Tue 04 June 2013 by The Guardian Newspaper

TheGuardian Conscience, Nurtured by Truth

Tuesday, June 4, 2013

Vol. 29, No. 12,577

www.ngrguardiannews.com

N150

Fresh grief, tributes as Jonathan, Fashola honour Dana crash victims • Drama, as man raises the alarm over name on cenotaph • Kukah wants compensation for ground victims • Families seek safe sky, decry poor aviation policy From Mohammed Abubakar, Joke Falaju, Omotola Oloruntobi (Abuja), Kamal Tayo Oropo and Wole Shadare (Lagos) AINFUL memories of the P crash of Dana flight 992 in Iju Ishaga, a suburb of Agege area of Lagos State on June 3, 2012 were relived yesterday as President Goodluck Jonathan unveiled a cenotaph to commemorate the accident. He also laid a wreath in honour of the 153 victims of the air crash. At the solemn event, which took place at the General Aviation Terminal (GAT) domestic wing of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, the President described the crash as a monumental tragedy for the nation, noting that Nigerians had collectively continued to mourn all those who lost their lives to the acci-

President Goodluck Jonathan (left); four-year-old Samuel Mbong (second left) who lost his father in the crash; Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, Matthew Kukah (middle) and others during a prayer session at the site of a cenotaph in honour of victims of Dana Air crash in Abuja... yesterday. (Inset: The cenotaph at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja). PHOTO: PHILIP OJISUA

United States offers N3.6b for Al-Qaeda, Boko Haram leaders By Bola Olajuwon (With agency reports)

Vows to capture Shekau, others

MOUTH-WATERING bounA ty: About N3.6 billion. This is what any person that gives

The U.S. State Department’s Rewards for Justice programme also targeted Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), offering its first ever bounties for wanted militants in West Africa. According to the Agence France Presse (AFP), up to $5 million was posted for Al-Qaeda veteran Mokhtar Belmokhtar, the one-eyed Islamist behind the devastating attack on an Algerian gas

information that could help track down five leaders of militant groups accused of spreading terror in West Africa would get. The offer came from the United States (U.S.) . Yesterday, it posted up to $23 million (about N3.6 billion) rewards to capture the terrorists. The highest reward of $7 million is offered for the Boko Haram leader, Abubakar Shekau, who last week called on Islamists in Afghanistan, Pakistan and Iraq to join the bloody fight to create an Islamic state in Nigeria.

plant in January in which 37 foreigners, including three Americans, were killed. A further $5 million was offered for top AQIM leader Yahya Abou Al-Hammam, reportedly involved in the 2010 murder of an elderly French hostage in Niger. Malik Abou Abdelkarim, a senior fighter with AQIM, and Oumar Ould Hamaha, the spokesman for Mali’s Movement for Oneness and Jihad in

West Africa (MUJAO), were also targeted by the rewards programme, which will give up to $3 million each for information leading to their arrests. “AQIM has been increasingly active in North and West Africa. They’re one of the preeminent kidnap for ransom groups in the terrorist world right now,” a senior State Department official told AFP, asking not to be named. “They cause us a great deal of concern. Anything that we can do naturally to cut down on the capabilities of AQIM, any-

thing that we can do to get information on these people so that we can get them in front of a court... That is our goal.” The U.S. has been increasingly worried about the spread of Islamist groups in Mali and across the vast and lawless Sahel since a military coup ousted the government in Bamako. Former colonial power France has led a military offensive since January against the militants in Mali’s northCONTINUED ON PAGE 5

Dangote is Africa’s first $20b man, now world’s 25th richest - Page 6 Poultry plant fire kills 119 in China - Page 9

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New revenue sharing formula out in December From Azimazi Momoh Jimoh and Bridget Chiedu Onochie, Abuja

• Senate opens hearing on review of budgeting NEW revenue sharing forA mula for the country is set to emerge in December this year, according to the Chairman, Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC), Elias Mbam. The RMAFC chairman disclosed this at a two-day public hearing organised by the Senate Joint Committee on National Planning, Economic Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, and Finance on the review of the National Planning and Budgeting Process. The public hearing followed a motion by Olubunmi Adetunmbi (Ekiti North) in February on the need for a radical review of the budgeting process of the country. CONTINUED ON PAGE 6

THE GUARDIAN, Tuesday, June 4, 2013

NEWS 5

Govt unveils tourism brand identity From Bridget Chiedu Onochie, Abuja HE Federal Government yesterday unveiled the tourism industry’s brand identity, which it called Fascinating Nigeria. Addressing journalists at the unveiling ceremony, Minister of Tourism, Culture and National Orientation, Chief Edem Duke, said the brand identity, which would be officially launched on July 9 by President Goodluck Jonathan, unraveled several windows that make Nigeria truly fascinating. The brand identity, he said, expresses Nigeria’s creative industry and indicates that the nation is the most fascinating country in the world in terms of weather, beautiful landscape, literature, music, dance, festivals, resilient and fun-loving people.

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar (right); wife of the Governor of Osun State, Sherifat Aregbesola; Governor Rauf Aregbesola and the Deputy Governor/Commissioner for Education, Mrs. Titi Laoye-Tomori, during the official launching of Opon Imo: Tablet of Knowledge, in Ilesa yesterday.

According to him, the journey towards having a proud global brand began early last year: “In summary, it means that it is time for Nigerian tourism, especially the creative sector, to have a brand identity and that is Fascinating Nigeria. It is uniquely Nigerian and we have spent the better part of last year trying to design it.” To help boost the brand, the minister informed that about 100 heritage sites would be developed. The idea, Duke stated, places Nigeria iaan the mode of countries such as India, which has Incredible India, South Africa’s It Is Possible, and Malaysia’s Truly Asia. Nigeria’s lack of brand identity has been a missing link in its tourism development drive.

Drama, as man raises the alarm over name on cenotaph CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 dent. The wreath-laying ceremony was preceded by prayers for the repose of the souls of the departed victims. Prayers came from the Deputy Chief Imam of Abuja National Mosque, Ustaz Mohammed Kabir Adam and the Bishop of Sokoto Catholic Diocese, Dr. Matthew Hassan Kukah. Kukah urged the Federal Government not to only focus attention on those who lost their lives in crashes but that it should also compensate those who lost their lives and property at the scene of the crash. Yesterday too, the Managing Director of Dana Airlines, Mr. Jacky Hathiramani, disclosed that no fewer than 23 of the families involved in the airline’s plane crash had received full compensation of $100,000 as recommended by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO). According to the President, on the first anniversary of the tragedy, Nigerians still feel the same sense of profound loss over the victims of all other aviation accidents that have occurred in the country. While reiterating the commitment of the administration to Nigerians and the international community to make Nigeria’s sky safe, he said: “In this regard, I reiterate our determination to make everything humanly possible to prevent the occurrence of this unfortunate

tragedy.” He said that after the air crash, additional safeguards to enhance overall safety of flying in Nigeria were immediately put in place. For the President, the cenotaph was a symbol of “our respect for the victims of the Dana air crash, because they will never be forgotten. It is also a perpetual reminder and a demonstration of our resolve to do everything humanly possible to ensure that similar tragedies never occur again in the country. “As we are unveiling this cenotaph today, it should symbolise the turning of a new leaf and a closure of a painful old chapter in our history. Let it represent our resolve to maintain maximum vigilance in safety regulation of our aviation industry. “Vigilance must be our watch word, we must remain vigilant in our safety oversight responsibilities, must never let up, we all have a duty to look in the future and build a viable prosperous, safe and secure aviation industry that each and every one of us would feel confident to patronise which serves our country well.” He cited a special panel to uncover any contributory systemic lapses that might have existed in the aviation industry to be speedily addressed to enhance an overall safety of the Nigerian aviation industry. “In its reports, the panel made a number of recommenda-

tions, most of which have been implemented by the Aviation Ministry. In the mean time, the National Aviation Policy (NAP) was reviewed with a view to further strengthening the safety and operations of the various categories of aviation businesses. The policy was approved by the Federal Executive Council (FEC) last week.” Also, tears flowed freely in Lagos yesterday at the unveiling of a cenotaph at the site of the Dana plane crash. Speeches, which moved people to tears, were delivered by Mrs. Chizoba Mojekwu and Dr. Ben Anyene, a representative of the Anyene family who lost five relations in the crash. They said the most painful aspect of it was that the accident was avoidable, just as they criticised many who described the accident as an “Act of God.” According to them, “God does not kill its own. Nigerians must fear God. If those in aviation, including the Ministry of Aviation, have a good policy, perhaps, this may not have happened. We demand safer sky and people should be held accountable for their actions. “There must be transparency and openness in accident investigation and the aviation industry needs to be sanitised. The sector globally is sophisticated and leaves no room for mistake. We should be concerned with goings-on in the sector if we really need to

make sure that this type of disaster does not happen again.” They, however, lauded Lagos State Governor Babatunde Fashola for the swift response of the state fire service and the state’s emergency management service headed by Mr. Oke Osayintolu. The ceremony, performed by Fashola, his wife, Abimbola, a representative of the Minister of Aviation, George Afamefuna, and top officials of Lagos State brought sad memories to the families of victims who called on the Federal Government to urgently make the country’s airspace safe. Their call for safer airspace brought to the fore the precarious state of the nation’s aviation industry and its air space which lack good communication facilities. A mild drama, however, ensued at the site of the crash when friends called one Hurriya Lawal whose name appeared on the cenotaph built to honour the dead. An enraged Lawal created a scene with his outburst, saying he was not dead. He stated that he had informed Dana Airline about the mix-up. All efforts to pacify him proved abortive as he continued to pour invectives on those who added his name among the dead. His action led to laughter and surprise among thousands of sympathisers, relations, representatives of the United States (U.S.), China and other

U.S. vows to capture Shekau, others CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 ern desert, as the West African nation prepares for presidential elections on July 28. There are fears however that the spread of militant groups risks destabilizing the entire West African region. Belmokhtar, who was a senior commander for AQIM, broke away from the group last year to set up his own group dubbed the “Signatories in Blood.” Branded “the Uncatchable,” Belmokhtar also personally supervised the operational plans for the twin car bombings in Niger that killed at least 20 peo-

ple late last month, according to a spokesman for his group. Yesterday’s rewards acknowledged the growing links between AQIM and Nigeria’s Boko Haram, which is under pressure from a military offensive. “They’ve had a relationship for some time. They send people back and forth for training, they’ve done the provision of arms back and forth,” the State Department official said. “The links are... not quite as solid as some of the other terrorist organizations,” he said. “Nonetheless, it’s a dangerous link and it’s something that we feel we should try and stop.”

Shekau, in a video obtained by AFP last week, claimed his forces had made significant gains against the Nigerian army while sustaining little damage since the start of the military offensive on May 15. “Under his leadership, Boko Haram’s capability has certainly grown,” the State Department official told AFP. He highlighted how the group set off “their first improvised explosive device in early June 2011. By August (2011) they used a car bomb against the United Nations facility,” an attack which killed 25 people. “When we see someone like

this who... is actually leading to an increase in the capability of an organization, that’s something that we would naturally try to see if we can do something to impede,” he added. Shekau’s whereabouts could not be determined in the video, in which he is shown seated and dressed in camouflage and a turban, with an AK47 at his side. His comments contradict statements from the military, which has claimed major successes during the offensive, including the destruction of

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foreign nationals who were present. There are indications that another person could have flown with Lawal’s ticket which is a serious violation of the Nigeria Civil Aviation law which stipulates that no passenger should be allowed boarding except the traveller presents an identification which tallies with the name on the ticket. The implication is that whoever travelled with Lawal’s ticket might not be entitled to $100,000 compensation crash victims’ families are entitled to. A tearful Fashola said in as much as it was a tragedy that brought everybody together at the area, to him, the real tragedy to befall “us would be

to forget what happened. We must never forget. The cenotaph which we are unveiling today will ensure that their memories never die.” The monument, he noted, would stand as a permanent memorial to these families’ relations, women and children. His words: “And yet, even in the midst of tragedy, there are always flickers of optimism-of hope. I cannot begin to even name some of the people who joined in local rescue efforts because they went about their tasks diligently and anonymously. None of them ever asked this government for any reward. None of them asked for any special recognition. A sense of duty and goodwill to their effort, we also commend you today.”

THE GUARDIAN, Tuesday, June 4, 2013

NEWS

Govt to remodel nine rail stations

Senate opens hearing on review of budgeting

Accuses Lagos of collecting taxes on federal infrastructure

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From Nkechi Onyedika and Chuka Odittah, Abuja HE Federal Government has T approved the remodelling and redevelopment of nine major railway stations across the country to incorporate modern commercial outlets under a Public Private Partnership (PPP) arrangement. It has also completed the construction and rehabilitation of 32 road projects covering 2,000km in the past two years at the cost of N126 billion. Speaking yesterday in Abuja at the 2013 ministerial platform organised by the Ministry of Information, Minister of Transport, Idris Umar, listed the railway stations to be remodelled as the Iddo Terminal Station and Ebute-Metta Junction Station (both in Lagos). Others are Ilorin Station, Kaduna Junction Station, Kano Station, Port Harcourt Station, Enugu, Gombe and Jos stations. The minister pointed out that the process for the engagement of the private sector partners would soon commence. Meanwhile, the Minister of Information, Labaran Maku, yesterday took a swipe on the Lagos State Government, alleging that the only thing it has achieved was just the environmental sanitation of the state. Maku, who was trying to thump up the Federal Government, particularly for its achievements in the road sector, alleged that the Lagos government has been collecting taxes on federal infrastructure, and that the BRT buses are also running on federal roads.

Mbam said that his commission was concerned that after 14 years, the country had not had a new revenue sharing structure. He noted that the country had continued to operate the revenue sharing formula handed down by the military. Mbam said that the commission had appealed to Nigerians to make their suggestions on how they wanted a new revenue formula to be fashioned in the overall interest of the country. The chairman assured that “by December 2013, I can safely say that we will roll out a new revenue formula for the country.” In his welcome address, the Chairman of the joint committee, Barnabas Gemade, expressed the need for a national budget process devoid of the existing yearly incremental system. Gemade said the envisaged budgeting process should be a type that would provide alternative planning policies and strategies for the harmonisation of the activities of government agencies and the private sectors. He added that in the course of debate on Adetunmbi’s motion, a sharp disconnect between the multi-year development plans and the yearly national budget under which the Federal Ministry of Finance prepares the budget with little or no regard for ministries, departments and agencies, was discovered. According to the lawmaker,

“this gap was largely blamed for the slow shift from re-current to capital lead in the country’s yearly budget.” Gemade, who is also Chairman, Senate Committee on National Planning and Economic Affairs, said that the importance of national planning to any nation could not be over-emphasised. He said: “This is basically because it enables a nation to make a conscious choice re-

garding the rate and direction of its growth, thereby making a rational decision to achieve deliberate, consistent and well-balanced action towards socio-economic development and good governance. “The input of national planning policies in budget making in Nigeria today is almost limited only to providing data on Gross Domestic Product, which is usually

generated by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS).” He insisted that the existing budgeting process “alienates lawmakers, making them rely solely on the input provided by the Executive arm of government.” For him, the situation does not provide the Legislature the privilege of effectively exerting control over the fiscal priorities of the Federal Government for which it is em-

powered by the Constitution. According to him: “This creates serious discord and acrimony between the Legislative and the Executive arms of government which consequently stall our progress as a nation.” Mr. Martins Oke, who represented the Federal Character Commission, faulted the situation where the commission was not involved in budgeting.

Dangote is Africa’s first $20b man, now world’s 25th richest IGERIAN billionaire and N Africa’s richest man, Aliko Dangote, is now Africa’s first $20 billion man and one of the top 25 richest men in the world. The President/Chief Executive of the pan-African conglomerate, the Dangote Group, has become the first African entrepreneur to lay claim to a $20 billion fortune as the stock value of his flagship holding, Dangote Cement, leaped just about three-fourths since March when Forbes last released its yearly ranking of the world’s richest people. With a current market cap of $20.5 billion, Dangote Cement becomes the first Nigerian company to achieve a market capitalisation of over $20 billion. The global business and financial intelligence news magazine, Forbes, reported that Dangote’s 93 per cent stake in the cement company is now worth $19.5 billion. Added to this are his controlling stakes in other public-listed companies like Dangote Sugar and National Salt Compa-

ny of Nigeria, and his significant shareholdings in other blue chips like Zenith Bank, UBA Group and Dangote Flour. He equally has extensive real estate portfolio, jets, yachts and current cash position, which includes over $300 million in recently-awarded Dangote Cement, which puts his current worth at over $20 billion. With his fortune, Dangote is richer than Russia’s richest man, Alisher Usmanov, India’s Lakshmi Mittal and running neck and neck with India’s Mukesh Ambani. He is also catching up on such Americans as Google’s billionaire founders, Larry Page and Sergey Brin. Dangote Cement had recorded an unprecedented surge in share price largely due to market response to its impressive

results in the first quarter of this year. Its unaudited results for the three months ending March 31 showed that the company’s pre-tax profit rose to $339 million, representing an 80.6 per cent increase from last year and a strong indicator of the company’s future earning potential. The results also indicate a 79.5 per cent rise in its earnings per share over the corresponding period last year. While Forbes reasoned that other companies might eventually achieve this, it noted but it would take a bit of time. Dangote Cement currently accounts for over a quarter of the total market capitalization of the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE). The second largest company on the NSE is currently West Africa’s largest manufacturer of alcoholic and non-alcoholic

beverages, Nigerian Breweries, with a market cap of $8.5 billion. Dangote debuted on Forbes’ billionaires list in 2008 with a fortune at $3.3 billion, which dropped to $2.5 billion in 2009 and plunged further to $2.1 billion in 2010. This, however, surged 557 per cent in 2011 to $13.8 billion after he took Dangote Cement public. He dropped to $11.2 billion in last year’s rankings, but rebounded at $16.1 billion this year. Since March, his fortune has jumped another 30 per cent. Forbes believes that Dangote still has bigger ambitions, as he reportedly told the magazine’s Wealth Editor, Luisa Kroll, at Davos in 2011 that he expected his firm to have a market cap of $60 billion within five years.

U.S. offers N3.6b for terrorist leaders CONTINUED FROM PAGE 2 Boko Haram camps and dozens of arrests. Shekau was placed on a U.S. blacklist last year, but Boko Haram has yet to be designated a foreign terrorist organization — an absence which has raised eyebrows among regional experts. The Nigerian government has consistently shown lack of support for moves by American officials and lawmakers to tag Boko Haram a terrorist organisation. Against the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN)’s fervent calls that the group should be tagged a terrorist group, the Federal Government’s position indicated otherwise, as the administration’s officials felt Nigerian travellers might be persecuted. The militant group’s goal is to establish an Islamic state in Nigeria, including the implementation of a sharia legal system across the country. The group is known as Jama’atul Alhul Sunnah Lidda’wati wal jihad or “people committed to the propagation

of the prophet’s teachings and jihad.” Aside from the current action of the U.S. government, the Office of the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) also accused Boko Haram of engaging in crimes against humanity. The ICC, in its report of preliminary examination activities dated November 2012, said its investigations had shown that the group was involved in murder and persecution. “The office has determined that there is a reasonable basis to believe that crimes against humanity have been committed in Nigeria, namely acts of murder and persecution attributed to Boko Haram. “Therefore, the prosecutor has decided that the preliminary examination of the situation in Nigeria should advance to phase 3 (admissibility) with a view to assessing whether the national authorities are conducting genuine proceedings in relation to those who appear to bear the greatest responsibility for such crimes, and the gravity of such crimes,” the report

said. Nigeria’s military has come under heavy criticism in its fight against Boko Haram, including allegations of arbitrary arrests, unlawful detentions and extrajudicial killings. The military launched a sweeping offensive in the northeast on May 15 in a bid to end the four-year-old insurgency by Boko Haram. Meanwhile, Ghana’s President John Dramani Mahama has warned that Islamist militancy poses a threat that could destabilise the whole of West Africa. Mahama told the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC)that although Ghana had not been directly affected, no country was safe if insurgency was allowed to take hold elsewhere. He said intervention led by France had helped guarantee stability in Mali, but the conflict there was not yet over. He also backed the African Union’s plan to create a rapid reaction force. Mahama said there had been a suggestion that it could be funded by a tax on air travel and hotels across the continent.

Protest in Edo over police killing of undergraduate From Alemma-Ozioruva Aliu, Benin City OR over two hours yesterday, vehicular movement was paralysed in Benin, as family, friends and associates took over the Oba Ovonmramwen Square protesting the alleged killing of the University of Benin (UNIBEN) student, Momodu Ibrahim, by the police attached to Ogida Police Station in Edo State. The protesters were more aggrieved that the 22-year

old 500 level student was also hurriedly buried by the police in Egor Local Council. The protesters, with several banners and anti-police inscriptions, took over the popularly Ring Road, leading to gridlock around the adjoining roads of Sapele, Akpakpava and Airport Road, spilling over to the Government Reservation Area (GRA). They also had rough time with security operatives at the Government House when they insisted that Governor

Adams Oshiomhole, who was said to be in the weekly State Executive Council meeting, should talk to them instead of his Deputy Chief of Staff, Stephen Idehenre. The late Momodu, said to be the only male child of his parents, was said to have been shot by the police close to his family house at No.1, Igbobawaye Street, Off Siluko Road, by Textile Mill Junction. The elder sister of the deceased, Rebecca Egbe, who narrated to journalists how her brother was killed, called for jus-

NEWS 7

THE GUARDIAN, Tuesday, June 4, 2013

I’m not in asylum, says Ringim From Tunde Oyedoyin, London HE former Inspector T General of Police, Mr. Hafiz Ringim has condemned media reports(not The Guardian) that he came to the United Kingdom to seek asylum. Ringim described the reports as not only “evil” but also the “figments of imagination” in the minds of those behind them. Speaking to The Guardian on Saturday at the presentation of the African Public Servant of the Year award to, the Controller -General of the Nigerian Customs Service (NCS) Alhaji Abdullahi Dikko Inde, Ringim revealed that he is a legal resident of the UK. The former IG also disclosed that having lived in the UK for over 30 years prior to his stint as Nigeria’s topmost policeman, how could he then be seeking asylum in London? “It is evil and completely false. It’s the figment of their imagination, and absolute lies, and that’s why I don’t speak to journalists, what they wrote is nonsense.” Ringim, who initially declined speaking to journalists until The Guardian pressed him to comment on the speculation, explained that after leaving office and returning to London, he then went back to Nigeria to formalise his stay before then returning to London.

Party dissociates self from Ladoja, Alao-Akala pact

Govt probes frequent outages From Kanayo Umeh, Abuja ORRIED by the incessant power failure in the country, the Federal Government has set up a probe panel over the ugly trend. The panel, which is headed by a retired Director of Electrical Inspectorate, Ministry of Power, F. Olapade, is expected to submit its report in two weeks. Minister of Power, Prof. Chinedu O. Nebo, in a statement yesterday, stated that government is working vigorously to ensure that normalcy is not only restored within the shortest possible time but also that the strategic plan for mit-

igating any future deterioration in power supply is comprehensively pursued and implemented. He noted that average peak power generation for May 2013 was at 4,225 Megawatt, (MW) which is a slight decrease from 4,518 MW recorded in April 2013. According to Nebo: “It should be stated that the loss of power supply to Bayelsa State on May 17, 2013 was caused by the collapse of a terminal tower following a severe tropical rain storm. However, the ministry and its concerned agency, Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) promptly mobilised a very reputable

and competent contractor who has commenced work and effectively restored one of the lines by June 1, 2013. A permanent restoration of the transmission is expected to be completed by the same contractor in about 40 days. “Similarly, the recent loss of power to some parts of Kebbi, Sokoto, Zamfara states and Niamey in Niger Republic was also as a result of rain storm leading to the collapse of three units of 330kv towers. The ministry is expediting the restoration of supply by utilising spare towers already available to the TCN. However, due to the impact of the damage on the foundations of the affected towers, the timeline

‘How AU’s new governance programme can aid growth’ From Oghogho Obayuwana, Foreign Affairs Editor HE sustainability of democT racy and attendant economic and political stability now lies on the ability of African countries to implement the African Union (AU) Governance Architecture (AGA) being driven by the Nigerian headship of the Political Affairs portfolio of the continental body. The AGA concerns itself with the delivery of democratic dividends to Africans with appropriate peer reviewing of the activities of governance actors, norm setting and a consistent benchmarking of good governance. So far only 20 (Nigeria inclu-

sive) of the 54 AU Member states have ratified the AGA’s charter on democracy even though just 15 ratifications are needed for the charter to come into force. Apart from governance and elections, the charter covers relevant issues using the instrument of the public service convention on anti-corruption, the Kampala convention on Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), local governments and decentralisation as well the draft for zero tolerance of corruption. Speaking to The Guardian on these issues recently, in Addis Ababa, the AU Commissioner for Political Affairs, Dr. Aisha Abdulahi said the two divisions of the apolitical Affairs Commission (Governance and Elections, Integration

and Humanitarian Affairs) are now being made to run with focus and transparency with the creation of the African Governance Platform. “What is new here now is that all actors in governance and the Regional Economic Communities (RECs) as well as the development partners are being charged with helping to implement the norms and standards that have now been set. And since benchmarking is involved now, periodically, they report to us. The AU Commissioner disclosed further that it is for the same reason that a governance team is being dispatched to Nigeria this month pursuant of the need to give clarity on how to implement what has now been ratified.

From Iyabo Lawal, Ibadan HE People’s Democratic T Party (PDP) in Oyo State has dissociated itself from the 10man committee set up by former Governor Rashidi Ladoja and his predecessor, Adebayo Alao-Akala to work out modalities for an alliance, saying the duo are merely touting the party’s name in the political agenda for their own selfish interests. The former governors were said to have set up a committee to work out modalities for their coming together for the purpose of fighting the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) government in the 2015 polls. However, the PDP in the state, speaking through one of its chieftains, Dare Adeleke declared that the touted inauguration of the proposed committee under the guise of PDP does not have the blessing of the State Executive Committee of the party. “And that neither the National Working Committee nor the National Executive Committee of the party is aware of such move. While describing the move by the former governors as self-serving, the party warned Alao-Akala, in particular, to desist henceforth from using the collective name of the PDP in the state. The PDP also accused AlaoAkala of being disrespectful to the party hierarchy in the reconciliatory moves brokered by the national chairman, Dr. Bamanga Tukur, stressing that the foul language reportedly used by Akala against Tukur’s visit to Oyo State was condemnable.

PDP, disunited family, says ACN RKED by what it called the I(PDP) People’s Democratic Party continued dismissal of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as a group of strange bedfellows, the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) has described the PDP as a big-fornothing dysfunctional family that practises political cannibalism, hence its spiralling descent into ignominy. In a statement issued in Lagos yesterday by its National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the party said, therefore, that anyone calling the PDP a ‘’big family, united in freedom’’ may be suffering from hallucination. It also said that in spite of its continued dismissal of the APC as a group of strange bedfellows (a well-worn cliche that has now lost its meaning), the PDP can only underrate the merger at its own peril. ‘’A happy family needs no advertisement, because people know a happy family when they see one. A happy family needs not draw attention to itself because happiness cannot be hidden. What the PDP is mistaking for happiness is a form of manic disorder. ‘’As this vanishing family continues to sink, it has now degenerated to consuming its own members for survival. Nothing showed this more than the recent election of the Nigerian Governors’ Forum (NGF). Ever seen a party that is at war because its member

won an election? Ever seen a family in which the father is seeking to devour his own son for achieving success? ‘Our sincere wish is that this sinking behemoth will somehow survive till 2015 so it can receive the drubbing of its

life,’’ ACN said. The party said the truth of the matter is that the PDP is pathologically afraid of the APC, even in its yet-to-be registered form, hence the continuous campaign of calumny and crude attacks on its leaders.

for the full restoration of supply to the affected areas is by this month end.” He said: “In a general sense, deterioration in service delivery also occurred on Friday, May 24, 2013 caused by a cascaded trip on the main 330kV transmission lines in the South West axis of the national grid. With the loss of significant amount of transmission capacity, a total system collapse eventually occurred. Unfortunately, this sad event also coincided with the ongoing repairs taking place at the Ughelli Power plant hence the prolonged delay in restoring the system. The other recent system collapse occurred as a result of system disturbances that led to the tripping of the Egbin power plant resulting in the loss of about 25 of the current generation capacity. “It is important to mention that such disturbances to the national supply systems usually peak at the commencement of the rainy season across the country. This is usually a natural phenomenon owing to our geographical peculiarities. The ministry is fully aware of the constraints and limitations of the nation’s transmission network but wishes to assure Nigerians that the Transmission Company of Nigeria Plc is repositioned and being funded to meet with the expectations and requirements.”

Bishops want compensation for Boko Haram victims By Kenechukwu Ezeonyejiaku HE Council of Bishops, Methodist Church Nigeria T has called on the Federal Government to compensate persons whose properties were destroyed by the actions of Boko Haram insurgents and also called on Nigerians to always put their trust in God. This is contained in a statement issued at the end of the 31st Council of Bishops held at Badagry, Lagos State yesterday with the theme, “What if the Lord had not been on our side?” Part of the statement reads: “Council sees the hand of God in the travails our nation has passed through and is assured of God’s willing hand to take Nigerians out of the present self-inflicted predicaments. “Council therefore calls on all Nigerians to trust God for better days ahead because God is the only one who knows the end from the beginning. “On the state of emergency declared in Adamawa, Bornu and Yobe states, council commends President Goodluck Jonathan and the National Assembly, but advices that the Federal Government should not just end it there but put in motion other machineries that will bring normalcy to the people of the affected states and compensate the affected people whose properties have been destroyed.”

THE GUARDIAN, Tuesday, June 4, 2013

8 NEWS

Group set to revive Awolowo’s party, AG

Corruption may destroy Nigeria, says Agunloye By Seye Olumide ORMER Minister of Power FAgunloye, and Steel, Dr. Olu has called on the leadership of the country to urgently address the issue of corruption by ensuring that those found culpable are duly made to face the law. Noting that if there is any factor that may quickly lead to the disintegration of the country on or before 2015 as predicted 14 years ago by America, he said the lackadaisical attitude through which government handles the magnitude of corruption in the country is major. Speaking with The Guardian yesterday on the topic: “Why the polity is currently tensed up ahead of 2015 elections”, Agunloye said: “Corruption is growing at a dangerous trend to the extent that Nigerians have totally lost confidence in governance; the youth have lost confidence in the elders and their leaders. There is political, economic and moral corruption; it is breathing and pushing the country to a brink.” The former Minister of Power and Steel, who also served as Minister of State for Defence, said corruption has bred injustice, inequality and nepotism in the country “a situation where Nigeria is rated among the countries in the world with the largest number of poor people and also the largest number of billionaires, is unjust and unfair. A situation where past public officers, particularly

governors, are called to account for billions and trillions of naira and at the end, nothing comes out, is making governance to lose value.” He also said the perceived second-term ambition of President Goodluck Jonathan is another factor tensing up the polity. According to him, “The quest to control power at the centre has not only been ethnicised but is currently being pursued at selfish ends. There is no doubt that the perceived second term ambition of President Jonathan is part of the reasons the polity is now under serious tension as we witnessed before the 2011 general elections when the ruling Peoples Democratic (PDP nearly polarised the country based on their internal zoning arrangement. “I believe Jonathan ought not to have contested for power in 2011 as I said suggested then. He had the best opportunity then to conduct a free and fair election, no matter whose ox was gored if he had not participated,” he noted, adding that a situation where elections are perceived not to be free and fair would also generate crises, injustice and other serious vices. It is unfortunate now that the situation has even gone beyond Jonathan’s ambition; ethnic sentiment and personal interest are now the determining factors for whom to rule the country instead of collective interest, he added.

By Abiodun Fanoro HERE seems to be no end T to the resuscitation of defunct political party from

Former Board member, Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ven. Philip Oyebolu (front row left); the President, Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE), Mr. Mustafa Shehu; former President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo; fellow, NSE, Mr. Habu Gumel; Chairman, NSE, Abeokuta branch, Mr. A. Awolana and other officials during the visit of the NSE president to Chief Obasanjo in Abeokuta, Ogun State

Man to spend 168 years in jail for N2.5m fraud By Bertram Nwannekanma N Ikeja High Court, Lagos, A yesterday sentenced a middle-aged man, Olaolu Salau, to 168 years’ imprisonment with hard labour for defrauding a Lagos-based businessman, Solomon Ayoola, of N2. 5 million. Trial judge, Adeniyi Onigbanjo, handed the verdict following a plea-bargain arrangement between the convict and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). The judge, while sentencing Salau after he pleaded guilty to an amended 24-count charge preferred against him by the anti-graft agency, ordered that the convict serve seven years’ each to the 24count at Kirikiri Prison, Lagos. In his judgment, Justice Onigbanjo, who read through the plea bargain agreement

filed in line with the Lagos State Criminal Justice Procedure Law 2011, however, ordered that the sentence runs concurrently starting from December 11, 2007, being the date he was arrested by the EFCC. The convict was also to pay a restitution of N2.5 million to the victim, who has already paid the sum of N400,000 to the EFCC. He was to pay the money within a year from his release from prison. The convict, the court ordered, was also to be used as a prosecution witness against the remaining defendants. Salau was arraigned with four others on allegation of conspiracy and defrauding one Solomon Ayoola at different times to the tune of N2.5 million by claiming to be capable of increasing the said

amount through the invocation of invisible entity. According to the charge dated May 6 and filed on May 7, 2013, by the EFCC, the convict was charged with conspiring with four others with intent to defraud the businessman between June and November 2006 of various sums of money. The offence, the anti-graft agency said, contravened Section 419 of Advance-FeeFraud and Miscellaneous Offences. According to the prosecution, the Commission had in September 2007, received a petition by one Ayoola alleging the case of fraud of obtaining money by false pretence. The prosecution said investigation by the Commission revealed a fraud totalling N2.5m at various times between June and November 2006.

Court assumes jurisdiction in N100m Western Union fraud suit By Joseph Onyekwere LAGOS High Court in A Igbosere has ruled that it has jurisdiction to adjudicate on a N100 million Western Union fraud suit filed by an editorial consultant to Abuja Digest, Odafe Atogun, against Skye Bank Plc over €6,000 (six thousand Euros) Western Union Money Transfer sent to him from Ireland. The claimant, who is also an author, had through his counsel, Pascal Ememonu, accused the bank of negligence by paying €6,000 meant for him to an impostor. But the bank, in a counteraffidavit, contended that the High Court of Lagos State lacks the jurisdiction and competence to adjudicate on the suit being a claim arising from money transfer agreement between one Kevin Fuller and Western Union in the Republic of Ireland.

In his ruling, Justice Mufutau Olokoba held that from the statement of claim, the claimant sued as the beneficiary of the money sent, which the bank paid to an impostor. The court observed that it is the breach of the duty of care of the defendant that is the issue and not the contract between Fuller and the defendant. Justice Olokoba held that all the arguments proffered by the bank were misconceived, saying: “It is a Nigerian person suing a Nigerian bank for actions that occurred in Nigeria”. The court thereafter dismissed the preliminary objections filed by the bank and awarded N20,000 cost in favour of the claimant. The claimant in his reply argued that he was the bona fide beneficiary of the £6,000 sent by Fuller, alleging that the defendant (Skye bank) was negligent as the trustee in paying out the money to an

impostor. The claimant maintained that the money transfer form filled in Ireland by Fuller does not oust the constitutional and statutory jurisdiction on a Lagos High Court to determine the suit. He urged the court to dismiss the defendant’s preliminary objection with a substantial cost, describing it as frivolous, vexatious, incompetent and abuse of court process. The claimant, in his statement of claim, had alleged that on November 3, 2008, one Fuller, who is the sales executive of Hudson Killeen, sent the sum of €6,000 to him through Western Union Money Transfer from Ireland and to be received in Abuja for the purpose of establishing a printing press in Nigeria. The claimant added that before sending the money, Fuller filled a Western Union Money Transfer form, which included questions on the city and country where the money is to be collected.

the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo’s political stable as another group with the name ‘Awioist and Progressives’, led by the civil rights activist, Baba Omojola, has announced plans to revive the defunct Action Group (AG). AG, one of the major political parties that ushered in the country’s independence in 1960, became rested in 1966 after the first civil war. The group, in a statement by its Secretary General, Popoola Ajayi, lamented that existing political parties in the country are not ideologybased and that those political parties claiming to belong to the progressive slant are ‘pretenders’.

Why nobody can hijack APC, by ACN chief From Adamu Abuh, Abuja EPUTY National Chairman of the opposition Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), Mr. Boss Mustapha, yesterday ruled out the possibility of anybody hijacking the All Progressive Congress (APC). Mustapha, who spoke during the media presentation of the book: “Engendering Progressive Politics: Challenges of Reforming Nigerian Politics”, assured that chieftains of the APC had put its house in order to avert such occurrence. “The opposition merger plan cuts across party lines and is made up of credible people who have decided to take their destinies in their hands. We needed to go and identify with the yearnings of our people who are lamenting the lack of progress in the last 14 years.

Seminar on FoI Act begins Thursday WORKSHOP to educate A members of the public on the provisions of the Freedom of Information Act is billed to take place from June 6 to 7, 2013, at the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs, Victoria Island, Lagos, from 9 am to 4 pm each day. According to a statement, the workshop is being organised through a collaboration between the School of Media and Communications (SMC), Pan-Atlantic University (formerly Pan-African University), and the National Human Rights Commission, with the theme: “Distilling the Freedom of Information Act for Public Understanding and Participation.” Dr. Josef Bel-Molokwu, a senior fellow at the SMC, said the seminar would explore all the angles to the Act and educate all segments of the society, with special attention paid to government Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), journalists and media practitioners, corporate organisations, law firms, civil society groups, the academia and interested members of the public.

THE GUARDIAN, Tuesday, June 4, 2013

WorldReport Poultry plant fire kills 119 in China

New Palestinian PM vows to strive for reconciliation

N what was termed to be Iyears, China’s deadliest blaze for 12 no fewer than 119 peo-

EWLY appointed N Palestinian prime minister and respected academic,

ple were reportedly killed in a fire, which swept through a poultry processing plant in northeast part of the Asian country yesterday. The fire engulfed the Baoyuan poultry plant in minutes following a blast triggered by a suspected chemical leak, Agence France Presse (AFP) quoted workers as telling various state media outlets. More than 300 employees were in the plant at Dehui in Jilin province at the time and emergency workers were uncertain how many remained trapped inside, Xinhua news agency said. “As of 4:25 p.m., altogether 119 people died,” the Jilin provincial government information office said on Sina Weibo, a service akin to Twitter. The latest post did not say how many were injured, but the local government earlier put the number at about 54. It is the country’s worst fire for more than a decade, according to listings on Internet portal Baidu. On December 25, 2000, a blaze at a shopping centre in Luoyang, in the central province of Henan, killed 309 people. The Southern Metropolis Daily newspaper said on its Weibo page the fire started in a workshop, which had only one open door.

A crowd gather to watch as firefighters search for survivors at the Baoyuan poultry plant that caught fire in Dehui, northeast China’s Jilin province … yesterday. PHOTO: AFP Fewer than 30 of up to 300 lier and posted on a Hong people working inside It took less than three minutes for the whole of the Kong-based online news porescaped the inferno, a worker workshop to go up in flames. tal showed dense clouds of told the newspaper. slowing the rescue work, it fire broke out it had largely black smoke several times “It took less than three min- said. been brought under control, higher than the low-rise utes for the whole of the The cause was not immedi- CCTV said, but Xinhua added plant. workshop to go up in ately clear, but state broad- that firefighters were still A bright blaze could be seen flames,” the worker said. caster CCTV said eyewitnesses working to extinguish it inside a row of windows in The slaughterhouse gate had heard a blast and sus- entirely. one part of the processing was locked when the fire pected a chemical leak. The state television showed plant. broke out but about 100 The image could not be CCTV also said on its Weibo the plant surrounded by red workers escaped. verified, account that the blaze might fire engines, with its roof independently The facility had a “compli- have started with an electric apparently burnt away to although the building looked cated interior structure” and spark in the plant. similar to the one shown by reveal charred black girders. narrow exits, which were A dramatic photo taken ear- CCTV. Six hours after the 6:00 a.m.

Protests ‘are not Turkish Spring,’ says Erdogan ed plans to build on a treasURKISH Prime Minister has voiced concern over ured Istanbul park but have T Recep Tayyip Erdogan has “reports of excessive use of spread into nationwide declared that four days of force” by Turkish police in anti-government protests do not constitute a Turkish Spring. Erdogan, at a news briefing before a trip to Morocco, said the protests were organised by extremists and accused the opposition of provoking “his citizens”. But the United States (U.S.) Secretary of State John Kerry

clashes with demonstrators in Ankara. Kerry stressed that the United States supported the right to peaceful protests and said Washington was “deeply concerned about the numbers of people injured,” urging all sides to “avoid any provocations or violence.” The protests initially target-

unrest. The first death in the unrest has been reported, with doctors saying a man was killed after being hit by a taxi. The demonstrator, 20-yearold Mehmet Ayvalitas, died after the car ignored warnings to stop and ploughed into a crowd of protestors on Sunday in the Mayis district

of Istanbul, said the Turkish Doctors’ Union (TTB). Meanwhile, Kurdish rebels reportedly shot at a Turkish army base on the country’s border with Iraq yesterday, prompting soldiers to return fire, the military said, in the first reported hostilities since a March ceasefire. The army said “a group of terrorists” fired shots at the base in the southeastern city of Sirnak, forcing return fire

in “self-defence”. The military was referring to members of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) which has been pulling out of Turkey since early May in line with a peace accord. A soldier was lightly injured in the exchange by a ricocheting stone, the army added. It was not immediately clear whether any fighters in the PKK ranks were injured, or why the exchange took place.

Japan lauds Africa as ‘growth centre,’ pledges $32b aid Prime Minister JthatAPAN’S Shinzo Abe has asserted Africa will be an engine for world growth in the coming decades and hence, Tokyo has to invest more on the continent, a report by the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) stated yesterday. Abe made this declaration at the end of a three-day conference on African development in Yokohama. Also, Japan has pledged $32 billion (£21b billion) in aid to Africa, including money to tackle militant Islamists. The new development came yesterday as Tokyo appears to be worried that its rival, China, has built a strong

presence in Africa. “Africa will be a growth centre over the next couple of decades until the middle of this century... now is the time for us to invest in Africa,” Abe said at the end of the conference co-hosted with the African Union (AU), World Bank and United Nations (UN). “Japan will not simply bring natural resources from Africa to Japan. We want to realise industrialisation in Africa that will generate employment and growth,” he added. Ethiopia’s Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn said it was important that the declaration be implemented “to

Africa will be a growth centre over the next couple of decades until the middle of this century... now is the time for us to invest in Africa. the satisfaction of both sides”. Among other African leaders who attended the meeting were Mali’s interim President Dioncounda Traore, Zimbabwe’s Robert Mugabe and Sierra Leone’s Ernest Bai Koroma. Critics have repeatedly accused China of simply making a grab for resources in Africa, but it denies the charge. China said it has invested heavily in building infra-

structure on the continent. However, Japan’s five-year aid package includes spending in the public and private sectors to create jobs and develop infrastructure. “We hope to further support and continue to expand together with Africa. We hope to develop a win-win situation in our relationship,’’ Abe told a media briefing. About 1,000 Africans would be offered opportunities to study and work as interns in Japanese companies.

The aid package sets aside about $1bn to help stabilise the Sahel region, where alQaeda-linked militants have gained a foothold, AFP news agency reports. Agency reports also claimed that Japan would also train some 2,000 people in counter-terrorism activities. The five-yearly conference adopted a declaration pledging to promote trade, tourism and technology transfer. It described the private sector as “a vital engine of growth” and said legal and regulatory frameworks should be improved in Africa to boost investments.

Rami Hamdallah, said yesterday he will strive to continue the work of his predecessor and that he is ready to stand aside for a Fatah-Hamas unity government. A day after being handpicked by Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas, Hamdallah’s appointment was hailed by the United States and welcomed by Israelis who described him as a moderate pragmatist. Speaking to the official Voice of Palestine radio, the Britisheducated independent said he expected to be in office until mid-August, when a unity government is due to be created. “The new government will be a continuation of the last government, most of the ministers will continue to serve in their positions,” he said, adding his cabinet was “part of the reconciliation efforts”. “I hope that by August 14, President Abbas will form a new government according to the agreement between Hamas and Fatah.” News of the nomination was made public late on Sunday on the last day of a deadline to find a successor to Salam Fayyad, who resigned in midApril following months of tension with Abbas.

Second suspect in London soldier murder, Adebolajo, appears in court ICHAEL Adebolajo, one of M the men accused of hacking to death a British soldier in London, attended court for the first time yesterday, while his co-accused appeared in a separate hearing via videolink from prison. A report by Agence France Presse (AFP) indicated that Adebolajo had a bandaged left hand and held up a Qur’an as he appeared at Westminster Magistrates’ Court charged with murdering soldier Lee Rigby on May 22. The 28-year-old, who asked to be referred to as Mujaahid Abu Hamza, has also been charged with the attempted murder of two police officers and possession of a firearm. He and the other suspect, Michael Adebowale, 22, were shot by police during their arrest at the scene of the brutal daylight attack near an army barracks in Woolwich, southeast London. Both men are Muslim converts of Nigerian descent, and the murder is being investigated by counter-terrorism officers. The men appeared in court as Prime Minister David Cameron chaired a new taskforce on tackling Islamic extremism, but also warned far-right groups against using the murder to demonise Islam.

THE GUARDIAN, Tuesday, June 4, 2013

POLITICS

Politics By Kodilinye Obiagwu (Southeast Bureau Chief) HERE was a ray of hope early last T year that the leadership crises in the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) were finally over. That was when Chief Chekwas Okorie, APGA’s founder and pioneer national chairman, returned the party’s certificate to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). For many party faithful, this signified an end of the leadership problems that had beleaguered the party since December 15, 2004. There were over 20 lawsuits filed at various courts, including the Supreme Court, between Okorie and Chief Victor Umeh. However, that ray of hope has faded. The question of who is the rightful national chairman of the APGA has come up yet again, and begging for an answer. For many years, Umeh had asked Okorie the question. Today, it is Chief Maxi Okwu asking Umeh the same question. Perhaps, the most apt exegesis of the situation is the axiom: “What goes round comes around.” Umeh’s claim to the leadership of APGA started from an internal issue of accountability and accusations of fraud, which culminated in the expulsion of Okorie and others, including Okwu, and his assumption of power as the national chair of the party. In between the several court cases, a contest for the leadership of the party between Okorie and Umeh crept into the crisis. Okorie had warned in a statement that, “no amount of false propaganda will change Umeh’s status from being the former Treasurer of APGA to being the National Chairman of the party without the process of a duly convened National Convention in which he may be elected Chairman.” But Okorie’s caution did not stop some sections of the public, such as the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the Judiciary from according Umeh, at one point, the status of acting national chairman of the APGA. Controversies have trailed Umeh’s emergence, and the present imbroglio playing out is certainly the sum of that confusion, which was uncapped when the Enugu High Court sacked Umeh and the party National Working Committee (NWC). Ruling on a case brought by Jude Okulie, who asked the court to restrain Umeh from convening any meeting of the party, the Chief Judge of Enugu State, Justice Innocent Umezulike, said the 2006 election that brought in Umeh expired on December 2, 2010, and that the due process of the party’s election was not followed on February 10, 2011 to elect a new executive. The APGA crises have entered a new phase, with Chief Maxi Okwu, Okorie’s former deputy, once expelled from the party and left to lead the proscribed Citizens Popular Party (CPP), returning to lead the APGA. Was his emergence purely providential or opportunistic, considering the “decapitation” of APGA by Justice Umezulike? The scheme to bring in Okwu was reportedly concluded at a high-powered meeting in Abuja, with Umeh accusing Governor Peter Obi of hatching the plot to “impose his people on APGA.” Okwu’s emergence facilitated the April 8, 2013 party convention at the Women Development Centre, Awka, Anambra State, where he polled 764 votes to Chief Joe Martins Uzodike’s 91 votes. While he declared his election as a

Okorie

Umeh

Okwu

INEC, judiciary and survival of APGA new dawn, Okwu was about to have his baptism of fire. As the party delegates were cheering the winner in Awka, the Court of Appeal, sitting in Enugu, that afternoon vacated the order by the Enugu State High Court, which restrained Umeh from parading himself as national chairman. According to the three-man panel of Justices, since Umeh duly appealed against the decision of the lower court in Enugu, the status quo ought to be maintained pending the determination of the appeal. But as Umeh was cheering and applauding the Judiciary, Okwu was fuming. “I do not know what the Justices of the Court of Appeal considered, but it is an elementary law that injunctions do not work against completed acts,” Okwu, a lawyer, said. “How can a relief granted around 12:30pm affect an act completed by 8:30am?” Meanwhile, more court cases were to be Okwu’s lot. A former Anambra State chairman of the APGA went to a State High Court in Ogidi and sought to restrain Okwu and his executive from parading as the new leadership of the party. The substantive suit questions Okwu’s power, as interim national chairman, to dissolve the state party executive prior to his election. Role of INEC, Judiciary in the crises THE bid to replace Umeh’s leadership has thrown up more court cases and left INEC shifting the sands like a desert storm. On whose sides have the commission and Judiciary stood in the leadership tussles? Have the courts been open to manipulation, as alleged in many instances? Has INEC really stood by the rule of law in the crises? When Okorie and others were expelled, the INEC, under the late

Jega

Chief Abel Guobadia, resisted pressures to recognise the faction led by Umeh. The commission relied on the provisions of Article 19(2) of the party constitution, which stipulates that, “the National Chairman may be removed from office on a vote of no confidence passed by at least twothirds majority of votes of a National Convention convened solely for the consideration only of such motion.” In June 2005, Guobadia’s successor, Prof. Maurice Iwu, recognised the Umeh faction and Umeh as the acting national chairman. Did any court grant that request? But ahead of the Anambra 2010 governorship election, Iwu’s INEC on May 14, 2008 reversed itself through a letter to the Okorie faction, recognising it as the leadership of the party. INEC relied on Article 18(1) of the APGA constitution, which says: “The founder of the party, Chief Chekwas Okorie, shall hold the office of the national chairman of the party for initial four years and may hold the office for a second term of four years if he so desires.” The commission claimed that since there was no valid convention where Umeh was elected national chairman of the party, it would continue to deal with Okorie until the courts dispensed all the legal tussles. Iwu had identified the APGA constitution as the problem with the party, telling the party leaders that unless the constitution was amended, there was no way Umeh would nominate any candidate for the 2010 election in Anambra. Of course, the party never amended it. The development had put the Umeh faction in a tight corner, as the commission handed the nomination forms for the governorship election to the Okorie faction. The loser was going to be Governor Obi, who was seeking re-election. It took the intervention of the Presidency to resolve the confusion. In 2009, following the recognition of the Okorie faction, the Umeh faction dragged Iwu and INEC to an Abuja High Court, alleging contempt of court. The case was struck out. Based on the recognition by INEC, Okorie’s faction held a national convention in Abuja in 2009, expelled Obi and Umeh, and re-admitted Okorie and re-elected him as national chairman. However, on January 13, 2010, the Court of Appeal in Abuja upheld Okorie’s expulsion from the APGA

and he could not secure an order of mandamus to compel INEC to obey the court judgment on the national convention. With the Supreme Court judgment that ended Okorie’s battle to upturn his expulsion from the party, INEC, in an August 31, 2010 letter signed by the Secretary of the Commission, Abdulahi A. Kaugama and addressed to Umeh as the national chairman of APGA, stated that it would relate with Umeh as well as Alhaji Sani Shinkafi, the national secretary. When Prof. Attahiru Jega took over from Iwu, Umeh demanded that the commission should resume full and formal relationship with his leadership of the APGA in view of the various courts rulings, which had validated the expulsion of Okorie. But does INEC confer leadership on a party? If not, who is the national chairman of the APGA — Umeh or Okwu? Both are relying on validly held conventions, the court interpretations and INEC. In establishing his tenure, Okwu, in a letter dated March 11, 2013, invited INEC, rationalising the need for the national convention. Although INEC authorised and supervised the convention, Okwu, like many other APGA faithful, was shocked when the commission noted that it would only deal with the Umeh-led executive. Why? INEC, in a letter by Kaugama, explained that the decision was based on the ruling of the Court Appeal in Enugu, which ordered a stay of execution on the order of the Enugu High Court, which had sacked the Umeh-led NEC. Umeh applauded INEC and noted that the commission had continued in its efforts to do everything as a public institution to preserve the

Aloma-Mukhtar

rule of law. “With this recognition from INEC, it becomes clear that APGA does not have a factional chairman, the party has only one chairman, which is recognised by the commission, the party’s constitution as well as the Constitution,” Umeh said. In the face of accusations that INEC is guilty of double standards and inconsistency with the APGA, Anambra State Commissioner for Special Duties, Mr. Vincent Ezenwajiaku, described the electoral body as “only an election administration and regulatory institution and not a court of law.” He said the recognition of Umeh by INEC was an “administrative convenience based on the Appeal Court ruling,” noting that the same commission authorised and witnessed the April 8, 2013 APGA convention in Awka. Where is APGA headed? THE registration of APGA on June 24, 2002 was welcomed in the Southeast as a platform for Ndigbo to negotiate political power at the centre. But that dream has not materialised. The closest it came was during the 2003 polls when the late Dim Emeka Odumegwu-Ojukwu, the party’s candidate, took a distant third in the presidential election. In the zone, the party has managed to win the governorship in Anambra and Imo States and a number of seats in the National Assembly. The PDP even controls the legislature in Anambra. There is nothing dominant about APGA’s performance so far despite the immense goodwill the party enjoys. A few chieftains will deny that the long years of legal battle was a factor that had set the party backward. After the record setting tussles in the courts between Umeh and Okorie, the immediate question is how long will Umeh and Okwu sustain the blossoming leadership contest? And will APGA survive this one? Certainly, the party will continue to suffer as long as the leadership crisis persists. Those who expected the exit of Okorie to signal a lease of life for APGA will be wondering what is going on. Was Okorie really the problem of the party? Will the coming of Okwu end the problem? The survival of APGA has been down to the sentiments in the Southeast and nothing to do with the organisation of the party. In Imo, it became the platform for the sacking of the unpopular PDP government of Ikedi Ohakim. Today, the Imo Governor, Owelle Rochas Anayo Okorocha, is romancing with the yet-to-be-registered All Progressives Congress (APC). Is this an indication that the APGA has lost Imo? For the party, under Okwu or Umeh, the urgent test is not in the 2015 elections; it is in the Anambra governorship election in 2014. Will the party retain the state? Umeh has dismissed threats of any party dislodging the APGA in the Southeast. “APGA is not in any contest with any other party in the Southeast,” he said. “The Southeast is a safe ground for APGA. The result of the 2011 election shows a contest between APGA and the PDP… The influence of APGA in the zone is such that the governor of Imo described APGA as a religion of the people of the Southeast.” The question remains: Where is APGA headed? Today, the leaders are heading in only one direction: the courts. The latest ruling of an Awka High Court upholding the April 8, 2013 convention of the party, has laid the stage for possibly another round of suits. What will INEC do now? Will it revert its decision and recognise Okwu as the national chairman? Will a higher court contradict the ruling and open yet more suits?

THE GUARDIAN, Tuesday, June 4, 2013

TheMetroSection Tears, protests as Nigerians remember Dana crash victims

Briefs Ephraim Iroh for burial rites for Evang. FwhoUNERAL Ephraim Ofuzim Iroh, died at the age of 67, begin on Tuesday, June 11, with a service of songs at St. Paul’s Anglican Church, 2nd East Circular, off Sakponba Road, Benin City, Edo State at 4.00p.m. He will be buried on Friday, June 14, after a funeral service at St. Andrew‘s Anglican Church, Owa-Oyibu, Ika North East Local Council at 10.00a.m. A thanksgiving service holds on Sunday, June 16, at the same church at 9.00a.m. He is survived by his wife, children and grandchildren.

• Victim’s name missing on the cenotaph • Hurriya Lawal, the living, listed among the dead

Governor Fashola (SAN) laying wreath at the crash site...yesterday

Iroh

Mid-year concert at Agape Working Centre Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Aviation, George Ossi also laying wreath

The cenotaph...

By Tope Templer Olaiya, Assistant Lagos City Editor, and Gbenga Akinfenwa

ESTERDAY clocked exactly a year Y since the quiet Iju-Ishaga community of Lagos lost its serenity after it was robbed of peace by the cruel angel of death. The dawn of the day was ordinary and thankfully, was devoid of the rain showers that had soaked Lagos in the last three days. The brightness of the sun in the early hours of the first working day of the new month was a relief to most Lagosians who had set out early for the day’s task, but in the homes of relatives of nearly 160 people who perished in the ill-fated Dana crash, June 3 was a gloomy reminder of their personal tragedies. The scene of last year’s mishap was recreated yesterday when family members of victims and residents of Iju-Ishaga gathered at the crash site where the Lagos State government erected a cenotaph in honour of the victims. The only difference was the temperate wailings of victims’ family members. At the one-year memorial, the loud outburst of victims’ families last year gave way to tearsoaked eyes and a long solemn gaze at the cenotaph amidst pockets of protests by residents. Three hundred and sixty-five days was, however, a short time to douse the pains the most tragic air incident in recent times brought to the families of the deceased. This was visibly felt in the mood of those who were present while the short ceremony of sober speeches lasted. Among those present were Lagos State Governor, Babatunde Fashola and his wife, Dame Abimbola, representative of the Aviation Minister, Stella OduahOgiemwonyi, management of Dana Airline, Senator Olugbenga Ashafa and members of the state House of Assembly. Fashola, who wore a mournful look throughout the event, recalled that on that fateful Sunday afternoon, the men, women and children in the illfated Dana Air Flight 992 had jour-

neyed more than 700km from Abuja to Lagos and were minutes away from arrival when the incident occurred. “I know it will take a while for the tragic memories of your great losses to heal, but you must carry on, not just because you have to carry on but because your loved ones would want and expect you to,” he said. Ashafa, who spoke after the laying of wreath at the crash site, said: “The incident that occurred a year ago on this site is really unfortunate and disheartening, there is no amount of compensation that can bring the dead back to life. I want to appeal to all the families affected that God Almighty will give them the fortitude to bear the irreparable loss.” The lawmaker also called on the aviation sector to carry out a rigorous investigation into the cause of the crash, as a way to prevent future occurrence of the unfortunate incident. Towards the end of the ceremony, a mild drama that could have led to rancour ensued, but for the timely intervention of officials of the Lagos State government, when a man protested that a relative of his, Hurriya Lawal, who is alive, was listed among the dead, instead of Maria Abuyere. He was gagged from speaking to the press on the issue but when later cornered, he said Hurriya Lawal, whose name was among other victims of the Dana crash, had actually bought ticket but didn’t join the flight. According to him, one Maria Abuyere, used her ticket. It was also discovered that instead of 157 names officially classified as victims of the crash, only 156 names were inscribed on the cenotaph, with one victim’s name missing. As at the time of going to press, the missing name on the roll call was yet to be ascertained. Outside the fortified premises of the crash site, aggrieved residents of the area, under the umbrella of ‘Ground Victims of Dana Plane

HE mid-year three-day T praise, comedy concert of Agape Working Centre begins on Thursday, June 6 at 6.00p.m. Friday, June 7, will feature praise /comedy night at 10.00p.m. and a thanksgiving service on Sunday, June 9, at 7.30a.m. and 9.30a.m. respectively at 6, Zion Close off Alhaji Kosoko Road, Ojodu-berger Bus Stop, Lagos Chief host is David Odi.

Irele-Eseodo Missionary Diocese begins synod HE fourth synod of Irele T –Eseode Missionary Diocese of Anglican Communion holds from Thursday, June 6-Sunday, June 9, at St. Peter’s Anglican Church, Ode-Ajagba, Ondo State at 10.00a.m. daily.

A cross-section of relations and friends of the victims at the event

Crash’, displaying placards of various inscriptions like ‘One Year Later No Compensation’, ‘Why We Are Suffering, Dana Is Flying’ and “We’ll Like To Have Dana For Dinner”, among others, protested the nonchalant attitude of the airline to their plight. They claimed that the Community Development Association (CDA), headed by Chief Adewale Oriowo, has sold them off in negotiations with the airline. Some of the deceased families who spoke with The Guardian under the condition of anonymity, said the delay in the release of the final accident report on Dana, a year after, showed the negligence on the part of government, which means that their loved ones had died in vain. Though the spokesman of Dana Air, Tony Usidamen, disclosed that some families have been fully compensated as at May 25, 2013, many of them still claimed they are yet to be given anything. One of the aggrieved residents, Pastor Daniel Omowunmi, whose house the ill-fated plane crashed into, has

PHOTOS: AYODELE ADENIRAN

been crying of neglect. Aside the duplex building, his two warehouses, and another property, were razed to the ground in the aftermath of the incident. His absence at the memorial spoke volumes of how badly he had been treated by the airline and the state government. When contacted on phone, he confirmed to The Guardian he has not been compensated by the airline one year after the incident. “My demands remain that I should be reinstated to my former position or given its equivalent of properties lost in cash.” He added that the state government took over the land where the cenotaph is built from him without compensation despite being in possession of his Certificate of Occupancy (CoO), which, according to him, was not to knowledge of the governor. About 10 people on the ground lost their lives as the Lagos bound aircraft from Abuja carrying 153 passengers, crashed into the two-storey building.

Ashaka London holds inter-school quiz

SHAKA London Patriots of A Ndokwa East Local Council of Delta State recently organized inter-school quiz competition for secondary and primary school students in the area. In the Primary School category, Stella Maris Primary School, Ashaka emerged first, carting away a giant trophy and cash, By His Grace Primary School came second while Learning Field Primary School came third, going home with a smaller trophy and cash prize for participants. Mata Dei Model Secondary School, Ashaka took the first position in the Junior Secondary School category followed by Mata Dei College and Victory Ambassadors Junior Secondary Schooll among other winners. According to the Coordinator of Ashaka London United Patriots, Mr. Governor Juan Amechee, the event was designed “to encourage the growth and development of general knowledge as an important life skill among learners”.

METRO 13

THE GUARDIAN, Tuesday, June 4, 2013

Photonews

"Mind Your Language" columnist, Mr. Bayo Oguntuase (second left), his younger brother and wife and the Editor of The Guardian, Martins Oloja (second right) during Oguntuase’s 75th birthday at his first son's home in Mowe, Ogun State

Leader, Yoruba Conflicts Resolution Committee, Olugbo of Ugboland, Oba Obateru Akinruntan,National Chairman, All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA), Victor Umeh; Senator Helen Esuene, the author, Mrs. Yemi Kolapo and Deputy Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Tunde Lemo at the launch of a book entitled: The making of an Oracle in Abuja

Marketing Manager, GOtv, Dare Kafar (left); General Manr, GOtv, Mrs. Elizabeth Amkpa; General Manager, Tradeand Distribution, Multichoice Nigeria, Mr. Akinola Salu and Head, Public Relations, Multichoice, Nigeria, Mr. Segun Fayose at the launch of GOtv in Lagos...on Saturday

Chief Accountant, Alcatel-Lucent Nigeria, Sike Bamisebi (left); Vice Chancellor of University of Lagos (UNILAG), Prof. Rahamon Adisa Bello (fourth left), Human Resources Director, Alcatel-lucent Nigeria, Adebimpe Ayo-Elias (fourth right), Chief Operating Officer, Alcatel-lucent Nigeria, Kunle Iluyemi (second right) and other workers during the launch of its knowledge transfer initiative tagged GNex at UNILAG....

Army Signal Corps pledges communications support for troops the nation. According to him: “This HE Nigerian Army Signals conference is aimed at findCorps has pledged to boost ing strategies to improve communications support for communications support to Army troops in northern Nige- all Nigerian Army operaria and other parts of Africa tions, especially as we tackle where its personnel are envarious security challenges gaged in peace-building and facing our nation.” peacekeeping operations. He added that the three-day The Corps Commandant of conference would put the the Nigerian Army Signals Nigerian Army Signals in a Corps, Major General Abaybetter stead to maintain the omi Olonisakin, who made Chief of Army Staff’s vision, the pledge at the second quar- which is: “To transform the ter conference of the Signal Nigerian Army into a force Corps, noted that the need to better able to meet contembrainstorm on how troops porary challenges”. could be supported have beThere were lectures on concome germane, following setemporary ICT and related curity challenges bedeviling technology trends that

By Odita Sunday

Divisional Sales Manager (South-East), Cadbury Nigeria Plc, Mr. Muyiwa Adeyemi (left); Head of Medical Lab Department, St. Charles Borromeo Hospital, Onitsha, Sister Mary Nwanosike; Head of Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, UNTH, Dr. Chika Ndiokwelu and Sister Agna Theresa, Nursing Officer, St. Charles Borromeo Hospital during a Seminar by Cadbury/ Bournvita/NSN on the Importance of Nutrition in Onitsha, Anambra State...

would improve human capacity development of signals’ personnel to effectively and efficiently perform their roles at all levels of the Nigerian Army. “Headquarters’ Nigerian Army Signals have been pursuing positive programmes as part of the overall transformation agenda of the Nigerian Army. The modest achievements so far would not have been possible without the financial and moral support of the Chief of the Army Staff. We assure the Chief of the Army Staff of our determination to continue to strive for excellence in all our endeavours.”

14 | THE GUARDIAN, Tuesday, June 4, 2013

TheGuardian Conscience Nurtured by Truth

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

Editorial Delayed tax remittances no understatement to conclude that the Nigerian treasury leaks IhasTlikeisbeen a sieve. Nor is it news how the national purse, now nearly empty, reduced to floating on its leaked or stolen content. That the nation’s book-keeping is sloppy and leaves room for so much corruption is illustrated by the disclosure not too long ago by none other than the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), that even banks, collection agents, do not make full or timely remittances into the national coffers. This spectacle of robbing the country at all possible points is at the root of inexplicable wealth for a few and abject poverty for the majority. It explains Nigerians’ poverty in the midst of so much endowment, a scourge which is unacceptable and must be abated. In the course of the House of Representatives’ Finance Committee’s investigation of tax remittances by banks, the acting Chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue Service, Kabir Mashi, disclosed that an audit of 23 banks for the period between 2006 and 2012 revealed that the banks were expected to have collected on behalf of FIRS a total sum of N83 billion, while the amount remitted was N77 billion. Mashi attributed the shortfall to delays in remittance by some banks. Consequently the committee gave the chief executives of the 21 surviving banks one week’s notice to appear before it to assist in the “investigation.” At the scheduled meeting, Committee Chairman, Abdulmumini Jibrin then excoriated 10 bank chiefs who neither turned up nor sent any representative. He gave them one more day to appear after which the committee would issue a bench warrant for the arrest of anyone who failed to comply. But the representatives of 11 banks that honoured the invitation were given forms to complete, in which they were expected to state how much their banks paid as taxes in their individual capacity as well as what taxes they collected on behalf of FIRS. The above account leaves much to be desired. Firstly, the invitation notice of one week was rather short. Secondly, as a full-time legislature, which has witnessed no interruption since 1999, House Committees are expected to carry out their constitutional oversight responsibility continuously and to produce at least one assessment report annually on agencies under their charge. For waiting since 1999 and deciding to investigate the goings-on at FIRS over the last seven years, the committee has culpably left room for the delays in tax remittances by banks to go unchecked for too long. Thirdly, wearing the obvious signs of having loafed away for over one decade, the committee approached the investigation rather sloppily. It is unclear if the committee simply took Mashi’s verbal presentation for the aforesaid 2006-12 FIRS audit. Otherwise the audit document should show at a glance the amount of taxes collected and remitted by banks year-by-year. In which case, the invitation notice to the bank chief executives should have been accompanied with that hard piece of information. That way, those who turned up for the learning would have been fully armed for the business at hand. It is not enough for any long-idle and unprepared House Committee to fulminate and threaten brimstone as in the instant case. On its part, FIRS owes Nigerians convincing explanations about the nature of the tax collection arrangement that it has struck with the banks. Apart from its country-wide scope and the involvement of all banks, the arrangement should ordinarily be similar to the practice by any company that collects revenue through dedicated bank accounts opened with selected banks. Under such an arrangement, it is expected that when FIRS issues cheques or calls in tax accruals at mutually agreed intervals, the banks will have no choice other than to comply. So could the instances of delayed tax remittances and clear failure by FIRS to mete out sanctions on defaulters be as a result of laxity on FIRS’s part, or that at least maybe some FIRS officials are secretly transacting fixed deposit deals with part of the collected taxes for purposes of earning interest for corrupt self-enrichment? Or is there any loophole being exploited by the banks? Should the former be the case, the House Committee should not go the suspected way of other committees of the National Assembly by settling for part of the spoils in order to cover up the mater or part of it. All culpable parties should be exposed, prosecuted and severely punished. If, however, the latter is the case, the loopholes should be promptly blocked. Generally, at a yearly average of about N12 billion, the tax revenue collected by all banks on behalf of FIRS is on the very low side. The National Assembly should therefore expedite action on the Bill prepared by the Joint Tax Board in order to boost the tax takings. Also all tiers of government should devote available revenue to providing necessary public services so as to check the high incidence of tax avoidance and tax evasion.

LETTERS

Still on Hijab in Lagos public schools IR: The public space was dent is compulsorily expect- the same constitution by allowSissueawash with interest on the ed to obey, failure of which ing a particular religion to use of banning of the wear- attracts sanction. Also, we the public space which is for all, ing of Hijab by Muslim female students in Lagos State public schools. The interventions by groups and individuals made interesting and enlightening reading. I was also delighted when the state government came out to debunk an earlier story of a ban on it but rather said that it was still consulting with stakeholders on the matter which is a good development for our society and democracy and should be encouraged. The truth of the matter is that public schools like other schools have a dressing code which promotes discipline and unity and which every stu-

have to realise that the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria asserts the secularity of the state, which means that it frowns at the use of public space and resources to promote one religion at the expense of the other. However, in as much as we recognise that the same constitution also guarantees every citizen the right to freedom of religion, it is my candid opinion that it would amount to illegality and unconstitutionality for a government which swore allegiance on oath to the constitution to now undermine

Osogbo Freedom Park I have been transferred April last year. I had thought StheIR:from Ibadan to Osogbo for that would be the end of the past seven years by my story. I was wrong. Few employers and I haven’t seen the kind of massive government projects witnessed in a half year or so. I am particularly impressed by the development of the rail terminal at OldGarage. The Old-Garage rail terminus, like many others around the country, had for long been allowed to lapse into a state of disrepair. But just a little over a year ago the place started witnessing resuscitation, which culminated in the launch of the Aregbesola train sometime in

months later, the bulldozers came calling on the minishanty settlement that had developed in and around the rail terminal; and as if one was in a dream the slum had simply disappeared and the place had been swept clean. Also, new sets of earthmovers came on site with workers who began construction. The result is that, today, from the ashes of the old slum, a new landscape had risen, called Freedom Park. I find its sheer beauty stunning, to say the

while professing their faith. That the public schools are a veritable ground for inculcating positive values and breeding future leaders without allowing them to be influenced by religious sentiments cannot be emphasised and this is very critical to the peace, progress and harmony of our state. Therefore, any act or action that might or is likely to a breach of public peace either now or in the nearest future occasioned by religious sentiments must be avoided by any proactive means necessary. • Nelson Ekujumi, Executive Director, Centre for Rights and Grassroots Initiative (CRGI).

least. The park’s real beauty comes out at night when the bluish-white floodlights beam down on the vast space. Another impressive side attraction for me is the seal of the state government and the phrase, ‘Osun a dara’, that are beautifully and clearly engraved in stone on one side of the park. The new park is now the talk of the town and it’s a compelling site for those seeing it for the first time. To my mind, if this is what this government is all about, then I think the people of Osun State are in for a new era of positive development. • Mrs. Titi Ajayi, Ilesa, Osun State.

THE GUARDIAN, Tuesday, June 4, 2013

Business Appointments P27 Addressing safety standards in work environment

World Bank stakes $56 million in Nigeria’s agric research scheme From Joke Falaju, Abuja HE World Bank has investT ed $56million (N8.9 billion) in the nation’s agricultural research system to improve food production in the country. The five-year project code name West Africa Agricultural Productivity Programme

(WAAPP-Nigeria) and implemented by Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) is targeted at boosting Nigeria’s research system. The project is expected to make research system contribute more effectively to technology development, dissemination and adoption to

boost agricultural productivity. A breakdown of the fund revealed that the sub-regional International Development Association contributed $30 million, the Nigeria IDA paid $15million, Federal Government provided a counterpart fund of $5 million

while the Spanish government through the Global Food Crisis Response Programme (GFPR) provided $6 million. The National Project Coordinator WAAPP-Nigeria, Prof Damian Chikwendu, revealed this in Markudi, Benue state while presenting

Director, MTN Foundation, Dennis Okoro (left); Human Resources Executive, MTN Nigeria, Amina Oyagbola; Chairman, Pascal Dozie; Chief Education Officer, Lagos State Ministry of Education, Adebayo Orunsolu; and Director, MTN, Chief Victor Odili, at the Kick-off of MTN 21 Days of Y’ello Care in Lagos. PHOTO: FEMI ADEBESIN-KUTI

Nigerian insurance firms review off-shore operations By Joshua Nse HE initial drive by underwriting firms in Nigeria to expand and exploit opportunities in the African insurance market may have been truncated due to assessed unfriendly business environment which has been prompting some of the companies to review their off-shore operations. Indeed, the exodus from some of these African countries has been at the behest of their shareholders who considered their off-shore operations not being profitable enough for their respective level of investments. The Guardian gathered that some of the policy regulations and guidelines initiated by some of the host countries were not in favour of foreign underwriters to operate profitably to sustain their operations.

Following the conclusion of recapitalization and reconciliation exercise in the insurance industry in 2005, the industry capitalization exceeded over N200 billion, the underwriting firms had surplus fund in which to expand operations to the continent for profit. The Chief Executive of one of the subsidiary firms told The Guardian: “The initial tempo for opening subsidiaries has declined, because the regulations and guidelines that came out from the host governments was not friendly as some of the conditions was not acceptable if one is to run profitably. Besides, the cost of acquiring businesses was rising daily. According to him, “insurance companies worldwide are refocusing their internal operations, with attention on reducing costs and improving the efficiency of their business

processes through transforming policy administration to serve the customer better. If you take into consideration that we were not making gains since we begun, it was only reasonable to relocate our operations.” The Chief Executive of an underwriting firm said: “The idea of off-shore branches was not well thought out in the first instance. “In most of the African countries, majority of the people are poor and are not literate. This translates into very low disposable income and lack of awareness. With poor public infrastructure, high employment and poor social welfare system, the result is that majority of the people are hardly able to satisfy their basic needs of food, clothing, housing and education for the children.” According to him: “With the above scenario, insurance can

hardly be a priority. Insurance as a risk management tool, ideally, should provide first level security but under the above situation, coupled with the cultural beliefs, insurance is very much at the bottom of the pyramid of needs. This is primarily the major cause of the low insurance penetration in the continent.” However, the policy of the National Insurance Commission (NAICOM) through the Nigeria Insurance Market Development and Restructuring Initiative (MDRI) was designed to create about 250,000 new jobs, made it mandatory that for an insurance company to open a subsidiary off-shore, such underwriting entity must open four branch offices in Nigeria before NAICOM would grant approval to do so, which in essence affects off-shore operations.

a brief on WAAPP-Nigeria at a consultative meeting with some selected universities. Chikweendu also disclosed that the project covers the whole country, with about 1.5million people, comprising of farmers, Processors, and Marketers are expected to benefit from the programme. He added that the project would also help improve agricultural productivity, promote regional integration as instruments for promoting shared growth and poverty reduction in West Africa. Chikwendu, who bemoaned the level of agricultural research in the country, describing it as non-participatory, stressed the need for researchers to tackle farmer’s problem, rather than allow their research thesis seat on the shelves. He said “its unfortunate that most agricultural research conducted nowadays do not have direct bearing on the farmers and end consumers, a

professor should be able to conduct researches that will address challenges faced by farmers and not just allow his research work not to have impact” The Executive Secretary Agricultural Research Council of Nigeria, Prof Yusuf Abubakar in his remark expressed dissatisfaction at the lip service paid by past government to research development in the country. He said its a good thing that government is waking up to its responsibility as its plan to structure National Agricultural Research System (NARS) after EMBRAPA in Brazil. He said “their is now a shift from scientists working in isolation to their interaction with concerned system actors, resulting in increased flows and use of knowledge held by the actors, innovation and increased capacity to innovate”.

16 BUSINeSS

THe GUARDIAN, Tuesday, June 4, 2013

Nigeria’s benchmark rate may rise as Naira falls to dollar By Chijioke Nelson, with Agency Reports eSPITe may still be far for the nation’s economy as the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Mallam Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, said the current Monetary Policy Rate would be raised further with 2015 election spending on the corner. Sanusi, who gave the indication in an interview with CNBC Africa, noted that if government spendings were not curtailed, especially with the elections in 2015, the benefits of the expenditure curbs by the Minister of Finance would be fruitless and CBN may raise the benchmark interest rate. However, Nigerian currency fell slightly yesterday, on dollar demand from fuel importers and foreign investors repatriating dividends, despite oil firms selling the U.S. currency. Demand for the U.S. dollar has surged in the last three weeks, exerting pressure on the Naira, as fuel importers and investors repatriating their dividends snap up any available hard currency. The unit closed at N158.28 to the dollar at the interbank, compared with Friday’s close of N158.20 to the green back. The sliding profile was recorded despite the sale of $28.8 million by Nigerian units of Chevron, $23 million by Italian oil firm- eni and $13 million by Chinese-owned Addax, to some lenders, dealers said. The central bank auctioned $350 million at 155.74 to the dollar on its foreign currency auction yesterday, as against

‘Basel II, III not totally compatible here’ $371.7 million it sold at the same rate at Wednesday’s auction. The bank doesn’t provide data on dollar demand at its auctions. Dealers expect the Naira to trade at the 158-level this week, as more oil firms sell their dollars to the banks in order to fund their domestic obligation in local currency. Chinese-owned Addax selling Sanusi said: Frankly, if you look at what’s happening in Nigeria, the election has already started, one way or the other. Finance Minister Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala has curbed expenditure, but there will be probably more tightening if the politicians spend money.” The interest rate benchmark, currently at 12 per cent have been subject of controversy in the nation’s economic dis-

course, just as the apex bank left its policy rate unchanged at a record high of 12 percent for the 10th consecutive meeting on May 21. There were concerns that spending is poised to rise as the government battles Islamist insurgents in the Northeast, while opposition parties have approved plans to merge into an alliance to challenge the ruling party. Presently, Nigeria’ inflation rate accelerated to 9.1 percent in April from 8.6 percent in the previous month, according to the National Bureau of Statistics, but has stayed under 10 per cent for four consecutive months, meeting the central bank’s target. Meanwhile, Sanusi has indicated that Nigeria may not accept all requirements of the

Basel II and Basel III accords for banking regulation. According to him, while both accords have have strong points for regulating bank reserves, some of the quantitative elements, may go contrary to the expectations of the country. He noted that a situation where banks are effectively allowed to run any kind of models and to calculate their own risk and capital, may fall short of what is needed. “There still has to be some element of Basel I as far as that is concerned.” Rules from the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision requiring banks to hold enough capital to survive market turmoil without causing risk to the financial system, also known as Basel III, is expected to come into effect in the next five years.

Lagos seeks Scottish collaboration on energy, solid minerals development By Sulaimon Salau He Lagos State Government is seeking the assistance of the Scottish Development International to develop and attract investors in its energy and solid mineral sector. The Commissioner for energy and Mineral Resources, Taofiq Ajibade Tijani disclosed this while hosting the Scottish Development International team in Lagos at the weekend. Tijani, who was represented by the Permanent Secretary,

Mrs. Iyabo Obasa, said Lagos is ready to collaborate with reputable Scottish firms with wide expertise on solid minerals, renewable power, oil and gas development. The commissioner said the creation of the Ministry in 2011 by the present administration was a deliberate attempt to accomplish the policy direction of attending to the power needs of residents and explore the hydrocarbon, oil and gas potential as well as other mineral resources of the state.

He disclosed that the present government led by Babatubde Raji Fashola, placed a greater premium on power, which is a major cardinal focal point of development followed by Agriculture, Transportation and Health sectors. Tijani therefore sought the assistance of the Scottish Development Team in attracting investors in the energy sector especially in renewable energy, waste to energy project, captive power project and solar energy deployment in the State.

BUSINESS 17

THE GUARDIAN, Tuesday, June 4, 2013

NDLEA arrests 20 illicit drug distributors in Kaduna HE National Drug Law T Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested 20 major distributors of illicit drugs in Kaduna after its men raided three notorious drug havens. The Commandant of the agency in the state, Mohammed Jibrin, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Kaduna that the raid followed a tip off by the residents of Sabon Tasha in Chikun Local Government Area and Mando in Kaduna North Local Government Area. Jibrin said men of the agency raided such spots known as Black Street and Kantin Agan in Sabon Tasha in Chikun Local Government Area, where it arrested 13 drug addicts and distributors. ``The operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency stormed the area and discovered that drug sale is the major criminal activity that takes place there, and we made a lot of arrests of the dealers there. ``We got about seven drug dealers and some drug addicts, that is the users. ``The area is notorious for that crime to the extent that the inhabitants of that area called it Black Street and they were jubilating after the raid, because all of them were before now apprehensive of what could become of their lives because of the threats of the drug addicts in the

area. ``But, they so cooperated with our officers that they rendered assistance by pointing to them some of these hide-outs within the areas and with that, we were able to comb the place and make arrests. According to him, the agency is still searching for another major distributor in Sabon Tasha, who is now at large. ``We also seized hard drugs not only cannabis but psychotic substances such as valiums and other improvised substances, which is even more of the worry for security agencies now, things like, solutions, `suck and die’, they call it, it’s a liquid form from the name, one should even be afraid, that is you drink it and die. But we got it in large bottles. Some boys were abusing it.’’ The commandant said that the officers also raided a popular area, known as Mando Engineer, where it arrested seven drug dealers and six addicts, who were in possession of 22.4 kg of cannabis sativa and 2.4 kg of psychotic substances. He appealed to the public to assist the agency in its fight against drug abuse and illicit sale. Jibrin urged the government to enact a law against the sale of improvised intoxicants being abused by youths and drivers in the state.

Expert urges proper soil management to boost food security By Felix Kuye PROFESSOR of Agronomy A and Vice Chancellor of Oduduwa University, Osun State, Adeleke Ogunwale, has canvassed preservation of the top soil, which he described as the capital reserve of every farm, to achieve sustainable agriculture that will enhance food security. He gave the advice in a lecture titled “Sustainable Soil Management for Food Security” which he delivered to mark the second College of Agricultural Week of the Landmark University, OmuAran, Kwara State in line with the university’s drive towards an agrarian revolution. Ogunwale identified the soils that can function effectively

today and continue to produce crops long into the future as the ones that feel soft and crumble easily, drain well and warm up quickly in the rainy season/spring, do not produce crust after planting, soak up heavy rains with little runoff, store moisture for drought periods, have few clods and no hard-pan or plinthithes, resist erosion and nutrient loss, support high populations of soil organisms, have a rich, earthy smell, and do not require increasing inputs for high yields, among others. According to the vice chancellor, “these characteristics can be built up through management practices that optimize the processes found in native soils. Understanding

the principles by which native soils function can help farmers develop and maintain productive and profitable soil both now and in the future. Reliance on purchased inputs declines yearly while land value and income generation potential increase. Good soil management produces crops and animals that are healthier, less susceptible to diseases and more productive.” Stressing the need to preserve the top soil, the agronomist said “the topsoil is the capital reserve of every farm. Erosion of this very important part of the soil has been the single largest threat to a soil’s productivity and is as old as mankind. It is also a big threat to farm profitability.

Soil that is removed by erosion typically contains about three times more nutrients than the soil left behind, and is 1.5 to five times richer in organic matter. “Protecting the soil from erosion is the first step toward a sustainable agriculture. Since water erosion starts with raindrop impact on bare soil, any management practice that protects the soil from raindrop impact will decrease erosion and increase water infiltration into the soil. Such practices include mulching, planting of cover crops and leaving crop residues on the field.”

Honda sales jump 7.4 per cent, sets new record for CR-V HE Honda CR-V set an allT time April sales record this year, becoming the best-selling crossover in the country on the strength of 26,519 deliveries. That performance represented an increase of 12.2 per cent as compared to the same month in 2012. But the award-winning crossover also was just one of six Honda vehicles to see double-digit sales gains last month, as the brand’s lineup continues to build momentum one third of the way through the 2013 selling season. In fact, Honda division sales have grown in three out of four months so far this year, which has resulted in a 5.2 per cent sales boost and 419,798 deliveries. Other April top performers for Honda included: Honda Fit: 4,286 sales, +33.9 per cent, Honda CR-Z: 405 sales, +21.3 per cent, Honda Odyssey: 11,832 sales, +12.9 per cent, and the No. 1 minivan in the country, Honda Pilot: 10,613, +20.2 per cent, Honda Ridgeline: 1,557 sales, +47.6 per cent In addition, the all-new Honda Accord, with 33,538 deliveries in May, was the topselling car in the country, while the Honda Civic posted 26,453 sales and an 8.3 per cent spike in volume to lead the compact segment. “The April sales record for the CR-V exemplifies the incredible retail sales success of Honda’s core models,” said John Mendel, executive vice president of Sales at American Honda.

The operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency stormed the area and discovered that drug sale is the major criminal activity that takes place there, and we made a lot of arrests of the dealers there. We got about seven drug dealers and some drug addicts, that is the users.

Africa’s extractive sector could improve lives of millions, says report frica’s natural resources A could dramatically improve the lives of millions and ``may fuel a decade of rapid economic growth on the continent,’’ the 2013 Africa Progress Report has said. The report said while natural resources may double the speed of Africa’s GDP, most Africans were yet to see the benefits of investing in the extractive sector of the economy. The Africa Progress Report was presented to African leaders and policy-makers during the 21st AU summit in Addis Ababa. A copy of the report was made available to the News Agency of Nigeria

(NAN) by the AU information department on yesterday. NAN reports that a panel session on the report said in a statement that African policy makers had critical choices to make in driving development process in the continent with the available natural resources revenue. ``They can either invest their natural resources revenue in people to generate jobs and opportunities for millions in present and future generations, or they can squander this opportunity, allowing jobless growth and inequality to take root.’’ It quoted Carlos Lopes, Executive Secretary of the UN Economic Commission for

Africa as saying during the session that: ``It is very important that this self-confidence that we see emerging is put to good use, we need to address very concrete rather than rhetorical questions in this effort. ``And I think that this is where the report becomes very timely not only because it can influence the G8 discussions, but also because it can influence the African discussions, including shaping the agenda of 2063, which is the agenda that the AU now has put in front of us.’’ He noted that Africa’s leaders adopted the Africa Mining Vision to try and clean up the industry and that an ongoing

study by the ECA on illicit financial flows out of Africa showed the need for transparency and accountability. ``It is a two-way street we have to improve across the board.`` The statement said President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, whose country Liberia exports iron and diamonds, said at the occasion that the `resource rich vs poor human condition’ paradox has long been exemplified by her country, but that it was changing as ``our experience in Liberia shows that we need to go an extra mile to improve extraction process audits.`` Africa, like the rest of the world, is suffering tremen-

dous losses from the illicit and unwarranted outflow of wealth through tax avoidance, shell companies, tax havens, transfer pricing and others, that in a way leads them to avoid their fair share of taxes,’’ Johnson-Sirleaf said. ``This report shows very clearly that such outflows exceed the total amount of development assistance which the African continent receives every year. This problem can only be resolved if all nations can work together, and the ball is in the court of our partners to close tax loopholes in the extractive sector,’’ she said. According to the statement,

international tax avoidance and evasion, corruption and weak governance represent major challenges. The statement said the report therefore welcomed the commitment from the current G8 presidency, the United Kingdom, and other governments to put tax and transparency at the heart of this year’s dialogue. ``International tax avoidance and evasion, corruption and weak governance represent major challenges. This year we have seen enormous impact and enormous interest from a wide range of people,’’ Caroline Kende-Robb, the Africa Progress Panel’s Executive Director, said at the session.

THE GUARDIAN, Tuesday, June 4, 2013

BUSINESS 19

THE GUARDIAN, Tuesday, June 4, 2013

Niger Govt promotes micro finance banks IGER Government has it N promoted the establishment of 19 micro-finance banks as part of efforts to provide credit facilities to the low income groups and persons in the state. The Commissioner for Investment, Commerce and Cooperative, Alhaji Hassan Abdullahi, made this known when he received the African Regional Director of International Cooperative Alliance, in Minna on Sunday. Abdullahi said six other micro-finance banks would be established in 2013, to bring the number of such banks to 25 in the state. He said the banks were located in the headquarters of the 19 Local Governments in line with the decisions of the shareholders. The commissioner said the stakeholders contributed money for the floating of such banks, while the state government offered assistance to actualise it. He said the bank offer credit facilities to poor members of their communities to establish or improve on their small businesses, thereby offering the opportunities to improve on the socio-economic status to cushion the stress associated with commercial bank credit system. The commissioner said the state government was partnering small business groups, including coopera-

tive societies, on how they could benefit from the N600 million funds earmarked for the state at the Bank of Industry. He also said that the ministry discovered that out of 17,000 cooperative societies in the state, only 5,000 were viable. ``We have started the process of re-certification of the cooperative societies to ensure that only viable ones are allowed to operate,’’ he said. The African Regional Director International Cooperative Alliance, Mrs. Chiyoge Sifa, said the alliance as an organ of African Union is determined to work toward strengthening the cooperative societies in the continent to provide their services to members. Sifa said the alliance was seeking the establishment of African Cooperative Bank that would work closely with AU member states to revive cooperative banks in their countries. According to her, only Kenyan Cooperative Bank has survived the closure of similar banks. She, therefore, called for the revival of the Nigerian Cooperative Bank. She said the revival would enable cooperative societies to benefit from the African Cooperative Bank in the areas of finances and staff capacity building.

Fidelity Bank to drive financial inclusion with SMEs, concludes anniversary promo By Femi Adekoya IDELITy Bank Plc has conFfinancial cluded plans to intensify its inclusion drive by closing in on Small and Medium Enterprises, as it concludes its 25th anniversary promo. The bank, at the grand finale of its anniversary savings promotion noted that efforts would be intensified towards reducing the number of unbanked in the country through product offerings to the SMEs segment of the market. Managing Director of the Bank, Reginald Ihejiahi while presenting car gifts to some of the winners at the just concluded anniversary promo-

tion in Lagos, on Monday, said the bank’s recent move to create the ‘Fidelity Managed SMEs’ was necessitated by the need to address the challenges affecting small businesses, especially in the Nigerian business environment and reduce the number of unbanked in the country. Ihejiahi said the promo which has been running for six months was not a moneymaking venture for the bank but its own way of giving back a little to those who have supported the organisation in its 25 years of operation in the country, as well as promote a saving culture. He said, “We are using it to thank our many customers. Our bank has grown tremen-

dously especially in the last eight to nine years. So many customers have come to be part of Fidelity Bank. This year we will mark 25 years of operation. We started last year to begin to say thank you to our customers with this promo. “The second reason is that we want to promote savings culture. No matter how small your earnings are, there is the need to put a part of it aside either because of rainy days or to help you accumulate some stock of money to start a business or expand your business.” He noted that the presentation of gifts marks the conclusion of the savings account promo, adding that in all 25 cars have been won by lucky customers while another 25 customers

also became millionaires during the period. The star prize winners of the cars are Edeh Nnenna Ogo and Abimbola Sajuwa, while other prize winners also won between N100, 000 and N500,000. The bank’s Executive Director, South Directorate, Nnamdi Okonkwo, said the bank would not relent in its financial inclusion drive even as it seeks means to add value to the society and reward its customers. Some of the winners however commended the bank for fulfilling its promise through the reward system put in place for the anniversary promotion.

NTDC promises to reposition tourism sector HE Director - General, T Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation (NTDC), Mrs. Sally Mbanefo, has promised to reposition the tourism sector in line with the Federal Government’s transformation agenda. This is contained in a statement signed by Mbanefo in Lagos on Sunday. Mbanefo said the corporation would offer diverse world class tourism products geared toward contributing 10 per cent to the gross domestic product (GDP) through a transformation driven-policy. ``The vision of the NTDC shall be interpreted in line with that of the ministry which is to reposition Nigeria as the preferred tourism destination in Sub-Saharan,’’ she said. She said that the corporation would make tourism to be a foreign exchange and major revenue earner of the Federal Government. She said the corporation would promote advocacy and public enlightenment in the sector to make Nigerians appreciate and patronise the beautiful natural endowments God had given to the country. The director-general said that the corporation would partner with stakeholders to re-invent and reposition the country’s tourism sector for sustainable national economic growth.

Abdullahi said six other micro-finance banks would be established in 2013, to bring the number of such banks to 25 in the state. He said the banks were located in the headquarters of the 19 Local Governments in line with the decisions of the shareholders

Banks defy CBN’s rate rules, as stakeholders kick By Chijioke Nelson ARELy two months into B the effective date for the commencement of the stipulated interest rate on savings deposits in banks, majority of the financial institutions have defied the directive. According to investigations, the directive contained in the “Revised Guide to Bank Charges”, which was released in March 2013, by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), with effective date of April 1, may have appeared optional for some deposit money banks as they choose various rates to implement or sustain status quo. According to the guideline, all deposit money banks are to pay interest on savings deposits to the tune of 30 per

cent of the subsisting Monetary Policy Rate. This means that at present, all banks are to pay 3.6 per cent on savings accounts. But CBN’s publication on Average Deposit and Lending rates of banks as at May 24, showed that the banks ignored the directive, with few paying the stipulated per cent, while others took to the pattern of “free for all.” For example, Heritage Bank took the lead with 4.29 per cent average interest rate on savings deposits, overshooting the stipulated 3.6 per cent with 0.69 per cent. Similarly, Access Bank, Citi Bank, Ecobank, Enterprise Bank, GTBank, Stanbic IBTC Bank, Standard Chartered Bank, Sterling Bank, Union Bank and Zenith Bank joined

the league of early compliants, with the stipulated interest rate of 3.6 per cent. However, Diamond Bank opted for 3.25 per cent; Unity Bank, three per cent; Wema Bank, 2.45; Fidelity Bank, two per cent; with three banks paying less than two per cent, while three pay one per cent or less. The apex bank said that the new guideline, which supercedes that of 2004, was meant to provide a standard for the application of charges in the banking industry and minimize conflicts between banks and their customers. While the guideline also stipulated a negotiation of interest rates between banks and their clients on certain deposits and lendings, savings deposit was meant to be

strictly followed. Meanwhile, stakeholders have expressed worry over the slow pace of adoption of rules that seek to protect customer/consumer rights, especially in the financial system. The Lead Director, Centre for Social Justice, Eze Onyekpere, said: “This shows that human conduct is to a great extent dictated by self interest and that the alternative courses of action available to human institutions gives them a choice in decision making. “However, since the directive of the Central Bank is the norm that should be obeyed at the pain of punishment, there is no discretion on the part of any bank to disobey the instruction. It is therefore, incumbent on the CBN,

being the regulator, to devise and apply adequate sanctions in view of the gravity of the disobedience. “For the banking public, the implication is that those who have been treated in a manner contrary to the CBN directive have a right to insist on a claim on the offending banks to turn over the withheld sums of money.” An Abuja based Development Consultant, Jide Ojo, said that the action touched on four fundamental issues- breach of customer rights, ethics, corporate social responsibility and failure on the part of the regulator to imprint its seal of authority in its directives. “The regulator ought to have known that these banks

would naturally not want to comply, because it is a loss to them, so to speak. The Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria has also not done well to the point that its existence seems to be in doubt. The issue of ethics should have been championed by it, but it has always looked the other way. “I have said that the system we operate here does not encourage investment nor support its own policy. For the fact that it is a directive from the regulator, it should be obeyed and enforcement ought to have started immediately. Assuming the directive was that no interest should be paid on savings accounts, would it take them time to adjust their systems?

THE GUARDIAN, Tuesday, June 4, 2013

BUSINESS 21

THE GUARDIAN, Tuesday, June 4, 2013

Sambo seeks more investments from Japan From Mohammed Abubakar, Abuja

ICE-PRESIDENT V Mohammed Namadi Sambo has challenged Japan to invest heavily in Nigeria due to the potentials inherent in the country’s progressive economic growth and development. A statement by his media office at the weekend quoted Sambo, who is currently on a state visit to Japan, as throwing the challenge while speaking during a bilateral meeting with the Prime Minister of Japan, Mr. Shinzo Abe, on the sideline at the Intercontinental Hotel, venue of TICAD V meeting in Yokohama, Japan at the weekend. The Vice President noted the giant strides of TICAD in the last 20 years. He recalled that Nigeria and Japan were old allies and needed Japan to support Nigeria’s infrastructural requirements in the areas of power supply, transportation, health, agriculture and information and communication technology (ICT). Sambo further called for both countries to encourage partnership on public-pri-

vate partnership (PPP) arrangement. He used the occasion to inform the desire of President Goodluck Jonathan to pay a visit to Japan sometime later in the year, as part of the efforts to further consolidate the existing excellent bilateral relations between the countries. While condoling the government and the people of Japan for the sad incidence that affected some Japanese citizens in Algeria, Sambo used the opportunity to brief the Prime Minister on the efforts by the Nigerian Government to address the security challenges facing Nigeria and the efforts of government in ensuring the return to normalcy in the three states under the emergency rule. He informed the Premier the progress the country was making in the areas of power supply, transportation, BRASS-LNG and the need for Japan to assist our local gas infrastructure. He assured the Prime Minister of Nigeria’s readiness to support Japan’s bid to hosts the summer Olympics and to win its slot for non-perma-

nent member of the Security Council of the United Nations. The Premier in his response noted that to achieve the level of development, Nigeria and Japan would have to work together especially as regards TICAD V initiative. He noted that a number of Japanese businesses have made progress in Nigeria and that he looks forward to more investment in the Nigerian economy. He further stated that Japan supports Nigeria’s growth and economic development and the need to eradicate polio. As part of Japan’s efforts to ensure this steady growth, the Yen soft loan will be used to build elementary schools as part of the projects of inclusive growth. He stated that Japan attaches importance to private investment and that Nigeria had high hopes for support by the Japanese government. “We will like to provide support for infrastructural development of your country as articulated by you.” He sought for Nigeria’s support in their bid to host 2020 Summer Olympic

Games and for a non-permanent member slot at the Security Council of the United Nations, representing the Asian countries. In a related development, Sambo held meetings with some private concerns in Japan, including Mizuho Corporate Bank Limited, which has indicated interest to come to Nigeria and provide opportunities for the growth of the real sector. They were led by the company’s Deputy President, Mr. Nobuhide Hayashi. Others include Sojitz Corporation who discussed on BRASSLNG. They were led by Mr. Masahiro Komiyama, Managing Executive Officer & President, Energy & Metal Division, Toyota Tsusho Corporation in collaboration with CFAO discussed on agricultural investment, which includes large-scale store formats and BRASSLNG development. They were led by Mr. Jun Karube, President and CEO. He also held meeting with Nippon Foundation led by Mr. Yohei Sasakawa, who briefed Sambo on Sasakawa Africa Foundation Projects in Nigeria including the recently concluded memo-

Stakeholders task Jigawa on enabling environment From John Akubo, Dutse HE Jigawa State governT ment has been advised to put in place policies that will strengthen the state’s institution and regulatory framework for investment promotion as well as the establishment and strengthening of the Jigawa State promotion agency if its vision of attracting investors is to be actualised. This was contained in a communique issued at the end of the first Jigawa State Economic and Investment Summit in Dutse, Jigawa State capital. The summit, which was organised by the state government to celebrate the Democracy Day and the sixth year anniversary of Governor Sule Lamido, was aimed at opening the windows of the state for investors to come and catalyse the development of the state. The communique also recommended that the government should identify specific agriculture business opportunities where the state has comparative/competitive advantage to develop, scale up and transform the economy. “Government should maintain the state’s vision on inclusive growth, thereby ensuring GDP growth translates into the wellbeing of the citizens by creating jobs and eradicating poverty. “Government should continue to prioritise on education, training and skill acquisition. It urged the Lamido administration to articulate and identify clear private sector growth strategy that will provide needed support and appropriate incentive to give life to the sector. The communique chal-

lenged the state government to venture in to the establishment of mining company to pave way for its active participation in the solid mineral sector. It urged the government to support mechanisms including construction of industrial estates, clusters and business incubators. According to the commu-

nique, “government should identify and proactively engage all federal agencies whose mandate will in one or the other assist the development of the state, to ensure the state draws maximum benefits from their services”. It urged the state to develop a policy framework that will encourage the consumption

of locally produced goods by the small and medium scale industries in the state. “Jigawa State should collaborate with other states and the National Assembly to pressurise the Federal Government to complete the Hadejiaa-Jama’are River Basin as well as to ensure the Calabar to Kano gas pipe line project is completed.

randum of understanding with the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, and finally

with the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) led by its president, Mr. Akihiko Tanaka.

THE GUARDIAN, Tuesday, June 4, 2013

BUSINESS

THE GUARDIAN, Tuesday, June 4, 2013

Govt woos Brazilian investors HE Federal Government on T Sunday called on Brazilian investors to set up industries in Nigeria to complement government’s backward integration policy. The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment, Alhaji Dauda Kigbu, made the call in a statement issued in Abuja by Udo Akpan, the ministry’s Chief Press Secretary. It stated that the call was when the Brazilian business delegation led by Anibal Moacir da Silva, the City Mayor, Sao Leopoldo, visited the ministry in Abuja. The statement noted that the Federal Government policy on industrialisation was based on promotion of local products and backward integration to stimulate production activities to create wealth and employment opportunities. ``Government policy is to

Government policy is to promote backward integration to stimulate a lot of production activities and to build capacity for the large market in Nigeria and ECOWAS sub-region... We encourage investors to come and invest in some of the areas we have comparative and competitive advantage rather than have large scale importation that has serious effects on our employment situation. promote backward integration to stimulate a lot of production activities and to build capacity for the large market in Nigeria and ECOWAS subregion. ``We encourage investors to come and invest in some of the areas we have comparative and competitive advantage rather than have large scale importation that has serious effects on our employment situation. ``If you are interested in investing in Nigeria, you can start production of your prod-

ucts in the country and explore the economy of over 167 million people and ECOWAS region,’’ it stated. Nigeria, according to him, has export free trade zones in a number of places that investors can take advantage of and set up businesses there to export to the world. He added that government had come up with proactive policy that encouraged investors to take advantage of the market, incentives and enabling environment in the country.

He informed the delegation that government has initiated different incentives to encourage investors to produce in the country, urging them to take full advantage of the vast resources and cheap labour in Nigeria. Earlier, the leader of the delegation had pointed out that they were in Nigeria to assess opportunities and exchange experience for future trade relations and strengthen trade relationship between both countries. Leopoldo called for the removal of trade barriers, especially restrictions on some of their items that fall under the prohibition list, to enable them to introduce the items to Nigerian markets. According to him, this will enable them to assess the market and take a position in partnering with local businessmen for investment in local production.

President Jonathan

THE GUARDIAN, Tuesday, June 4, 2013

APPOINTMENTS 27

Appointments Addressing safety standards in work environment

Wogu

Esele By Tosin Fodeke

VERY year, millions of E men and women lose their lives or suffer incapacitating illnesses or injuries while at work. Currently, an estimated two million people die each year globally as a result of occupational accidents and work related illnesses or injuries with 160 million new cases of work related illnesses said to occur each year. In Nigeria, the issue of health and safety in the work environment has not been better as there exist no adequate law that seeks to regulate the practice of health and safety in general working environment in Nigeria. The Factories Act Cap 126, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 1990 is the only legislation for the enforcement of safety and health standards in Nigerian workplaces. It provides minimum standards of safety and health in Nigerian factories. It provides for the enforcement of the Act by occupational safety and health officers in the Inspectorate Department of the Federal Ministry of Labour and Productivity. However, in spite of efforts to enforce these provisions, workplace accidents still occur. In a report issued for the World Day for Safety and Health at Work, the International Labour Organisation (ILO) explained that despite the fact that occupational diseases kill six times as many people, accidents attract greater attention. Of the estimated 2.34 million yearly work-related deaths, the vast majority approximately 2.02 million are due to work-related diseases. This represents a daily average of 5,500 deaths. The ILO also estimates that 160 million cases of non-fatal work-related diseases occur yearly and 317 million nonfatal occupational accidents per year. This means that every 15 sec-

onds, a worker dies from a work-related accident or disease while every 15 seconds, 151 workers have a work-related accident. According to the report, deaths and injuries take a particularly heavy toll in developing countries, where a large part of the population is engaged in hazardous activities such as agriculture, construction, fishing and mining. Recently, Vice-President, Nigeria Labour Congress, Issa Aremu, decried what he observed as the lack of commitment to safety standards in workplaces and provision of congenial work environment by some employers in Nigeria. He lamented that some workers had died out of what he described as sheer negligence of their managements to safety standards. The Factories Act of 1987, 1990 and 2004 were the closest efforts made by the Federal Government to correct the situation but this is restricted to health and safety issues in manufacturing environment alone. Studies indicate that in the past, efforts by government agencies to implement the provisions of Factories Act 1987, 1990 as regards health and safety in the workplace had been rather weak and virtually non-existent. Evidence abounds that companies involved in promoting and protecting workers health and safety are among the most successful and competitive and also enjoy better rates of employee retention. Despite the lack of an enabling law, some companies operating in Nigeria have adopted and are practicing health and safety initiatives. Director, Department of Public Health and Environment, World Health Organisation (WHO), Maira Neira, said: “The wealth of business depends on the health of the workers”.

Similarly, President of Interior Designers Association of Nigeria (IDAN), Anslem Tabansi, at a recent workshop stressed the need for employers of labour to deliberately and conscientiously put in place, a well-designed and well managed workplace that can play a beneficial role in promoting workers’ health and well-being. He stated: “One of the reasons is that until recently there was no adequate law, which seeks to regulate the practice of health and safety in general working environment in Nigeria. According to him, “it is noteworthy that as long as there is no existing regulation that compels employers to adhere to safety and health issues; lip service will generally be paid to it by the majority of practitioners. He added that the situation has however been remedied by the recent passage of bill on Occupation Safety And Health Bill 2012 by the National Assembly. The bill, he explained seeks to protect workers from hazards associated with their jobs repeals and re-enacts the Factory Act 2004 making comprehensive provisions for safety, health and welfare of persons at work. “Lagos State government with the establishment of the Lagos State Safety Commission and the passage of the safety laws in the state have shown leadership in this regard while other states in the federation are yet to replicate this initiative.” Tabansi added. Similarly, Director-General, Lagos State Safety Commission, Mrs. Dominga Odebunmi, who was represented at the event by Head, Research and Development, Akinoso Taiwo, explained that the technical knowledge of professional interior designers can have a significant positive impact by reducing injury, sick leave, increasing well-being and

Omar

productivity, and conserving energy and other resources, thereby reducing costs to consumers and business. He said: “Architects and interior designers must ensure safety and health so far as reasonable practicable. This will require them to take account of all relevant standards. British Standards (BS),

International Organisation of Standards (ISO), European Standards (EN), LASG Construction Safety Guidelines that highlights clearly the role of the designer. “The best way to ensure safety of any structure is to incorporate safety at its inception or design stage. In order to

ensure professionalism, interior designers and architects should ensure incorporation of safety requirements during design, risks assessments are done to ensure the safety, relevant information is provided for all stakeholders, adequate training and competency and ability to demonstrate such.”

THE GUARDIAN, Tuesday, June 4, 2013

APPOINTMENT 29

NUPENG seeks probe of NDDC By Yetunde Ebosele

The federal government must, therefore,

ORRIED by the alleged W non-performance of the set up a special task force to monitor all Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) at the weekend urged the federal government to set up a special task force to monitor the activities of the commission. The union in a statement made available to The Guardian expressed concerned at the alleged abandonment of projects by contractors engaged by the commission. In the statement signed by its President, Igwe Achese, NUPENG alleged that the commission was not living up to expectation concerning the development of the oil rich Niger Delta region. Specifically, the union observed that despite the huge resources allotted to the commission for the development of the region, it was sadden to note that the region was yet to enjoy significant development to tally with the funds released. “The union observes the complaints of various communities in the Niger Delta of complete neglect and abandonment of projects by the NDDC. It is sad to state that despite the huge funds allotted the NDDC from oil revenue to

its activities, projects and make sure that they are commissioned on time. The NDDC should not be another waste pipe with abandoned projects all over the Niger Delta and it will be a failure on the federal government if the trend is allowed to continue unabated

develop Niger Delta, there is nothing really on ground to show for its existence. “We have had many cases of NDDC contractors collecting mobilisation fees and abandoning the projects. The objective of setting the NDDC has not really been met, as the roads in the Niger Delta are still in deplorable state. The NDDC is just another avenue for its officials and government cronies to enrich themselves. The NDDC has failed to transform lives in the Niger Delta. “The union notes that it is only its signboards that are seen, with no noticeable progress in the contracts awarded. A case in point is the reclamation project in Gbaramatu area where the contractor was reported to have removed its equipment

even when the project has not been completed. “The union calls on the federal government to review the mandate of the NDDC to make its impact felt by the people whose soil has been destroyed by the activities of oil multi-nationals. It is a pity that the NDDC has not lived up to expectations despite the huge billions of naira voted for its activities every year. “The federal government must, therefore, set up a special task force to monitor all its activities, projects and make sure that they are commissioned on time. The NDDC should not be another waste pipe with abandoned projects all over the Niger Delta and it will be a failure on the federal government if the trend is allowed to continue unabated.”

THE GUARDIAN, Tuesday, June 4, 2013

APPOINTMENT

WAPCP intensifies campaign for recognition of fellows From Emeka Anuforo, Abuja HE West African Postgraduate College of Pharmacists (WAPCP) has called on countries within the region to shake off cumbersome bureaucratic processes and recognise pharmacy fellows as consultants. The College echoed this call in Abuja at its 25th scientific session and yearly general meeting. WAPCP called on relevant authorities of member countries to recognise Fellows of the College as Specialist Pharmacists/Consultants in their areas of specialisation. Chairman of Nigerian chapter of the College, Ike Onyechi, said at the meeting that the body was stepping up efforts to advance postgraduate education and training in all disciplines of pharmacy for the acquisition of knowledge, attitudes, skills and competency to promote and maintain a high standard of professional pharmacy practice. He lamented that over one year after WAPCP secured approval for the adjustment across West Africa, many states were yet start implementation. His words: “The way bureaucracy goes in our country, some states are yet to start

Hepatitis B is more virulent than HIV (the human immunodeficiency virus that causes AIDS). The fluid that can pass hepatitis B is even smaller than the quantity of blood that can transmit HIV. Where (hepatitis B can be escaped), a little contact can transmit hepatitis B and there are so many people who are healthy carriers going about. enforcing and recognising this approval, which we already have for about one year.” Meanwhile, the College says that it has produced some 900 fellows till date out of which 80 per cent are Nigerians. Niger State, the College said, has the highest number of pharmacy fellows in its employ, with 16 out of 20 fellows from Niger hired by the state. Its recommendations were instrumental to Nigeria’s adoption of artemisinin-combination therapy as the current treatment for malaria. This year, its scientific session focused on what it described as the “silent scourge” of hepatitis B amidst rising incidence of the disease. “Hepatitis B is more virulent than HIV (the human

immunodeficiency virus that causes AIDS). The fluid that can pass hepatitis B is even smaller than the quantity of blood that can transmit HIV. Where (hepatitis B can be escaped), a little contact can transmit hepatitis B and there are so many people who are healthy carriers going about,” the organisation warned. Head of Pharmacy Department at the Jos University Teaching Hospital, Hafsat Jimoh, who lectured a session at the meeting said: “We need to sensitise the public to that fact, so that we mind how we share sharp objects, how we get contact with blood, and even tears. The virus has been identified in almost any type of fluid in the body. “It is a very big issue, particularly now that we have mothers whose immune system is

THE GUARDIAN, Tuesday, June 4, 2013

SPN tasks Ajimobi on N18, 000 minimum wage From Iyabo Lawal, Ibadan HE Oyo State Chapter of T Socialist Party of Nigeria (SPN) has called on Governor Abiola Ajimobi to comply with the national minimum wage law, which stipulates N18, 000 as basic salary for grade one workers with commensurate increase for workers in other levels. Besides, the party in a statement by its secretary, Abiodun Bamigboye also demanded adequate compensation for traders and residents whose shops and houses were demolished without prior alternative under the guise of beautification and cleaning-up project. It will be recalled that on May 2, 2012 workers in the state public service suspended its three-week strike to pave way for negotiation with the state government on the payment of the N18, 000 minimum wage. The party, however, alleged that the ACN led government in the state had failed to meet this demand. It also tasked the state leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC) to come out with a programme of action including mass sensitisation, strike and mass protest for immediate and unconditional payment of the new minimum wage to Oyo state workers. It further condemned what it described as the selective

Ajimobi beautification project of the current administration at strategic places while neglecting the inner and interior roads, which are in deplorable condition. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We of SPN do not approve of the situation where people trade either on the road sides or the streets. It is however the failure of the successive capitalist governments in the state and nationally to use the resources of the society for

the benefit of the working people that has created ugly conditions whereby working people are forced to be selling or trading on the road sides.â&#x20AC;? The party subsequently tasked the governor to adequately invest the collective resources of the state in building low-cost markets for poor traders as well as provide basic social services like education and health care.

THE GUARDIAN, Tuesday, June 4, 2013

Position of NAUTH CMD not vacant, says board From Uzoma Nzeagwu, Awka HE management board of Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital (NAUTH), Nnewi has said that the position of the chief medical director (CMD) of the institution was filled through due process, insisting that there was no other vacancy. Chairman of the management board, Prof. Ivara E, Esu who made the clarification during an interactive session with journalists at the hospitals complex Nnewi, recently, also cautioned anybody interested in the job to wait for the tenure of the current CMD, Dr. Anthony Igwegbe to elapse. He also promised to reposition and improve services rendered in the hospital to patients and clients from catchment areas. Meanwhile, the Non Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions, (NAUTH), Nnewi, Anambra State Council has dissociated itself from the statement issued by Anambra Progressives Professionals (APP) claiming that there was crisis in the teaching hospital over the appointment of the CMD. Esu explained that the board assumed office with a clear mandate, notably to perform oversight functions, including looking at the policies, finances, staff and general progress of the institution, adding that they would work to ensure that NAUTH reckoned as centre of excellence in the country and comparable to any insti-

The 13-member board would work to ensure that NAUTH witness rapid expansion in infrastructure and man power development, and efforts would be intensified for the hospital to move into its permanent site soon. Our objective was to reposition the hospital and improve services to clients in the state and catchment areas, in such a way that it would be recommended as centre of excellence comparable to any institution in the world tution in the world. He expressed surprise that some people were insinuating that there was crisis over the appointment of the CMD four months after Dr. Igwegbe assumed office, wondering where those people have been while he was performing his duties in the hospital since he assumed office. He said: “The 13-member board would work to ensure that NAUTH witness rapid expansion in infrastructure and man power development, and efforts would be intensified for the hospital to move into its permanent site soon. “Our objective was to reposition the hospital and improve services to clients in the state and catchment areas, in such a way that it would be recommended as centre of excellence comparable to any institution in the world.” He added: “We have visited the permanent site between Nnewi, Oraifete and Ozubulu, and because of what we saw on ground, we

have set up two committees, project monitorial and service delivery committees to assist the hospital.” In a statement signed by the branch Chairman, Non Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions, (NAUTH), Mr. Egbula Kelechi and the Secretary, Mr. Nwokwu Fedelis, they dismissed the claims that there was crisis in the hospital which had resulted in disruption of work in the institution, insisting that there was nothing like Anambra Progressives Professionals (APP) in NAUTH, Nnewi.

THE GUARDIAN, Tuesday, June 4, 2013

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THE GUARDIAN, Tuesday, June 4, 2013

Govt partners UNIDO on youth unemployment From Itunu Ajayi, Abuja. o tackle youth unemployment, the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade, and Investment and United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) are partnering to organise entrepreneurship and career fairs to train over 1,000 university and secondary school graduates. The programme will take place at the Velodrome on June 27 in Abuja and at the Landmark Village in Lagos on July 4. This was contained in a statement issued by United Nations Industrial Development O r g a n i s a t i o n (UNIDO) in Abuja. The statement said that young Nigerians who were eager to

start their own businesses would have a chance to meet and interact with entrepreneurs and representatives of organisations, institutions and companies during the fairs. It said that the initiative, the first of its kind in Nigeria, was aimed at facilitating job matching between job seekers and recruiters. The fairs would also showcase successful entrepreneurs and promote alternative forms of employment, including selfemployment, it said. The statement reads in part, “UNIDO and FMITI are to utilise the partnership to establish public-private knowledge sharing platforms that will allow unemployed youths to access job opportunities in

local businesses and institutions across the country.” According to UNIDO, the Minister of State for Industry, Trade and Investment, Samuel Ortom had in February inaugurated an inter-ministerial committee to this effect. It said that the committee had engaged over 15 federal ministries, departments and agencies from the public sector and more than 30 companies from the private sector. According to the statement, the aim was to attract over 1,000 university graduates and secondary school graduates between the ages of 18 and 35 years as participants in the career fairs. The ministries include the ministries of Education, Labour and Productivity,

Women Affairs, Youth Development. Other agencies involved are Industrial Training Fund (ITF), National Board for Technical Education, National Committee on Job Creation, National Directorate of Employment (NDE) and National University Commission. Small and Medium Enterprises Development of Nigeria (SMEDAN), Bank of Industry (BOI), National Board of Technical Education (NABTEC), Nigeria Employers’ Consultative Association (NECA), Manufacturing Association of Nigeria (MAN), Nigeria Chamber of Commerce, Cooperatives, Industries, Mines and Agriculture (NACCIMA) are also included.

World Bank broadens areas of support in Nigeria Reviews country programme portfolio at state level From Emeka Anuforo

HE World Bank has broadT ened its areas of support in Nigeria. Statistics from the world body at the weekend indicated that the bank’s engagement had also shifted from being federal government centric to a more balanced federal and state level support. These details emerged recently as the bank commenced its Nigeria country programme portfolio. Country Director of the World Bank in Nigeria, Maria Francoise Marie-Nelly, who spoke, at a mini-country performance portfolio review meetings held in Minna, Niger State, stressed that the review was in partnership with government with the aim of assessing the performance of the portfolio at state level. She said that the review was with the aim of identifying measures to address specific constraints, umpire implementation and increase tangible exults on the ground and better align the bank’s portfolio with the states’ priorities and implementation instruments. “It is expected that using a state level lens for the review will engender a more coordinated response and provide a cohesive framework to identify issues and address issues,” she stressed. According to her, at the end of the review, there would be greater involvement of state governments and their ministries, departments and agencies in the moni-

toring portfolio results; accelerate disbursements in participating states by end of December 2013, better coordination at state level and improve alignment of bank resources to their state and sectoral allocations. Her words: “Where are we? The bank collaborates with the government to conduct annual country portfolio performance reviews to assess progress in project implementation and contributions to the delivery of desired development objectives. “The bank is the largest overseas development assistance provider to Nigeria and its support is important because of the associated technical assistance programmes that provide knowledge -sharing opportunities and knowledge activities in the form of analytical and advisory activities.” The participants at the review meeting included project directors from Niger, Nasarawa, Kwara, Abuja, Kaduna, Zamfara, Kano and Kebbi states. The Federal Ministry of Finance through the International Economic Relations Department led the review meeting from the government angle while the National Planning Commission acted as observer. The review, according to Marie-Nelly, included field visit to selected project sites, discussions in plenary and in groups and development of an action plan.

Marie-Nelly

...As Nigerians benefit from health scheme From Emeka Anuforo, Abuja VER one million O Nigerians are to benefit from the African Health Markets for Equity (AHME) project, an initiative of the World Bank that aims to provide affordable healthcare to rural dwellers. World Bank officials said at the launch of the scheme in Abuja on Wednesday that Nigeria is one of three countries benefiting from the initiative. Others, according to the Lead Health Specialist and Head Health in Africa at the World Bank Group, Khama Rogo, include Kenya and Ghana. Over five years, the program

expects to engage over 2,730 provider outlets; support more than 490 providers to achieve Safe Care Certificates of Improvement; increase provider network scope and scale by 132 per cent (Nigeria); 196 per cent (Kenya) and 273 per cent (Ghana); and avert 2.85 million Disability Adjusted Life Years (DALYs), at a cost-effectiveness ratio of $46 per DALY. He said the five year programme would increase the scale and scope of franchised health care, expanding from family planning and sexual and reproductive health to also address malaria, acute respiratory infections, diarrhea, nutrition, maternal care, HIV and TB.

THE GUARDIAN, Tuesday, June 4, 2013

44 APPOINTMENTS

THE GUARDIAN, Tuesday, June 4, 2013

Councillors endorse Amosun for second term, laud performance From Charles Coffie Gyamfi, Abeokuta HE 236 councilors in Ogun State, recently, endorsed Senator Ibikunle Amosun’s candidature for the 2015 governorship election. The councilors who spoke in Abeokuta under the aegis of Ogun State Local Government Legislative Forum (OSLGLF) insisted that they were convinced that Amosun deserved a second term in office in view of his “excellent” performance. The forum, which spoke through their Chairman, Mr. Adeniji Ademola Ibrahim at a news conference organised to mark Amosun’s second year in office argued that Amosun’s performance in office had convinced everybody, including his political opponent that if

given a second chance he would transform the state, not only economically but socially as well. All the legislative leaders from all the 20 local governments in the state were present at the briefing. Ibrahim said: “Without mincing words, we can conveniently and proudly say that the present administration under the leadership of Governor Ibikunle Amosun has in the last two years contributed meaningfully to the developmental growth of the state. It is on record that the administration has and still touching the lives of many residents of the state positively.” The forum listed Amosun’s achievements to include quality health, social infrastructure, education, agricul-

ture and security, stating that the governor had adhered strictly to the implementation of the Action Congress of Nigeria’s five cardinal programmes. “These great achievements, no doubt, have convinced us as councilors in all the 236 wards and today we openly declare our support and appreciation to Amosun. Your policy of promise made, promise kept has popularised our great party in Ogun State,” Ibrahim affirmed. He added: “The entire councilors of all the 236 wards across the 20 local government areas in Ogun State under the auspices of Ogun State Leaders of Legislative Councils Forum felicitates with our legend and amiable Governor, Senator Ibikunle

Amosun in celebrating his two years in office and we commend his tremendous achievements.” The councilors said: “In addition to this, all the Ogun State Leaders of the Legislatives Forum and the legislative arms of the local governments emphasise our support for good governance, being exhibited by our governor. His administration had bailed out the citizens and residents out from the total darkness inflicted by the immediate past administration. “We want to further stress that we are solidly behind Amosun’s efforts to re-build Ogun State which is already making waves across the nooks and crannies of the state.” They assured that being foot

soldiers in all the 236 wards, they would work round the clock for Amosun to achieve his aim. The legislators also faulted the recent comments attributed to Senator Gbenga Kaka to the effect that Amosun’s administration had been concentrating on only roads construction to the neglect of other sectors, saying that Kaka was speaking out of igno-

rance. “Such remark was uncalled for even the blind knows that the governor is genuine in the implementation of all projects,” the councilors stressed. The body then challenged Kaka to as former deputy governor in the state, “to come out and tell the world his contributions to his senatorial district both as a deputy governor and a senator. ”

Adelabu lauds polytechnic’s curriculum KITI State Deputy E Governor, Prof. Modupe Adelabu has commended the Federal Polytechnic, AdoEkiti for giving the students of the institution entrepreneurship trainings that would make its graduates self-reliant and employers of labour after graduation. According to a statement, she gave the commendation while receiving members of the governing council and management of the institution who paid a courtesy visit to her office in Ado-Ekiti, adding that the institution had tracks of academic excellence which made it to rank first among equals and urged the governing council and management of the institution to work at sustaining and even improving on the standard. The deputy governor who said that Governor Kayode Fayemi was very passionate about anything that has to do with acquisition of knowledge and technology development assured the board of directors and management of the federal polytechnic that the government would continue to give its support to the institution and collaborate with it in entrepreneurship development. She also commended the institution for embarking on production of laboratory

glassware, describing it as a positive development that would lead to improvement in the teaching of sciences in schools and also reduce the money spends on importation of science and laboratory equipment by government. Earlier, the Chairman of the Governing Board of the Federal Polytechnic, AdoEkiti, Victor Ebomoyi said that the visit was to introduce the new members of the Governing Board of the institution to the state government as it is the custom and also to congratulate Prof. Modupe Adelabu on her appointment as the deputy governor of the state. Ebomoyi commended the government for its immeasurable assistance for the institution at all time and expressed the hope that the cordial relationship between the institution and the government would be sustained. The governing board chairman who used the forum to inform the government that the polytechnic had ventured into production of laboratory glassware called for the government’s patronage to encourage the institution and as well use the opportunity to further equip schools science laboratories to improve teaching of the sciences.

THE GUARDIAN, Tuesday, June 4, 2013

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THE GUARDIAN, Tuesday, June 4, 2013

Borno engages 64,400 youths in poverty reduction schemes From Njadvara Musa, Maiduguri

O address unemployT ment and poverty among youths, women and rural dwellers in Borno, the state government has engaged 64,400 youths in the massive construction of houses, landscaping and mass transit business, while nine skills acquisition centres are to be established at the cost of N816 million, the commissioner of Poverty Alleviation and Youth Empowerment, Dr. Zainab Gimba has disclosed. The commissioner disclosed these in Maiduguri at a press conference to mark Democracy Day and second year in office of Governor Kashim Shettima at the Musa Usman secretariat complex. She said the poverty and

unemployment measures adopted by her ministry in the last two years has, however, yielded results of reducing poverty in the state by 30 per cent. Her words: “As we continue to partner the various government and non-governmental agencies in the fight against poverty and unemployment in the state, we have targeted youths, women, the vulnerable groups of people and rural dwellers, as the ones been living below $1 or N160 a day. But with the focus and determination of the governor to address poverty and unemployment among the youths, over 64,000 people were fully engaged in either construction and building ventures or mass transit business. “In any part of Maiduguri

metropolis, you see most of these youths are fully engaged and busy doing one thing or the other in interlocking and landscaping the various roads and streets of Maiduguri. While in five council areas of Kukawa, Magumeri, Chibok and the Dalori areas and in the outskirts of Maiduguri, 222 housing units were completed by the youths.” Giving a breakdown of the numbers of engaged youths, the commissioner said that under the state government’s training and empowerment scheme, a total of 37,600 youths were registered, while the mass transit scheme has engaged 100 beneficiaries, including 6,800 people that benefited from the distribution of poverty alleviation materials.

She further disclosed that about 20,000 youths were also engaged in the inter-

locking and landscaping of Maiduguri metropolis, along with the procurement

and distribution of 100 units of hydra-foam bricks-making machines.

Firm, association to empower SMEs By Joseph Onyekwere AYAKORP Nigeria M Limited, a trusted provider of business development solutions especially in critical areas such as identifying business development requirements, anticipating and managing business risks as well as developing strategies to meet the required needs, in collaboration with the Market Leaders Association of Nigeria (an umbrella body of all market leaders in the country) holds the inaugural edition of yearly Business Empowerment

Summit. The summit will bring together over 5,000 small and medium scale traders from the automobile, telecommunications, information technology, agriculture, food and beverages, building materials and household wares sectors in an interactive business forum with their product and service providers. It is geared towards resolving those challenges, which affects them from developing capacity to realising their full potentials as well as the prospect for improvement and development for employ-

ment generation, economic growth and national development. At the end of the summit, participants are expected to improve on their businesses with strengthened commitment to economic reform, which in turn would offer a turning point in facilitating the recovery of Nigeria economy and national development. The highlights of the summit to be held at the Teslim Balogun Stadium, Surulere, Lagos in July 4, 2013 include business lectures on loan facilities and asset finance, training on application and management of modern business tools and equipments in small businesses as well as business networking and interaction. It is an opportunity for the SMEs to interact directly with the service providers especially on areas of improving their businesses at a low cost. It is therefore expected that SME service providers especially from the banking and finance, telecommunications, information technology, manufacturing and other allied sectors exploit the opportunity showcase and market their products and services.

Oluleye begins tenure as PTDF scribe From Collins Olayinka, Abuja HE Federal Government T has announced the appointment of Dr. Oluwole Oluleye as the Executive Secretary of the Petroleum Technology Development Fund Petroleum Technology Development Fund (PTDF). Speaking while assuming duty at the corporate headquarters of the Fund in Abuja, Oluleye called on the management workers to be more proactive and diligent in the execution of their duties. In a meeting with general managers, Oluleye said he will maintain an open door policy with premium on transparency and result oriented. Stakeholders have applauded his appointment as the helmsman of the Fund, in view of his vast knowledge of the oil and gas Industry. Oluleye having served as pioneer Executive Secretary of the Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency PPPRA between 2003 and 2009, and member/secretary, Presidential Projects Assessment Committee, his notable achievements include the development of a transparent petroleum pricing mechanism that responds to the dynamics of market fundamentals. He also initiated deregulation policy on the supply of products into the system by creating a level playing field for industry players as well as set up guidelines for the subsidy Fund in collaboration with stakeholders.

THE GUARDIAN, Tuesday, June 4, 2013

52 APPOINTMENT

World Brand Congress appoints Igbinidu member of advisory council ANAGING Director of TPT M International, Charles Igbinidu, has been appointed into the Global Advisory Council of the 2013 World Brand Congress. The World Brand Congress is usually the single largest rendezvous of best brains behind some of the world’s most successful and sought after brands. In a letter to Igbinidu, the Global Chairman of the Congress, Dave Porter, said: “I wish to invite you to be a part of the Global Advisory Council. As an esteemed member of the Advisory Council, you will network with professionals in your

Igbinidu community/country. The World Brand Congress attempts to reach out to professionals across the globe and therefore every member of the Advisory Council would

help propagate the message. The World Brand Congress is a not-for-profit making activity aimed for professional growth and development. I am sure you would be happy to be a part of World Brand Congress 2013”. Speaking on his appointment Igbinidu said: “I am honoured to be chosen to be on the Global Advisory Council of the World Brand Congress. I am particularly elated because it is not a position that I struggled for, it is indeed a very huge honour to be selected to be on the Council made up of some of the brightest brains in brand management in the world.

ICAN appoints new registrar/chief executive commercial banking, finanHE Institute of Chartered Adepate. T Accountants of Nigeria Prior to this appointment, cial planning, industry and (ICAN) has appointed Rotimi Omotoso was in practice as a government. Akanni Omotoso, as its new Registrar/Chief Executive Officer. His appointment, according to the institute, was informed by the recent retirement of the former Chief Executive, Olutoyin

Certified Public Accountant (CPA) and a financial advisor in Georgia, United States and has over 27 years combined financial management, controllership, business development and leadership experience in public accounting,

A statement explained that he spent 10 years working and consulting for fortune 100 corporations including American Express Financial Advisors, Verizon Wireless Treasury as well as the State Accounting Office of Georgia.

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Beyond MDGs, an emphasis on jobs, others With the deadline for the Millennium Development Goals approaching, Aurelio Parisotto, ILO senior economist, explains why jobs and livelihoods should be at the centre of a post2015 development agenda. S we approach the 2015 A deadline for the current Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), we have a golden opportunity to put jobs and livelihoods at the top of the international development agenda. This is not simply according to the ILO. The first results of the UN ‘My World’ global survey, which asked people in 190 countries for their priorities for a post-2015 development agenda, show that “jobs are a high priority everywhere.” From Albania and Jordan to Vietnam and Zambia, the call for more and better job opportunities was also made loud and clear in online discussions and national consultations organised by the UN. In Uganda, of the 17,000 people consulted, about half said that getting a job was their top priority. Many participants in the consultations also mentioned the need for better social protection, especially in informal sectors where economic and social insecurity is high. These demands are not surprising given the current global labour market situation. The scale of the challenge Today, there are over 200 million unemployed people worldwide, almost 73 million of who are young people. Beyond the sheer number of additional jobs needed, the quality of employment also requires urgent attention. One in every three workers in the world is living with their families below the $2 poverty line. They work as paid employees, ownaccount workers or unpaid family labour, but remain trapped in poverty. Looking ahead, some 470

million new jobs will be needed in the fifteen years from 2015 to 2030, just to keep up with the growth of the world’s working age population. More will also have to be done to ensure those jobs are decent, offering people a true opportunity to lift themselves out of poverty. This implies concerted action to address persistent economic volatility and widening income inequalities, which are weakening the social and political fabric of our societies. An action-oriented agenda Simply put, we need policies that generate decent jobs. The countries that have gone down this road, for instance, in Latin America and Asia – first addressed the structural factors underlying poverty and underemployment. They focused on making economic growth more inclusive by combining policies to foster investment and enterprise creation with measures to extend social protection and strengthen labour markets. Other core elements of success included stable and sound government institutions committed to the rule of law, human rights, property rights and a suitable environment for starting and growing businesses. Labour market policies and institutions such as minimum wages and employ-

‘

ment protection legislation also played a role. A globally agreed agenda to improve the quality and quantity of employment would stimulate countries to focus policy attention and resources on critical aspects that were not sufficiently addressed in the MDGs. But ultimately it will be national action that will determine the success of the new development framework. Individual countries will need some flexibility to set their own targets and take up the main responsibility of achieving them in line with national circumstances and needs. Designing policy and monitoring progress International support for countries to improve the collection and availability of statistics should be a key element of the new development framework. Many developing countries already have the basic indicators for monitoring improvements in jobs and livelihoods. However, information gaps remain on the quality of jobs, particularly for people at the bottom end of the economy. A small, internationally coordinated investment in the quantity and quality of labour market statistics could make an important difference. Ensuring that the private sector, trade unions and

A globally agreed agenda to improve the quality and quantity of employment would stimulate countries to focus policy attention and resources on critical aspects that were not sufficiently addressed in the MDGs

Orji joins NSE’s board ENOWNED investment R banker and distinguished economist, Professor Herbert Onye Orji, has joined the 14-member National Council of the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE), which has Africa’s leading multi-sector industrialist, Alhaji Aliko Dangote as president and the Chief Executive Officer of the NSE Mr. Oscar Onyema doubling as the chief executive officer of the council. The National Council of the NSE is the governing board of the Stock Exchange and is

charged with the responsibility of directing the business and financial affairs, strategy, structures and policies of the NSE. NSE sources at the recent AGM also confirmed that, the Group Managing Director of Access Bank, Aigboje Aig-Imoukhede and a seasoned lawyer, Abimbola Ogunbanjo are first and second vice-presidents respectively of the council. The 2012 Annual Report of Operations, very comprehensive and a masterpiece

‘

By Aurelio Parisotto

in substance, content and design, is indicative of the steady recovery of the Nigerian Capital Market. In the first week of May this year, the All Share Index topped 35.103.23, close to its all time record high while the Total Market Capitalisation, now at over N11.3trillion, is expected to reach or surpass one trillion dollar by the end of year 2016. Prof Orji is the chairman of the Audit and Risk Management Committee. He was at various times, the

Parisotto

civil society are engaged will also be critical. Experience shows that discussions of labour and social issues benefit from the participation of different ministries and technical agencies. International assistance can play a role in facilitating those interactions. We must meet the challenge Access to safe, productive and fairly remunerated work is not just about earning an income. It is an important means for individuals and families to gain self-esteem, a sense of belonging to a community and a way to make a productive contribution. A shift to inclusive and sustainable development will not be possible if millions of people are denied the opportunity to earn their living in conditions of equity and dignity. Where jobs are scarce or available livelihoods leave households in poverty there is less growth, less security and less human and economic development. There is no doubting the scale of the challenge, which is why full and productive employment and decent work should be upgraded as a central goal of the post-2015 development agenda.

CEO of Summa Guaranty and Trust Co Plc, Senior Advisor-Emerging Markets Group, Inc, USA for IFC’s three countries Discount Houses Projects, CEO of Progress Bank of Nigeria Plc, Chief Representative and General Manager of United Bank for Africa Plc, U.K, Vice President of American Express Bank, New York and Senior Systems Programmer with Riggs National Bank, Wash. DC (now PNB).

THE GUARDIAN, Tuesday, June 4, 2013

THE GUARDIAN, Tuesday, JUNE 04, 2013

BUSINESS

MAN President seeks single digit interest rate for agric loans HE President of the T M a n u f a c t u r e r s Association of Nigeria (MAN), Alhaji Bashir Borodo, has advocated the introduction of a single-digit interest rate on agricultural loans to enhance growth in the sector. Borodo made the suggestion in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Dutse, Jigawa capi-

tal. He said that the measure would stimulate investment and encourage development of agricultural enterprises, adding that high interest rate was militating against effective agricultural financing in the country. “The greatest problem with agricultural financing is the interest rate; interest is generally about 20 and 25 per

cent. “With the intervention of the Central Bank of Nigeria, the interest rate is now about 12 per cent; it is good to review it further down to a single digit for sustainable development.`` Borodo urged the Jigawa government to develop a blueprint that would enable it to transform the agriculture sector.

``I also suggested that there must be a new blueprint for agricultural development in Jigawa, because agriculture is the only asset - the best asset for the state and there must be a new platform for it; the old model may not deliver what we want quickly. ``We will encourage the indigenes to do it, but if they could not, whoever can do it should come in because what

we want is for value addition for this things to go all over but you don’t insist that it has to be the indigenes because the world is becoming a very global village,`` he said. Also speaking in a separate interview with NAN, Miss Abimbola Junaid, a Nigerian in diaspora, called for attitudinal change on the part of the people to patronise local products so as facilitate sus-

tainable economic development in the country. Junaid, a UK-based woman activist, also urged government at all levels to adopt practical measures to check capital flight and encourage investment. ``We need effective publicity to correct the wrong impression about the security situation in the country,`` she said.

Expert wants govt to retool trade compliance regime By Taiwo Hassan Logistics expert and Chief Executive Officer, MultimixAcademy, Obiora Madu has tasked the Federal Government to fast track the retooling of the nation’s trade compliance regime, if the country’s businesses hope to thrive and accepted globally. Madu, who made this disclosure at the maiden national trade compliance summit in Lagos few days ago, said that weak trade compliance regime in the country was halting the growth of genuine trade facilitation in terms of import procedure at the international trade. “Internationally, this (nontrade compliance) has rubbed off poorly on our image in global markets as reputable

investors and investment groups have shown apathy towards the Nigerian business space due to the perception that a weak trade compliance regime frustrates genuine businesses trying to operate in the country,” Madu said. According to him, the inadequacies in the nation’s import procedure have become a benchmark halting free flow of business transaction at the international scene, pointing out that unless Federal government unilaterally streamline the relevant agencies responsible for the collection of revenues such as: duty, tariff, tax and royalty, so that the country’s business environment would not be at risk. Specifically, the logistics expert noted that overlapping functions among the agencies

such as CBN, FIRS, NCS, SON amongst others are not helping the image of the country’s business environment at the international scene. He said government should know that the country’s economic transformation as a nation hinged predominantly on the establishment of a con-

ducive business environment pillared on strong corporate governance as well as predictable/sustainable policies and strong regulatory framework. “Compliance with these policies and enthronement of ethical business practices on the

part of all those who deal, conduct or engage in commercial activities within the Nigerian business space will ensure that competitive advantage becomes the hallmark of business in our country,” he said. Madu, who delivered a paper titled: The Unveiling Of The

Online Certified Import Compliance Manager’s Certification Programme, pointed out that the country lack access of reliable statistics due to non-compliance regime and this as been adversely affecting the economy.

THE GUARDIAN, Tuesday, June 4, 2013

NigeriaCapitalMarket NSE Daily Summary (Equities) as at Monday PRICE LIST OF SYMBOLS TRADED FOR 03/6/2013

THE GUARDIAN, Tuesday, June 4, 2013

66 CAPITAL MARKET

NSE Daily Summary (Equities) as at 03/6/2013

LOSERS

PRICE GAINERS

NPF micro-finance bank, shareholders parley for improved performance By Emmanuel Badejo O boost its services and T operation, the Nigerian Police Force (NPF) Microfinance Bank last week met with its shareholders during which the former was tasked to ensure wider spread of the financial institution throughout the country. The forum, which held in Lagos afforded the shareholders to appraise the performance of the bank and gave ways towards increasing the visibility of the bank. Besides, the parley also created the opportunity for some of the rank and file of the Nigerian police men to rob minds with their former bosses like the retired Inspector General of Police (IGP), Alhaji Tafa Balogun among numerous other notable personalities at the event. Welcoming the shareholders to the first interactive section in the history of the bank, retired Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG), Mrs. Florence Adebanjo, said though the bank has done well, yet there was much room for improvement, hence the need for the forum, calling the shareholders to bare their minds on matters that will add value to the operation of the financial institution. “It is great joy for me in particular to see for the first time our esteemed shareholders gather in a forum like this to

relate, interact and discuss matters of common concern. It is also my sincere hope that at the end of this event, we shall leave here better informed, and determined to take our great bank to higher heights.” According her, the forum was majorly to interact “as you are free to bare your mind and ask questions on the bank’s products and services, its activities and strategic focus for the years ahead. I would like to assure you that this bank is a bank you will love to continue to partner with.” Reacting, the shareholders who first hailed the 10 kobo

dividend payment approved by the bank’s board of directors, adding that the bank had out-paid and outperformed its peers in Nigeria’s financial system. The shareholders also commended the board, saying that they have done well especially in growing the deposit base of the bank, imploring the management of the bank to make loans accessible to the shareholders by removing all the barriers to accessing loans from the bank. However, they urged the board to increase the bank’s branch network by giving it even spread that reflects its

ownership structure. “The NPF has national spread and as such, we want the bank to have presence in every part of Nigeria especially in Onitsha, Aba, Uyo, Eket. This branching networking will enhance the value of the bank and also increase its deposit base”, the shareholders reasoned. According to them, the leap from 2 kobo dividend paid last year to 10 kobo this year was a quantum leap, urging the board to do a rights issue for the shareholders. The bank, they said, has growth prospects, describing it as a goldmine still waiting to be exploited.

The Chief Finance Officer of the bank, Jude Ohanehi Jude Chukwueloka, had in his presentation of the company’s financials in the past four years spanning 20082012, announced a dividend pay out of 10 kobo per share, pointing out that the bank has been performing well even during the global economic meltdown. NPF Microfinance Bank Plc (Formerly NPF Community Bank Ltd) was incorporated on the 19th May, 1993 as a Limited Liability company under the provision of the Companies and Allied Matter Act cap c20LFN 2004.The bank provide Banking servic-

es to both serving and Retired Officers and men of Nigeria Police Force, its ancillary institution and general banking public. The bank commenced business on the 20th August, 1993 at 1 Ikoyi Road Obalende, Lagos having obtained a provisional license to operate as a community Bank in July 12th 1993 from the Apex Bank. The Bank has branch offices in Ikeja, Abuja, Port Harcourt, Kano, Osogbo, Benin, Sokoto, Onistha and Akure. The bank has intention to have branches located in all the Police Zonal Commands of the federation and three of such are to be opened yearly.

‘Bourse to leverage on sound risk management framework, corporate governance’ By Helen Oji o increase the level of perT formance in the stock market, there is a need to enhance the level of corporate governance, as well as strengthen the risk management framework in the market, an expert has said. Besides, the supervision and regulation of financial sectors should be strengthened, with a focus on risk management. Speaking at a PEARL Awards public lecture in Lagos recently, the Chief Executive Officer of Anchoria Investment and Securities, Olusola Dada explained that the Stock Exchange plays a central and

indispensable role for which it has been variously described as the “hallmark or heart” of the capital market. According to him, this is so because the Stock Exchange is a market for trading on outstanding issues. He explained that the opportunity which it offers for the subsequent trading in existing securities has made it a decisive factor in the success of many corporate issues and, by extension, the efficiency of capital formation in the economy, adding that the availability of a secondary market engenders capital formation and socio-economic development. “The mere presence of a

stock market in the country is a boost to the international investment climate of the country, as it raises the chances of additional local financing for both foreign and local direct investment. In an economy like Nigeria, where the banking sector is battling with credibility problem following the systematic distress of the financial sector, the stock market plays a morale boosting role to investors. “It can only be imagined what the investment in the real sector would have been if the stock market had not been in place. The stock market provides opportunity for investment diversification.

In the absence of the stock market, a large part of the wealth currently invested in the Nigerian Stock market would have been diverted to foreign countries. “ The market further remains a viable institution for holding back capital flight which has been identified as one of the causes of the country’s economic underdevelopment. “The market played an unrivalled role in the implementation of the privatization exercise as it did during the implementation of the indigenization programme. Between 1988 and 1992, 35per cent of public enterprises were privatized through pub-

lic offer of shares. The offers totaled 1.2 billion shares valued at N1.5 billion. This represented 5 per cent of the market capitalization in 1992.” The privatization exercise, according to Dada, created awareness of the investment opportunity in the capital market, attracting 0.8 million new shareholders, amounting to a 200 per cent increase in the number of new shareholders. “The gains to the economy in terms of efficient operation of the privatized enterprises and relief to Government of the burden of subvention of the firms are some of the contributions of the Exchange to the economy.”

THE GUARDIAN, Tuesday, June 4, 2013

Opinion Joy Bringers and character training of prison inmates By Luke Onyekakeyah HEN last week I received an invitation to atW tend a graduation ceremony at the Kirikiri Maximum Prison in Lagos, I couldn’t really figure out what sort of graduation would be taking place inside the prison, more so, as the invitation did not give details. I have heard and written about the detestable condition of our prisons, which defeats the spirit and purpose of the establishment. The prison ought to be more of reformatory than punitive institution. When the case of those awaiting trial is considered, it becomes more pathetic as justice delayed is justice denied. Not until one is prosecuted and convicted by a court of competent jurisdiction, he or she is presumed innocent. Available figures indicate that about 50,000 persons are in custody in Nigeria out of which some 36,000 are awaiting trial persons. The Kirikiri Maximum Prison alone has a total of 740 inmates. Several pertinent questions flashed through my mind on account of the invitation extended to me. Could it be that some prison inmates have been released and were now passing out? Could it be inmates who had attended some training course somewhere and were graduating? Even at that, why perform the graduation ceremony inside the prison instead of the school where they were trained? Could it be that government is running a training programme inside the prison? I am aware that there has been this talk about skills acquisition for prisoners over time but the extent to which it is implemented is unclear. Should that be enough reason to hold a graduation ceremony inside the prison? It was my first time to hear or even witness an occasion where a group of prison inmates, in this case, inside Nigeria’s foremost Kirikiri high security prison, came out radiating with joy to grace their graduation after a highly innovative training pro-

gramme offered by Joy Bringers Foundation, an NGO working on rehabilitation programmes for inmates. The training is designed to reform, remold and reshape the character and attitude of the inmates for a better life in future. The event took place on May 31 right inside the Liberty Auditorium of the Kirikiri Prison. On arrival at the venue in company of the Programme Coordinator, Mr. Jude Ememe, we were treated to the usual security checks by the prison officials at the gate. Thereafter, we were let in. The environment was large and airy and betrays the feeling of incarceration. On getting to the auditorium, where the graduation was to take place, I saw a building that has been there over the decades with manifest wear and tear that obviously received no attention. Gradually, the hall was filled up as the seats were fully occupied. When I saw a certain group of able bodied and bright looking young men in uniform marked Joy Bringers, I thought they were hired from outside to perform at the graduation. But I was mistaken. The young men were actually prison inmates and were the graduates of the Character School. Except one was told, there was little to suggest that they were actually prison inmates based on their appearance. They looked like every other person attending the ceremony. Their radiant countenances showed that they had really passed through a remolding programme that has positively impacted their lives. A number of dignitaries, including the Deputy Controller of Kirikiri Maximum Prison, Mr. Tinuoye Olamide Timothy, and the Chairman of Amuwo Odofin Local Government, Comrade Ayodele Adewale, among other officials were in attendance to grace

the occasion. While addressing the attendees, Comrade Adewale, who used the opportunity to tour parts of the prison facility, expressed dismay at the poor condition of the hall where the graduation was taking place and wondered why the glasses and window panes that had been damaged were not replaced. Reiterating that the constitution clearly shared functions between the federal, states and local governments, he said the prisons are part of the responsibility of the Federal Government. He noted that it is on account of the limited resources available to the states and local governments that a new revenue sharing formula is being advocated to give these tiers of government more financial muscle. Notwithstanding the limited financial resources available to his local government, Comrade Adewale promised to assist the prison authorities by renovating the hall and giving it a face lift. He said engineers from his council would first assess the damages and their cost. Thereafter, actual repair work would commence. He promised to use direct labour from the inmates to do the work of which they would be duly paid. The promise from Adewale was heartening as it showed his concern for the welfare of the inmates. The occasion was spiced with drama, music, talent display and moving testimonies by the graduates. Twenty-six inmates were awarded certificates. An ex-inmate, who was released from the same Maximum Prison, thrilled his former co-inmates with a captivating testimony of his life in prison and outside the prison. He urged the inmates to embrace good character that would carry them along when eventually they were released, otherwise, they could find themselves back in prison.

The Co-ordinator of the programme, who is also the founder of the Character School, Mr. Jude Ememe was elated that the graduation, which is the first of its kind, took place. He said the biggest challenge facing our nation today is character bankruptcy. He noted that the destructive effects of lack of character in our nation manifest in all sectors of our economy. The indices of character bankruptcy, he observed, show in kidnapping, corruption, impunity, stealing and all types of vices. All these, he said, are manifestations of character failure. The Character School was founded in 2011 as a nonprofit organisation to support the work of the Nigerian Prisons in rehabilitating inmates. The school was first established in Ikoyi Prison, Lagos in 2012. Each batch of inmates is taken through a three-month training that holds twice a week by experts in the field of psychology and character reformation. The training is also extended to the prison staff for better performance of their duties. So far, the school has graduated over 315 inmates who are referred to as Character Ambassadors. According to Mr. Ememe, the school maintains a database of its graduates to assist their re-integration into the society after release. The need for personality re-charactrisation programme in Nigeria cannot be over-emphasised. This sort of programme is needed not only by prison inmates but by the entire Nigerian public. Making character training part of the school curriculum at all levels will go a long way to help the decadent morals of Nigerians. Government should consider partnering with the Joy Bringers Foundation to extend this programme into the school curriculum, especially at the foundation state. If we should expect to have Nigerians with integrity to major the affairs of the nation in future, then, character re-molding is imperative. Meanwhile, the Nigeria Prison Service, state authorities and relevant NGOs should seek to identify with this programme as a first step towards reforming prison inmates for a better future.

The next CBN governor By Abiola Phillips HE term of office of Sanusi Lamido Sanusi as Governor of the CenT tral Bank of Nigeria (CBN) will end in 2014, but he has already announced that he will not seek reappointment. While this announcement may seem unusual in the Nigerian context, informed observers know that Sanusi’s announcement is simply a reflection of his less than cordial relationship with President Goodluck Jonathan. Even if he had sought a second term, the chance of his getting it was nil because of his scarcely concealed disdain for the President, to whom the CBN Governor reports directly. Sanusi’s many political controversies have frequently unsettled the executive and legislative arms of government. Does all this mean that Sanusi has been a failure as CBN Governor? Certainly not, and in fact he was quite successful in some important ways. He stabilized a troubled Nigerian banking system that wobbled as a result of failures of corporate governance and risk management and the impact of the global financial crisis. But he was able to do this only because his predecessor, Professor Chukwuma Soludo, also accomplished the singular feat of the consolidation of Nigeria’s 89 banks, most of them flimsy affairs that were simply glorified currency traders, into 24 well capitalized banks. The banking sector consolidation made the near failures of some banks in the face of the global financial crisis even manageable. Without the consolidation, the Nigerian banking industry would have been wiped out by the global crisis and perhaps our national economy along with it. But Sanusi managed the banking crisis with courage and decisiveness. Second, the CBN under Sanusi has maintained a stable monetary policy, achieving price and exchange rate stability. Price stability and financial system (banking sector) stability are the two most important mandates of the apex bank, alongside currency management and the maintenance of our foreign reserves. Sanusi’s tight monetary policy has made him the darling of foreign portfolio investors on the lookout for where their investments can get the best interest yields. The question that should influence the choice of Sanusi’s successor is this: at what cost have Sanusi’s successes been achieved, and were those costs avoidable? The costs that have attended Sanusi’s tenure in office have been many, and most of those costs were perfectly avoidable and extremely damaging, not only to the CBN itself but also to the wider Nigerian polity. He has politicised the office of the governor of the CBN far more than any other governor in the history of the organisation. He triggered a constant stream of attention grabbing controversies and created a cult of personality. Ironically for someone who claims to be a risk manager, he became the chief risk factor to the institution he heads by causing directly the numerous misguided attempts by some legislators and sundry other vested interests to revoke the statutory independence of the CBN. Without that independence, no central bank of a country can function effectively and will become just another government parastatal run or teleguided by politicians. Had this happened in Nigeria at this stage of our economic evolution, it would have been a terrible outcome, confirming our retrogression to the status of a banana republic. But we came close, and the threat has not completely dissipated, all thanks to our CBN Governor.

Lamido Sanusi gave the appearance of having a religious agenda in the manner in which he arrogantly and brazenly promoted Islamic banking, needlessly overheating the country’s domestic political space in a manner that suggests poor political judgment for someone in his position. Questions have been raised about the legitimacy and impartiality of some of his regulatory decisions because of his background as a banking industry operator and the partisan wars with some of his erstwhile colleagues in the banks, which he may have carried into his regulatory function and executed under that guise. Many critics believe he had a personal agenda dressed up in elegant arguments and rhetoric, demonstrated in the sale and recapitalization of some of the troubled banks. And there have been questions also about the professionalism with which he has managed the CBN. He is believed to have imported political agendas into the management processes of the apex bank. He has evidently been unable to separate his personal and traditional ambitions in his native Kano from what is supposed to be a professional office of CBN Governor, and has in fact used what is a public office and public funds to pursue that ambition. Overall, Sanusi will be leaving behind a much weakened CBN than the one he met on his appointment to the post. When we consider the lessons from Sanusi’s tumultuous era as CBN Governor, what kind of person should be appointed to replace him? Perhaps it is better to start with who should not be appointed. The next CBN Governor should not be a politician. Such a background automatically makes a partisan approach to the duties of the office likely. This would still be a bad idea regardless of whether or not the individual has been either a commercial banker or even a CBN staff in a previous career. The next CBN Governor should not be a banking industry operator. To appoint a serving or former bank managing director would be a big mistake. The conflicts of interest in such a scenario are fundamental. Commercial bankers think mostly about making profit for their shareholders, and most have significant ownership interests in the banks they manage. As a regulator, a person with this kind of background may have difficulty balancing the many interests a central bank governor should consider and will likely promulgate regulatory policies that are pro banks at the expense of other important calculations. It is true that Sanusi has imposed a contribution by Nigerian banks to a sinking fund to help resolve Nigeria’s banking crisis, but that is because he had no other choice if the problem was to be addressed without direct intervention by the Federal Government. Also, commercial bankers have a more narrow perspective that is focused on finance, technical banking and business deals. Very few have the intellectual weight or professional exposure needed to manage a central bank in today’s world or a public institution such as the CBN, including essential experience in formulating broader monetary and economic policy or the regulation of the financial sector. A CBN Governor is at its essence a public policy function. Again, a commercial banker will have gathered many “friends” and “enemies” in the banking industry during a long career, and will be tempted to favour friends while “regulating” detractors. As we have seen, this is a subtext in some of the regulatory actions taken by Sanusi in his

banking reforms. Lastly, individuals with controversial histories should not be considered for appointment as CBN Governor. With this in mind, current speculation about the possible appointment of some politicians and bank executives should make us wonder when we will get truly serious about institutional leadership appointments in this country. One can only hope that President Jonathan does not capitulate to the desperate lobbyists parading the corridors of the presidency with deep pockets and appoint another CBN Governor that will trigger controversies from day one, further lowering confidence in his government and in the CBN. Jonathan needs to make an appointment to this post that will bolster the sagging ratings of his embattled government. What type of person should get the job? Professionalism, and competence as an economic and regulatory policy maker should be the leading factor in the President’s consideration. These factors are far more important, and may even reap greater political benefits for the government, than factors such as what geopolitical zone the nominee comes from. The next CBN Governor should be someone able to repair the political battering the apex bank has suffered on account of the personality and tendencies of its present governor, which have unquestionably weakened and distracted the institution. This should narrow the field and result in a more serious search process in which the track record of potential appointees is well investigated and objectively evaluated. Looking at the CBN at this juncture and at what Nigeria needs, it is important that the reforms instituted by Sanusi be continued, deepened and executed with less drama and bad blood to avoid unnecessary policy reversals. What this suggests is that President Jonathan should take a close look inside the CBN hierarchy itself, especially since he claims that he wants to build institutions. One advantage with a CBN insider is that it will build the institution instead of building someone’s ego, and ensure continuity of policy in a most important part of our country’s economic management. The President can also look at other regulatory or government institutions, or perhaps the academia, although academics may be too wedded to theories and may lack leadership experience with running large institutions and with financial regulation. A little bit of research on the CBN website revealed a surprising and little-known fact: five out of the nine Nigerians who have served as CBN Governors have been senior executives of the apex bank before their appointment. A sixth, Chukwuma Soludo, did not come from within the apex bank but was the chief economic adviser to the Federal Government prior to his appointment. With the exception of Lamido Sanusi, the two other CBN chiefs who had served as managing directors of banks before becoming governor (and even one of these, Joseph Sanusi, was a career CBN official who rose to become Deputy Governor for several years before leaving to be the Managing Director of UBA and later First Bank) did so in a completely different era. That era was one in which Nigeria’s leading commercial banks were largely owned by governments. Lamido Sanusi is therefore the first “pure” free-market-era bank chief to head the CBN. The experience of his tenure and many other factors clearly recommend against appointing a successor with a similar profile. • Phillips writes from Lagos

THE GUARDIAN, Tuesday, June 4, 2013

Opinion Boro and Jackson: Alliance across the Atlantic (2) By Godini G. Darah Continued from yesterday HE theme of the Adaka Boro Day Colloquium T was “Oil and Peace: Compatibility for Sustainable Development in Nigeria”. Being a familiar topic, let me begin with my familiar position on oil politics in Nigeria. Since 1859 when Captain Drake of America drilled the first successful oil well, the commodity has been a source of blessing to nations endowed with it. Thus oil wealth has transformed the economic fortunes of all Middle East countries, the United States of America, the United Kingdom, Norway, Venezuela, Algeria, Tunisia and Libya. Sparsely populated nations like Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates have world-class infrastructure today because of the providential wealth of oil and gas. In the United States, for example, private landlords have 100 per cent ownership of oil found in their lands. This is why states like Texas and Louisiana are the economic heartbeats of the Gulf of Mexico. Houston, the capital of Texas, hosts hundreds of refineries and petrochemical companies. The economic activities generated by these oil-related facilities account for about 25 per cent of global maritime business and shipping. In sharp contrast to the above-named scenarios, oil and gas resources in Nigeria’s Niger Delta and coastal region have been sources of oppression, exploitation, poverty, violence, armed resistance, and reckless destruction of the environment and ecosystems. Nigeria is the only country in the world where the areas that are richest in oil and gas are also the poorest and most neglected by government. This gigantic irony is a direct consequence of the political economy of inequality and injustice in the petroleum industry. As I have explained in the introductory section, this was not the situation from 1956-1969 when Nigeria operated a fairly equitable federal system of government. From the years of the 1967-1970 Nigerian Civil War, the wealth derived from the oil and gas resources of the Niger Delta has been hijacked by the Federal Government and used to develop resource-famished but politically powerful sections of the country. The Section 44 (3) of the 1999 Nigerian Constitution cited earlier is the legal instrument for this criminal and cruel dispossession of the oil-rich regions. It is the slave mandate with which the ruling classes in the country plunder and pillage the Niger Delta. For four decades since 1969, all Nigerian governments, military and civilian alike, have sadistically applied this obnoxious legislation to under-develop the Niger Delta. Even with Jesse Jackson’s admonition, it has been difficult to “keep hope alive” in

this truly provocative situation. Yet there are other abominable laws employed by the Nigerian government to oppress and suppress the resource-rich states, namely the nine oil-producing states and Lagos whose two seaports and consumption tax contribute significant revenue to the Federation Account. For example, Section Two of the Minerals and Mining Act No. 34 of 1999 declares that all “lands in which minerals have been found…shall be acquired by the Government of the Federation in accordance with the provisions of the Land Use Act” of 1978. A clause in the same Act says that, “…all rivers, streams and water courses throughout Nigeria shall be vested in the Government of the Federation for and on behalf of the people of Nigeria.” The National Inland Waterways Authority Act No. 13 of 1997 provides that all inland waterways, rivers, and creeks in Nigeria are the exclusive property of the Federal Government. By the powers of these laws, the government of “independent” Nigeria has practically colonised the lands and peoples of the resource-endowed areas. The victims of this home-grown colonialism have been engaged in legitimate struggles to free themselves from this bondage. Comrade Adaka Boro in whose honour and memory we gathered in Yenagoa that day inaugurated the armed resistance version of this anti-colonial liberation and self-determination in 1966. One damaging consequence of the demolition of the federal principle is writ large in the system of distribution of revenue in the Federation Account. According to the prevailing arrangement, revenue earned from all designated sources is deposited in this Account and shared every month by the three tiers of government: the federal, state, and local. After making provision for 13 per cent for derivation to the nine oilproducing states, about 56 per cent of the money is retained by the federal or central government; 24 per cent goes to the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory of Abuja, and 20 per cent is for all the 774 local government areas and areas councils. This distribution structure favours the omnipotent Federal Government as its huge chunk encourages deadly contests for the control of the central government. Encouraged by this unfair appropriation, the Federal Government has developed a labyrinth of ministries, departments, and agencies through which the enormous revenue is wastefully and recklessly expropriated. By the current count, there are about 540 federal establishments, many of them engaged in similar functions. For Bayelsa State, which is the cradle of the oil industry, the sharing by the local governments illustrates the iniquity most tellingly. The num-

ber of local governments is used in the distribution. Kano State that contributes little or nothing to the Federation Account has 44 councils and gets the largest share at all times. But Bayelsa State that is a major oil-producer has only eight councils and receives the least among the states. Lagos State has about the same population as Kano State according to the national census, but Lagos has only 20 local government areas. Most of the local councils were created by military fiat in the 1990s and the exercise, like that of creation of states, was manipulated to favour the 19 states in the north of the country. Thus the local government system is another conduit through which Niger Delta wealth is siphoned to finance the administration of sections of the country that do not generate revenue for the country. How does one keep hope alive in this situation? Both the Section 44 (3) of the Constitution and the distributive injustice in the Federation Account should not have been allowed to remain for 14 years of an elected democratic dispensation. They are military mandates of plunder, which should have been abominated and expunged from the nation’s statutes in 1999 when elected governments replaced the military. President Olusegun Obasanjo who ruled from 1999-2007 was a former military general who supports the oligopolistic powers of the Federal Government. If Obasanjo had no inclination to decentralise power for a fairer federal system, certainly President Goodluck Jonathan from the grossly exploited Bayelsa State should have no such inhibition. This colloquium has no hesitation whatsoever in calling on President Jonathan to initiate an executive bill to the National Assembly to abolish Section 44 (3) of the Constitution with a view to restoring Nigeria’s federal system to what obtained in the 1960 and 1963 Constitutions. The federating units in the country, which are the states must be allowed to exercise the rights of ownership and management of their natural resources. They will pay tax to the central government to run essential services such as the armed forces, immigration, and foreign affairs. This is what is operated in successful federal countries such as the United States, Canada, India, and Australia. President Jonathan must embark on this course of constitutional redemption in order to be counted as a faithful compatriot of Adaka Boro. Imperatives of sustainable development The next segment of my comments concerns the imperative need for transforming the Niger Delta and Nigeria into a self-reliant, prosperous, and anti-imperialist Black African nation. This is a mighty challenge and I shall give only highlights of what must be done. It is instruc-

tive that the administration of President Jonathan has set itself the onerous task of building an economy that is vibrant enough to cater for the needs of the impoverished masses. This gigantic undertaking is anchored on the programme enunciated in Nigeria’s Vision 20-20-20 that was expected to have taken off several years ago. The shorthand goal of the vision statement is that Nigeria shall be in the league of the most developed 20 economies of the world by the year 2020, that is, about seven years away. Some of the countries in this premier league bloc are the United States, China, Japan, Germany, Canada, France, United Kingdom, South Korea, and Brazil. There is neither an African country nor an oil-exporting one such as Nigeria. The transformation required to join this league must aim at attaining near 100 per cent literacy rate in human capital, agricultural mechanisation and food sufficiency, advanced science and technological capacity, efficient industrialisation with concomitant mass employment, adequate electricity/energy supply of at least ten times the current level, and a healthy population with elongated lifespan. Nigeria has not made significant progress in any of these strategic fields because of the country’s total dependence on income from export of crude rather than value-added oil and gas. I am aware that the Republic of Korea buys crude oil from Nigeria daily and makes 101 industrial products from each barrel of crude oil. Because of Nigeria’s huge and fast-growing population, developments in the identified areas must focus on labour-intensive industrialisation and development. Agriculture is the priority line of intervention in this regard. The mechanisation of agriculture must be accompanied by heavy industries, and iron and steel production. Other fast-growing fields are cement, liquefied natural gas plants, refined fuel and petrochemical plants. Venezuela has proved the point about aggressive local content policy and indigenous involvement. Venezuela mines and refines most of her crude oil and gas and thus creates employment and industrial opportunities for her citizens. To implement a viable local content policy, there should be, on the average, one oil refinery in each state of Nigeria. These will be supported by modular, mini refinery/liquefied gas plants calculated on the basis of one per local government area throughout the country. During the civil war four decades ago, Biafran scientists and engineers established mini, mobile fuel refineries. That effort can be reinvented and multiplied. • To be continued. • Darah is a Professor of Oral Literature, Folklore, and African American Literature, Delta State University, Abraka, Nigeria.

Lagos and polio: Vital lessons By Olugbenga J. Kuye

WANT to start by saying thank you to the media for their role in this crusade. I want the media to know that they are a major stakeholder in the quest to rid our world of poliomyelitis. In Nigeria, we have received considerable support from both print and electronic media. I want to particularly thank the publisher, management and staff of The Guardian for their role in publishing my articles and making them available to the reading populace as part of my contribution to end polio now! The work ahead of us is still enormous. It is no news that India is out of the PAIN countries leaving behind Nigeria, Afghanistan and Pakistan. And this Sunday morning as I write, Nigeria has 22 out of the 34 global cases of Wild Poliovirus (WPV) recorded as at 22nd of May, 2013. This accounts for over 64.7 per cent of all the recorded polio cases all over the world. This calls for real actions. Political motivated actions! Early in 2009, Lagos recorded few cases of polio, three or four in number. Under the strong and globally acclaimed good leadership of Mr. Babatunde Raji Fashola (SAN), four children that had hitherto been strong and full of life fell into loss of limbs and became crippled. Governor Fashola became angry and furious. He lost four children (out of those he later described as pure and innocent) to the cruel hands of polio. Lagos population is high. The highest in Nigeria and compares with that of the population of 30 African countries like Burundi, Rwanda, Gabon, Tunisia, Botswana, etc. for year 2012. Considering the population, four children losing limbs could have been viewed as insignificant. A good leader will not see it so. He will see it as a failure of stewardship, a failure of accountability and a failure of governance. The basic function of government is the security and welfare of its citizens. Section 14 subsection 2a, (S14(2a) of the 1999 constitution says: “the security and welfare of the people shall be the primary function of government”. Governor Fashola, being

a lawyer, knows this very well that the purpose/basis for governance is being defeated when children who are defenceless or whose only defence is government are allowed to be destroyed by poliovirus. Just as expected, the governor swung into action calling all stakeholders into various forum meetings. It is like saying never again shall we allow polio to capture and cripple any of our children in this land. But Nigeria has been the leading polio endemic country for the many years, with the disease killing and crippling and destroying the lives of our young ones. In the midst of all this, what our government could say is to give us 2015 to end polio. My question is what happens to the children that will become unfortunately crippled by between now and then? To the best of my knowledge, the Federal Government is doing nothing to assist the physically challenged persons and yet allows the pathogen of our disability to walk freely wrecking more havoc everyday. This has to be corrected, please. Amongst the various strategies adopted by Lagos State Government is the popular Stakeholders’ Forum of August 8th, 2009. It was a serious brainstorming session with a singular theme of eradicating polio and keeping Lagos permanently free. After this were the various town-hall meetings with the grassroots at the five political divisions of Ikeja, Badagry, Ikorodu, Lagos Island and Epe (IBILE). In the midst of these town-hall meetings was the Lagos-Ogun joint polio awareness day. Other programmes include the Youth against Polio (YAP) and the various state sponsored activities and programmes. In July 2009, during the sub-National Immunization Plus Days (IPDs) flag off ceremony in Lekki, the governor had made a clarion call to all Lagosians to assist him to take care of these children and offer them help and give them kind advice having admitted that he couldn’t do it alone. That is the spirit! Polio problem is a gargantuan problem. No one can do it alone. Bragging of such status of ‘I can do it alone’ is tantamount to exaggerated self-

worth and always leads to failure. That was why I yelled when at the appointment and swearing-in of Prof. Oyinbushi Chukwu as the nation’s health minister, he boasted that within one year he will eradicate polio. I wrote an article then that was published in The Guardian about his speech. It was a possible dream but it was not possible for him alone. He failed. The import of this article is that polio problem is a surmountable problem. What we need to fight and to conquer this monster is political willingness. When I say political willingness I mean leadership that will put empathy into consideration and accept responsibility for the welfare of the people. Government that sees a crippled child as a loss of great potential and want to prevent it; as a loss of human resources and a diminishing factor to our dreamed future and will take decisive actions to avert it. Having that big picture perspective that made Fashola to cry out, any government with the interest of its people at heart will cry out at that scenario. In crying out, like Fashola, there must be an open invitation to all. Walls of political affiliation must be broken down, religion must be put at bay, ethnic sentimentality must be sidetracked and social class jettisoned if we want unreserved response and help. Government of the affected states must be stern and wear an angry look when taking about polio. Some people may ask why he is angry. Is it more than the polio we are talking about here? We are talking about crippling and killer disease! Fashola was angry and furious and the rest of us knew he meant business. Polio is not our friend, it is our enemy and more dastardly, the enemy of our future. We cannot afford to be smiling at it when we are not fools. If we do all these and act right, it will not be long; our country will celebrate the demise of the last wild poliovirus in Nigeria. Amen! • Kuye, a Polio Survivor, author and the coordinator of the anti-polio outfit, Polio Rescue Association, writes from Lagos.

THE GUARDIAN, Tuesday, June 4, 2013

Law

Quote of the week The public welfare demands that constitutional cases must be decided according to the terms of the Constitution itself, and not according to a judge’s views of fairness, reasonableness, or justice. ——Justice Hugo L. Black judicialeditor@yahoo.co.uk/ 08033151041 Desk Head: Ibe Uwaleke

Misapplication of constitutional provisions, bane of Nigeria’s democracy Interview By Bertram Nwannekanma

In his appraisal of the nation’s democratic experience, a renowned constitutional lawyer and a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Mike Ahamba, believes the current Nigeria’s sociopolitical problems do not arise from the content of the 1999 Constitution, but the failure to apply them, or the misapplication of the Constitution’s content by the three arms of government. The well-known lawyer, who only last week submitted a memorandum entitled: “Getting it Right” to the National Assembly on the proposed alteration of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, spoke on reason behind the memo and some amendments in the constitution that can help move the nation forward. SKED to comment on the memorandum, A Ahamba said it was a private citizen’s personal views and suggestions on the current effort at making changes in the Constitution that would help in the forward movement of the Nigerian polity. “The memorandum covered six topics. I expect it will generate substantial and objective dialogue on some very relevant aspects of our Constitution. “It is based on my personal experience as a practising court room lawyer for more than 38 years with special interest in Constitutional Law development, an interest that remains unabated. “I also had the privilege and opportunity of sitting in the Imo State House of Assembly (1979-83) during which time I published in 1983 a book entitled: Thinking Aloud (on The 1999 Constitution). Regrettably, that book, which anticipated most of the political and social problems we are encountering today, had to be withdrawn from circulation as a result of the military intervention of December 31, 1983. On the assertion that the 1999 Constitution was an imposition by the military, the constitutional lawyer said: “The 1999 Constitution was promulgated into existence by Decree (No 24) of 1999 wherein the Constitution is the Schedule thereto and it came into force on May 29, 1999. “Under the Constitution as promulgated, all existing institutions of democracy operational in Nigeria today were established. “But times without number, persons who operate these institutions, including the fundamental ones namely: the Legislature, the Executive and the Judiciary, and a substantial proportion of the citizenry, have been known to describe the constitution as a fraud on the people. Most vocal in calling the 1999 Constitution a fraud on the people are the civil society organisations. The reason for calling the Constitution a fraud is that in the preamble the expression: “We the people of the Federal Republic of Nigeria” was used when, in fact, the Constitution was brought into existence by the Federal Military Government through the Provisional Ruling Council. “For one, this is much ado about nothing because it is trite law that the preamble to a legislation or document is not part of the legislation, and becomes relevant in the interpretation of a statute or document only if there is ambiguity in any of the operative parts of the statute or document. In any case, the 1998-1999 elections were conducted under a military decree, the Transition to Civil Rule (Political Programme) Decree 1998. These elections brought into existence our present political structures and the1998/1999 occupancy of those offices. Nobody complained that the Electoral Laws were made by the Provisional Ruling Council (PRC). “Let us, therefore, forget how the 1999 Constitution was made, whether by ‘we the people of Nigeria’ or we Nigerian soldiers on behalf of Nigerians, accept-

“Let us, therefore, forget how the 1999 Constitution was made, whether by ‘we the people of Nigeria’ or we, Nigerian soldiers on behalf of Nigerians, accepted and condoned by the people of Nigeria as representing them and patriotically apply its content. This can only be done by the operators of the three arms of government turning their backs on selfish subjectivism and embracing selfless patriotic objectivism” ed and condoned by the people of Nigeria as representing them, and patriotically apply its content. This can only be done by the operators of the three arms of government turning their backs on selfish subjectivism and embracing selfless patriotic objectivism. The expression ‘we the people of Nigeria’ has done no harm to the polity; but the operators of the constitution have. That is not to say that the 1999 Constitution was a perfect document on inception. Nothing done by man is absolutely perfect, particularly as what is good today might not be tomorrow, and the possibility of inadvertent omissions. It is as a result of these possibilities that lawmaking must distance itself from mundane, parochial considerations of the present, and embrace objectivity that makes a law, particularly a constitution, applicable to more generations than the present. It was also in recognition of this possibility of human errors or inadvertence that the Constitution allowed for change of its provisions by way of alteration. Asked if the National Assembly could give Nigerians a brand new constitution, the revered lawyer said: “An alteration, which is inconsistent with any existing provisions of the constitution is submitted with respect, dead on arrival, that is, null and void. It is noteworthy and equally instructive that Section 9 of the Constitution authorised alteration, not amendment or review of provisions of the Constitution. This authority to alter is being confused with ‘amendment’ or ‘review’ of the Constitution. Although these words all portend change, they are, in detail, not the same. It is, therefore, very important that the National Assembly warns itself about the limitation beyond, which it may not go. It has no power, one submits, to amend or review the Constitution; in fact, the National Assembly has no power to give Nigerians a new constitution, or make changes that affect the fundamental structure of this country, desirous as those changes may be. For example, in one’s opinion, the National Assembly cannot, in exercise of the power of alteration, change our system of government from presidential to parliamentary system, or from state structure to regional structure, or create additional states through an alteration process. Much as one does not like the federal base of our local government system, one does not see the competence of the National Assembly to change it through an alteration procedure. These, like other fundamental provisions, cannot be so changed. What may be accommodated is a safeguard alteration to Section 7 details of which will be discussed later in this memorandum. So is the much-orchestrated removal of immunity provisions from the constitution, or creating of additional beneficiaries of immunity provision doubtful through alteration. “Therefore, a deletion or substitution process cannot be accommodated by alteration. “It will be perilous to all and sundry if the Nigerian polity, including the legislators themselves,

ignores the limitation to ‘Alteration’ in its desire to see changes made to our constitution, and allows the National Assembly to proceed with amendment or review of the constitution. As our people say, one should not give the monkey water in a cup because of the possibility of the monkey climbing to a tree top with it, as no one would successfully pursue it to that location. The Legislature was, therefore, advisedly limited in its powerful state; and should so remain. Asked to suggest a way out for a possible radical change in the constitution, he said: “Section 4(2) provides that the National Assembly shall have power to make law for the peace order and good governance of the Federation or any part thereof, with respect to any matters included in the Exclusive Legislative list set out in Part 1 of the Second Schedule to this Constitution”. This power to make laws is subjected to the provisions of Exclusive legislative list set out in Part 1 of the Second Schedule to the Constitution. Looking at the list, it would seem that the power of legislation has no space for extending beyond the items directly mentioned in that list. But there is item 68, which provides that the National Assembly has the power to make law pertaining to: Any matter incidental or supplementary to any matter mentioned elsewhere in the list. Item 60 provides for the establishment and regulation of authorities for the federation or any part thereof. “To promote and enforce the observance of the Fundamental Objectives and Directive Principles contained in this Constitution.” Under Chapter 11 of the Constitution, that is the Chapter on

Fundamental Objectives and Directive Principles of State Policy, it is provided in Section 14(2)(a) as follows: (2) It is hereby, accordingly, declared that sovereignty belongs to the people of Nigeria from whom government, through this constitution derives all its powers and authority. On the controversial Section 285 concerning election tribunal, Ahamba said, that section with eight (8) subsections in the Alteration Act No.2 has been injected into the constitution as altered even though what was done was in the mould of amendment, which is ultra vires the National Assembly.” “A provision that rubbishes equality of parties is inconsistent with the said Section 17(1) of the Constitution, and is rendered void ab-initio by Section 1(3) of the Constitution. This creates a very weak block in the foundation of justice in this country”. The revered lawyer also indentified the need to amend Sections 250(3), 256 (3), 261 (3)(a), 266(3)(a), 271(3)(a), 275(3)(a) and 281 (3)(a), which are provisions on the appointment of judges and khadis of the Federal and State High Courts, Sharia Court of Appeal and Customary Court of Appeal. Under that provision, a person to be appointed a judge of the High Court must have 10 years’ post-call to Bar, but the learned silk advocated that those sections should be altered by inserting a proviso to read thus: “Provided that at least five years of the 10 years period for a legal practitioner must have been spent in active courtroom practise of law at the Bar up to at least, the Court of Appeal level, or in academic lecturership”. To Ahamba, the reason for the suggestion is that since the court is the last hope of the common man, and the Nigerian society is getting more complex, there is need to appoint judicial officers that had the necessary exposure, not learners of the intricacies of judicial proceedings. He further urged the National Assembly to consider passing an Act to be known as “Legislations (Control of Publication) Act” as a matter of urgency to control the mode of publication of Acts and Laws, sanction those who publish legislations without authorisation, and ensure that the government printer releases new legislations both at Federal and state levels, timeously. “This will address a situation where we have different versions of the Nigerian Constitution and Electoral Act in circulation in the country, as well as check the dispute over which of the Constitutions or Electoral Acts in the possession of the Bench and the Bar would be applicable”.

Mike Ahamba

THE GUARDIAN, Tuesday, June 4, 2013

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LawPeople

“It’s hard to beat a person who never gives up.” —- Babe Ruth

Search for justice a motivation for law Profile By Joseph Onyekwere E was exposed to commercial H legal practice very early in his professional career. And like a chain in a sprocket, Uche Valentine Obi, the incumbent chairman of the Capital Market Solicitors Association (CMSA), immediately got stuck. The result today is a track record of achievements for self and country. He is among the few that have the rarity of combining top corporate commercial practice with litigation, commercial arbitration and Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR). His attention to details, calmness and ability to simplify and proffer solutions for complex issues, is uncommon. He has advised on several complex and cutting-edge transactions in oil and gas, capital markets, power, banking and finance, mergers and acquisitions, infrastructure, business restructuring, project finance, and regulatory advisory services. His high profile advisory services are legion. Obi advised Nestoil on the USD $1.02 billion Nember CreekCawthorne Channel Trunkline (NCTL) pipeline project executed for Shell Petroleum Development Corporation (SPDC). He also advised Neconde Energy Limited on its USD $585 million acquisition of 45 per cent participatory interest in OML 42 located in Niger Delta from SPDC, TOTAL and NAOC; advising an E&P Company on its global IPO for raising USD $500 million and dual listing on London and Nigerian Stock Exchange, as well as advising on a USD $470 million senior ranking Reserved Base Lending (RBL) transaction involving a borrower and a syndicate of international and Nigerian banking institutions, among others. Obi has also been involved as lead counsel in various litigations at the trial and appellate levels. He manages a large litigation portfolio bestriding top end civil, regulatory, commercial, criminal, labour and election petitions. He has successfully handled over 20 appeals in the past two years, numerous high court matters, and currently handling about 20 substantive appeals at the Supreme Court level. He has been deeply involved in arbitration as counsel, party and court appointed arbitrator for arbitral references. As a member of the APC of SEC, he has assisted the SEC quasi-judicial panel to resolve complex infractions, complaints and matters affecting publicly quoted companies and their managers, capital market operators, and consultants in their operations and dealings in the Nigerian Capital Market. Some of the recent litigation, arbitration and ADR matters he has handled include being the lead counsel for a commercial bank in the N50 billion ($315 million USD) class action instituted by the several users of Automated Teller Machines (ATM) against a number of banks in Nigeria. The case was basically determined on his preliminary objection filed on behalf of the client. He was also the lead counsel for the Independent National Election Commission (INEC) in about 15 appeals involving Governorship, Senatorial, House of

Representatives and state Houses of Assembly Elections. He represented the Nigerian apex capital market regulator on the series of trial and appellate matters involving the removal and reinstatement of the president of the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE), as well as the lead counsel in some shareholders’ class actions brought by aggrieved shareholders challenging the removal of their executive management by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) in 2010. He also does pro bono cases. For example, he was the lead counsel to several pro bono matters, some of which have been handled from the trial court through the Supreme Court. Obi successfully defended a representative action brought against an International Oil Company (IOC) and an indigenous E&P company on behalf of 230 former employees, claiming about $27 million USD as additional severance package. He was a one-time executive member of the Section on Business Law of the Nigeria Bar Association, and a member of the National Technical Committee for the Implementation of E-Dividend in Nigeria. He has been listed among the topmost integritydriven professionals in Nigeria by the major newspapers including The Guardian and Thisday. Obi has contributed over 40 published articles in the areas of capital market, business and investment laws in the Business Day Law Specialist Section, and has co-facilitated several seminars. He is a member of the board of directors of Bourse Exchange Nigeria Limited – a subsidiary of Bours SA. He is a recipient of the Fulbright award of Rotary International. He has made tremendous contributions to the development of law in Nigeria in diverse ways. He leads the CMSA whose membership comprises about 250 commercial law firms in Nigeria with about 10,000 practising lawyers as chairman. “Before now, I was the association’s vice chairman. In this capacity, I have been involved in facilitating a number of capacity building programmes, such as seminars, conferences, fora, luncheons and other structured trainings for lawyers. I also manage Alliance Law Firm, which has about 25 lawyers working under it, and assist train students of the Nigerian Law School in their chamber attachments”, he noted. He has been involved in legal writings and has contributed towards Nigerian jurisprudence through the numerous cases he had handled at both the trial and appellate courts. But how did he become a lawyer? Read him: “I have always had a passion for law. In fact, I started reading legal literature even before I entered the university, as one of my elder brothers had studied Law at the University of London. I was also motivated to study law and take it up as a

profession because of my firm belief in fairness and justice. Even as a child, I always saw myself resolving disputes among my peers. In fact, it was a rather natural urge to be in the legal profession and I know that it suits my personality a great deal.” He sees some people as role models and he is quick to admit they inspire him a great deal. Among such great legal minds and personalities are Lord Denning, the iconoclastic and erudite British Judge, President Nelson Mandela and President Barrack Obama. Some of his outstanding contemporaries at the Law School include Dr. Joseph Nwobike (SAN), a New York-based legal practitioner; Emeka Ugwuonye, a celebrated law lecturer at the University of Dundee; Dr. Bede Nwete and the newly appointed High Court Judge of Lagos State, Wasiu Animashaun. Born and raised in a strict religious home of parents from Umuozu community in Imo State where values for industry, respect and discipline were taught, Obi meandered all the vicissitudes of life and grew to carve a niche for himself in the legal profession. “My father was a major importer of textile with Dutch partners while my mother was a teacher. They were very religious and attended daily masses during our growing up days. They never allowed me a chance to derail or do what some of my peers would ordinarily get away with. In short, they were very strict and influential. There were certain things they would never tolerate, and if you erred, they had a quiet way of making you regret your actions and promise not to repeat any such incident”, he recalled. He is an alumnus of the Imo State University where he graduated with a degree in law in 1991. He subsequently enrolled at the Nigerian Law School and was called to the Nigerian Bar in 1992. He later obtained a Masters Degree in Law (LLM) from the University of Lagos and also a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University (ATBU). He is a fellow of the Institute of Direct Marketing; a member of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators, United Kingdom; a member of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) and the International Bar Association (IBA). He is also a member of the Rocky Mountains Mineral Foundation, USA. During his National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), he was posted to the Legal & Corporate Secretariat Division of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC). He later joined the chamber, BID Ezeogu & Associates. “The principal partner was a former banker and lawyer that

I was also motivated to study law and take it up as a profession because of my firm belief in fairness and justice. Even as a child I always see myself resolving disputes amongst my peers. In fact, it was a rather natural urge to be in the legal profession and I know that it suits my personality a great deal

Uche Obi specialised in banking and finance law practice and commercial litigation. I worked under him for about four years and learnt quite a lot because he was a hardworking and principled professional of the first order”, he explained. He is today the managing partner of Alliance Law Firm. He recalled that his first court appearance was at the Court of Appeal. He said he was initially jittery on seeing the judges taking their seats but became composed as proceedings progressed. “My first appearance was at the Court of Appeal, Lagos. I was given the file by my principal to go to the court with a guide on what to say and expect. I took the file home and read everything in it and tried to compose myself, but by the time I saw the three stern-looking justices file into the courtroom with the mace-bearer in front, I became jittery. “However, when it got to our turn, the presiding justice, seeing how new my entire outfit was and obviously observing that I was fresh at the Bar, smiled as soon as I managed to announce my appearance and that helped a great deal to stabilise me. I was then able to briefly move my application and

before I could commit any procedural blunders, the very senior counsel on the other side indicated that he was no longer opposing the motion and the court granted same as prayed. It was just a great relief to be outside the courtroom again after the matter”, he stated. He believes that the Nigerian capital market will eventually grow to become a global champion with the reforms and deliberate policies being initiated by SEC, NSE and other stakeholders. “With the size of the Nigerian population, available resources, its enviable position in the continent, regulatory reforms, and the deliberate policies of the SEC, NSE and other stakeholders to grow our market, the Nigerian capital market will surely develop at a faster pace to emerge as a global champion”, he said, adding that investors’ confidence is being restored with new products introduced. He plays tennis, swims and enjoys good music. He is married to Emmanuella Obi and they are both blessed with children.

Do you know… Fact in issue A fact in issue is usually the assertion made by the plaintiff in statement of claim, especially where, the defendant does not file a counter-claim or a cross-action: See Osolu v. Osolu [2003] 11 NWLR (Pt. 832) 608 [S.C.] [2003] 40 WRN 62, [S.C.]

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THE GUARDIAN, Tuesday, June 4, 2013

LawReport Courts are not permitted to suo motu raise issues, resolve same without hearing from parties (2) In the Court of Appeal, In the Lagos Judicial Division, Holden at Lagos, On Friday, March 22, 2013, Before their Lordships: Aminu Adamu Augie, Justice, Court of Appeal; Chima Centus Nweze, Justice, Court of Appeal; Chinwe Eugenia Iyizoba, Justice, Court of Appeal; CA/L/400/2009 Between Professor Olugbemiro Jegede (defendant/appellant) and Mufutau Bamidele Akande (claimant/respondent). E argued that the decision appealed H against was a final decision. As such, by the provision of Section 241 (1) (a) 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended) no leave was not required to appeal, Independent Newspaper Limited v Idiong (2011) 46 WRN 99, 109. In reply to the respondent’s arguments with respect to issues one, counsel for the appellant submitted that the objection was designed to terminate the appeal in limine. He noted that since the preliminary objection was not argued in the alternative, the respondent could not be heard to raise issues number one and two for determination. He maintained that the respondent ought to swim or sink with the preliminary objection. With an objection to terminate the appeal prematurely, the respondent could not, at the same time and in the same proceeding, be given breath and life to the same appeal. Parties are forbidden from blowing hot and cold at the same issue. By ways of preliminary remarks, we observe that courts look with askance at the approach, which the respondent/objector adopted in this appeal. Counsel, surreptitiously grafted his socalled notice of preliminary objection into the respondent’s brief of argument without more. This is not in consonance with the tenor and intendment of Order 10 Rule 1 of the Rules of this Court. Under this rule, any respondent who intends to challenge an appeal shall do so

by filing a notice of preliminary objection. The practice, which has evolved over time is that such a respondent is often permitted the indulgence of incorporating the said objection in the brief of argument. The courts have, however, taken the position that, at the hearing of the appeal, the respondent must seek and obtain leave to move the said preliminary objection before the adoption of briefs of argument. Where he fails to do so, the objection would be deemed abandoned; Ajide v Kelani (1985) 3 NWLR (pt 12) 248. In this appeal, no such notice was filed. The objection, as noted above, was surreptitiously grafted into the respondent’s brief. Counsel for the respondent did not seek leave to deal with the said objection before the appellant’s counsel adopted his brief. That means that no leave was sought with regard to the objection before the hearing of the appeal. The said objection should, ordinarily therefore, be discountenanced. We find no merit in the preliminary objection. Accordingly, we hereby enter an order dismissing it. We now turn to the main appeal. In the determination of this appeal, the two issues, which the appellant formulated would be taken together. In the first place, we accept the appellant’s submission that as, a general proposition, once a court has given a final decision on a matter placed before it, it becomes functus officio. The only way of retrieving or correcting any errors is by appeal, Nigeria Army v Iyela (2009) 4 WRN 1, 18-20. As such, the court would ordinarily have no authority to review or vary the said decision. As corollary to this proposition, it cannot be gainsaid that a judge can correct mistakes during the trial but before judgment. However, before correcting mistakes at that stage, the judge is advised to draw the attention of counsel on both sides to the mistakes, omission or clerical error. Once this is done, the judge is competent to correct the mistake etc, Emodi v Kwento (1996) 2 SCNJ 134, 406. Now, from our perusal of the records of February 9, 2009, we are satisfied that none of the parties applied either for the lower court’s exercise of its powers under the slip rule or

Justice Bulkachuwa Acting PCA under its inherent jurisdiction. As rightly pointed out by the appellant’s counsel, the court suo motu recalled the matter. The second proceeding was conducted on February 2, 2009. Now, in this case, counsel has urged this court to restore the order dismissing the suit. In the first place, we entirely agree with the submission of the appellant’s counsel that the lower court was wrong to have taken the matter suo motu. As shown above, the exercise of right either under the slip rule or under the inherent jurisdiction of the court is always on the application of one of the parties, Ogunsola v Nicon (supra); Bola v Latunde, Ogunpa; St James’s Church (supra); Shuaib v N.A.B (supra); WAB ltd v Savannah Ventures Ltd (supra). To the extent that the court proceeded suo motu to conduct a second proceeding, we agree that the lower court was wrong, State v Oladimeji (2003) 14 NWLR (pt 839) 74-75; Sasona v Ajayi (2004) 14 NWLR (pt 894) 527, 547; Araka v Ejeagwu (1999) 4 NWLR (pt 185) 830, 848. To com-

plicate its error, the court even purported to exercise power to reverse itself. That was a clear usurpation of the exclusive prerogative of the appellate court. In our view, the lower court arrived at the correct conclusion employing the wrong procedure. As noted earlier, a court is not permitted to raise an issue suo motu and resolve it without hearing from the parties, State v Oladimeji 9supra); Osasona v Ajayi (supra); Araka v Ejeagwu (supra). Thus, we take the view that the said proceeding of February 9, 2009, conducted without the input of the parties was wrong. However, there is caveat here. In this case, we are not in doubt, from the court’s finding that the Lagos High Court had no jurisdiction, that the proper order in the circumstance should have been an order striking out the suit, Oloriode v Oyebi, Inakoju & Ors v Adeleke & Ors (supra); Dim v A-G of the Federation (supra). Thus, it was a situation that could have been remedied in the exercise of the lower court’s inherent jurisdiction upon application by one of the parties, Bola v Latunde, Ogunpa; St James Church; Shuaib v N.A.B (supra); WAB ltd v Savannah Ventures Ltd (supra). However, the court usurped the role of the parties. In the circumstance, the question is whether it would serve the interest of justice to restore the first order dismissing the suit for want of jurisdiction. Clearly, such an approach would not wreak havoc on the settled jurisprudence of want of jurisdiction, Oloriode v Oyebi. Thus, notwithstanding error of the lower court, we take the view that this court has the authority to do so the needful in the circumstance, that is, to enter an order striking out suit. Against this background, we hold that the appeal succeeds in part. We hereby set aside the second proceeding of February 9, 2009 conducted suo motu. However, we do not agree with the appellant’s counsel that the suit should be dismissed. Having held that it had no jurisdiction, the consequential order should have been an order striking out the suit for want of jurisdiction. Accordingly, we enter an order striking out the suit, Ovenseri v Osagiede.

National Judicial Council vs. Justice Mohammed Talba Matters arising By Iheanyichukwu Maraizu T is no longer news that the National Judicial Council (NJC) has suspended Hon. Justice Mohammed Talba for one year without pay. What may linger for a long time to come is the controversy, which this action has generated. On Monday, January 28, 2013, an FCT High Court presided over by Hon. Justice Mohammed Talba convicted John Yesufu, who was accused of stealing and or converting to his personal use a whopping sum of about N32 billion and sentenced him to two years’ imprisonment. The said convict was given an option to pay a fine of N750,000 in lieu of imprisonment. Naturally, the convict paid the fine and regained his freedom. The uproar generated by this conviction was not only unprecedented but also deafening. In fact, to say that the sentence and conviction attracted strident condemnation from the public is simply saying the obvious. The reasons for the public outcry are not far- fetched. Official corruption in Nigeria has wreaked untold havoc in the polity and impoverished the citizens. The result is that in a country that has so much money, abject poverty holds sway among the citi-

zenry. Those slammed with corruption charges take refuge under legal technicalities and sundry lapses in our legal and political system to wriggle out of such charges. Thus, official corruption thrives in Nigeria with impunity. When, therefore, the convict in the instant case pleaded guilty to the charges slammed on him, Nigerians’ expectation was that drastic punitive measures would be taken against the convict to at least, serve as a deterrent to others. It was the absence of such drastic punitive measure and a sentence considered by many as a slap on the wrist that gave rise to the unprecedented public outcry witnessed soon after the judgment. While I, as a person, abhor and condemn corruption in all its ramifications, I strongly believe that the public outcry was totally misplaced or misdirected. The judge who presided over the case became a prime suspect, as many people believe that he must have been settled. It was apparently in response to the public outcry that the national judicial council (NJC) instituted an inquiry to ascertain the veracity or otherwise of the allegations levelled against the judge. At this juncture, it is pertinent to critically examine some factors that

Justice Mukhtar (CJN) may have influenced the decision taken by that honorable court. The first and most important is the law under which the accused person was convicted to wit, the Penal Code Act, cap 532 laws of the Federation of Nigeria (Abuja) 2007. It is on record that out of the 20 charges slammed on the convict in the instant case, he pleaded guilty to the last three charges (i.e. counts 18, 19 and 20) wherein he was alleged to have conspired with other accused persons to steal various sums of money at vari-

ous times. The alleged offence is punishable under section 309 of the Penal Code. What does Section 309 of the Penal Code provide: whoever commits criminal misappropriation shall be punished with imprisonment for a term, which may extend to two years or with fine or with both from the section quoted above, it is not difficult to see that the court acted within the law in convicting the accused person. This is because the said section 309 specifically provides that an offender should be punished with imprisonment for a term, which may extend to two years. In my humble view, the phrase which may extend means that in deserving or appropriate cases, the court can even award a lesser punishment, say a year or six months. But in the instant case, the court awarded the maximum punishment prescribed by the law i.e. two years. Another important point to note is that section 309 of the penal code gives the judge the discretion to sentence the offender to a fine without imprisoning him. Thus, in the instant case, the court could simply have sentenced the convict to a fine without saying anything about imprisonment. This would have been absolutely in order because

the law allows it. Again on the issue of fine, it is note worthy that section 309 of the penal code does not stipulate any specific amount of money, which the court should impose as fine. This gives a court the latitude or discretion to impose any amount it pleases as fine. This will however depend on the circumstances of each case. In the instant case, the honourable court, I’m sure must have taken into account the allocotus (plea for mercy) made by learned counsel for the accused person in exercising its discretion to impose a fine of N750,000. In criminal trials, it is normal for an impartial court to call for allocotus before passing a sentence on a person who has been found guilty of a crime. In my humble view, therefore, there is no reason on earth why the court in the instant case should be expected to have acted differently. Indeed, once the allocotus is made as in the instant case, an impartial court whose mind is ab initio not made up against an accused person ought to consider it in passing its sentence. If therefore it was the allocotus made by learned counsel to the accused in the instant case that influenced the court’s decision to impose two years’ imprisonment or fine of N750,000, the court was absolutely right in doing this. TO BE CONTINUED

THE GUARDIAN, Tuesday, June 4, 2013

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FamilyLaw

Bad things do happen; how I respond to them defines my character and the quality of my life. I can choose to sit in perpetual sadness, immobilized by the gravity of my loss, or I can choose to rise from the pain and treasure the most precious gift I have - life itself. ———Walter Anderson

How to cope with loss and pain (2) By Ibe Uwaleke (With Agency Report) ET your pain come out. Let the tears flow. It is okay to cry even if you’re not the kind of person who shows your feelings. Moreover, realize that there is no right or wrong way to feel pain, to release pain and to keep trying to work through it. What is important is recognizing the pain and trying to work through it; how you do so is entirely up to you and the feelings inside of you. Crying, pummeling the pillow, going for a long run, sitting somewhere special with a view and just contemplating, throwing things out, going for a long drive, screaming at the top of your lungs in a forest or other solitary place, painting or drawing memories, writing poetry, getting angry with your workout equipment, going dancing, and so forth are just some of the ways people find outlets for their pain and they’re all equally valid methods for releasing what is building up inside. Find your best ways to release the pain by listening to your gut feelings and following them. Avoid doing anything that might result in harm to yourself or to others. Loss isn’t about inflicting harm or making things worse. Loss is a time for learning how to draw on your inner reserves and learning how to cope better with pain. Shift the focus as often as you can from the sadness, disappointment, anger and broken heart and try instead to remember the good times and the best things. Focusing on negative aspects to try and increase the intensity and duration of the pain from your loss won’t change what has happened but will make you feel a great deal worse. Ultimately, you need to question to what avail, as making yourself unhappier is a recipe for longerterm health problems and risks debilitating you.

And be assured that no person or being who has brought you happiness would have ever wanted you to collapse in a heap. Every single time you feel tempted to become even more sad, angry, down or self-pitiful, grab a diary and write down the good things you can remember about the person, pet or dream that has been lost to you. If you’ve lost someone, remember such things as what a person said or did, the small quirky mannerisms to the large generosities, the times that you spent laughing together and the things this person has taught you about life and yourself. If it’s a lost pet, remember the beautiful times you spent together, the happy life you enabled for your pet and the special traits your pet had. And if it’s a lost dream or object of desire, remember the good that came of pursuing or having these things, and be thinking about what you learned that could be applied to better experiences in the future. Distract yourself. Too many thoughts going around your head in circles can lead to second guessing, wishing you’d being more this, that or the other or to other unhelpful thought processes. By getting busy and occupying yourself in tasks that require a different focus, you give yourself a break from constantly ruminating over the loss. This also gives you the space to realize that there are good things about your world still and that life does go on, as clichéd as that sounds. And while work or studies can provide some relief from the constant thoughts about loss, don’t simply rely on your routine to distract yourself or you risk feeling that there is only work and sorrow and nothing in between. Help reacquaint yourself with happier pursuits

by doing something that gives you peace. There are all sorts of possibilities, such as gardening, cooking, fishing, listening to your favorite music, walking, drawing, painting, writing, etc. Choose whatever calms you and gives you a sense of joyful achievement (not something work or studies can always promise). There is a lot of therapeutic good to be found in pursuits such as art, cooking and gardening and many people even use these as therapy, such as in the case of art therapy. Anything in which you use both mind and body coordination and in which

you’re being both creative and engaged is an important way to help yourself gradually unfurl from the pain inside. Perhaps involve yourself with social work. When you involve yourself with other people’s lives, you gain many insights on how to cope better. Consider volunteering as one possibility. If you like children, helping with young children who display lots of spontaneity and laughter may serve to soothe you. Save things that remind you of your loved one or your lost dream. Just because a person or a pet is gone doesn’t mean you shouldn’t always remember them. It may be comforting to know that even if the person or pet is no longer here, the friendship, love and family/personal ties you have with them still exist. No one will ever be able to take that away from you, and the relationship you have with him or her will always be a part of you. And if you’ve lost a dream, that doesn’t mean that you have to discard all memories of the journey taken toward it. Some mementos will always be worth keeping reminding you of your own courage, tenacity and ability to envision a better future, and the memories of what you have striven for will continue to exist for you to draw on with new dreams. Find delight in beautiful days. When you’ve been experiencing the blues for a time and you’ve been keeping indoors or walking with your head down and not noticing the world around you, embrace the sunnier or fairer days when they happen.

TO BE CONTINUED

YOU AND THE LAW —-With Dupe Ajayi Derogation from fundamental human rights on land acquisition (1) NOTHER important derogation A from fundamental human rights is Section 44 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, as amended. The section provides thus, “no moveable property or any interest in any immoveable property shall be taken possession of compulsorily and no right over or any interest in any such property shall be acquired compulsorily in any part of Nigeria except in the manner and for the purposes prescribed by a law that among other things; requires the prompt payment of compensation, therefore, and gives to any person claiming such compensation and right of access for the determination of his interest in the property and the amount of compensation in a court of law or tribunal or body having jurisdiction in that part of Nigeria. A look at the above provision will show that while the provision prohibits compulsory taking over of the property of anybody anywhere in the country, in general terms, the same section derogates from its provisions by allowing the compulsory taking over persons’ property subject to the conditions listed in Section 44 (1) (a) and (b) above. One area issues usually arise from is the compulsory acquisition of land. See Sections 28 and 29 of the Land Use Act (LUA), which derive their validity from the above quoted Section 44 of the Constitution on derogation. It should be noted that the quoted Section 44 of the Constitution highlights certain requirements and conditions that a law that takes over forcefully the property of a person, should meet. The section of the Constitution stipulates that a law that will authorise the taking over of private property should state the manner and the purpose of taking over. The law should also state how to compensate the property owner and give access to court in case the person is

not satisfied with the quantum of compensation or even the failure to pay it at all. Here, we will subject Sections 28 and 29 of the LUA, which are typical examples of laws that sanction the acquisition of private property to the requirement of Section 44 of the Constitution quoted above to assess whether and to what extent the two sections meet the standard set by the Constitution. Let us look at the wordings of the relevant parts of the sections verbatim. Section 28 provides as follows: 28 (1) it shall be lawful for the governor to revoke a right of occupancy for overriding public interest 29 (2) overriding public interest in the case of a statutory right of occupancy means: • The alienation by the occupier by assignment, mortgage, transfer or possession, sublease or otherwise of any right of occupancy or part thereof contrary to the provision of this Act or any regulation made thereunder; • The requirement of the land by the government of the state or by a local government in the state or the requirement of the land by the government of the federation for public purposes of the federation; • The requirement of the land for mining purpose or oil pipelines or for any purpose connected therewith; • 28 (4) the governor shall revoke the right of occupancy in the event of the issue of a notice by or on behalf of the President if such notice declares such land to be required by the government for public purpose; • 28 (5) the governor may revoke a statutory right of occupancy on the ground of: A breach of any of the provisions, which a certificate of occupancy is by section 10 of this Act deemed to contain. A breach of any term contained in the certificate of occupancy or any special contract made under section 8 of this

Act; A refusal or neglect to pay for any certificate which was issued in evidence of a right of occupancy but has been cancelled by the Governor under subsection 3 of section 9 of this Act; 28 (6) The revocation of a right occupancy shall be signified under the hand of a public officer duly authorised in that behalf by the governor or notice thereof shall be given to the holder. It should be noted that Section 8 quoted above focuses on the purpose and manner of revocation. The section says that the only reason for revocation is overriding public interest. What constitutes overriding public interest has also been defined under sub-section 2 – 5 as quoted above. The nature of overriding public interest defined above can be classified into two. One, requirement of the land by local, state or federal government for public purposes, be it for mining, laying of oil pipelines, construction of roads or for purpose of any infrastructure. Refer to section 28 (2) (b), (c) and 28 (4) above. The second class of overriding public interest is penal in nature. This is where revocation for overriding public interest is as a result of the breach of the law by the holder of the right of occupancy. Refer to section 28 (2) (a) and 28 (5) above. Extrinsically, the above provision conforms to the requirement of the 1999 Constitution as amended, from which it derives its validity. However, two issues of concern usually arise from the implementation of the law. First, what kind of public purpose may sustain a revocation under section 28 (2) and 28 (4) above? For instance, can a revocation of a large parcel of land belonging to an investor who legally purchased the land with a view to selling same subsequently at a profit only for government to thereafter allot the

same land to other individuals. This was the subject matter of the pronouncement of the court in Lawson v Ajibulu (1997) 6 WLR pt 507 at p.14, where the Supreme Court held that revocation of right of occupancy for public purpose include a situation where the acquired land is transferred or leased to a private developer in furtherance of public purpose. Another issue is what happens to the land if subsequently, the land, after being acquired is not put to use. In other words, if there is a failure of the purpose for which the right of occupancy is revoked, will the land revert to the holder from whom it was revoked or will the government retain it thereafter? This similarly was the issue in Ajao v Sole Administrator of Ibadan city Council (1971), NMLR 74, the defendant acquired the land of the plaintiff for the provision of pipe-born water for a public hospital. Later, the property was abandoned and plaintiff resumed possession of the land. The defendant Council

fenced the land to frustrate the possession of the plaintiff. The plaintiff was granted an order of declaration of title to the land. The court reason thus, “it is the law that the reversion to the original owner of the land required by a native authority for a public purpose and which public purpose has failed, takes place by operation of the law. In other words, once the subject of acquisition has failed, no conveyance or any other assurances is needed to vest the property formerly acquired in the original owner”. We are not aware of any more recent decision on this point. So, the position as stated in the case above remains the law. However, the decision has been severely criticized. The gravamen of the criticism is that the law allows double compensation to the holder since he is expected to have been adequately compensated at the point of revocation. A middle course is probably preferable in suggesting that the government should retain such land if the government is able to show evidence of adequate compensation to the holder at the point of revocation on the other hand, the land should revert to the holder in the absence of such evidence of adequate compensation. Incidentally, the question of compensation stated in Section 29 of the LUA is the focus of our next edition. Finally, in our view, adequate attention has been paid to the question of the manner of revocation, by the combined provision of Section 28 (6) above, with its requirement of notice of revocation to the holder and the decision of the court which also requires proper service of the notice and that the notice should state the reason for the revocation.

LAW 73

THE GUARDIAN, Tuesday, June 4, 2013

Is the jurisdiction of the Federal High Court a subject matter or party? Jurisdiction By Theophilus Orumor RDINARILY, the jurisdiction of the Federal High Court is specified in Section 251(1) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (CFRN 1999) and Section 7(1) of the Federal High Court Act Cap F12, LFN 2004, which former section outlines the statutory jurisdiction of the said court thus: 251. (1) Notwithstanding anything to the contained in this Constitution and in addition to such other jurisdiction as may be conferred upon it by an Act of the National Assembly, the Federal High Court shall have and exercise jurisdiction to the exclusion of any other court in civil causes and matters: • relating to the revenue of the Government of the Federation in which the said government or any organ thereof or a person suing or being sued on behalf of the said Government is a party; • connected with or pertaining to the taxation of companies and other bodies established or carrying on business in Nigeria and all other persons subject to Federal taxation; • connected with or pertaining to Customs and Excise Duties and Export Duties, including any claim by or against the Nigeria Customs Service or any member or officer thereof, arising from the performance of any duty imposed under any regulation relating to Customs and Excise Duties and Export Duties; • connected with or pertaining to banking, banks, other financial institutions, including any action between one bank and another, any action by or against the Central Bank of Nigeria arising from banking, foreign exchange, coinage, legal tender, bills of exchange, letters of credit, promissory notes and other fiscal measures: Provided that this paragraph shall not apply to any dispute between an individual customer and his bank in respect of transactions between the individual customer and the bank; • arising from the operation of the Companies and Allied Matters Act or any other enactment replacing the Act or regulating the operation of companies incorporated under the Companies and Allied Matters Act; • any federal enactment relating to copyright, patent, designs, trade marks and passing-off, industrial designs and merchandise marks, business names, commercial and industrial

monopolies, combines and trusts, standards of goods and commodities and industrial standards; • any admiralty jurisdiction, including shipping and navigation on the River Niger or River Benue and their affluent and on such other inland waterway as may be designated by any enactment to be an international waterway, all federal ports, (including the constitution and powers of the ports authorities for federal ports) and carriage by sea; • diplomatic, consular and trade representation; • citizenship, naturalisation and aliens, deportation of persons who are not citizens of Nigeria, extradition, immigration into and emigration from Nigeria, passports and visas; • bankruptcy and insolvency; • aviation and safety of aircraft; • arms, ammunition and explosives; • drugs and poisons; • mines and minerals (including oil fields, oil mining, geological surveys and natural gas); • weights and measures; • the administration or the management and control of the Federal Government or any of its agencies; • subject to the provisions of this Constitution, the operation and interpretation of this Constitution in so far as it affects the Federal Government or any of its agencies; • any action or proceeding for a declaration or injunction affecting the validity of any executive or administrative action or decision by the Federal Government or any of its agencies; and • such other jurisdiction civil or criminal and whether to the exclusion of any other court or not as may be conferred upon it by an Act of the National Assembly: Whereas there seem not to be any difficult issue in the construction of Section 251(1)(a)-(o) and (s), same can not be said of paragraphs (p),(q) and (r) of subsection (1) of section 251 of the CFRN 1999, which stipulate thus: • the administration or the management and control of the Federal Government or any of its agencies; • subject to the provisions of this Constitution, the operation and interpretation of this Constitution in so far as it affects the Federal Government or any of its agencies; • any action or proceeding for a declaration or injunction affecting the validity of any executive or administrative action or decision by the Federal Government or any of its agencies; and A keen follower/observer of legal authorities

Justice Auta over the last 10 years would no doubt agree with me that there have been varying dimensions of judicial authorities on the interpretation of paragraphs (p),(q) and (r) of subsection (1) of Section 251 of the CFRN 1999. Whereas certain authorities lean more on the view that the party before the court determines the jurisdiction in the interpretation of paragraphs (p), (q) and (r) of subsection (1) of Section 251 of the CFRN 1999, other authorities seem to lean on the view that the subject matter is the determinant of the jurisdiction of the Federal High Court of the said paragraphs. Some authorities conclude that both party and subject matter determine the jurisdiction of the Federal High Court where a Federal Government or it agency is involved. The die may seem to have been cast with the authority of NEPA vs EDEGBEINRO (2002) 18 NWLR (Pt.798)79. In this case, the plaintiffs Mr. Edegbeinro and 15 others, before the High Court of Niger State on August 17, 1994, instituted various actions claiming: • A declaration that the purported termination of the plaintiff vide a letter dated August 10, 1994, from the services of the defendant is irregular, wrongful, null and void and of no effect whatsoever; • An order reinstating the plaintiff with the defendant and the payment of plaintiff’s salaries, allowances and entitlements from the purported day of termination till rein-

statement; • A perpetual injunction restraining the defendant from harassing, intimidating and violating of the plaintiff’s right.” The action went on to trial. In the course of his final address to the court, learned counsel for the defence raised the issue of jurisdiction of the trial court. He contended that by virtue of Decree 107 of 1993 amending Section 230(1) of the 1979 Constitution, a state High Court had no jurisdiction to adjudicate in the matter before the court of in view of the fact that the defendant was a federal agency. In his judgment, the learned trial judge (Bima J), considered the issue of jurisdiction raised before him and decided the issue against the defendant. Being dissatisfied with the judgment of the trial court, the defendant appealed to the Court of Appeal and there again questioned the jurisdiction of the trial court. The Court of Appeal (Coram: Mustapher, Bulkachuwa and Oduyemi, JJ.CA) upheld the decision of the trial judge on the issue of jurisdiction and for other reasons dismissed the appeal. On a further appeal to the Supreme Court, the court upturned the judgments of the trial and Appeal Court and held inter alia thus: “The aim of paragraphs (q), (r) and (s) of subsection (1) of Section 230 was to vest exclusive jurisdiction in the Federal High Court in matters in which the Federal Government or any of its agents was a party. A state High Court would no longer have jurisdiction in such matters notwithstanding the nature of the claim in the action”. Midway in the in the last decade, the position of the appellate courts seemed to have taken a new dimension with decisions such as the one in the authority of Aso Motel Kaduna Ltd vs Deyemo (2006) 7NWLR pt 978@pg 94, the Appellate Court held thus: There is no blanket provision in Section 251(1) of the 1999 Constitution, which confers exclusive jurisdiction on the Federal High Court in suit against the Federal Government or any of its agencies. Regards must be heard to the subject matter…. The Supreme Court in the case of Adetayo vs Ademola (2010) 15 NWLR pt 1215 pg 169 would seem to have laid every controversy to rest when the court held, with reference to where a federal agency is a party to a suit before the Federal High Court but the court lacks jurisdiction over the subject matter, as follows: TO BE CONTINUED

NHRC, NBA, others train lawyers on legal advice for detained suspects By Bertram Nwannekanma HE event was organised to address the worrisome manner in which suspects are treated during their arrest or detention at police stations in Nigeria. It was a training programme for lawyers, with an overall objective of correcting public conception that once a suspect is taken to a police station, their legal rights, would be denied and this would subject them to ill -treatment. Members of the epochal scheme pioneered by Justice For All in conjunction with the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) and the Nigerian Bar Association are to include lawyers or para-legal staffers, who would agree on a pro- bono basis to attend to Police Stations daily to review the legality and treatment of any suspect arrested or detained persons. The calibre of attendees was also indicative of the importance of such a training, jointly organised by the NHRC, the Nigerian Bar Association and Justice for All (J4A) under the Department For International Development (DFID). Among those who attended were the Divisional Police Officer, Adeniji Adele Police Station, CSP Monday Agonika, his Isokoko, Agege counterparts, Oliver Amaechi, a solicitor, Kunle Fadipe, a consultant to DFID, Mr. Tony Cross, Seth Amaefula of the NBA, Lagos, Marshall Oghenerhaeoko, representatives of the Lagos State Ministry of Justice, the Legal Research Consult, Legal Aid Council, the Lagos State Office of Public Defender (OPD) and representatives of the Human Rights community According to the NHRC’s Zonal Coordinator, Mrs. Segun Mausi, the training was part of the commission’s mandate to provide legal aid to those category of Nigerians, who might find themselves at the station at any point. They are to offer free legal advice to such persons, as necessary and where possible, provide an ‘on call’ service by telephone for suspects to exercise their rights to seek legal advice. Mausi said the scheme, which started at Isokoko Police Station in Agege, has recorded tremendous progress that it is being extended

to other stations in Lagos. In his remarks, Cross said to attain justice for all in Nigeria, there must be model police station to guarantee the rights of detainees. According to him, suspects, who are brought to police station must be treated in accordance with the law, without use of excessive force. The Charge Room Officer (CRO) should be accountable for the treatment of all suspects brought to the station and those subsequently detained. Suspects, he said, should be informed and given a copy of their rights, including the fact that they could seek legal advice at their own expense while in detention. “Suspects shall whilst in detention be informed that they can communicate with anyone on the telephone or in person provid-

Participants at the event

ed that this will not interfere with police investigation. Every station, he said, should evolve an effective procedure, which would document the handling and treatment of suspects. Members of the divisional management team should exercise proper supervision within the charge room office. Cross noted that the introduction of a system of external oversight by the community regarding the treatment of suspects has proved to be successful in raising police standards. Some of the benefits derived from such system, he said, included the fact that although police have been granted extensive legal authority to arrest and detain suspects but these powers must be used lawfully. It is, there-

fore, in the legal and professional interests of the Nigeria Police Force that suspects are treated with respect and without excessive force. They are also to be given all their appropriate rights in accordance with the law. “An excessive use of force, a lack of accountability and breaches of suspects’ legal rights can only serve to undermine public confidence in the police. The challenge of raising public confidence in policing remains a central goal of all police officers. “The introduction of the scheme that serves to protect the legal rights of suspects and arrested persons while allowing external scrutiny of the conditions and legality in which persons are detained, will help to improve and change public perceptions. The Justice For All programme, in partnership with the Nigeria Police Force and local lawyers is running a scheme at the police station to improve the treatment of suspects as well as improve the way the public view how people are treated in police stations. The training of lawyers in the scheme involving the local firms, who will provide a visiting and on call service to the police station to check the conditions, legal situation and also give free advice to suspects, the scheme is limited to advice while the suspects is in the police station and does not cover legal representation in court. “The free legal advice include victims of gender based violence in order to safeguard their rights as victims and help ensure they receive proper support and guidance”. Speaking on the success of the scheme, the DPO for Isokoko, Amaechi believe that the model police station is a possibility with the cooperation of all stakeholders in justice delivery sector. He commended the efforts of the organisers and pledged his total cooperation to make it work. Also, Monday Agonika called for an implementation of the scheme in every police station in the state because of what he called impressive results already recorded at Adeniyi Adele Police Station.

THE GUARDIAN, Tuesday, June 4, 2013

Sports French Open

Countdown To Brazil 2014 World Cup Qualifier

Djokovic digs deep to berth in quarter-final

Harambee Stars will shock Eagles, Wanyama boasts

HE big four, already shorn T of Andy Murray at the 2013 French Open, are not having it

ICTOR Wanyama, who is set V to captain the Harambee Stars for the first time when

said the 45-year-old Belgian, who held top-ranked Nigeria to a surprise 1-1 away draw on the Kenyans meet with the March 23. Super Eagles in Nairobi in a “Obviously, winning is very Brazil 2014 World Cup qualifi- important for us at this stage er, says the East Africans have but I don’t have to put a lot of all it takes to shock Nigeria pressure on my players. We tomorrow. only need to plan and believe in Wanyama, who was crowned ourselves that we can succeed,” Scottish Young player of year, he added. is well aware how big the task But the absence of AC Ajaccio of leading the team is against striker, Oliech and Origi will be the Super Eagles, who have a blow to the side, which never lost a match to Kenya. remarkably came close to “Nigeria is a strong team. upsetting Nigeria in the reverse They have gone 10 matches fixture in Calabar in March. unbeaten since the year began Eagles look good for the three but we are confident of giving points. a good account of ourselves on Reports from the Kenyan Wednesday,” said Wanyama. camp, however, indicate that “We are looking forward for the Harambee Stars have the match. It is unfortunate become depressed that John that Oliech and (MacDonald) Mikel Obi was on his way to Mariga will not play. But we Nairobi after missing the fear no one - this is a young friendly against Mexico in team, who wants to play and Texas at the weekend. They enjoy themselves,” he added. actually thought he was not Also looking forward to a coming for the game. good outing, Kenya Coach Obi was instrumental to Adel Amrouche says he is not Nigeria’s 3-2 defeat too worried about his team’s of the Stars at the same venue lowly position in the 2014 FIFA on November 14, 2009 – a result World Cup Brazil qualifying that sent the Super Eagles to the competition and will take one 2010 FIFA World Cup finals in match at a time. South Africa. With only a single point from The midfield lubricator flew three matches, Kenya face two into Nairobi aboard a British decisive games against Group Airways flight yesterday F co-leaders, Nigeria and evening, hours ahead of the Malawi, which they must win rest of the delegation that was to stay in contention. They take being expected from Frankfurt on the African champions in around 1.30am today. their return-leg match in Government sources say Nairobi on Wednesday, Kenyan President, Uhuru and face a trip to Malawi a Kenyatta or Vice President, week later. William Ruto would be special “I play per team. That’s my guest of honour at the big plan. I am a realistic person,” match.

Eagles/Mexico friendly won’t affect World Cup qualifier From Ezeocha Nzeh, Abuja HE Nigeria Football T Federation (NFF) has assured Super Eagles’ supporters that the team’s trip to the U.S. would not affect Nigeria’s performance in tomorrow’s World Cup qualifier against Kenya. Coach Stephen Keshi on Sunday raised the alarm over NFF’s travel arrangements, saying the team’s round trips to the United States of America, Germany and Ethiopia on their way to Kenya for the crucial game might affect the players mentally and physically in Nairobi. Keshi noted that the players might suffer from jet lag as they were expected to miss one day training, adding that the travel plans indicated that the team could only train for one day at the Kasarani

Stadium in Nairobi before the match tomorrow. Reacting to Keshi’s worries, NFF President, Aminu Maigari said yesterday in Abuja that everything was programmed to ensure that the Eagles win tomorrow’s game, adding that the Federation was mindful of the apprehension that have gripped Nigerians following the competition in Group F. “We have taken into consideration all the options available for us and we are convinced we will go to Nairobi for the three points. We believe we can get it because what is important is the three maximum points and given the team’s performance against Mexico on Saturday, the players have no choice than to beat Kenya and qualify for the next stage.

Nigeria’s Michael Babatunde (left) contests with Mexico’s Gerardo Flores during an international friendly at Reliant Stadium in Houston, Texas. PHOTO: AFP

British, American athletes set to rumble in Warri CAA Grand Prix By Gowon Akpodonor OP athletes from Great T Britain, Jamaica and the United States of America (U.S.A) are set for the 2013 Confederation of African Athletics (CAA) Golden Grand Prix scheduled for Warri, Delta State on June 14. Among the names of athletes made available to The Guardian yesterday by the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) are Great Britain’s male sprinter, Rion Pierre and Matthieu Pritchett of U.S.A. The British runner has a Personal Best of 10.14 seconds and Season’s Best of 10.19 seconds, while the American holds a Personal and Season’s Best of 10.28 sec. If pre-championship performance should count, three Nigerian male athletes should be able to give the British and the American runners a good fight when hostilities begin in Warri. Fred Agbaje holds a Season Best of 10.16 seconds, just as Seye Ogunlewe and Elvis Ukale hold 10.30 seconds and 10.57 seconds respectively. Another Nigerian male athlete expected to run in the sprint event is Noah Ukale. In the female sprint event, Nigeria’s Gloria Asumnu is the biggest athlete on the list going by her Season’s Best of 11.27 seconds. America’s

Lashawdra Ratcliff (11.31 seconds) and Ghana’s Flings Joyner Owusu-Agyapong (11.39 seconds) are some big athletes also listed for the Warri Grand Prix. The 400m race will see two Nigerian athletes (Abiola Onokoya and Erete Udomsinachi) doing battle with Britain’s Richard Strachan and America’s Michael Courtney. In the women’s 400m, Jamaica’s Patricia Hall holds the best time, a Season Best of 50.86 seconds. There is also Kineke Alexander of St.

Vincent, who holds a Season’s Best of 51.38 seconds. Nigeria’s duo of Regina George and Omolara Omotosho has SB of 51.00 seconds and 51.67 seconds respectively. America’s Andrew Brunson Lii is the only athlete listed for the 110m hurdles. He has a Personal Best (PB) of 13.30 seconds. Another American, Nichole Denby (12.54 seconds PB) and Ghana’s Rosina Amenebed (13.52 seconds) will do battle with two Nigerians, Ugoma Ndu and Amaka Ogoegbunam in the 100m hurdles.

all their own way. Rafael Nadal has dropped two sets already, Roger Federer was pushed to the brink by Gilles Simon, and then yesterday Novak Djokovic found himself a set adrift in the early going against Philipp Kohlschreiber. Normal service was duly resumed, as it was for Rafa and Roger, but the chasing pack certainly seems to be, if not getting closer to the leading quartet, then at least chipping slowly away at the edifice that the foursome has built up over the past three years of Grand Slam invincibility. It should perhaps have come as no surprise that “Kohli” won the opener. The only previous time that the two had met on clay was here four years ago, and the German won in straight sets, 6-4, 6-4, 64. An early break gave the 29year-old the advantage, and he duly served out for a fourth straight 6-4. That, however, was as good as it got for the crisp-hitting No.16 seed, who had recently made the final on the Munich clay only to lose to fellow German (and indeed fellow fourth-rounder here) Tommy Haas. Djokovic shook off his early sloth and dominated both in offence and defence, picking holes in Kohlschreiber’s game by attacking always at just the right moment. There was a still a nervous moment at the end of the match, when Nole turned out to need two bites at the cherry to serve out for victory. 5-2 and cruising became 5-4 and wobbling, but Djokovic showed just why he is the world number one and concluded the match 4-6, 6-3, 6-4, 6-4. His dream of taking the only Slam to elude him to date is still alive, with another German – the above-mentioned veteran Haas – standing between him and a place in the semi-finals, where a certain Majorcan could be lying in wait.

World Cup in Brazil without Nigeria unthinkable, says Mba UPER Eagles’ hero at the SNations South Africa 2013 CAF Cup, Sunday Mba, says it would be an aberration if Nigeria failed to qualify for the Brazil 2014 World Cup. Mba, who told FIFA.com that he hopes to shine on the bigger stages that the FIFA World Cup and the FIFA Confederations Cup would provide, is of the opinion that the Super Eagles have the material to defeat Kenya and Namibia in their forthcoming World Cup qualifiers. “We have the World Cup qualifiers now and then soon after the FIFA Confederations Cup in Brazil. These are very important engagements and we want to do very well - par-

ticularly as we are now the African champions,” Mba said. The Super Eagles lead Africa’s 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifying Group F on five points from three matches with Malawi now the closest rivals also on five points. Namibia are on three points, while Kenya are bottom of the standings on two points. However, the African champions face a tricky trip to Nairobi on June 5 for a return leg match against the Harambee Stars, who were just minutes away from a famous victory in Nigeria in March before a last-gasp equaliser by Nnamdi Oduamadi. When both teams last clashed in Nairobi in

November 2009, the Eagles ran out dramatic 3-2 winners to book their passage to the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa. Nigeria though will be without several of their top stars from the recent Nations Cup triumph like Spartak Moscow striker Emmanuel Emenike, Chelsea winger Victor Moses and skipper Joseph Yobo. “Yes, we will be without some of our top stars for the qualifiers, as well as, the Confederations Cup. We would have loved to have them with us, but we hope that we still get the results we need even without them,” assured the industrious midfielder.

THE GUARDIAN, Tuesday, June 4, 2013

SPORTS

U.S. Kids European Golf Championships

Oboh gets automatic entry to all 2013 U.S. Kids tourneys, Uwadia finishes 4th By Eno-Abasi Sunday IGERIA’S Georgia Oboh, N missed by the skin of her teeth, the chance to shine on

President, U.S. Kids Golf Foundation, Dan Van Horn (right, back row); Mayor of Gullane Scotland; Head Pro, Gullane Golf Club, East Lothian, Alasdair Good, with some Nigerian players during the recently concluded US Kids European Golf Championships in Gullane

the world stage at the recently concluded U.S. Kids European Golf Championships in Gullane, Scotland. Her compatriot and clubmate at Ikoyi Club 1938 (golf section), Anita Uwadia also had a fairly good outing finishing fourth in her category. She, however, could not stay for the Van Horn Cup due to previous travel arrangements. She played rounds of 84, 76, and 75 on days One, Two and Three. Having finished 5th on Day One, she improved her standing to 4th place on the final day. At the three-day tourney, which was attended by over

Amoo returns to Sunshine as technical adviser By Olalekan Okusan ORMER Super Eagles FAmoo, Assistant Coach, Fatai has returned to Nigeria Premier League side, Sunshine Stars of Akure, as the technical adviser of the Ondo State team. The Guardian learnt that the management of the team yesterday unveiled the 3SC former gaffer with the responsibility of handling the team for the rest of the season. The Guardian recalls that the former Head Coach of Sunshine, Samuel Abimbola, was relieved of his post last month by the management

of the club following a string of bad results in the league. Abimbola’s assistant, Napoleon Aluma, was then asked to take over temporarily. The coach’s sack was revealed by the Head of the Technical Committee of the Ondo State Football Agency (ODSFA), Akin Akinbobola, who said the team had been performing below the expectations of the agency. Sunshine Stars was Nigeria’s representatives in last year’s CAF Champions League, where it got to the semifinals. It currently has 21 points from 15 matches to occupy the 12th

Organisers pick Kanu as Access Bank Charity Shield polo ambassador RGANISER of the prestiO gious Access Bank UNICEF Charity Shield Polo Tournament, Fifth Chukker Polo and Country Club, has appointed Nigerian international and former Super Eagles skipper, Nwankwo Kanu, as the competition’s ambassador. The announcement, which was made at the weekend at the ongoing Access Bank UNICEF Charity Shield polo in Kaduna, confirmed that Kanu who succeeds Ethiopian super model, Yordanos Tershagar, will be the ambassador of the charity polo event for the 2013/2014 seasons. In appointing Kanu as the new charity polo ambassador, Fifth Chukker hailed him as one of Africa’s soccer alltime greats, who is not just best known for his sublime leadership and skill on the soccer fields, but a generous philanthropist, whose endeavours off the field are just as dynamic and inspiring. “Kanu isn’t just a soccer champion, he is a champion of children and the underprivileged whose desire to save lives, led him to establish the Kanu Heart Foundation that has aided the treatment of more that 500 people with heart defect,” the statement added. The internationally

acclaimed Access Bank UNICEF Charity Polo tournament, which enters its final stage on Thursday, has produced its first champions, with Work-to-Ride team from United States beating DeeBee Farmers from Nigeria, to win the coveted UNICEF Cup. The Americans, who lost the cup to AUN of Yola last year, secured a narrow 5-4 victory over the hard-fighting DeeBee Farmers from Kaduna, to set an all time record of winning the UNICEF prize for the fourth time in six years.

position on the Nigerian Professional Football league (NPLF) table. Before his appointment, Amoo was scheduled to travel to United States for a refresher course. The training was part of Amoo’s effort to acquire more knowledge in the ever-changing world of football. Amoo, a member of the

National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA), told The Guardian last week that the course would afford him the opportunity to rub minds with some of the top coaches in the world. NSCAA, which is the world’s largest coaches body, organizes regular training for coaches drawn from all over the world.

500 kids from more than 40 countries, Oboh led on the first day with her 74 gross, carded 83 on the second day but bounced back to shoot 78 (the lowest score amongst the leaders) on the last day. She finished only 6 shots behind the winner over the three days, beating the winner twice in the three days. The former British kid champion eventually finished 4th in the girls’ 12 years category. This qualified her as one of the best two international players in her category to play against the best two players from Western Europe in a match play for the Van Horn Cup. The international team won the Van Horn Cup and for the first time in the history of the Cup being played in the last six years. And as a member of the International team, she bagged a green status, which gives her automatic entry to all of U.S. Kids 2013 tourneys all over the world. Of the 11 kids that were billed to represent Nigeria,

only 10 made it there, as Diana Osmond was unable to make the trip due to a delay in obtaining the required visa from the British Embassy in Lagos. During the closing ceremony, the Founder of U.S. Kids Mr. Dan Van Horn commended the efforts of the Kids Golf International and the Nigerian team for the progress they have made in just two years of attending event. In addition to Oboh and Uwadia both from Ikoyi GC 1938, who won laurels at the European event, the other Kids Golf International (KGI) ambassadorsJordan Thompson, Manchang Samuel from Rayfield Golf Club 1913 and Chiemerie Isife from Enugu Golf Club all qualified to attend the U.S. Kids World Championships as they shot scores within the qualifying criteria for the event which is due to take place from August 1 to 3 at the Pinehurst Golf Resort, North Carolina, United States.

MTN Football Scholar

U.S. coaches storm Lagos for final selection HE trials for the MTN T Football Scholar Season 3, will reach the climax this week, as international coaches from the United States and Canada storm the National Stadium, Lagos from Thursday to Monday next week. They are saddled with the responsibility of selecting potential finalists into the first academy of the edition. The trials have taken place nationwide in the cities of Port Harcourt, Enugu, Abuja, Benin, Akure and Lagos. At least 100 young talented footballers with good academic capabilities were picked from all these centres, for a final screening into the academy. The visiting foreign coaches will reinforce the idea of

the project, by preparing the participants in both academic works and football strategy for the MTN Scholarship. After the screening, the students will sit for a mock SAT exams where they will be pruned down to 30, based on the best results from the mock exams. Last year’s event witnessed a team of academy coaches from U.S. universities, during which the visiting coaches reiterated the importance of education in football development. This year’s event is expected, not to only discover new football talents but also to further promote the initiative’s emphasis on the role of mental alertness in the development of soccer skills and talents.

The Nigerian team to the 2013 Standard Chartered Trophy tagged “Road to Anfield” with Liverpool Football Club manager, Brendan Rogers at Anfield, Liverpool…recently.

Action from the semifinal tie of the GTB Heritage Cup played at Onikan Stadium in Lagos. PHOTO: FEMI ADEBESIN-KUTI

Anwar-ul-Islam, Ansar-ud-Deen win GTB Heritage Cup titles NWAR-UL-ISLAM Model won 3-0. A College retained the title Owotade got a goal and in the boys’ category with Adeneye hit a brace, making Ansar-ud-Deen Girls High School, Itire, winning the girls’ crown in the final games of the GTBank Heritage Cup held at the weekend. To become winners of the Season 2 GTBank Heritage Cup, Anwar-ul-Islam beat King’s College, while Ansarud-Deen thrashed Methodist Girls’ Grammar School in their respective finals. In the first match of the day, where Ansar-ud-Deen Girls beat Methodist Girls in a one-sided encounter, Faidat Owotade and Faidat Adeneye turned out to be tormentors-in-chief on the pitch as they kept the Methodist Girls’ defence and goalkeeper busy throughout the encounter until they

her the highest scoring girl in the tournament with six goals. The team won the competition with an unbeaten run, scoring 14 goals and conceding nothing. It was a similar ending in the boys’ category, as Anwarul-Islam Model College came from a goal down to beat King’s College 3-1. King’s College’s goal, which came via Khalid Bello from the penalty spot in the opening 10 minutes, woke Anwarul-Islam from their slumber as they appeared to have underrated their opponents. The response was immediate, but what could have been an equaliser two minutes later via a penalty was stopped by the agile King’s College goal tender.

THE GUARDIAN, Tuesday, June 4, 2013

78 SPORTS

Wenger admits Rooney interest RSENAl boss, Arsene bridge the gap between him A Wenger has admitted his and Rooney. If that is feasible or interest in signing unsettled Manchester United striker, Wayne Rooney. Rooney’s future at Old Trafford is shrouded in doubt with the player requesting a move and United insisting the England international is not for sale. A whole host of clubs, including Arsenal, have been linked with a move for Rooney and Wenger admits no club would turn down the chance to sign the England international and that he would be keeping a close eye on his situation at Old Trafford. “Rooney could be an interesting player for everybody in the world, who would turn him down?” Wenger told Al Jazeera. “David Moyes’ first challenge is to go in to Manchester and

not depends on his personality and if Rooney bears a grudge or not, we will see. It will be interesting to see how that will be handled.” Meanwhile, Wenger also admitted he gave his thoughts on former Arsenal Captain, Cesc Fabregas feeling the player is struggling at not being a regular in the Barcelona side this season. Fabregas has been linked with a move back to the Premier League with Manchester United and Wenger believes the midfielder is lacking confidence at not playing regularly. “I think at the moment he’s lacking the confidence of being a regular player,” added Wenger. “Recently he has not Rooney been that.

Mourinho brings special magic back to Chelsea HELSEA welcomed back C fan favourite Jose Mourinho, their ‘Special One’, as manager for the second time on a four-year contract on Monday. The Portuguese, who left Real Madrid last weekend, won the 2005 and 2006 Premier League titles in his first spell with the west London club but departed in 2007 after falling out with billionaire owner, yesterday. “I am delighted to welcome Jose back to Chelsea. His continued success, drive and ambition made him the outstanding candidate,” said Chief Executive, Ron Gourlay in a club statement. “It is our aim to keep the club moving forward to achieve greater success in the future and Jose is our number one choice as we believe he is the right manager to do just that. “He was and remains a hugely popular figure at the club and everyone here looks forward to working with him

again.” The news was an open secret long before Mourinho told a Spanish TV soccer show on Sunday that he hoped to take charge at Chelsea by the end of the week. “I feel the people there love me and in life you have to look for that,” said the 50year-old, who first joined Chelsea in 2004 and ended their 50-year wait for a top flight title as well as winning the FA Cup in 2007 and the League Cup twice. “Life is beautiful and short and you must look for what you think is best for you,” added Mourinho, who has also enjoyed successful spells as coach of Porto and Inter Milan, winning the Champions League with both. Mourinho ended his threeyear reign at Real Madrid with a 4-2 home La Liga victory over Osasuna at the weekend. He won the Spanish title in 2012 but left after a difficult season with no major trophies. Mourinho will be accompanied by three staff - Rui Faria, Silvino Louro and Jose Morais - as assistant first team coaches working alongside current first team staff Steve Holland, Christophe Lollichon and Chris Jones. Chelsea said he would be officially presented at a news conference at Stamford Bridge on Monday, June 10. The news was welcomed by Chelsea fans, pining for his return ever since 2007 despite the club’s success in winning the Champions League under Italian Roberto Di Matteo in 2012. The November appointment of unpopular former Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez as interim coach, in place of the sacked Di Matteo, only increased the clamour for Mourinho.

Roma confirms Stekelenburg deal OMA’S Sporting Director, R Franco Baldini has confirmed that he has concluded a deal with Fulham for Maarten Stekelenburg. Fulham has long been linked with the Dutch international keeper, who almost joined the club in January. The deal failed to materialise on deadline day, but now Martin Jol has got his man with the Cottagers reportedly set to pay just over £4million for the 30-year-old. Baldini, who is being strongly tipped to become Tottenham’s new technical director, revealed he was in England last week to seal a deal with Fulham. “I went to London for the sale of Stekelenburg at Fulham,” he told he told Corriere dello Sport. “There were questions to be answered, but I closed a deal subject to the usual conditions.” The Italian media claimed Roma already have a new keeper in their sights in the shape of Brazilian international Rafael - currently with Santos. Baldini was also asked about midfield ace Daniele De Rossi who is being strongly linked with a move to Chelsea under Jose Mourinho. But the Roma boss insisted he did not hold talks about the Italian midfield star. “For De Rossi, I have not done anything and I can not say anything,” he added.

THE GUARDIAN, Tuesday, June 4, 2013

TheGuardian

Tuesday, June 4, 2013

Conscience, Nurtured by Truth

By Tosin Makinde NE area of disputes among employers of O labour and even successful entrepreneurs who have been able to combine academic prowess with intellectual sagacity is the quality and calibre of graduates being produced by Nigeria‘s institutions of higher learning. For many, it is appropriate for them to doubt the quality of these graduates who are unfortunately victims of the rot in the nation’s academic sphere - a sphere filled with self-centered administrators, lackadaisical lecturers, and confused students. Based on the present scenario, can we say those who doubt the capability and efficiency of graduates from our higher institutions, whether they are products of universities, polytechnics or colleges of education, are wrong? I have the privilege of attending a polytechnic and a university. This helped to facilitate for me the cultivation of a close relationship with students, lecturers and administrators in order to understand the internal workings of the system in higher institutions. I must confess the system is not encouraging. In the higher institutions, you get to see students who find it difficult to read for one hour except it is a week before examination. They spend all their time in pursuit of pleasure. Ironically, they pass very well especially finding uncritical endorsement by lecturers that promote cramming otherwise known as ‘craminology.’ It is the act of reading to pass examinations only, and not reading for self-development and upliftment. To those lecturers if you are not one of those who read for self-development, you are on your own. You get to see students for whom writing a two-page essay is an arduous task. You see final-year students who, instead of painstakingly going to the field and doing their research for their final year project, would rather go to a library, pick up copies of a completed research project by past graduates and copy them verbatim. They then turn them in as their own. Of course, the lecturers who are supposed to judiciously supervise these works turn a blind eye as result of their own lackadaisical attitude and for gratification, ranging from a bottle of wine, recharge cards, clothes, shoes to body gratitude. With these and other forms of unofficial incentives, the lecturers would gladly give such students an ‘A’ grade. In Nigeria’s higher institutions, reading for self-development and intellectual upliftment is like a waste of time. The most important thing our lecturers and administrators ingrain in our minds is —read to pass. What do we think the result would be after graduation? How do we put into use what we have not been taught or even if taught, in school since we did not read for self-development, and by extension, not for future benefits, but for temporary gain? Many of the students do not know how to use the Internet to do research and get more information on their course of study. I did that in my polytechnic and university days and many of my colleagues were wont to sneeringly call me names such as the ‘internet man.’ This often baffled me into wondering whether, as student seeking information for broader knowledge, it was wrong to use the Internet to expand what I was being taught. From the lecturers one would rightly expect refuge and encouragement, but they contemptuously question the source of your new information on a course they thought themselves authorities because it was the course they had taught for years. They were a species of lecturers who knew next to nothing about the computer world. Sadly, these lecturers were meant to entrench in our hearts the values of selflessness and intellectual pursuit that would turn us into nation builders and promoters of social ethics that any nation would be proud of. Instead, they were content with promoting and churning out graduates that didn’t even know what their roles and contribution to the development of the society were. What an average Nigerian graduate usually thinks of after leaving the school is how to get a job, have a family and be successful in his career. Hardly do they think of how they can use what they have learnt in school for the development of their society. They are oblivious of the fact that, largely, the negative development of a society will be tantamount to all round adverse development extending to individuals. Many lecturers who, themselves are either pursuing their PhD or doing one business or another, would tell you they are busy and that they have little time for you. They won’t come to class regularly; some come a week before exams. What such lecturers do is to load the students with textual materials to read for

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Nigeria’s higher institutions and their shortcomings

Minister of Education, Prof. Ruqayyatu Ahmed Rufa’i

their examinations. No one can finish these materials in one week. How do you expect the students to understand that course? Some lecturers would tell students to their faces that they couldn’t have an ‘A’ in their course. Surprisingly, they carry out their threats, thus destroying student grades with Cs and Ds and Es. In our institutions, you find lecturers who do not have a good knowledge of what they are teaching. They are clearly lecturers who do not update themselves in this world of information technology which is within reach of everyone. I have had cause to raise issues with lecturers in my polytechnic and university days over what I discov-

ered was misinformation by them. Take for example, in the university, Joseph Ki-zerbo, one of the greatest African philosophers of the 1950s and 1960s, was from Burkina Faso but my lecturer, Head of Department (HOD) for that matter, said he was from Tanzania. My lecturer closed every opportunity to bring this to his attention. My fellow students were quick to pull my ears admonishingly that if I wanted to pass my exams I should just let him be. The same lecturer would come to class and exhibit his ignorance of biblical history. Another lecturer, now a PhD holder, did not understand what Pacific Peace means, things which are there for the checking in the

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Internet. Some of the lecturers do not know how to use the computer for their work, in this day and age. They take pleasure in asking students to come and type their PhD thesis or journals for them. Who will not jump at such an offer if you want to pass and pass very well? Of course, we all have heard of adulterous acts perpetuated by lecturers. What is degrading is that even when the ladies yield to sexual harassment they are not given anything beyond Es and Ds, what we call ‘let my people go’ grades, just what would not make them carry over a course. It is also in the university you get to see lecturers that confuse students about what they want from them to pass their course. Some lecturers would tell students to write short sentences and some would prefer long well-written ones. A lecturer would say, “if I ask what is...? I expect you to just list and if I say ‘list’ just itemise.” You wonder when the question ‘what is so and so and list so and so’ could give the same answer. Supervising long essays of final year students is a pathetic case. Some of the lecturers who are supervisors would not read the work of their students. When they do, they treat the work shabbily. Condemning the work, they either ask the students to re-do it or choose another topic after holding on to the work for a long time, thus delaying such students. I had witnessed where a lecturer within one hour read the long essays of all his 15 students at a go! How on earth was he going to see the mistakes and errors in 15 long essays with a minimum of 40 pages within one hour? It is pathetic. Not only do our lecturers need a refresher course on their role as sources of inspiration and encouragement to students, they also need to get themselves updated. Seriously, come to think of it, you come away with the impression that many of them have degraded themselves such that they are no better than Mr. Sham, the NSCDC man (the ‘my oga at the top fame’). For administrators of our Ivory Towers - politics, ineptitude, incompetence, lack of foresight, corruption and favoritism are what define their nature. Despite repeated outcry to them to keep the sanctity of the university, it has only gone worse. We all know of the regular industrial disputes resulting in strikes which our higher institutions must pass through every session. The consequence is that many universities are just into a new session. Many of the departments and units in these institutions are filled with people who do not have anything called post-secondary school education. Working as non-academic staff they specialise in treating students shabbily out of, presumably, jealousy and fear that the students of today could be their bosses of tomorrow, better educated, more qualified with wider opportunities beckoning at them. One of the biggest headaches of higher institutions in this country that the government has taken for granted is the Non-Academic Staff Union (NASU) members. NASU members as less academically qualified as they may be can hold a school to ransom, and they did so on many occasions during my university and polytechnic days. The story is the same in other institutions which I followed. They are the secretaries that would refuse to paste results; they are the ones that would give you your admission forms; they are the ones who would compute your CGPA; they are the ones that would give you your ID card whether it is your picture that is there or not. In one way or another they could determine the fate of your studentship in more ways than one, hence, they prove it to any students that comes their way that they are powerful. And powerful they really are. For example, students are asked to fetch water to clean the toilet at the academic affairs unit before they can be allowed to do their final admission clearance. Similarly, they are sometimes required to fetch water to clean the toilet at a university health centre before they are allowed to do their medical clearance. If the shortcomings are allowed to continue this way what then is the future of our great nation? Revolutions are known to have started from universities and colleges in time past, with students unrelentingly pushing for change in the society. The students of those times read, not for academic purposes only, but to improve their intellectual and mental ability, to develop and equip themselves for the improvement, and more for the greater good of their country. That should be the story in our higher institution for us to move away from this era of ‘There was a Country’ to ‘There is a Country’. • Makinde is a development worker and project coordinator of Real Impact for Development Initiatives (RIDI).