if properly handled from childhood to adulthood through various systems,” stressed that “character building must accompany any form of learning for products of such institutions to be relevant to societal development. We Nigerians must re-assure ourselves that we can rebuild our societies by refocusing our values on positive and virtuous traits.”

Also commenting on influx of Nigerian students into Ghana, former Executive Secretary of the National Universities Commission (NUC), Prof. Peter Okebukola said, “Mobility of higher education students across national boundaries is encouraged by the Arusha Convention to which Ghana and Nigeria are signatories.

However, such movements are only to institutions and programmes that are approved by the national quality assurance agencies of the two countries. If the institutions to which Nigerian students seek admission are duly approved by Ghanaian authorities, it is well within the letter and spirit of the Convention, which has been recently revised by the African Union, for such students to enforce their rights to education.

“On the other hand, if Nigerian authorities, in this case NUC observe that standards are compromised in such universities to which Nigerian students seek higher education, it is imperative for NUC to advise students to beware of such poor-quality institutions even if those universities have been approved by local authorities. The caveat emptor or buyers beware situation is similar to the travel advisory that the US issues to its citizens when travelling to some locations in Nigeria which the US authorities consider unsafe for their citizens.

“Beyond this legalese and on a personal note,” Okebukola continued, “I have seen the wishywashy quality of education delivered in many of the branch campuses of foreign universities in Ghana. Most of the local universities in Ghanapublic and private are top class and among the best in Africa but the branch campuses of foreign universities to which Nigerian students flock are of doubtful quality. The gain is to the Ghanaian economy and ranking of Ghanaian universities in terms of international students.

The loss to Nigeria in terms of economy and human capital is huge.

“The discussion should now move quickly away from who wins and who loses, but to how we can make Nigerian universities globally attractive for Ghanaian, American, British, Japanese, Australian students, indeed all students from across the world as we used to have in the early days of the Nigerian university system. To make these happen we should, among other things, ensure a stable academic calendar, provide teaching, learning and research environment that meet international standards and guarantee security. Let’s seek first these three things and all other things will be added onto us,” he concluded.

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Substandard Ghana private varsities take Nigerians for a ride

By Eno-Abasi Sunday, Lagos and Kanayo Umeh (just back from Ghana) NFORMATION from the IEducation National Council for Tertiary (NCTE) in Ghana puts the number of Nigerian students studying in Ghanaian public universities at over 2,000 out of a total student enrollment of 77,005 in these schools.

This figure from the NCTE significantly contradicts that presented by the Nigerian High Commission, which says about 150,000 Nigerians studying in Ghana. Whatever the number may be, it is expected to significantly rise in the coming academic years at the rate the drift was going.

Data from private universities in Ghana are scanty, but there are evidently more Nigerian students in these institutions than in the public institutions, the NTCE data captured.

Only recently, the Federal Government had urged the over 400, 000 prospective university students, who annually fail to secure admission into conventional universities to enroll in the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN).

The supervising Minister of Education, Nyesom Wike, while laying the foundation stone for the permanent site of the NOUN in Port Harcourt, Rivers State said that conventional universities in the country lacked the capacity to absorb the teeming population of Nigerians that desire access to tertiary education.

While urging them to embrace NOUN, he noted that it is because of this lack of capacity to absorb all qualified applicants that that the National Open University system is being encouraged the world over.

According to Wike, “Every year we have not less than one million Nigerians, who write the Joint Admissions and Matriculations Board (JAMB) examination to get to the university and the admission capacity is no more than 600, 000. And so you have not less than 400, 000 people sitting at home without having access to university education.

That poses a problem for us.

But with the National Open University of Nigeria, sooner or later, the excess 400, 000 students will have access to affordable tertiary education.

Those who do not have access to conventional universities should enroll in NOUN and become educated.”

When most Nigerian parents and guardians dispatch their children and wards to acquire tertiary education in Ghana, they do so under the illusion that these schools have standard structures and state-ofthe-art amenities to produce world-class graduates.

Nothing could be farther from the truth.

Ghana has nine public universities operating on international standards, while admission into them remains very competitive. Apart from a prospective candidate having to produce his/her original credentials from the West Africa Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) before being admitted for a degree programme, candidates also have to write internal examinations that are relevant to their prospective course of study.

The nine public universities, which are quartered in standard structures and play host to appropriate facilities are the University of Energy and Natural Resources, Ahafo; University of Mines and Technology, Tarkwa;

University of Professional Studies, Legon; University of Health and Allied Sciences, Ho, and the University for Development Studies, Tamale.

The others are the famous University of Ghana, Legon; University of Cape Coast; Kumasi; University of Education, Winnieba and the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology.

On the flip side, of the 50 privately owned universities licensed by the government to operate there only the Valley View University (VVU), owned by the Seventh Day Adventist, and the first private university in that country is the only one with the capacity to award degrees on its own, without recourse to any foreign-based or government-owned university.

A good number of the 49 other private universities are largely substandard and serve predominantly as study centres, affiliates or satellite campuses of foreign-based universities. One characteristic that runs through most of them is the fact that they are either quartered in inadequate structures, rented facilities and or uncompleted structures.

Schools that fall into this category include the Mahatma Gandhi University, Accra campus, Radford University College, Accra, Accra Institute of Technology and Sikkim Manipal University, Accra campus. They are all said to be duly accredited by the National Accreditation Board of Ghana.

As affiliates of the more established foreign public institutions, their curriculum and facilities are directly supervised and scrutinised by their mother universities. The affiliated schools constantly assess their course materials, outlines and all pedagogical structures.

Also their degrees and certificates are issued in the name of, and awarded by the mother university. But the transcript of the students can only be sent anywhere by the offspring private university on request.

This collaboration and affiliation between private universities and the foreign-based institutions is meant to shore up their credibility even though some of them are established wholly as commercial ventures with money making as the cardinal aim.

Student drive sees most of these schools resort to the use of consultants, who deploy their middlemen across Nigeria, where they engage in aggressive marketing of the schools they represent. In plying their trade, they resort to the use of persuasion and handbills, which are distributed in strategic public places like airports, Nigerian campuses and major transport companies that operate within the West Coast.

Nigerian students are also used to convince their friends and relatives back in the country to come over to Ghana to school. They get rewarded based on the number they have succeeded lured over. The result is the geometric increase in the number of Nigerian students in these institutions, where some will have over 1, 200 Nigerians in a school made up of 2, 000 students.

However, unlike the conventional four-year duration for the average degree programme in Nigerian universities, the length of study for a degree programme in these private universities is mostly three years. In addition to this, prospective students do not have to possess all the required number of credits passes in the

relevant courses before being offered admission as they register for remedial courses to make up for the shortfall while they are legally undergoing their undergraduate studies.

According to the Deputy Head of Mission, Nigerian High Commission in Ghana, Mr. Mohammed Kurmawa, in an interview with The Guardian, over 150,000 Nigerians are currently studying at various universities in Ghana, including some institutions that are obscure and substandard.

He revealed that some universities were cashing in on the high rating of Ghanaian universities to create private ones for purely materialistic considerations.

While noting that “it is only in a place like Ghana that one will discover that public universities are more expensive than

the privately owned ones,” Mohammed revealed that depending on the course of study, tuition fees is between N450, 000 to N600, 000 (that is GH¢ 6,000 to GH¢ 8,000) per session as against the N200, 000 to N300, 000 charged in private universities.

“Ghanaians do not send their children to these private schools, rather send them abroad to study. Unlike Nigerian elite, Ghanaians send their children to public schools because the standards are higher. That is the reason why over 90 per cent of the students in private universities here in Ghana are Nigerians. It is indeed a scam because at the end of the day, someone comes from India with a briefcase and that is the person that would award the certificates to

the students,” he lamented.

The envoy expressed regret that most parents rely on their children to give them information about the schools they intend to attend, saying, that is why you see children with just two credit passes in their SSCE securing admission into tertiary institutions here. There is need for the Nigerian government to liaise with accreditation board here so that they will come up with a comprehensive list of duly accredited schools.

Mohammed continued, “It is surprising and disturbing that Nigerians top the chart of foreign students in these private and substandard schools making up to about 99 per cent of the student strength in some cases. Majority of them in some cases are northerners, and they don’t even speak

English there because it’s more or less like a home for them. I am very sure majority of those students do not have more than three credit passes, some of them once they obtain six passes they will offer you admission. What they do here is business centres and Nigerians are flocking there,” he disclosed.

The mercantile nature of these institutions is no secret in the country as most academics in the country hold them suspect. According to the Dean of International Students at the University of Ghana, Legon, Prof. Naa Ayikailey Adamafio, in an interview with The Guardian, academicians in Ghana have consistently questioned the credibility of some of these private universities.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 49

‘Be wary of unaccredited varsities, fake agents’ From Anietie Akpan and Tina Todo, Calabar S more strike-weary A Nigerian students continue to flood Ghana to acquire higher education, Ghanaian educational consultants/entrepreneurs have continued to make incursions into different parts of the country to recruit prospective students.

Hamart Ventures, a Ghanaian business concern one of the firms that scouts and arranges admission for Nigerian students in Ghana for a fee.

Its Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Mr. Martins Amo-Ayesu, specialises in recruiting students into various tertiary institution in his home country. To date, he has visited Nigeria, Benin Republic, South Africa, Togo and few other countries on the continent plying his trade.

In a chat with The Guardian in Calabar, Cross River State, Amo-Ayesu said he has visited about 25 states in Nigeria and has found the country to be a very fertile ground for his business because of Nigerians insatiable appetite for higher education.

The Ghanaian, who is fully aware of the sharp practices of some of his compatriots, who are in the same line of business is, however, quick to warn Nigerian parents and guardians about the existence of fake agents and unaccredited schools in his country.

According to him, “It is not all tertiary institutions in Ghana that are accredited and licensed to operate. This has been a challenge to those of us in this line of business. So, I would advise Nigerian parents that before they send their wards to school in Ghana, they should always inquire about the schools from relevant authorities.”

Amo-Ayesu says he has successfully recruited over 5, 000 Nigerian students and placed them in different universities in Ghana, in collaboration with the institutions. “In January this year, I was able to process admission for 155 students from Cross River State alone and over 500 recruited from Nigeria within this period and they have all been admitted into colleges in Ghana.”

He continued, “Three years ago while visiting a friend in Nigeria, I discovered that most Nigerian parents have been duped one way or the other by

fake agents. The fake agents do this by extorting large sums of money with a promise to get their victims’ children admitted into higher institutions in Ghana only to disappear into thin air.”

He lamented that the activities of these dupes has caused genuine agents misery as many parents now tar the genuine agents with the same brush as the criminally minded ones.

His words, “We have been having our little challenges because most of the agencies who started recruiting students from Nigeria to Ghana have caused a lot of havoc here.

I always tell parents that because fraudsters have caused a lot of havoc in the admission process, it does not mean that getting admission into schools in Ghana is that difficult.

“The minimum entry point that is required is credit passes in six subjects including Mathematics and English Language in their O’ Level examination. Once any child has this type of result, he is assured of admission into any accredited Ghanaian tertiary institution.

Unfortunately, “so many parents have paid over N200, 000 just to purchase admission forms from fraudulent agencies when in actual fact, these forms should never cost that much. So, we help parents to find the right school for their children and at very reasonable cost because they do not have to go through the tedious process they are going through before securing admission for their children.”

Evidence of the booming trade that acquiring tertiary education in Ghana has become is finding expression in the spread that firms like Hamart Ventures are enjoying.

“We try to give most parents and their children the best and affordable services. That is why our office network is expanding in Nigeria. We now have offices in Lagos, Ibadan, Oyo State and Calabar, Cross River State. Soon, we will open a new branch in Port Harcourt, Rivers State. In our capacity, we stand as the mouthpiece of the schools in Nigeria and help connect students seeking admission into them. We also give instant admission letters to the students once their credentials show that they are qualified. After this, we take them to Ghana for the admission process to be completed,” he stated.

Amo Ayesu Amo-Ayesu further added, “our comprehensive student recruitment optimisation service blends analytical expertise and hands-on enrolment experience to help parents address various complex issues that may arise, as well as identify new opportunities in the academic world.

“We also deploy our educational expertise, technology, planning and professional development in our work with schools, regional partners and state education agencies to prepare students for college, career and 21st century citizenship.”

According to Enyi Kelechi, one of Hamart Ventures clients, “Schooling in Ghana is excellent in the sense that you can be rest assured that a four-year programme remains a fouryear programme.

Kelechi, who is a student of a private institution-Radford University College, Ghana said, “Meeting Hamart Ventures has been an experience of a life time for me. I remember vividly how hard it was for me to gain admission into a tertiary institution in Nigeria. Out of frustration, I joined Cambridge lecture classes in the Rivers State College of Arts and Science. It was there that I met Mr. Amo-Ayesu, who ended up processing my admission. Schooling in Ghana has been a worthwhile experience and some universities like mine are well equipped.”

Gina Patrick, a student of All Nations University, Koforidua, Eastern Region, Ghana, speaking on behalf of her friends Cynthia Uche and Princess, said they all went through troubling times in their bid to acquire tertiary education in Nigeria.

She said, “It has been our dream to acquire tertiary education. But we tried to do that severally in Nigeria but to no avail. That was when we decided to turn to schools in Ghana.

However, due to some of the stories that we heard about admission racketeering in Ghana; how difficult and cumbersome the process can sometimes be, and how some students have fallen victims to fraudsters, we decided to try out Amo-Ayesu, who ended up changing our perception.

“To our surprise, the agency is not just a recruiting agency, but serves as guardian to a large number of students, who are admitted into various Ghanaian universities. We therefore advise Nigerians and the Nigerian government to borrow a leaf from Ghana and bring about far-reaching improvement in our education sector. Even though the private universities in Nigeria are trying, we believe much more can still be done to improve access to tertiary education. Efforts should also be made to improve infrastructural facilities in the sector for the benefit of future generation of Nigerians.”

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Scrutinise where your wards school in Ghana CONTINUED FROM PAGE 48 “We are asking questions. Are many of these institutions fit to be accredited? They have lax standards and are just interested in the money that the students can pay,” she said.

Adamafio, a professor of BioChemistry, said these sub-standard schools are making a lot of money off Nigerians because of the incessant strikes plaguing Nigeria’s education system.

On his part, Prof. Buor of Valley View University noted that, “reputation, parents’ knowledge of the schools and international exposure, which most parents want for their children without necessarily sending them very far from home, as well as differences in

Adamafo

culture, and the incessant strikes in Nigerian universities are majorly the reasons why Nigerians come to study in Ghana.”

He disclosed that there are over 250 Nigerians at the Valley View University, pointing out that there is no disruption of academic programmes in Ghanaian universities as is the case in Nigeria.

Late last year, the House of Representatives Committee on Diaspora Affairs, chaired by Mrs. Abike Dabiri-Erewa visited Ghana to among other things, inspect some of the schools that Nigerian students attend and to interact with them and the school authorities.

“First and foremost, it is the lack of good leadership that is

responsible for the mass influx of Nigerian youths, who come to school in universities in Ghana. If not, there’s no reason for the influx of Nigerian students here. We have better universities in Nigeria than what we have seen in Ghana,” a shocked Dabiri-Erewa said at the end of the exercise.

She further said, “We have gone round certain higher institutions in Ghana, because our primary focus as far as this visit is concerned, is about our students studying in Ghana.

Based on our assessment, we realised we need to advise parents to try to see some of the schools they are sending their children to in Ghana. We were impressed in some areas, and we issued a note of caution in

Dabiri-Erewa

some of the schools. In fact, there are some schools we saw and they are not worth it.

“However, we will be working with the Nigerian Embassy in Ghana; we will communicate with the Ministry of Education to try and look at these schools and advise sets of prospective youths coming to school here in Ghana.

“We are not asking Nigerian parents not to send their children to study abroad, but they should investigate the schools before sending them to a worse school compared to where they are running away from,” she submitted.

Olakot David from Osun State, who is a student of the Valley View University, said he made for Ghana as a result of series

of frustrating experiences he suffered while trying to secure admission into federal universities through JAMB. David and many others attributed the exodus of Nigerian youths to the admission policies of JAMB and the incessant strikes by ASUU, ASUP and other unions operating in the tertiary institut i o n s .

She expressed bitterness at being forced to pay $120 annually for non-citizen identification card, after paying for her resident permit and other immigration necessities.

Isa Mohammed Umar, a student of Sikkim Manipal University (SMU) from Borno State, who spoke to The Guardian, said the Boko Haram insurgency in the state drove him and many members of his immediate and extended family out of the country to study in Ghana and other parts of the world.

“Here in Ghana, we are about 15 from my immediate family and 43 relatives from Maiduguri, Borno State. In my school, Borno State students form the highest number of students from Nigeria.”

According to him, “the major challenge that I go through in Ghana is the high cost of living. For all foreign students, Ghana is a very expensive place to school. My colleagues and I spend a lot of money on transportation to attend lectures. Here, I spend the equivalent of N150 from my house to lecture venue, whereas in Nigeria, I used to spend only N50 to transport myself from my residence to the University of Maiduguri. In the small accommodation that I rented,

which is not even comfortable, I paid N480, 000 for two years.

The house rent we pay here is higher than our school fees.”

Another student of SMU, Okechukwu Tochukwu from Anambra State, who is studying Mass Communication and Journalism, told The Guardian that about 90 per cent of students in the university were Nigerians with only a few other students from Francophone c o u n t r i e s .

Speaking on her choice of the university in the face of poor teaching and learning facilities, she said, “I came here to escape incessant strike actions and other such things that are bedeviling education in Nigeria. In Nigeria, even after obtaining your six credit passes in SSCE, you still have to sit for UTME, which most people fail. I opted for Ghana after failed attempts to secure admission to Nigerian universities through JAMB. “In Nigeria, there are large structures and buildings in federal universities and even the private ones. But for me, education goes beyond these structures. It is about what you are getting from your lecturers. Here you don’t have lecturers missing their classes like they do in Nigeria. In Ghana, the lecturer will be there at a particular time and you don’t have lecturers asking you to give them any form of gratification. The books are there and nobody forces you to buy handouts. Lecturers make handouts compulsory in Nigeria. I can say, education here is far better than what we get in Nigeria.”

50 EDUCATION Thursday, March 20, 2014

THE GUARDIAN www.ngrguardiannews.com

Toyin Falola to deliver UNIOSUN 3rd Convocation Lecture HE third convocation lecT ture of Osun State University will hold on Thursday, March 27, 2014 at the university main campus in Osogbo.

Entitled: “Public Universities, Vision and Knowledge Economies,” the lecture will be delivered by Prof. Toyin Falola, Jacob and FrancesSanger Mossiker, chair in the Humanities, University of Texas at Austin, USA. Falola is also vice president, International Scientific Committee (Slave Route Project) of UNESCO, and president-elect, African Studies Association, USA.

Atlantic Hall Celebrates 25th Founder’s Day

By Bukola Ogungbe

Supervising Minister of Education, Nyesom Wike, Vice Chancellor, University of Ibadan, Prof. Folorunso Adewole, Pro-Chancellor University of Ibadan, General Adeyinka Adebayo (rtd), acting Executive Secretary, TETFUND, Mallam Aliyu Nai’ya and Prof. Jerry Gana at TETFUND stakeholders meeting with heads of tertiary institution in the South West, which took place recently at the University of Ibadan.

PHOTO: NAJEEM RAHEEM

Babalola urges review of NUC laws, wants proprietors of fake varsities jailed for life From Muyiwa Adeyemi (Head, South West Bureau Ado Ekiti) OUNDER of Afe Babalola University, Ado Ekiti (ABUAD), Aare Afe Babalola is calling for a review of the law establishing the National Universities Commission (NUC), stressing that some of them have become obsolete thereby failing to cope with current challenges in tertiary institutions.

The foremost legal luminary specifically called for the amendment of Section 22 of the law, which has to do with “the powers of NUC to close down illegal universities to include forfeiture of the property of the proprietor(s) and all involved in establish-

F

ing illegal universities and imposition of life imprisonment.”

Babalola, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) Tuesday while addressing the NUC accreditation team that assessed programmes and facilities in the university, said it was unfortunate to note that, “apart from the United States, Nigeria has the largest number of illegal universities or institutions in the world. I am worried about the irreparable damage these illegal institutions and their operators are doing to millions of students and parents in this country.

“The law should further be amended to give NUC the

power to verify the certificates paraded by many lecturers and professors. We have discovered that many lecturers and professors parade fake certificates.

There is need to make a law to impose severe punishment on those parading such certificates. The damage being done by these quacks can only be imagined.”

He disclosed that some of the fake professors that applied to work in the university and identified were reported to the NUC, but regretted that the commission was unable to act because there was no law that empowers it to deal with such situation.

He said, “by the time the

NUC law came into being in 1985, there hadn’t been private universities, which started coming in 1990. With the existence of private universities, there are a lot of challenges, which the NUC law of 1985 did not envisage and it’s affecting our universities. That is why I call for the amendment of the NUC law to take care of these challenges.”

The legal luminary turned educationist, who also advocated for the establishment of a body to award national degrees as done in Chile and other countries, stressed that the need for Nigerian graduates to seat for national degrees had become imperative in order to ascer-

tain the quality of graduates churned out by Nigerian universities.

According to him, “just as we have General Certificate of Education (GCE) that all secondary school students sit for irrespective of the quality or name of the school, I also advocate for national degree and this will expose graduates of some universities that were never serious with their studies.”

“I had been a pro-chancellor of a public university and I know what’s going on in some of the private universities. But if their graduates also have to sit for national degrees, the quality of our graduates will be better enhanced.”

Banks adopt schools, mentor students on financial literacy

By Emmanuel Badejo and Emeka Nwachukwu

RMB goes for Aunty Ayo Girls’ High School

IAMOND Bank Plc has announced plans to adopt Caro Favoured College, Ajegunle, Lagos, as part of programmes designed for the Global Money Week. This it says is one way of promoting financial literacy among children and youths in the country.

And in furtherance of its commitment to ensuring financial inclusion and financial literacy in the country, Union Bank Nigeria Plc has adopted St. Mary’s Private School, Broad Street, Lagos, as it marks the 2014 Financial Literacy Day. Financial Literacy Day is a day set aside by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to educate children on finance and management of their financial resources. The programme is part of worldwide Global Money Week celebrations.

Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Diamond Bank Plc, Dr. Alex Oti, while addressing the stu-

dents said the programme is aimed at making them understand the basics of money and what a legal tender is all about.

Reiterating the banks commitment to the programme, Oti, who was represented by head of retail banking, Mr. Jude Anele, said the plan to adopt the school was no mean one as the “CBN gave directives for all banks to engage schools in financial literacy. The bank is excited about the project and it is our desire to also adopt Caro Favoured College.

Whatever our educational project is, we would start from this school.”

At St. Mary’s Private School, Group Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Union Bank Plc, Mr. Emeka Emuwa said, “we at Union Bank believe that proper financial education will empower our young ones to make sound financial decisions in the future.”

D

He added that as an organisation that is firmly committed to the achievement of financial inclusion in Nigeria, we are convinced that financial literacy is a key step in the attainment of this aspiration,” even as he also encouraged the students to inculcate the habit of saving right from their childhood as it would go a long way in helping them upon retirement from service.

Meanwhile Rand Merchant Bank (RMB) has adopted Aunty Ayo Girls High School,

Ikoyi-Obalende Local Council Development Area (LCDA), Lagos State, where it organised a talk on financial education for the pupils.

Chief Executive Officer of the bank, Mr. Michael Larbie said his company decided to assist the school in any possible area, with a view to lifting the standard of education in the country.

In this direction, he said the bank would shortly, meet with officials of the school to assess their areas of urgent needs and work out possible assistance.

He stressed the need for the

pupils to inculcate financial discipline saying such would make them wise and profitable investors in future.

“Certainly, we would offer assistance. And our presence here today, is not going to be a one-off thing. As a bank, we would do a lot more with the school. We would engage more with them and see how we can develop financial literacy into their curriculum both for the teachers, as well as, the pupils.

As you can look around a lot more could be done in this school. We can come in to provide infrastructure and other

HE Atlantic Hall, Lagos last T Saturday celebrated its 25th Founder’s Day at its Epe campus.

The event started with the students reciting poems, in line with the theme of the event, “Embedding 21st Century Learning: The Next Mile Stone.”

The Principal, Mr. Anthony Jedras, recalled that the school started out from a group of young mothers who had a weekly lunch forum, which has cristalised into a school worthy of emulation.

He said: “Having a dream is one thing, but translating it to reality must have been quite a daunting proposition.

“However, I can attest first hand through my close work with our trustees of their steely determination and unwavering tenacity in pursuit of what they believe in and also in what they believe serves the best interests of Atlantic Hall and its many stakeholders.”

He commended the efforts of his team to make the school a success.

Mrs. Towry-Coker, Chairperson of Atlantic Hall Educational Trust Council, said 25 years in the life of any institution is a significant milestone worth celebrating.

“Although the journey from the very beginning up to now has been challenging, but looking back and taking time to count and name our blessings one by one, we are indeed amazed at what God has done over the years,” she stated.

One of the parents and a Trustee, Mrs. Taiwo Taiwo, said she has found a very receptive school that listens to everyone, where her children are safe, happy and well fed, even as she looked forward to a time when parents would aid schools, just like they do to churches.

LSN honours Kwara varsity boss, Na’Allah, Emenyonu From Abiodun Fagbemi, Ilorin N recognition of his distinIservices guished scholarship and to the Literary Society of Nigeria (LSN), the ViceChancellor of Kwara State University (KWASU) Malete, Professor AbdulRasheed

Na’Allah has been inducted as a Fellow of the Society (FLSN).

Professor Na’Allah was inducted alongside a literary giant and editor of the prestigious African Literature Today, Michigan-Flint University, United States, Professor Ernest Emenyonu, during the soci-

ety’s 2014 International Conference recently held at the Banquet Hall of the University of Benin, Benin City, Edo State.

At the conference, which was in honour of Emenyonu who served as the society’s President between 1982 and

1984, another literary giant who bagged the LSN Fellowship Award in 2010, Prof. Romanus Egudu was specially recognised and presented with his Fellowship certificate and medal by the society’s President, Dr. Adeleke Babatunde.

Thursday, March 20, 2014 EDUCATION

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Rivalry between two religions fuelled Osun school crisis, says committee From Tunji Omofoye,Osogbo HE committee set up by T Osun State Governor Rauf Aregbesola to probe the cause of the recent crisis at Baptist High School, Iwo has submitted its report with a verdict that no religion is against the schools re-classification policy of the state government.

The Committee headed by a former Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice in the state, Mr. Gbadegesin Adedeji while submitting it’s report noted that no single religion in the state was against the re-classification but the crisis was fuelled mainly by ego and old rivalry between adherents of Christianity and Islam in Iwo Community.

The report stated that the committee found out that it was the old rivalry between the two prominent religions that was responsible for the animosity witnessed in the school in Iwo. Adedeji commended Aregbesola for being proactive in tackling the opportunistic differences that some people are trying to play on with the re-classification of schools in the state.

It would be recalled that the state government embarked on restructuring of the state’s education system, which led to merger of schools and resultant protests against the wearing of hijab by

female Muslim students by their Christian counterparts at the school.

The report noted that the crisis at the school was not a matter that should be treated with levity and commended the state government for setting up the committee.

“If the case of Iwo Baptist High School had been allowed to fester, it could have spread over the state.

During our assignment, people came out in their hundreds and we had frank exchange of what could be the problem. On the basis of what they told us, we were able to get to the conclusion that no single religion is against the re-classification policy. All we noticed was that it was the ego among the three dominant religions in the state that has been played up,” the report said.

Adedeji thanked the governor for the opportunity given to the committee to serve Iwo community and the state at large.

The governor while receiving the report held that Yoruba race had lived for several millennia with strong distinction on how to approach the divine without any problem.

Aregbesola stressed that the policy was designed to bring out the best from pupils and students, hence the decision of government to nip in the bud the sectarian unrest at the Baptist High school, Iwo.

He thanked God for not allowing the state to be engulfed in crises with what happened in the school, saying the basis for animosity as noted by the committee was ego.

He said with the similarities that exist between the two faiths, the rancour being witnessed in Nigeria was unnec-

essary.

His words, “No matter what we profess, Yoruba will never fight on religion because it is strange to them because they have lived together on different beliefs.

If love is critical and crucial to all faiths, where do we find the hatred and animosity that now characterise our

relationship as men of faith?

Salvation is an individual thing with God. He continued, “It’s good to hear that the committee was able to discover that it was not the re-classification of schools in the state that fuelled the attitude of some misguided students in the school in Iwo, but the rivalry

between the two faiths was the cause of what happened in the school.”

Aregbesola assured that government is going to look into the report of the committee carefully and come out with a white paper that will show how to manage such occurrence.

Amosun assures OSCOTECH of adequate support GUN State governor, O Senator Ibikunle Amosun has assured students and management of the Ogun State College of Health Technology (OSCOTECH), Ilese-Ijebu of support in its quest to modernise the training of middle-level manpower for the country’s healthcare sector.

Speaking at the institution’s maiden convocation held

recently, Amosun said the role of the college “has become central to the state’s agenda on healthcare.”

Represented by both the Commissioner of Education, Mr. Segun Odubela and his health counterpart, Dr Olaokun Soyinka, the governor reiterated the state government’s commitment to the provision of “holistic healthcare services” across

the state.

Soyinka said: “We need to work on the health pipeline to ensure that it gushes out the right contents.”

Speaking earlier, Provost of the College, Dr. Tunji Dawodu listed some achievements of the college to include the accreditation of all courses except one and the execution of several projects to uplift the status of the 38-year old institution.

He appealed to the state government to increase the school’s subvention “to free more funds for infrastructural development and the tarring of the campus roads.”

Three prominent individuals, including the governor, Sir Kessington Adebutu and Dr. Lanre Hassan of the Eye Foundation were conferred with fellowship awards at the occasion.

Lagos offers Crescent varsity alumna scholarship to study abroad first-class product of A Crescent University, Abeokuta, Ogun State, Miss Rafiat Gawat, has been offered scholarship to pursue a masters degree programme at Robert Gordon University, Aberdeen, Scotland, by the Lagos State government.

A Mass Communication graduate of the school, Gawat has been offered an unconditional admission to study Corporate Communication and Public Affairs in the university.

Reacting to the news, the school’s Vice Chancellor, Prof. Kehinde Okeleye described it as a confirmation of the university’s pedigree, noting that, “our students have been able to rub shoulders with competitors all over the world.”

Okeleye said many products of the university have secured jobs in various fields of human endeavour while others are pursuing higher degrees both in Nigerian universities and abroad.

Gawat had also been offered automatic employment by Sterling Bank, due to her performance during her oneyear national youth service programme.

Gawat scored a Cumulative Grade Point (CGP) of 4.7. This made her the best graduating student of the Department of Mass Communication. She also

won the departmental prize as the best student in features writing.

Meanwhile six students of institution have been sanctioned for varying shades of misconducts. Their offences range from range from disruption of peace; damage of university property; unruly behaviour against fellow students and leaving the university premises without due authorisation.

The affected students from the departments of Urban and Regional Planning, Banking and Finance, Mass Communication and Degree Foundation respectively, according to a release from the school’s public relations office, have been served their expulsion and suspension letters respectively after they were found guilty by the Standing Disciplinary Committee of the institution.

In the release, Okeleye quoted Section 4, sub-section 27 of the university law, stating that the erring students would be held responsible for a proportionate part of the damaged items.

He emphasised the university’s relentless commitment to further sanction any student culpable of similar offences, noting that about 50 students of the university have been expelled in the past for varying degrees of misconduct.

Ogun State Commissioner for Education, Mr. Segun Odubela (right), presents a Fellowship Award to Dr. Lanre Hassan of Eye Foundation; who was represented by Dr O. Onadipe at the first convocation ceremony of the Ogun State College of Health Technology (OSCOTECH) last Thursday in IleseIjebu. Middle is the Provost of the College, Dr. Tunji Dawodu

NYSC boss warns corps members against perpetrating electoral fraud

By Ujunwa Atueyi AVING been made part of H the country’s electoral process, members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) have been warned against being abusing the policy and getting induced by reckless politicians to facilitate electoral frauds in the country.

The Director General of the Corps, Brig-General Johnson Olawunmi, handed down the warning to the 2014 Batch ‘A’ Corps members deployed to Lagos State for their one-year national service.

At the swearing in ceremony held recently at the NYSC Orientation Camp, Iyana Ipaja, the DG who reiterated that Federal Government has made it a policy for the corps members to be part of the electoral processes, reminded them that their deploy-

ment for electoral duty does not in any way qualify them as members of Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and they must never aid any politician win election by all means come 2015.

He said the Corps would provide the necessary welfare to the group that would be deployed for electoral duties urging them to shun and reject every manner of nepotism during the exercise.

“The Federal Government made it a policy that you corps members will be part of electoral process, when that time comes, you must not allow yourselves to be swayed by any politician, do not get involved in manipulation of election with politicians. I am your father, you all are my children and so I care about your welfare and safety. Shun

them if they come to you and please don’t accept any money or gift item given to you. Integrity, discipline and loyalty which are part of what we are imbuing in you through the scheme shall be your watch word.”

On the Skill Acquisition and Entrepreneurship Development (SAED) project, which has become an integral part of the orientation exercise, he urged them to avail themselves of the opportunity inherent in the programme, adding that regular participation in the training will help them become job creators as evident in the previous set that have passed through the programme. “We are building partnership with some companies and we are signing Memorandum of Understanding with banks so that when you acquire this

skills you can obtain loan and start up a small or medium enterprise.”

Reechoing the views of the DG, the State Coordinator, Mrs. Adenike Adeyemi, remarked, “Unemployment is a global challenge cutting across both the developed and developing nations of the world. To curtail this challenge, acquiring a skill and becoming an entrepreneur is the key to a viable economy”.

She urged them to identify their passion through SAED and expand it for wealth creation.

She said, a total number of 2102 corps members comprising of 892 male and 1210 female were deployed to the state for the service year, including 399 others undergoing orientation exercise in Osun State, making a grand total of 2501 corps members.

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Thursday, March 20, 2014 EDUCATION

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AUN to open ‘multi-functional, smart’ library in May

By Eno-Abasi Sunday HE American University of Nigeria (AUN), winner of one of three international awards given out by the American Library Association (ALA) last year for Innovative International Library Projects, says its new bricksand-mortar “smart” library will open in May 2014.

It will serve as a model of how innovation and technology make learning

T

affordable, sustainable, efficient, and more accessible.

At 210,000 e-books and ejournals, accessed using tablets, e-readers and other devices, and available to students and faculties 24/7 regardless of location, the institutions e-book collection is not only Africa’s largest, but also significantly larger than that held by most universities in America.

The school located in Yola, Adamawa State, is one of

those leading the movement toward digital libraries around the world.

And in selecting AUN for its Presidential Citation for Innovative International Library Projects, the ALA pointed out AUN’s creation of a “digital library model for other libraries that is affordable, sustainable, and increases availability of resources for users.”

According to its Librarian, Amed Demirhan: “The new home for AUN library will

advance the application of information technology to organisational structure, space and collection.”

Demirhan, who started the first digital library in the University of Kurdistan, Iraq, explained that AUN’s “smart library is basically like a smart phone. It’s multi-functional, efficient, has more services, and because it deals with eresources, it doesn’t require as much space. Instead, we have space to add more

Ketiku Christopher Olayinka (left, back row); Odubiyi Adekunle Oladele; Egabaiyelo Francis Olushola; Neji Peter Eta; Principal, Peacock College, London, Dr. Zenon Adamek; Martins Damilola; Mrs. Deborah Akinseye, Lead Consultant, Prof Anthonio Georgious (seated) and Ibitola Florence Idowu during the recently concluded Effective Human Resources Techniques course at Peacock College, London

Tanus donates first e-classroom to Lagos school

By Ijeoma Opara S part of efforts to enhance A the e-learning ability of students and in line with its corporate social responsibility to the education sector, Tanus Books Limited has installed two fully functional e-classrooms at the Ayedere/Ajibola Junior Secondary School, Ketu, Lagos State. It is equipped with 80 tablets, computer sets, projectors and wireless router powered by a 10 KWp solar energy set.

The school earned the e-classroom, the first of its kind in the state for being the e-winning school in the state’s Power Conservative InitiativePower Kids Programme.

Speaking at the commissioning of the facility, the Commissioner for Energy and Mineral Resources Mr. Taofeek Tijani applauded the contribution of Tanus Books to educational advancement in the state by sponsoring the eclassrooms, which is capable of accommodating 80 students at a time.

He also commended Concession Development Company for donating the solar energy unit saying, “This gesture will undoubtedly go a long way in upgrading the learning standard of the benefiting schools.

“The Lagos State government encourages solar energy, which is a key element in renewable energy even though the tariff might be high, and so we are showing an example as a government

to let people know that solar energy works.”

The Executive Chairman of Tanus, Dr. Yemi Ogunbiyi said his firm deemed it important to support the effort of the state government in the power and energy saving programme.

“We are impressed with what they are doing especially the power agency- the Lagos Electricity Board. I am hopeful that the state governor will be pleased with what we have done and ask us to extend this gesture to other schools by purchasing these tablets from us, because we have donated these ones for free.

“Students no longer have to carry heavy textbooks around, all the textbooks needed in their curricular (Junior Secondary 1-3) have been loaded in the tablets, all the students have to do is flip through the tablets to access information.

Dr. Ogunbiyi who also noted that they also have access to unlimited information through the Internet, which makes them ICT empowered, stressed that “there is no better to make them learn than in a friendly environment and also master the computer,” he said.

The Managing Director of Concession Development Company, Mr. Val Ozieh said, “the solar form of energy shows how easy it is to tap into natural resources we wake-up to see everyday. The students now have access to the world without relying on PHCN.”

services that were once taken up by hardcopy books, resulting in greater efficiency and effectiveness.”

President of the university, Dr. Margee Ensign said, “While the new library will not be the world’s biggest university library, it will be among the smartest. Here in Nigeria, we cannot just focus on traditional education. To make education accessible and less expensive, it has to be about technology.

“Nigeria is the fastest growing country in the world, with a population doubling every 30 to 35 years. With such fast rates of population growth, technology will be crucial in meeting the needs to educate and train Nigerian youths.

Education is the key to helping people provide for themselves and their families. It’s the key to making Nigeria and the world a better place. We’re already seeing the results of our elearning in our students and graduates. AUN’s new smart library will advance learning faster throughout our nation and the continent as a whole,” Ensign added.

AUN provides all of its students with laptops or tablets, campus-wide, wireless, and round-the-clock access and electricity.

Incorporating technology and innovation to the library’s structure, space and collection, AUN’s new library is designed to support their digital e-library, from the staff to the furni-

ture.

The innovative new building will have less traditional seating, replacing stationary tables with more comfortable chairs to accommodate mobile users. Even the library staff structure has been transformed to complement the pivot to a smart digital library.

For example, the serial coordinator position has been removed as AUN subscribes to publications online whenever possible.

AUN is a recognised global pioneer in electronic education, championing elearning as a model for higher education in the developing world that controls costs, while creating greater access to resources for the wider community.

AUN’s communities are already benefitting from the smart library, which has been actively collecting and encouraging the use of open access resources.

In 2012, the library trained 147 faculty and administrative staff from the Federal College of Education in Yola and 20 faculty members from Modibbo Adama University of Technology, Yola. The transition to a digital library furthers AUN’s stated community development mission by promoting open access resource use, institutional collaboration, and outreach throughout the region and nation. AUN believes that open access to resources is the best investment for expansion of global education and development.

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Foreign varsities bait youths with scholarships, others

By Kenechukwu Ezeonyejiaku OR Nigerian youths seeking to acquire tertiary education abroad in the face of increasing lack of carrying capacity by local institutions, representatives of foreign universities have reeled out a number of measures aimed at making their journey smooth sailing.

They universities unfolded their packages at an ongoing International Education Fair.

The fair at the instance of MOD Education has representatives of 10 universities from Europe in attendance. They University of Limerick, Ireland, Catholic University, San Antonio, Spain, Swansea University, University of East London, University of Hertfordshire, Coventry University, University of East Anglia all in United Kingdom among others.

According to the representative of Catholic University, Spain, Mr. Pablo Blesa, “We are here because Nigeria has a population of over 160 million people. Apart from being the largest population in Africa, this number is expected to reach 250 million in 2020.

They are a good people, well recognised outside of Africa for their love for adventure, cleverness, and love to study and have certificates.”

The representatives of the universities individually and collectively promised fantastic offers for intending students, which include scholar-

F

ships, discounts on fulfillment of certain requirements, structured mode of payments, opportunities to work while studying, world-class teaching and learning facilities among others.

Director, MOD Education,

Michael Dosunmu who described his outfit as one poised to create access for Nigerian youths to get into top quality universities overseas, lamented that the demand for tertiary education far outweighs available spaces.

“Naturally, as much as there will be questions about why we encourage students to go abroad to further their education, the answer is that the demand cannot be met locally.

So, if there is an opportunity for youths to go abroad to

study, they should make good use of it in order to reduce the over 400, 000 that cannot find places yearly in available institutions.

Because our population is not dwindling year after year, some people will have to

study in the country, some in Africa and some in Europe, at the end of the day.

Other Nigerian cities, which the fair will also take place include Abuja, Port Harcourt, Benin and Uyo, Akwa Ibom State.

.Chief Executive Officer HT Limited Feyikemi Odunuga; Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer (MD/CEO) Sterling Bank Plc, Yemi Adeola and Chief Financial Officer, Sterling Bank Plc, Abubakar Suleiman, at an entrepreneurship programme organised by the bank tagged “Meet The Executives,” held at the weekend in Lagos.

Jigawa SUBEB earmarks N190m for Greensprings promotes self-confidence through public speaking school furniture, mobile worshops prompted Greensprings Speaking on her perform- Pastoral, Mr. Olatunji Patrick

By Ujunwa Atueyi

From John Akubo, Dutse HE Jigawa State Universal T Basic Education Board (SUBEB) has earmarked the sum of N190 million for the provision of furniture in over 2, 000 primary and junior secondary schools across the state.

The chairman of the board, Alhaji Sani Abdullahi who made the disclosure while speaking to newsmen recently said the amount was contained in the state’s 2014 Appropriation Bill.

According to Abdullahi, the sum of N100m was specifically for the provision of furniture, while “the sum of N90 million is set aside for estab-

lishing mobile workshops, which would move to various schools to carryout repair works on furniture covering all the primary and junior secondary schools in the seven zones.

He stressed that the rationale behind the mobile workshop was to save cost, saying “with this mobile workshop, the cost of transportation, time and labour would be saved.”

According to him the incumbent administration is paying more attention to the education sector in a bid to achieving the target as stipulated by the National Policy of Universal Basic Education and UNESCO.

Unified examination for Lagos private schools begin June

By Adeniyi Idowu Adunola HE National Association of T Proprietors of Private Schools (NAPPS), Lagos State Chapter says it would commence unified examinations for pupils in private schools in the state in June.

The association’s President, Mr. Abayomi Otubela, speaking in Lagos said the development was part of efforts to ensure standards in private schools in the state.

Otubela said that the examination to be held every session would enable all proprietors to assess the performance of their pupils and make improvements where necessary.

“All private schools will be writing a joint examination aside from their final exams,

these are all measures to ensure qualitative education.”

According to Otubela, a maiden quiz competition among private schools is scheduled to hold on March 19 at the ward level during the NAPPS South-West Delegates Conference.

Otubela also spoke on the gruesome murder of students just as he condemned the abduction of 15 female students in Yobe State by gunmen, describing the act as barbaric.

“We challenge them to direct their cause if any, to their target enemies and not at innocent school children.

We also call on the Federal Government to do more in tackling the excesses of these insurgents.

OU’VE probably heard the statistics about how people fear public speaking more than almost anything else. It can definitely be terrifying to get up in front of a crowd of people and try to captivate them with your words.

Being able to speak confidently in front of a group of people, experts assert is a valuable skill for growing kids. This is so because apart from boosting their self-confidence levels, it also improves their communication skills and increases self-esteem.

Since public speaking requires that children plan and prepare what they have to say, many they in the process develop good planning skills as well as the power of persuasion.

Perhaps, these and many other benefits must have

Y

School, Anthony campus, Lagos, to organise a “Speech Contest” for its students, in addition to its believe that the ability to express oneself confidently and convincingly in public has been remains an asset to anyone who desires academic excellence.

During the contest, the need for children to be allowed to bare their minds without hindrance as well as the need for them to be equipped with the ability to speak convincingly in public topped the agenda.

Interestingly, the students who were given the option of selecting topics of their choices, used the platform to address some of the ills wrecking the Nigerian society, ranging from early girlchild marriage; drug abuse, gender disparity; HIV/Aids; male chauvinism among others.

ance, winner in the Year 10 category, Tamilore SolaOdeseye, told The Guardian that self-confidence and emotional attachment to the topic won her the prize.

“I chose a topic that reflected the life of a close friend, because severally I see a lot of people struggling to please the society by adopting all the ills that exists all in the name of vogue, and this is not right. People especially the youth should learn to live responsibly and positively influence the society.”

Daniel Udochi and Arabella Jemide came second and third respectively in this category. In the Year 11 category, Titilayo Mabogunje took the first prize, Anuoluwapo Alamutu finished second and Oluwakanyinsola Netufo came third.

Assistant Principal,

who spoke after the contest, remarked that the essence of the exercise was “to develop the replacement generation by giving them the opportunity to look at issues intelligently and speak out without hindrances,” stressing that the exercise will also give them a voice.”

Head of English Department and programme facilitator, Mr. Olufemi Dirisu, said the exercise offered the students the opportunity to put into practice the listening, reading, speaking and writing skills taught to them.

He said the judges used standard rating and criteria in assessing the participants, adding that the overall aim of the contest was to produce an all-round child, ready to take up any academic challenge anywhere in the world.

Adegbite Foundation donate school to church From Kehinde Olatunji, Ibadan HILDREN of the founder C and chairman of Oasis Group of Companies, late Chief Samuel Adegbite, have inaugurated an ultra-modern school valued at over N70m in honour of their father.

It was an occasion that brought to the fore the philanthropic trait of their late father. The 16-classroom school located in the Olorunsogo area of Ibadan, Oyo State was handed over to the Cathedral of Saint Paul,

Aremo, Ibadan.

Wale Adegbite, eldest son of the deceased, who is also the chairman of Samuel Adegbite Foundation, said the gesture represented his father’s love for education and the masses.

According to him, “This edifice was built in honour of what our late father achieved in his life. So, we decided to name the school Samuel Adegbite Memorial School, after him. It is a nursery and primary school with 16 rooms, including a library and a kitchen. And it is for the benefit of the people of

Olorunsogo and Oyo State, even though the land belongs to the Cathedral of Saint Paul Aremo. So, the school has been gifted to the cathedral. The church now owns the school.

“This project has gulped about N70m so far and there is more to be spent to fully complete it. My father was a very humble man and he was a man of the people, who cared for people in the rural area. That is why the project we have been doing is always in the midst of very poor people, where we think the masses can bene-

fit from. Most of the projects always tend towards education, health and spiritual matters like church building.”

Adegbite added that the children wanted the good works of their father to continue, hence “we decided to honour him for what he has done. It is the value that he left behind that we just don’t want to disappear because they are good values. And it is also biblical, when you give to a society like this; you know that somehow the Almighty God will also bless us.”

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ISSUE

Role of party system in resolution of the Igbo PREAMBLE

By Chekwas Okorie HE International Colloquium on the Igbo T Question in Nigeria has come at a most auspicious time in the political journey of Ndigbo in Nigeria. I, therefore,, most sincerely commend the foresight, immense sacrifice and patriotism of the organisers of the colloquium for their initiative and commitment.

The subject of this paper, “The Role of Party System in the Resolution of the Igbo Question In Nigeria,” has agitated my mind for a long time. The apparent lack of interest or ignorance or knowledge of the role of a political party in any democracy in advancing the cause of a people, protecting, promoting and defending their political interest by pioneer Igbo Political Leaders who preferred to be joiners instead of founders of political parties is most scandalous.

It can be argued strongly that the Igbo race settled in Igboland long before other ethnic groups arrived in parts of what later came to be known as Nigeria. I state this unequivocally because in November 2000, I was in Gusau, the capital of Zamfara State as a Special Guest of the Igbo Community in that area at the occasion of their Igbo Cultural Day celebration. It was in the cause of my interaction with the Igbo leaders in Gusau that I stumbled into a revelation that Igbo people, mostly of present Mbaise stock, had settled in Northern Gusau for over 400 years. This means that Ndigbo were in parts of Northern Nigeria for centuries before Othman Danfodio the founder of the Sokoto Caliphate migrated from Mali to Niger and later settled in Sokoto, a city not far from Gusau.

Ndigbo in their commercial and trading adventurism limited themselves to their businesses and concerned themselves with profit making while distancing themselves from the politics of the environment where they lived. This culture of strict mercantilism appears not to have been tempered by modern day realities to enlighten ourselves that economy, religion and politics are interwoven and difficult to be compartmentalized especially in

Nigeria.

This is one lesson the Moslem Hausa-Fulani of the North and the Yoruba of the South-West did not wait to be educated on.

However, since I do not intend to make this paper unnecessarily lengthy, I wish to very briefly share with you a general overview of what political parties are expected to do in a polity, in a classical sense, as a prelude to this discourse.

Role of Political Parties 1. The first function classically associated with political parties is largely that of representative function, and it involves integrating and mobilising the citizenry in the polity within which the parties compete.

2. Political parties carry out the function of articulation and aggregation of social and political interests within the wider society.

3. Political parties are involved in the formulation of Public Policy.

4. Political parties are veritable platforms for engagement with other political parties in the form of alliances, coalition or accord for the purpose of forming joint government and influencing economic and political policies.

5. Political parties that are not in government are said to be in opposition. Such opposition parties act as gadfly to the party in government and proffer alternative policy options if such parties find government policies to be obnoxious and against the interest of the people.

Political Parties In Nigeria And Igbo Participation Recorded history informs us that in 1922 a few years after the Amalgamation of the Northern and Southern Protectorates to form Nigeria, Dr. Herbert Macaulay, a Surveyor from the presentday Lagos, assembled his Yoruba associates to form the Nigerian National Democratic Party (NNDP). This Party is known as the first political party in Nigeria. Twenty-two years after the formation of this Party, the founding fathers of NNDP saw the need to broaden the base of participation in the activities of the Party. And so its name was now changed to be National Council of Nigeria and Cameroons in 1944. At this time Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe has joined the Party where he was elected its National Secretary. Upon the

Okorie decision of the English-speaking part of Cameroon, through a plebiscite, to opt out of the Nigeria Federation, the name of NCNC was slightly altered to be National Council of Nigerian Citizens. At this time the agitation for the Independence of Nigeria had begun, requiring nationwide mobilization and sensitization of Nigerians. In 1946, the leaders of the NCNC led by Dr. Herbert Macaulay went on a campaign tour of the North. On 7th of May of that year, Dr. Macaulay took ill in Kano while on this tour and died a few days later.

The mantle of leadership of NCNC fell on Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe due mainly to his political sagacity, education, charisma, political savvy and other leadership qualities he was endowed with.

Naturally, Ndigbo and their socio-cultural associations such as Igbo State Union began to coalesce on the platform of NCNC and effectively took control of the machinery of the party. The party was consequently deeply entrenched in the former Eastern Region, which is now made up of the South-East and a greater part of the South-South Geo-political zones of Nigeria. This turn of events probably persuaded the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo to ferret out with his Yoruba associates to form the Action Group (AG), which was for every intent and purpose a political party formed with the main aim of articulating and promoting the Yoruba political agenda in Nigeria. About the same time the people of Northern Nigeria had formed the Northern Peoples Congress (NPC) led by the late Alhaji (Sir) Ahmadu Bello. Not satisfied with the general orientation of NPC, Mallam Aminu Kano founded the Northern Elements Progressive Union (NEPU). This party was socialist in its orientation and designed to protect and promote the political interest of the masses mostly of the Hausa stock who dominate the ancient city of Kano.

The agitation for political self-determination of the people of the Middle Belt of Nigeria which up to today is still regarded as part of Northern Nigeria proceeded to form their political party called the United Middle Belt Congress (UMBC) led by the late Dr. J.S. Tarka – a Tiv from the present Benue State.

What is very clear from the above brief historical account of the evolution of political parties before and during the First Republic is that the Igbo political leaders did not see the need to form any political party to address their peculiar political circumstances in Nigeria. If it was not for the political sagacity of Dr. Azikiwe, Ndigbo would have simply dispersed into political parties formed by other people like sheep without shepherd. It is significant to note that one of the major reasons why major ethnic groups in Nigeria appeared easily united against Ndigbo especially in political and economic matters is not essentially because of our acclaimed excellence in entrepreneurship, especially in the trading business of buying and selling but mainly because Igbo Public Servants and Intelligentsia were perceived to dominate the commanding heights of Nigerian political and economic structure as well as the country’s military and police apparati.

Those with this feeling believed that the Igbo achieved its domineering presence in every facade of our national life, especially in the First Republic through the instrumentality of Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe, who on November 16, 1960, succeeded the out-going Sir David Robertson as the Governor-General of Nigeria. It is also significant to mention that in 1963 when Nigeria became a Republic, Dr. Azikiwe was sworn-in as the President of the Federal Republic while Chief Dennis Osadebe, an Igbo, a National VicePresident of NCNC succeeded Dr. Azikiwe as the President of the Senate.

In September 1963, Chief Dennis Osadebe and the NCNC succeeded after a highly successful plebiscite, in the creation of the Mid-West Region for the people of Benin and Delta Provinces out of Western Region which then was under the control of the Action Group (AG) led by Chief Obafemi Awolowo.

At this point the conspiracy by the major ethnic groups that felt intimidated or threatened by the steady progress and relevance of Ndigbo in Nigeria had reached an all-time high. The 1966 Military Coup led by Major Chukwuma Nzeogwu, an Igbo, provided the Northern political class the opportunity of a life-time to cut the Igbo to size. It became very convenient for them to tag the Military coup an Igbo coup, targeted at Northern leaders. Common logic showed that the Igbo leaders did not need to carry out a coup or shed anybody’s blood to sustain their momentum in sustaining their dominant role in the economy, politics and bureaucracy of Nigeria.

The reprisal attack on the people of Eastern Region mainly Ndigbo which saw to the massacre of over 30,000 Easterners in the first instance was well planned and coordinated by Northern political leaders. The series of events which culminated in the 30 months fratricidal Biafran-Nigerian War provided the Northern political/military leadership in conjunction with their Yoruba counterparts the opportunity to consummate their conspiracy to subjugate the Igbo people to permanent irrelevance and servitude.

Chief Obafemi Awolowo was released from prison which he was serving on a charge of treason. His release was politically expedient at the time. In spite of his initial show of appreciation to General Chukwuemeka Odumegwu-Ojukwu, the Biafran Head of State and Commander-in-Chief who ordered his release and in spite of the commitment he made to the Biafran side, he found comfort in conspiring with the Northern Military Junta and political elite to finish off the people of Eastern Nigeria particularly Ndigbo.

This conspiracy resulted in the obnoxious policies of starvation as legitimate instrument of warfare, leveling of every Igbo account holder in Nigerian banks at £20.00 irrespective of account balances of the account holders (this implied that a person with an account balance of £100 million while still in Nigeria and a person whose account balance was £10 were reduced to the same account balance of £20.00 for as long as he was from the former Eastern Region). A very wicked and vicious policy that defies any logic or morality.

The Indigenization Policy was targeted at ensuring that no Igbo person or entrepreneur had the capacity to purchase stock in any of the lucrative Blue-Chip companies, whose shares were being sold to Nigerians in the process of the indigenization of these companies. It was also in the spirit of excluding Ndigbo from the economic activities of the post-war Nigeria that the Nigerian government of the time provided easy financial facilities mainly to the Yoruba people of the South-West who controlled the Banks, to procure the shares of these big blue-chip companies being indigenized at the time. This was how the commanding height of Nigerian economy was transferred to the Yoruba and the commanding height of Nigeria’s political structure and bureaucracy were virtually transferred to the North, leaving Ndigbo completely in the cold.

At the end of the civil war in 1970, the Nigeria Military Junta set up the Ibrahim Dasuki Committee to review the Local Government Structure. At the end of this exercise, Nigeria was carved up into 774 Local Government Areas. The former East Central State which later became the South-East Geo-political Zone was left with only 95 Local Government Areas. While the NorthWestern State which is now North-West Geopolitical Zone was divided into 188 Local Government Areas. North-West Geo-political Zone has the biggest number of Local Government Areas while the South-East Geopolitical Zone has the least number of Local Government Areas.

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question in Nigeria (1)

The various military governments that ruled Nigeria from the end of the Nigerian-Biafran War created States at various times. At the last count the North-West Geo-political Zone has seven States. The North-East, North Central, South-West and South-South Geo-political zones have six States each, while the South-East was left with only five States.

It is important to note that in the distribution of Nigeria’s resources, Local Government Areas, manipulated population figures and land mass are factors in the revenue allocation formula of the Federal Government of Nigeria up till this time.

It is significant to recall that before the outbreak of the NigeriaBiafra War, the revenue allocation formula was adopted on the basis of 50% by the derivation principle. This was when agriculture was the main stay of the Nigerian economy. At that time the North had advantage based on their production of groundnut, cotton and Tin. The Western Region came second on the basis of their production of Cocoa, while the Eastern Region came third based on their production of Palm Oil and Palm Kernel.

However, shortly before the outbreak of the Civil War, the economy of Eastern Region came under focus as the fastest growing Third World economy under the leadership of the visionary and indefatigable Premier of Eastern Region, Dr. Michael I. Okpara.

THE 1995 CONSTITUTIONAL CONFERENCE The Military Government of General Sani Abacha in 1995 convened the National Constitutional Conference. Igbo leaders rose to the occasion just as they are doing now in an attempt to redress the many imbalances and lopsidedness of the Nigerian political structure.

At the end of the day, a strong case for the adoption of Six Geo-political zones in Nigeria as federating units and other laudable provisions were adopted by the Conference. The sudden death of General Sani Abacha did not allow his regime to incorporate these proposals into a new Nigerian Constitution.

The General Abdulsalami Abubakar regime that took over came under the heavy influence of the Northern and South-West conspirators to perpetuate the subjugation of the Igbo people of Nigeria.

The outcome of this conspiracy is the 1999 Constitution which has left our people in a virtual state of comatose both in the area of participation and involvement at the highest level of Nigerian politics and its economy.

An example of this conspiracy to alienate Ndigbo from effective participation in the affairs of Nigeria is the provision in the Electoral Act 2010 that stipulates in Section 87(4)a (i-ii) that delegates drawn from all the 774 Local Government Areas and 36 States of Nigeria shall form the major delegates that will elect presidential candidates at the National Convention of political parties. With this provision and in consideration of the ethnic and religious sentiments that still characterize the attitude of Nigerian politicians, and delegates to Presidential Primary Elections, it becomes obvious that no Igboman no matter how laudable and credible his Curriculum Vitae and political profile may be will ever stand a chance of becoming a presidential candidate of any notable Political Party in Nigeria.

Another clear example is the provision in the Nigerian Constitution on the creation of States which the General Abdulsalami Abubakar Military Junta enshrined in Section 8(1) a-d of the 1999 Constitution that makes it easier for the camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a new State to be created under the impossible provision. It is for this reason that no new State has ever been created in Nigeria outside the 36 States created through executive fiat and decrees under the military governments controlled by the military and political leaders of Northern Nigeria.

THE SECOND REPUBLIC At this juncture it is important to recapture the place of Ndigbo in Nigeria’s Second Republic that started in 1979. The military government of General Murtala Mohammed and General Olusegun Obasanjo lifted the ban on political activities in 1978. The Northern political elite did not hesitate to put together a political association that was later to be registered as National Party of Nigeria (NPN).

Chief Obafemi Awolowo was even faster in coming up with the Unity Party of Nigeria (UPN), complete with party constitution and manifesto tagged the Four Cardinal Programme. Mallam Aminu Kano resumed his struggle for the emancipation of the Northern masses on the platform of a socialist political party which was registered as the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP). Following suit was the registration of the Nigerian Peoples Party (NPP) founded by Alhaji Ibrahim Waziri which has its primary base in what is now known as the North-East geo-political zone.

Igbo political leaders exhibited typical embarrassing and disgraceful political response to the opportunity thrown up by the government of the day. Our political leaders scattered into the existing political parties as agents and coordinators of their Northern and Western political overlords. The ordinary Igbo people were confused and lost. It is possible that this was what prompted the great Owelle of Onitsha, Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe to through his hat in the ring and opted to join the smaller Nigerian Peoples Party (NPP) in order to stand out as the standard flag-bearer of the Party if only to give political direction and leadership to the Igbo people of Nigeria who were still weighed down by the debilitating effect of the defeat suffered in the Biafra-Nigeria War which ended only nine years earlier. The Igbo response to the emergence of Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe was at once enthusiastic and electric. Ndigbo coalesced immediately on the platform of the NPP and achieved over 60% unity on that platform. Dr. Azikiwe justified his choice of the smaller NPP in his famous statement that Ndigbo were better off being majority in a minority Party than being minority in a majority Party.

The founder of NPP Alhaji Ibrahim Waziri who intended, like Chief Obafemi Awolowo of UPN and Mallam Aminu Kano of PRP, to become both National Chairman and Presidential Candidate of NPP opted out without a fight or protest. He decided not to struggle for prominence with Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe in NPP. He founded another political party, the Great Nigerian Peoples Party (GNPP) in order to pursue his own political ambition and the political agenda

of his people without let or hindrance. His action earned him the accolade of “Apostle of Politics without bitterness”.

POLITICAL PARTY SYSTEM AND IGBO QUESTION IN NIGERIA It is important to recall that the struggle to create the Mid-Western Region out of the Old Western Region was difficult and tortuous.

The struggle was led by Sir Dennis Osadebe, the Deputy National Chairman of NCNC. The NCNC as a political party championed the cause against the opposition and stiff resistance of the Action Group that controlled the Old Western Region. The NCNC mobilized the people of Benin and Delta Provinces that constituted the proposed Mid-Western Region. The effect of the efforts of the NCNC was that in 1963, overwhelming majority of the people of the area voted massively in the plebiscite conducted and in favour of the creation of the Mid-Western Region and the region was duly created. The dream and aspiration of the founding fathers of the Mid-Western Region would have ended up as a pipe dream or a mirage if their cause was not championed by NCNC. As I mentioned earlier in this paper, the Military Junta that dominated Government in the interregnum between 1966 and 1999 repeatedly created States in Nigeria by military decree. Events over the years have proved that the creation of the States by Military fiat was part of the grand conspiracy to make the majority Igbo in Nigeria to appear to be the minority ethnic group on paper, in spite of the reality on ground, with the concomitant implication on Revenue Allocation to the Igbo area.

The indisputable fact today is that the Igbo people constitute the second-largest ethnic nationality in 31 of Nigeria’s 36 States while constituting 99.9% of the population in the five South-Eastern States created for them.

It is in the same token that shortly after the Civil War as I earlier mentioned in this paper, the South-East Geo-political zone was

carved into 95 Local Government Areas while its North-West counterpart was carved into 188 Local Government Areas out of the total figure of 774 in Nigeria. This wickedly manipulated political structure is consistent with the conspiracy to put Ndigbo down.

Other policies such as the policy of educationally disadvantaged area, quota system and the so-called Federal Character which together sacrificed merit, commitment to hardwork and patriotism.

We cannot forget so soon that in 1995, General Sani Abacha military government convened a Constitutional Conference. Ndigbo prepared very well for that conference. Extant Igbo groups such as Igboezue Cultural Association, Nzuko Abia na Imo, Aka Ikenga, Ogbako Ikwerre, Izu Anioma and Abuja Forum came together and formed an umbrella body called Nkpoko Igbo. Nkpoko Igbo convened an Igbo Conference at Enugu, closely resembling the Igbo International Colloquium that we are participating in at this time.

The Nkpoko Igbo Conference produced a compendium out of that conference and proceeded to produce the Igbo Memorandum to the Constitutional Conference which was adopted completely by Ohanaeze Ndigbo and signed by selected leaders from all the South-East States in addition to the Igbo people of Rivers and Delta States.

One of the achievements of the Constitutional Conference was the adoption of the Six Zonal structure of Nigeria as federating units, which was championed by the erudite Political Leader, Dr. Alex Ekwueme, the former Vice President of the Federal Republic of Chief (Dr.) Okorie (Oje-Ozi Ndigbo), founder and former National Chairman, All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), is founder and National Chairman, United Progressive Party (UPP)

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NEWSSPORT

Beware of fake kidney care

• Analgesics, bleaching creams, herbs increase risk of kidney failure President of the Nigerian Association of Nephrologists and Clinical Director at the St. Nicholas Hospital, Lagos, Dr Ebun Bamgboye recently spoke on emerging issues in kidney diseases and care services in the country. WOLE OYEBADE was there. Excerpts.

Nigerian Association of Nephrologists has urged Nigerians to be wary of some substandard dialysis centres in the country. Why was this call made?

HAT is clear now to the Nigerian Association of Nephrologists is that there are many dialysis units that are being run by inappropriately skilled and untrained personnel. Ideally, an appropriate dialysis unit should have a nephrologists, appropriately trained nephrology nurses and appropriately trained dialysis technician. Ours is an association to which all these personnel belong.

But we find that there are many centres carrying out these dialyses that do not have members of the association running these dialysis and we do know that they are not properly trained.

Our greatest concern is the outcome that we have noticed from such centres. Dialysis to some extent is simple procedure, and also technical as well. So, we need you to have been appropriately trained either as a technician, nurse or as a doctor to ensure that you can do it safely without any adverse outcome on the patient.

There is a need for some form of regulation. What the association proposes to do is to set down criteria, which would then advice government to ensure that such centres are appropriately recognised and registered before they can go ahead to do dialysis.

What are these centres doing wrongly?

First, there are indications for dialysis before it is done. But we know there are some units that would dialyse a person that does not need dialysis, only for the fund. There are some that would still go ahead to dialyse someone that they know is unlikely to with-

W

Bamgboye stand the process and the outcome is usually negative. There are centres that would use inappropriate consumables and at inappropriate time.

Appropriately trained persons would know the size of dialyzer to use, ensure there is appropriately treated water to carry out the process safely, ensure you don’t put a patient that is significantly anaemic or whose blood pressure is not appropriately

high on dialysis.

These are things that in the process of training dialysis nurses, doctors and technicians acquire to be able to ensure that they safely can carry out dialysis without any untoward effect on patient. So, it is important that individuals that are appropriately trained, should staff all units.

What is the implication of being dialyzed wrongly or having to done unnecessarily?

First, there is no reason why you should be put through an invasive process that you don’t require, even if it can be safely done.

For every invasive process, there is a risk. As simple as dialysis might appear, there are potential complications that might appear from carrying it out particularly when it is not required.

You are going to take blood out of an individual and put it through a machine. In the process of taking blood, the person’s blood pressure could crash and it is one of the more common complications that you would find. But an appropriately trained person would know how to prevent that from happening and if it happens, he knows what to do to sustain the person.

There is the risk that you could introduce air into the person.

There is the risk you could introduce infection or in the process of trying to establish access to the person’s blood, you could perforate his vessels and the person could bleed. There are several risks that could be mitigated by ensuring that the person who is carrying out the process is appropriately trained, skilled and have the appropriate experience to carry out the process.

Could the rate of substandard dialysis centres be blamed on inadequate number of kidney specialists in this country?

The beauty is that the total membership of the Nigerian Association of Nephrologists, which includes not just nephrologists but also paediatrics and adult nephrologists, dialysis nurses and technicians, is approaching over 500. So, giving the number that we have as at last count, I think the estimate is that we have 75 dialysis units round the country. There should be more than

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centres, says Bamgboye CONTINUED FROM PAGE 60 enough to go round these centres.

But the reality is people who have no requisite training either as doctors; nurses or technicians are setting up a number of these centres. What is of concern is the outcome emanating from the care that patients are receiving.

The rate at which Nigerians are coming down with kidney failure is high and often unbearable for out-of-pocket payment.

Is there any advocacy to have some of the treatment covered by the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS)?

We have had some contact with the NHIS and the good news is that to some extent, NHIS has accepted to carry out a few section of dialysis on the scheme. For individuals registered on the NHIS, I believe there is between three and six sessions of dialysis that can be done on the scheme, which would be funded more or less by the government.

However, what we realise is that a person with End Stage Kidney Failure (ESKF) is going to need more than three of five sessions of dialysis. Such person is going to need three sessions of dialysis a-week indefinitely.

That six sessions of NHIS probably would be appropriate for someone who has acute kidney injury, who you are anticipating, has a potentially reversible failure of the kidney and you would do the sessions of dialysis long enough for the kidney to recover.

But if a person has Chronic Kidney Disease, and by definition, it is irreversible but progressing, whatever you do, dialysis won’t reverse it. Dialysis just sustains the person, pending when he/she has much more definitive procedure done, which in most cases is a kidney transplant.

We are interfacing with them and hoping that to some extent they would extend that to three months. This is because you cannot ideally establish a diagnosis of ESKF until an individual has not recovered from kidney failure in three months. Even if NHIS cannot extent it indefinitely, they should be able to cover the first three months and with that, if the person is dialysed three times a week, then that would be 36 sessions and not just six.

World Kidney Day 2014 commemoration, what is new?

Quite clearly, for patient with ESRD, the appropriate treatment is renal transplant and kidney transplant ensures that it is cheaper in the long term, gives the much better quality of life and more importantly, the risk of mortality is lower than those who remain on dialysis.

Even in those countries where they are doing dialysis appropriately as often as they should, you still find that the risk of the person dying is half.

So there are many new things that are coming up in terms of ensuring that the transplant process can be done safely. For instance, extracting the kidney from potential donor. We can now do it minimally invasively; using just small incision, which ensures that the person can have his kidney removed for a relative and within three or four days, he is home to normal activities.

There are other things that are been done to ensure that those that remain on dialysis can also

be spared of some of the complications that can occur like anaemia. There are newer forms of replacement for the hormones that are deficient in that individual. Hitherto when you have to be given injection three or four times a week, there are now formulations that you can afford to give once a month and would still have same level of effect in cases of a patient with anaemia in chronic kidney disease.

How do we ensure a healthy kidney?

One recognises that it is impossible for any government to fully provide care for the multitude of individuals with chronic kidney disease.

The emphasis should be on early detection through screening and prevention. To prevent, you want to recognize the common things that cause kidney failure in your environment.

In this environment it is hypertension. So, you want to find out what causes hypertension and do primary and secondary

prevention. Are people taking too much salt? Some countries like America have put in place measures that say you cannot take too much salt, reduce the size of carbonated and soda drinks, you can’t take too much fat and so on. Should government be looking at measures like that to ensure there is primary prevention?

More importantly, ensure that you mandate people to be detected early if they have hypertension, diabetes or any of the chronic infections that can lead to glomerunephritis.

Ensure that those illnesses are appropriately diagnosed, managed and that all the general hospitals and health facilities have capacity to screen people and manage simple conditions before they lead to major complications. But also to ensure that the modalities for care are available at least in all government hospitals and at a subsidised rate so that individuals, not just the very rich, can take advantage of such.

Signs to watch for in chronic kidney disease Chronic kidney disease by definition is a progressively irreversible damage to the kidney that usually follows many chronic conditions like hypertension and diabetes and such.

Chronic kidney disease looks at the severity of the kidney damage, and it goes from stage one to five. When the person is at stage five and needs dialysis, then we say that the person is at end stage kidney failure. So, you can have stage one and two and be managed conservatively without dialysis.

Early symptoms of kidney failure would first be an increase in urine output, especially at night. Then eventually, a decrease in output of the urine. The patient would notice that the urine starts to foam, which is an indication of protein in the urine. It is an early marker of damage to the kidney.

Aside from that, the person

now notices swellings on the feet, puffiness of the face, the person becomes anaemic and develops hypertension. The hypertension is so severe because the person needs between four or five drugs to control the blood pressure.

Then of course, inability to eat and nausea. Almost no organ in the body is spared when the kidney fails.

Advice to Nigerians on World Kidney Day As part of the campaign, we are encouraging Nigerians to take a glass of water and lot more. We recognise that people need to go for a lot more of screening, like St. Nicholas is doing for free today, so people can detect those illnesses early that can cause the kidney to fail. And if the kidneys are failing, they can be detected when there can be measures to prevent progression.

Individuals should also be careful from abuse of certain things. Abuse of analgesics (pain-relievers) can cause your

kidney to fail, even simple drugs like paracetamol, not to talk of other non-steroid drugs like Ibuprofen among others.

Abuse of such drugs has been known as a major cause of kidney failure, particularly if there is already an evidence of damage to the kidney. Those drugs should never be used.

Use of bleaching creams – many of them contain mercury, which causes direct damage to kidney when concentrated in the kidney, leading to kidney failure. Studies have been done in Nigeria that shows that kidney damage is more common in those that use bleaching creams than those that don’t.

Then, the use of native herbs is a major contributory factor, both in initiating the process and also aggravating once it has started due to other reasons. These are the common things that people should avail that can lead to end stage renal disease that would end up requiring dialysis and transplant.

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PERSPECTIVE

Ekiti 2014: Between players and jesters

By John Ajayi

(Continued from Tuesday) HOUGH elected on the T platform of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), he jumped ship from the progressive ACN fold with the intention to contest the governorship election against Fayemi, his one-time co-political traveller for many years in the human rights community. The jumping of ship by MOB, though initially attributed to “irreconcilable differences”, has clearly manifested in what political on-lookers of emerging Ekiti politics would describe as mere “egotism’ and “bitter politics of envy” among peers. Before he took the decision, it was widely reported that Bamidele was persuaded and begged to look before leaping. It was on record that some of his political “god-fathers made frantic efforts to reconcile him with Fayemi. But like the proverbial hunter’s dog, destined to go astray, MOB will not be bothered by the hunter’s whistle, hence, the leap that may turn out a fatal political misstep. Again, as predicted

by Rogers, the American humorist and social commentator, “people who fly into a rage always make a bad landing.”

Emerging political realities in the PDP fold would have taught Bamidele a very bitter political lesson of his life to the extent that by now, he would have been wondering what could have actually informed his decision to fly into a rage! Though earlier speculated to being adopted as a “Third Force” by the powers-that-be, the objective political reality within PDP in the state and indeed, the mood of the party at the national level, appears to have put a lie to all those “bogus” permutations.

In Ekiti State today, the chickens are indeed on their homeward journey to roost. The big question for the hapless voluble legislator is what fate

Fayemi really has in store for him.

Only time will tell. But let no one make any mistake, it is the morning that determines the day.

For Fayemi, he is certainly not taking the battle any lightly. While he has not formally flagged off his gubernatorial campaign, JKF, as he is popularly known, has taken the sail out of the wind of other players, gladiators and jesters. With his acclaimed cerebral prowess and political adroitness, JKF has creatively and eloquently endeared himself to the Ekiti through his populist and welfarist programmes and policies.

His ambitious but realistic huge infrastructural transformation of Ekiti State has almost turned other political gladiators, players and indeed political green-horns, to mere taylor-dummies.

What are the opposition political contenders saying against this amiable war strategist? Though not on the war-front or in any war situation, JKF has all along deployed the tact, wisdom and skill of a great warrior against the brute and brash political culture of the yesterday men. The stage is indeed set for the great verdict of history in Ekiti between the players, gladiators and jesters.

• Ajayi is a Lagos-based journalist and public commentator.

NEWSXTRA

‘Bauchi spent N425m on scholarships’ From Ali Garba, Bauchi HE Bauchi State governT ment says it has spent N425 million on local and foreign scholarships for the 2011/2012 academic session.

Chairman of the state Scholarships Board, Alhaji Kulloma Hardawa, told newsmen yesterday in Bauchi that the scholarships were part of government’s efforts at easing students’ financial difficulties in the course of their training.

Hardawa said the amount had been released to effect payments to local and foreign students in both tertiary and religious institutions across the world. According

to him, 48,075 students studying different courses in various institutions across the country have been paid, just as an additional 35 students in over 20 foreign countries.

“Currently, we are concluding payments of N83.6 million to 8,120 students, who secured admission in 107 tertiary institutions across the country, as well as the state’s scholarship award during the 2011/2012 academic session,” he noted.

Local students’ awards range from N4,500 to N24,750 while foreign students got from N1 million to N10 million annually, depending on the course and country of study.

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AS AT 19=03=2014

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MARKET INDICATORS

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SEC approves rules for Investor Protection Fund Stories by Helen Oji S part of its commitment A to sustain retail investors’ confidence in the Nigerian Capital Market, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has approved the guidelines for Investor Protection Fund (IPF) in the stock market.

The initiative is expected to deepen the market, as well as attract more local and foreign participation to the market.

The Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE), Oscar Onyema stated this at one-day investor’s clinic organized for shareholders associations’ in Lagos yesterday.

IPF is a scheme funded by the World Bank to ensure confidence in the stock market and it’s made to give succour to investors who in one way or the other had been genuinely dupe or lost his/her investment in the market.

The NSE’s management, during its 50th yearly meeting, said that the IPF in its custody has risen to N600 million.

The NSE said the fund which presently is in the coffers of a first generation bank further showed the transparency and integrity, the management of the Exchange seeks to bring to bear on the operation of the market.

“This is a welcome development which will enable the Board of Trustees of IPF to carry out the duties for which the Fund was established, in line with the Investment and Securities Act 2007 and the approved Rules.

The Exchange continues to look forward to working closely

with the Fund’s Board of Trustees to sustain and promote investor confidence in the Nigerian capital market.”

He explained that the improved regulatory environment and performance of quoted companies from 2012 till date, has positively impacted on stock market prices and overall market indices.

He said all vital performance metrics in the Nigerian capital market have bounced back from the critical low in 2008, adding that the market capitalization of listed equities on the NSE has increasing by over 47.33 per cent in the past year alone.

“Also, the average daily value of shares traded went up by 57.36 per cent from the N2.65billion recorded in 2012 to N4.17billion EOY 2013. Year to Date 2014, local Investors participation in our market stands at over 50 per cent (50.72 per cent) compared to the 49.28 per cent foreign participation. It can be recalled that as at end of first quarter 2013, local investors accounted for close to 60 per cent of transaction value in the Nigerian capital market, while foreign investors were responsible for about 40 per cent; this turn of events contrasted sharply with the circumstances between 2009 and the first half of 2012 when local investors eschewed the market on account of losses they sustained in the aftermath of the near meltdown of 2008 with transaction values being controlled by foreign investors to the tune of 80 per cent in certain instances.”

Berger Paints targets N1.5b turnover, N80m PAT in Q2 To complete paint manufacturing plant in 2014 ERGER Paints Nigeria Plc B has disclosed that its turnover is expected to hit N1.5 billion with profit after tax of N80 million for the second quarter ending June 30, 2014.

The company has also commenced the building of a fully automated paint manufacturing plant in Lagos with the aim of regaining its dominance in the industry.

Addressing stockbrokers during the company’s ‘Facts Behind the Figures’ in Lagos yesterday, the Managing Director of the company, Tor Nygard expressed its resolve to continue to expand its operational activities to enhance profitability and increase shareholders’ value on investment.

The manufacturing plant, which is first of its kind in Nigeria and West Africa, according to him, would produce the same high quality paints, which are imported by others into the country.

Nygard added that the factory would be commissioned next year.

The Berger Paint boss explained that the company entered into a commercial arrangement with KCC Corporation, which is the biggest heavy duty coating manufacturing company in South Korea to jointly serve

the Nigerian and West African marine and protective coatings market.

The partnership, according to Nygard created an opportunity for transfer of much needed knowledge and training in the Maritime coating sector to Nigerians, as well as improved local knowledge in the onshore, off shore and shipping industry.

He added that the company also invested in building a plaza in its regional office located in Abuja, which was completed in May last year.

He said the effective utilization of the company’s asset is expected to generate an additional income.

“Our color world centers as a concept are designed to promptly meet customers’ requests for a wide range of colors at point of sale. Going forward, after commissioning the new factory, Berger plans to have color world centers in all key cities and locations in Nigeria. With investment in a state of the art modern factory, creating the clor world centers across Nigeria and the Berger/KCC partnership, the company is well poised to bringing cutting edge yet environmental friendly products to beautify homes and support project investment.” he said.

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NEWSSPOT

How NEMA tackles disasters in Nigeria

By Muhammad Sani-Sidi

OING down memory lane with focus G on last year, I can say the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has been very active in the discharge of its responsibilities through various strategic and pragmatic activities. These include the following: Spill over of the 2012 flood responses continued in 2013 The spillover effects of the devastating 2012 flood that ravaged many communities which we continued in the efforts of providing assistance to the affected persons and commenced a special assessment of the situation with various development partners. The outcome of the Post-Disaster Needs Assessment (PDNA) is contained in the detailed report, which we have submitted to the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) for information of the government and further necessary actions.

National Workshop on Dissemination of Early Warning Message NEMA organised a national workshop on 26-27 March 2013 which focused on the lessons learnt from the 2012 flood disaster in Nigeria, disaster management implication of the 2013 NIMET Seasonal Rainfall Prediction and flood preparedness, prevention, mitigation and response.

The workshop recorded a total of 604 participants from parliamentarians, federal ministries, departments and agencies, UN agencies, State Emergency Management Agencies (SEMAs), local and international NGOs, Red Cross, academia, CBOs, media, armed forces/para-military organisations, dam managers/River Basin Authorities, youth/women’s groups, faith-based organisations. A communiqué with far-reaching, multi-sectoral, multi-jurisdictional observations and recommendations was issued at the end of the workshop.

Early Warning Letters to the State Governors Letters on the Early Warning Message were sent to all the state governors, the Minister of the FCT and members of the National Assembly on the Disaster Management implication of the 2013 Seasonal Rainfall Prediction as well as their respective recommendations.

Flood Vulnerability Mapping NEMA in collaboration with Office of the Surveyor-General of the Federation (OSGOF) and National Space Research and Development Agency (NASRDA) conducted flood vulnerability mapping to identify communities at risk of flooding. The mapping was done based on the 2012 flood extent and elevation of the areas.

Presently, 17 states have been completed, placing priority on the states NIMET and NIHSA predicted would have more rainfall.

The maps have been given to responsible authorities. Mapping of the remaining vulnerable states is ongoing. NEMA works closely with state governments and relevant stakeholders to achieve its mandate for effective and efficient disaster management in Nigeria. To certify the level of preparedness of states and relevant stakeholders, NEMA has evaluated their preparedness actions in response to the recommendations made in the 2013 Early Warning Message.

The Contingency Plans for 2013 floods included: Warehouse Stockpiling/Pre-positioning of relief supplies. Acquisition of equipment in readiness for flood disaster. Identification of vulnerable communities. Identification of Safer Grounds in all possible affected communities as temporary shelter locations. Sensitization of the populace in identified Local Governments through workshops, radio and television jingles and flyers.

NEMA, through the zonal offices also embarked on community consultation and mobilization programmes, which also provided for massive awareness at the grassroots in various communities.

Our media campaign strategies against the flood included considerable placement of jingles which were aired on radio and tele-

Sani-Sidi vision in both English and most local languages across most states, especially in areas predicted to experience the flood. We also enjoyed the support of the media, which were very consistent in highlighting the predicted imminent dangers.

Tripartite MoU with NOA and NESREA This is a tripartite agreement entered into in 2013 between the National Orientation Agency (NOA), National Environmental Standards Regulations and Enforcement Agency (NESREA) and National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) to collaborate in the development, implementation and organisation of projects and programmes targeted at sensitizing Nigerian citizenry on environmental and other natural and human-induced hazards.

NEMA/SEMA Consultative Meetings In line with NEMA’s mandate to enhance vertical and horizontal coordination in disaster management, the agency has put in place modalities to achieve this goal.

One of such is the regular meeting and consultation between NEMA HQ and SEMAs. This meeting is rotated annually among the six geopolitical zones. The first meeting was held at Enugu in March, 2010, followed by Ibadan in November, 2010. The third meeting was held at Yola in September 2011 while the latest was held in Lafia in March 2013.

Training and capacity development NEMA ensures regular training of the staff across departments, units and zonal offices in various accredited training organisations. In addition, simulation

exercises which brings together the stakeholders to identify their various roles in coordinated responses to disasters. Some of the major training activities for the stakeholders included: • The simulation exercise on a terrorist attack at a Road Check Point – ‘Sawake Asara’, Armed Forces Simulation Centre, Jaji, 17th-22nd March 2013 • NEMA in collaboration with UNHCR trained 20 individuals from key national agencies and NGOs as internationally recognized trainers in Camp Management and Camp Coordination on 2-7 June 2013 • Stakeholders workshop on the use of Space-based information for disaster management. Date:(30-31)-07-13 • Workshop on Research proposal Development with University of Oklahoma “Nigerian integrated Early warning decision support system” in Collaboration with Key Stakeholders such as NIMET, NIHSA, and Ministry of Environment etc.

• Establishment of Seismological Station at University of Abakaliki and FUTA Minna, ongoing.

Development of Joint Humanitarian Action Plan (JHAP) for Nigeria (2013-2015).

In 2013, the Agency in collaboration with UNOCHA commenced the development of the Joint Humanitarian Action Plan (JHAP) 2013-2015. This is a tool to be used by government and humanitarian community to plan, implement and monitor humanitarian activities in Nigeria. The process is still ongoing.

Support for Disaster Risk Management in

The objective of the meeting was to strengthen the coordination of Emergency Humanitarian Assistance of the United Nations. The Agency participated in two-side event and a humanitarian trade fair. The DG presented a paper titled Humanitarian Perspectives On Regional Preparedness And Capacity Development - The Nigerian Experience Through The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA).

West Africa sub-region The Agency has sent on secondment to the Gambia National Disaster Management Agency (NDMA), two experts in disaster management for two years starting from 2013.

Lecture at Armed Forces Command and Staff College, Jaji In 2013, the Agency delivered series of lectures on Disaster Management to students of various categories at the AFCSC, Jaji to enhance their knowledge.

Lecture at National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies, Kuru The lecture was delivered at the Institute in 2013, which forms part of its policy development process. Also, students of the Institute were hosted by the Agency in May 2013 as part of their study tour.

The Agency participated at the Humanitarian Affair Segment of 2013 ECOSOC in July, 2013 in Geneva The objective of the meeting was to strengthen the coordination of Emergency Humanitarian Assistance of the United Nations. The Agency participated in twoside event and a humanitarian trade fair.

The DG presented a paper titled Humanitarian Perspectives On Regional Preparedness And Capacity Development - The Nigerian Experience Through The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA).

Hosting the Committee of the West African Emergency Management Nigeria successfully hosted the annual meeting of the Committee of the West African Emergency Management Agencies.

In confirming the efforts being made by NEMA, the Director General was elected at the meeting as the chair of the Committee.

The DG NEMA, who is the Chairman of the Association of Emergency Management Agency in West Africa in 2013 led five other delegates to the 68th United Nation General Assembly (68th UNGA). The major highlights of the programmme bothers on DRR activities, Human Rights, Protection of Internally Displaced Persons and the review of the Millennium Development Goals. The DG made a presentation on Public Ownership And Leadership In Emergency And Disaster Management In Nigeria at a side event.

USA AFRICOM Partnership The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and United States of America African Command (USAFRICOM) and other stakeholders in disaster management have developed strategic plans for management of pandemic in Nigeria. The documents were officially unveiled by officials of the United States Government and handed over to the Federal Government at a ceremony in Abuja last year. These were the National Influenza Pandemic Disaster Plan, the Military Pandemic Disaster Contingency Plan and the Military Assistance to Civil Authorities (MACA) Disaster Contingency Plan.

Acquisition of critical rescue equipment NEMA has taken delivery of some critical rescue equipment, which include heavy duty excavator for deployment during emergencies such as building collapses; Mobile Intensive Care Unit, which is a stateof-the-art-ambulances that are strategically stationed with paramedics for prompt responses; multi-purpose emergency vehicles and other equipment. The Agency has also commissioned its first ambulance bay in Abuja under a pilot scheme to strengthen the regular 24 hours stand-by ERT team at the head office, all zonal/operational offices and other strategic locations in Abuja and environs.

Volunteerism The agency has mobilized latent hands amongst the professionals (medical doctors, engineers, surveyors, geologists and top executives in the public and organized private sector of the economy) to form Executive Emergency Management Volunteer Corps as complement to MDA and also to support other volunteers.

• Sani-Sidi, Director-General of NEMA, made the above remarks at an interactive session with journalists in Lagos.

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Sports Marella, Sound hope Win NSC Southwest Basketball tourney

NASS invites NFF, LMC over Giwa, Nembe City’s exclusion from Glo Premier League From Ezeocha Nzeh, Abuja HE House of T Representatives Committee on Sports has invited the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) and the League Management Company (LMC) to defend the decision not to register the two privately owned clubs Nembe City and Giwa FC for the 2013/2014 Glo Premier League.

Following the non-registration of the two clubs by the LMC over their inability to meet the registration stipulation, a supporter of Giwa FC has allegedly challenged the decision at a Federal high court in Jos. Also invited to appear before the committee are representatives of both Giwa FC and Nembe City.

Chairman of the House of Representatives Sports Committee, Godfrey Ali Gaiya, told The Guardian that the LMC and the NFF were invited to the House yesterday, adding, however, that the NFF pleaded for a little time because the Federation’s President, Aminu Maigari, was not in the country.

“Hopefully, the NFF

President will be around tomorrow (today) so that we will meet them to find out why they excluded the two teams from the league.

“The teams sent a petition to us saying they were excluded from the league for no just cause and as a house charged with overseeing sports, we want to ensure that the right thing is done.

“The LMC and the NFF would be there to justify their action because we want to see that the right thing is done,” Gaiya said.

Confirming the receipt of the invitation, chairman of the Nembe City FC, Victor Rumson Baribote, said in a telephone chat that the letter was sent to his club via an e-mail, adding that the representatives of Nembe City would honour invitation and try to seek a resolution of the issue so as to return to the premier league.

Meanwhile, representatives of the 20 clubs in the NPFL, under the auspices of Club Owners Association, were locked in a late night meeting yesterday in Abuja to deliberate on the way forward for the league.

Team Nigeria gets tough draw, as WTF Youth Olympics qualifiers begin EAM Nigeria’s duo of T Esther Godwin and Ogeh Ogochukwu has been handed a tough challenge as the Taekwondo World Federation (WTF)-organised Olympics Youth 2014 Qualifiers kick off today in Taipei City, Chinese Taipei.

After their weigh-in yesterand Godwin day, Ogochukwu will take to the ring today at the Taipei Arena for their encounters against some experienced athletes.

Godwin, who will be competing in the female -63kg, may likely confront World Junior Champion, Korea’s Park Bo-eui in match 16 of the tournament.

The National Youth Games gold medalist is making her first international appearance and she will face a Herculean task favoured the against Korean, who is expected to beat Russia’s Turutina Yulia preliminary her in encounter.

Also, Ogochukwu will also jostle for honours in the female -49kg and she is expected to tackle the winPeru’s between ner Huaman Georgina and Chile’s Rios Francisca.

The nine-man team, sup-

ported by the National Sports Commission (NSC), is being guided by the new national coach, Jin Beom Kim. Tomorrow, the trio of Iniobong Ekong, Isah Adamu and Bashir Mohammed will take to the ring for their ties.

Ekong has been drawn to face the winner between Croatia’s Ivina Babic and Canada’s Jerom Andrea in the female -55kg, while Mohammed will confront Cote d’Ivoire’s Aaron Fran in the male -55kg.

ARELLA International M School, Ibadan and Sound hope Academy, Lagos

Enyimba and Sunshine Stars fighting for points during a Week One Glo Premier League game in Akure.

PHOTO: FEMI ADEBESIN-KUTI.

Nollywood stars, others lobby NFF for inclusion in Brazil 2014 team From Ezeocha Nzeh, Abuja OBBYISTS have besieged the offices of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) following the federation’s declaration that it has budgeted over $3 million to ensure that stakeholders and prominent people in other sectors are given the opportunity to travel to Brazil to cheer the Super Eagles during the FIFA 2014 World Cup. The NFF at a recent budget defence at the National Assembly listed prominent Nigerians, including National Assembly members, Nollywood stars, sports stakeholders, former ministers and others as part of the over 120 Nigerians, who may likely make the trip.

Upon the announcement, the premises of the NFF has since last week become active

L

with visits from both football stakeholders and Nollywood stars, who have intensified their lobbying to be part of the Brazil trip, even though the NFF president has been out of the country since the Nigeria/Mexico international friendly match in the United States.

At the NFF Glass House secretariat at Wuse, Abuja, yesterday three Nollywood stars, led by a popular comedian, held close door meetings with the Federation’s general secretary, Musa Amadu, as well as the director of competitions, Mohammed Sanusi.

The NFF in its Brazil 2014 budget has proposed the sum of $808.000 to take about 10 Nollywood stars, including popular comedians, Aki and Pawpaw, to cheer the Super Eagles at the World Cup.

NFF sources, who confirmed the intensive lobbying by football stakeholders for the Brazil 2014 trip to The Guardian yesterday, noted, however, that the three Nollywood stars only paid a visit to the Glass House, stressing that the meeting with the general secretary had nothing to do with their being listed for the Brazil trip.

“Yes it is Nigerians that will be part of the trip to Brazil to cheer the Eagles. It is not out of place to see them coming to the NFF to see if they can be picked for the trip. One thing we must be sure of is that only the right people, who can add value to the team, would be taken to Brazil. It is definitely not going to be jamboree in Brazil. Nigerians will be taken to the country to offer their support to the national team at the World Cup.

Danagogo prioritizes 2014 World Cup, Commonwealth Games From Ezeocha Nzeh, Abuja INSTER of M Sports/Chairman of the National Sports Commission (NSC), Tamuno Danagogo, yesterday declared that his immediate priority is to ensure Nigeria’s successful participation in the World Cup in Brazil, as well as a good outing at the Commonwealth Games in Scotland.

The minister also said similar attention would be directed at the ongoing National U-17

Female football team’s (The Flamingoes) campaign in Costa Rica.

Danagogo, who assured that he would work with the relevant sports federations to ensure that the objective of high performance programme of the NSC is realized in the shortest possible time, especially at the coming Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland, told journalists in Abuja yesterday that he was ready to add his quota to the development of sports

in the country.

He maintained that the High Performance programme of the NSC is critical for both the long and short-term objectives of the commission, adding: “We are working on a robust plan for sports development in the country.

“That said, our immediate plans is to see how we develop and encourage all sports federations. Luckily, you are aware that there is plan on ground for high performance programme.

“A high performance team is already working on five key areas; weightlifting, athletics, Taekwondo, wresting and boxing and of course football.

“Our first target is to see how we consolidate on what is on ground, which is to develop and encourage these sports.

We have series of activities lined up for the year and our goal is to come back with more laurels. We have about 10 different sports activities lined up. We want to make sure we come back with laurels.”

emerged champions in girls and boys categories respectively at the recently concluded Private Secondary School Basketball Championship organized by the Southwest Zone I of National Sports Commission (NSC).

The event, which was held at the indoor sports hall of Obafemi Awolowo Stadium Ibadan at the weekend, had about 12 secondary schools drawn from the Southwest geo-political zone in attendance, Marella, who was also honoured as the most consistent school in NSC’s organised competitions having participated in every edition of the championship, came out tops in the girls’ category after defeating International School Ibadan in a thrilling final match.

The proprietor of Marella, Mrs. Michelle Adebisi, reacting after the tourney, said the NSC honour would spur the school to do more for the game, while describing basketball within the school as a tradition with every student having inherited interest to play.

She lauded the efforts of the zonal coordinator of NSC zone 1, Dr. Steve Olarinoye in helping other sports apart from football grow in the minds of pupils within the Southwest through his various grassroots sports programmes.

Heineken Sharethesofa campaign Lagos reaches 101m global fans HE passion and interest T generated by the recently concluded Heineken sharethesofa digital campaign held in Lagos is still reverberating as a record 101 million people were reached globally with 14.2 million from Nigeria alone.

The exciting and engaging digital activation is part of the activities lined up to create memorable experience for consumers and soccer fans globally during the Meet The Trophy campaign.

Heineken, the world’s leading International premium larger beer, undertook the digital campaign where football fans across the globe sharethesofa with Ruud Gullit, a winner of the UEFA European Championship and Super Cup and coach as well as Ballon d’Or winner.

Guillit was twitting live with football fans globally from the comfort of the upscale Heineken House in Lagos, while the knockout matches between Manchester City versus Barcelona and Paris St Germaine (PSG) and Bayern Leverkusen. Barcelona and PSG won their matches with the same goal margin of 2-1.

Guillit was running commentary and giving insight about the matches while answering questions on the direction given the fact that he is also a coach.

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UEFA Champions League fallout

Chelsea ready to face Barca, Real Madrid, Bayern, Mourinho boasts HELSEA boss Jose C Mourinho said his team returned to their rightful place in Europe after reaching the Champions League quarter-finals.

The Blues beat Galatasaray 20 at Stamford Bridge to win the tie 3-1.

Since Mourinho’s return to Chelsea in the summer of 2013, the Blues have lost twice in eight Champions League outings, keeping five clean sheets But they became the first side to crash out at the group stage last season, having won the title the previous term.

“We are a Champions League club and now we are among the best eight, the best clubs in the world,” said Mourinho.

“The players deserve to be there.”

After dropping out of last season’s Champions League, Chelsea went on to win the Europa League and are now

on course to win their third consecutive European trophy.

They could be the only English team to remain in the competition after first-half goals from Samuel Eto’o and Gary Cahill helped them cruise past a lacklustre Galatasaray side.

Manchester City and Arsenal have already been knocked out, while Manchester United trail by two goals ahead of yesterday’s last-16 tie against Olympiakos.

Mourinho added: “To come from the Europa League to the quarter-finals of the Champions League is important for the club, important for the players.”

Prior to the last-16 draw, Mourinho expressed a desire to play Galatasaray so he could come up against former Blues striker Didier Drogba, but he has no preferences for Friday’s quarter-

• Says Drogba was a lonely man final draw.

Chelsea could face Barcelona, Real Madrid, Pep Guardiola’s Bayern Munich and Atletico Madrid, while Mourinho has not yet ruled Manchester United out of contention.

Mourinho said: “All the big

candidates to win the competition. Welcome to any one of them. We wait for the draw. It doesn’t matter who.”

The Portuguese boss, who is seeking a third Champions League with a different club having won the title with

Porto and Inter Milan, said prior to the game at Stamford Bridge that Drogba was still world class.

Since drawing 4-4 with Liverpool in 2009, Chelsea have conceded only five goals in eight Champions League knockout games at home But the 36-year-old struggled on his return to west London as Eto’o eclipsed the Ivorian.

Mourinho blamed Drogba’s low-key display on the rest of the team.

“I think the most difficult thing him was the way his team played,” said the Blues boss.

“If you are a striker and the team is not there playing behind you, then you are a lonely man. It has happened to every striker in the world and tonight it happened to

Arjen Robben signs two-year extension with Bayern AYERN Munich forward B Arjen Robben has signed a two-year contract extension with the German champions, keeping him at the club until 2017.

The 30-year-old, who joined Bayern in a £24m move from Real Madrid in 2009, was out of contract in 2015 but is now tied to the club until he is 33.

“There can be no better indication of how happy my family and I feel to be here,” said the former Chelsea winger.

The Dutch international has 10 league goals for Bayern this season.

He looks set to win a third title with Bayern, with Pep

Guardiola’s side currently 23 points clear, and has already won the league in England, Spain and his native Holland.

“I’m delighted we’ve now signed the new contract and I’ll continue pursuing trophies with FC Bayern,” added Robben, whose scored the winner in last season’s Champions League final at Wembley.

Bayern Munich chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge said: “Arjen has proved his worth to FC Bayern. He is a fundamentally important member of the team and will now remain so for the years to come.”

Carroll ‘shocked’ by Man United decline LYMPIAKOS goalkeeper O Roy Carroll says he is shocked by former club Manchester United’s decline this season.

United managed only one shot on target as they lost 2-0 at Olympiakos in the first leg of their Champions League last 16 tie.

Ahead of the second leg at Old Trafford on Wednesday, Carroll told BBC Radio 5 live: “I have never seen Manchester United not create many

chances.

“It was a big shock, especially their performance.”

Carroll, who did not play in the first leg, spent four years at United from 2001 to 2005, winning the Premier League in 2002-03 and the FA Cup the following year.

Defending Premier League champions United are currently seventh in the table, 12 points off the top-four spot they need to qualify for next season’s Champions League.

Real Madrid’s striker, Jese, in pains after he was injured on Tuesday

Samuel Eto’o shooting Chelsea to the quarterfinal of the UEFA Champions League on Tuesday

Ancelotti sad over Jese injury ARLO Ancelotti is backing C Jese to come back stronger after the promising striker suffered a season-ending injury on Tuesday.

The 21-year-old injured his cruciate knee ligaments in Real Madrid’s 3-1 win over Schalke on Tuesday, putting a dampener on their progression to the quarter-finals.

Jese has developed as a serious prospect this campaign and had been mentioned as a possible dark horse for Spain’s World Cup squad.

That will go on ice now, though, and Ancelotti is sad for a player he rates highly.

“I think it has been confirmed that Jese has torn his cruciate ligament. He was unlucky. I think that the whole of Real Madrid has

been unlucky. We are going to lose a very important player, a young man who has done very well this season and surprised everyone,” he told Madrid’s official website.

“That is football. Injuries come in a player’s career and we will be close to him and support him and we’ll be waiting for him next season.

“We hope to have him ready soon and we would like to send him our support. We are waiting for him and we wish him luck. He will certainly be an important player for Real Madrid after his injury. We are sad. We are very sorry about this, but these things happen in football.”

Ancelotti added that the

other members of his squad were despondent about the injury, saying: “The squad is a bit down about it. It is normal when that happens to a player, like when it happened to (defender Sami) Khedira.

“It is another problem for everyone and we will respond well because the team has character.”

We played badly, says Galatasaray’s boss ALATASARAY manager G Roberto Mancini said his team deserved to lose their

ance.

The Italian said: “He didn’t have any chances to score. If you don’t get a chance it’s difficult.”

Mancini and Mourinho have endured a strained relationship since the Portuguese took over from the Italian at Inter Milan in 2008.

Mancini has since said that Mourinho’s success of win-

Champions League tie against Chelsea after a poor display in the second leg.

The Turkish side barely mustered a shot on target as they were beaten 2-0 at Stamford Bridge, 3-1 on aggregate.

“We really played very, very badly,” said the former Manchester City boss.

“Chelsea were the better side.

It’s impossible to score with just one shot on goal. We need to take several steps in order to be a better team.”

Mancini, who has not beaten Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho in six attempts, added: “We did nothing on the pitch. This game was difficult and after we conceded the first goal it was more difficult.

“We didn’t deserve anything in this game. Chelsea played better than us.”

Mancini absolved former Blues striker Didier Drogba of any blame and refused to use Chelsea’s pre-match presentation of a silver boot to the Ivorian as an excuse for his underwhelming perform- Drogba

ning Serie A title the following season, and the league, Champions League and Italian Cup titles in the 200910 season, came as a result of the team he built.

And Mancini, who led City to the 2012 Premier League title, said his former team were favourites this season, despite Mourinho’s team holding a four-point lead at the top of the table.

Thursday, March 20, 2014 SPORT | 79

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‘Deontay Wilder may be America’s next great’ • But he needs to fight top opposition first when they first won the title.

28 and seemingly at or past ICHARD Schaefer has Tyson was 20 years old, the the time in his career when Ranointed Deontay Wilder youngest to ever win the belt, he should be battling the best as the second coming of Mike

Wilder (middle) remains an unknown commodity despite a first-round KO of Malik Scott PHOTO: AP

Tyson and is trying to push him into a shot at the heavyweight championship following a first-round knockout Saturday in Bayamon, Puerto Rico.

The victory raised Wilder to 31-0 and the knockout was his 31st. He has 18 first-round knockouts.

Wilder, a bronze medalist in the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, is at about the same point in his career that other top-level heavyweight champions of recent vintage have been

Murray, Lendl end coaching relationship OLLOWING a fruitful twoFWimbledon year relationship, champion Andy Murray has parted ways with coach Ivan Lendl — the man who turned him from a fourtime Grand Slam runner-up into a two-time major champion.

Murray and Lendl announced their decision on the British player’s blog yesterday, a few days after Murray lost in the fourth round at Indian Wells.

“I’m eternally grateful to Ivan for all his hard work over the past two years, the most successful of my career so far,”

said Murray, who returned from back surgery this season. “As a team, we’ve learned a lot and it will definitely be of benefit in the future. I’ll take some time with the team to consider the next steps and how we progress from here.”

With Lendl, Murray won Olympic gold in London in 2012 and the U.S. Open title later the same year. In 2013, he became the first British man to triumph at Wimbledon in 77 years.

Before winning the U.S. Open, Murray was 0-4 in Grand Slam finals. Only one other man in the Open era,

which began in 1968, lost his first four major titles matches: Lendl. The Czech-born baseline player then went on to win eight Grand Slam singles titles during a 17-year career, spending 270 weeks at No. 1 in the world rankings.

Lendl first got involved with Murray in December 2011.

Despite a lack of coaching experience, Lendl immediately struck a chord with his protege as Murray made it to the Wimbledon final, where he lost to Roger Federer in four sets.

Murray’s breakthrough came a month later when he

beat Federer in the Olympic final at the All England Club.

He then defeated defending champion Novak Djokovic in the final at Flushing Meadows to win his first Grand Slam singles title.

“Working with Andy over the last two years has been a fantastic experience for me,” Lendl said. “He is a first class guy. Having helped him achieve his goal of winning major titles, I feel like it is time for me to concentrate on some of my own projects moving forward including playing more events around the world which I am really enjoying.

and was 27-0 when he faced Trevor Berbick for the belt in 1986. Lennox Lewis won his first world title at 27, when he was 22-0. Evander Holyfield was 24 when he first captured the heavyweight title, when he was 24-0. Riddick Bowe was 25 and had a 31-0 mark when he beat Holyfield for the belt in one of the great heavyweight matches of the last 50 years.

Vitali Klitschko was 24-0 and was 27 years old when he captured his first heavyweight title. And his younger brother, Wladimir, was 24 and had a 34-1 mark when he first became champion.

Wilder, 28, is 31-0 with 31 KOs (AP) But Wilder is extremely difficult to evaluate as a prospect because of his extraordinarily low level of competition. It’s not as if the division is teeming with elite prospects, but Scott was by far the most accomplished fighter that Wilder has faced and still isn’t ranked in the Top 15 by any of the major organisations.

My gut instinct says to judge Wilder by the way his handlers match him. And because it appears they’ve matched him extraordinarily gingerly, it says a lot about what they think of him. He’s

the division has to offer.

Instead, he was paired with Scott, a wily veteran who isn’t known as much of a puncher.

Much has been made online of the way that the fight ended, and that Scott seemed to deflect some (or all) of the power on the right hand. But watch the video below in slow motion and at the 22-second mark, it’s clear that Wilder’s right gets fully through Scott’s gloves. Wilder also turns into the punch, putting the maximum power on it.

Those who are suggesting that Scott took a dive haven’t been hit by a big shot. It was a clean right hand from a massive guy, which landed squarely on the chin. Unless some evidence surfaces to show that something untoward occurred, I’ll believe that it was a legitimate knockout.

But is that enough to anoint Wilder as America’s next great heavyweight? No. He is 6 feet 7 inches and weighed 227 pounds Saturday. He has a great frame and has scored knockouts with both hands. He seems to move well in the ring and has a clear sense of how to put his punches together.

• Culled from Yahoo Sports

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Thursday, March 20, 2014

Conscience, Nurtured by Truth

By Ewebiyi Keye James HE outrageous fee hike in Lagos State University introduced by the Lagos State Government in October, 2011 has finally degenerated into a protracted crisis in the institution.

The fee hike had students paying between N193, 750 and N348, 750 depending on their course of study as against the old fee of N25, 000. Following the hike, the Lagos State Government further attacked the institution’s scholarship scheme which used to provide a lifeline for indigent but brilliant students during the old fee regime. The new scholarship arrangement makes it difficult for most students to benefit from the scheme and no award has been issued in the past three years. The state government has also reneged on its promise to provide bursary awards to students of Lagos State origin; there has been a decline in the issuance of bursary in the past three years despite the fact that the bursary is less than one-third of the new fees. This is contrary to the pledge made by the Lagos State Governor, Babatunde Fashola, in the heat of the fee hike struggle that bursary and scholarship awards would be provided to cushion the effects of the fee increase.

The brutal reality of this increase in fee has started telling on the only state-owned university. For the next academic session (2013/2014) according to a Punch newspaper as at July 30, 2013 only about 1,100 candidates had registered for Post-UTME examination (Punch July 20, 2013). This figure is a far cry from what was obtainable in time past when between 15,000 and 20,000 candidates sat for the same examination.

Currently several departments at LASU have fewer than 10 students at 100 level. For instance, French department has only one student in 100 level, Islamic studies has six students in 100 Level and the Faculty of Law has just 15 and 25 students at 100 Level and 200 Level respectively.

A more striking example is the Department of Fishery where 60 students obtained admission into 100 level last session and a session after, only 14 out of this are left and out of this 14, only four have registered for the current session. The increase in fees is responsible for the sharp decline in student enrollment in LASU over the past three years. LASU used to have over 20, 000 full-time students, today full-time students are only a little above 12, 000. Indeed, at this rate especially when the current 300 and 400 level students who are still paying the old fees of N25, 000 graduate, LASU may have fewer than 6,000 full-time students!

The wider implication of this is an increase in the illiteracy rate of the State.

The frustration and anger of students over the fee hike eventually snowballed into a peaceful protest on LASU main campus on January 22 and 23, 2014. Students of the university organised a mild and peaceful gathering on Wednesday, January 22, 2014 to plead with the Vice-Chancellor, Prof.

Obafunwa to reopen the registration portal which was closed by the management against 1,292 students, who would automatically have extra year or carry over if they fail to register. As a result of the dictatorial, insensitive and provocative actions of the Vice Chancellor, who rebuffed all students plea, next day Thursday, January 2014 witnessed a bigger protest which eventually turned violent after the university’s paid security a.k.a CAMPUS MARSHALS shot at students and men of the Rapid Response Squad invaded the university. Following this crisis, the university management closed down the institution on January 23, 2014.

In protest against the rise in fees and the biased resolution of the Lagos State House

T

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LASU: The unending crisis

of Assembly on the LASU crisis, the Education Rights Campaign (ERC) initiated the ‘’SaveLASU Campaign Movement’’ which is a coalition of the Lagos State University Students Union (LASUSU), ERC, National Union of Lagos State Students (NULASS) and radical student groups in LASU. Since its formation, the SaveLASU Campaign Movement had held several meetings with mass turn-out of students.

The campaign held a press conference on February 12, 2014 and a peaceful protest on February 18, 2014, to the Lagos State House of Assembly where a petition bearing students’ grievances and demands was submitted.

Already, the campaign movement has begun to win some its demands. The university management announced the reopening of LASU on February 24, 2014, but for final year students alone while other students are to resume on April 1st.

This is an attempt to divide the student population and force the outrageous fees on fresh students who have been asked to resume on March 10 for a new academic session before the expiration of the 2012/2013 academic session. In the same vein, the Lagos State government on Friday, February 21, approved a sum of N51 million for the repair of damages done during the January 23 crisis. All these are in response to Save LASU’s demand for the

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ABC (ISSN NO 0189-5125)

As enrolment level drops further and drop-out rate increases, some programmes and courses in the university may be rationalised due to inadequate number of students, and subsequently some programmes and departments could be shut down. In this case, teaching and non-teaching personnel will be sacked

immediate reopening of LASU and non-payment of reparation by students. However, the State Government has once again failed to address the root cause of the crisis.

The continuous silence of the Staff Unions in LASU particularly the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) since this crisis broke out is a betrayal of the trust of students in the unions. As enrolment level drops further and drop-out rate increases, some programmes and courses in the university may be rationalised due to inadequate number of students, and subsequently some programmes and departments could be shut down. In this case, teaching and non-teaching personnel will be sacked.

There is an urgent need for ASUU, NASU, SSANU, NAAT, parents and indigenous associations in Lagos State to join forces with SaveLASU Campaign Movement and other radical student groups to launch a joint campaign to defeat this anti-students/workers’ policy and save LASU from imminent collapse. They cannot afford to sit down and watch this government commercialise education out of the reach of the poor.

The campaign must continue to demand the reversal of the increase in fees which remains the root cause of the crisis, and which if left unaddressed will continue to throw the university into more and more crises.

• James is a former general secretary of Lagos State University Students’ Union (LASUSU) and a member of Education Rights Campaign (ERC).