Fri 21 Mar 2014

TheGuardian Conscience, Nurtured by Truth Friday, March 21, 2014

Vol. 30, No. 12,867

N150

www.ngrguardiannews.com

Members of the Nigeria Academy of Pharmacy during their inauguration in Lagos… yesterday.

PHOTO: OSENI YUSUF

Senate panels to probe killings in seven states From Azimazi Momoh Jimoh, Bridget Chiedu Onochie, Terhemba Daka (Abuja) and Njadvara Musa (Maiduguri) WING to an upsurge in atO tacks and killings in some parts of the country, the Senate yesterday mandated its committees on Security and Intelligence, Defence and Army, Police Affairs as well as Interior to investigate the incidents.

Also yesterday, the House of Representatives condemned recent killings, occupation of land and destruction of property in the Moon Council Ward of Kwande Local Government Area of Benue State by nomadic herdsmen, urg-

• Reps want end to attacks on Benue villages • Ekweremadu backs state police • Uduaghan decries herdsmen’s terrorism ing the Inspector-General of Police and the Chief of Army Staff to immediately send armed men to contain the situation.

Meanwhile, the Defence Headquarters has announced that the current military offensive against Boko Haram insurgents in the North-East had yielded successes.

The Senate committees are to jointly embark on a fact-

Confab procedure rules drafted, for adoption Monday– Page 3

finding mission in Benue, Plateau, Kaduna, Nasarawa, Borno, Adamawa and Yobe states where violence and killings have persisted.

In a motion sponsored by Barnabas Gemade (Benue North East), and five others, the Senate noted with dismay how human lives have become increasingly very cheap and impunity the norm.

The Upper Chamber expressed worry that the situa-

Applicants sue Immigration, seek refund of recruitment fee – Page 4

tion was gradually degenerating to a point of civil war. It said: “Anxiety caused by incidences of serial night killings and daylight mass attacks bordering on war crimes is approaching a panic loss of confidence in the federal security regime. “The pattern of federalized policing under a unitary command may have made sense under military regimes in the past, but it is hardly the best in the prevail-

Three sentenced to death for kidnap, murder – Page 4

ing situation of insecurity with the increasing volume of grassroots crimes and attacks on the nation’s defenseless rural communities.”

Urging a reconsideration of the current military strategy, the senators also expressed worry over the likelihood of famine if drastic steps were not taken to end the attacks and return the displaced persons to their homes so that they can tend their farmlands. The lawmakers observed a minute silence in memory of the deceased victims. The committees have two weeks to present their reports.

Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu said the establishment of a state police

Policemen jailed over N800,000 bribe – Page 5

structure would provide lasting solution to the problem of violence and insecurity across the country. He said that so long as Nigeria continues to practise centralised policing, it would be difficult to ensure effective security. His words: “We run a federal system of government and it is completely unacceptable in a federal system for us to have a centralised police.

“Policemen are not magicians. There is no way a policeman can stay in one kilometre and know when a crime is being committed in another kilometre. We must be able to provide sufficient police personnel that should be, at least, one policeman per hundred metres. And this can only be achieved if we decentralise our police, ensure that we have state police and possibly, local council police that are well co-ordinated and regulated. We had problem in the past in this area because they were not well regulated and CONTINUED ON PAGE 2

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Friday, March 21, 2014

Jonathan not first minority person to rule Nigeria, says APC HE All Progressives ConT gress (APC) has told the PDP that President Goodluck Jonathan “is not the first minority to rule Nigeria and will not be the last’’, hence the frequent resort to his minority ethnicity is nothing but a poorly-veiled attempt to cover up his blatant incompetence, poor leadership and sheer cluelessness.

In a statement in Ibadan yesterday by its Interim National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the APC said the PDP’s claim that the Boko Haram insurgency and other internecine crises in the country were being sponsored by the opposition because the President hails from a minority group is totally irresponsible and absolutely not grounded in fact.

It said First Republic Prime Minister Tafawa Balewa (Sayewa) and military Heads of State Yakubu Gowon (Angas) and Sani Abacha (Kanuri) were also from minority ethnic groups, a fact that is lost on the trifling PDP. ‘’The PDP has recently been making outlandish statements and accusations that are capable of destabilizing Nigeria. In its new found proclivity for issuing frivolous press statements, the party has forgotten that facts are sacred and cannot be manipulated. But even by its low

standard, the PDP has plumbed the depth of irresponsibility with its latest claim. ‘’President Jonathan’s woes have nothing to do with his minority ethnicity, but the manifestation of his incompetence, cluelessness and inferiority complex, and the fact that he is backed by a greedy, visionless and crooked cabal, both within his government and his party,’’ APC said.

The party said if indeed the PDP believes the opposition is sponsoring Boko Haram to stop President Jonathan from realizing his so-called Transformation Agenda, what prevents the PDP-led Federal Government from instituting a probe into all the incidences so far, and to unravel the sources of the sect’s weapons, as demanded recently by Governor.

Murtala Nyako?

APC said just like ethno-religious crises in Nigeria predate President Jonathan’s assumption of office, the Boko Haram insurgency started in 2002 during the Obasanjo regime, even though it became aggravated in 2009 when the then President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua ordered a joint security operation, following the killing of over a dozen policemen, and the failure of police action to curb the crisis.

President Goodluck Jonathan (second right); Namibian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mrs. Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah (left) and others, during Jonathan’s two-day state visit to the Republic of Namibia at the Hosea Kutako International Airport, Windhoek, Namibia… yesterday.

Reps want end to attacks on Benue villages CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 co-ordinated.”

Speaking on assumption that the attackers might be foreigners who come into the country under the guise of cattle herdsmen, Ekweremadu expressed the need for villagers to be on alert and raise the alarm when strangers in helicopters are surveying their environment.

“We must identify where people come from and if we find anybody coming into the country with helicopter, we have the right under international law to pursue or trace them. As much as we continue to sit here and do one minute of silence, nothing will happen. We must not yield to the pronouncement about Nigeria separating in 2015 because division will not benefit anybody,” he added.

The House of Representatives also urged the National Security Adviser to investigate the continuous attack by the nomadic herdsmen, especially in Benue and Plateau states, so as to address the issue once and for all.

According to the House, if bold steps are not taken to control the violent activities of the herdsmen, the nation will have to contain too many security challenges.

Adopting a motion introduced by Benjamin Aboho (PDP Benue), the House noted that the Moon Council Ward has been severely attacked by armed men, resulting in loss of lives and property with families taking refuge in other locations.

Aboho, a retired Colonel, had noted that since April 2013, Deban and Anyiase villages of Moon Council Ward have been severely attacked by armed men. He further submitted that on February 14, 2014, the same communities in Moon Ward were attacked by armed nomadic herdsmen who have allegedly virtually occupied the land thus sending families again to other locations to take refuge.

He expressed concern that the continuous occupation of the land will make the people to attempt to fight back, a development he said, may worsen the security situation.

“Armed herdsmen easily invade Moon Ward because the only police post located at

Anyiase is manned by four unarmed men. Despite the fact that Moon Ward has international border with Cameroun, there has been no efforts to cover the area with security agencies,” the lawmaker said.

The House also directed National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) to provide refugee camp and relief materials for the victims.

The motion was referred to the committee on disaster management and preparedness for further legislative work.

The Director of Defence Information at the Defence Headquarters, Maj.-Gen. Chris Olukolade, said the Special Military Operations (SPMOs) against Boko Haram insurgency in the North-East were yielding results because the insurgents’ training camps and hide-outs in Borno State have been destroyed and the terrorists have been on the run since last Friday’s attacks on Giwa Barracks.

Maj.-Gen. Olukolade spoke yesterday at 7 Division of Nigerian Army, Maiduguri, the state capital, while accompanying the Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Kenneth Minimah and the Chief of Air Staff, Air Vice-Marshal Adesola Amosu, on a “routine and military facilities” visit to Borno and Yobe states.

He said the SPMOs are mainly in the Sambisa Forest, Gwoza Mandara Hills and other forests located on the shores of Lake Chad, including the Gujba forest in Yobe State. “The idea is to make sure that the insurgents do not have a camp where they can organise their crime like before. Unlike some months back, the insurgents are now on the run since last Friday’s attacks on Giwa Barracks,” Olukolade said. According to him, the attack on barracks by the insurgents is a sign of weakness.

“You will observe that they have stopped soft spot attacks for some time now.

Most of the attacks now are daring, like the attempted barrack attacks because they know that their time is up.”

On when to end insurgency in the sub-region, he said: “We cannot set a target on ending terrorism in Nigeria because terrorism has a

unique character. Terrorism is like armed robbery, prostitution and other crimes, which have been on for long time. These cannot be wiped out completely in the society, but you can bring them down to the lowest level where they cannot affect social and economic lives. Our aim is to reduce terrorism to the lowest level where it will not be able to disrupt social and economic lives of the people.’’

Olukolade faulted the claims that some military commanders had failed to act on urgent information due to non-approval by their high command. “It is not true that commanders will have to wait for permission before acting on urgent information on terrorist attacks or movements.

Certainly, our operation does not require seeking permission from outside. Officers have some latitude to operate in such kind of situation. Each officer has been briefed on the rules of engagement in any operation, it is left for him to act immediately he receives information on terrorist attack or movement.

“If we receive complaint on officers refusing to act on urgent information, such officers will be reprimanded.”

Meanwhile, the Chairman, Governing Council, National Human Right Commission (NHRC), Prof. Chidi Odinkalu, in Abuja on yesterday described the new approach adopted by security agencies to fight terrorism as a welcome development.

Odinkalu said many approaches were needed to tackle insurgency.

Reacting to the New Approach to Countering Terrorism (NACTEST) by the Office of the National Security Adviser (NSA), he said: “You need the soft approach, de-radicalisation, investment in community resilience and education to complement the hard approach which is the military approach.

“The fact is that until now we have only seen the military approach, we have not seen the non-military dimension. So, this is a positive thing (new approach) and I think we should encourage it,’’ he said.

He said the commission would work with the office of the NSA on how human rights could be included in the new

approach.

Also, Delta State Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan has called on traditional rulers to be vigilant and promptly report activities of Fulani herdsmen that are likely to breach the peace in their domains.

Dr. Uduaghan, who made the call yesterday in Warri at a meeting with traditional rulers and chairmen of transition committees of different local councils, observed that in view of the recent spate of violence perpetrated by herdsmen, vigilance was necessary to identify persons entering the state with sinister motive.

He said: “We welcome visitors to our communities and state but we will not welcome visitors that will give us trouble. Those that are coming illegitimately into our state will not be allowed to stay with us.”

Uduaghan urged traditional rulers to be at alert to avoid untoward occurrence between their subjects and herdsmen, disclosing that government was working with security operatives to forestall clashes between communities and cattle rearers.

He frowned at recent spate of criminal attack and sabotage of oil and gas installations in the state by unscrupulous elements under the guise of agitation, warning that the Federal and Delta State governments “will not be blackmailed by anybody.”

The governor asked any group having legitimate grievances to be civil in pursuing them rather than resorting to violence, warning that the government was “ready and prepared to deal with such criminals and nobody can threaten this country.”

According to him, there has been drastic reduction in incidences of kidnapping, armed robbery and sea piracy in the state, except for isolated cases, assuring that his government was working tirelessly to eradicate violent crimes.

He commended the Ovie of Agbon, Ukori I and the Kokori community for the support and cooperation they have given his government and security agencies in the fight against kidnapping

Friday, March 21, 2014 | 3

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News Reps tackle Okonjo-Iweala over missing N24b Police Pensions Fund From Adamu Abuh and Terhemba Daka (Abuja) HE House of RepresentaT tives has accused the Finance Minister, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala of misleading the nation on the alleged missing N24 billion Police Pensions Fund.

The House through its Committee on Public Account also accused the minister of using fake documents as a cover up to distance herself from the fraudulent act, restating its earlier position that the amount was actually missing.

Meanwhile, the House yesterday resolved to beam their searchlights on the Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke for allegedly spending N10 billion to maintain a Challenger 850 aircraft at the expense of the public.

The House presided over by Aminu Waziri Tambuwal also passed another resolution mandating its Committee on Gas to investigate the alleged non-remittance of funds accruing from NLNG

Bonny to the federation account from 2004 till date and make appropriate recommendations.

The Solomon Adeola Olamilekan-led committee thereby challenged the Finance Minister to a public debate over the matter.

At the resumed hearing on the matter yesterday, Olamilekan noted that the minister was either ignorant of the facts of the transactions or must have deliberately faulted the findings of the committee to mislead the nation.

In attendance at the committee’s session were the Director General of Pension Transitional Arrangement Department (PTAD), Mrs. Nellie Mayshak and her team, and the representatives of the office of the Accountant General of the federation.

Olamilekan noted: “We invited you people to appear before this honorable committee on this serious transactions involving tax payers’ money running into billions of naira and the new Director General of Pension Transitional Arrangement Depart-

ment was honest enough to say that she just took over and that there was no document to back up the disbursement of the N24 billion.

“We further requested for more documentation in order to get to the root of the matter only for the minister to come up with a press statement that the money was not missing.

“We challenge her to a public debate where all the media houses will be present and will be live on all television stations, so Nigerians will know whether the N24 billion was missing or not.”

Continuing, Olamilekan (Lagos: APC) noted: “All these documents being brandished around in defence of the missing N24 billion are fraudulent, forged and fake and cannot stand the test of time.”

Olamilekan, thereby demanded for the statements of bank accounts detailing the inflows and outflows of the account which the money was lodged at the First Bank of Nigeria Plc, between 2009 and 2012, which must be duly signed by the bank as its officials might be invited by the

committee to give evidence on operations of the account.

He further directed that all the relevant documents on the money to convince the committee that it was not missing should be brought before it on March 26, 2014.

The committee had faulted a Director in the office of the Accountant General of the Federation, Mr. Salau Suberu, who stated that following a directive that all unspent money should be returned to the treasury by December 31, there was a mop up on December 31st 2012 in the account of the Police Pension fund.

Suberu further informed the committee that as a result about N29 billion was mopped up and that the amount was diverted to finance other capital projects.

But the committee ruled that the submission was different from that of the Finance Minister who claimed that the account was frozen when it was discovered that it was in excess and was later paid into the Federation Account as unspent

money.

The motion on the nonremittance of monies to the Federation Account was initiated by Aminu Suleiman (Kano: PDP) and Babatunde Adejare (Lagos: APC) who drew the attention of their colleagues to the issue. They claimed that the private jet is solely for Diezani’s personal use and those of her immediate family.

Moving the motion entitled “Urgent Need to Investigate the Waste of Resources on the Arbitrary Charter and Maintenance of a Challenger 850 Aircraft for Non-Official Use”, Adejare claimed that based on reliable evidence, the Petroleum Minister has been committing the sum of €500,000 (N130 million) monthly to maintain the aircraft.

The lawmaker, who described the act as appalling, further claimed that in just two years, the minister had committed at least N3.120 billion.

Stating that Section 88 (2) (b) of the 1999 Constitution empowers the National Assembly to expose corrup-

Senior Brand Manager, Star, Ita Bassey (left); music artiste, Olamide; Brand Manager, Star, Obabiyi Fagade; artiste, Dr. Sid and Corporate Media and Brand PR Manager, Edem Vindah, during The Trek artistes sign on party in Lagos.

tion, inefficiency or waste, he claimed that the colossal waste is currently estimated at N10 billion, which include the payment of allowances to the crew for the trips, hanger packing and rent based on the lease agreement.

He described the expenditure as a clear violation of the Fiscal Responsibility Act and all other laws on fiscal discipline.

Canvassing the support of his colleagues, Adejare argued, among others, that “In these days of scarce national resources where public finance is shrinking in the face of ever increasing national needs such as roads, health, education and power, amongst others, an official of government could waste public funds on such luxury as chartering a Challenger 850 aircraft for extra official use; and “That in recent times, most states have been facing acute shortage of allocations due to dwindling national revenue, which has reduced the quality of governance and deprived the people of dividends of democracy.”

Shortly after Hassan Badawi threw his weight behind Adejare’s prayers, Tambuwal said there was no need dissipating energies on the issue since the Committee on Public Accounts is already probing the allegation.

He directed the Solomon Adeola Olamilekan-led committee to speed up the investigation and report back to the House within three weeks.

In his motion, Suleiman alleged that the NLNG had breached the provisions of section 162 Sub section 10 of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, that stipulates that revenue, which means any income or return accruing to or derived by the government of the federation from any source be remitted to the federation account.

Suleiman further alleged that the unpatriotic actions of those in charge of the NLNG Bonny from 2004 till date has resulted in loss of huge revenue that ought to be shared to all tiers of government from the federation accounts for both recurrent and capital development.

Confab procedure rules drafted, for adoption Monday From Madu Onuorah, Terhemba Daka and Karls Tsokar (Abuja) and Abiodun Fanoro (Lagos) S delegates to the National A Conference prepare to resume for serious business on Monday, the Secretariat has completed the draft of the rules for the modus operandi and course of action.

The Assistant Secretary, Media and Communications, James Akpandem, in a statement yesterday in Abuja said the “draft Rules of Procedure for the National Conference to delegates will enable them

• Group condemns delegates’ demand for extra allowance prepare for the debate, ratification and subsequent adoption on Monday, March 24, 2014 when the plenary resumes.”

Akpandem, who did not make clear what is contained in the rules, said it is expected that the delegates will adopt it and “when adopted, the provisions will form the official rules of proceedings for the Conference.”

The statement also noted that a copy of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic

of Nigeria was also made available to delegates on Thursday as indicated during the inaugural sitting by the Chairman of Conference, Justice Idris Kutigi.

Other conference materials were also given to the delegates in suitcases with their names tagged on them.

Meanwhile, a former governor of Anambra State Chukwuemeka Eziefe, has urged the media to be objective in their reportage of activities at the conference, as he decried

the report in some media that there was a “disputation on religious grounds.”

In a statement made available to The Guardian yesterday in Abuja, Ezeife who is also a delegate said “I was in the first meeting of the Conference on Tuesday, I am sorry for the patriotic Nigerians who must have been shocked and disappointed by the clearly negative reporting of the proceedings on Tuesday.

“The mood of the Conference can best be gauged by the

thunderous applause which greeted Governor Segun Osoba’s suggestion that delegates should try to see themselves as first Nigerians. My surprise is the uniformity of the negative reporting,” he said.

Meanwhile, a civil rights group, Coalition Against Corruption Leaders (CACOL) has condemned alleged demand by some delegates that the Federal Government should pay allowances to their aides in addition to the huge personal allowances government is paying them.

The group in a statement by its Executive Chairman Debo

Adeniran chided the delegates who he described as insensitive and being carried away by lust for material gains as against lust to seek solutions to the myriads of problem facing the country which formed the sole reason for their presence at the Confab.

CACOL said it was unfortunate that these delegates were making demand for extra allowance when some of their colleagues at the Confab like Tunde Bakare and Olisa Agbakoba had announced that they were forfeiting the legitimate ones government approved for them.

THE GUARDIAN www.ngrguardiannews.com

4 | NEWS Friday, March 21, 2014

Applicants sue Immigration, seek refund of recruitment fee From Lemmy Ughegbe, Abuja OUR persons acting for themselves and as representatives of those who participated in the ill-fated Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) recruitment exercise yesterday asked the Federal High Court, Abuja, to declare the conduct or execution of the recruitment exercise illegal, unwarranted and in violation of their fundamental rights to life.

They also want the court to order the defendants to refund their application fee.

The plaintiffs brought the application under Sections 33, 34, and 44 of the 1999 Constitution (amended) and the equivalent articles of the African Charter on Human and Peoples Right.

Joined as respondents in the suit are the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, the Minister of Interior, Abba Moro, the Nigerian Immigration Service and its Comptroller General, David Shikfu Parradang.

The applicants, Charles Ugwuonye, Friday Danlami, Chinedu Onwuka and Samson Ojo, through their counsel, Emeka Ugwuonye, want the court, among others, to declare the recruitment exercise illegal and restrain the NIS from spending the money realised from the exercise.

They also want the court to order the respondents to refund the recruitment fee to the applicants, pay the sum of N1 million to each and N50 million to the deceased

F

applicants as general damages.

They further asked the court to declare that the conduct or execution of the recruitment exercise was in violation of the applicants’ fundamental rights to life, protection from inhuman and degrading treatment, dignity of the human person, right against discrimination on the basis of the circumstances of birth and right against unlawful taking of the property of a person.

The applicants prayed for a declaration that the respondents, particularly the Minister of Interior and NIS Comptroller General owed them honesty and candour regarding the true purpose and intention behind the exercise.

They also sought a declaration that the respondents, particularly the Minister of Interior and NIS Comptroller General had a duty to superintend the recruitment exercise in a safe and healthy

manner with due consideration for lives and wellbeing of those who applied for or participated in the exercise, among others.

Also, the applicants sought a declaration that the 2014 recruitment exercise was motivated by greed and corrupt intentions and without any realistic plan to offer the applicants employments.

More so, they want a declaration that the respondents do not have the power to appropriate any funds from

Host, Chief Chukwuma Azikiwe (left); Oyo State Governor Abiola Ajimobi; former Speaker, House of Representatives, Aminu Masari; former Head of State, General Muhammadu Buhari; National Chairman, All Progressives Congress (APC), Chief Bisi Akande during the 50th Lecture of Zik Hall, University of Ibadan Oyo State… yesterday PHOTO: NAJEEM RAHEEM

Buhari, others in Ibadan, chart path to development From Iyabo Lawal, Ibadan OVERNOR Abiola Ajimobi G of Oyo State yesterday rose in defence of the nation’s youths, saying that they must be given chance to participate actively in the political leadership of the country.

He maintained that if the youths of this country must indeed be leaders of tomorrow, the political class must stop recycling grey-haired leaders.

The governor who spoke at the 50th anniversary lecture of Nnamdi Azikiwe Hall, University of Ibadan (UI) said

the recruitment exercise but must remit such to the Federation Account.

The applicants further sought an interim and perpetual injunction restraining the respondents from spending any part of the funds raised from the exercise. In addition, the court should direct the respondents to issue them a written apology, which should be published in five Nigerian newspapers and on the main website of the NIS.

there is no gainsaying the fact that the same set of people who had been ruling the country in the last 30-40 years are still the recurrent factors in rulership.

Ajimobi, who spoke on the topic, “Youth and the Future of Nigerian Politics”, told the gathering whose chairman was former Head of State, General Muhammadu Buhari (rtd) said a system that makes the youth of a nation political touts and bouncers is no longer acceptable.

He said, “Enough is enough of the system that makes the youth political touts and

bouncers. They must be effectively included in general party decision-making and leadership structure of all political parties.

“The present scheme of things where the youth are jobless, cannot boast of today, is such that it would be very difficult to articulate a concise tomorrow for them.

“All efforts must thus be made to ensure that the youths are leaders of their stomachs today before we can consider them for leadership of the nation tomorrow,” the governor said.

He also stressed the need to

address youth restiveness in the country, noting, “in a country with over 10 million unemployed graduate youths, their involvement in social vices, taking up arms and general restiveness, is a probability. This has made entrusting them with political power very difficult as they are seen as politically immature.”

However, in a different tune, General Buhari maintained that there ought to be roles for old and young individuals to play in the governance of any nation.

The former presidential can-

didate of the defunct Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) stressed the importance of experience in governance, making references to many world leaders to justify his continued clamour for the headship of the country, said “China and Japan post1945 had a history of very old people managing the affairs of these two great oriental economies.

“Mao Zedong and Chou En-Lai in their 70s laid the foundation for their successor, Deng Shao Ping, to bring one billion people out of poverty into self sufficiency in food

Amosun orders payment of varsity teachers’ salary arrears From Charles Coffie Gyamfi, Abeokuta GUN State government O has ordered the management of the Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago Iwoye, to effect the immediate payment of the outstanding one-month salary arrears owed lecturers of the institution.

Governor Ibikunle Amosun who gave the directive in Abeokuta yesterday also pledged that all other outstanding arrears would be paid without further delay.

The lecturers last week embarked on demonstration over an alleged nonpayment of several months of their salary arrears.

But in a statement in Abeokuta yesterday, the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Taiwo Adeoluwa, explained that the Amosun-led administration inherited a backlog of arrears from the immediate past administration running into several millions of naira, disclosing that the government had, however, managed to clear some of the arrears.

Adeoluwa stated that in spite of significant life changing infrastructural development initiatives going on across the state, the 32-month old government does not owe workers’ salaries, recalling that Ogun was one of the very first to show commitment to paying the new minimum wage in 2011.

supply and an economy second only to the U.S..”

“Charles de Gaulle led French resurgence after the war when he was over 70 years and in Britain, three old men managed its recovery through 1950s and 1960s.

“The last three Saudi Arabian kings ascended the throne in their 70s and 80s and see what transformation the nation enjoyed in the last 40 years. If you think that this achievement is solely due to oil resources, take a look at Nigeria and consider what poor use we made of our resources”, he added.

Stakeholders, at NESG, pledge to tackle rot in education sector From Mathias Okwe, and Tsokar Karls, Abuja HE 20th Edition of the T Nigerian Economic Summit Group ( NESG ) which began in Abuja on Tuesday ended yesterday with a lot recommendations on how to transform the declining quality of education in Nigeria so as to enable the country favourably compete with her peers in the global arena come 2015.

The recommendations were as the organisers of the summit described this year’s discourse which focused on Education under the theme: Transforming Education through partnerships for global competitiveness as hugely successful and assured Nigerians that the

implementation of the recommendations would be vigorously pursued to their logical conclusion to positively impact the transformation of education in the country.

The Supervising Minister of National Planning Commission, Ambassador Bashir Yuguda, who led officials of the Commission which is partnering with the Folusho Philips - led NESG at a press briefing to draw to a close the Summit, expressed satisfaction with the quality of dialogue particularly between the public and the private sector on the way forward for Education revitalisation in the country.

On hand to share the joy of the successful Summit proceedings were the Secretary

of the National Economic Council, Mr. Fidelis Ugbo; the Chairman of the NESG, Mr. Folusho Philips and the out-going Director- General and Chief Executive Officer of the NESG, Mr. Frank Nweke (2) whose five year tenure is coming to an end a matter of months.

Yuguda declared that because of the importance President Goodluck Jonathan attaches to the outcomes of the NESG, outcomes of this year’s talk shop like those of previous ones will be critically discussed at the Federal Executive Council (FEC) and subsequently implemented as government policies aimed at deriving the benefits of the recommendations.

Some of the highlights of

the key recommendations and roadmap are: • Focus on trending global skills by establishing research and development capabilities in schools.

• Research on trending skills - The entire education system should not be fixed but transform to propel the country into the 21st century.

• Devolve responsibility to schools - You cannot hold them accountable if you cannot hold them responsible.

• It is crucial to transition from traditional examinations to measuring learning outcomes- What gets measured gets done.

Other critical components of the Nigerian Educational system that the Summit drew attention for review are: Curriculum Develop-

ment; New Generation of Teachers; Knowledge Transfer through ICT for Global Competitiveness; Sustainable Structural Reforms in Education; Early Years and Basic Education.

Also of importance to review according to the Summit are: Effective partnering for access, quality and accountability; technical and vocational skills development and tertiary Education for competitiveness and employability.

Earlier, Vice President Mohammed Namadi Sambo, who declared the summit closed, urged stakeholders to partner with government in addressing deficiencies in Nigeria’s education sector.

The Vice President, who noted that the task of transform-

ing the educational sector was enormous and could not be left to government alone enjoined “the leadership of the states, the private sector, Civil Society Organisations (CSOs), development partners, and parents to join hands with the government in actualising this noble objective.”

He stressed that the administration was determined to transform the education sector, being a key factor to the aspiration of Nigeria to be among the 20 strongest economies by the year 2020, saying: “Several policy initiatives are being implemented to facilitate and improve adult literacy and school enrolment at all levels of our educational institutions.”

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Imo strengthens security against possible attack

Friday, March 21, 2014 NEWS | 5

Policemen jailed over N800,000 bribe

From Charles Ogugbuaja, Owerri

From Ibe Uwaleke (Lagos) and Abosede Musari, Abuja WO police officers attached to the Kwara State Command of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) have been jailed for demanding bribe in a criminal case investigated by them.

In a statement yesterday, the prosecutor, Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), said that the policemen, Sergeant Alih Tenimu and Corporal Salawooden Abubakar were each sentenced to three and two years imprisonment respectively for demanding and collecting N800,000 as bribe from a suspect involved in a criminal matter.

They were sentenced with-

HE Imo State government T has beefed up security to T forestall any possible attack by the group known as Zionist Biafra.

According to a statement yesterday in Owerri by the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Media, Mr. Sam Onwuemedo, government told the group that Imo had been known for peace, warning that the attempted attack on Enugu Government House should not be replicated in Owerri.

“The state government has taken exception to that threat, and has also moved to nip that threat in the bud,” the statement noted.

“All security agencies in the state have been alerted of this threat, and they will work in tandem with other agencies to ensure that the long existing peace in the state is not jeopardised by any group.”

Onwuemedo urged indigenes to remain calm and be law-abiding, while visitors should bear with the security agencies at the Government House during scrutiny.

Okorocha

• Gunmen shoot officer in Lagos out an option of fine.

“The two alongside with one Amodu Adamson, now deceased, were said to have asked Mr. Bello Manisara to pay them the sum of N800,000 in order to close the case of criminal breach of trust, and threat to life, being investigated by them”.

“Following their persistent demand, Bello Manisara petitioned ICPC and a sting operation was carried out. The first accused person was arrested in his office while counting the bribe money he had received from the petitioner”, the ICPC said.

In the course of the trial, the accused pleaded not

guilty to the four-count charge preferred against them. The ICPC prosecution team led by O. J. Ochigbo called four witnesses and submitted evidence to support his argument while the two accused persons called six witnesses, but no evidence to back their claims.

In his judgment, Justice A. Mohammed of the Kwara State High Court sitting in Ilorin convicted the two accused persons on all the four-count charge.

Tenimu was sentenced to three years imprisonment while the second accused, Salawooden Abubakar, bagged a two-year jail term both without option of fine.

In the same vein, two men on a power bike yesterday shot a policeman at Murtala Muhammed International Airport access gate. It could not be immediately confirmed why the policeman said to be attached to Hajj Camp Police station was shot.

The gun men sped off leaving the policeman in his own pool of blood.

According to an eye witness, the policeman simply referred to as Abayo was walking towards the access gate at about 3:00 p.m. when the two men on a power bike accosted and shot him before speeding off through one way towards Airforce base.

Confirming the incident,

Dr. Alex Okoh of Port Public Health Service, said: “I was inside an ambulance when I saw people running helter skelter”.

“When I came down from the ambulance I saw a man lying in his pool of blood, “she noted.

Continuing Okoh added: “I immediately ordered the driver of the ambulance to take the shot policeman to Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, Ikeja for treatment”.

When the police commissioner’s office at airport was contacted, it feigned knowledge of the shooting but said the office will contact the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) around the area to confirm the incident.

Medical, dental consultants seek streamlining of health sector laws From Emeka Anuforo, Abuja

• May reject lab results not endorsed by pathologists

EDICAL professionals M yesterday called on the National Assembly to stream-

ical

line the various laws regulating medical and related professions in Nigeria to promote greater peace and harmony in the already troubled sector.

The practitioners, under the platform of Medical and Dental Consultants’ Association of Nigeria (MDCAN), alleged in Abuja the harassment of members by support staff of some tertiary hospitals.

They also said medical doctors would not use laboratory results not appropriately endorsed by specialist med-

pathologists.

MDCAN Chairman, Dr. Steven Oluwole, told newsmen that the support staff, in their quest for autonomy from the traditional hierarchical structure headed by medical consultants, disrupted services in some teaching hospitals and Federal Medical Centres.

He listed the hospitals where such disruptions occurred in the past few days to include the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital, Federal Medical Centre, Uyo, Federal Medical Centre, Asaba, and the University of Jos

Teaching Hospital, among others.

“Support staff now carry out duties they are not trained for or recognised by law to perform. Traditional hospital processes have been redefined to suit personal or group aspirations that can only bring anguish to patients and disaster to healthcare delivery,” he said.

“For example, it was said that pharmacists are the first point of contact for patients seeking healthcare. It has been advertised that patients should see medical laboratory scientists first before see-

ing medicinal doctors.

“Laws that conflict with the norms and standard practices of medicine have been enacted through the National Assembly by the support staff. There is a strong clamour for the creation of a separate department by the medical laboratory scientists.

“Such department will not be under the control of medical doctors and will violate the referral system, which is traditional to good medical practice.”

Following the above, the MDCAN National Executive

Council rose from its emergency meeting in Abuja yesterday with a resolve that “federal and state governments, Ministry of Health, as well as boards of management and chief medical directors of hospitals must guarantee the safety of consultants and all medical directors in the hospital environment.”

The body called on members across the country to take necessary actions, including immediate withdrawal of services whenever their lives are threatened by mob action of support staff. It also called for vigorous pursuit of legal redress of relevant issues.

TheGuardian on Saturday

POLITICS

COVER

Conscience, Nurtured by Truth

SATURDAY, MARCH 22, 2014

Former Chairman of Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC), Justice Mustapha Akanbi (rtd) speaks on the state of the nation, describing Nigeria as a pitiable nation that requires a new approach to salvage it from the claws of ethnic jingoists.

Have senatorial seats become retirement benefit for ex-governors?

Cover Extra

Epileptic Power Supply And The Fate Of Nigerians Since the return of democracy in 1999, most state governors across the country have at the end of their second tenures, found their way into the senate in their bid to remain politically relevant.

This development is fast becoming a norm in the polity, even as Nigerians worry that the senate may soon be constituted by two-thirds of ex-governors, going by the trend.

The Guardian unveils the ex-governors in the Senate now, and those aspiring to go there after their second term next year.

With the epileptic power supply and over- billing of consumers across the country which has led to pockets of protests, The Guardian takes a look at the situation in the sector and why things have remained the same.

LOVE&LIFE

‘Life story from abroad: ‘I left the love of my life because I thought I could do better. Now I’m childless and alone at 42.’

These and more in The Guardian tomorrow. Grab your copy

THE GUARDIAN www.ngrguardiannews.com

6 | NEWS Friday, March 21, 2014

NEWS ANALYSIS

CBN pensioners rage over 15 per cent deduction • Seek reversal of policy

By Marcel Mbamalu HE 1,600 pensioners of the Central Bank of T Nigeria are up in arms with their management and have thus petitioned the Acting Governor of the apex bank, rejecting the slashing of their pension allowances by 15 per cent beginning from February 2014.

An open letter dated March 8, 2014, which was co-signed by Messrs Wale Adebayo and Felix Obi on behalf of the category of CBN pensioners who retired under the non-contributory pension scheme, drew Mrs. Alade’s attention to what the retirees referred to as “arbitrary, inexplicable and unjustifiable reduction in their pension.”

The Guardian had, on Sunday, March 2, 2014, reported exclusively that employees of the apex bank, who retired not later than May 31, 2000, had had their monthly pensions curiously slashed by 15 per cent last month (February).

By virtue of their date of retirement, the pensioners had benefitted from the enhancement of allowance as from July 2011, and the accrued arrears based on the conclusion of the protracted (11 years – from June 1999 to May 2010) legal tussle between the CBN and the pensioners. But the retirees under the aegis of “Concerned Central Bank of Nigeria Pensioners,” said the apex bank slashed the monthly stipends of 1,600 pensioners (those that retired before May, 2000) without prior notice, an action they described as arbitrary and ill advised. “We are shockingly told that the bank had to slash our pension now because we were being overpaid since 2011, and that, the heavilyreduced pension of last month is, henceforth, what we will be paid as monthly pension. Very ridiculously unbelievable!”

The senior citizens described the action as ‘paradoxical’, even as they expressed regrets that “this is happening at a time when all the over 5,000 (five thousand) CBN pensioners have anxiously been expecting a substantial upward review of their pension to cope with the persistent rising cost of living in the country as the last general review of the bank was with effect from January 1, 2007 – more than seven years ago, which is even at variance with the provisions of Subsection (3) of Section 173 of the Nigerian Constitution which stipulated a maximum period of five years for pension reviews.

“This action by the CBN Management is totally unprecedented in the over five decades of the bank’s existence as it has never ever happened at anytime in the past that either the emoluments of the serving staff or the pension of the pensioners has ever been slashed after some years of payment. On the contrary, each of them has always reviewed upwards from time to time and not downwards. The CBN Management’s assertion that we were overpaid is totally untrue.

“It will be recalled that after the Supreme Court’s Judgment in our favour on 21st May, 2010, it took the CBN a whole 14 months to commence the payment of the enhanced pension and the arrears in July, 2011. During the period, as a result of the ceaseless clamour for the quick implementation of the judgment by the pensioners, the CBN management held four separate meetings at various times with our accredited representatives between November, 2010 and May, 2011.

Chairman and Managing Director of Chevron Nigeria Limited, Mr. Andrew Fawthrop, second right, speaking yesterday during a session on Nigeria Oil & Gas Leaders’ Panel discussion on the Current Operating Environment and Outlook for the future in Nigeria, at the on-going Nigeria Oil and Gas Conference and Exhibition holding at International Conference Centre and Nicon Luxury Hotel, Abuja. On the right is Dr. Alirio Parra, Board member, CWC Group Ltd. Others from the left of Mr. Fawthrop are: Messrs Abiye Membere, Group Executive Director, Exploration and Production, NNPC; Mutiu Summonu, Country Chair, Shell companies in Nigeria and Managing Director, SPDC; Cornelis Zegelaar, Senior Vice President and Managing Director, Addax Petroleum, Nigeria; Ciro Antonio Pagano, Senior Vice President, Sub-Saharan Africa, eni; and Mark Ward, Chairman and Managing Director, ExxonMobil companies, Nigeria. Earlier, Mr. Fawthrop had delivered a special keynote address entitled Moving the Nigerian Gas Sector to the next level.

“At each of such meetings, the CBN top officials pleaded with us to exercise patience as it was taking its time to do a thorough job in order to ensure the arithmetical accuracy of the figures being calculated to be paid to us. We were told that the calculation, verification and the authentication of the figures to be paid involved not only the Human Resources but also the Finance and Accounts and the Internal Audit Department of the Bank as well as the External Auditors.

“How then after all those rigorous processes of checking, cross checking and authentication that took a long time to conclude and almost after (3) three years of the commencement of the payment that it is now that we have just filed Form 48 in the court seeking for the full harmonization of pension for all CBN Pensioners as ordered by the Courts that the officials of the Bank have now suddenly realised that we are being overpaid?”

The pensioners, in the letter to the Acting CBN Governor, insist there was no mistake in the stipend they were being paid; rather, the slash was done in bad faith, and was “a punitive, vindictive and illegal action calculated to intimidate and arm-twist us into abandoning our legitimate right to seek redress in court over the long-lingering issue of an all-inclusive full harmonisation of pension in the CBN, which we will stoutly resist.”

According to them, what the CBN Management has done is not only wicked but also shameful as it belittles the image and reputation of the bank. “It even implies an indictment on the competence of some of the people working in the CBN today. People at the top echelon of CBN Management are expected, at all times, to act with the necessary maturity and nobility that go with their exalted positions. Even in the face of provocation, they are expected to act with maximum restraint and not in a fit of anger as they seem to have done in this

instance.”

Making reference to Section 173 of the 1999 Constitution, the pensioners stressed their rights and privileges. That part of the Constitution, according to them, “not only guarantees pension rights to eligible pensioners in Sub-section (1), but went further in Sub-section (2) to stipulate that any benefit a pensioner is entitled to shall not be withheld or altered to his disadvantage except to such an extent as is permissible under any law including the Code of Conduct. It is therefore very clear from the above that what CBN has done by withholding and altering our pension to our disadvantage amounted to a cross violation of Sub-section 2 of Section 173.”

They further stated: “Sub-section (3) made it mandatory that Pension must be reviewed every five years or together with any Federal Civil service reviews, whichever is earlier.’’ Replacing Federal Civil Service above with the CBN, it means that as the CBN in 2010, generously reviewed upwards the emoluments of our counterparts, who were/are still in service, it should have also simultaneously done same for its pensioners. It does not have to wait for Federal Government pension review circulars to do that.”

The former CBN employees, therefore, urged the acting governor to direct immediate restoration of their monthly pension “to what it has always been from July 2011 to January 2014 and the 15 per cent deduction made in February 2014 be immediately refunded us.”

They expressed the hope of receiving their normal monthly pension along with the refund of the deduction illegally made in February pension in March 2014, “but under no circumstance should it go beyond the April 2014 pension pay day.”

The Guardian’s report of Sunday, March 14, 2014, had quoted a telephone conversation with member of the Board of Trustees (BOT) and

former Vice President of the CBN Pensions Club, Mr. Augustine Awenlimobor, as saying that the action was punitive, since the measure only affected older pensioners, who had engaged the CBN in a legal battle for over 12 years, forcing the suspended governor, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi to pay arrears two years ago.

Describing the apex bank’s move as “fraudulent,” Ewenlimobor stated that the older members of the Club had renewed the fight – this time outside of the courtrooms – when they discovered that their younger colleagues, who retired after them were receiving thrice their pensions.

According to him: “Along the way, we have come to know that those who retired after us on the basis of non-contributory Pension Scheme, were being paid much higher than us, about three times, to be precise.

“At first, we sought to discuss with the Director of Human Resources Department, Ms. Chizoba Mojekwu, to comply with the order of the courts to harmonise our pensions. But when she was not forthcoming, we engaged the services of a lawyer to serve the officials of the bank, who would not allow our case to sail through.

The lawyer was to issue them ‘Form 48’ (a contempt of court form), which they evaded.

“It is during this process that the Central Bank went ahead to slash our pensions by at least 15 per cent in the month of February 2014 instantly without prior discussion.

“We view it as a punitive measure calculated to intimidate the older pensioners, since it was only the pensions of the older pensioners that were affected. The older pensioners were those seeking to enforce their rights conferred by the Law Courts, which lasted for over 12 years,” Ewenlimobor insisted.

He said the members have no choice but to view the “recent action of the CBN Management as an act of pension fraud, which must be stopped with immediate effect.”

U.S. agency, Honeywell sign $514,000 pact on gas

By Rotimi Lawrence Oyekanmi and Olalekan Okusan OVERNMENT efforts towards G generating investment and ease unemployment received a boost yesterday when the United States Trade and Development Agency (USTDA) and Honeywell Group signed an agreement in Lagos to carry out a study, aimed at evaluating and developing plans for establishing a gas-based industrial complex project in the country.

The feasibility study will evaluate various types of facilities that could produce different chemical outputs, such as methanol, fertilizer chemicals (urea and ammonia) and petro-

chemicals like ethylene, propylene and benzene.

Both parties are committing $514,000 ($257,000 each) to the study, which is also intended to develop a simulation model that would provide Honeywell with recommendations on which of the evaluated facilities should be included in the project; its size, location, and the sources of feedstock (for the facilities). A market survey that would assess the domestic and international markets for the petrochemical outputs of the facilities will also be carried out.

Deputy Chief of Mission at the United States Embassy, Mrs. Maria Brewer, said the initiative is part of the

U.S. government’s commitment to support Nigerian entrepreneurs.

She said: “Our goals are to promote economic development and employment across the country, while facilitating trade and investment opportunities between the U.S. and Nigeria.

“With USTDA’s assistance, Honeywell Group will be able to complete a study to evaluate the chemical outputs from various types of facilities and identify capital costs, potential U.S. suppliers and potential barriers to the project. The study will also provide a market survey on the current demand of different chemical outputs and identify key training requirements for facility employees.

“This project has the potential to be a win-win for both the U.S. and Nigeria. While helping to develop Nigeria’s emerging petrochemical industry and promoting the expansion of a Nigerian-based business, the construction and operation of the facility could potentially generate significant U.S. exports of goods and services.”

Honeywell’s Group Head, Corporate Development and Investments, Mr. Teddy Ngu said the project would generate thousands of jobs when completed.

Describing USTDA’s support as “worthwhile,” he said the company’s plan to move into the gas/petrochemical sector was premised on

“our strong track record of building successful and sustainable Nigerian businesses that are known for their excellence and best practices.”

The Honeywell Group, he added, “is well positioned to effectively utilise Nigeria’s significant gas resource and contribute to efforts to position Nigeria as the regional hub for gas-based industries.”

He continued: “An aspect of this initiative worth highlighting is the potential creation of thousands of jobs during the construction and operation of the complex. In addition, further indirect employment and wealth would be created along the value chain.”

Friday, March 21, 2014 NeWS | 7

The GUARDIAN www.ngrguardiannews.com

Group seeks peaceful election in Ekiti

Three sentenced to death for kidnap, murder From Hendrix Oliomogbe, Asaba

From Muyiwa Adeyemi (Head, South West Bureau), Ado Ekiti

DeLTA State high Court sitA ting in Warri has sentenced three young men to

GRoUP of eminent ekiti A indigenes, under the aegis of Igbimo Ure Ekiti

death by hanging for the kidnap and murder of 80-year old Madam Ighoru eruvbedede, even after collecting a ransom of N.8 million from the family.

(IUe), has called on politicians to eschew violence and not make the June 12, 2014 governorship election a do-or-die project.

The socio-economic group disclosed that next month, it would set agenda for the candidates to ensure issuebased campaigns. It also called on such stakeholders as the Independent National electoral Commission (INeC), the Police and the State Security Services (SSS) “to ensure a totally transparent, free, fair and credible election in the state.

President of the group and former Minister of health, Prince Julius AdelusiAdeluyi, said in Ado ekiti yesterday at the close of the group’s three-day meeting with stakeholders that the parties and candidates involved should make their campaigns issue-based in an atmosphere of peace and friendliness. he appealed to politicians “not to make our youth (employed or unemployed) political thugs and cannon folder during the process of the election,” adding: “It must be realized that to destroy these youth physically or psychologically is tantamount to destroying the future of the state.”

The kidnappers, Shadrach Samson Dobibe, Francis Mudiaga and ejiro Diamond, who were convicted on Wednesday, claimed to be wood millers and betrayed no emotion when the death sentence was read out by the trial judge (name withheld).

They were arraigned on a four-count charge of conspiracy to commit felony to kid-

Elders forum tips three for A’Ibom guber poll a bid to redress age-long ItheNpolitical imbalance between three senatorial zones of North east (Uyo), North West (Ikot ekpene) and Southern (eket) of Akwa Ibom State and ensure that one of their own becomes the next governor, the elders Forum of Akwa Ibom South senatorial zone has resolved to present a common political front for the 2015 election in the state.

Governor Godswill Akpabio has lend his weight to zoning the governorship slot to the Southern senatorial zone, which has not produced a governor since the state was created.

Rising from a meeting held in Uyo on Wednesday, the elders,

drawn from 12 councils and led

by Chief Nduese essien, commended Akpabio’s support for the next governor to emerge from the Southern Senatorial Zone, saying the move will bring about justice and peace in the state.

According to a statement, the group also shortlisted the trio of Larry esin, Nsima ekere and effiong Abia to contest the 2015 governorship on behalf of the zone.

The seeming conviction by Akpabio that eket senatorial district is where to shop for the governorship candidate in 2015 is not lost on the oron people who make up the third majority tribe in the state.

nap, the substantial offence of kidnapping, demanding property with menace and murder.

Prosecution from the state’s Ministry of Justice had told the court that the three accused, now condemned to death by hanging, including a fourth person, Akpodiete oghenekaro, who was discharged and acquitted for lack of sufficient evidence linking him to the offence, conspired and kidnapped the octogenarian.

The victim, mother to a for-

mer chairman of Delta State Art Council, was abducted on or about July 6, 2009, at Uduophiri Village in Patani.

Prosecution further told the court that the accused later phoned their victim’s son, Jerry eruvbedede, demanding a N20 million ransom for her release.

The three accused, upon their arrest by the State Security Service (SSS), confessed to having committed the offence. They also admitted to have collected the N800,000 ransom, which

they claimed was meant for the upkeep of their victim.

They further confessed that the victim died out of starvation, as she was bound hands, legs and mouth to prevent her escape, as she had made an attempt earlier. According to them, the victim’s corpse was thrown into the otuomor River.

In his ruling, the judge described the assault on the defenceless elderly woman as heinous, and sentenced the three to death by hanging on count four, which is murder.

Court rules March 31 on Ajudua’s bail application

By Bertram Nwannekanma ULING on the bail application filed by Fred Ajudua in a $1.69 million fraud case preferred against him by the economic and Financial Crimes Commission (eFCC) for allegedly defrauding two Dutch businessmen will come up on March 31, 2014, Justice Kudirat Jose of a Lagos high Court, Ikeja, said yesterday.

Ajudua is being prosecuted alongside a certain Charles

R

orie for allegedly defrauding businessmen, Messrs Remy Cina and Pierre Vijgen. In the bail application filed by his counsel, Ajudua is praying the court for an order admitting him on bail as he is still being detained at Kirikiri Prisons, Apapa. however, the eFCC counsel, Mrs. e.A Sanusi, told yesterday’s proceeding that the prosecution had filed a 16paragraph counter-affidavit opposing the bail applica-

tion. he argued that Ajudua might jump bail and interfere with the prosecution witnesses.

But Ajudua’s counsel, Chief Charles edosomwan (SAN), said there was no proof before the court that his client had interfered with any witness, and there was an overwhelming medical evidence that Ajudua was suffering from a life-threatening ailment, which needed proper treatment.

Methodist prelate tasks confab delegates on sincerity

By Chris Irekamba ReLATe of the Methodist P Church Nigeria, his eminence, Dr. Samuel Chukwuemeka Uche, has called on national confab delegates to put personal interest aside and focus on the sufferings and pains of the ordinary

Nigerians as they deliberate on the unity and progress of the country.

Speaking through the church’s Media and Public Relations officer, Rev. oladapo Daramola, Prelate Uche told The Guardian: “The deliberations would only be successful and fruitful if they guarantee

and secure a meaningful life for the ordinary Nigerian.

“I am happy about the quality of persons appointed for the conference and I have faith in the quality of deliberations that will be witnessed. I also trust that President Goodluck Jonathan and the National Assembly, working hand-in-

hand with all relevant agencies and institutions, will see that the report that will emanate from the conference would be fully implemented, because the future of the country depends on it.”

Decrying last weekend’s Immigration recruitment tragedy that claimed about 19

lives, Uche added: “What we saw a couple of days ago, when innocent, job-seeking Nigerians lost their lives, should guide the thoughts of the delegates. We should ask the simple question: is this the Nigeria of our dream? What legacy do we intend to leave for our children and those unborn?

TheGuardian SUNDAY, March 23, 2014

Subsidy, Scarcity In An oil economy

PoLITICS

he Federal Government says it spends trillions of Naira every year to ensure that petrol is not only available but also affordable.

Yet, the product remains elusive to Nigerians, many of who pay through the nose to power their ‘dark’ homes and fuel their movement. The Sunday Guardian is again on this endless debate of whether, or not, there must be subsidy in an oil-producing economy.

Falae

T

oW South West politicians in the fringes are simply holding their own...

h

Mimiko

NeWSFeATURe

DELTA SONGHAI FARM PROJECT: An Invetment In Need Of Urgent Lifeline.

IBRU ChRISLAM: Unity In Worship UST for your reading interest, we went to town in search of a quiet worship centre where worshippers blend Christianity with Islam. Wondering how they cope? It is a must-read!

J

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

8 | Friday, March 21, 2014

THE GUARDIAN www.ngrguardiannews.com

PHOTONEWS

Lagos State Governor, Babatunde Raji Fashola (second left); Deputy Governor, Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire (left); Commissioner for Environment, Tunji Bello and Secretary to the State Government, Oluranti Adebule, at the sixth Climate Change Summit in Lagos.

PHOTO: SUNDAY AKINLOLU

GMD/CEO, UBA Plc, Phillips Oduoza (left); Governor of Edo State, Adams Oshiomhole and Vice President, Nigerian Labour Congress, Comrade Issa Aremu , at the 20th Nigerian Economic Summit held in Abuja.

Chairman, Public Policy of Advocacy Committee, Chartered Institute of Personnel Management (CIPM), Aderemi Adegboyega (left); President/Chairman of Council, Victor Famuyibo and Registrar/Chief Executive Officer, CIPM Nigeria, Sunday Adeyemi, at the media briefing by the President of CIPM on the recent Nigeria Immigration Service recruitment exercise crisis, in Lagos.

Chief Marketing Officer, MTN, Larry Annetts (left); the Cash Smash prize winner, Esther Ndukwe; General Manager, Consumer Marketing (MTN) Kola Oyeyemi and veteran actor, Bimbo Manuel, during the prize presentation in Lagos.

Chief Executive Director, OneCard Nigeria, Ahmad Baba (left); Managing Director, STREAD IT, Olalekan Ajayi; Marketing Manager, OneCard Nigeria, Ogbonna Amaka and Chief Operation Officer, OneCard Nigeria, Ali Kajubi, at the SAP Business One Cloud Go-Live event for OneCard Nigeria by STREAD IT in Lagos.

PHOTO: ADENIRAN AYODELE

Country Director, Nigeria, Nokia Solutions and Networks, Dr. Sam Nwosu (left); Sub-region Head, Central East and West Africa, Salvatore Maisano and Head, Middle East Africa Region, Igor Leprince during the media briefing on Nokia Solutions and Networks (NSN) activities in Nigeria, in Lagos.

PHOTO: OSENI YUSUF

ASCON Oil boss’ son, Nkeakam Enenmoh and his wife Chiqui during their wedding at the Nigerian Air Force Officers Mess, Victoria Island, Lagos.

General Manager, Risk Management, Cornerstone Insurance Plc, Yinka Adekoya; Deputy Director, Inspectorate, National Insurance Commission (NAICOM) Faruna Monday; Representative of Lagos State Ministry of Education, Farinloye Olumide with officials and students of Oregun Senior High School; State Senior High School; Opebi Senior High School; Agidingbi Senior High School; Babs Fafunwa Millenium Senior High School; Ikeja Senior High School; Omole Senior High School and Army Cantonment Senior Grammar School at the financial literacy programme organized by the company for schools in Lagos.

THE GUARDIAN www.ngrguardiannews.com

Friday, March 21, 2014

9

WorldReport EU targets Russia economy as Kiev plans Crimea pullout UROPEAN leaders preE pared to debate biting economic sanctions against

United Nations Secretary General, Ban Ki-moon (left) with Russia’s President, Vladimir Putin during their meeting in the Kremlin in Moscow…yesterday.

PHOTO: AFP

Russia for its annexation of Crimea as Ukraine tore up key ties with the Kremlin and drew up plans to evacuate its nationals from the rebel peninsula.

The European Union is under intense pressure to find a credible response to an explosive security crisis on the 28nation bloc’s eastern frontier that NATO chief, Anders Fogh Rasmussen on Wednesday called “the gravest threat to European security and stability since the end of the Cold

S’Africa opposition files graft charges against Zuma over home upgrade OUTH Africa’s main opposiScharges tion party laid criminal against President Jacob Zuma yesterday, accusing him of “flagrant abuse” of public money over $23 million in upgrades to his home that included a swimming pool and a cattle enclosure.

The Democratic Alliance (DA) filed eight charges of corruption against Zuma at a police station near his Nkandla homestead, a party spokeswoman said.

The sprawling compound in rural KwaZulu-Natal province has become a growing headache for Zuma and his ruling African National Congress (ANC) just six weeks before an election.

South Africa’s corruption watchdog on Wednesday said Zuma benefitted “unduly” from the state-funded security upgrades, accusing him of conduct “inconsistent with his office”. It said he should pay for some of the unnecessary buildings, which also included an amphitheatre and a chicken run.

The findings from Public Protector, Thuli Madonsela’s twoyear investigation are widely seen as damaging for scandalplagued Zuma and may harm his ruling African National Congress (ANC) in the May 7 polls, although the party, which has ruled since the end of apartheid in 1994, is still expected to win.

Under South African law, an individual or an institution

can lay criminal charges through a legal filing. The DA submission was expected to go the National Prosecuting Authority, which would decide whether there was a formal case to answer.

The charges were filed a day after the DA said it planned to start impeachment proceedings against Zuma in parliament.

Impeachment is the correct

course of action for this flagrant abuse of public money,” Lindiwe Mazibuko, the opposition’s leader in the assembly, said in a statement.

But given the ANC’s twothirds majority in parliament, the move to impeach Zuma is certain to fail. Nor is it likely to be a game-changer for the DA in the elections, as many blacks see the party as

S’Sudan peace talks stalled as sanctions loom ESPITE threats of possible D sanctions if they fail to progress, warring parties in South Sudan failed to resume planned peace talks yesterday with fighting continuing on the ground.

“The government is not serious about the talks,” rebel spokesman, Yohannis Musa Pouk told AFP in the Ethiopian capital, where the talks were scheduled to have restarted.

The government has repeatedly said it is committed to the peace process, and has in turn accused the rebels of violating a January ceasefire.

The United States and the European Union threatened sanctions for both sides on Wednesday if they fail to progress with peace talks and stick to the ceasefire deal.

But government spokesman Ateny Wek Ateny told reporters in Juba the team had objected to the inclusion of

seven opposition leaders in the rebel side for the talks, and were awaiting “clarification” from the mediators before progressing.

Rebels however insist that the seven men — arrested along with four leaders currently on trial for treason in Juba, but later released — must take part.

“We need to reach a comprehensive solution, and therefore the participation of the seven released political detainees is very important,” Pouk said.

Violence erupted in South Sudan on December 15 between forces loyal to President Salva Kiir and fighters loosely allied to former Vice President, Riek Machar.

South Sudan’s army said Wednesday it had recaptured the key oil town of Malakal, which has swapped hands repeatedly between the two sides.

India convicts four over gang rape COURT in the Indian city A of Mumbai has convicted four men of the gang rape of a photojournalist last year.

According to British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), the men have been found guilty of five offences, including gang rape, unnatural sex and destruction of evidence. Sentencing is set for today.

The 22-year-old woman was attacked by five men while on assignment in a deserted mill in August.

The fifth accused, believed to be under 18 at the time of the

incident, is being tried in a juvenile court.

In India, where a rape is recorded every 22 minutes, scrutiny of sexual violence has grown since the gang rape and murder of a student on a bus in Delhi in December 2012.

The attack on the Mumbai photojournalist had renewed public outrage over sexual violence in the country.

Maharashtra state Home Minister, RR Patil, who was in court for yesterday’s verdict, said justice had been done.

“The verdict has come in a very short time and justice has been delivered quickly,” Mr Patil said.

“The verdict will send a strong message to other criminals. It will deter such crimes in future,” he added.

An intern with a Mumbaibased English magazine, the victim had gone to the Shakti Mills - a former textile mill that now lies abandoned and in ruins - with a male colleague on a photo assignment when she was attacked.

Her colleague was beaten during the assault.

representing privileged whites.

Still, Madonsela’s report reinforces the perception among many South Africans that Zuma and senior members of the ANC have grown rich as millions remain mired in poverty. While the ruling party leapt to Zuma’s defense yesterday, it admitted the scandal could be damaging with the elections

War.” But the Kremlin has warned that it would strike back hard if confronted with a new wave of Western punitive measures.

German Chancellor, Angela Merkel said EU leaders would widen the list of people targeted by travel bans and asset freezes and warned of economic sanctions if Russia took more aggressive steps against Ukraine.

The EU Council “will make clear that we are ready at any time to apply third-phase measures in the event of a further worsening of the situation,” she said ahead of a two-day EU summit starting in Brussels yesterday.

“It will, without a doubt, be a question of economic sanctions.”

A spokesman for British Prime Minister, David Cameron said the leaders would also “consider whether or not Russia should be more permanently suspended from the G8” club of nations to which it was admitted in 1998 as its reward for choosing a democratic post-Soviet course.

Russian President, Vladimir Putin will also find himself on the diplomatic defensive in Moscow when he hosts United Nations Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon amid a chorus of global condemnation of his aggressive Ukrainian approach.

But world anger has done little to halt unchallenged Russian military advances that prompted Kiev’s new Western-backed government to acknowledge preparing a Crimean evacuation plan for thousands of Ukrainian soldiers and their families.

Tensions eased somewhat in the region yesterday when acting president, Oleksandr Turchynov announced the release by Crimean militias of Ukranian navy chief, Sergiy Gayduk.

Turchynov had threatened the Crimean authorities with “an adequate response... of a technical and technological nature” unless they immediately freed Gayduk and several others who were captured during the storming of Ukraine’s naval headquarters in the port of Sevastopol on Wednesday.

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THE GUARDIAN www.ngrguardiannews.com

Friday, March 21, 2014

Politics It’s provocative to erect no no-go areas, says Ezeife Dr. Chukwuemeka Ezeife, former governor of Anambra State, spoke on the national conference, happenings in the polity ahead of the 2015 elections and Nigeria’s centenary anniversary, reports Nkechi Onyedika in Abuja.

• Permanence of one Nigeria is goal of confab

HAT is your position on the proposed W national confab?

If we persist, a new Nigeria is in the horizon; a Nigeria where things work is about to dawn.

I thank God that He gave the proportion to (President Goodluck) Jonathan to initiate action on a national conference.

Some people are talking about election that is usually the concern of politicians; any good statesman should be talking of the next generation and not the next election. If there is a conflict between the election that INEC has scheduled and the conference, it should be resolved easily in favour of the conference.

We must have time to put our house in order.

Nigeria is persisting like a driver whose car is showing red and he insists on driving it.

Election can wait because if the car is showing red, we stop and check it, correct what is wrong and then we get more millage than ignoring the red sign as if nothing happened.

We should focus on making Nigeria permanent; the permanence of one Nigeria is the goal of the conference.

Do the modalities released by the government represent what Nigerians are yearning for?

The modalities are encompassing; all kinds of groups are represented. Everybody finds fault because the thing is so thorough.

I thank God that we have people who had that patience and they did a good job of looking into every nook and cranny to help get something that would be acceptable to people even though I know that it is not everybody that would accept it.

I think that the president’s nomination of about 109 delegates is quite high. The president is nominating 37 elder statesmen over whom he has no control.

We can work with what we have and succeed with it. If we wait for a perfect situation, it doesn’t happen. Anybody who has any problem should come along to the conference with open mind and let’s jaw-jaw and see where it leads us.

I am grateful to government, the committee on modalities and every response they had from every part of Nigeria. What is left is to focus on the problems we have and try to solve them. I don’t see obstacles we cannot surmount, be it time obstacle.

They said the conference would last tentatively three months. If we finish it in two months, it is good. And it is not impossible because if you take 1994/95 report of Abacha Conference, you will see the main points; the 2005 report of National Political Reform Conference of Obasanjo, you will see the main points.

Then this present government of President Jonathan put some of us together to review constitutional developments and we did a good job. If all these serious jobs are put together, packaged and given to members to go and study, we will not have serious problem.

The only thing is that those areas, which the National Assembly is not qualified to touch, we want to decide on them: Whether we will keep having Bi-Cameral Legislature, or change to Uni-Cameral. We want to know whether we should continue with full-time legislature by which 80 percent of our expenditure is recurrent and only 20 percent is capital in a country that is just developing.

We want to know whether the presidential system should continue in spite of the heavy cost.

We want to know whether we should contin-

Ezeife ue with very unviable tiny states or like 1995 envisaged, bring several states together under a zone and let them develop. They will come to approximate what we had under Eastern, Northern and Western Nigerian system; there will be competition among the people.

Several areas of development are sensitive to economies of scale: power, transportation, and ecological problems; these are some of the areas.

Some people talk about the National Assembly. The members of the National Assembly are like tenants; they are living in a house and are allowed to mend some cracks in the house but not to rebuild the house.

So, any way you look at it, you will see that the Committee on Modalities has done a good job and President Jonathan is showing uncommon transformational leadership. A country that is ship-wrecked to rise from the waters and begin to move forward is what we are about to experience with Nigeria.

THE modalities released by government indicate that everything would be discussed except the indissolubility and indivisibility of Nigeria.

What is your opinion on this?

If I had my way, that wouldn’t have been there but I was in a meeting where it was agreed. So, I don’t really have power to criticise it.

Nobody is going to the conference to pull Nigeria apart, that is why it is not even necessary to add that, ‘indissolubility and indivisibility of Nigeria would not be discussed’ because once you are told not to touch something, that becomes very attractive.

If they had kept quiet on it, nobody would have complained. Even now that they say, ‘don’t go near it,’ it can’t work. In fact, it is provocative to say don’t go near it. We will go near it if it becomes necessary, but it won’t be necessary.

There is no no-go area. Once you come to the place and you declare the national conference

open, all your groundwork, modalities, ‘don’t go near this,’ is gone. Even your 75 percent (voting clause), once we get there — we are the people’s people. If I am one of them, I will argue that this is Nigeria, not he Villa, or National Assembly.

So, I know the issue of break up will not arise but saying don’t talk about it is actually telling people to talk about it because if it had not been mentioned, it would not be an issue.

Some people have argued that for us to continue to live together, there is the need to define the terms of our co-existence…

Exactly! This is what we are going to do. But you don’t tell anybody not to discuss break-up.

Who wants to break up? Is it the Igbo, who has voted with his feet for one Nigeria and is investing everywhere; or the Yoruba, who controls commerce and industry in this country; or the Hausa-Fulani, who is feeding us and is gaining resources from Nigeria more than he is giving?

No large group in Nigeria wants to move out of Nigeria and no small group in Nigeria wants to move out. God has answered the prayers of honest Nigerians and they are to go with open mind and strengthen the oneness of Nigeria.

Should the outcome of the conference be sent to the National Assembly or be subjected to a referendum?

I am familiar with talking and ending there; that is why most people believe it should go through a referendum. I am very much in support that the outcome of the conference should go through a referendum; there is no other way; any other way is wastage.

After the conference, we go and confirm all we agreed upon with the people of Nigeria in a referendum. They will decide when our Constitution comes into force, and that is the only time you will put in people who will run it.

Most people have said if this thing is going to go back to the National Assembly, it is not fair to them. The National Assembly defines some of the structural problems we had.

I was a member of the 2005 National Political Reform Conference; I was, indeed, the Chairman of Power Sharing Committee. We did a lot of work and when it collapsed on the basis of resource control, I was part of the people selected to round off everything. We concluded everything, sent to the president, who sent to the National Assembly and that was the end of it.

It is true that it was dead before it got to the National Assembly because there was a motivation for summoning the conference, which was the ‘Third Term’ pursuit by former President Obasanjo. But we killed that agenda early in the conference; so, there was nothing pushy. Even the one extra state, which 39 of the 42 leaders agreed to give to the Southeast, died as a result of the death of the Third Term Agenda.

THE conference is coming on the heels of Nigeria’s Centenary; how far has the nation fared?

This is why some of us are very happy with the conference. One hundred years ago, the British put us together but the British were only acting as tools in the hands of God. I think it is God who put us together and keeping us together is what we must do using the conference as a strategy.

Some people say after 100 years, people are free to go separate ways. Nobody is going separate ways. We, the Igbo, have voted with our feet for one Nigeria and anywhere we are, we are developing it, commercialising it and we invest more out of home than at home.

For whatever reason, Lord Lugard pushed through the amalgamation of Nigeria; it was part of God using the British colonialism and imperialism as tool in his hand.

God created Nigeria for a reason; it just happened that the British were available to lend hands in doing so. Look at Nigeria, the largest single concentration of blacks on earth.

The black man did every basic invention in the world; we started lagging behind because the climate was treating us very favourably. Whose responsibility is it to restore the respect and prestige of the black man?

Nigeria has been a shame to black people. It is the manifest destiny of Nigeria to bring pride, and restore the prestige of the black man, and to do that, you must put your house in order and not be an object of ridicule.

What’s your reading of happenings in the nation’s polity ahead of 2015?

I am disappointed and unhappy. I appeal to all Nigerians, whether they are Christians or Muslims, to reconsider the issue of Muslim Brotherhood. Muslim Brotherhood has been banned in Egypt and Syria; today, the issue is completed.

There is no single national leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC) that is not a Muslim. Of the seven governors who said they were forming the New-PDP, six were Muslims. It is not good for Nigeria that religion becomes a deciding element in our polity. I want Muslims who can see ahead to talk about it.

Isn’t your view discriminatory?

Yes, religion should not be a vehicle for forming a political party. If this is white and you call it white, is it discriminatory? It is a matter of if you are telling the truth or not.

So, you are defining APC as another gathering of Muslim Brotherhood?

Well, they did it; I didn’t do it. And I am just alerting Nigerians about it and appealing to them and others who are not inside, to see through and let’s find another way of building a second party to have two party system in Nigeria based on a little to the left, and a little to the right.

What is happening in Nigeria is that some people said they are born to rule and when a person, who is not born to rule, according to them, took on power, they threatened to make the country ungovernable.

Immediately after the 2011 elections, the Boko Haram started. When the Boko Haram could not achieve the objective, Political Haram started through the governors in the PDP and keeps expanding: APC, merger of New-PDP and APC. The people who are leaving PDP are the architects of the problems of the PDP.

THE GUARDIAN www.ngrguardiannews.com

Friday, March 21, 2014

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TheGuardian

www.ngrguardiannews.com

12 | Friday, March 21, 2014

Conscience Nurtured by Truth

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

Editorial The menace of task forces HE proliferation of various forms of task forces by the Federal Government and state governments has indeed become a major headache for all Nigerians. They are now so many that it is difficult to identify which one is genuine and which is not, while citizens reel under their jackboot. Such uncertainty, ultimately, not only tends to create confusion but also constitutes an open visa for chronic opportunism and arm-twisting, especially in a country characterised by an excruciating level of unemployment and insecurity. By implication, rather than boost local/national security, as their promoters claim, these outfits most certainly complicate it.

To begin with, it is crucial to note that no matter how hard some persons have tried to rationalise their existence, the many task forces are unnecessary. This is against the background of the fact that there are already in existence several institutions saddled with the task of performing those duties for which these task forces are now supposedly set up, most notably security on the roads and traffic control. Traffic control, after all, is one of the important functions of the Nigeria Police and there is a specialised unit dedicated to that. Granted that these task forces may complement the work of state agencies, the main problem is that such outfits are highly unstructured, lacking adequate institutionalised mechanisms of accountability and control and, as such, no more than platforms for extortion, blackmail and sundry harassment.

It is against this background that the existence of such outfits appears tenuous and untenable. For example, it has been argued in some quarters, both the official and unofficial, that these so-called task forces not only serve to fill a certain vacuum, most especially the provision of security services, including traffic control, and also help in the generation of employment opportunities for many.

While this seems arguable, it reveals in bold relief the declining capacity of the Nigerian state to adequately fulfill its security and economic responsibilities to its citizens. For one, relying on highly unskilled, unprofessional and inadequately regulated task forces for security services in whatever form tells a lot about the failure of security agencies and personnel in the country. Officially, Nigeria is said to require at least 1.2 million men and women for the effective policing of the country, but currently has about 300,000. This is grossly inadequate, with a 300 per cent shortfall. More importantly, many of these outfits have constituted themselves into a serious public nuisance.

Many have proved to be highly unprofessional, unduly aggressive, alarmingly corrupt, incurably extortionist and generally unpatriotic.

Worse still, against the position of who see them as avenue for providing gainful employment, the employees of some of these task forces are so grossly underpaid, with university graduates earning a paltry N15,000 in most cases. This, of course, is a perfect illustration of how much at their wits’ end Nigeria’s leaders are over the matter of youth unemployment. No vision. No creativity.

As matters stand now, there is need for an urgent intervention to redress the situation. Increasing the number of police officers in the country can only be the starting point. For, if the country has even five million men and women in the police force, without effective regulatory instruments, this will still not work. The way forward, therefore, is for Nigerians to stop playing the ostrich, admit that the nation’s current structure is not truly federal, not working and blatantly deceitful.

Therefore, there is a need to decentralise everything, beginning with the police, for greater efficiency. This is pertinent considering the fact that most of these task forces are created by states across the federation to deal with issues the Nigerian security agencies have failed in.

More importantly, states currently make laws without the corresponding security institutions for the enforcement of these laws. And there is hardly any state in Nigeria today that is not complaining about its inability to control the security agencies in its domain. While some have opposed the strong advocacy for a decentralised police force on account of supposed high level of political intolerance often attributed to state governments, the need for enforcement mechanisms for state laws cannot be overemphasised. And, above all, the crisis in Rivers State at least showed how even the Federal Government can abuse the apparatuses at its disposal.

It is gratifying that the national conference has begun and the hope is that this anomaly, part of a failed super structure, would be one that the conference would deal with.

T

LETTERS

Taming the rape scare The upsurge in rape SbeenIR:casesthe across Nigeria has subject of frantic media coverage in recent times and considering the rising trend, it has become absolutely necessary that all stakeholders begin to discuss rape as a security threat, while seeking mitigating measures.

According to the Lagos State Police Commissioner, Umar Manko, not less than 132 rape incidents were in 2013 reported to the police in Lagos State alone. This represents an average of 11 cases per month and one case in every three days. He said there had been an increase from the 129 incidents of 2012 to 132 in 2013.

The Benin Central Hospital in Edo State reportedly recorded over 80 rape cases between March and October 2013. The Kano State Commissioner of Justice, Barrister Maliki Kuliya Umar said the state Ministry of Justice recorded 100 reported cases between November and December 2013, noting that over 40 offenders had already been convicted.

A study at Ebonyi State University, Abakaliki found that out of a sample of 295 female students, 36.7 per

cent had experienced sexual harassment/victimization at least, once on campus and 32.4 per cent of them had been raped. The ugly trend is getting crazier and the motivation is as evil as the crime itself. Despite the growing incidents of rape across the country, however, many cases have gone unreported due to series of factors that urgently need to be addressed.

One unfortunate thing about the crime of rape is that cultural constraints and other factors in this clime all work against female victims and restrain them from reporting incidents. Therefore, an aggressive campaign is required to make victims see the need to report incidents so that offenders can be punished and deterrents can emerge.

Besides, the Criminal Code needs to make it easy to prove an allegation of rape. There is also need for adequate sex education. It may be difficult to regulate the porn market due to technological advancements.

However, parents can monitor the activities of their children. Parents should also guide their daughters

against indecent dressing to minimize the temptation of randy, and sometimes, insane men to rape them.

Apart from the influence of pornography, there are factors like vengeance, conflicts in relationship, influence of drugs, indiscipline, negative peer group influence and sheer wickedness which all contribute to rape.

It may not be wrong to say that a terrorist activity like rape has an insignificant level of connection with Nigeria’s economic problems. Rather, it is a mere act of wickedness and a manifestation of man’s inhumanity to fellow humans. Most of the firearms used for rape are illegally obtained. This has made it very expedient for the federal government to urgently intensify efforts towards minimising arms struggling and the proliferation of firearms.

It will also not be too much for government through legislation, to make provision for free and compulsory emergency health services, to be received by victims of rape to cushion the effects of this dastardly act.

• Albinus Chiedu, Lagos.

THE GUARDIAN www.ngrguardiannews.com

Friday, March 21, 2014

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Opinion Fulani aggression in Tiv land

By Karshima Shilgba Y attention has been drawn to a letter sent M to President Goodluck Jonathan by the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders’ Association of Nigeria (MACBAN) on February 24, 2014, titled “Mr. President, call Governor Suswam to order now before it is too late.” As much as the title of the letter is threatening enough, the content is much more threatening. The MACBAN made certain constitutional claims as follows: “The Constitution is very clear under Chapter IV of Fundamental rights, Section 41, sub-section (1), which says, ‘every citizen is entitled to move freely throughout Nigeria and to reside in any part thereof and no citizen of Nigeria shall be expelled from Nigeria or refused entry thereof or exit therefrom .’ The Constitution also expressly under Section 42, sub-section (1) (a) forbids the imposition of any disabilities or restrictions on any citizens by any executive or administrative action against any citizen of any ‘community, ethnic groups, place of origin, sex, religion or political opinion…’ “ • The MACBAN seems to seek to amend the Nigerian Constitution. The rights granted by Section 41(1) are to “every citizen of NIGERIA” (emphasis mine). The MACBAN conveniently excludes NIGERIA. The rights are not granted to citizens of foreign countries such as Chad, Niger, Cameroon, Mali, etc. Accordingly, I call on the government of Benue State to verify the citizenship of all nomadic herdsmen, who have unleashed mayhem on their hosts, and to expel those who cannot prove with documentary evidence that they are citizens of Nigeria by birth, registration or naturalization.

• The rights granted in Section 41 (1) are not ABSOLUTE. Section 45 (1) of the Nigerian Constitution states as follows: Nothing in sections 37, 38, 39, 40 and 41 of this Constitution shall invalidate any law that is reasonably justifiable in a democratic society – • In the interest of defence, public safety, public order, public morality or public health; or • For the purpose of protecting the rights and freedom of other persons.

The rights and freedom of nomadic cattlemen cannot invalidate the rights and freedom of other persons in Nigeria who have suffered death, brutality and economic deprivation

(loss of crop farms, for example). Accordingly, I urge the Benue State government to enforce available relevant laws and make new germane laws that would take cattle away from our streets and farms that compromise public safety, public order and public health. There should be no discrimination whether the cattle belong to nomadic Fulanis or other groups.

• Section 42 (1) states that: “A citizen of Nigeria of a particular community, ethnic group, place of origin, sex, religion or political opinion shall not, by reason only that he is such a person – • Be accorded either expressly by, or in the practical application of, any law in force in Nigeria or any such executive or administrative action, any privilege or advantage that is not accorded to citizens of Nigeria of other communities, ethnic groups, places of origin, sex, religions or political opinions.”

It is very clear that laws such as the proposed bill for establishment of grazing reserves for cattle in all states of Nigeria and FCT, which seek to expropriate lands for the use of an exclusive group of Nigerians, are unconstitutional. The citizens of Nigeria cannot be driven away from their lands by local chiefs, state governments or the Federal Government only to give out their lands to the nomadic cattle breeders, even if those citizens would be “compensated”. It does not matter how much a local chief or state government or the federal government would collect from nomadic cattle breeders to give them access to grazing lands. By the way, in Tiv land, no chief owns ancestral lands. Lands are owned by families and individuals. Furthermore, we the Tiv people do not practise kingship by dynasty.

By threatening that they have the right to defend themselves, and even putting the president on notice, the MACBAN has demonstrated an offensive disposition that is highly provocative. And should the president not take steps to rein them in, the Tiv people would also demonstrate that they equally have the right and also the capacity to raise a standing army of thousands of armies from each ward and kindred. But is that the kind of country we want for ourselves, where everyone does what is right in his own eyes?

But that will be the necessary consequence if

the Nigerian Army does not cease to aid attacks on the Tiv nation and the Federal Government that controls them looks away.

Some soldiers in Takum, Taraba were captured while on an attack mission alongside raiders on Tiv land at Kwande Local Council Area. They were handed over to the Benue Police command. We wait to find out what soldiers in Taraba came to our state to do. Few days ago, Nigerians soldiers who were on the entourage of Governor Gabriel Suswam as he went for on-site inspection tour of some areas of Tiv land that have come under Fulani attacks, suddenly withdrew and refused to go with him. Soon after, our governor came under attack. We are concerned. We also must advise the governor of Nasarawa State to re-examine his actions if they are not facilitating incessant attacks on Tiv land. But we warn that impunity, unchecked will surely bring serious challenges for Nigeria as ethnic militia groups shall be raised to defend the turf across Nigeria. A people defended will surely seek self-help.

Recently, the Sultan of Sokoto made a highly inflammatory comment that the Fulanis have been “grazing on their traditional grazing land” in Tiv land. The Tiv people have never ever been conquered by any ethnic group in Africa. Even in the days of the Sardauna Ahmadu Bello, the Tiv people led a revolt against oppression of minorities in the then Northern Region. We have championed the cause of minorities in the Middle Belt. The Tiv people do not share any contiguous borders with the Fulanis. When and how did the Tiv land become a “traditional grazing land” for the Fulani nomadic cattle breeders? The Sultan, who is the grand patron of the MACBAN, made this highly provocative comment before the outrageous letter the group wrote to President Jonathan.

We must inform that the Tiv nation is not under the dominion of His Royal Majesty, the Sultan of Sokoto, and we demand an open and unreserved apology from him. Furthermore, since the MACBAN motto is “Read, Rear and Farm”, he should be reminded that taking cows across Nigeria in these modern days of ranching is against their motto if they understand what it means. They must buy land and REAR their cattle on ranch FARMS. This, they can accomplish through

sound READING and research. This would provide to Nigerians clean and healthy by-products such as milk, butter and edged packaged meat from their cattle farms. But they would never do this if they have other agenda such as expansionism. But the Tiv people would never permit this.

I conclude with a comment on the recent Northern Leaders meeting in Kano and the resultant Northern Declaration that was read by Wantaregh Paul Unongo. At that meeting, no condemnation was made of the attacks by Fulani nomads on their hosts, the Tiv people. But Hon. Bugaje, with whom we have exchanged mails in the past about building a more perfect union, and whom I had thought was beyond the kind of statements he made at the meeting, said, among other things, that “wherever the Fulani man is seen with a few cows, people rise against them.” He then gave an example of such places as Kaduna. I was scandalized! How dare him! You bring your cows to someone’s ancestral land and destroy his crops and kill him; then you protest innocence and claim the victim? He then said to the applause of the audience, “No state in Nigeria is an oil-producing state.” That is not how to build a nation – living in denial of reality.

I want to declare that we the Tiv people are not part of the Kano Declaration even though it was read by a Tiv elder, Paul Unongo, who was there in his personal capacity and did not represent Tiv interest. This is very clear because, for instance, he did not protest the killing of Tiv people by Northerners, represented by the Fulani, and he did not protest the comments by Hon. Bugaje. The Tiv people are geographically and culturally not Northerners any more than the Hausa man is a South-Easterner or Middle Belter. And the Tiv are not tools in the hands of any ethnic group in Nigeria. If they were so in the days of our fathers, they are certainly not in our days. An unrestrained provocation must not be allowed to trigger another civil war, otherwise, the Tiv people will definitely not be on the side they were on then.

The Tiv forbears did not cede their land to “Nigeria” any more than forebears of other nationalities did. We shall defend our land.

• Shilgba, a “SaN (Sad Nationalist),” wrote in via shilgba@yahoo.com

Placing premium on sciences

By Kayode Ketefe ODAY, the Nigerian landscape is brimming with countless edT ucational institutions from the primary to the tertiary level and comprising both private and public establishments. Paradoxically, there is growing illiteracy amid the increasing number. The reason could be located in both the quality and nature of education being imparted in pupils and students.

In the contemporary world, every great nation has been able to achieve the feat through unrestrained acquisition of scientific knowledge and technological capabilities. This fact admits of no exception in so far as our definition of greatness goes beyond mere material prosperity. This is because there are some affluent nations who, though don’t belong to the exclusive class of the scientifically competent, are nonetheless ostentatiously wealthy because they keep exhausting and selling their abundant, albeit exhaustible natural resources.

But except this latter group of “artificially” great nations diversified, as it were, by employing their returns to lay the foundation of multifaceted development, the boom will eventually disappear; leaving the people to rue what could have been if the resources had been wisely invested.

Acquisition of scientific knowledge and its concomitant application in diverse technologies will never fail to bring lasting returns because man has left the cave for good; he now lives in the age of wonders.

Unlike some other forms of “truths” which claim to be immutable; scientific truths are not immutable, they keep changing to accommodate new discoveries and the existing laws are accordingly modified to account for new phenomena. What is permanent in science is the principle of constant search for the

truth.

Nigeria has not been investing in the future via passionate, systemic pursuits of the only form of lasting powers – science and technology! We feel comfortable being a consumer nation, in so far as we have petrodollars to buy imported necessities and exotic vanities.

Not a moment is spent on thoughts of becoming a producing nation. The irreplaceable natural resources which we could have discreetly employed to lay the foundation of sustainable development are being squandered through corruption and bad management. The entrepreneurial bankruptcy of our political leaders ensures that we keep exporting raw materials instead of refined products; that we still engage in flaring gas – a wasteful measure leading to both economic loss and environmental damage; that we fail to see the correlation between regular power supply and economic growth.

Our state of scientific backwardness also has culture-based dimension. We have cultivated attitudes and belief system that are antithetical to the evolution of scientific knowledge. It seems that we are bereft of that daredevil mentality of insatiable pursuits of knowledge that makes other races routinely engage in investigative enterprises – the hunger to understand the secrets of the universe. Right from childhood, our children are being nurtured to imbibe certain ideas capable of prejudicing their minds against later-life empirical pursuits.

By way of illustration, let us examine two short songs, sung by children in two different locales –Yoruba land, in Nigeria and in England. The two songs deal with the same theme – rainfall. The Yoruba version goes, “Ojo n ro, s’ere ninu ile! Ma wo’nu ojo, ki aso re ma ba tutu, ki otutu ma ba mu o.” This literally means “Rain is falling, keep indoors while playing. Don’t enter into the rain, so as not to get drenched and thereafter succumb to cold” The Eng-

lish “version” goes “Rain, Rain, go away, come again another day, little children want to play!”

Now, look at the Yoruba version, it urges a vile submission to the forces of nature! It warns of consequences of staying in the rain and enjoins the child to passively retire indoor; it offers nothing to the child on the possibility that rain itself could be controlled or manipulated by human’s exploits.

In the English version, what a command that had been issued to the rain! Rain, go away! We little children want to play! Now, little and insignificant as this may seem, it may have far-reaching consequences on the psychology of the child and his attitude to nature in future. One child may grow up believing all he could do is to offer prayers to higher powers for protection against an inclement weather; the other may grow up believing in controlling the weather through empirical tool of meteorological knowledge.

There are some sets of laws that govern the universe, and these can be fathomed through empiricism. The pathway to liberation is the systematic accumulation of knowledge of these laws.

To this end, we should re-invent our educational system to give a pride of place to science-based curricula and also encourage massive participation of our people in the sciences right from the cradle. Our universities and other research institutions must get appropriate funds every year to enable them beam searchlight of researches on some of those areas where humanity is still groping in the dark.

We should stop being passive members of the human race. No doubt, we are capable of contributing our own quota to human progress, what we need is to imbibe the correct attitude and create the enabling environment.

• Ketefe contributed the piece through USA Africa Dialogue Series.

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Friday, March 21, 2014

THE GUARDIAN www.ngrguardiannews.com

Opinion Sequencing conference agenda, priorities

By Adeboye Oladepo HE attempt to sequence agenda priorities for T the newly inaugurated National Conference

by Nathaniel Abara in The Guardian of Tuesday March 18, 2014 is commendable. But judging from the writer’s prioritisation based on what affects the greater majority, he has missed an important point. Those priority areas that affect most Nigerians, as he postulates, cannot be adequately addressed in the absence of the right political and governance structures. I would rather suggest, therefore, that the agenda should be in the reverse order of the sequence recommended by Abara: political, governance, economy and social in that order.

You cannot be talking about issues of secularism, education, health, etc in isolation of the type of political and governance structures, and how responsibilities on these critical areas and available resources to meet them, will be shared between the Federal Government and the federating units – be they regions or states. Issues of ethno-religious conflicts that have engulfed our country and which have militated greatly against attaining our potential in all these socio-economic areas are going to be fairly addressed with the right governance structure in place. For example, the notorious Boko Haram in the North East, attempting to take over the whole of far northern states with the huge attendant costs of loss of lives and property, has virtually ruined the economy of those regions.

Definitely, the people of those places currently affected by the Boko Haram insurgency, being a Muslim majority, could easily reach an acceptable compromise with Boko Haram on a limited

application of Sharia in their region, in a way that would be totally unacceptable to the majority of the people in the southern states and a good part of the North Central states. This could be achieved with the right structure of regional autonomy that would allow for the wishes of the majority without jeopardising the interests of the minority in the regions.

The cankerworm of corruption that has helped in no small way to divert resources that should have been well applied to meet these needs, have been allowed to eat deep into our national life as a result of our people’s evolving wrong attitude to it, especially by the people from where the suspected culprits hail from. A governance structure that allows the government that is nearer to the people to manage the greater part of these resources for the benefit of all, will not encourage the people to identify with the thieves in their midst, seeing they are stealing from the resources that are rightly theirs in their state or region, as opposed to seeing the thief as ‘appropriating his people’s share of the national cake’ from the centre.

It would also be possible for the people to compare what their regional/state governments are doing with their resources, with what other regions/states are doing with theirs, and kick against wastes and fraudulent practices. Already we, including President Jonathan in his inaugural address, are making similar comparisons of Nigeria with other countries we started together like India, Malaysia etc. Healthy competitions among regions will surely enhance greater development.

People also leave their places of origin to seek greener pastures in other parts of the country but often times treat their host communities’ cultures and customs with disdain, and would not even mind ruining their hosts’ means of livelihood to further theirs, as is usually the case with Fulani herdsmen and their farming host communities. Yet, such ‘migrants’ seek to be accepted as bona fide citizens of such communities, especially when it comes to partaking in activities that are exclusive preserve of bona fide citizens, such as being voted for at elections. On the other hand, no attempt is made by their people back home to accord the same integration to non-indigenes. We cannot treat issues of socio-economic development without first addressing these obstacles to peace and social well-being.

Nigeria, as is currently structured and governed, is a veritable ground for corruption, fraudulent practices, unethical business practices, discrimination, and loss of moral values, conflicts and violence. The government at the centre is not capable of promoting such a sense of belonging that would make citizens shun these vices in the spirit of the greater good of the society. We are like a large polygamous household, where each child owes unalloyed loyalty to his/her mother and maternal siblings, to the exclusion of their father and siblings from other mothers, while answering the father’s family name. Those who appear to successfully run polygamous homes succeed because every member of the household knows and respects the grand norm of the family in relation to one another.

Even where they secretly nurse special affec-

tion for their mother and siblings from the same mother, they know that the ‘politically correct’ position in the household is not to betray such feelings in words or deeds.

This, therefore, affords the children from such households to grow into seeing one another as one, irrespective of the fact that they come from different mothers, and as time goes on, the sense of unity could naturally evolve. But where the father is seen either rightly or wrongly to be unjust to some section of the household, and children from different mothers have to continually fight real or perceived marginalisation by their father and their supposed privileged siblings, there would be conflicts which would consequently lead to members of the family working at cross-purposes to each other, and which would ultimately bring down the family’s prosperity and ruination on the long run.

These are the problems with Nigeria that the National Conference is meant to address. Doing this requires that the conference first agrees the suitable political and governance structures, and how responsibilities and resources should be apportioned between the centre and the federating units and among the federating units, to meet these responsibilities that touch the lives of our people. I also want Abara to know that there is no way any other recommendation could be successfully implemented if for any reason, including time constraints, these germane issues of our politics and governance structures are not properly dealt with – difficult as it may be – here stands the acid test for the success or failure of the conference.

• Oladepo, an accountant, wrote from Lagos.

The politicisation of Boko Haram

By Ikeogu Oke N February 26, 2014, a day after Boko Haram insurgents faO tally shot 59 pupils of the Federal Government College Buni Yadi, Yobe state, Rotimi Fashakin, a chieftain of the All Peoples Congress (APC), featured on Sunrise Daily, the Channels TV breakfast programme. Asked to proffer a solution to such attacks, as he was reacting to the tragedy, Mr. Fashakin said President Jonathan should resign. His “solution” did not seem to have sat well with the presenters. So they proceeded to ply him with questions as to what he would have done differently about Boko Haram had he been in the President’s shoes.

His response to that did not also seem to have satisfied the presenters ; and one of them hinted at that, adding that his answers did not show that he had any satisfactory solution to the insurgency.

Mr. Fashakin’s call for President Jonathan’s resignation in the wake of that unimaginable tragedy spoke volumes for someone like me who thinks Boko Haram has been turned into a political weapon, an undiscriminating murderous machine for political blackmail, and that its activities would cease if their sponsors were to succeed in using such devious tactics to prevent the President from running in or winning the 2015 presidential elections. But it also hints at something that should further agitate our conscience – the inclination of some of our politicians to profit from tragedy, which signals a descent to a deeper and darker depth in morals. It is as if the credo of such politicians is: “If people must be killed for us to achieve our political ambition, let it be .” For them – and this is perversely curious! –attainment of their political ends could pass for a “silver lining” in the dark cloud of such murders!

Sadly, I recognise that the quest for power is not always guided by morality, and Niccolo Machiavelli makes a strong argument for that in The Prince. Yet, I deplore with every sense of responsibility the exploitation of such a tragedy for political gains, considering that it should rather unite us as citizens and human beings in grief to seek a genuine end to such killings whose victims could be any of us or our loved ones. Ironically, such murderous tactics are being deployed against a President who once famously said that his presidential ambition is not worth the shedding of anyone’s blood and whose tenure, unlike those of some of his predecessors, has been free of bloodshed but for such killings resulting from the insurgency.

Nor did I find the reaction of Governor Kashim Shettima of Borno State to a related attack any more appropriate, even as I appreciate the frustration or eagerness for result that might have prompted it. I refer specifically the Governor’s declara-

tion to newsmen – something he said he had made “emphatically clear to Mr. President” – that “Boko Haram fighters are better armed and are better motivated than our own troops”.

He made the declaration during a visit to the State House, Abuja, following the massacre of 106 people in the mostly Christian village of Izghe in Borno State on February 15, 2014.

But that was not all that he said in reaction to the Izghe killings. He also said that “we are in a state of war” and that “the sooner we … rise up to the challenges of the day, and marshal all resources towards visualising the antics of Boko Haram, the better for all of us”, and that “the bottom line is that we need more resources…” While I agree with these later remarks by Governor Shettima, I think his unfavourable comparison of how well armed and motivated our troops are in relation to Boko Haram was most unfortunate.

Surprisingly, some commentators on public issues have upheld his reaction without seeming to give enough thought to the implication of that declaration. For instance, Boko Haram is supposed to be a secretive, hit-and-run terror organisation.

So how could he speak of what their members receive as “motivation” and the quality of their arms compared to those of “our own troops” without risking suspicion of knowing more about the organisation than should be normal? Was he speaking as the Head of Human Resources or Chief Welfare Officer/Armourer of Boko Haram? On what authority did he make that comparison?

And if he has such privileged information and is genuinely interested in ending the insurgency, shouldn’t the patriotic thing be for him to share the “intelligence” exclusively with the appropriate authorities rather than blurt it out in public and, as it were, give the insurgents a tactical advantage? I would leave out the question of what that declaration could do to the morale of “our own troops”, assuming we all agree that “motivation” for troops fighting to defend their fatherland should be judged only in material terms, as if it were purely a mercenary endeavour.

Alas, some of our leaders who claim to have the solution to the Boko Haram insurgency have preferred to hold their ideas close to their chest like some political jokers apparently for use only if the President resigns or is voted out of office due to the insurgency, and regardless of how many lives are being lost to the insurgency. Whatever happened to patriotism and statesmanship? However, I believe Governor Shettima meant well. But he should have been more cautious considering the sensitivity of the issue and his position as a leader. One of the hallmarks of leadership is the ability to speak with discretion regardless of the circumstances. But even the best leaders, being human and therefore fallible, have sometimes faltered in

Sadly, I recognise that the quest for power is not always guided by morality, and Niccolo Machiavelli makes a strong argument for that in The Prince. Yet, I deplore with every sense of responsibility the exploitation of such a tragedy for political gains, considering that it should rather unite us as citizens and human beings in grief to seek a genuine end to such killings whose victims could be any of us or our loved ones. Ironically, such murderous tactics are being deployed against a President who once famously said that his presidential ambition is not worth the shedding of anyone’s blood and whose tenure, unlike those of some of his predecessors, has been free of bloodshed but for such killings resulting from the insurgency. this regard. I very much doubt that the comparison by the governor was part of the politics of trying to use Boko Haram to portray the Jonathan presidency as ineffective and so deserving of being dispensed with as reflected in Mr. Fashakin’s insensitive call for the President’s resignation the day after the deadly attack on the pupils at Buni Yadi, as if desperate to profit politically from that attack.

For those who think that the persistence of the Boko Haram insurgency underscores the ineffectiveness of the Jonathan administration, I believe they have yet to give due consideration to the peculiar nature of the insurgency, which makes it unusually difficult to contain. Boko Haram, unlike most other terror organisations the world over, is home grown. So, unlike Al-Qaeda in the United States and Al-Shabaab in Kenya, for instance, we in Nigeria are faced with a unique situation in which the enemy is family and not-so-easy to recognise let alone isolate. As a citizen, we cannot deny him free movement within the borders. And yet he can rely on his right to exercise his freedom of movement to pick out and attack soft targets along his route. Such a threat would require the cooperation of all our well-meaning citizens to overcome, and their patience with those leading the onslaught against the menace.

• Ikeogu wrote from Abuja.

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BUSINESS Friday, March 21, 2014

Business Govt assures on PIB’s passage From Collins Olayinka, Abuja HE Federal Government T has given assurance of passage of the Petroleum

Industry Bill (PIB) before the expiration of the current National Assembly.

The Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Petroleum Resources, Danladi Kifasi, who gave this assurance at the ongoing Nigeria Oil and Gas (NOG) exhibition and seminar in Abuja yesterday, said most of the contentious issues would be addressed substantially by the time the bill becomes law.

Speaking on the theme “How the PIB will encourage increased investment Nigeria, boost production levels and maintain Nigeria as Africa’s leading Oil producer” Kifasi said with fiscal and non fiscal reform content, the PIB will equally heralds the unbundling of the NNPC and a birth of a national oil company, among other components that would be created.

Equally, according to him, an asset management limited liability company will be established to manage the joint venture assets on behalf of government while the Nigerian Gas company will operate as a separate commercial oriented entity.

He further noted that other aspects like the robust acreage management system, frontier exploration services, deep-water projects, gas sector development, downstream deregulation and the and the Nigeria content initiative are key and are given priority in the industry legislation document.

Thus, he submitted that the re-positioning the industry as the most lucrative with more investment potentials and comparative advantage over other African countries, Kifasi assured that IOCs stand better chance of recouping bountifully from their investments.

However,the Chairman of Oil Producers Trade Section, Mark Ward disclosed that “investors need operate under a platform that will give them more confidence, we also need to have a free, objective environment to operate in but we can’t do so without the PIB in place.”

Meanwhile, the Nigeria Content Monitoring and Development Board (NCDMB) said it is working with other stakeholders to reduce contracting circles to nine months.

The Executive Secretary of the Board, Ernest Nwapa, who stated this added that the industry enabled new jobs while retaning the existing ones.

The NCDMB boss highlighted that the incentive to lay off workers are often boosted by lack of project which underscores the high priority the Board has placed on projects.

He said: “There is a continuous threat to lay-off people if projects are not coming up.

If the companies are not getting new contracts, then

CONTINUED ON PAGE 16

Managing Director, Save Mart Global Stores Limited, Philippe Boulos (left); Group Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Skye Bank Plc, Kehinde Durosinmi-Etti; Group Chief Executive Officer, Blowfish Hotels, Imad Kanaan; and Ambassador of the Kingdom of Belgium to Nigeria, Dirk Verheyen, during the opening ceremony of '9To7' Supermarket in Lagos, yesterday.

‘Cities to get regular power supply by Dec’

By Roseline Okere OME December, several cities in the country would be enjoying 16 to 24 hour power supply, the Minister of Power, Prof. Chinedu Nebo, has pledged.

Nebo however declined to give a timeline for a panNigerian regular electricity provision.

The Minister, who spoke during a media parley on the sideline of the Nigeria Power Investors’ Summit, however said that the Federal Government has not abandoned the plan to provide regular electricity in the country.

According to Nebo, the government has developed strategies in meeting the electricity needs of in the country and assisting the new electricity assets’ owners deal with the present challenges in the sector.

C

“I don’t think anybody will be able to tell you exactly when the country is going to begin to get regular power supply.

Regular power supply is like a contract that the Federal Government has signed with Nigerians.

“If you look at the level of dilapidation in the power system, you will understand where we are coming from.

We are coming from a state of total disrepair of infrastructure and facility in the power industry. We are coming from a position where population was galloping in growth and there was no concomitant development of growth and infrastructure, instead, infrastructure continued to decay.

The government is putting so much in place now in meeting the needs of Nigerians”.

Nebo disclosed that the government has targeted between 16 and 24 hours

power supply for some cities in the country with dare needs of regular power supply. “We are ready to meet the needs of Nigerians. We have earmarked several city centres and places in Nigeria with large population and great need of electricity. We have begun to solve their problems from generation, distribution and transmission perspective to remove all the pitfalls and road blocks of getting regular power supply. “But because of our huge population, it is going to be difficult in meeting the needs of everyone to experience this at the same time. For some cities, we have targeted 16 and 24 hours of power supply by end of the year”, he added.

He therefore appealed to Nigerians to exercise patience, as the government would not relent in its efforts at ensuring that it imple-

ments the power sector road map. “We will explore Nigerians to be more patent with us. We cannot solve this problem in one day. We are working towards getting regular power supply in Nigeria.

We have a population of 170 million people generating 4,000mw, while South Africa with a population of 43 million is generating 40,000mw.

South Africa is generating 40 times what we are generating. We cannot leap-frog to that position over night.

There will be astronomical development of the power sector to get there. I don’t think anybody will be able to tell you exactly when the country will begin to enjoy regular power supply”, he said.

The summit was aimed at facilitating discussions between key stakeholders in the public and private sec-

tors, in order to discuss ways to optimize energy opportunities in Africa, with the theme of ‘Maintaining Momentum in Nigeria’s Power Sector’.

The sumit was hosted in conjunction with Nextier Capital Limited, an investment and advisory capital firm with expertise in the agriculture, petroleum, and power industries.

The Chairman for the Presidential Task Force on Power, Beks Dagogo-Jack, said: “Nigeria is working on the economic development and on advancing the power sector. This will allow for the development of strategy around how to bolster development, and will also highlight best practices within the sector. This, in the long term, will outline ways to maintain momentum in the power sector.”

… As Lagos targets 15,000mw of electricity by 2020

By Wole Oyebade and Toyin Olasinde OTWITHSTANDING the N current power challenges, the mega watts of electricity currently used in Lagos State is projected to hit 15,000 mega watts by 2020.

Already, the state has commenced works on some Independent Power Plants (IPP), in addition to the three that have been commissioned.

Commissioner for Economic Planning and Budget, Ben Akabueze, made this disclosure yesterday as he stressed the need for more investment from the private sector.

Speaking at an event to herald the seventh Economic Summit 2014, which focuses on the power sector, Akabueze said the current challenges might be daunting, but the power sector holds the key to economic prosperity of the state.

He observed that investorfriendly legislations and power transformation agenda of the Federal Government had put the power sector on the verge of explosion, representing the next biggest area of investment in Africa.

He added that in the power sector, especially Independent Power Plants (IPP) lies abundance of

opportunities for investors.

“Lagos has started with some IPPs and we are generating power for some key institutions. But if we must meet our 15,000mw projection in the next six years, we must in every two years ensure 50 per cent growth rate of the current power demands in the state,” he said.

Akabueze, who is also the Chairman, Central Organising Committee of the summit said the current challenge of grappling with the meagre supply of 1,000 mega watts of electric power from the national grid, as against the projected 10,000 megawatts elec-

tricity need of the state, had again brought power to the front burner of economic issues, as stakeholders converge in Lagos for the summit (Ehingbeti 2014), from April 8 to 10, April 2014.

He said: “Even if we have all the money and all investment possible, it might still not be possible because it is not a plug and play situation. There are many challenges; one of them is the supply of gas to the Island part of Lagos. Part of the investment that we require is investment in gas.

“There is currently no gas supply into Ikoyi, Victoria Island, Lekki and so on. That is why the Island IPP in

Marina is currently limited to only 10 mega watts per time, while it can be scale up to 100 mega watts.

“As a state government, we are limited in terms of what we can do, which is why we are promoting investment and support of the private investors.”

Akabueze added that theme of the summit: “Powering the Lagos economy: Real opportunities, endless possibilities” had been carefully chosen in line with the vision of the administration of Governor Babatunde Fashola to provide a solution that is more holistic to power infrastructure problem in the state.

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Friday, March 21, 2014

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Nigeria, South Africa, others account for 10% global cybercrime attacks

By Adeyemi Adepetun IGERIA, South Africa, N Kenya and other African markets account for 10 per cent of global cybercrime actitivities.

Besides, enterprises worldwide are expected to spend nearly $500 billion in 2014 to deal with issues caused by malware deliberately loaded on pirated software, while $127 billion will be expended on other security issues, of which $8 billion accrues from the Middle East and Africa, and $364 billion will be spent dealing with data breaches, according to a new joint study conducted by International Data Corporation (IDC) and the National University of Singapore (NUS).

The study noted that global consumers are expected to spend $25 billion, including Middle East and African consumers who will pay $2 billion on security threats and costly computer fixes stemming from malware on pirated software. This will also amount to 1.2 billion hours of wasted time in

2014 The IDC report stressed that nearly two-thirds of enterprise losses $315 billion, which will be at the hands of organized criminals, stressing that nearly 20 per cent of the pirated software in enterprises are installed by employees.

Indeed, the study noted that the African continent, which accounts for only two per cent of global GDP, currently accounts for 10 per cent of global cybercrime incidents.

It however, noted that across the continent, governments are increasingly partnering with local associations and vendors to combat the scourge of piracy and the associated risk of cybercrime.

In Nigeria, for instance, it noted that Microsoft has already partnered with the Nigerian Copyright Commission (NCC) to combat piracy, which according to the 2011 BSA Global Software Piracy Study, currently sits at 83 per cent across the East and Southern Africa region.

Govt assures on PIB passage CONTINUED FROM PAGE 15 threat of laying-off capacities will always be there, it is major focus for us and we are working with all these affected service companies to keep encouraging them to train their staff because a whole lot of work is certainly coming with the earnest passage of the PIB. ‘The job creation in Nigeria today is not just the num-

bers, we are looking at the quality of the jobs and their impacts. Are they jobs that people just go to everyday for the salaries? Our objective is to create the platform for people to do productive jobs and what they can innovate and create jobs and that is happening because we are delving more into manufacturing and local fabrications and not just providing basic services.

‘Menace costs global enterprises over $315b yearly’ The IDC and NUS study, titled “The link Between Pirated Software and Cybersecurity Breaches,” also revealed that 60 per cent of consumers surveyed said their greatest fear from infected software is the loss of data, files or personal information, followed by unauthorized Internet transactions at 51 per cent and hijacking of email, social networking and bank accounts at 50 per cent.

However, 43 per cent of

those same respondents do not install security updates, leaving their computers open to attack by cybercriminals.

According to Anti-piracy lead for sub-Saharan Africa, Microsoft, Daniel Kamau, “there is now a firm link between the detected malware on illicit software and criminal organizations, for whom malware in pirated software can be a lucrative vector for cyberattacks.

“With many of these crimi-

nal organisations also behind the distribution of infected software, it means that an increase in software piracy translates to an increased vulnerability to cyber attacks.

“In the sub-Saharan region, the Internet population is fast growing, meaning a large and unsuspecting base of targets to cybercriminals. Combine this with the lack of strong cybercrime laws and high piracy rate on the continent

and its clear why we’re seeing more and more people fall victim to attacks.”

Government officials expressed concern about the potential impact of cybersecurity threats to their nations.

According to the survey, governments are most worried about the loss of business trade secrets or competitive information (59 per cent), unauthorized access to confidential government information (55 per cent), and the impact of cyberattacks on critical infrastructure (55 per cent).

Importers demand waiver of demurrages as congestion looms at ports

By David Ogah HE recurring impediment T causing perennial build-up of containers and port congestion may soon hit Lagos ports, with observed piling up of containerized cargoes in some terminals.

Already, seven layers of containers have piled up at some of the terminals, as the owners have not been able to clear them from the ports as a result of customs inability to generate the Pre-Arrival Assessment Report (PAAR), introduced into goods clearing process recently.

The PAAR regime is the initiative of the Nigeria Customs Service, introduced into the port system to facilitate the process of goods clearing. It is a document containing information on imported goods, which by design, should arrive from the point of load-

ing and generated by the customs before the arrival of the goods.

It replaced the Risk Assessment Report regime that was used by former service providers, which handed over their operations to the Nigeria Customs Service recently after the expiration of their contract with the Federal Government.

But since the introduction of the PAAR regime, the opposite of its intention has been the order of the day as the allimportant documents, will not arrive four months after the arrival of the goods.

Without the document, importers cannot clear their goods from the port and many of them are groaning over high demurrage and rent being collected by the terminal and shipping companies on these containers.

A visit to Apapa and Tin-Can-

Island Port yesterday revealed that importers were getting frustrated over the matter as they continued to pay demurrage and other charges which they were supposed not to be paying if they had cleared their goods from the port on time.

One of the importers who spoke on condition of anonymity said he was already contending with a bill of N1.7 million as demurrage and other charges on five containers that arrived since December.

He said he would be happy if his containers could be given a conditional release to avoid further accumulated demurrage and other overtime charges. ‘‘My container arrived in December. Immediately I put in my papers through my clearing agent who later told me the containers could not be released because of PAAR, which has not arrived. I don’t know what PAAR is, but they know what it is. Since then, I have been coming and only today they said demurrage on the container has risen to N1.7 million. I am now lobbying to get these containers released conditionality since it is not my fault that the PAAR has not come. But it was not so when the former people where handling this thing,’’ he said.

Other importers who spoke in the same vein called on the Nigerian Customs Service to act very quickly to avoid another port congestion since only very few goods have being released from the port since the introduction of the document.

But the President of the Council of Managing Director of Customs licensed Agents, Lucky Amiwero said the ports were already witnessing serious congestion while importers are being subjected to high and accumulated demurrage.

‘‘PAAR is not working; people cannot secure the release of their items. Some importers put in their clearing documents for their imported goods since December, some in January, and up till now they have not received the PAAR, which should have come before the arrival of the goods to make clearance easy”, he said.

Amiwero, who has already written the Presidency over the matter, asked that waiver be granted to all importers with high demurrage bill as a result of delay caused by the Customs.

In his letter to President Goodluck Jonathan few days ago, Amiwero said: ‘‘The process of issuance of PreArrival Assessment Report (PAAR) is associated with delays that resulted to the payment of huge demurrage to shipping companies and rent to terminal operators by Importers/Agents.

This negates the concepts of PAAR as it takes some months, weeks for it to be issued. The economic impact of high cost of clearance and delays will be much because it will eventually lead to the closure of most factories due to their inability to access the available stocks from the ports.’’

Enumerating problems associated with PAAR regime, he said: ‘‘Most prearrival-assessment report issued could not be transmitted into customs server, which stalls procedure for normal clearance process thereby constituting delays that attract demurrage and rent.’’

He therefore called on the Co-ordinating Minister of the Economy to “exercise her powers under Section 152 of CEMA”, waive all demurrage and other charges on the affected goods as a result of delay caused by the Nigerian Customs Service and not the importers.

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Friday, March 21, 2014

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TheMetroSection Gunmen shoot nursing mother, kidnap two-month-old baby

Imo StatePolice Commissioner, Abdulwajid Ali month- old baby and disappearing into thin air.

T was like a drama, but it turned into a This incident which occurred about 7: tragic one on Monday evening in the 00p.m., that fateful day, has heralded tiny village of Umulolo, Umuzike, Orlu rumours in the state that another set of gunmen in different locations in Orlu, Local Council of Imo State when rampaging gunmen, on the hunt for little Nkwerri and Isiala Mbano, Imo, have children, probably for sales, accosted a been abducting secondary school stunursing mother, Mrs. Ugochi Chukwue- dents and teachers, similar to what happened in Yobe State. meka, dispossessing her of her twoBut police authorities in the Imo State

From Charles Ogugbuaja, Owerri

I

Command headed by Mr. Abdulmajid Ali, through the Police Public Relations Officer, Superintendent of Police (SP), Joy Elemoke, and the Imo State Government, through the Commissioner of Information and Strategy, Dr. Theodore Ekechi, refuted the story. They averred that after thorough investigations they came up with their submission that no person was missing.

But scores of people in the state are in-

Briefs UNIBEN alumni hold council meeting in Uyo

sisting that such incident took place last week in the above-mentioned areas.

Mrs. Chukwuemeka, before losing her baby to the child- abductors, had bullets emptied into her laps. That attack, according to sources, took place when the young woman was heading to her neighbour’s residence in that village to buy some little quantity of kerosene for cooking. An eyewitness said unexpectedly, the hoodlums turned to her, ordering her to hand over her baby to them.

The source said: “She resisted the order and the hoodlums brandished their guns at her, releasing some bullets in her laps which demobilized her instantly to leave the little baby for them.”

The victim raised a loud cry which attracted other neighbours to come to her rescue. She was immediately rushed to the Imo State University Teaching Hospital (IMSUTH), Orlu for prompt medical attention.

Police have since confirmed the incident, saying they were searching for the baby in all nooks and crannies, though to no avail yet.

But in a development to check another wave of crime in the state, the Imo State Governor, Chief Rochas Okororcha, has directed the immediate engagement through fusing of about 30,000 vigilance groups in the 27 councils together under the aegis, Imo Community Watch.

The Commissioner for Public Utilities and Public Safety, Dr. Ifeanyi Nwachukwu, on behalf of the governor, inaugurated them at the Heroes Square Ground, Owerri.

According to him, the effort was under the government’s “Youth Must Work” programme.

Akpabio to immortalise Ikot Abasi women massacred in 1929 HE Akwa Ibom State Government has exT pressed its readiness to establish Girls’ Secondary School in Ikot Abasi to immortalise

killing, queried why the people had not sought payment of reparation for such crime against humanity. women who lost their lives in the Ikot Abasi His words: “We will establish a secondary school Women Massacre by the British colonial masters for girls as a memorial for those women who lost in 1929. their lives in 1929 women massacre in Ikot Abasi.

The State Governor, Godswill Akpabio, stated “If we can have their records, we will have a this on Tuesday in Ikot Abasi during a town hall cenotaph with their names all listed in front of meeting/constituency briefing in Ikot Abasi Fed- that secondary school so that they would never eral Constituency. be forgotten because through their blood, they Akpabio said names of the women who died brought about this democracy we are enjoying would be engraved in front of the school as a re- today.” minder to the sad incident by the British oppresAkpabio recalled that the 1929 Ikot Abasi sive rule. women massacre and the 1929 Aba Women Riot Madam Edith Etete, an educationist from Ikot led to the agitation for independence from the Abasi, had told Akpabio that six women who op- British Colonial rule. posed British oppressive rule and taxation of He said: “I heard about the Aba Riot, a riot that women in 1929 were publicly executed while did not claim a single life. The riot that led to the about 2,000 were randomly shot and some were emergence of nationalistic spirit in Nigeria was drowned. actually the one at Ikot Abasi, where so many Akpabio, who expressed shock at such gruesome women were massacred in cold blood.”

“The place of Ikot Abasi Federal Constituency in our nation cannot be ignored. Lord Lugard lived here in Ikot Abasi and it was here that he signed the amalgamation papers. In other words, Nigeria was mid-wifed, and birthed in Ikot Abasi Local Council. It was also here in Ikot Abasi that our women led the fight against injustice in what has come to be known as the Aba Women Riot.”

“This land is the land of great people who have made great sacrifices for our great nation. We are not, therefore, surprised that you produced one of the greatest legal minds of our country in the late Justice Sir Udo Udoma, the first African Chief Justice of Uganda and a former Judge of the Nigerian Supreme Court.”

“Today, we urge you, as we strive to make Akwa Ibom a better place for our children, to let that sense and commitment do justice and to be a compass directing you to do what is right before God as well as stand the tests of righteousness.”

Two nabbed while attempting to steal generating set from MTN mast site From Lawrence Njoku, Enugu PERATIVES of the Nigerian Security Civil Defense Corps (NSCDC), Enugu State Command, have apprehended two vandals who were bent on carting away a 236,000KVA generating set powering an MTN mast in Neke, Isi-Uzo, Local Council of Enugu State.

Their arrest was effected on March 13 by eagle-eyed operatives at about 8.30p.m. who noticed unusual movement around the mast site.

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The Commandant of NSCDC, Enugu, Mr. Nathaniel Ubong, while parading the suspects, explained that one Afam Mbah and Ikechukwu Nnamani, both from Nkanu-East Local Council of Enugu State, were nabbed at Mast No: EN 152 while waiting in a fork-lift to convey the generating set to an unknown destination.

Ubong said: “Our operatives accosted three men who were found lurking around the MTN mast in Neke com-

munity at about 8.30p.m.

Upon interrogation, the suspects claimed that they were MTN engineers on routine maintenance.”

“The suspects claimed they came at night when traffic on communication lines would be minimal. Our operatives requested for their identity card. The suspects went into their white Toyota Hilux, without registration number carrying an inscription, “Police Project Vehicle” with the pretence of provid-

ing their identity cards and zoomed off.”

“When our operatives pursed them, they realised that another long fork-lift was parked about 400 metres away from the mast.

NSCDC operatives apprehended two young men inside the crane.”

“On interrogation, they revealed that they (Afam Mbah and Ikechukwu Nnamani) were contracted by the three fleeing vandals Franklin Otogbolo of No. 29, Ogui

Road, Isah Aminu and Odukwe John Oranwu of No., 22 Ugwuaji Road, Maryland, Enugu to convey the generating set to an unknown destination for the sum of N40, 000.”

“We have notified MTN of the incident. MTN came here (command headquarters) and confirmed in writing that it did not have any staff bearing such names and never sent any engineer for routine maintenance at Mast, EN 152.”

HE University of Benin T (UNIBEN) Alumni Association Worldwide, will tomorrow hold its council meeting at the Uranius Hotels and Suites, Uyo, Akwa Ibom State at 10.00a.m.

The meeting, according to a statement by the National Public Relations Officer, Dr. Isaac Ejebe, is expected “to be presided over by the President worldwide, Dr. Clement Oghene. A Dinner/Awards’ night at the Le Meridien Hotel, Uyo. will be the climax of the day at 7.00p.m.”

Church begins three-day crusade HRIST Apostolic Church BaC balola Centre holds this year’s three-day marathon prayer warfare crusade with the theme ‘Let my people Go’ from Thursday, March 27 to March 29, at the Covenant Ground Oba’s palace, Ido-Ile, Ekiti State, from 6.00p.m.5.00a.m. According to the coordinator , Prophet Theophilus Oye-Adurota, ministers expected include : Pastor Sam Olaniyan, Evang. Ojo Ade, Dr. Bola Are, Evang. J. A. Adelakun among others while Oba Matthew Oyekale, the Oba of Masifasile in Osun State will also minister.

Tom Tom takes loyal customers to Brazil OM Tom has flagged off a T consumer loyalty reward promo with an all-expense paid trip to Brazil. In a company statement, Head, Corporate & Government Affairs of Cadbury Nigeria Plc, Mr. Bala Yesufu, stated that ‘’if a consumer present one TomTom candy to the roving TomTom Promo crew from March 15 to April 30, 2014, he will collect a raffle ticket in exchange for the empty TomTom pillow wrapper which qualifies him or her for a draw.’’ ‘’Digital raffle draws would hold in three major cities – Abuja, Lagos and Calabar where winners would emerge and proceed on an allexpense paid trip to Brazil,’’ Yesufu said.

Felicia Ubom for burial HE death has occurred of T Mrs. Felicia Augustus Ubom, at the age of 77.

A Christian wake holds today at Ikot Emem Asong, Mkpat Enin Local Council, Akwa Ibom State at 5.00p.m. She will be buried tomorrow after a lyingin-state at St. John’s Primary School’s ground, Asong at 10.00a.m.

She is survived by children among whom are Mike Ubom, Emmanuel Ubom, Mrs. Florence Abraham, grandchildren and others.

Ubom

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Friday, March 21, 2014

Group donates school, hospital, empowers 500 in Badagry

By Isaac taiwo NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANISATION, Compassion Creates Change from United States of America, and her partner churches and organisations in Nigeria, with Mission Aid International (a service arm of the Charismatic Renewal Ministries, inc.) as anchor partner, have unanimously come together to give Badagry, a historic and ancient city, a face-lift.

According to the group: “The history of Badagry is haunted by the cries, pains and curses of innocent men, women and children, who pleaded and wailed for mercy and freedom as they were cruelly gagged and sold into slavery.”

“This has made the town that boasts of being the channel through which Christianity made her inroad into Nigeria in 1842, when Thomas Birch Freeman of the Missionary Society first preached the gospel to the inhabitants under the historic Agia tree, to dwell in spiritual darkness, poverty and in dire need of another great evangelical visitation.”

In addition to provision of a standard school and modern hospital by the group, which foundation had been laid, other parts of the programme that

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have also begun include free medical care for all; free vocational training; aqua-ponics installation and training: a food production system that combines conventional aquaculture, with hydroponics (cultivating plants in water) in a symbiotic environment; community development project (building of fence around the school land); career choice and development seminars for secondary school students, special projects for the very poor, widows and orphans; community sanitation exercises; free house painting; free hair barbing/plating among others.

The programme will also feaMr. Sayres Dudley, Mrs. Kathy Dudley,, Cosmas Ilechukwu, wife, Mrs. Adeola Ilechukwu, Pastor Emmanuel Nwachukwu and wife, Mrs. Nkemakonam Nwachukwu at the PHOTO: ISAAC TAIWO ture community and family de- event liverances and prayers as well as thers did, the blacks were deganization. She gave the secMission Aid, apart from the versities that will participate open-air evangelical meetings sirous of seeing the final port ond reason to the fact that she Badagry Project, had carried in the construction projects, with live band and film shows. where their forefathers were was born in poverty herself out a similar one in Kano State braid and barb hair and also The General Overseer, Charissold out in slavery.” and has experienced poverty in 2006 at a location called Gipreach the gospel. matic Renewal Ministries, Cos“We also support them beand its consequences. dangiso, where the group “Other churches that are colmas Ilechukwu, said the cause Badagry is the historic “When I became a Christian, I built a school, clinic, sunk laborating with us include the collaboration was done to do place where the gospel was decided to see how I could borehole and gave the village Redeemed Christian Church of what Jesus did when He was on first preached, translation of have compassion on people electricity.

God, Anglican Church that earth. He preached, fed the peo- the Bible by Ajayi Crowther and my first ministry began “We are training 500 indihad done so much and anple and healed them. was done, the first storey when I was 20,” she said. genes in 20 different vocations other NGO, Change Makers “Badagry was chosen by Combuilding is here in Badagry She added that they have choincluding computer and a Africa, among others.” passion Creates Change to give among others,” he said. sen Badagry because of her sig- new form of agriculture where “We implore beneficiaries to back to the people of Badagry.

The President, Compassion nificance in history. about 20 to 25 will be beneficimake the best use of this great While the whites decided to im- Creates Change, Dr. Kathy The Executive Director, Misaries, among others. We also opportunity. Though it is free, part on the people in terms of Dudley, said she was driven by sions Aid International, Pastor have among us “Kingdom some people have paid the repentance for what their fathe love of God to start the orEmmanuel Nwachukwu, said Commandos” students of unicost,” he said.

Ibom LEAP holds first leadership summit for secondary school students in A’Ibom BOM LEAP, a subsidiary of ethics in nation building’’, ‘’OrIness, LEAP (Leadership, Effectiveganising information with Accountability and Profes- Google search’’ among others, sionalism) Africa, recently organized a leadership training programme with the theme: ‘’The Change We Need,’ for over 50 students drawn from various secondary schools in the state.

The maiden edition of the programme, which would soon be organized in the other three senatorial districts of Akwa Ibom State, took place in Uyo Senatorial District.

Topics such as ‘’The role of

were deliberated upon effectively by eminent resource persons and all participants exhibited their eagerness to learn and effect the desired change in their respective communities.

Distinguished personalities in attendance were: the Chairman, Akwa Ibom State Secondary Education Board, Dr. Maria Ikorok, who was represented by Mrs. Maria Essien and the Dean, Faculty of Education, University of

Briefs Akporiaye, 93, for burial March 28 HE death has occurred of Nawe Eric Akporiaye (The Fox) at the age of 93. He was an outstanding lawyer and a charming gentleman.

A statement by B. E. Akporiaye and Dr. Emmanuel Akporiaye, said there would be a service of songs on Thursday, March 27, at 19, Upper Erejuwa Road, Warri, Delta State at 4.00p.m.

Valedictory service holds at the High Court Warri on Friday, March 28, at 9.00a.m., followed by funeral service at First Baptist Church, Mission Road, Warri, at 10.00a.m. He will be buried immediately after. Reception is at the Brownhill Events Centre, Idugboe Estate, Ogunu.

Thanksgiving service holds on Sunday, March 30, at the same Akporiaye venue at 10.00a.m.

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Zion Beats for launch April 5 ION Beats, a gospel musical album, will be launched on SatZ urday, April 5, at Sweet Savour Event Hall, Jakande Estate Gate, Okeafa, Isolo, Lagos. The gospel song, composed by Ifechukwude Olusanya, will be launched at noon.

Students association condemns Yobe killings HE old students of the Federal Government College UgT wolawo, Kogi, has condemned the recent attack and killings of innocent children in a sister College, Federal Government College, Boni Yadi, in Yobe State, North-east, Nigeria.

A statement by the association's National president Lawrence Wilbert, noted that this development would have a negative effect on human development as it would affect the education of the school children.

Sir John Anyaehie for burial today John Anyaehie, Knight of St. Christopher of the Church S27,IRofwillNigeria (Anglican Communion), who died on February buried today at his home town, Umuchukwu Nkwerre (formerly Isi Ogwugwu Nkwerre) in Orlu Local Council, Imo State. An astute businessman, politician, Christian leader, and grassroots man; he was until his death, a member of Nkwerre Council of Chiefs, Orlu Council of Chiefs, and Nze-na-Ozo title holder in Nkwerre.

Uyo, Prof. I. Queen Obinaju, rep- Ntia-Obong Ekong, a former Based on the students’ response, rial districts in Akwa Ibom resented by an Associate Profes- Commissioner for Education in Ibom LEAP plans to put across State, hence instituting Leadersor in the University of Uyo, Dr. Akwa Ibom State. this programme to other senato- ship Clubs in the schools.

The President, Sutoidem P. Theophilus urged all youths in the state to make the best use of this golden opportunity and be god future.

Ibom LEAP is a group of young undergraduates who participated in the Young Adults Development Programme (YADP), which was organized by Diamond Bank for over 100 youths selected from the University of Uyo (UNIUYO) and Uyo City Polytechnic, last year.

A cross-section of the organisers and participants at the summit

Three to hang for abducting, killing toddler From Niyi Bello, Akure OR the abduction of a todFcustody, dler who later died in their three persons, Olusegun Obaro, Jimoh Lase and Theophilus Friday were yesterday sentenced to death by hanging by an Akure High Court.

The three convicts were accused and tried for the kidnap and eventual murder of one and half year old Rachael Akingboye at the coastal Ilaje town of Ikorigho on the night of June 17, 2011.

The remains of the infant was said to have been found near the residence of the parents with her right eye, right ear, right breast and the right part of her scalp removed fuelling suspicion that she might have been killed for ritual purposes.

The presiding judge, Justice Olusegun Odusola in his judgment, said the first and second accused persons, Obaro and Lase, were guilty of kidnapping and murder, while the third accused person, Friday, was only guilty of murder.

The convicts were tried on a two-count charge of kidnapping and murder of Akingboye “contrary to and punishable under Section 3 of the Ondo State Anti-Kidnapping and Abduction Law 2010 and murder contrary to Section 316 and punishable under Section 319 of the Criminal Code Laws of Ondo State”.

The accused were said to have pleaded not guilty to the charges at the commencement of the trial and Odusola, in his judgment submitted that the totality of the evidence before him showed that the prosecution had proved that the three accused persons were responsible for the death of the deceased.

According to him, the prosecution had been able to prove the case against the defendants and that they should be ready to face the consequences of their action.

According to him: “The offences for which the accused were charged are strict liability offences. Death penalty is

Brief

Church begins The remains of the inspecial programme fant was said to have ILLAR of Faith Christian been found near the P Centre Int’l Ministries residence of the parents will begin its three nights of Destiny Moulding and with her right eye, right Transforming Proear, right breast and the Life gramme tagged: Moving From Shame to Glory on right part of her scalp Wednesday, March 26 – removed Friday, March 28, 2014

the punishment for each of the counts. Having found the 1st and second accused guilty of both counts, the third accused is guilty of murder. In sum, I hereby sentence Olusegun Obaro, Jonah Lase and Theophilus Friday to death by hanging”.

from 9.00a.m. – 2.00a.m at No. 80, Shylon Street, off Ikorodu Road, Palmgrove, Lagos.

Pastor Anthony Rotimi Akpata, Prophet Sunday Adebayo, Dare Melody, Rotimi Amos and others will minister.

Ndi-Igbo laud President Jonathan on Niger Bridge project

By Yetunde Ayobami Ojo HE Ohaneze Ndi-Igbo in Lagos has lauded President Goodluck Jonathan over the commencement of the second Niger Bridge project.

The President of Ohaneze, Lagos Chapter, Chief Fabian Onwughalu made this known at a press briefing held recently in Lagos.

He said that “they have no doubt that the bridge would be completed within a short time,” adding that the bridge has been a nightmare to Nigerians because it is not only the Igbos from the South East that make

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use of the bridge.

He said the second Niger Bridge marks the end of the civil war, stating that it took Jonathan to come and reconcile the Igbo people, because the average Igbo man does not believe that there was any reconciliation until Jonathan came.

His word: “It took President Jonathan to come, before our people were rehabilitated to key positions in the Senate and it also took the president to come, before the second Niger Bridge was flagged off. We are going to support his ambition, whenever he makes his intention

known.”

Onwughalu also said that one of their plans, as NdiIgbo in Lagos, is to organise all the Igbo people under one umbrella.

Also speaking at the event the Vice President of the group, Chukwuemeka Okolie, who said that come 2015 general elections, in Delta State, they want a Delta- Igbo extraction to be the governor of Delta State, stating that James Ibori from Delta South was the governor and also Dr. Emmanuel Uduhagan. It is time for the Delta North to produce the next governor of Delta State.

Another orgy of killings

Friday, March 21, 2014 19

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Weekend

Arts & Culture P. 38

Autowheels P.43

For confab delegates, ‘unusual’ gift from Ofeimun

Feeling theMercedes ‘ghost’ in Rolls-Royce Thrills, frills of 2014 Toyota Camry Still, vintage Benz C-class South African Airways takes delivery

Business Travels P.45

of new A320 aircraft

20 WEEKEND Friday, March 21 , 2014

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Allegations of genocide Since 2011, the people of Southern Kaduna have suffered several vicious attacks by bandits, who use sophisticated weapons to kill defenceless women and children, in a country where possession of firearms is illegal, only to disappear into thin air thereafter. From Kaduna, Northern Bureau Chief, SAXONE AKHAINE reports on the latest attacks and the implications

A victim of the recent attack

fusion, following daring, vicious attacks by gunmen, who invaded some communities, killing innocent people and destroying properties worth million of naira.

Bands of aggrieved cattle rustlers, who had, in the past, sacked scores of communities and rendered many people homeless in the state, were believed to have also unleashed the latest mayhem. And even in the Kaduna metropolis, residents are bracing up for another attack, following the tension generated by several reports emanating from the southern part of the state. A spillover effect is also being speculated, unless Governor Mukhtar Ramalan Yero takes a quick, proactive step to prevent it.

Several killings and wanton destruction of properties were first recorded in Birnin Gwari and Makarfi local council areas in northern Kaduna, in the last quarter of 2013. The phenomenon, now more pronounced, appears to have shifted to the southern part.

Fear is reigning supreme as workers, traders and transporters continue to exercise restraint, following last Saturday’s invasion of the Kaura local council area, which led to the massacre of more than 100 people, while several others suffered injuries. Civil servants now wait till 8am in their homes before reporting at their respective offices. Traders also exercise great caution before opening their shops for business.

This precaution arose because of the tension reported in the Sabon Tasha area at about 11.30 last Sunday, when people began to run for their safety without ascertaining what the

problem was.

Investigations however revealed that the confusion was caused by a disagreement over transport fare between an Okada rider who turned out to be a Hausa man and his passenger who was apparently returning from the church. But people mistook the disagreement for a reprisal attack.

However Yero reassured residents recently that the state government has already put adequate security measures in place, to arrest any unpleasant situation.

Trouble started when the attackers invaded Ugwar Sankwai, Ungwar Gata and Chenshyi villages, all in Kaura Council area, and embarked on indiscriminate shooting. They also set several houses ablaze. People who attempted to escape were either gunned down or struck with machetes. A resident of Chenshyi Village, Mr. Nuhu Moses said: “The attackers were more than 40, armed with dangerous knives, guns and other sophisticated weapons and over 50 people were killed

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in our village alone. And there is no house standing. All the houses were burnt by the attackers while people who attempted to run were gunned down. I was just lucky to have escaped but our pastor’s wife, and kids were among the people that were butchered.”

Another resident in Ungwar Sankwai, Mr. Jonathan Bako said he did not know how he managed to escape the attack, which he described as “a massacre.” Besides, the Vice Chairman of Kaura Local Government, Mr. Daniel Anyip said countless homes were set ablaze, just as many people were in left in severe agony.

His words: “From our records, in all the three villages attacked, only five houses are standing, while the people killed are about 100. These are villages that housed a lot of people but they are now homeless.”

Anyip described the attack by the gunmen as inhuman, saying that children and women were not spared. “There is no justification for this inhuman act,” he declared.

They fired into homes, and as women and children scampered to escape, they were shot and later cut with machetes.

They set our homes on fire. If you stayed inside, you were burnt. If you run out, they shot at you. The men stayed inside, so most of those burnt were men. But they manage to kill some of the Fulani men, some of who wore army uniforms. I escaped but I still have bullet wounds as I speak. I am at a hospital somewhere in Jos. I am told that about 45 people in my village were burnt, and 30 were shot

“

ADUNA, the crocodile state and erstwhile K headquarters of the old, colonial Northern region, was recently thrown into serious con-

The Kaduna State Police Command’s Police Public Relation Officer (PPRO), Mallam Aminu Lawan (DSP) said security men have been mobilised to the area to maintain law and order.

But many of the community leaders and association in the area have, however, condemned the incident.

The Southern Kaduna Indigenes Progressive Forum (SKIPF), while expressing shock, described the attack as barbaric. The group’s chairman, retired Major George Nchok Asake said that the state governor failed to take action on the killings taking place in the area, despite timely advice.

He said: “We are living in a state of anarchy and we will do everything possible to take the government to the International Criminal Court (ICC) to answer charges on the massive killings of our people on daily basis. It is very painful and difficult that we keep mourning everyday without the government doing anything about it.”

An aggrieved villager, Mr. Gideon Bughu, from Sankwai village (one of the affected villages) in the Biniki District of Manchock Chiefdom, gave a vivid description of the attack. Describing it as gruesome, he told The Guardian that the gunmen, numbering over 50, first came on Friday night and attacked his village, “and they later came the next morning around 4am and finished off the other villages.”

He continued: “They fired into homes, and as women and children scampered to escape, they were shot at and later cut with machetes.

They set our homes on fire. If you stayed inside, you were burnt. If you run out, they shot at you. The men stayed inside, so most of those burnt were men. But they manage to kill some of the Fulani men, some of whom

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Friday, March 21, 2014 WEEKEND 21

loud in Kaduna

Yero

The governor pledged to empower vigilante groups for community surveillance in areas that had become prone to attacks, to complement formal security arrangements. He prayed: “God should expose the merchants of darkness, who are bent on sowing seeds of confusion and hate in the state. We also pray that God should expose the people that are causing this problem. We pray that God should touch their hearts to stop such dastardly acts or destroy their evil machinations.” But many observers are not impressed by the governor’s familiar rhetoric

cal expediencies. They should know that posterity will judge them and they have began journey into political wilderness as the blood of our helpless villagers is on their heads”.

In a related reaction, the Southern Kaduna Peoples Union (SOKAPU) stated that having failed to protect their people, they (victims) may have no other option than to take any measure they deem fit to protect themselves and their land against future attacks.

Addressing a press conference in Kaduna, the President of the Union, Dr. Ephraim Goje said they were tired of watching their people being slaughtered, pointing out that over 40 of their communities have so far been invaded since 2011 .

Goje said: “When I say we will take necessary action to protect our people and our land, it is all inclusive. Let me repeat; it is allinclusive. Whatever it will take to protect the lives and property of our people, we are prepared to do so. This thing has been lingering for so long and there is no sign that it will come to an end. Each time we sit down, assailants will descend on innocent communities and people are slaughtered like chickens.”

According to him, the recent attack was led by two well-known Fulanis resident in Manchok town, pointing out, “this has clearly vindicated us and confirms our earlier position that the Fulanis have declared a jihad on the people of southern Kaduna and Nigeria.

The SOKAPU President asked the state Commissioner of Police, General Officer Commanding, First Mechanised Division of the Nigerian Army and the Director of SSS to temporarily relocate their offices to Kaura and work with their counterparts in Plateau state to comb the forest and bring the perpetrators to book.

He lamented that security agencies in Kaduna and their Plateau state counterparts

Abubakar

‘

wore army uniforms. I escaped but I still have bullet wounds as I speak. I am at a hospital somewhere in Jos. I am told that about 45 people in my village were burnt, and 30 were shot.”

Yero in a swift reaction, ordered an immediate investigation into the fresh attack, saying that the long arm of the law would track down the perpetrators of the evil act. The governor also described the attack and killings as “barbaric and ungodly.”

He condoled with victims of the attacks and assured them of government’s commitment to protecting lives and property in the state.

He said: “Government is already working with security agencies towards scaling up its strategies in order to improve security, especially in the border communities. This ugly situation is unacceptable and we will step up efforts to improve surveillance and curtail future occurrence.”

The governor pledged to empower vigilante groups for community surveillance in areas that had become prone to attacks, to complement formal security arrangements.

He prayed: “God should expose the merchants of darkness, who are bent on sowing seeds of confusion and hate in the state. We also pray that God should expose the people that are causing this problem. We pray that God should touch their hearts to stop such dastardly acts or destroy their evil machinations.” But many observers are not impressed by the governor’s familiar rhetoric.

Reacting to the attack, the spokesperson of the Centrum Initiative for Development and Advocacy (CIDA), Dr. John Danfulani, said “We condemned in strong terms (last) Friday’s night killings that took place in Ungwan Gata, Me-Sankwai and Tekum villages by suspected Fulani herdsmen in Moro’a Chief of Kaura local government area. The said killings in three villages ran up to early hours of Saturday and at the end, over 100 innocent Southern Kaduna villagers/peoples were butchered and killed by the assailants with impunity. It is gradual genocide and extinction.

“We reiterate our stand that a State of Emergency be declared in Southern Kaduna area of the state, contrary to the political propaganda being mounted by the Kaduna state government and their shortsighted hallucinating agents. It is clear that the Kaduna state government and their agents are only playing politics with the insecurity ravaging Southern Kaduna region and only playing double standards, so also security agencies operating in the state.

“It is abundantly clear that the elders and elected representatives from Southern Kaduna are less concerned due to their politi-

were not working together to curtail the activities of the Fulani invaders, adding that unless security agents in the two states collaborated, the activities of the invaders may never be brought under control.

He said: “We wish to observe regrettably that there is no collaboration between the security agencies in Kaduna and Plateau states, so much such that the attackers come in from the Plateau axis to attack Atakar and Marwa chiefdoms and that each time they are chased by security agents from our state, they run over to the Plateau where they walk freely celebrating their so-called victories. We call on the government of the two states concerned to immediately meet to resolve all boundary issues within these areas so that lasting peace will be restored. We are asking government to urgently consider our request for the siting of a Military Barrack within the radius of 25 kilometres of Kafanchan town, so that they can quickly respond to all issues concerning security challenges in that area.

“Presently, we have over 5,000 internally displaced persons that require rehabilitation and compensation from government, especially now that their houses and foodstuffs were completely burnt down by these monstrous murderers. This request is very urgent now that the rain is beginning to set in.

“Government should continuously encourage dialogue between communities especially in hot-spot areas. We are asking the government of Kaduna state to also, as a matter of urgency, implement the recommendations of the panel of inquiry, set up to investigate communal and religious crisis including that submitted by the Peace and Reconciliation Community, set up by late Patrick Ibrahim Yakowa, the former Governor of Kaduna state, following the 2011 post election crisis.

“We are calling on all peace loving people of

Minimah

Kaduna state and Nigeria to join us in condemning this barbaric act, but we also call on the affected communities to remain calm, vigilant, prayerful and law abiding as we wait on the State and Federal governments to act beyond just condemning the act but taking practical steps to put an end to this lingering mayhem.”

Meahwhile, moves by youths of Southern Kaduna extraction to protest incessant killings in the area, was on Wednesday 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. on Wednesday, major parts of Kaduna metropolis, like Sabon Tashan, Ungwar 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 worshippers 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 policemen 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

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Friday, March 21, 2014

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Friday, March 21, 2014

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BusinessRound-Up S.AFRICA’S CHANGING PROPERTY MARKET LANDSCAPE

By Wilhelmina Maboja UYING a house in South Africa’s property B market could become more difficult if interest rates continue to rise.

ties in a certain price rage – and we’re talking about the 800,000 to two million – is obviously the price range where affordability at this point is sitting, and where everybody obviously wants to get the best possible buy,” she said.

“So if you are located in that sort of price bracket or in the area that’s got a security component to it, it certainly does make the demand higher.”

Du Toit explained that with the National Credit Act, it comes down to responsible lending but also responsible borrowing from the consumer’s perspective. While 100 per cent mortgage loan products are still available, it is nonetheless under strict moderation.

He added that prospective buyers tended to ignore additional charges such levies and transfer costs when purchasing property.

“When it comes to the transfer costs, and those costs in terms of getting the property registered in your name, many consumers tend to forget about those, and they only stumble upon those right at the end of the transaction,” said Du Toit.

“A factor such as the running costs – your electricity costs, property rates and taxes, water taxes – we’ve seen massive increases in those costs over time.”

“We’ve seen interest rates remaining relatively flat over the past year or two years, and we’ve seen that rates were not moved in any direction since June to July 2012. Earlier this year, we’ve seen the first rate hike,” Jacques du Toit, property analyst at Absa Home Loans, told CNBC Africa.

“Obviously that has an impact in terms of perceptions, not that that 50 basis points will make a massive financial impact in terms of repaying debt and repaying a mortgage loan. It gives an indication of what we can expect in terms of other interest rate movements during the course of this year.”

Du Toit added that there are however forecasts of increased interest rates this year by another 100 basis points, with the prime lending rate then sitting at 10 per cent.

It is the accumulative effect of the growing interest rate will start to play a role in the consumer’s plans to purchase property.

“If interest rates are increasing over time by 150 or 200 basis points, then it really becomes an issue for your consumer and your home owner, and also your prospective home owner. That will also start to impact decisions in terms of buying property moving forward,” Du Toit explained.

Retha Schutte, Pretoria regional executive for Pam Golding Properties added that although prices are under pressure, there have been property price increases as demand to purchase property continues to grow.

“We’ve got able buyers that are competing [in our property market], and that is driving it up in certain areas. We’re certainly seeing that proper- A house perched on a hand.

PHOTO: Getty Images

“When you are building a power plant, there are many facets that cover it and one of the ARLIER this year, the Nigerian government began a collaboration aimed at boosting the things we are trying to do is, work with TCN (Transmission Company of Nigeria) and NIPP access of electricity in the country.

In 2013, Notore Power Limited signed an agree- (National Integrated Power Project) to make ment with Contourglobal to construct and op- sure that the transmission of our power is erate an independent gas-fired 500 megawatt smooth. So that’s what we’ve been doing in the last 12 months,” he said. power production plant in line with governTen power assets constructed under the NIPP ment regulation.

“We are in the development phase now, we’ve were recently sold to private investors which infinished the gas study and we are now advanc- creased momentum in the country’s power sector as the industry inched closer to being fully ing to a stage where we are concentrating on privatised. the transmission of that power line,” Femi “Gas is fundamental to everybody who is doing Solebo, CEO, Notore Power told CNBC Africa. power. Notore is blessed because we are in the Together with the Federal Ministry of Education and Schneider Electric, the government is eastern part of Delta State and we sit on what is called the ‘Eastern [Gas] Gathering System’ and expected to generate and distribute between we are able to access as much gas as we want for 8,000 and 10,000 megawatts of electricity by this project,” he added. the end of 2014.

Nigeria’s natural gas reserves are three times more substantial than the country’s crude oil reserves as it has well over 187 trillion cubic feet of gas supplies. However, accessing it proves challenge to the power sector since the right infrastructure is still not in place.

“Gas is as fundamental to power, as power is to the economy. We have a lot of gas in Nigeria and it’s important to use that gas to fire most of the plants. Most of the plants that you see today totalling about 15,000 potentially are mostly powered by gas,” he explained.

According to Solebo, the company has sufficient gas as they plan on an additional 1,000 megawatts as well as their current 500,000 Nigeria has well over 187 trillion feet of gas reserves.

Photo: Getty images. megawatt projection.

E

ISLAMIC BANKING HITS KENYAN SHORES

By Farhaanah Mahomed TANDARD Chartered SKenya (StanChart) Bank in launched Saadiq on Tuesday, their first Islamic banking offering.

Saadiq, meaning truthful in Arabic, is StanChart’s Islamic banking proposition offered across the world to Muslim and non- Muslim clients with Kenya being the group’s first African market for IsMosque in Kenya. lamic Banking.

“We feel that for Islamic Banking to grow, we also need to be here for our customers. If the Islamic market starts growing in Africa at the level it is growing globally today, it will become a significant part of the financial system in this region as well,” said Afaq Khan, StanChart’s chief executive officer (CEO) of Islamic Banking.

According to the group, global data indicates that the Islamic finance market is growing with investments now over one trillion US dollars. In Kenya, the Islamic banking industry accounts for 2 per cent of the country’s total banking business in under five years.

“This shows Kenya’s huge potential and opportunity. As a major international bank with a long-standing heritage and a global

PHOTO: Getty Images

network, Standard Chartered is ideally placed to play a prominent role in this everexpanding market,” added Khan.

Lamin Manjang, CEO of Standard Chartered Kenya, stated that more and more commercial banks are beginning to offer Islamic banking services to satisfy customer demand.

“As a bank we have listened and we have acted to satisfy our customers. It is no secret that Islamic banking is growing rapidly in Kenya even though Kenya’s first Islamic banking licenses were granted just five years ago. We are seeing more commercial banks open their doors to Islamic Banking products in a bid to satisfy a growing demand in the market”, said Manjang.

CORPORATE GOVERNANCE SHOULD BE VALUE-LED

CAN NIGERIA ACHIEVE ITS 2014 POWER TARGET?

By Dara Rhodes

In association with

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nies encourages that kind of behaviour,” he said.

“We’re now talking about governance being a value proposition as opposed to being a cost imposition. Governance is all about maximising value. It’s not about minimising cost.”

Jarvis believes that way that companies have been run in the past has allowed them to accept that maximising short term profits on behalf of shareholders is the right thing to do.

“We should be giving the board the duty of maximising sustainable value on behalf of all stakeholders – value not profit, stakeholders not shareholders – and that is a fundamental, different way of running a business,” The IT Leaders Africa Summit will take place from 18 to 19 he explained.

March 2014. PHOTO: Getty Images “That’s what I call a modern approach to governance. It encompasses the bottom line,

By Nicole Cassandra Naidoo it looks at financial situations but it looks at the social, environmental situation as well, ORPORATE governance in the informathe driver is value and the beneficiaries are tion technology sector should necessistakeholders.” tate a value-led approach.

He also frowned upon traditional auditing Transparent information technology (IT) as a means of governance and stressed the governance was one of the key themes at the need for internal regulation.

IT Leaders Africa Summit, currently taking “Traditional auditing is ‘tick-box’. I classify place at the Maslow Hotel in Sandton. this type of governance as a cost imposition.

Mike Jarvis, chief executive officer (CEO) of Good governance means internal regulation Oversight Solutions and a speaker at the and independent assurance. Most compaconference emphasised the need to change nies are prepared to govern in an area where the way businesses see governance. they understand – that’s where the CIO “If our companies are run on a single-value comes in in IT, to make sure the director can perspective where shareholders are the understand,” Jarvis said. main part of our operation and profit is the “We’re in an information revolution. We’re major driver then a compliance-led apconnected and borderless – we’ve got to proach to governance is what we will get. recognise that. We’ve got to recognise that Fundamentally, the way we’ve run compathis is a very different environment.”

C

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THE GUARDIAN

Friday, March 21, 2014

www.ngrguardiannews.com

INTERVIEW

UDUAGHAN:

Conference in Abuja, CNBC Africa’s Onyi Sunday caught up with the Governor of Delta State, Emmanuel Uduaghan for more.

Uduaghan: Bunkering simply means putting crude oil into ships and exporting it.

That’s what bunkering means either exporting or selling to some legal bodies. That’s what bunkering means and that means it’s a legal process. Now, when you get the oil illegally, but breaking into pipelines or stealing it, it becomes illegal bunkering and that is what we call the crude oil theft. Now what has happened is all along, if you get oil legally and you sell it legally, which is bunkering, there’s is no problem. In fact, the way bunkering was its, people getting oil and then selling it to ships, to fire ships and all that. That was what bunkering was originally until people stealing the oil.

Sunday: Now Nigeria is losing billions of Naira to oil theft despite huge sums appropriated to secure its maritime sector. Do you think the government lacks the political will to stop this or is it beyond the capacity of Nigeria’s government?

Uduaghan: No, no, no. it’s not beyond the Nigerian government but it requires international collaboration. Like I said, there are so many factors and we need to deal with those factors staring with the economic factor especially the communities where a lot of the youths are idle and they are not doing anything. In fact just last Saturday, an attempt by the immigration service to employ people, you saw the result and you saw the number of people that turned out. That just gives you an idea of how unemployed our youths are. Of course when they are unemployed like that, it’s easy to recruit them, for any criminal activity not just crude oil theft so, one thing to be done, is to ensure that our youths are employed. That is where the government comes in with the federal state government. They must provide opportunities for our youths to be employed. If many of them are employed, they will not be available to be recruited for illegal activities, so the pool of those available will be quite few, that is one. Two, is the security aspect of it.

Yes, there are challenges with the security agencies in terms of equipment, in terms of welfare and other things. So we need to improve their welfare and their kind of surveillance equipment needs to be improved and of course the security agencies need to be educated to ensure they do the work as they are supposed to. Then thirdly, the IOC’s themselves, the technology they are using specifically for their pipelines, should be buried deeper and equipped so that once you touch the pipeline, someone somewhere knows and its dealt with. Then, we have the international aspect of it. Most of the crude is exported, some of it is used for small refineries but most of it is exported,

where do they export them to? Which countries receive them? Can they not be tagged?

Can they not identify the stolen one from the genuine one? What of the small arms that they are using? Those small arms come into Nigeria from where? From well-known countries and I believe that the international community working together can identify those small arms and stop them. It’s a holistic thing that has to be done to ensure that we stop it.

Sunday: while we talk about the government, there are those who believe the host communities have a major role to play in protecting these pipelines. Do you agree?

Uduaghan: That is why I started with the communities. Why are there collaborations?

Because of economic reasons. They have to survive and they have to get money from there to survive. So if you are involved in protection of the communities, coupled with what government can do to help them, of course they will not resort to that kind of criminal activity. One, apart from economic problems for them, there is also the environmental damage, because for every pipeline that is broken, there is no way there won’t be some spill in the environment. Of course we have the social issues in the communities so the communities have a big role to play. If

‘

That is what we are doing now in our committee. We are trying to centralise prosecution under the office of our federal administration. Before now, once all the suspects where are arrested, some of them go straight to magistrate court but if we centralise all the cases and as a general federation, we now decide who takes what and to which court, we believe we will start having results.

‘

EPORTS suggest that Nigeria losses R 3000,000 barrels of oil per day owing to vandalism and oil theft. At the oil and gas

JOB CREATION IS A MEANS OF TACKLING OIL THEFT they are properly sensitized, are properly empowered, they will have protected pipelines.

Sunday: what can the government do to ensure prosecution? I mean, we’ve been hearing about oil theft for years but we really haven’t heard about anyone being brought to book over it, the ones we’ve heard about are those who still oil in jerry cans….

Uduaghan: That is what we are doing now in our committee. We are trying to centralise prosecution under the office of our federal administration. Before now, once all the suspects where are arrested, some of them go straight to magistrate court but if we centralise all the cases and as a general federation, we now decide who takes what and to which court, we believe we will start having results.

Sunday: Do you think the PIB has a role to play in curbing oil theft in Nigeria’s oil and gas industry?

Uduaghan: Yes, you see, one thing that the PIB would do, is to ensure that the local communities are more involved in oil related activities. That is one. Two, more money will come to the local communities and we will get them busy. So of course the passing of the petroleum bill will play a role.

STEINHOFF OFFERS TO BUY 98% STAKE IN JD GROUP “As indicated in JD Group’s interim results announcement on 20 February 2014, JD Group is facing TEINHOFF International Holdings many challenges in the furniture has announced an offer to buy re- retail and consumer finance business segments. These challenges tail and finance consumer business will take some time and additional JD Group.

Steinhoff already owns 56.8 per cent capital to overcome,” Steinhoff said of the issued JD Group shares, exclud- in the statement. ing treasury shares, and according to “The increase of Steinhoff’s investment in JD Group, in an expedient a statement, has received commitmanner, will enhance Steinhoff’s ments from a number of instituability to support the operations of tional and individual JD Group shareholders to accept the tender of- JD Group As the second largest furniture refer.

Steinhoff is a retailer and manufac- tailer in Europe, Steinhoff expects turer of goods in Europe, Africa, and to gives to provide JD Group shareholders international exposure owns a number of industrial busiand greater liquidity. nesses in Southern Africa.

By Wilhelmina Maboja

S

The Hi Fi Corporation chain is a part of the JD Group

PHOTO: Hi Fi Corporation

THE GUARDIAN www.ngrguardiannews.com

Friday, March 21, 2014

NIGERIA STILL FACES VAST UNEMPLOYMENT

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NIGERIA BATTLES ‘OUT-OF-SCHOOL’ EPIDEMIC

By Dara Rhodes AST week Saturday, over 15 job seekers lost their lives due LImmigration to a stampede during a recruitment exercise of Nigeria’s Service.

The African film industry is a money maker.

Photo: Getty images

NIGERIA’S FILM INDUSTRY GROWS AT ALARMING RATE

By Dara Rhodes IGERIA’S film industry is on the rise and generates a whopping 590 million dollars annually.

According to the New York Times, the industry, currently commanding a strong local and international audience, has seen strong growth in the past few years.

The sector currently employs over one million people.

“One of the things that the industry has demonstrated is that, the opportunities are endless. We work with independent producers and those independent producers have to create stories and hire people to make those stories come to life, they need people behind the camera’s and in front of the camera’s, so the job opportunities are endless,” said Biola Alabi, Director Special Projects at MNET Africa.

The movie industry in Nigeria is currently the largest employer after agriculture and experts believe that if the industry is managed properly it could generate an additional one million jobs. Sector players say that the film industry in Africa is not just an entertainment industry but also a money maker.

“Not only do we licence about 800 movies, there are other people that also licenced other movies, there are other platforms that are doing this, there are other people doing this, so for me, entrepreneurship actually should be synonymous with the media and Nollywood but really the film industry,” she noted.

The Nigerian film industry presently produces about 50 movies a week, and the World Bank is currently assisting the government to create more jobs in the sector.

“A lot of what happens all over the world is job training. We need to develop more job trainings, we need to develop more internships, and we need to pair them up with independent producers so they can get those skills. NYSC needs to work more with the producers so that we can partner with the students and they can get that experience early on,” she added.

Although the Nigerian economy is expected to grow by seven per cent this year, insufficient jobs for the growing population continues to remain a challenge for the authorities.

N

The agency which had only 4,556 vacancies saw a total of 520,000 applicants turn up for the exercise, further highlighting the country’s unemployment plague. This led many experts to conclude that the efforts by the government to bring down youth unemployment are insufficient.

“We’ve thought about it and we’ve heard about it but that unfortunate incident brought it to the fore, for every single person to realise that it’s a major issue that needs to be addressed,” Olujimi Tewe, CEO Inspiro Consulting told CNBC Africa.

Nigeria is expected to grow at 7 per cent this year and is the second largest economy on the continent but despite the fact that the economy is evolving rapidly, youth unemployment remains a huge source of concern.

“I’ve had the opportunity to speak to people that were actually there and you could see that people who were really desperate and want change, saw an opportunity. The numbers tell us that something needs to be done urgently,” he said.

The government has made some efforts to curb the youth unemployment in the country with initiatives such as the YouWin programme which is aimed at creating 40,000 50,000 jobs.

However some argue that the government should focus less on creating the jobs and more on creating an enabling environment to allow the private sector to create the jobs.

“Unemployment will most likely come from the fact that there are not as many opportunities for work as there are people. Contrary to that, there are a lot of people with different schools of thoughts about it and many believe that the graduates that we have today have not been empowered and supported appropriately for the opportunities that are around,” he explained.

According to Oxford Business Group, 54 per cent of Nigerian youth are unemployed and urban unemployment in the country stood at 29.5 per cent in 2013 according to the National Bureau of Statistics.

“A lot of people want to get jobs but the kind of jobs that are being offered and the pay that comes with the jobs is discouraging. It’s not enough to live on and we have labour laws but there is a difference between labour laws and labour enforcement so there’s a lot of abuse,” he added.

Leaders in the country gathered in Abuja for the 20th Nigeria Economic Summit to discuss ways to transform education through global partnerships as the decline in education and literacy standards proves a huge social and economic challenge for the country.

“Universal Basic Education has two definitions. One is the concept, ‘Universal Basic Education’ and the other one is getting the concept into reality, making basic education universal. There we have not done well because it’s a combination of Access, equity, relevance, quality and efficiency,” Professor Pai Obanya, Chairman, West Africa Examinations Council told CNBC Africa.

Universal Basic Education is a nine year basic educational programme that was launched by the government in Nigeria 15 years ago to eradicate literacy, ignorance and poverty.

The programme is also part of Nigeria’s strategy for the achievement of Education for all and the education-related Millennium Development Goals.

“There is first of all the problem of 10 million [children] left out of school ... Then, there’s the other one, where you don’t have meaningful access. That means, if you had 100 people enrolling, about 90 of them will attend, about 80 will progress, about 60 will complete and about 40 will go onto the next level,” he said.

According to Education For All (EFA), one out of six children in the world that are out of school live in Nigeria. In the 2012 EFA Global Monitoring Report, it was found that among the young men aged 15 to 39 in 2008 who had left school after six years of schooling, 28 per cent were illiterate and 39 per cent were semi-literate.

AMIBIA’S February inflation rate edged higher than exN pected to 5.2 per cent, according to the country’s National Statistics Agency (NSA).

GANDA will announce the lead investor and operator for U its planned oil refinery in July.

The country expects to conduct a licensing round for its va-

PHOTO: Getty Images

IGERIA has the highest number of out-of-school children N in the world according to the United Nations Development Program.

By Wilhelmina Maboja

By Reuters

Oil refinery.

By Dara Rhodes

NAMIBIA FEBRUARY INFLATION RATE UP TO 5.2%

UGANDA TO ANNOUNCE OIL REFINERY INVESTOR IN JULY

cant petroleum exploration acreage next year, a senior energy official told Reuters on Thursday.

The east African country first discovered crude deposits in the Albertine rift basin along its border with Democratic Republic of Congo in 2006 and reserves are estimated by the government at 3.5 billion barrels.

The government moved closer to getting the hydrocarbons industry off the ground last month when it signed a memorandum of understanding with three oil firms laying out a blueprint for the commercial development of its oil fields.

According to the deal, crude produced by the three firms Britain’s Tullow Oil, France’s Total and China’s CNOOC - will be shared between a thermal power generation plant, a planned refinery and an export pipeline.

Commercial oil production is expected to begin in 2016 at the earliest.

In December the energy ministry announced five consortia and one individual firm had been shortlisted to bid for the 2.5 billion US dollars refinery.

The lead investor - which will also operate the plant - is expected to take up a 60 percent stake, with the remainder going to the Ugandan government.

The individual company shortlisted is Marubeni Corp, while the five consortia are respectively led by Petrofac, Global Resources, China Petroleum Pipeline Bureau, SK Energy and Vitol.

Nigeria has the highest out of school children in the world.

PHOTO: Getty images

About 54 per cent of Nigerian youth are unemployed.

PHOTO: Getty images

S.AFRICA’S FEBRUARY CPI UP TO 5.9 PER CENT

By Wilhelmina Maboja HE headline Consumer Price Index in February 2014 inT creased 0.1 percentage point higher to 5.9 per cent, Statistics South Africa has said.

The rate was higher than the corresponding annual rate of 5.8 per cent in January 2014, and on average, prices increased by 1.1 per cent between January 2014 and February 2014.

“The food and non-alcoholic beverages index increased by 0.5 per cent between January 2014 and February 2014. The annual rate increased to 5.4 per cent in February 2014 from 4.3 per cent in January 2014,” Statistics SA said in their report.

Within the food and non-alcoholic beverage index, bread and cereals increased 1.8 per cent, milk eggs and cheese increased 0.9 per cent and hot beverages increased 0.4 per cent.

The transport index increased by 1.5 per cent between January 2014 and February 2014, mainly due to a 39 cents per litre increase in the price of petrol. The annual rate increased to 8.0 per cent in February 2014 from 7.8 per cent in January 2014.

In January, the transport index increased by 1.2 per cent between December 2013 and January 2014, mainly due to a 38 cents per litre increase in the price of petrol. The annual rate increased to 7.8 per cent in January 2014 from 6.3 per cent in December 2013.

“The miscellaneous goods and services index increased by 4.7 per cent between January 2014 and February 2014, mainly due to an 8.3 per cent increase in health insurance. The annual rate decreased to 6.2 per cent in February 2014 from 7.0 per cent in January 2014,” Statistics South Africa explained.

The figure edged higher than the anticipated 5 per cent mark. And the Namibia Consumer Price Index (CPI) also grew by 0.7 index points from 105.9 to 106.6, a month on month increase of 0.7 per cent.

“The annual inflation rate for goods was estimated at 6.9 per cent, as compared to that for services which stood at 3.0 per cent,” the National Statistics Agency said in a statement.

The food and non-alcoholic beverages index grew by 0.9 points to 108.2, representing a monthly increase of 0.8 per cent and a 7.2 per cent year on yearly growth.

The fastest growing subsector was fruit, which grew by 1.7 per cent month on month, followed by non-alcoholic beverages, which grew by 1.2 per cent month on month. On an annual basis, meat and vegetables grew at the fastest rates with growth levels of 12.2 per cent and 12.7 per cent.

Growth in the housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels category however remained subdued, at a growth rate of 3.4 per cent compared to February 2013 when annual growth was 6.8 per cent.

“The February numbers indicated that [the hotels, cafes and restaurants] subcategory, which makes up 1.7 per cent proportion of the basket weights, grew by 6.3 per cent. The monthly data suggests that the growth in this category has slowed though to 0.9 per cent as a result of moderation in accommodation prices,” the NSA explained.

Prices in the education category grew the highest during the period, with the 8 per cent annual growth rate recorded being mainly attributed to by growth for tertiary education, which grew by 9.8 per cent.

A shopping trolley filled with food.

PHOTO: Getty Images

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Friday, March 21, 2014

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Friday,March 21, 2014

Ofeimun on rostrum…

Sermonising confab delegates Visual Arts /28 Affinity… homecoming for Uwatse, Adewuyi

Film /30 Simpa… golden boy of Nollywood steps out for celebration

Literature /35 Toxic Eucharist… Magic Wand’s exciting publishing option

Revue /38 A scholar’s lens on amalgamation

Theatre /40 WTD medal for Mabogunje

Entertainment /41 How Uwaifo, Savage lifted NB Award Night

THE GUARDIAN www.ngrguardiannews.com

28 ARTS Friday, March 21, 2014

VisualArts Uwatse, Adewuyi return for Affinity

By Tajudeen Sowole HE abstract expressionist painter Chinwe T Uwatse and sculptor Kenny Adewuyi are not the regular in-your-face kind of artists.

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The rarity of their works has found a common ground in an exhibition titled, Affinity, showing from March 24 to April 30, at the fledging art and luxury design space Temple Muse, Victoria, Lagos, with the support of Veuve Clicquot.

With about three decades career on the canvas, and a recently opened studio in South of France, Uwatse is no doubt a wellknown artist, but uncommon on the exhibition circuit of her home country.

Coincidentally, Adewuyi also has a studio in France, but now hopes for a base in Nigeria A consistent passionate promoter of native content, Uwatse keeps stressing the importance of Uli signs and motifs of the Igbo women in contemporary artistic expression.

Even in South of France where sea and the sky synergise with the artist’s watercolor brush strokes, Uli still finds a space. In one of the works for the show, which she titles, Still Waters, the artist describes the scenery as “amazing chemistry of sky and sea,” expressed in the native signs and symbols.

Uwatse, a restless feminist, has continued to push the cause of women as three-piece paintings: Center of the Universe, Giver of Life and Ladies of Leisure rove over the scientific and spiritual proves of women as the “holders of the universe.”

Apart from painting, Uwatse also expresses her creative thoughts via poetry, which, usu-

When

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ally comes as supportive content in her past shows. Uwatse’s last solo, Burdens We Bear, stressed her passion about the challenges of women and questionable societal perception.

For Affinity, the poem, which represents his Artist Statement, dwells on life within the general context. In fact, three out of Adewuyi’s six solo shows were held in France. His last in Nigeria was Times of Life, in 2004, at Maison de France, Ikoyi, Lagos.

Clearly, it could take a long scratch on the Lagos art scene to come across a piece by Adewuyi. He works in forms of exaggerated representational figures, mostly in Marquette sizes. Most interesting about his sculptures are the emphasis on the feet of the subjects.

With the pyramid-like styles of form rendition in Adewuyi,’s sculpture, a basement is usually elimi n a t e d , which gives full worth of the art content without any intrusion to support t h e erection of the figure.

Thematically, some of his works in Affinity are influenced by a stint with northern Nigeria as an under graduate at Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria. For example, Destitute, a young man depicted in needy appearance, he says, represents his experience of the Almajiris. More significantly, the work, created during his master’s programme at ABU was one of the artist’s pathfinders at a period of his crossroad between form and material. “It was

Chinwe Uwatse’s The Universe is Me from Affinity. one of my experiments on forms at ABU.” Although the 20th century Italian sculptor, Alberto Giacometti’s style immediately comes to mind seeing Adewuyi’s work, the difference is the Nigerian’s style of diminishing top and emphasised base. Quite of masterly touch among Adewuyi’s works for Affinity is a seated figure When You Are Down.

Every artist has a story of license into creative freedom to tell. For Adewuyi’s journey into highly stylised figures, his inability to pay models for sculptures in the early period of his career offered the elongated forms option. “Because I could not afford to pay models for real figure sculpturing during my master’s degree programme, I subconsciously chose elongation and exaggeration forms,” the artist explains during a preview.

In his Artist Statement, Adewuyi reflects on

what he described as his imploring of “exaggeration and elongation of the human figure to best portray and express my inner feelings about the subjects that I often see in my environment.”

In poetry, Uwatse’s Artist Statement urges her “people” to change from false to reality.

“What should you do / To move beyond false notions/ Odd potions To reach perpetual and real motion...”

The curator, Sandra Obiago-Mbanefo noted that the artists’ exhibition of 16 sculptures and 24 watercolors that are rarely seen in the country falls in line with the exclusivity of the luxury designs items in Temple Muse.

For the venue’s Artistic Director, Avi Wadhwani, it’s a great delight “that Adewuyi and Uwatse’s amazing works are kicking off our artistic season this year.”

Yojus’ painting contest holds March 22

By Tolulope Okunlola TOTAL of 55 pupils from primary schools across the state will compete in the maiden Yojus fruit drink painting competition. Winners are expected to cart home prizes ranging from bicycles, computer games, educational materials and others on March 22.

At the media briefing heralding the event, Brand Manager, Yojus, Foluke Makinde, said, “we have received over 1, 200

A

Zemaye U. Okediji of Exwhyzee Photography…on display at the Battle Scars exhibition at Goethe Institute, Lagos Island. Appeared last week as illustration for “In Battle Scars, sympathisers’ lenses shoot down breast cancer”, inappropriate captioning necessitates its reprint. The error is regretted.

entries from 85 private schools in Lagos only. All entries were screened where 55 students emerged to participate in the final slated for March 22, 2014.”

According to her, all the finalists on the day will draw and paint in line with the theme of the competition, Stories of my holiday. She said that the paintings would be done with colour pencils while fine art instructors and lovers of art and painting would judge

the works.

Makinde disclosed that the best three works would go home with exciting prizes with the hope to make the competition bigger and better yearly. She added that the project aims at helping to unlock children’ creativity.

A kid’s refreshment drink, Yojus, a product of Olams Group of Companies, comes in six flavours: orange, pineapple, apple, blackcurrant, multi-fruit and strawberry.

Friday, March 21, 2014 ARTS

THE GUARDIAN www.ngrguardiannews.com

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Playing With Chance... Celebrating Anatsui, a ‘Nigerian master born in Ghana’ at 70 Stories by Tajudeen Sowole NSIDE the moderate art gallery space of the organisers, Centre for Contemporary Art (CCA), ILagos, admirers of master sculptor, El Anatsui, and other enthusiasts had a rare opportunity of peeping into the renowned artist’s studio.

It was a retrospective opening for the novel and special art show titled Playing With Chance — still showing till April 12 — to celebrate the Ghanaian artist, Anatsui at 70. The contents of the exhibition suggest that CCA has lifted the artist’s studio from Nsukka to Lagos.

Born in Anyako, Ghana in February, 1944, Anatsui was trained a sculptor at the College of Art, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana from 1965 to 68.

From 1975 till date, he has been teaching sculpture at the University of Nigeria (UNN), Nsukka, Enugu State, Southeast, Nigeria.

Anatsui, one of the world’s leading contemporary artists, has spent a greater part of his professional career in Nigeria. Interestingly, his sudden rise into the international art space, which started about 13 years ago, coincided with the art world’s increasing interest, particularly in fresh materials and medium as well as contents of art. In fact, Anatsui’s popularity across the world within a short period is perhaps unprecedented for any African artist. From his big size wood sculpture titled Monuments, to cloth series made of soft metal bottle tops, Anatsui’s works, largely promoted by October Gallery, London, U.K in the late 1990s through early 2000s started ascending the global art graph with a speed unprecedented for any African artists.

Currently, he is arguably the most sought-after African artist; he is exhibited across the world, constantly.

Celebrating Anatsui at 70 in Nigeria with Playing With Chance confirms the country’s art community’s claims of the artist. The guest speaker at the opening of the exhibition, Mrs. Sinmidele Adesanya of Mydrim Gallery, Ikoyi, Lagos stressed the point when she described Anatsui as “the only Nigerian master born in Ghana.”

Indeed, the aggressive and ebullience of creative contents in the work of Anatsui and its incendiary into global fame within a short period are typically of the assertiveness characteristic of Nigerians. Anatsui’s work and fame have confirmed that the environment, in which an artist works, irrespective of the peculiar challenges, cannot be divorced from the tone of the art produced.

This much also resonates in the contents of Playing With Chance, an exhibition, which summarises the on-and-off studio behaviour of Anatsui, in the last three and half decades or more. Glassed in a box-like presentation at the immediate entrance of the gallery are reviews, mostly from newspaper cuttings on the artist’s work, published within and outside Africa. Included are other reviews written by the artist for exhibition catalogues and journals.

And if it were possible to read the mind of a mas-

Guest Speaker, Mrs. Sinmidele Adesanya of Mydrim Gallery (left), director, Centre for Contemporary Art CCA, Lagos and the celebrant, Prof El Anatsui at the opening of the exhibition ter, through the taste of his collection of other artists, a set of works tagged From the Collection of El Anatsui offers a clue into the thoughts of the celebrant. The works, glassed against the wall, are actually selected from 35 pieces created by one of Anatsui’s colleague at UNN, Prof Uche Okeke ‘from 1938 to 1981.’

If you ever wondered how Anatsui’s wood works started, a collection of Omooba Yemisi Shyllon of the artist, dated 1973, offers a clue. The two-piece saucers, in wood with native African designs of motifs and signs draw a thin line between art and craft.

Memories of the master’s knowledge transfer to the future come in three of the works of his exstudents Nnenna Okore, Lucy Azubuike and Amarachi Okafor shown at the event.

From the wood panels to pieces of soft metals sewn together, the themes of Anatsui’s work have been expressed, basically, with focus on native African fabrics, some of which include, Tsiatsia, Man’s cloth, Duvor, Gawu, New World Map. However, material or medium has been so profound, changing at unhurried pace too. At 70, the artist is not getting younger, but his art is.

How much of time is really left to accommodate more material and forms? “I do not know now,” he said during a chat shortly before the celebration opened formally at CCA. “The medium I use changes, sometimes it comes when I am even unprepared.”

If Anatsui were not in the academia, his art would, most likely have been confined to craft, particularly during the era he set out to broaden the scope of contemporary sculpture.

Adesanya recalled meeting Anatsui for the first time in 2000 during a Bisi Silva collaborative project with Ford Foundation. Convinced that the artist “has taken sculpture beyond the

boundaries the we used to know,” Adesanya’s Mydrim Gallery would later in 2001, along with Nimbus Gallery, Lagos, showed 11 graduating students of Anatsui in a group exhibition titled New Energies, curated by the teacher. The exhibited students included Joseph Eze, Aneke, Chika, Ezeani, Chiamaka Kanu, Chikaogwu Lorliam, Martin Nnadi, Chidi Onyishi, Eramus Okore, Onuzulike, Ozioma and Onyishi, Uchechukwu.

The response from mainstream Lagos art scene to the exhibitions, according to Adesanya was like: ‘are these really art?’ ‘Why did Mydrim accept these as art?’ But 13 years after, speaking about the same artist who inspired the controversial exhibition, Adesanya was joyous and stated: “I am glad that Anatsui is the only Nigerian master born in Ghana who is one of the greatest artists in the world today.” She added that the artist, even at 70, “has not reached his limit yet.”

A fellow Ghanaian and artist, Rikki Wemega Kwawu who was in Lagos for the first time just to celebrate Anatsui also acknowledged the global status of the artist and prayed, “God gives him long life to continue.”

Curator of Playing with Chance, Silva told the gathering that, for CCA, it was innovative to celebrate, differently, an artist whose works have been shown all over the world. “The exhibition is shaped primarily through archival material in an attempt to present an alternative insight into the work and career of the artist.”

Some of the materials include the artist’s letters, planning strategies for exhibitions and business documents on transactions, even as odd an exhbit as the artist’s salary pay slips at UNN for over 36 years.

From one of the artist’s most recent exhibitions,

a solo Gravity and Grace: Monumental Works by El Anatsui, held last year at Brooklyn Museum, New York, US, comes an interview shown as video installation at CCA. Anatsui’s exploits on the global art market gave him an auction record in 2013. It was a world record at Bonhams’ Africa Now art auction in the UK, which had the artist’s woven tapestry of flattened bottle caps, titled New World Map sold for £541, 250 ($850,544).

According to Bonhams, “The huge masterwork

by El Anatsui (Born 1944) — a magisterial tapestry measuring 11ft by 16ft (350x500cm) — is similar to work the artist has shown at the Venice Biennale.”

On the art shows and special commission space abroad, Anatsui, in 2008 made a double. In his tour exhibition Gawu continued at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African Art, Washington, DC. The tour had took off a year earlier at Fowler Museum, University of California, UCLA, Los Angeles.

Also in May, 2008, Anatsui emerged as the third artist recorded on London’s Channel 4 sculptural work known as The Big 4, an installation that brings the ‘4’ logo to life on the steps of the channel’s Horse ferry Road headquarters.

During one of his past exhibitions, the artist had disclosed the inspiration behind his cloth themes as emanating from the popular Ghanaian fabric, Kente, a strip-woven cloth of the Asante and Ewe peoples of Ghana and Togo.

Anatsui explained: “It is a festive dress for special occasions-traditionally worn by men as a kind of toga and by women as an upper and lower wrapper.”

Some of Anatsui’s solo his solo art exhibitions included Earth Growing Roots, SDSU University Art Gallery, San Diego State University (2009); El Anatsui: Nyekor, Spazio Rossana Orlandi, Milan (2006); El Anatsui: Gawu, Oriel Mostyn Gallery, Llandudno (2003–2008); Hakpa, French Cultural Centre, Lagos (1997); El Anatsui, October Gallery, London (1995); Old and New: An Exhibition of Sculpture in Assorted Wood, National Museum, Lagos (1991); Venovize: Ceramic Sculptures, Faculty of Arts and Design, Cornwall College (1987); Pieces of Wood: An Exhibition of Mural Sculpture, The Franco-German Auditorium, Lagos (1987); Sculptures, Photographs, Drawings, Goethe-Institut, Lagos (1982); Wood Carvings, Community for the Arts, Cummington, Massachusetts (1980); Broken Pots: Sculpture by El Anatsui, British Council Enugu/Institute of African Studies, University of Nigeria Nsukka (1979); Wooden Wall Plaques, Asele Art Gallery, Nsukka (1976).

The artist is a recipients several honours and wards such as Prince Claus Award, Prince Claus Fund for Culture and Development, Amsterdam (2009); Public’s Prize, 7. Triennale der Kleinplastik, Stuttgart (1999); Bronze Prize, 9th Osaka Sculpture Triennale (1998); Kansai Telecasting Corporation Prize, Osaka Sculpture Triennale (1995); Honorable Mention (joint), 44th Venice Biennial (1990); Honorable Mention, 1st Ghana National Art Competition, Accra (1968).

In Glistening, Oresegun expands the boundary RIPS, splashes and flows of water, D captured with paint brush on canvas just like images on an IMAX3D cinema are the strength of young artist, Olumide Oresegun.

Oresegun had announced his entry into the Lagos art circuit in 2011 when he showed a debut solo Moment of Reason at Mydrim Gallery, Ikoyi, in an exhibition, that refreshed memories of classic painting of naturalism themes. The artist is back as he opens his second solo exhibition titled Glistening, tomorrow, at the same venue.

In this era of highly contentious contemporaneity of art content, Oresegun’s canvas insists that the great realism paintings by Leonardo Da Vinci, Rembrandt and Michelangelo are the most valuable pieces of art till date for the painstakingness invested by the artists.

Ahead of the opening, the display of works inside the ground floor of the gallery glaringly showed that indeed, Oresegun had something to flaunt: the water drips, splashes and flows dominated, just as the artist’s skill in photo finish style painting is

loud in the largely children themes dominated display.

He explains, “children in their natural environment attracts my attention.” These include bathing and playing scenes.

Three years after his first solo, what exactly is Glistening bringing that Moment of Reason did not?

He says, “I am inspired by simple everyday scenes. I enjoy watching children at play totally uninhibited converting all around them into toys and games. I am motivated to capture these scenes on canvas.”

Still on the children theme, the artist flaunts his lighting technique, particularly in a in a light scene where the kids use fuel lantern. Though works like that of Oresegun are taken for granted, the domination of the contemporary art space with nonnaturalism contents of representational themes, might in the near future place rarity on naturalism.

Aside from the water effects, drumming also attracts the artist’s canvas, capturing scenes across the age barriers. In one of the works, titled, Behind the Stage, an after performance

scene of street drummers, comes a revelation in the method by which the drummers keep their earnings.

Oresegun’s brushing picks the drummer as they pour money out of the shekere (beaded maracas). And just to answer the curiosity on how the effects are achieved, the artist reveals, “I have been able to achieve-this real life effect of water on canvas by painting in layers.”

The gallery, One of the bathing sc ene in Olum which is known ide Oresegu n’s Glistenin for discovering new artists and inno- skills.” g. vations, notes that after the artist’s The curator, Sinmidele first solo “Oresegun has honed his Ogunsanya argued, “his paintings of

water scenes are so ‘real’ you almost feel the water splashing on you from the canvas.”

She addeds, “the fruits in his still life works look ‘real’ enough to pick and eat.”

Oresegun had his Higher National Diploma (HND) from Yaba College of Technology, Lagos, Nigeria in 2006.

Some of his group shows are: The God Of Ages, 2002, Didi Museum, Victoria Island, Lagos and Where The Journey Ends And Begins, 2004, Yusuf Grillo Gallery, Yaba.

In 2005, he won the third prize at the Goethe Institut/Chidi Kwubiri Competition, organised

by Goethe Institute, Lagos, Nigeria.

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Film Golden dance for Nollywood pioneer, Matthew Simpa Stories by Shaibu Husseini AVING directed over 20 films, two soap operas, at least four musical videos, several television programmes, written screenplays for five major movies in the 1990s, edited almost a hundred episodes of two soap operas and handled some stunning montages in a career that has spanned almost three decades, Matthew Simpa is a man of no mean achievement.

As a young man, he with the late Yemi Meshioye, Sunday Ossai and Tajudeen Showole were behind the technology that inspired what is now known as Nollywood. Notable film critic, journalist and former Managing Director of the National Mirror Steve Ayorinde attested to this in an article he wrote during the celebration of Nollywood at 20 when he said “indeed, Nollywood ought to be appreciated more as a product of a renaissance than circumstance…The renaissance that defines Nollywood started essentially with the trio of the late Yemi Meshioye, Sunday Ossai and Matthew Simpa whose MeSh Films produced Jagunlabi in the late 1980s on what was then known as ‘reversal film’- a cheaper form of celluloid. The cost-cutting formula was what eventually led to a far

h

cheaper alternative, championed by the late Muyideen Aromire, who churned out series of video dramas that eventually got Kenneth Nnebue’s NeK Video Links to engage in selling video films, in funding late Isola Ogunsola.”

The versatile film producer who started out with MeshFilms as an Assistant Film Director, went on in the mid to late 1990s to pioneer faith based movies in Lagos, has now matured into middle age and is set to break more grounds. This time around, he is working on a movie, which he says will define the next trend of mainstream movie production in Nigeria. The film is titled One Long Night and Simpa confirmed that the movie, which will star Tinsel regular Yeni ejide-Davies and eric Obinna, is already at the preproduction stage.

Simpa described the movie, which is about hope, family values, faithfulness, and endurance and about reinforcing the original intent of the One who created the institution of marriage, as a ‘family oriented movie’.

But why a faith based movies at a time that the dominant thematic focus in Nollywood is sex and crime? The man whose latest work Angeli Nigeria currently runs on

Galaxy Television, replied “i agree with Joni ereckson Tada, the physically challenged woman who performed the Oscar nominated song from the faith-based film Alone Yet Not Alone that ‘we are at a point …where people are becoming weary and tired of media messages and movies that degrade the human spirit, that defame the human heart, that weigh people down and reinforce hopelessness and despair. People want messages that inspire, uplift, encourage and underscore bravery and valour.’ I want to make movies that will have positive, lasting influences on audiences rather than one that will have an ephemeral effect on them.”

Location shoot for One Long Night was to commence in December last year. however, as a result of inadequate finance, shooting has now been postponed to around easter. “I am self financing the movie, and it’s been difficult. I really desire help at this point to support the work.”

Simpa’s greatest desire, he says, is to have the film ready on his 50th birthday, which comes up in June this year. “That way, I would have crowned my golden year with a veritable achievement,” he said. .

Matthew Simpa

Bayelsa seeks fund for 10th AMAA celebration he Governor of T Bayelsa State, hon.

Seriake Dickson will

Matthew Simpa (middle) directing Angeli Nigeria

Half of a Yellow Sun to be released soon Media, the Nigerian producer, and Sof hAReMAN FilmOne Distribution, the Nigerian distributor the feature film Half of a Yellow Sun, have announced that the highly anticipated film will be released in all Nigerian cinemas on Friday, April 25. The Nigerian premiere is sponsored by etisalat, the Wheatbaker hotel and Arik Air. Half of a Yellow Sun, a film adaptation of the international bestselling novel by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, had its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) in Canada to great applause, and subsequently premiered in europe at the BFI London Film Festival, London.

The Film will be released in cinemas in Australia from March 27, in the UK from April 11, and in the US in the early summer.

Directed by the Nigerian playwright, Biyi Bandele and shot in the Tinapa Studios in Calabar and in

various locations in Cross Rivers State, Half of a Yellow Sun stars the BAFTA Award-winning and Oscar-nominated actor, Chiwetel ejiofor (12 Years a Slave), and BAFTA Award-winning actor Thandie Newton. Genevieve Nnaji, Onyeka Onwenu, O. C. Ukeje, and Zack Orji led the supporting cast of the epic love story.

Some critics have attested to the technical quality of the film. They say it demonstrates that it is possible to make a high quality production in Nigeria with the appropriate budget and technical input.

Sources say the bulk of the funding for the film, which cost about 8 million dollars to make, came from Nigeria. Observers however say that they anticipate a successful box office turn out for the film, as its success will ensure that many more projects can access the required funding in the country.

lead top government officials from the state, captains of industry and the entire corporate Nigeria to the 10th Anniversary Sponsors Dinner of the Africa Movie Academy Awards on Saturday March 22, 2014 at the Civic Centre, Ozumba Mbadiwe, Victorial Island Lagos.

In a joint statement by the Director General of the Bayelsa State Tourism Development Board, Mrs. ebizi Brown and Chief executive of AMAA, Ms. Peace Anyiam-Osigwe the sponsors dinner is designed to engage and partner the private sector on the potentials and benefits of the awards platform to the development of motion picture industry in Nigeria and Africa. The event also aims at showcasing the tourism development initiatives of the State.

Speaking on the event Mrs. Brown said, ‘’this year’s edition of AMAA is a special one for us in Bayelsa state and we want to make our guests both Nigerians and foreigners to experience Bayelsa in different form. Our people, our culture and our exotic coastal areas will be showcased to attract the right investments and

Peace Anyiam-Osigwe partnership with the private sector. The dinner will afford us to tell the leaders of private sector to explore the many opportunities in our state and we will seek their sponsorship for this year edition of AMAA.’’ Speaking in the same

vein, AMAA boss, Ms. Anyiam-Osigwe disclosed that the relationship between the awards organization and Bayelsa State has blossomed in the last 10 years and the 10th Anniversary of AMAA is planned to give all guests an exciting and memorable experience. ‘’Bayelsa and Africa Film Academy are working to ensure infrastructure that will support filmmaking are readily available. We want to solicit the support of the private sector to support us and sponsor AMAA and other Nigerians initiatives that promote our creative industry, our peo-

i-REP docufest gets underway in Lagos he annual i-Represent International Documentary Film Festival got underway at the T Freedom Park, Customs Street in Lagos yesterday.

The four days long festival, which will climax on March 23, 2014 with an award ceremony and a jazz music fiesta that will underscore the festival theme, which is “Rhythms of Identity” would feature workshop sessions, documentary film screenings, panel discussions, practical training sessions and stakeholders networking opportunities. The overall conceptual theme of i-ReP is “Africa in SelfConversation”, and executive Director of the festival Femi Odugbemi explained, that the theme seeks to explore what defines Africans. hordes of eminent international documentary filmmakers from over 20 countries in Africa and europe are attending this edition, which starting today will feature a special training programme to be held in partnership with the european Audiovisual entrepreneurs (eAVe) - a professional training organization.

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Friday, March 21, 2014 LITERATURE 35

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Literature Toxic Eucharist… exciting publishing option from Magic Wand

By Anote Ajeluorou HESE are exciting times for publishing in T Nigeria. In spite of perceived poor reading culture and sheer apathy for the book and lack of patronage among the populace, many Nigerians are not deterred. Realising how important books are to personal and national development in a world built on knowledge economic indices, they have kept faith and are expanding various frontiers to make the book accessible to those keen on not being left behind fast-moving 21st century train.

And while the reputable publishing companies are busy chasing recommended texts from ministries of education to be in business, innovative ones like Magic Wand Publishing are not only focused on creative, fictional books, but are taking advantages of the internet to launch into realms already commonplace in other parts of the world. For Magic Wand, Print-on-Demand (PoD) is the future of books in Nigerian and West Africa’ it claims first to venture into the platform in the region.

Toxic Eucharist by Uzor Ngoladi is one of its major works, although it has been in the shadows in the past three years after publishing Myne Whiteman’s A Heart to Mend.

Magic Wand’s Lead Account Manager, Mr. Adewumi Fabarabe, stated in Lagos last week that it was going public with its exciting new publishing offers with Toxic Eucharist because the book breaks new frontiers, as it boldly takes on the explosive issue of religion often seen as a taboo, with its dose of unquestioning dogma. Print-on-Demand, he explained, works on a lean publishing framework that sheds wastes on all fronts. First, you print as many or as few as you have need of so as to avoid stockpiling unsold books in stores or warehouses.

In other words, printing is done based on demand at a given time.

Although Fabarebo agrees it’s an elevated form of self-publishing, he, however, noted that Magic Wand goes further than merely pushing a book into an author’s hands to do with them as he wished. His company, he assured, goes the extra mile to provide book editing, promotion and marketing support for its authors. Although he does not pay royalties to authors, he only collects a small percentage from the printing cost, and allows an author a wide margin so his book becomes profitable.

But he promotes his authors on reading tours.

From March 21 when Toxic Eucharist will be presented at Terra Kulture, Victoria Island, Lagos, Magic Wand would launch its 1000 books on its web portal - www.booksbymagicwand.com.ng. By this scheme authors are being invited to send in or bring the first three chapters of their fictional manuscripts to Terra Kulture for instant assessment. Accepted manuscripts would be properly edited and uploaded into the web portal and made available on Amazon and other web-based bookstores available to readers worldwide for the Print-on-Demand marketing format.

On Toxic Eucharist, Fabarebo said working on the book had been a journey on account of the controversial nature of its subject, as “It’s a great deal of religious stuff. What can be said is that it’s a great, awesome read”.

HILE the inclination to defer to some W higher being seems ingrained in man’s genetics in his quest to understand himself and humanity at large, the extent to which he has inflicted injury on his fellow man on account of religion seems incalculable. Boko Haram’s self-appointed mission of destruction is a case in point, not to mention other subtle ways by which innocent worshippers are daily being defrauded and degraded by those who purport to lead them in various places of wor-

ship.

These are some of the issues Ngoladi tackles in his new and controversial fiction,

Toxic Eucharist, set in Eastern Nigeria.

Although Ngoladi did not set out to attack on a particular religious faith and its adher-

ents, he has merely brought his creative vision to bear on some of the common vices plaguing modern-day religious practices. Such issues range from fleecing the flock in the guise of revelations or prophecies, priests molesting minors, sex abuse, greed for money, stealing in the church and other such vices that crucify Christ anew in the sheer brazenness of atrocities in various houses of God. While presenting the novel to the media last week at O’Jez Restaurant, National Stadium, Surulere, Lagos, Ngoladi said although the works is pure fiction, he was forced to take up religion, as a way of urging critical self-examination on all, as society’s wellbeing is linked to its religious health. He noted with alarm the high level of moral bankruptcy and hypocrisy evident in places of worship in the country, saying a moral regeneration was needed to steer back the cause of religious faith for the healing Nigeria needs.

Anchored against the backdrop of Catholicism, the faith the author grew up in, which acts as springboard for Toxic Eucharist, Ngoladi stated that his work is nowhere near Salman Rushdie’s Satanic Verses even though he’d had angry reactions to it. Some had even gone as far as referring to the work as blasphemous. But he said there was nothing new under the sun that hadn’t been written before and that the work must not be construed as castigating all priests as immoral, but that some were upright men and women working out a salvation for themselves and their followers.

“Religion has brought a lot of good and bad,” the author stated, “but there’s the crisis of identity; we have discarded our African religion for the Hebrew God. What are the tenets of Christianity or Islam?

Now, there are a lot of religious clashes. It’s time we do self-examination in the name of religion. Why do the clergy scam the flock?

Expectation from the clergy should be high; it’s not for the morally bankrupt, as the priest character in Toxic Eucharist is portrayed.”

Scarcast… Dibie’s poetry of promise

By Anote Ajeluorou F poetry is the shorthand for Icially emotional outpouring, espeof a famished soul seeking healing, then Jenim Dibie’s Scarcast (WRITE Ideas Services, Lagos; 2013) is one outpouring so profuse and deep in its cathartic rendering. It’s the poetry of a soul reaching for the stars, for fellow man and for God in search of the hidden beauty in these entities to heal a world and a soul that fall easy victim to corrupting influences of love for all manners of things.

Scarcast is at once personal and universal. Ostensibly from personal (and female sensibility) searing experiences with an unnamed male persona, the essence of love, pain, hurt and human relationships are explored to the fullest. There’s the poetic exploration of the dark, interior being of the female persona, whose encounter with the outside world, represented

by the male in incurable love tangle, is one of immense hurt and pain from which she struggles for healing. Starting from the innocence of love and human contact with the opposite sex, this female persona finds to her dismay that not all that glitters is gold, that there’s a slim line between love and hate and a broken heart.

More than anything, the theme of love runs through this book in all its shades. And then hurt and pain and love found again in a faith in God whose love is so immense and always reaching out to erring man, who, in his darkest moment, shuns this embracing love from God. Scarcast is also an examination of the human race and the things man yearn for, how he seeks after his heart’s desire and hurt and what the whole essence of existence is all about.

The poet, having seen through all of man’s seemingly empty struggles on earth to literally

own everything in it, indulgently laughs at man for his folly in the piece ‘Culture’, where man is required to do things because it’s ‘The way of the people/The way of mindless conformity/The way of being loved by everyone…’.

But before the universal, the poet goes through acute moments of personal searing pain for giving in to love. Of course, it’s ‘The way of the people…’ But she finds to her shock that the love that everyone craves is strewn with unseen barbs of pain she finds so hard to pull from her wounded, bleeding heart. She refers to herself as the child of love, as she has lost her mind to love, as in ‘A Stitch in Time Saves Mine’: ‘A few have lost their minds to love/I am one of them/I’ve lost my mind to my heart/I’ve loved in summer/And cried in the rain/I’ve always felt I’d die young/Forget not this humble poet/ Who made words dance like none other…/She lived and loved richly/A love creature/Born of love for love to love…/My life’s been the third world war/A war that’s promised to leave the world a rose/Keep forever Jenim, the lass scared by life’s trimming…”

Friday, March 21, 2014 LITERATURE 37

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From African Writers, honour for Achebe, Jonathan

By Mohammed Abubakar HE Pan African Writers’ Association (PAWA) as part of its T planned International Writers’ Day (IWD) has announced plans to institute some programmes in honour of literary icon and late author of Things Fall Apart, Prof. Albert Chinualumogu Achebe.

Also to appreciate the physical presence of President Goodluck Jonathan during the burial of the late literary giant last year and for being a supporter of literature, the continental writers’ body has decided to confer its highest award on him, named, “The PAWA Noble Patron of the Arts Award.”

A delegation of PAWA from its Headquarters in Accra, the capital city of Ghana on a courtesy call on President Goodluck Jonathan in his office at the Presidential Villa on Tuesday sought the support of Nigerian government to “endow a literary prize of international standing to be called the Chinua Achebe Prize for Literature,” which the association said it is working on its modalities.

The delegation, led by the Secretary General, Prof. Atukwei Okai disclosed PAWA’s plan to hold this year’s International African Writers’ Day in honour of Achebe in recognition of his giant stride in literature. He therefore invited the President to be the Chief Guest of Honour at the event scheduled to take place in November in Accra, Ghana.

“The International African Writers’ Day was established by the African Union to be celebrated yearly throughout the continent to afford all the African people a moment to pause to reflect on the contributions of the African writer to the continent’s development. On these occasions in the past, we had honoured writers like Nadine Godimer, Professor Ali Mazrui, Woke Soyinka and Professor Femi Osofisan. This year it is the turn of Chinua Achebe,” the leader of the delegation said.

PAWA also congratulated the President and Rivers state government on the designation by UNESCO of Port Harcourt as the International Book Centre for 2014. He also congratulated Governor Rotimi Amaechi as well as Rainbow Book Club which efforts and supports have put Nigeria on the literary map.

The PAWA scribe also noted the pioneering role being played by the Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA) in the survival of PAWA. According to him, all African writers the world over are members of PAWA. “But ANA remains one of the most active members of PAWA and. a prominent Nigerian writer, Prof Femi Osofisan is the Vice President of PAWA. “We are proud to place on record that ANA is not only the most active member of PAWA but from the very foundation days of PAWA, it has stood by PAWA through thick and thin and demonstrated an inspiring spirit of commitment to the cause of the pursuit of excellence and the development of the African literary world.

“It is a real cause for joy and pride that the vigorous and dedicated literary activity of the Nigerian literary world has been noted and acknowledged. We are glad and inspired that the City of Port Harcourt has been designated by the UNESCO as the International Book Centre for 2014.

“Significantly, Nigeria is that African country to which God decided to apportion a totally federal quota of gifted writers and unique talents, and they have gallantly and humanely deployed these assets on behalf of the highest interests of the

Nigerian people and even beyond.”

Responding, President Jonathan thanked the association for the honour as well as its plans to honour Achebe, promising to keep supporting them in their activities. He asked the association to formalise the invitation by bringing letters to his office.

He however pledged to support the association by mobilizing funds from Anambra sons and daughters for the Achebe literary prize. Besides, the President also used the opportunity to assure the delegation of his administration’s commitment to vigorously pursue the “Bring Back the Book” programme, which he initiated in 2011.

The President said the decision to revive the Bring Back the Book programme was borne out his concern for the declining reading culture among Nigerian youths, occasioned by the advent of Internet and the short message text of mobile phones.

His words, “It will be recalled that I launched a programme called the ‘Bring Back the Book’ together with Prof. Wole Soyinka in Lagos in 2011. That programme was intended to generate the interest of Nigerian youth in reading culture, which has been going down. If somebody of Soyinka’s calibre is involved in a programme, you know that it is a serious matter.

“So we will do everything possible to ensure that we resuscitate the programme to encourage our youth to read because any society, whose younger ones cannot read very well cannot be said to be making any progress.” He blamed the poor reading culture among young Nigerians to the presence of the Internet and social media.

“I thank the association for what you have been doing to encourage writing culture. In this age of Internet and text messages, people don’t like to write long sentences again. Our young peo-

ple are used to reading very short things, they don’t have interest in reading the novels we read in our days,” the President said.

On the fund raising for Achebe, Jonathan said, “Anything about Chinua Achebe will be easy for us to mobilize funds. The money may not necessarily come from government coffers but I will be able to coordinate some friends especially from Achebe’s home state, Anambra which has very vibrant young men and women who can support robustly if they are properly carried along which I can play that role. We will bring them on board to assist.

“Achebe has made the name, not just for Nigeria but also for the continent and writers like you should be able to promote the name further,” the President said.

The association also honoured the President as their Noble Patron. Among the items given to the President for the honour include a certificate, plaque cold cast in bronze, gold medal and stool of royalty.

On the delegation were David Mungoshi, Vice President for Southern Africa, former President of Zimbabwe Writers’ Association, poet, novelist and a Professor of the University of Zimbabwe; Prof. Remi Raji, President of the Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA); Ms. Sylvie Ntsame Ngomo, novelist and President of the Gabonese Writers’ Association.

Other members of the delegation were former member, House of Representatives and former President of ANA, Dr. Wale Okediran; former Registrar of West African Examination Council (WAEC) now a traditional ruler, Eze (Prof.)

Chukwuemeka Ike; Mr. Nnimmo Bassey, a Nigerian poet and Director of Mother EarthFoundation as well as Miss Joy Aikoroje PAWA Liaison Officer.

Foundation takes Art for Peaceful campaign to AU

By Emeka Anuforo S part of efforts to promote peace in A Nigeria and many other conflict ridden African countries, two organizations: Ufuk Dialogue Foundation and the Omoba Yemisi Adedoyin Shyllon Art Foundation (OYASAF) have put together a special Art for Peace exhibition at the African Union Headquarters in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

The exhibition, entitled:’ Art for Peace: Paint African Value’, which was targeted to lure leaders attending the Freedom of Expression and Respect for the Sacred conference, and indeed, global leaders to give extra thoughts to addressing the many causes of conflicts and the attendant negative consequences.

The exhibition, featured paintings from Nigeria, depicting the country’s various positive values as reflected in its culture and people.

President of Ufuk Dialogue Foundation, Oguzhan Dirican told The Guardian that the show was part of efforts to promote dialogue as solution to conflict.

He stressed that the project also aims to promote peace, dialogue, culture of coexistence from African perspective among painting.

He said: “Our foundation is working on dialogue activities, especially between international dialogue activities between Nigeria and Turkey, and also interfaith dialogue activities between Muslims and Christians, especially.

We are working for the culture of coexistence, mutual understanding, peace building, because we see peace as the source of everything. If there is peace, we can talk about education, we can talk about good health, we can talk about good economy, you can talk about good governance, among others.

“Peace is the source of everything. This is the

President of Ufuk Foundation, Mr. Oguzhan Dirican conducting Commissioner for Political Affairs at AU, Mrs Aisha Abdullahi round the Art for Peace Exhibition in Addis Ababa area that we are working in, and we see the many of the problems associated with lack of peace come for ignorance. We have identified dialogue as one of the main sources that can solve some of the problems which come from ignorance.”

On the themes which featured in the various paintings, he noted that the promoters choose topics related to peace and peaceful coexistence.

Dirican said: “We choose such kind of areas and such type of topics first of all because we know that Nigeria and Africa generally are constantly on the news over one conflict or the other. Even at this conference, you can hear Nigeria and the conflict in Nigeria mentioned by many speakers.

“We want to show that Africa, and Nigeria, particular,has very important sources. One of them is art. Art is an international language which

everybody understands. We want to show that Nigeria has a rich cultural base in arts, especially paintings. By this exhibition, we want to first of all show this, and by choosing the theme of of ‘ Art for Peace Paint African Values’, we want to show also how people are willing to live in peace and they don’t want conflicts in Nigeria,and also in Africa.”

He went on: “We collected some works from different artistes and in collaboration with the Oooba Yemisi Adedoyin Shyllon Art Foundation ( OYASAF). I wants thank Prince Yemisi who is coordinating this project with me.

“That is why we chose the area of art and rituals and the peace of ‘ Art for Peace Paint African Values’. Today, you see that we are exhibiting these paintings at the African Union, which is the centre of Africa. We see that people are very interested, especially non African people who come from Turkey, India, and many other countries are very interested in the pictures and the success of the works.”

He said the Foundation would take the campaign to Turkey and the United States, noting how the quest for peace should be the collective responsibility of all Africans regardless of where they are.

Commissioner in charge of Political Affairs at the African Union Commission, Dr. Aisha Abdullahi, stressed how the medium of art was an interesting angle to promote peace on the continent.

She said: “Art is a tool that is not only for promoting peace, it is one tool that has no ethnic ownership, no regional ownership. When we see a work of art, regardless of where we come from, the message could be interpreted . I have seen the exhibition, and I see it as a very laudable effort to promote peace, not only in the various ethnic groups in Nigeria, but on the continent. It is a remarkable effort.”

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ARTS Friday, March 21, 2014

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Revue The 64th birthday celebration of public intellectual and former Private Secretary to the late political sage, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, Mr. Odia Ofeimun produces a book that endorses the on-going National Conference while tasking the delegates to forge a new deal for the country

By Anote Ajeluorou LTHOUGH questions were raised as to A whether public intellectuals (including artists and scientists, who are endowed with the power to envision better future for the country) were among those attending the National Conference designed to discuss the soul of Nigeria, Odia Ofeimun, a man many think ought to be part of the conference, had been cooking a dish since President Goodluck Jonathan announced the coming of the talkshow.

And since the proposed conference provoked so much public debate before its commencement, Ofeimun had been cooking his dish, which he intended to serve those selected to negotiate Nigeria’s future away from the current waste and wreck.

But little did he realise the conference proper would be scheduled to start a day after his 64th birthday, March 16, a situation he said offered him opportunity to address salient issue germane to the conference. Ofeimun then gathered a few of his friends to Agip Recital Hall, MUSON Centre, Onikan, Lagos, for a symposium and presentation of his new book, This Conference Must Be Different.

Of course, many conferences had been held before now, but the outcomes were not made public, a scenario that had triggered apathy for the current conference.

But Ofeimun, whose middle name could easily be ‘Mr. Optimism for Nigeria’ is convinced that those, who opposed the conference were shortsighted, saying that Nigerians and the opposition alike must seize the opportunity of the conference to chart a better path for Nigeria.

Ofeimun’s recent creative interventions like his dance dramas – Nigeria the Beautiful and Itoya –A Dance for Africa mirror the mind of a patriot, with outstanding optimism for his country.

Because of 1914, a dance drama that signals his recognition of the landmark that amalgamation represents for the country, would have been put on stage for his 64th birthday but for the exigency of the conference; he abandoned it to present This Conference Must Be Different.

According to Ofeimun, “I ought to finish three books; they were very difficult books to write.

All my life all I wanted to do was write books that will help contribute to the ideas that will make this country better. My dream is that of my dance drama – Nigeria the Beautiful – that Nigeria will truly become beautiful for all of us”.

For those who think nothing has changed since 1999 till date and who would argue for a return to regionalism, Ofeimun said they had narrow sense of development concept, as all indices indicate massive development in nearly all the states of the federation, as had never happened before due to state creation. He argued that Nigeria’s ethnic make-up is far more complexity than any other country in the world including the U.S., China and India, with far larger populations than Nigeria.

He also regarded it as injustice what Nigeria has done to the Gwari people, the original owners of the land between Kaduna and Abuja.

When Lord Federick Lugard sought a new capital away from Zungeru (Gunduru), Ofeimun averred, he displaced the Gwaris in the area and created Kaduna. Again, when Nigerians needed a new capital away from Lagos, Abuja became the prime plot, with the attendant displacement of the Gwari people.

Altogether, Ofeimun said the Gwaris are scattered in three states, adding that it would seem some persons were afraid of the ethnic might of the Gwaris to the point of denying them the cohesion they need to bond together in one state for their own development. He argued the same thing for the Ekiti people scattered in parts of Kogi State.

“That we have managed ourselves to where we

Elder John Akhabue; Odia Ofeimun; Prof. Kole Omotoso and Comrade (Col.) Albert Oduehi at Ofeimun’s 64th birthday Symposium and book presentation at MUSON Centre, Onikan, Lagos… last Sunday

For confab delegates, ‘unusual’ gift from Ofeimun are and now want to make Nigeria better is something”, he enthused. He said unknown to many Nigerians, the National Assembly had done a great job of reviewing the Constitution and had made important changes like removing the immunity clause for the president and governors and making education and health free and justiceable, salient issues, which he said had been blocked before by those who know their potency to creating a virile citizenry that can oppose oppression and repression.

Nevertheless, Ofeimun still maintained that the on-going National Conference would serve to authenticate what the National Assembly had been doing in reviewing the Constitution.

Ofeimun stated, “We need a National Conference to authenticate what the National Assembly has done with the Constitution Review. When the National Assembly debates the outcome of the National Conference and they disagree on issues emanating from it, then it will be incumbent on them to call for a referendum, to seek the sovereignty of the people.

The work the National Assembly has done is laudable. National Conference is to give affirmation to what many Nigerians actually want done. In any case, the National Conference may not bring what we want, but it will lead us to what we want”.

The former Private Secretary to Chief Obafemi Awolowo who’d always wanted to be a writer from an early age, said he chose to sit on the side where ideas are being propounded rather than be a politician. He noted to be able to take any action, be it political or otherwise, one had to “first embrace ideas; we need to share a body of ideas”.

Although Awolowo whom he served may be no more, but Ofeimun’s abiding faith in the man’s polemics and philosophical orientation is so total he advises anyone seeking political office not only to read the sage’s books but study and use them as compasses and leadership tools to advance the country’s development. Awo, according to Ofeimun, was the greatest strategist that walked the Nigerian political turf, as he perfected a development blueprint that cannot be surpassed. Ofeimun singled out The Strategy & Tactics of the People’s

Republic of Nigeria, as one of Awolowo’s books that is a must-read for anyone seriously desirous of developing the country.

Easily one of the foremost thinkers of his generation, Ofeimun also took time to reminisce on his growing up years in Edo State, pointing out how hard and rough a road he’d walked to come this far, saying, “I was an indigent student”. As an indigent young person, he was only armed with his optimism, which he opined saw him rising from the factory floor to the four walls of a university, where he studied Political Science at University of Ibadan.

Having been brought up by his grandfather, who never used the big stick but preferred to reason out issues with his grandchildren, Ofeimun said such formative tutoring style was to have a profound effect on him, adding, My optimism stems from my being badly brought up; we were brought up to believe in verbal communication is very strong; that selfexpression is very important. We were brought up by my grandfather, who never raised his hand against us. He reasoned with us on why a thing should be or not be”.

Earlier, keynote speaker at the symposium, Prof. Kole Omotoso, who said he left Nigeria in certain unfriendly circumstances, said he

Whether we like it or not, where conferences succeed, the people had their backs to the wall like in South Africa since the time of Steve Biko.

Our backs are not against the wall yet; we’re still managing; we’re still tolerating. Odia has analysed these things for us. We must thank him. All we need do is carry this book to Abuja and force each of the delegates to buy and read it. If a book is to matter to a country, this is the very book

looks at Ofeimun as some younger brother, who has come to be part of his family, with his own children dotting and learning from his feet. He conceded that some of his children taking to some form of writing or other was owed largely to Ofeimun’s influence.

He stated, “His (Ofeiumun’s) enthusiasm, optimism about ‘Project Nigeria’ amazes me. I always call his attention to all the negatives, but he calls my attention to the positives. And I agree things are changing. In Lagos, the streets are clean, free of refuse. No doubt, there’s a relentless march. Marking Odia’s birthday is marking the march of Nigeria!

“After 1999, Nobel Laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka, suggested a National Conference, but then there was the National Assembly, who best to run a country. But where do you get the angels to run Nigeria? The National Assembly has begun to change the things the people want to change and then you set up a National Conference to be paid N4 million each. But then when Odia confidently, optimistically says this conference is different, we need to take him seriously.

“Whether we like it or not, where conferences succeed, the people had their backs to the wall like in South Africa since the time of Steve Biko.

Our backs are not against the wall yet; we’re still managing; we’re still tolerating. Odia has analysed these things for us. We must thank him. All we need do is carry this book to Abuja and force each of the delegates to buy and read it. If a book is to matter to a country, this is the very book”.

Both Comrade (Col.) Albert Uduehi and Mr. John Akhabue also gave testimony to Ofeimun’s early life, having known him these past six decades and more and how they used to crowd into one room and eat garri with palm kernel.

But they also testified to Ofeimun’s tenacity, his forthrightness and his arguments and his power of reasoning. Akhabue commended him for writing the book, describing it as a warfare material designed to save the soul of Nigeria.

Ofeimun read an excerpt from his new book, This Conference Must be Different while folk artist and poet, Akeem Lasisi performed tin honour of master poet and celebrant, Ofeimun to bring the event to a memorable end.

Friday, March 21, 2014 ARTS 39

THE GUARDIANwww.ngrguardiannews.com

Kyari Mohammed is Professor of History and Director of the Centre for Peace and Security Studies at the Modibbo Adama University of Technology, Yola. He studied at the Universities of Maiduguri and Ibadan respectively for his undergraduate and postgraduate programmes. He has written extensively on the history of Borno and Western Sudan as well as inter-group relations in Nigeria. He is currently one of Nigeria’s leading scholars studying the ongoing Boko Haram insurgency in northeastern Nigeria. He spoke to KABIR ALABI GARBA on Nigeria’s centenary celebration and how the vision of building a democratic nation with a vibrant economic base that defines people’s wellbeing is yet to be realised.

HERE weren’t any landmarks or milestones “T for the North that compelled the 1914 amalgamation. It was a British colonial decision for

culture have been eroded. Therefore, modern practices are no longer guided by the truth.

Would it be wrong to say that Nigeria, nay Africa should go back to the true values that defined our societies?

“Yes, indeed, I agree with you that we should go back to the communal and people centred values that defined African societies, but what happened to our humanity as a people,” he asked. The values of justice, equity, fairness, integrity and discipline are universal to all human societies not necessarily those of Africa.

Yes, we should take what is good of our Africanness, but most importantly, key into global best practices of democracy, human security, and people centred policies. In a nutshell, we should look forward to the future and not remain slaves to our past, no matter how grandiose.

Globalisation is surely bad for the people of Africa but we should make the best of the bad situation rather than engage in hand wringing to no avail.”

Nigerian politicians are said to be historically naïve: they don’t learn from history. Don’t you think that scenario – the actions and reactions in the political terrain – can degenerate to a repeat of what happened in 1965/66?

He agrees with that notion, saying, “Nigerians, not only its politicians, have no enduring sense of history; they act and react as if there is no tomorrow. This is both a function of their lack of knowledge as well as the undemocratic and winner-takes-all nature of our politics.”

He said, “besides public office and not entrepreneurship has become the fastest route to wealth in this country. For as long as political office remains lucrative and corruption and criminality go unpunished, politicians would stop at nothing and stoop to everything to gain power. This is a recipe for disaster. We need to reorient our politics and governance system.

1965/66 is a distinct possibility, and the 2015 transition will be a make or mar one for Nigeria.”

There is a general belief that people name things in order to own them perpetually. Can we say that Nigeria is suffering from that belief system considering the fact that 53 years after independence, the country is still toddling and dependent on the West for directions?

According to him, “well, the nature of our transition from colonial rule to independence ensured that we remained within the orbit of international capitalism. Add to this the succession of post-independence rulers, civilian and military, who all took directions from Washington and London, which all ensured that Nigeria remained an appendage of the West, doing their bidding including fighting their wars in Africa and beyond, shedding Nigerian blood for no justifiable cause. Nigeria would continue to toddle until our leaders discard their slave mentality and get our priorities right, by putting the interest of Nigeria and Nigerians over and above that of any country, no matter how powerful. They should also differentiate regime interest from national interest otherwise there we would make no progress at all.”

Do you believe in the argument that Nigeria should change its name to reflect the local dynamics?

“No,” he breathed out. “Whatever name this country bears, it would still be governed by the same characters and populated by the same people. We need to imbibe a sense of Nigerianness as distinct from other primordial and sectional loyalties. It is not in the name. The problem is not in our stars but in us, as the popular poem goes.”

which the inhabitants of both the Colony and Protectorate of Southern Nigeria and the Northern Protectorate had no input, whatsoever,” he said, adding: “It was done purely for the interest of the British colonial state. They knew quite early that an amalgamated Nigeria, compact in size, but large in population, best suited Mohammed their imperial interest.”

He continued, “Nigeria accounted for only four per cent of Africa’s landmass, but contained 25 per cent of its population. This concentration of people in a compact land, with obvious potentials for economic exploitation did not exist anywhere in the continent, and they were eager to utilise it for their benefit. Any benefits to Nigerians, whether in the South or North, were incidental.”

According to the erudite scholar, he grew up in the 1960s and the 70s, and like most children of his generation of peasant background, “we were taught the virtues of selfless service, the potential to survive and become great in the been the main gain as well challenge of the 1914 integrity, discipline, and honesty. We were told colonial amalgamation.” next 100 years and beyond but these potentials that honesty was not only the best policy, but According to Kyari, “with proper democracy need to be harnessed, otherwise we will continwould ultimately pay.” ue to be a nation of potentials. I want Nigeria to and democratic ethos, good governance such He said, “we were strongly implored to live that Nigerians can trust their government to do survive as one nation based on equity, justice within our means and not to steal from the the right thing, irrespective of what party or and mutual understanding between its differcommonwealth. Our role models were hard who governs the country, Nigeria may see the ent nationalities, but this wish has to be nurworking school teachers and clerks and not tured consciously, it cannot happen by chance.” next 100 years in its present form or something ministers or senators.”

You still wonder what have been the gains and akin to it.”

For him, “these days, whatever it is that you He, however, expressed fears because of the challenges of the 1914 amalgamation of the impart in your children, what they see in real signs and symptoms that are really worrisome.

Northern and Southern protectorates? life and in Nollywood movies are the exact oppo“There are numerous sectarian, irredentist and Kyari had this to say: “The 1914 amalgamation site: the get rich quick by any means syndrome. is the culmination of a series of amalgamations separatist movements mushrooming and Corruption has been institutionalised and ethgrowing all over the federation, primarily due which began in the 1890s. It has succeeded in nicised, as corrupt officials are embraced and to state failure. The Boko Haram insurgency has formally bringing together the two colonial protected by their kinsmen and women. entities that were run separately under the same overstretched the capacity of the Nigerian state However, we must imbibe these core values of to the limits and has the potential of seriously national flag.” honesty and selflessness if we must move forHe revealed, “as a nation-state, it can only make destabilising the nation if not well handled,” he ward as a nation.” noted, adding, “as at today, in spite of all the us stronger but mutual suspicion planted by Kyari said, “as for my personality, it is a funcclaims of the military high command and the colonial rule and watered by bankrupt politition of both good upbringing and socialisation presidency, the insurgents seem to have the in the larger society. I have been taught to be tol- cians has sustained the suspicion. But current upper hand; killing, maiming and destroying erant, to respect other people’s views even when existential conditions of Nigerians are making communities at will even under a state of emerI don’t agree with them, and generally be a good them to realise that their oppressors whether gency in the affected states. When the current northerners or southerners are the same; community member and citizen.” insurgency is successfully brought under conHas the vision he had of Nigeria while growing because they all end up exploiting them and serving their interests rather than those of their trol then we may begin to be optimistic.” up been fulfilled today?

In African traditional setting, conscience is so called people while in government.”

He drew a blank face, and said, almost angrily, nurtured by truth. But as a result of globalisaFor him, “staying together as one nation has “no, not at all. Having survived the turbulent tion and modernisation, traditional values and early post-independence years, successive military coups and counter coups as well as a debilitating civil war, we do not seem to have learnt any lessons.”

To Kyari, “the on-going Boko Haram insurgency, conflicts in the Niger Delta, on the Jos Plateau, and many others across the nation are all symptoms of inability to manage group grievances in a democracy.”

He added, “we just need to get our politics and governance right first. My vision of Nigeria as a democratic, economically vibrant state that defines peoples’ happiness as a measure of its well-being and strength has not been realised.”

As a historian and one who has followed the country’s political developments for some time now, what are his hopes and fears about Nigeria in the next 100 years?

“I am very optimistic. Nigeria ought to, and should prosper in the next 100 years, but the prognosis looks grim; steps to achieving that are not being taken at all,” he noted.

According to him, “nations that have prospered, that we are looking up to, did not fall from the sky, they were built on solid foundations of justice, equity, accountability and good governance. These are issues that need to be settled and taken for granted for any society to progress.”

He said, “ethnic, religious, communal or secDr. Chris Ogbogbo (left); Prof. Osisioma Nwolise; Prof. Tayo Adesina, Head, Department of History, Dr. Victor Edo; and former Vice Chancellor, Niger Delta University , Prof tional posturing for narrow political and/or eco- Chris Ikporukpo at Roundtable On Nigeria’s Centenary, Interrogating 100 Years of Nigeria organised by History Department, University of Ibadan in Ibadan on Tuesday. nomic gains will not take us there. Nigeria has PHOTO: NAJEEM RAHEEM

‘My vision of Nigeria as a democratic, economically vibrant state that defines people’s wellbeing has not been realized’

36

Friday, March 21, 2014

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THE GUARDIAN www.ngrguardiannews.com

40 ARTS Friday, March 21, 2014

Theatre

By Omiko Awa O love and be loved in return, it’s the only thing that my “T heart desires. Just appreciate the little things I do; oh, you’re the one who’s got me inspired. Keep on lifting, lifting me higher…” and the song continues. Teddy Pendergrass that American soul and R‘n’B singer could not have put it in any better way when he talked about love expressed that is not returned.

Similar situation of loving someone that does not reciprocate the love was brought to the attention of theatre lovers in Ugonma, a play that tells the story of a lady whose love-hate for the husband makes her go insane.

Ugonma, a victim of custom was joined together in marriage with Ezibe by the parents. The marriage agreement was reached while Ugonma was still a child and on reaching adulthood, she realizes she does not love the man she had been forced to marry. Worried that she would live in endless bondage, having to live with a man she hates, the lady runs amok. For two years, the family members and husband could not make her well. They leave her to fate, allowing her to leave in solitude and roaming the bush in search of food.

But one glorious day, fortune smiles at the mad woman when Ochudo, a young hunter and Ezibe’s best friend, in chase of a game finds her. Feeling for the lady, he begins to sing for her. Hearing the songs, Ugonma begins to dance and soon asks what she is doing in the bush, wearing reeking rags. She regains her senses and follows the husband’s friend home. She refuses to go back to Ezibe; she decides to live with the man whose serenading songs heal her. This, Ochudo, himself, refuses on the grounds that he and Ezibe have been friends since childhood.

While the villagers rejoice at Ugonma’s recovery, Ugonma’s father and Ezibe believe Ochudo, whose mother is the priestess of the village sea goddess, have charmed Ugonma.

Vowed to take back his wife, Ezibe takes the matter to the village’s council of elders, but no reasonable decisions were reached.

Knowing too well that Ugonma will never come back to him, Ezibe finally approves that his childhood friend should marry Ugonma to make her happy and never go insane again. Just as the two — Ochudo and Ugonma — are about to consumate their relationship, Ochudo dies. Confusion sets in as the mother, Ezenwayi, the priestess of the sea goddess, threatens to cause havoc in the village if the killer of her only son and child is not found within a week. Who else would be responsible for this evil than Ezibe, the villagers conclude. At the end of the seven-day ultimatum, Ezibe appears before the priestess, hands bound; he has been found guilt by the people of Umueze without hearing him out. However, the priestess shocks all, when she reveals that the killer of her son is not Ezibe, but Ugonma.

Ugonma had put overdose of love portion in Ochudo’s food, when she invited him to her house. She did this because she never wanted to lose him, finding herself in the enclave of two bosom friends — Ezibe, who loves her, but she hates him; and Ochudo she loves, but would not love her in return. However, the portion kills Ochudo, making the villagers to banish her from the village.

Written and directed by Ikenna Jude Okpala for Theatre On Mainland (TOM) series, the play, which is set on the Igbo community, uses a play-in-a-play technique to tell the harmful effect of some of our cultural practices, especially as it concerns women, family and marriage.

A scene from the play

Ugonma, a cry for womanhood Speaking against child and forced marriage, the play in a simple term entreats opinion moulders and custodians of culture to give women chance to express themselves, contribute to nationbuilding and decision making process of their communities. It also shows how women are always at the receiving end whenever anything goes wrong in the society.

For instance, Ugonma actions, which were predicated on the norms of the society that covertly states that the woman’s place is in the kitchen and that she needs to be seen not heard, allows Ugonma to suffer the double predicament of losing Ochudo, the man she loves and would have married, and as well her kinsmen, irrespective of the trauma, she had passed through as a mad woman — a mishap caused by obeying the people’s culture. The play shows the ugly side of our society that fails to understand that women as human have emotion, desire, urge and need to express themselves too like the men.

Standing as a voice for women and womanhood, Ugonma calls on families, especially parents to allow their daughters to have a say when contracting marriages on their behalf. It urges them to desist from imposing someone on their girls in the name of culture because they (women) are to live with the person (the man) for life — for better for worse until death do them part.

It also brings to the fore the need to make some of our cultural

practices to be in tune with modern times, since most of the customs were made in the past and was suitable to the society then, but are now archaic and, therefore, should be modified to reflect present conditions; after all, norms are made for human and not human for the norms.

Produced by Olawale Olabanji, the play spiced up with songs and dance despite its good storyline is not totally flawless.

Ezibe, who is one of the protagonists, was not quite forthcoming at interpreting his roles. He was more of reciting his lines and some times overdressing his role.

Though Ugonma’s ill feelings could be felt in her expressions and acts, she, however, lacked the tonal drive to voice out her mood. Here, tears should not have been in want for a woman that has suffered so much for love, having lost her sanity, faced rejection and dejection, and now banishment; the tears should have ceaselessly flown from her, instead of the talking, which should have been done by her close friend. In fact, her eyes were too dry to interpret her roles too.

Despite these observations, the playwright and the director should be commended for the stage design and costume, which depict the tradition setting of the Igbo and the use of relevant songs.

Ugonma continues showing at Terra Kulture, Victoria Island, Lagos every Sunday in the month of March.

NANTAP marks WTD, honours Mabogunje

By Shaibu Husseini HE World Theatre Day commemoT ration has held for decades in other parts of the world. But it was only in 1990 that theatre practitioners — members of the National Association of Nigerian Theatre Arts Practitioners (NANTAP) joined their counterparts to commemorate the day that was initiated by the International Theatre Institute (ITI) in Paris, France.

Approved to be celebrated as World Theatre Day (WTD) on every March 27 by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO, the WTD was declared by UNESCO to draw attention to theatre practice and its relevance in positive global development. The day also provides the opportunity for the convergence of Thespians across the globe.

Although there is usually a national programme of commemoration announced by the leadership of the NANTAP, the day is also marked by local chapters of the association who

hold series of event to mark the allimportant day. The Lagos State chapter of the National Association of Nigerian Theatre Arts Practitioners (NANTAP) has always honoured a personality on the day of theatre and this year, they have chosen to honour the poet, live theatre enthusiast and art patron, Mrs. Toki Mabogunje as the distinguished personality WTD 2014.

Mrs. Mabogunje is being honoured for her contribution to the development of live theatre in Nigeria.

Chairman of NANTAP, Lagos State chapter, Ms. Eki Faith Eboigbe said in

a statement to announce a two-day programme of activities to mark the WTD that NANTAP over the years has been at the forefront of the yearly celebration of WTD in collaboration with ITI and UNESCO. “Since 1990, NANTAP has joined the rest of the world in celebrating the World Theatre Day (WTD) which holds on March 27, every year.

The celebration includes performances of all genres of theatre arts, recognition and awards to distinguished arts and culture ambassadors and a platform to project policy directions for the Nigerian art and culture sector.

Eboigbe

Mabogunje

“In 2005, the Association introduced the celebration of the event around personalities who have distinguished themselves in the advancement of the Nigerian Project. Some of these personalities include Late Chief Segun Olusola, HRH Oba Abiodun Idowu Oniru, Oniru of Iruland; HRH Oba Sanya Dosunmu, Olowu of Owu; Chief Rasheed Gbadamosi, and Director General of the Centre for Black and African Arts and Civilization (CBAAC) Professor Tunde Babawale.”

According to her, in continuing with this tradition, the Lagos State chapter of NANTAP will be celebrating Mrs. Toki Mabogunje, adding that the theme for WTD 2014 is The Past, The Present, Our Future: The Renaissance of Nigerian Theatre in the 21st Century Going by the activities Eki announced, the celebration would begin on Wednesday March 26, with Advocacy walks from NTA Compound to the National Theatre. It will be followed the same day with nurturing and tagging ceremony of the 1st ‘Entertainment Trees’ planted by NANTAP, Lagos, at the Mini garden of Queen Amina, National Theatre, Iganmu, Lagos.

Also, next day, which is the WTD proper, there will be the investiture ceremony of Mrs. Toki Mabogunje as the distinguished WTD 2014 personality; Awards for Patrons of the Art, Culture Ambassador Awardee and Certified Thespians, launch of endowment funds for NANTAP community theatre project, as well as lectures. All the events according to Eboigbe will take place at Banquet Hall of the National Theatre, Iganmu.

The WTD 2014 distinguished personality has a degree in Law from the University of Ife (now Obafemi Awolowo University), Nigeria, a postgraduate law degree (LLM) in International Business Law from the University of Exeter, England, Executive Management Training in Strategic Organization and Management from Stanford University Graduate School of Business, California, United States of America, and several training in SME Policy Design, Enterprise Development through value chains and business service markets and Project Implementation from the ILO Training Center in Turin, Italy.

Friday, March 21, 2014 ARTs 41

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Entertainment NB award night with Uwaifo, Savage

By Gbenga Salau HOUgH, quite a big venue, the seating T arrangement did not make any guest feel excluded or relegated, especially with the giant screen displaying information. The tagging of tables also ensured that people, who knew one another sat together, which provided a convivial atmosphere as all those who sat on a table discussed freely.

The night was an opportunity to reward the company’s distributors and transporters. And Nigerian Breweries did it in grand style with the package at the Intercontinental Hotel. The deejay provided the best of music, the lighting not only added colour to the night; it provided an exciting mood. The night was also made fun filled with jokes from the talented comedian, gordons.

No doubts, sir Victor Uwaifo stole the show at the Nigerian Breweries distributors’ award night. He showed all the attributes of a legend.

He also complemented it with energetic display on stage for the minutes he performed.

For many of the distributors, though they knew that the night would have some entertainment as awards are being dished out, they probably never expected that they would have a legendary artiste perform. The performances

by Uwaifo and another by Tiwa savage were icing on the cake after the awards were given out.

And the compere did a great job in introducing him in a grandiose way embellishing it with suspense when he gave a brief profile of the artiste, but did not mention his name until he climbed the stage.

When Uwaifo came on stage, he did not disappoint. He provided that legendary display on stage dishing out one after the other his popular and hit tracks. That the organisers did not make mistake in bringing him in was evident when he got the house dancing and singing not only on their seats, but also standing. He too was also in his element playing along with the non-verbal cue being sent by the audience who probably wanted more, when he continued playing even when the compere said it was time for him to go off stage.

He was energetic stage, fully utilizing the stage space as he sang. He moved around the stage, singing, dancing and playing as any young artiste, not exhibiting he was over seventy years. He also proved that he was not just a singer, but also an instrumentalist when he played his guitar and flute to the admiration of all those around.

Whoever must have suggested that Uwaifo be the main artiste for the night should be commended because he was the right choice for an audience with majority above fifty years and who appreciates classical music.

MD, Nigerian Breweries Vervelde

Uwaifo on stage There were many categories of the award but the presentation of each category was brief, which did not give room for the audience to get bored. The lovely songs being dished out by the deejay also made the night a good one. The big screen, which served like a backdrop for the stage ensured that as the awards were being rolled out, the audience knew which of the categories was being dished out. Also, because the names of the nominees and eventual winners were displayed, members of the audience could easily follow the proceedings. That there was no mix-up, in spite of the long list of categories, showed the acumen of the technical crew. As each category was displayed, there was no mismatch.

The organisers must also be commended for inviting a-list Nollywood artistes to help in the presentation of some of the awards.

The night no doubt was not only to celebrate its distributors and transporters at a well-packaged get-together, but also to ensure that many of them, who were outstanding, smiled home with mouthwatering prizes and gifts. At the end of the night, Ifeoma Chukwuka Nigeria limited, which probably sold the highest NB Plc products,

From Femi Kuti, thumbs up for BlackREALvolution Day IgERIA’s king of Afrobeat always advocated non-violence support for the BlackREALvolution movement. Music is a N and leader of the Kuti clan, and peace. Music is my only weapon and it is my medium of universal language capable Femi Anikulapo-Kuti, has thrown his weight behind the BlackREALvolution day coming up on Friday, March 28. The multiple grammy-nominee described the BlackREALvolution movement as a non-partisan, peace advocating, group of individuals, who jointly seek an end to oppressions emanating from governments and organisations with suppressive tendencies.

His words: “I lend my voice to the Blackrealvolution movement. Even though I am one of Africa’s most respected and notable musicians, I have thrown my weight behind struggles which seek to support the masses and the down-trodden of the society.”

Expatiating on his support for the movement, he said: “I have Femi Kuti

of soothing frayed nerves. It can also be used to arouse consciousness of any kind – be it economic, social, political or cultural.”

The afro-beat maestro invited Nigerians to the first ever gathering of the BlackREALvolution movement which will hold on Friday, March 28, at the Eko Atlantic, Victoria Island Lagos.

He also enjoined interested participants in the movement to register at the website: www.blackrealvolution.com.

Mr. Anikulapo-Kuti further added that the movement has made provisions for adequate security for individuals that wish to attend the epic gathering.

emerged the best distributor for 2013.

For its efforts, the company was rewarded with a plaque and a brand new Man Diesel truck to further enhance its business. Also, Ken Maduako Nigeria Limited and CN Anyoha and sons Limited went home with 2nd and 3rd place prizes respectively.

In total, 180 awards were given out in the following categories: National Volume Champion and Region Volume Champions, Regional Volume Champions who attained minimum of 2 million cases, Regional Volume Champion who attained less than 2 million cases, District Champions who achieved minimum of 2 million cases, District Champions who achieved 1 Million – 2 Million cases, District Champions who achieved 1 Million cases, Millionaire Club (sKDs who achieved above 1 million cases) among others.

The prizes won include Man Diesel truck, Mitsubishi Canter trucks; Mitsubishi L300 double cabin; Forklifts; sound proof generating sets; cash rewards and several free cartons of Nigerian Breweries Products.

With the appreciation, it demonstrated that the company is commitment to continuously reward productivity and business partnership. speaking at the event, the Managing Director, Mr. Nicolaas Vervelde, extolled the invaluable contributions of the distributors and partners to the overall success of the com-

pany. His words, “it was a year ago that we predicted a fierce competition in the beer market.

However, our company won more market share in 2013. This night, market growth shows that distribution has been crucial to our success in the beer market. We are committed to spending more money on our brands than the previous year. This is because 2014 is another year for partnership based on mutual respect and success.”

For him, the product innovation and quality maintenance will continue to be the focus and hallmark of the company. He applauded every member of the Nigerian Breweries team for their various contributions to driving the company and its brands forward.

The gathering also provided the platform to evaluate the previous year’s business performance, as well as communicate new business strategies to distributors. giving the overall scorecard of the company, Vervelde identified the importance of investment and reward as a major strength of the company and promised to continue to appreciate distributors as well as every bit of the business team.

In her own comment, Managing Director, Ifeoma Chukwuka Limited, Dame Joy Igwe, commended the brewery for its appreciation and reward, which has been an encouraging factor to push for the success of the products and help her achieve growth in her own business. she pledged her continuous support in the new business

Nollywood goes to Paris again HE birth of NollywoodWeek T last year in Paris was to provide the platform for filmmak-

they announced the official selection of films for this year’s showcase, which will take place ers from Nigeria to showcase at the Cinema l’Arlequin in their works in France. Most Paris, France as from June 5 filmmakers and critics who at- through to June 8, 2014. tended first edition held in The multi-award winning film Paris last year affirmed that Confusion Na Wa by Kenneth the event, which held shortly gyang was among the films seafter the close of the Cannes lected. Also selected is Half of a International Film Festival, Yellow Sun by Biyi Bandele and was roundly successful.

Daniel Emeke Oriahi’s dramatic The organisers are ready with thriller, Misfit. This year’s linethe second edition and reup also includes a good seleccently at a private cocktail tion of female directors with hosted by Mr. Francois sasFlower Girl (Michelle Bello), Jourtourné, the general Consul of ney to Self (Tope Oshin-Ogun) France in Lagos and attended and The Meeting (Mildred by top Nollywood actors, diOkwo). rectors, producers, the media NollywoodWeek is a film festiand international investors,

val organized by the Frenchbased association Okada Media, headed by serge Noukoué, Nadira shakur and shari Hammond. The three cofounders started the festival after they realized the absence of Nigerian cinema in the French market. “France is the birthplace of cinema and Nigeria has the second largest film industry in the world- it just made sense”, Executive Director serge Noukoué stated adding that the director of the winning film, voted by the audience, will be offered top-of-the-line equipment for their next production.

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Friday, March 21, 2014 ARTS

ArtHouse

A scene from the play Ugomma Honour for Dele Giwa for Launch OOKCRAFT in partnership with Patabah launch book on Dele Giwa titled, honour for sale, an inside account of the murder of dele Giwa. Written by Major Debo Bashorun and forward by WOle Soyinka, the event will take place tomorrow at Patabah book store, Adeniran Ogunsanya shopping complex, Surulere, by 2pm.

Celebration of Achebe’s Arrow of God @ 50 begins tomorrow HE Nigerian segment of the global celebrations of Chinua Achebe’s Arrow of god @ 50 will take off at the University of Ibadan today with a symposium under the theme; Literature, Leadership and National Unity, at the Faculty of Arts Lecture Theatre at 10am under the Chairmanship of the Vice Chancellor, University of Ibadan, Professor Isaac Adewole while the Special Guest Of Honor is the CEO of HEB Publishers, Ibadan, Mr. Ayo Ojeniyi. Keynote address at the symposium will be done by Professor Darren Kew a Political Scientist and expert on Nigeria from the US. The event will be followed by the finals of the Literary Quiz on Arrow of god among secondary school students in Oyo State, which is the culmination of a preliminary Quiz among 20 Secondary Schools in the state.

A stage adaptation of Arrow of god entitled; When the arrow rebounds by Emeka Nwabueze will be put on stage by the Department of Theatre Arts, University Of Ibadan.

Four Nigerian poets make world poetry anthology HE works of four Nigerian poets have been chosen for inclusion in a forthcoming publication titled The Second Genesis: An Anthology of Contemporary World Poetry. The poets are Nobel Laureate Wole Soyinka, Uzor Maxim Uzoatu, Obari Gomba and Ikeogu Oke. Wole Soyinka and Obari Gomba will contribute a poem each, titled “A Vision of Peace” and “The Ghost of a Country” respectively, to the anthology. Uzor Maxim Uzoatu will contribute three poems titled “Bonding,” “Tropical Lore” and “Regenerating Lines”. Ikeogu Oke has four poems slated for inclusion in the anthology, titled “Being Black,” “A ‘Savage’ Writes Back,” “The Tree” and “A Gandhian Prayer”.

The anthology is a project of the Academy of raite(s)* And World Literati (A.R.A.W.LII) based in Ajmer, India, and will feature works of poets from 58 countries and all the seven continents.

Eko nite of music, culture and awards to hold next week ITE of music, Culture and awards investiture of Patrons, recognition to distinguished heroes of Lagos, induction of past Governors of Lagos State into Eko Hall of Fame will take place at Tafawa Balewa Square (T.B.S) Marque on the 29 March at 4pm, prompt.

Chairman of the day is Sir, Chief Molade Okoya Thomas, while the chief host is Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

B T

T

02 Academy bridging gap in ad industry Stories by Florence Utor HE waning signs of profesT sionalism in the advertising industry have become the concern of practitioners. This, in fact, led Ozoemena Mbanefo to establish Oxygen Academy, a CRS-based handson creative training school designed to bring the real everyday workplace experience of an advertising agency to fresh graduates with a passion for the industry.

An initiative, which is facilitated by a team of seasoned advertising professionals, who are not only pursuing selfless task of growing new admen, but also, revolution-

alise the industry, with courses on copy writing, art direction, strategic planning, photography and multimedia software training.

The same passion, coupled with desire to help polish the gift of creativity imbedded in young individuals, he said, gave birth to the academy.

Qualification to be a part of this 23-weeks intensive training, which, holds on Saturdays from 12pm to 4pm, is passion, said the chief executive officer, Mbanefo.

The institution goes further to bridge the gap between untapped talents and the advertising agencies that needs them gradually tack-

N

Compiled by: Florence Utor

Oxygen academy students and Mbanefo on a visit to ace photographer’s studio, Kelechi Amadi Obi

ling the issue of unemployment, most especially in the creative/advertising industry.

Revealing what inspired 02 Academy, Mbanefo said, his experience is an example of how real talents could be trashed in the name of formal interviews for jobs. “Once upon a time, I was called for a test and I failed woefully, but because I needed the job badly, I asked the woman in charge if they needed someone who could draw and before she could think about giving me a chance to try that, I took a piece of paper from her printer and in no time, I drew a profile of her face, she was so impressed that she called the other examiners that they had found the candidate they were looking for, and they were also very impressed. I got the job and since then I have vowed that I would create an avenue for unemployed graduates trying to find their feet.”

Facilitators for the training are also professionals in the industry, who volunteer their time knowing that like the Chinese proverb, “if you are planning for one year, grow

rice, if you are planning for 20 years, grow grain. If you are planning for a hundred years, grow people.”

One of such facilitators is Nnenna Onyewuchi, director, Strategy/Founder of Yellow Brick Road/Blackbox and a facilitator/volunteer of the Academy.

Onyebuchi said it is a way of giving back to the industry that made them and the society at large. She urged other creative expert to also volunteer. This gesture has paid off in the long run both for the industry as well as participants.

According to the director, “we keep getting calls from advert agencies asking for one person or the other.”

One of the graduates of the academy, Deola Adewumi, was also very thankful to the academy for the opportunity they gave him.

Adewumi said he was at the point of travelling to India to further his education, majoring in Advertising but had to put a stop to it after his brother told him about Oxygen academy and he is very glad to have pass through the academy.

Bull Fuji Hunt season two kicks off in April LL is now set for the secA ond edition of the Bull Fuji Talent Hunt, a brainchild of

Customer Marketing, IDL, Wilson Ogbuchi (left), Brand Manager, Bull brands, Mr. Zekeri Dokpesi; CEO kingsize Enentertainment, Mr. Lanre Alabi and Sales Operations Manager, West Gafar SAnusi at the press conference

Intercontinental Distillers Limited (IDL), in collaboration with Fuji Musicians Association of Nigeria (FUMAN), designed to discover fuji talents and equip them to make waves in the music industry.

Tagged “Bull Fuji Talent Hunt

Season Two”, and packaged

by Kingsize Entertainment and Co, its zonal preliminaries would hold in four different centres, Ibadan, Ogbomosho, Osogbo and Akure, all in the South West.

At a press conference to announce the take-off of the event, the organisers disclosed that the preliminaries would kick-start in Ibadan on

Friday, April 4, 2014 at KS Motel, Total Garden; Ogbomosho, Friday, April 11, at Lagbami Osekun Civic Centre; Osogbo, Friday, April 18, at Osogbo City Hall; and Akure, Friday, April 25 at the Cultural Centre, Akure, while the grand finale has been fixed for Friday, May 16, 2014 at NTA Ibadan Premises, Oyo State.

The overall winner would get a recording contract, N200, 000 cash, Bull Brands Ambassador for a year, Yamaha PSR 430 Keyboard and other consolation prizes; second position gets N150, 000 cash, Yamaha PSR 415 Keyboard and other consolation prizes; while the third position gets N100, 000 cash and other consolation prizes.

THE GUARDIAN www.ngrguardiannews.com

Friday, March 21, 2014 43

AutoWheels Thrills, frills of 2014 Toyota Camry

All new 2014 Toyota Camry Stories by Dele Fanimo 2014, the Toyota Camry is unchanged FlevelOR apart from the addition of another trim to the lineup, the SE Sport. This model adds bigger wheels, a sunroof and a power driver seat to the four-cylinder SE’s equipment list.

The 2014 Toyota Camry stands as a quietly competent midsize sedan. Though it’s not particularly glamorous, the Camry checks off most of the boxes for most folks shopping this segment.

Chief among this Toyota’s desirable traits is its peppy yet economical performance with either the four-cylinder or V6 engine. The Camry also offers comfortable seating, solid build quality, a sterling reputation for reliability and low ownership costs.

We think most people will be quite pleased with a 2014 Toyota Camry purchase. But with so many great choices, we suggest planning a weekend’s worth of test-drives.

Body styles, trim levels, and options The 2014 Toyota Camry is offered in L, LE, SE, SE Sport and XLE trim levels. From here, though, you’ll need to find out when your particular Camry was built, as there are slight differences for models built through November 2013 compared with those following The 2014 Camry L features 16-inch steel wheels, air-conditioning, power windows and mirrors, cruise control, a tilt-and-telescoping steering wheel, split-folding rear seats, a trip computer, Bluetooth phone and audio connectivity, a 6.1inch touchscreen display and a six-speaker sound system with a CD player, an auxiliary audio jack and a USB/iPod interface.

The 2014 Camry LE adds automatic headlamps, power door locks with remote keyless entry, audio controls on the steering wheel and an outside temperature display.

The 2014 SE includes a sport-tuned suspension, 17-inch alloy wheels, foglights, heated mirrors, a leather-wrapped steering wheel, sport seats and unique interior and exterior styling treatments. The SE Sport (four-cylinder only) adds 18-inch wheels, a sunroof and an eight-way power driver seat.

The SE V6 models don’t have the sunroof but do get the 18-inch wheels and power driver seat as well as keyless ignition/entry, a navigation system, voice controls, HD and satellite

radio, and the Entune smartphone and Web integration system.

The 2014 XLE reverts to the LE’s equipment and softer suspension settings and adds 17inch alloy wheels, heated mirrors, foglights, a sunroof, dual-zone automatic climate control and an eight-way power driver seat. The XLE V6 models add HD and satellite radio, Entune, a navigation system, a rearview camera, an autodimming rearview mirror, leather upholstery, a four-way power front-passenger seat and heated front seats.

Some of the extra features found on the higher trims can be added as options to the lower trim levels, though availability varies according to the region of the country where you live.

Other options, depending on trim level, include a blind-spot monitoring system with rear cross-traffic alert, Safety Connect telematics and a 10-speaker JBL sound system (SE V6 and XLE four-cylinder). For the XLE V6, the optional JBL system comes bundled with an upgraded navigation system and a larger 7inch touchscreen display.

For the 2014 Camry (those built starting in December 2013), there are slight differences.

All Camry models, starting with the L, receive the rearview camera as standard.

Additionally, Toyota renamed the audio and infotainment systems, which can be confusing. The base system is called Entune Audio, the midlevel is Entune Audio Plus, and then finally and Entune Premium Audio with Navigation and App Suite.

For these 2014.5 models, Entune Audio Plus is standard on the XLE, and it adds satellite radio, HD radio and traffic/weather reporting.

The SE V6 and XLE V6 have Entune Premium Audio with Nav and App Suite, which adds the navigation system and smartphone app integration (such as Bing, OpenTable and Pandora) as standard.

Available on SE and XLE trims is a 3.5-liter V6 that generates 268 hp and 248 lb-ft of torque, which helps the Camry V6 reach 60 mph in 6.6 seconds, an average time for upgrade engines in this class. Fuel economy rates an impressive 25 mpg combined (21 city/31 highway).

Safety The 2014 Toyota Camry comes standard with antilock disc brakes, stability and traction control, front- and rear-seat side airbags, side curtain airbags and knee airbags for both driver and passenger. A blind-spot monitoring system with rear cross-traffic alert is also available for the Camry SE and XLE. The optional Safety Connect telematics system for the XLE includes roadside assistance, stolen vehicle location and automatic collision notification.

In Edmunds braking tests, a Camry LE stopped from 60 mph in 129 feet, a bit longer than average for the segment. An SE V6, with stickier tires, performed the same test in 119 feet, which is better than average.

In government crash testing, the Camry received a top five-star score for overall crash protection, with four stars for overall frontal protection and five stars for overall side protection. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety gave the Camry the best possible rating of “Good” in the moderate-overlap frontal-offset, side and roof strength tests.

Hyundai Motors inaugurates sales offer with First Bank YUNDAI Motors Nigeria has H inaugurated yet another sales offer in partnership with First Bank Plc to enable more desiring customers to experience Hyundai’s cutting-edge technology.

The offer which is tagged: ‘Always first with Hyundai’ promises seamless transaction, starting from as low as N47, 000 monthly installment for Hyundai model including the i10, Accent, Elantra, Sonata, iX35 and Santa-Fe. Announcing the offer in Lagos, Mr. Jatin Nadkarni, head, Sales and Marketing, Hyundai Motors Nigeria Limited, said, “we understand the evolving needs and preferences of our customers going by the overwhelming requests we have

received to inaugurate another sales offer that would enable desiring customers own and drive Hyundai engineered vehicles.”

Nadkarni said, “the objective of the campaign was to provide the best of Hyundai products and services to customers seeking to experience Hyundai cutting-edge technology.”

Prospective customers, he added, is to contribute only 10 per cent equity of whatever vehicle model of choice and would thereafter enjoy up to 48 months tenor at designated equal monthly installments.

The offer also assures free vehicle registration and first three services free-of-charge in line with Hyundai Service Schedule.

Hyundai had last year inaugu-

rated similar campaign to reaffirm Hyundai’s ‘live brilliant’ slogan and inspire perceptive customers to discover the true value of Hyundai vehicles at affordable price.

Nadkarni also recount the offer was part of the dealership effort to implement Hyundai’s brand essence of ‘Modern Premium’ designed to help customers including fleet and individual patrons to procure Hyundai vehicles without hidden charges.

“The offer is exclusively seamless without any hidden charges and is open to individuals and fleet buyers,” the Hyundai sales co-ordinator said.

He explained that the offer is open to all including those without pragmatic account with First Bank but wants to take advan-

tage of the scheme to procure any Hyundai vehicle of choice.

According to Mr. Nadkarni, “the Hyundai experience begins from the very moment a customer walks into any Hyundai Motors Nigeria showroom to process an application to discover Hyundai’s Brilliant Moment.”

He added that Hyundai is keen on providing the best of products and services to customers to enable them enjoy valueadded experience.

“We at Hyundai understand the evolving needs and preferences of our customers and we are optimistic we will receive an overwhelming response to this essential campaign that promises to spotlight Hyundai ingenuity.”

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AUTOWHEELS Friday, March 21, 2014

GM, CFAO partner on introduction of Isuzu brands in Nigeria

By Tolulope Okunlola S part of boosting its market share of the auto business in the country, CFAO Motors has concluded plan to launch the new Isuzu and Trailblazer automobile brands into the Nigerian market.

Isuzu and Trailblazer automobile vehicles are built by General Motors with its six of its internationally renowned brands such as Chevrolet, Mitsubishi, Iveco, DAF, Aveo and Fuso.

Speaking at a media chat in Lagos, President and Managing Director, GM Africa, Mario Spangenberg, said that Isuzu was very competitive and designed to meet the African demand, it was maintaining a good position after eight months of launch.

Also speaking, Managing Director CFAO Nigeria, Olivier Levigne, said that Isuzu offered an extensive product line-up able to meet customers’ every need adding that they were robust and dependable, incorporate the latest technologies and high-quality materials as well as powerful and efficient engines.

“Isuzu pickup truck is a very competitive truck and it is doing very good in South Africa and we expect to do well in Nigeria as well,” he said.

Levigne said that Isuzu cabs were renowned for their corrosion resistance thanks to some of the most sophisticated treating and painting technologies on the market

A

even as he noted that they also provided excellent manoeuvrability, easy maintenance, and timesaving on maintenance contracts.

Spangenberg said, “all our vehicles and spare parts sold through our network are covered by automakers’ war-

ranties. We are present in 39 areas where we use our firstrate knowledge of the local terrain to provide our partners with ideal conditions for entering often-fragmented market.”

Spangenberg said that he was confident of the sales

team, noting that CFAO Automotive ensured that vehicles and spare parts were readily available.

He added that the division’s skilled professionals strive for customer satisfaction through a relentless focus on quality and compliance with

automakers’ standards.

“Our network is part of an efficient supply chain and we have invested $30m spear parts depot in South Africa so that both vehicles and spare parts are readily available in all corners of Africa to satisfy customer requirements

everywhere. We are constantly striving to be better and this is why we continually invest in expanding and modernising our points of sale, training our sales and technical teams, and upgrading our plants to boost performance,” Spangenberg noted.

The new Peugeot 301

Toyota pays $1.2billion to settle U.S. probe OYOTA has reached a $1.2 T billion settlement with the U.S. government that ends a four-year criminal investigation into the automaker’s response to safety issues, Attorney General Eric Holder announced Wednesday.

Under the agreement, the company will admit that it misled U.S. consumers by making deceptive statements about two safety issues affecting its vehicles. As a result, Toyota will pay a $1.2 billion financial penalty under a “deferred prosecution agreement.”

Holder called Toyota’s conduct in the matter “shameful,” and said that the automaker showed “a blatant disregard for systems and laws designed to look after the safety of consumers. By the company’s own admission, it protected its brand ahead of its own customers. This constitutes a clear and reprehensible abuse of the public trust.”

The settlement represents the largest penalty of its kind imposed on an automotive company by the U.S. Holder added, “other car makers should not make Toyota’s mistake,” while U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York Preet Bharara underlined this point, saying that Toyota’s public admissions should be a warning to other automakers.

In a statement early Wednesday, Toyota said it had “cooperated with the U.S. Attorney’s office in this matter for more than four years” and had “made fundamental changes to become a more

Starting in 2009, Toyota issued massive recalls, mostly in the U.S., totalling more than 10 million vehicles for various problems including faulty brakes, gas pedals and floor mats. From 2010 through 2012, Toyota Motor Corp. paid fines totalling more than $66 million for delays in reporting unintended acceleration problems responsive and customerfocused organisation, and we are committed to continued improvements.”

The criminal investigation focused on whether Toyota was forthright in reporting problems related to unintended acceleration troubles.

Starting in 2009, Toyota issued massive recalls, mostly in the U.S., totalling more than 10 million vehicles for various problems including faulty brakes, gas pedals and floor mats. From 2010 through 2012, Toyota Motor Corp. paid fines totalling more than $66 million for delays in reporting unintended acceleration problems.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration never found defects in electronics or software in Toyota cars, which had been targeted as a possible cause.

The settlement continues a string of bad publicity for Toyota, which before the unintended acceleration cases had a bulletproof image of reliability. Since the cases surfaced, the company’s brand image has been damaged and it has lost U.S. market share as competition has intensified.

Last year, Toyota agreed to pay more than $1 billion to

resolve hundreds of lawsuits claiming that owners of its cars suffered economic losses because of the recalls. But that settlement did not include wrongful death and injury lawsuits that have been consolidated in California State and federal courts.

In December, Toyota filed court papers after a four-year legal battle saying that it’s in settlement talks on nearly 400 U.S. lawsuits, but other cases aren’t included in the talks.

The negotiations come less than two months after an Oklahoma jury awarded $3 million in damages to the injured driver of a 2005 Camry and to the family of a passenger who was killed.

The ruling was significant because Toyota had won all previous unintended acceleration cases that went to trial. It was also the first case where attorneys for plaintiffs argued that the car’s electronics — in this case the software connected to a midsize Camry’s electronic throttle-control system — were the cause of the unintended acceleration.

At the time, legal experts said the Oklahoma verdict might cause Toyota to consider a broad settlement of the remaining cases.

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BUSINESSTRAVEL Friday, March 21, 2014

British Airways flags off ‘Leaders of Tomorrow’ programme

By Ibe Uwaleke RITISH Airways General Manager for West Africa, Mr. Kola Olayinka has disclosed that the projection of the airline in 2014 is to grow its performance in Nigeria by 15 per cent.

He said this on Tuesday while announcing the commencement of the airline’s ‘Leaders of Tomorrow’ project, which started on Wednesday with the cost of over N50m for six lucky winners.

Speaking with journalists at the airline’s office in Lagos, Olayinka said that in a bid to realise its 2014 projection in the country, the airline has already began initiatives to attract more passengers to its service, adding that it would be faster and smarter with its programmes in the year.

His words, “as a company, British Airways has always invested in its people, who are an integral part of what makes the company special.

We have also invested a lot in capacity building in the aviation sector, both globally and locally. CSR is an important part of our business; we believe it is instrumental to the sustainability of our business. We are determined to demonstrate that we are here to set high standards of corporate business. The Leaders of Tomorrow is just one we have

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General Manager, West Africa, Kola Olayinka(left), Manager, Trade Sales, Ademola Sanya, Legal Adviser, Nigerian College of Aviation Technology, Zaria, Mrs. Afolake St. Mathew Daniels at the inauguration of British Airways Leaders of Tomorrow project in Lagos…recently chosen to do this.

“The British Airways Leaders of Tomorrow competition seeks to find the six top performing students from Nigeria’s major aviation colleges: Nigerian Aviation

Technology College (NCAT), Zaria and International Aviation College (IAC), Ilorin, who will have the rare opportunity to spend time with the Global leaders of British Airways, and to advise British

Airways on what customers of tomorrow would have to see/experience, from a global airline, such as British Airways,” he added.

British Airways had recently said that it hoped to boost its

performance in 2014 by eight per cent.

In confirming this Olayinka said, “we want to grow our business in Nigeria in 2014 by 15 per cent even though the plan of the management is to

boost business in the globe by eight per cent. We need to plan ahead of our management. We want to get some of the customers we didn’t get in 2013. We want to be faster and better than the other airlines. The customers are very smart and expect result from whatever money they must have to spend.

“We were the biggest airline to fly to Nigeria in 2013 and the year was great for us, but we are not resting on our achievements. We want to go better and achieve more successes in the year.”

On its ‘Leaders of Tomorrow’ programme, Olayinka disclosed that three best students each from both the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology, NCAT, Zaria and the International College of Aviation Technology, Ilorin, would be selected for the programme.

He noted that the six winners would be exposed to the operations of the airline in Nigeria with a visit to the ministry of aviation while they would also spend a week with the chief executive officer of the airline in United Kingdom.

He emphasised that the airline has over the years invested in capacity building in aviation sector both locally and internationally.

IATA announces increase in air freight market

By Chika Goodluck-Ogazi HE International Air T Transport Association (IATA) has announced a strong rise in air freight growth compared to a year ago, stating that global freight tonne kilometers (FTKs) rose by 4.5 per cent in January compared to January 2013. IATA said it was a significant acceleration on the 2.2 per cent year-on-year growth rate recorded in December, and as well above the 1.4 per cent full-year growth reported for 2013 as compared to 2012.

According to the international body, growth was solid across all regions, with Middle Eastern carriers growing the fastest. It said that the European airlines continued to benefit from Europe’s recovery from recession, posting 6.0 per cent growth.

While, carriers based in the Asia-Pacific region, which account for nearly 40 per cent of the global air freight market, reported 3.8 per cent growth. This represented a

major improvement over the 1.0 per cent contraction in 2013.

The Director General, IATA, Tony Tyler said: “The improvement in demand is good news. It is a step-up in pace from the mild strengthening that we saw towards the second half of 2013. And in real terms, volumes are similar to the 2010 post-recession peak.

But there is also ample reason to be cautious. Protectionist measures are part of the reason for a slower expansion of world trade than we would expect from current levels of industrial production.

Companies continue to reorganize supply chains in their efforts to move manufacturing on-shore”.

“This positive start to the year will set an upbeat tone for the World Cargo Symposium next week. The key objective for this year must be for cargo airlines, shippers and freight forwarders to seize opportunities to improve the industry’s value proposition. They can do this by investing in new quality procedures to

improve the efficiency, security and reliability of air freight.

The e-Freight program for paperless shipments is essential for that, and the new quality benchmarking process, which we will reveal at next week’s symposium, is vital for

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working to fulfill the airline’s ambitious A350 order, in line with its aggressive expansion plans.

Qatar Airways, partnered with Airbus since the airline received its first Airbus aircraft in 1997, will see its fleet of young and modern aircraft strengthened significantly over the coming year with more than 200 aircraft currently on order across all modern Airbus product families, from the A320 through to the flagship A380-800, the world’s largest passenger aircraft.

Said Al Baker, “we are committed to offering our cus-

for Asian manufactured goods improves.

However, latest indicators showed that the Chinese economy could be slowing down, which would impact air cargo in the coming months. In addition, with

Chinese New Year falling on 31 January, there may be some impact on February volumes.

Capacity grew considerably faster than demand, at 9.7 per cent stated IATA. European airlines have also responsible for 22.5 per cent

Delta Airlines expands flights to Los Angeles Airport

By Chika Goodluck-Ogazi ELTA Airlines said the carrier would continue its expansion at Los Angeles International Airport with new daily nonstop service to Austin, Texas, and Boise, Idaho, along with new daily nonstop service to San Salvador, El Salvador, pending government approval.

The airline has also filed for approval to begin daily service between Los Angeles and Monterrey, Mexico.

“With direct access to all of the key U.S. tech markets as well as additional Latin service through our gateway at LAX, we can continue to provide business and leisure

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Qatar Airways gets Airbus A350 delivery soon

By Chika Goodluck-Ogazi ATAR Airways has stated that the arrival of its first A350 later this year was one step closer this week, as the first A350 aircraft bearing Qatar Airways livery took to the skies above the home of Airbus in Toulouse, while embarking upon a test flight.

According to the airline, the latest test flights of the new A350 aircraft came after Qatar Airways Chief Executive, Akbar Al Baker visited the home of Airbus in Toulouse last month to thank Airbus, on behalf of everyone at Qatar Airways, for their efforts in

improving quality across the board,” said Tyler Asia-Pacific carriers have grew by 3.8 per cent compared to January last year. Trade volumes in the region have rebounded as demand from Europe and North America

tomers the best possible experience when it comes to travelling with Qatar Airways, not only in terms of custom-built comfort features across all of our cabins, but with the continued expansion of our young and modern fleet.

“Qatar Airways is proud to be the launch customer for this new aircraft, which will offer a unique travel experience for all of our customers as we add to our rapidly expanding fleet, and we look forward to soon taking delivery of the first of our 80 A350s.”

customers with the best service options to meet their travel needs,” said Bob Cortelyou, Delta’s senior vice president – Network Planning.

He added, “Los Angeles is a key market for Delta as we continue growing our presence on the U.S. West Coast.”

Service from Los Angeles to Austin and San Salvador will be operated using Delta Boeing 717 and Boeing 737 aircraft, respectively. Service from Los Angeles to Boise and Monterrey will be operated by Delta Connection carrier Compass Airlines using two-class, 76-seat CRJ-

900 aircraft.

With new service to Austin, Delta will now connect Los Angeles’ growing Silicon Beach tech and startup community with all the major tech centers in the United States, including, Boston, beginning June 5; New York; Oakland, Calif.; Portland, Oregon; Salt Lake City; San Francisco; San Jose, Calif.; Seattle; and now Austin.

Additionally, customers in Austin, Boise, Monterrey and San Salvador will soon have one-stop service to Tokyo-Narita, TokyoHaneda, and Sydney through Delta’s international gateway in Los Angeles.

Dana Air appoints Bouteiller as director of flight operations ANA Air has appointed Mr. Francois Bouteiller as its director of Flight Operations.

Chief Operating Officer/Accountable Manager of Dana Air, Mr. Yvan Drewinsky, who made the announcement in Lagos, said the assumption of duty by Francoise Bouteiller is part of efforts to boost the airline’s entire operations.

Commenting on the appointment, Yvan Drewinsky said Francois Bouteiller is bringing

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a wealth of experience to Dana Air having managed flight operations for several years in the aviation sector, especially as a commander that produced the JAR Operating Manual (OM Part B) for the Swiss International airlines fleet of AVRO RJ. “We are consistently reviewing our operations with a view to sustaining standards in the industry and our commitment is to recruit the right personnel to occupy and manage our operations in line

with global best practices,’’ said Drewinsky.

Prior to Bouteiller’s appointment at Dana Air, he had worked in similar capacity with NASAIR and Swiss international Airlines. Francois Bouteiller is a seasoned aviation expert with over 25 years experience in aircraft operations and has functioned in different capacities ranging from policy formulations to commander of airplanes, as well as, a certified IOSA (IATA) Auditor.

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BusinessTravel

Quote of the week If politics is the art of the possible, and flying is the art of the seemingly impossible, then air safety must be the art of the economically viable. At a time of crowded skies and sharpening competition, it is a daunting task not to let the art of the acceptable deteriorate into the dodgers’ art of what you can get away with.

— Stephen Barlay ibeuwaleke2012@yahoo.com 08033151041 (SMS only)

South African Airways takes delivery of new A320 aircraft

By Ibe Uwaleke S part of its service improvement and renewed expansion, South African Airways (SAA) has announced that it had this week further taken delivery of two new A320 aircraft, bringing the total number of narrow bodied aircraft to join the SAA fleet this year to six.

The latest two A320s arrived earlier this month, with another A320 (number five) expected in June this year.

Aircraft six and seven are expected to arrive in the third quarter and aircraft eight in the fourth quarter. Two of the A320s entered service last year.

Fleet renewal forms part of the three key pillars of the successful implementation of SAA’s new strategy, Gaining Altitude. The fleet replacement programme for SAA’s narrowbodied fleet includes the acquisition of twenty A320 aircraft, which will replace all the Boeing 737-800 aircraft and increase the fleet to support SAA route expansion plans into Africa.

“We are very excited about the latest new arrivals in our fleet, which brings our customers the added pleasure of flying on brand new, aircraft.

Besides the improved on board offering, customers can enjoy their flying experience knowing that they are travelling with a more fuel efficient aircraft and thus part of the airline’s commitment to being an environmentally responsible airline,” says Kendy Phohleli, SAA general

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manager Commercial (Acting).

In keeping with SAA’s initiatives towards weight reduction, products and material on the new A320’s are made of lightweight materials.

“We have put a lot of work into making the business class on these aircraft attractive and super comfortable for customers. These aircraft further offer a refreshed on board experience through a number of special features,” says Myriam Bracke, manager Product.

Interior design of the cabin The interior design of the cabin reflects on SAA’s truly South African nature with earthy touches of African colours and ‘elements of surprise’, often seen in South African designs. Materials used are durable leather for the seats and a mix of nylon and wool for the carpets offering lighter and stronger fixtures. Wood look finished floors and the SAA logo in the welcoming area are more special touches.

Configuration Aircraft are configured with 24 business class and 114 economy class seats.

Economy class Seating in economy class offers a pitch of 31 inches, with shared USB and PC power points and an adjustable headrest. Customers can enjoy a greater sense of living space these slim-line seats offer, which have been upholstered in easy to maintain leather throughout the cabin.

Colours used are dark beige

and anthracite grey with touches of red and blue corporate colours.

Business Class Business class offers ample legroom with a pitch of 39 inches and seats are arranged with two seats either side of the aisle (four abreast) offering more seat width. The A320s are the first narrow body aircraft in the SAA fleet to offer four seats abreast, offering more space and comfort, in comparison to the five seats abreast on the B737s and A319s.

Every seat has a leg rest, and an adjustable headrest, with a recline of about seven inches

allowing the seat to fold out into a cradle position offering super comfort for up to four hour long regional trips. Seats have loads of stowage on the sides, which gives extra width.

“Business class seating offer a 10 per cent improvement on pitch compared to our current business class offering on narrow body aircraft, giving our competitors in the domestic market a run for their money.”

A class divider between economy and business class in curtain material with a basket weave print reflects on the South African theme. Mood lights in light blue (on the

hand rails) add the final touch to the superb interior ambience of these aircraft. A magazine rack, which complements a ‘wrap around’ design will be installed by SAA. Stow your tablet All the seats (except for the first row) have an innovative special feature: the back shell has space to stow a PC tablet, with a USB powerpoint that keeps a tablet powered during the flight, and PC power points in the centre console for additional laptop computer power.

“These business class seats are a customised design for SAA and we are truly proud of offering our customers this initia-

tive. It is an airline first,” says Myriam Bracke.

In the pipeline are Samsung tablets, with in flight entertainment content already loaded, which will be offered to business class travellers on longer African flights.

In flight entertainment Customers can watch the in flight entertainment on the classic drop down overhead screens and can look forward to improved quality of flight entertainment experience as well as Airshow’s moving map experience, new on these narrow bodies. As a future innovation SAA is testing new IFE technology where content will be streamed on board to customers’ own devices.

Fuel efficiency In a market environment where jet fuel has become the single biggest cost factor for any airline, the A320 has become the aircraft of choice for airlines looking to reduce their fuel bills. Newer aircraft embody the latest technologies, are also more reliable, more productive and require less down time for maintenance and repairs. Lower fuel burn means fewer carbon emissions and with the A320’s low noise footprint, it’s a good neighbour too.

For SAA, where the A320 comes into its own is through its high degree of flight deck operational, training and technical support commonality with the other Airbus types in the fleet, notably its shorter sister, the A319, but also its bigger long-haul cousins, the A330-200 and A340s.

Securing hotel accommodation through online booking

By Chika Goodluck-Ogazi NLINE hotel booking is a popular method for booking hotel rooms for most air passengers traveling from one destination to another for business activities or vacation purposes.

They can book rooms on a computer by using online security to protect their privacy and financial information or by using several online travel agents to compare prices and facilities at different hotels.

Before the advent of Internet, travellers could write, tele-

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phone the hotel directly, or use a travel agent to make a reservation.

But today, online travel agents have pictures of hotels and rooms, information on prices and deals, and even information on local resorts on the Internet.

Aside that, online hotel bookings are also helpful for making last minute travel arrangements for travellers that have short time to plan.

In most cases, hotels may drop the price of a room if some rooms are still available to be booked.

Currently, there are an increasing number of hotels that are building their own websites to allow them to market their hotels directly to consumers.

Some hotels require a “booking engine” application to be attached to their website to permit people to book rooms in real time. And one advantage of booking with the hotel directly is the use of the hotel’s full cancellation policy as well as not needing a deposit in most situations.

To improve the likelihood of filling rooms, hotels tend to

use several of the above systems. The content on many hotel reservation systems is becoming increasingly similar as more hotels sign up to all the sites. Companies thus have to either rely on specially negotiated rates with the hotels and hotel chains or trust in the influence of search engine rankings to draw in customers.

The service provided by these companies to the hotels and the online consumer is that they provide a single database from which all reservation

sources draw immediate room availability and rates.

It is very important that hotels integrate with all the supply channels so that their guests are able to make accurate online bookings.

There are many ways of making the online bookings; most of the online reservation systems use the centralized Global Distribution System (GDS) system for making the reservation with the hotel directly. Examples of the GDS are Sabre, WorldSpan, Travelport,

The online hotel reservation through GDS is just the tentative reservation, means that you do not need to pay at the time of reservation, instead pay at the time of check in or check out.

Meanwhile, global online hotel leisure bookings have been increased by 3.1per cent in January 2014. According to Pegasus Solutions, online leisure hotel bookings in January 2014 has achieved double-digit growth over nearly every year back to 2007 globally, with the exception of 2013.

Etihad Airways accepts prestigious air transport world award

By Ibe Uwaleke TIHAD Airways’ President and Chief Executive Officer, James Hogan, recently accepted the prestigious Airline Market Leadership Award at Air Transport World magazine’s 40th Annual Airline Industry Achievement Awards held in Singapore.

The magazine’s Editor-inChief, Karen Walker presented Mr. Hogan with the award at a Gala presentation dinner at the Pan Pacific Singapore Hotel.

Hogan said, “the Air Transport World Awards stands alone as a real emblem of excellence. In

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A hotel room

each category, you know that you are up against the world’s best and that you are being judged by a panel unmatched in its industry expertise.

“That is why we are so proud to be named Airline Market Leader in this 40th edition of the awards and why I am delighted to be accepting this award on

behalf of our 17,600 people worldwide.”

The Airline Market Leadership Award recognised Etihad Airways’ success in operating a commercially focused, profitable business in 2013 and its innovative strategies, which have proven to be game changers for the airline industry.

Getting rid of aerophobia VOID coffee or other caf- dration only contributes to A feine products as an overly the fear process. Some people hyper state of mind will only

recommend a glass of wine to exacerbate your anxiety. But calm the nerves, but don’t drink other liquids, as dehy- overdo it. ——James Wysong

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FridayWorship

By Afis A. Oladosu In the name of Allah, the beneficent, the merciful “… and they say, “Indeed, he is mad. But it (the Quran) is nothing except a reminder to the worlds.” [Quran 68:5152] RETHREN, one of my teachers once told this story to us: a man once passed by a psychiatric hospital. He contemplated the serenity of the exteriority of the hospital and imagined the hubbub and the bedlam that would characterise its interiority.

He soon saw one of the patients who were peering out through one of the windows of the hospital. Then the thought occurred to him to engage the mentally challenged man in a conversation. He then shouted on top of his voice and asked the man as follows: “How many madmen are there in your hospital?” The inmate looked the questioner up and down as if in search of the best response to his question. Then he (the inmate) responded saying: “tell me, how many sane people remain out there?

Brethren, sometimes when I contemplate the contrarieties in our national life, the brazen display and misuse of power and authority, the wanton destruction of innocent lives and properties by those who see violence as an end in itself, the indulgence in corruption by those whose brief it is to prevent its perpetration, the suggestion that there are no sane men left out there becomes irresistible. One gets a sense of a clime populated by men and women suffering from lunacy; it feels as if we are in a season of anomie.

But we must begin this sermon with a proper delineation of our focus. In

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“Surely, the religion with Allah is ISLAM,complete submission”... Qur’an 3:19

Thoughts on the abnormalities in our cities other words, two types of derangement have always been of interest and concern to humanity: that of great men and women and the other one, which refers to a state of insanity or mental derailment.

Thinkers and philosophers across ages and climes have explored these themes. For example, Aristotle is quoted to have said that no great mind has ever existed without a touch of madness. In Hamlet, madness is deemed to be a necessary ingredient in creativity. It gains mention not just because it is an aspect of life but also because there is a method to it. In other words, if you must go mad, let it be with and in style. If you must run naked in the market, ensure it is in pursuit of something noble, not ignoble.

Brethren, when Prophet Muhammad emerged on the rigid landscape of Arabia and began to call on his people to forsake idol worship, sexual oppression of women and perpetration of injustice against the weak, he was dismissed as a mad man. He was accused of being in communion with the Jinns who were teaching him verses of the Quran.

The Quran, it must be remembered, represents, aside from its eternal universal and holistic messages, the acme and the apotheosis of literary erudition for which the Makkans were renowned. Since they could not

match its inimitable structure and content, they therefore dismissed it as the ministrations of the one who is suffering from insanity. Al-Rasul was consequently declaimed for his choice to be honest in a season of dishonesty; he was harangued for his decision to stand by the poor and the orphans.

He was accused of suffering from dementia when he called for an end to graft, bribery, round-tripping and backbiting. Though Arabia was in dire need of a man like al-Rasul for it to be redeemed from imminent implosion, the emergence of al-Rasul, the expected, from an unexpected quarter of the city was, however, deemed an indulgence in lunacy by the powers-that-be.

Makkah, like the world of today, needed the emergence of al-Rasul and his companions so that it could occupy the lofty position it presently enjoys in human history. But once that happened, the Makkans decided to go to war against its own redeemer.

During the late 19th and early 20th centuries, great European thinkers were equally accused of suffering from dementia. Van Gogh was deemed to be suffering from schizophrenia; Nietzsche was thought to be affected by paranoid disorder. What about Dostoevski, the great Russian writer? He, too, was said to have been afflicted with epilepsy.

Thus dear brethren, to choose to be sane in a society with predilections for

insanity is to be enrobed by force with dementia; to desire to walk straight in a world which is crooked is to be dismissed as a nonentity and someone in search of cheap fame and glory.

But the subject of madness, which is of interest to us in our sermon today, is not the above. Rather, the men of interest to us are ‘unofficial companions’ of those men and women who are in a permanent state of dementia.

In other words, two types of images of madness could be seen in our cities today: voluntary and involuntary. The first, voluntary madness (VM) is consciously ‘acquired’, while the second, involuntary madness (IM) is unconsciously acquired; the first is socio-cultural, while the second is spiritual-medical; the first is redeemable, the second is usually incurable.

Brethren, let us pause a moment to ponder this question: what usually leads to involuntary madness? Two revered scholars in Islamic annals have refreshing perspectives. First, let us consider that of Ibn Qayyim.

According to him, “evil spirits usually take possession of those having little religious inclinations and those whose hearts and tongues faith has deserted; those whose souls are dissolute of the remembrance of the Almighty…when evil spirits meets a

man who is isolated, weaponless and naked they are easily able to attack and overcome him.”

Now Ibn Taimiyyah adds a different but equally useful perspective. He says a man may become a victim of demonic possession if he falls in the track of Jinn, which has excessive sensual or sexual desire. In other words, just as we have humans who engage in debauchery and bestiality, just as we have humans who seek pleasures in animals and other species outside their own, there are Jinns that equally seek pleasures from creatures other than their own. Once they find some among humans who catch their fancies, they possess such individuals. Jinns equally possess humans out of mischief or out of anger.

Let us side step the above in order to get to the subject of today’s sermon.

Brethren, when we contemplate the two states of derangement I mentioned above; namely, voluntary and involuntary, we find uncanny similarities and lessons. For example, when you look around our cities today, you would behold men and women who are suffering from mental dementia. I refer to this as involuntary madness (IM). They parade the streets and pathways of our villages on a daily basis. In fact they are the real ‘occupiers’ of the nation. They usually bask in an unusual state of happiness. You remember that mad guy in the market square. He dances round the city. He runs and walks without aim or goal. I once asked my friend who enjoyed smoking what pleasures is there in inhaling ‘fire’ he responded saying: “Afis! There are pleasures in being mad which none but the madman knows.”

To be continued.

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MarketReport EQUITY MARKET SUMMARY

AS AT 20-03-2014

PRIMERA AFRICA www.primera-africa.com

Friday, March 21, 2014 MArKET rEPOrT

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MArKET INDICATOrs

AS AT 20-03-2014

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Govt plans shorter listing period for successor power firms

By Helen Oji HE Federal Government has unfolded plans to reduce its five-year contractual agreement with power successor companies for their being listed on the Nigerian stock Exchange (NsE) from five to two and a half years.

Already, government has organized a global financing summit that attracted more than 350 non-Nigerians last month to ensure that the issue of finance for expansion is properly addressed.

The Minister for Power, Prof.

Chinedu Nebo made this disclosure while addressing stockbrokers on the trading floor of the NsE in Lagos yesterday.

He pointed out that the government the five-year clause in the contractual agreement was to ensure that “people did not strip these companies and then sell the scrap to the general public.”

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He added that government is working very hard towards strengthening and expanding the transmission infrastructure to boost electricity supply.

“We are actually doing that actually because of the clause in the contractual agreement between the sellers that is the federal government of Nigeria and buyers –that is the successor companies that they will not sell to the public until they have owned these companies for five years. We have a little bit of delay however, when you look at a situation where the companies, the stock exchange expect three years of at least of due diligence and paper work and submission of annual report, I do not see why five year was put in other than government did not want people to strip these companies and then sell the scrap to the general public.

Lafarge Cement posts N98.8b revenue, N28.2b PAT in 2013

By Helen Oji AFArGE Cement WAPCO Nigeria Plc has posted a revenue of N98.8billion in its 2013 operations against N87.9 billion achieved in 2012. specifically, the company’s performance for the year ended December 31, 2013 showed 21 per cent increase in revenue fromN87.9 billion in 2012 to N98.8billion in 2013 while Profit After Tax stood at N28.2billion compared to N14.7billion posted in the comparable period in 2012, representing 92 per cent growth.

The company’s profit before tax also rose from N21.3 billion to N27.7billion during the year under review.

Operating Income increased to N31.6billion from N26.7billion posted in 2012..

According to the company, reduction in the net cost from N5.5billion to N3.8 billion was as a result of the reduction in

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interest charges due to the full repayment of the Naira syndicated bank loans.

Consequently the basic earnings per share grew from 490kobo to 942kobo, representing a growth of 92 per cent.

Commenting on the results, the Chairman, Board of Directors of the company, Chief Olusegun Osunkeye said “the results shows a steady growth and demonstrates the strength of the company in delivering value to shareholders and to other stakeholders.”

Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the company, Joe Hudson, attributed the improved results to “a strong focus on performance culture”. He stated further that” the effective implementation of innovative and value adding solutions for customers had continued to differentiate Lafarge WAPCO from competition”.

ADH declares N3.12 b profit ssOCIATED Discount A House Limited (ADH) achieved a Group Interest and similar Income of N17.billion for the year-ended December 31, 2013. Group Profit before Tax (PBT) increased by 47.18 per cent to N1.803 billion from N1.225 billion in 2012. Also Profit after Tax (PAT) soared to N3.122 billion during the same period. This represents a PAT growth of 32.64 per cent from the N2.103 billion achieved last year.

At the company’s yearly general meeting, in Lagos on Wednesday March 19, 2014, its Chairman of Board of Directors of ADH, Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede said that despite a difficult operating environment which saw some discount houses go down last year, ADH was able to grow her assets to N70.743 billion as at December 31, 2013.

He said this impressive result culminated in 41.70 per cent improvement in shareholders’ Funds from

N6.728 billion as at December 31, 2012 to N9.535 billion as at December 31, 2013.

Aig- Imoukhuede attributed this performance to the significant progress made by the Board and management of the company in the areas of Corporate governance, risk management and operational efficiency.

The Chairman also informed the meeting that the CBN has approved new shareholders from its recent Private Placement exercise.

The company’s shareholders fund has therefore exceeded N15 Billion.

Commenting on the results, Abubakar Jimoh, Managing Director / CEO said: “Our performance for the year was in line with the groupexpectations justifying the effectiveness of our strategy and implementation proficiencies. We achieved these results by focusing on our “core business” while recording significant improvement in our operating efficiency.”

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Sports Cycology Club parades 100 cyclists to ride against prostrate cancer

Costa Rica 2014 FIFA U-17 Women World Cup

Flamingoes promise to beat Mexico, eye final IGERIa’S Under-17 women national team, the Flamingoes, have promised to beat Mexico as well as qualify for the final of the ongoing Costa Rica 2014 FIFa U17 Women World Cup. Speaking after nigeria’s 2-1 defeat of Colombia in the early hours of yesterday, the assistant captain, Uchenna Kanu, urged nigerians to expect outright victory against Mexico in their final group D early next week.

Kanu is the nigeria’s highest goal scorer with two goals as nigeria leveled on six points with the Mexicans, who top the group on goal difference at the La Sabana Stadium in San Jose.

“I’m expecting victory against Mexico, though I don’t know how the game will turn out, but I am sure we will win the match,” she said. on her ambition at the ongoing age grade competition, Kanu admitted her delight that her goals have lifted the country and promised to continue to increase her goal tally.

“I am very happy… I wasn’t expecting the goal but thank God it came – I hope to score

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more goals. I hope to improve on my crosses and pull outs in subsequent matches.” also looking ahead to the game against Mexico, Ihuoma onyebuchi, has challenged the strikers to rediscover their scoring boots against Mexico when both sides meet in the final group D clash on Monday morning. onyebuchi, who won the Most Valuable Player award against Colombia, said the team’s attack was the weakest area of their game and appealed to the strikers to start converting their chances.

“I think with my strikers - I will expect them not to miss their opportunities in front of goal again in our next matches, let them step up their game and do what is right on the field of play,” she demanded.

Meanwhile, Head coach, Bala nikyu, has expressed optimism that the Flamingoes will make the finals of the competition after coming from behind to defeat South americans, Colombia 2 -1 and book their place in the last eight yesterday morning.

WTF 2014 Youth Olympics’ Qualifiers Nigeria’s duo bow out, Adamu tackles Peru’s Oblitas EaM nigeria’s pair of T Esther Godwin and ogeh ogochukwu were shown an early exit yesterday at the World Taekwondo Federation (WTF)-organised 2014 youth olympics Qualifiers taking place in Taipei City, Chinese Taipei.

The duo’s inexperience came to fore against their more exposed opponents.

In the male category, national Sports Festival’s silver medalist, Isah adamu, will today meet Peru’s oblitas in the -63kg. ogochukwu was the first to fall out of contention when she lost gallantly to Chile’s

Francisca Rios 16-0 in her first international outing in the female -49kg. according to taekwondo buffs, ogochukwu’s nervousness coupled with her small stature may have contributed to her wide margin loss against the Chilean. They however, argued that the difference between the two athletes was evident but said that it was a good experience for the nigerian.

Like ogochukwu, Godwin was no match for Russia’s Turutina yulia in the female 63kg as she was defeated 13-0 by the more experienced Russian.

yCoLoGy Riding Club is C partnering with the UBa Foundation in its first charity ride in 2014, when it takes to the streets to ride in a bid to draw awareness to prostrate cancer.

The ride, which comes up tomorrow will see over a 100 cyclists (mostly cycology club members) ride a specified route of about 20KM in order to enlighten people more about the disease. This is to ensure that periodical medical checks are undertaken particularly for males over the age of 45 so that cancer can be detected early.

Cycology Riding Club’s Captain, Frank ozomah, who spoke at the Club House in Ikoyi, Lagos recently was optimistic that Cycology Riding Club would once again make an impact like it has done in previous rides.

“The idea as usual is to cycle in large numbers in a particularly branded jersey around a given route thereby attracting attention and people’s curiosity. our hope is that this ride will be one of the arsenals in the fight against this ailment,” ozomah said.

DStv BB League: It’s battle of Warriors Flamingoes’ Chinwendu Ihezuo (left) and Colombia’s Valentina Carvajal battling for the ball during their second group D game at the on-going Costa Rica 2014 FIFA U-17 Women World Cup. Nigeria won 2-1.

PHOTO: FIFA.

Ahead Brazil 2014 World Cup

Allow Keshi to pick his team, Ejidike tells Nigerians

By Christian Okpara TEPHEn Keshi has shown Sdoing that he knows what he is and so should be allowed to pick his team for the Brazil 2014 World Cup, Pillar of Sports, Donatus Ejidike, has said.

Speaking in Lagos during an interactive session with journalists, Ejidike, who became nigeria’s Pillar of Sports late last year, said he was surprised that after many conquests football fans were still questioning Keshi’s ability to do the job.

“Keshi has nothing to prove to anybody any more. He has

shown that he can give nigerians the sort of teams they clamour for and so he should be allowed to choose his players and work his own way.

“The buck stops on his desk, so lets allow him to take responsibility for his actions,” he said.

Ejidike said he would be in Brazil to support the Super Eagles to success, adding, however, that “before then, very soon I will unveil my programme for the team.”

“I am still consulting with stakeholders and technically-minded nigerians so that when I unveil my pro-

Premier League clubs’ good conduct thrills Glo ITLE sponsor of Glo T Premier League, Globacom, has commended the clubs for their conduct across various centres in the three-week-old league.

“The reports from the centres on crowd control and teams’ discipline have so far been impressive, and we believe things can only get better as the league progresses”, Globacom said in a statement in Lagos yesterday.

“In addition, we are glad that the league is gradually returning to its old glory, and we wish to commend the fans for embracing the new dawn with their orderly conduct,” the statement a d d e d .

The company said the robust quality of football witnessed since the commencement of the new season, as well as the wholesome atmosphere at the venues where the matches have been played have been commendable. according to the telecommunications company, the new trend will shore up the rating of nigeria’s league on the continent in the nearest future.

“It will be gratifying if we can maintain and even surpass our position as one of the top three leagues in africa. Glo, as the title sponsor, will continue to support efforts aimed at achieving the goal,” the statement further said.

gramme for nigerian sports, it will be an all-encompassing thing.” on the national Karate Championship, which he is sponsoring in Ilorin from March 25 and run to March 30, Ejidike said it was part of the promise he made to the electorate when he was campaigning to become Karate Federation President, adding, “we will soon embark on a grassroots development of the game.

“I am not only interested in football, but as a passionate sports lover, I have interest in the development of all sports in nigeria.

Okpekpe Race part of Edo sports revolution, says forum HE okpekpe Road Race is government in the drive to has assumed international T one of the events that is reposition sports in Edo status from the very beginbringing a new impetus to State, in a communiqué ning and we believe it’s the Edo State’s sports, a group of media practitioners based in Lagos has said. according to the body known as Edo Sports Forum comprising Frank Ilaboya, Ben alaiya, Mike Maiyaki, Henry okoduwa, Cecilia omorogbe, osaretin Emuzie, Patrick omorodion and other eminent journalists from the state, the state still has the potential to retake its position as nigeria’s number sports state.

The forum, which declared its resolve to partner the state

signed by its Protem Chairman, osaretin Emuzie and Secretary, Smarts Ebodaghe, they hailed the initiative of the second edition of the okpekpe Road Race scheduled for May 3 in Etsako area of Edo State.

“We must praise the initiators of the okpekpe Road Race, especially Mr. Mike Itemuagbor and corporate nigeria, which has been very supportive. We must also praise Governor adams oshiomhole for being supportive of this race, which

sign of greater things to happen to Edo sports”.

The forum, while admitting the genuine desire of the Edo State government to revive foremost football club, Bendel Insurance FC, said there was need for concerted efforts from all and sundry to revive the darling club of the state.

“We recognise the efforts of the government but our position is that more is needed to be done to get the club back and running especially in the area of welfare for players and officials.

By Adeyinka Adedipe oDan Warriors Basketball D Club of Lagos will have its first feel of action in the DStv Premier Basketball League when it takes on oluyole Warriors in Ibadan in a week three game.

The host has won and lost one game apiece and must contend with their more illustrious opponent if it hopes to pick the two points at stake. also, Dodan Warriors must will fight hard and give a good account of themselves having bagged the two points when Royal Hooper failed to show up three weeks ago in Lagos.

Union Bank who suffered an upset in the hands of nigerian Custom last week, will hope for a better game against Police Baton, who are also in search for their first win. The police team is unpredictable and the Stallion Boys (Union Bank) must bring their experience into this game, as both sides square up at the sports hall of the Lagos Stadium.

Islanders of Lagos will host Royal Hoopers of Port Harcourt in another game in Lagos. Falcons of Ilorin will also have their first feel of action today against nigeria Customs. Falcons will be at home and a win will lift the spirit of the players who were involved in an accident before the season began.

In the Savannah Conference, defending champions, Kano Pillars, who are in pursuit of their third win, will host Bauchi nets, Kada Stars will take on niger Potters in Kaduna, Plateau Peaks will clash with Mark Mentors, while Gombe Bulls battle on nigeria Immigration.

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SPORTS Friday, March 21, 2014

Heroes Of Okorie: Abia track warrior who jumped

United States-based Nigerian former athlete, Victor Okorie, was one of the most gifted hurdlers that rose from the school sports system to rule the National Sports Festival, winning backto-back the 400m hurdles at Imo ’98 and Bauchi 2000. He went on to feature at COJA 2003 All African Games in Abuja, picking a silver medal for Team Nigeria. He also represented Nigeria in 2003 IAAF World Championship in Paris, France. The story of Okorie’s athletics career began at NKST Primary School, Adikpo in Benue State, but it was at Ogui New Layout Secondary School, Enugu, that he actualized his dream of becoming a star under coach Tobias Igwe. The lad later took his athletics trade to the United States, where he ruled the NCAA Mideast championship as well as the Tennessee State University and Sunbelt Conference. Okorie set a new meet record of 49.19 seconds in the 400m hurdles in June 2003 in Sacramento, California, after conquering all opponents from the South Eastern Conference (the best conference in United States). Till date, the school and conference records he set 10 years ago are yet to be broken. He earned the All American honour for his achievement, the highest and most respected honor/achievement in collegiate sports in United States. Speaking with GOWON AKPODONOR from his base in Murfreesboro in Tennessee, USA, during the week, Okorie, an Academic advisor and coach at Belmont University, narrates the story of his life, disclosing that the quality coaching he received from Toblow as a teenager opened the door of success for him and many other Nigerian athletes.

S a teenager, Victor Okorie set a target for himself to beA come a prominent star in Nigeria’s track and field and he set the machinery in motion towards actualizing his dream. He got his success, but had to navigate through many bumpy paths in his journey to stardom.

Okorie hails from Abia State, but he began his elementary school education at NKST Primary school Adikpo, a community in Benue State. As a teenager, Okorie was a jack-ofall-trades, participating in rope skipping event, sack race and short distance races for the school. He was also a footballer.

His first shock came from his sister, Nnene Ogbonnaya Okorie. “One day I challenged my sister to a race and she actually dusted me. I was so shocked that a girl could beat me in a race,” he told The Guardian. “I kept challenging her. But the more I challenged her, the more she beat me.”

After many attempts, Okorie had his pound of flesh by beating Nnene in a race. “I felt excited the day I finally dusted her in a race. I don’t know why she couldn’t continue running because she was very talented,” he said.

After conquering his sister to become the family cham-

pion in the sprint, Okorie was encouraged to move on. He soon became a ‘small lord’ dictating the pace in the school inter-house sports competition.

In his first inter house sports appearance, the young lad emerged second overall pupil in NKST Primary School in the rope skipping event, sack race and the sprint. The news of his performance soon spread beyond Adikpo to other communities and schools around Benue State.

“I was beaten to the overall best position by an older pupil, who was already in primary five,” he recalled, adding: “with time, I was chosen as one of the athletes to represent the school in the sprint events whenever there were invitations from other schools.”

Perhaps, what could be another major breakthrough for the young Okorie in his primary school sports career was his victory in a ‘stone’ race.

“In that race, our Games Masters set up ten stones and the first person to return all the stones was declared winner. To my surprise, I came third in the midst of bigger boys and I got a lot of gifts from teachers and parents who came to watch the event.”

The seed of Okorie’s sports career was planted at Adikpo Primary School in Benue State, but was watered and nurtured the moment he crossed to Ogui New Layout Secondary School in Enugu State.

“I continued with my sporting career when I started my secondary school in Enugu, but the problem I noticed was that a lot of students focused their attention on soccer,” he said.

With the desire to rule Nigerian track and field burning in his heart, Okorie was forced to trek several kilometers to the University of Enugu township stadium so as to watch the state athletes in training and competition.

“I also saw students from other schools and people like Onyeabo from the University of Enugu Secondary School and Tunde Ogbu from Christ Immaculate Conception (CIC). From there we started challenging each other.”

Enugu State School Sports Festival was around the corner and Okorie decided to try his luck, although without adequate training. “I went there and won the 400 meters. I also won the 800 meters and 5000 meters. I could not believe it,” he enthused.

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School Sports from Imo ’98 sports festival to USA

es 2003

OJA Gam

tC Okorie a

Okorie (middle) at Imo ’98 Sports Festival It was the beginning of his journey to stardom. “After the school sports festival, Coach Tobias Igwe encouraged me to practice with some athletes that ran for the state. So, after school, I normally went to practice with them, but the workout was so tough that I decided to stay away for a few months.

“Coach Toblow soon discovered my residence and my brother’s business office, which was close to the school campus. It was Toblow, who pleaded with my brother to allow me to train because he had seen the potential in me,” Okorie said.

Training with established athletes in the state was so difficult at the beginning that Okorie was forced to abandon his track and field business for some months. He became serious with his training a few months to Imo ‘98 National Sports Festival.

With coach Toblow thrown out of his service by the government of Enugu State on the ground that he is not an indigene of the state, Okorie quickly teamed up with him to give Abia State a good service in Imo ’98 sports festival.

Coach Toblow led Abia State athletes to capture six gold medals in track and field, including the gold won by Okorie in the 400m hurdles.

Two years later, Okorie captured another gold medal for Abia State in the 400m hurdles, this time at Bauchi 2000 National Sports Festival.

With nostalgic feeling, Okorie recalled his moment at Bauchi 2000 sports festival: “It was the most memorable moment in my athletics career. I was very sick going into the festival, but I was able to recover on time before the commencement of athletics event. When we got to Bauchi, Coach Toblow bought me Glucose, Lucozades and other things for me to regain weight and energy. Nobody gave me the chance of defending my title.

“Even some of my colleagues said there was no way I would win the 400m hurdles again.

With wife and children But when track and field event started, I ran my prelims with ease in the 400meter hurdles. In semifinal, one athlete called Abubakar beat me and everyone thought he was going to win the title.

“The day of the finals, Coach Toblow gave me words of encouragement, saying that I was in good shape and I could do it. My confidence increased. When I got on the starters blocks, something told me I could beat everyone. The guy who beat me in the semifinal (Abubakar) was drawn behind me.

“The race started and by the time we got to the first 200m meters, he was on my heel,

I will forever remain grateful to coach Toblow and I want to appeal to the government of Abia State to recall him to his duty post because the man did everything possible to raise the image of Abia State and Nigeria as a country.

though I was in control of the race. Abubakar increased his speed, but as he got closer, I responded to put pressure on him. I left him by the eight hurdle and that was how I defended my title,” Okorie stated.

He soon got a scholarship to study and continue his athletics career in the United States not long after the Bauchi 2000 National Sports Festival.

In America, the young Okorie became the most sought-after foreign athlete, especially in the Collegiate Games. In June 2003, Okorie set a record of 49.19 seconds in the 400m hurdles in Sacramento, California.

He also ruled the NCAA Mideast championship, were he defeated all contenders from the South Eastern conference (the best conference in United States). More than a decade after, Okorie remains the Middle Tennessee State University and Sunbelt Conference record holder in 400m hurdles.

He was invited to Team Nigeria’s camp in Abuja in preparation for COJA 2003 All Africa Games, which the nation hosted for the second time.

Again, Okorie competed under coach Toblow and was tipped to win the gold in the 400m hurdles. “The Abuja 2003 All African Games was one of the worst moments in my sports career,” Okorie told The Guardian.

“I was tipped to win the gold, but it didn’t happen. I was injured midway into the competition and I struggled all through. I lost the gold by a whisker, but thank God I was able to pick a silver medal for Nigeria.”

To Okorie, the decision to combine sports and academic activities at early stage helped him to understand what life is all about. “It thought me that you can achieve your dream if you work hard. It does not have to be track and field alone. Starting sports early helped me to be a team player because track and field is also a team sports. Whenever I stepped out to compete, I did my best to win because I knew my teammates were looking up to me to lead the way,” he said.

Okorie is disturbed by the decline of school sports in Nigeria. “Most of our great athletes started from inter-house sports competitions and I think there is urgent need for our school administrators to do some research on what made Nigerian sports great in the past. They also need to involve parents be-

The race started and by the time we got to the first 200m meters, he was on my heel, though I was in control of the race.

Abubakar increased his speed, but as he got closer, I responded to put pressure on him. I left him by the eight hurdle and that was how I defended my title. cause they cannot do it alone. Sports and education should co-exist and work hand in hand.

“The coaches also have to double their efforts. For instance, my parents were against my decision of taking to track in my school days. They wanted me to face my education. But they were convinced by Coach Toblow to allow me come out and practice. There was a time when my parents wanted to throw out my spike shoes because I sneaked out for training. That is why I said our sports administrators and headmasters need to involve parents to help salvage Nigerian track and field. It takes a village to raise a child.

“I will forever remain grateful to coach Toblow and I want to appeal to the government of Abia State to recall him to his duty post because the man did everything possible to raise the image of Abia State and Nigeria as a country.

“I want to advise athletes to also incorporate education with their sports in case they get injured or if they decide not to take sports as a career, they need a back up. For example, I knew that one day my athletics career would end and because I have the education, I don’t have to worry about my future. Having education is a life time venture but running or playing soccer can not last forever,” Okorie added.

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SchoolSports Buhari Oloto House dethrones Emedon House to win Gloryland sport meet UHARI Oloto House has B emerged champions at the 4th Inter House Sports meet of gloryland International Schools, Aguda, which took place at the weekend at the Union Bank Sports ground, Bode Thomas, Surulere.

Buhari Oloto House (Blue House) ended Emedon House (Red) dominance by winning its first title. Sir Okafor House (Yellow), Red and Viclaw House (green) finished second, third and fourth respectively. Emedon Red House had won the last three editions of the sports meet.

In some of the event decided, Rejoice Akeju of Blue House won gold medals in the girls’ slippers race ahead of Chimamada Ogono of green and Ifeoma Ofonba of Red House. The boys’ 4x100 meters gold medal went to Yellow House, while green House settled for silver with Red picking the bronze medal. green House came first in the girls’ category ahead of Blue and Yellow House. The match past gold medal went to Red House, while Yellow House and green house finished second and third respectively.

The talking point of the event was the participation of the Parents Teachers Association led by the Chairman, Elder Ejike Azubuike, in a colourful

match past.

Some parents were also honoured for their contribution towards sports development in the school. They include Sir Anthony Okafor, Alhaji Buhari Oloto, Pastor gisbson Jofortan, Elder Ejike Azubuike, Peter Emedon, and Victor Okafor. They were presented with medals by Olympic gold medalist, Chioma Ajunwa, who urged parents to encourage their wards in sporting activities.

The rest are Joseph Onuoha, Richard Nkpuluma, Lookman Sarumi, Elo Jones Hilary Okoye, Joel Tobor, Wole Makinde and Jide Ayodele.

Ajunwa denounced the insinuation that sportsmen and women are school dropouts. Earlier the special guest of Honour, Jimi Agbaje, commended parents of gloryland Schools for support towards a successful event.

Agbaje noted that sports could be a tool to reduce unemployment in the state if the residents are given the necessary encouragement.

He identified unavailability of top class sport structures as the bane of youth restiveness in the country.

Agbaje noted that thousands of youths who are into crime today would have become global sports icon if the enabling environment had been provided.

Students of AVi-Cenna School taking part in the 100m hurdles event during their school’s inter-house competition.

Fun, excitement as Avi-Cenna marks inter-house sports tourney

By Felix Kuye T was a festival of physical IInternational fitness at Avi-Cenna School, Ikeja, Lagos recently when the students competed in various

Emerald, Blue House win Mictec Unified inter-house sports ICTEC Intenational M Schools, Lagos recently held a unified inter-house sports competition with stakeholders canvassing for government to create a conducive environment for

Osogbo, Benin, Enugu, five others hold 2014 NNPC/Shell Cup zonal prelims

By Tony Nwanne SOgBO, Benin and Enugu will host the zonal preliminaries of the 2014 All Nigeria Secondary Schools Football Competition, also known as NNPC/Shell Cup. The zonal preliminaries will kick off tomorrow and is expected to be concluded on Tuesday, March 25.

Also to host the zonal preliminaries are Ado Ekiti, Yenegoa, Lokoja, Katsina, Keffi and Jalingo.

The states’ champions have been divided into the nine groups with the best two teams qualifying for the next round of the competition.

The President of NSSF, Mallam Ibraheem Muhammad, has urged all state champions and representatives of the NNPC/Shell Cup to be of good behaviour so that they can be seen as worthy ambassadors of their various schools and states.

He further advised that the schools must be sure that they are being represented by bona fide students of their schools. He also stressed that schools sports competitions are not win-at-all-cost com-

O

petitions.

In the draws made the NSSF, at the Oshogbo Centre are the Ogun State champions, Adeola Odutola College, Ijebu Ode; Ikare City Academy of Ondo State; winners of the Oyo State final, BrightVille College, Ibadan and the Lagos State Champions.

Zone B, located in Ado Ekiti, will host games involving Kwara State champions, Kwara Football Academy Secondary School, Ilorin; St. Augustine College, Kabba of Kogi State; Osun State champions, Progress Comprehensive High School, Modakeke and the Edo State kings, St. Thomas Basic Secondary School of Benin.

In Zone C, based in Benin are Ekiti State champions, Anunciation School, Ikere Ekiti; Comprehensive Secondary School, Ogwashi-Uku from Delta State; Randolph Comprehensive College, Port Harcourt, Rivers State and the Bayelsa champions, Community Secondary School, Kolo.

events lined up for the school’s Sport Day held at the sports centre of the Yaba College of Technology (Yabatech).

The students, organized into four different groups of

At the Enugu zone are Anambra State final winners, Akunne Oniah Memorial Sec. School, Onitsha; Imo State champions, Community Secondary school, Abueke Ihitte Uboma; Anglican Secondary School, Makurdi, Benue State and Two Ends Multinational Secondary School, Ikom, Cross River State.

sports in Nigeria.

Held at the new Agege Stadium, the schools comprising Mictec Primary School, Ogudu, Mictec High School, Ogudu and Mictec Nursery and Primary School, Oko-Oba thrilled spectators in series of events including athletics, March Past, Sac Race, Fashion Race, Bursting the balloon, Toddler Race and Filling the Bucket, among others.

In the Primary School category, Blue House came first with 11 gold, six silver, three bronze medals, green House came second with eight gold, five silver, three bronze, Red House came third with two gold, seven silver, five bronze, while Yellow House came fourth with one gold, five silver and 10 bronze medals.

Action recorded during the 2012 edition of the NNPC/Shell Cup.

Antelope (Red), Dolphin (Blue), Eagle (green) and Tiger (Yellow) houses, thrilled the large spectators, including their parents and the highly exited students and staff of the Yabatech, as they scrambled to outdo one another in the events, eliciting intermittent applause from the spectators.

For about four hours, the students, boys and girls, were locked in competition for victory in 111 race-dominated events, including relay, sack, low hurdle, hoop, band, egg and spoon, three-legged, high steppers, bead bag and

bouncers.

The parents and teachers were not left out as they ran their relay races separately to the excitement of the spectators.

The Principal of the AviCenna School, Mr. David Ogburn, said the yearly event is in keeping with the mission of the school to build a total child that will be mentally and physically fit, noting that physical fitness is fundamental to building an intellectually sound child.

At the end of the events, Eagle (green) House was declared the winner and pre-

At Hiseed inter-house sports, parents, others yearn for more sporting events

By Yinka Ogunjobi FTER watching their wards exhibiting exceptional skills on the track at the maiden inter-house sports competition of Hiseed College, parents and guardians told the school authorities that more of such events should be staged for the children.

The one-day tournament brought to fore the sporting talents of the students, while it also afforded them the

A

opportunity to showcase their skills to the admiration of the exciting fans.

For Mrs. Kelechi Okon, the tournament has indeed unearthed talents among the athletes, but efforts should be geared towards staging regular competitions.

“I think the event was fun and the school did a good job, and the children as well were entertaining, but I think the school should improve in coordination coupled with organising more tournaments of this magnitude,” she said.

Mrs. Tejumade Adetola charged the school to ensure proper organization in subsequent events.

Adetola said: “The students are very happy, the school has tried and I am sure if they keep doing it yearly, they would do better. This is the very first one and they should improve on organization, the activities and getting things ready. All the same, it was an excellent show in this maiden edition.”

The three-year school put together a colourful sports fiesta, which the proprietress, Mrs. Olaitan Olayinka, believes would improve annually.

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Friday, March 21, 2014

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SPORT friday, March 21, 2014

Zenith Bank Basketball League

Coca-Cola begins 2014 FIFA World Cup campaign IfA partner, Coca-Cola corks carrying “BR” and “AZ” fcommencement Nigeria, has announced the and “IL” should package the of its Brazil

First Deepwater, First Bank renew rivalry

By Adeyinka Adedipe EfENDING champions, first D Deepwater Basketball Club will today begin the defence of its title at the first phase of the 2013/2014 Zenith Bank Women Basketball League, which begins today at the sports hall of the National Stadium, Abuja.

The defending champions, who are in search of their fifth consecutive title, are the top seeds in Group A and will take on old foes, first Bank Basketball Club. Others in the group are Nigeria Customs, Plateau Peaks, AHIP Queens, Benue Queens, GT 2000 and Nigeria Immigration.

Top seeds in Group B, Dolphins Basketball Club, which pipped first Bank to second place last season, will be gunning for its first title and would be buoyed by their beautiful performance in last season final when they stretched first Deepwater to the limit before conceding to the champions in the closing minutes of the epic encounter.

Other teams in Group B are Sunshine Angels, IGP Queens, fCT Angels, Delta force, Coal City Queens, Oluyole Babes, and Taraba Hurricanes.

The game to watch out for in Group A will be between first Deepwater and first Bank. first Deepwater dethroned first Bank four seasons ago and it has been difficult for the Elephant Girls (first Bank) to reclaim the title. However, the Adewunmi Aderemi girls have promised to battle hard to wrestle the title from first Deepwater.

Also, the defending champions, handled by Lateef Erinfolami showed signs of weakness in last season’s final and must be at their best to continue their dominance, as all the teams have fortified their squad in pursuit of the trophy.

In Group B, the mouth-watering clash will involve Dolphins and Sunshine Angels of Akure, who are also hoping for a better season, while the minors would also look to upset the favourites in the three-phase league.

Already, the sponsors, Zenith Bank have reaffirmed its commitment to the league by making N90 million available for the next three seasons, with N25 million on the table for this season.

This athlete is getting set for Paradise Games 2014… The logo/mascot of the 19th National Sports festival will be unveiled today in Calabar

2014 World Cup campaign, which will see 22 lucky Nigerians winning tickets for all expense paid trip to watch the Mundial. The campaign is scheduled to run from March to July 2014.

Officials of Coca Cola told jourbnalists yesterday that part of the fIfA World Cup campaign is a national consumer promotion, an ‘Under the Crown’ event with lots of prizes from the beverage company.

Aside the 22 winners of the Brazil trip, a lot of other prizes are at stake for consumers, officials of Coca Cola said, adding that to qualify for the draw, interested consumers can purchase bottles of Coke, fanta or Sprite (35cl & 50cl RGB) and look under the crown corks for their prizes.

“Consumers with crown

Danagogo performs first duty, as Calabar unveils sports festival logo/mascot

By Gowon Akpodonor HE new Sports Minister, T Chairman National Sports Commission, Dr. Tamuno Danagogo will today in Calabar perform what is believed to be his first official assignment since he was sworn into office.

The government and people of Cross River State will today launch the Theme Song and unveils the Logo and Mascot of the 19th National Sports festival tagged “Paradise Games” The Minister, who is the Special Guest of honour at the event that will be held

inside the Venetian Arena, will also take time out to see some of the facilities earmarked for the festival.

He will be accompanied to Calabar by a powerful NSC delegation led by the Director General Hon. Gbenga Elegbeleye, who is the Chairman of the Main Organising Committee (MOC) of the festival Nigerians home and abroad are anxiously looking forward to the “Paradise Games” because the festival is thrown open to elite athletes as against the colourless closed festivals in the past.

The decision by the NSC to throw the Games open has been hailed by stakeholders, who believe that the country stands to benefit now that elite athletes will have to battle with the local ones for medals.

The host city, Calabar, is known for its modern tourism city and the gathering of both the elite and local athletes is expected to bring much glamour to the festival, which is scheduled for November 23 to December 7.

Cross River State Sports Commissioner Hon Patrick Ugbe who is also the Vice Chairman of the Local

Organising Committee (LOC) said yesterday, that one of the highlights of the event will be the rendering of the Theme Song by “Son of the soil “ Sunny Neji, who composed the anthem.

“The grand performance that should last for a maximum of two hours will also see all the ex Olympians of Cross River State origin like Mercy Nku, Offiong Edem and Cecilia Otu. “We will create a very exciting atmosphere that will be ignited by the Carnival Band Association who are set to put up a grand performance of music, culture and dance.

crown corks with their names, addresses, mobile number and signature written on the package and submit them to clearly marked submission centers nearest to them.

“Weekly draws will be held for eight (8) weeks, and winners announced every Sunday on NTA Newsline. Consumers whose crown corks show an instant gift can redeem them at designated redemption centers within their locations.

While explaining the available prizes for the promo yesterday in Lagos, Toyin Nnodi, the Project Manager for the National Consumer Promotion, said there are lots of prizes for lots of winners. “forty-four winners will cart away 55-inch TV and Home theatre system; and sixty-six (66) winners will also take home the 2014 fIfA Play Station game set,” she said. for winners of the instant prizes, we have 15,000 jerseys, 20,000 footballs, 45,000 drawstring bags, and over 1 million free drinks.”

She added that the Brazil 2014 World Cup campaign comprises five phases to engage the consumers, including: The qualifier campaign, anthem seeding, national consumer promotion a shopper promotion and the media broadcast of the fIfA World Cup games live form Brazil.

Also speaking at the unveiling of the campaign, Marketing Manager Colas for Coca-Cola Nigeria, Bolajoko Bayo-Ajayi, described CocaCola as the ideal brand to connect consumers with the best global soccer entertainment.

THE GUARDIAN www.ngrguardiannews.com

Friday, March 21, 2014 63

GolfWeekly Le Meridien Open credit sponsors with success story Stories by Eno-Abasi Sunday S date for the eighth ediA tion of the Le Meridien Open Golf Tournament draws nigh, organisers say the availability of sponsors has been one of the big reasons for the success of the tourney better known as LM Open.

The eighth edition is expected to run from April 11 to 13 at the Le Meridien Ibom Hotel and Golf Resort, Uruan, Akwa Ibom State. Like the last edition, it would be held the same weekend that the US Masters holds in Augusta, which runs from April 10 to 13.

International Management Group (IMG) General Manager/Consultant at the facility, Sam Logan in an interview with The Guardian said, “Sponsors are basically the reason for the success of this series and we are very impressed with their determination to stick with us.”

Logan, who said he had to convince the hotel’s management to allow him the latitude to float the tourney at its inception, stressed that a lot of our sponsors have stayed on since coming onboard at the inaugural edition.

“It is very heartwarming to say that several of our sponsors have been with us for all seven events. Some of them are Heineken, GDN Julius

Berger, Nigerpet, Hole 19 among others. I am very pleased to be working with firms like Airtel, Diamond Bank, who have also recently come on board,” said Logan who has been involved with nine PGA Tour events and has been tournament director for two of them in the past.

Within this period of time also, organisers and sponsors have also spared a thought for the needy and downtrodden. This they did through donations to hospitals and charity homes.

According to Logan, “Every time we raise money, we give it to orphanages, hospital and

children. Le Meridien, IMG and a lot of our sponsors have been assisting as it is very important to give to those who need better future and medical attention. We have donated N4.6 million to charity in all our past seven event,’’said tournament consultant, Sam Logan of IMG.” Meanwhile, so far a total of 736 amateur golfers from within and outside Nigeria have played in seven editions of tourney, which is the flagship event of the Ibom Golf Club.

A breakdown of the number shows that the tourney, which had a meagre 52-man

field at inception in March 2011, doubled that number a few months later when it held its second edition in March of same year. The final edition of that year got even higher with 114 participants.

The fourth edition of the tournament tagged “LM Open IV,” attracted 112 participants, while the next in November/December of 2012 featured 118 participants.

A total of 231 golfers played in the sixth and seventh editions of the tourney, which took place in 2013. The attendance was thus: LM Open VI: 121 participants; LM Open VII: 110 participants respectively.

According to organisers of the tourney, some Nigerian cities that have supplied the most players for the tourneys are Aba, Abia State, Abuja, Calabar in Cross River State, Eket, Uyo in Akwa Ibom State, Port Harcourt in Rivers State, Warri in Delta State, Benin in Edo State as well as Lagos State amongst others.

Among other reasons, the LM Open series was introduced to up the ante of golf in the state, popularise the facility/host club as well as afford golfers from around the country a memorable golfing extravaganza, the Consultant/General Manager

of the International Management Group (IMG) had said ahead of the maiden edition.

Port Harcourt-based Paul Abiyou, emerged the overall winner of the maiden edition of the competition courtesy of the lowest net score he carded.

Since inception, the LM Open has continued to from strength to strength even as the quality of its gift bags, trophies, gourmet and beverages remain mouthwatering.

Through its raffle draw, most golfers have won airline tickets for trips abroad, hotel stay in within and outside

Inaugural South West school sports festival shuns golf OLF was again at the G receiving end as it was excluded from the list of sports, where honours would be vied for in the forthcoming South West Secondary School Sports Festival, tagged DAWN Games 2014.

Billed to take place in Lagos from May 16 to 24, the debut edition of the festival would feature athletes in junior and senior secondary schools in the South West states.

A total of 12 sporting disciplines will be on parade. They include athletics, badminton, basketball, chess,

football, gymnastics, scrabble, swimming, table tennis, tennis, taekwondo and volleyball.

The birth of the festival seen as part of efforts to reinvigorate grassroots sports development in the region, was revealed at the end of a threeday meeting held in Lagos early this month and attended by stakeholders from the six South West states, National Sports Commission (NSC) and Nigeria School Sports Federation (NSSF) among others.

Golf administrators and some golfers from the South West, who are of the opinion that the game deserves a place in the festival’s agenda, are obviously not pleased by the exclusion.

It would be recalled that only recently, and after a successful stint with some private schools in Lagos State including St. Saviour’s School, Ikoyi and Grange School, Ikeja, a private concern, 2AT Nigeria Limited, in concert with Lagos State Universal Basic Education Board trained 42 Physical

Education teachers, who would ensure that golf percolates at the grassroots in the state.

The programme under the initiative, “Let’s Play Golf in Schools,” and which is employing the Starting New At Golf (SNAG) curriculum, organisers said had received the blessings of the Lagos State Amateur Golf Association.

The train-the-trainers workshop, which took place at the Astro Turf 2000, Osborne Road, Ikoyi, was specially designed to help physical

education teachers from the 20 Local Government Education Authorities (LGEA’s) in the state deliver the programme successfully within the school setting.

“Our objective is to teach the teachers how to teach golf in Physical Education (PE) classes,” Adekemi Badmos, Director 2AT Nigeria Limited stated, stressing that “the train-thetrainers workshop was to equip the teachers with the know-how to teach their students golf within their school settings.

Category One player and member of IBB Golf and Country Club, Okey Igwe and another golfer prepare to put during a past edition of the Le Meridien Open at Ibom Golf Club, Le Meridien Ibom Hotel and Golf Resort, Akwa Ibom State PHOTO: ENO-ABASI SUNDAY

TheGuardian www.ngrguardiannews.com

Friday, March 21, 2014

Conscience, Nurtured by Truth

By Samuel Okopi UR country is now 100 years old. In the face of different ethnic tensions plaguing our nation, many Nigerians are asking themselves an important question: What is the practical value of our many languages?

Two years ago, when I posted on The Green Heritage Facebook page, that Nigeria has the third highest number of languages in the world (after Indonesia and Papua New Guinea) and that her languages account for 7 per cent of the world total, many Nigerians sharply criticised the post, insisting that there is nothing to be proud of in having so many languages.

The same reaction was drawn out when I posted on the page that Taraba State in North-eastern Nigeria, has more languages than 30 African countries. In discussions I have had with friends, many have argued that Nigeria’s many languages do her no good but instead, are the cause of the constant ethnic strife, poverty and backwardness that plague our nation.

But many will agree that language is the vehicle of culture and a core part of a people’s identity. Many will agree that some concepts in their native tongue are unique to that tongue.

It is through language that the wisdom, achievements and values of a community are passed down from one generation to another; not just for the good of that community but potentially for that all of mankind! No wonder UNESCO said in its article, Languages Matter!

That: “Languages, with their complex implications for identity, communication, social integration, education and development, are of strategic importance for people and the planet.”

Take a look at Australia which has (according to SIL International’s Ethnologue) 241 indigenous languages. Australia knows the value of its diverse linguistic heritage, even though it is highly developed as the 2013 Human Development Report published by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) clearly shows. In that report, Australia came second after Norway in the Human Development Index (HDI) rankings of 186 countries, and was rated as having Very High Human Development, while Nigeria came at a distant 153, and was classed under Low Human Development with a host of other African countries.

So how has Australia shown it values its linguistic heritage? Paul Lynch, a past Minister of Aboriginal Affairs under the Government of New South Wales, Australia, said during his tenure: “New South Wales has a proud record of recording and teaching Aboriginal languages.... For more than 20 years, Aboriginal people have made it clear that they want their languages back as a vital part of their culture, identity and pride.” To give them their language back, the New South Wales Government (which is just a state in Australia) rolled out $300,000 in 2010, as grants to support language projects. This is in addition to over $1 million it committed to about 60 aboriginal language projects, within 2005-2010.

You might still be wondering why it is important to invest in our many languages. You be the judge as we examine how Nigeria’s indigenous languages can help her in achieving three of the eight Millennium Development Goals, (MDGs) and continue to do so even after the target date of 2015.

The first MDG is eradicating extreme poverty and hunger. Someone wouldn’t be speaking Greek if he says to you that millions of Nigerians are living in abject poverty. The same 2013 UNDP Human Development Report states that 54.1 per cent of Nigerians are MPI poor; that is, poor by the standards of the Multidimensional Poverty Index it computes using household deprivations in education, health and standard of living.

Now, if about 80 million Nigerians are MPI poor, and, according to CIA World Fact book, about this same number are illiterate, you can

Languages, with their complex implications for identity, communication, social integration, education and development, are of strategic importance for people and the planet

O

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Nigeria: Half a thousand languages and MDGs (1)

Senior Special Assistant to the President on the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), Dr Precious Gbeneol only imagine how important it is to clearly convey critical information in the areas of health, agriculture, and other basic areas of livelihood, to the vast section of our population that are both poor and illiterate. A 2012 World Bank report puts our rural population at 50.20 per cent of our total population. Illiteracy is more prevalent in our rural areas, and it is there that we have the largest population of

people actively speaking our many indigenous languages. So, drawing this group out of poverty and hunger can only be done by communicating strategies, technologies and other important ideas to them in a language they understand—their mother tongue.

Mother tongue also becomes a window through which to approach the problem of hunger and poverty from the worldview of

The YOUTHSPEAK Column which is published daily is an initiative of THE GUARDIAN, and powered by RISE NETWORKS, Nigeria’s Leading Youth Development Centre, as a substantial advocacy platform available for ALL Nigerian Youth to engage Leadership at all levels, engage Society and contribute to National Discourse on diverse issues especially those that are peculiar to Nigeria. Regarding submission of articles, we welcome writers‘ contributions by way of well crafted, analytical and thought provoking opinion pieces that are concise, topical and non-defamatory! All articles (which are not expected to be more than 2000 words) should be sent to editorial@risenetworks.org To read the online Version of this same article plus past publications and to find out more about Youth Speak, please visit www.risenetworks.org/youthspeak and join the ongoing National Conversations’’.

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ABC (ISSN NO 0189-5125)

the cultural environment in which it manifests. The UNESCO World Report titled ‘Investing in Cultural Diversity and Intercultural Dialogue’ gives an insightful perspective on this last point: “It is often the ways in which the poor are perceived or perceive themselves that relegates them to situations of inferiority, constituting a major obstacle to their empowerment.... By looking at poverty from the inside and with a clear commitment to human-rights-based poverty eradication, local solutions can often be found in concert with the communities involved, who can themselves become the ones who find a way out of poverty.”

SIL International gives very practical illustrations of how the language of a community can help alleviate poverty. One is that of a farmer in Benin Republic who took literacy classes in his mother tongue and as a result had better access to information about improved farming methods, the use of fertilisers and other products. Of course, these pieces of information were encoded in his mother tongue. The other case is that of a Togolese farmer who took adult literacy classes in his mother tongue. This enabled him to read a topic on managing finances and resources, and he learnt about diversification in the process. It changed his life. He put the ideas he got to practice and started breeding goats and chickens in addition to his traditional farming, thereby increasing his income and being able to pay his children’s school fees.

Talking of children, the second MDG is directed at achieving universal primary education. The bitter truth is, learning another language is a difficult thing for many people.

This is the single greatest barrier to literacy in many cases. I have come across incredibly insightful or mathematically gifted kids who could barely speak or understand English.

But then, many will be quick to assume that only the most intelligent kids or adults in the rural areas get to learn English faster.

A friend of mine, who served out his NYSC in a rural area in Niger State, spoke of how difficult it was for him to teach the class assigned to him. He started with English, no success.

He switched to pidgin, still no success. His smattering Hausa didn’t help either. So, he concluded that the students were incredibly dull and unwilling to learn, and this he continually sang to my ears. But he was wrong.

The reason those children seemed stupid and stubborn is that they were not taught in Kambari, their local language, or in Hausa, the regional language. They were not taught with books written and conceptualized in the worldview of Kambari or Hausa.

We need to actively preserve our languages, and the various cultural images, stories and symbols they have birthed so we can speak to the hearts and minds of those children who can only communicate in their first language or the dominant language of the region they reside. In his paper on language policy and mother tongue education in Nigeria, B.M Mbah, a linguist in UNN, highlighted the fact that teaching in a child’s mother tongue is much better. He brought up the Ife Six Year project in which students were separated into two groups: One group was taught all subjects in English, and the other was taught all subjects, except English, in Yoruba. In the final exams, the students who were taught in Yoruba fared better than those taught in English.

• To be continued.