Fri 16 May 2014 by The Guardian Newspaper

TheGuardian Conscience, Nurtured by Truth Friday, May 16, 2014

Vol. 30, No. 12,923

www.ngrguardiannews.com

N150

Northern leaders, others oppose extension of emergency rule From Saxone Akhaine (Kaduna), Madu Onuorah, Azimazi Momoh Jimoh, Bridget Chiedu Onochie, Nkechi Onyedika, Terhemba Daka, John Okeke, Kanayo Umeh, Joke Falaju (Abuja), Tunde Oyedoyin (London), Tunde Akinola (Lagos), Njadvara Musa (Maiduguri) and Murtala Mohammed (Kano) ORTHERN leaders, the N National Conference Committee on Security and Islamic scholar, Sheikh Abubakar Muhmud Gumi, have opposed the plan by the Federal Government to extend emergency rule in Adamawa, Borno, Yobe states, saying that such an ac-

tion would further bring more hardship to the people rather than crush insurgency. The Senate yesterday disclosed that it would continue discussions on President Goodluck Jonathan’s request for the extension of emergency rule when they recon-

• UN pledges help to free abducted pupils, protests rage • ‘Why Nigerians should back govt to tackle terrorism’ • Jonathan may visit Chibok, GOC removed, replaced • ‘54 churches destroyed, 2,023 Christians killed, orphaned’ vene Tuesday next week. Jonathan will today visit Chibok village from where more than 200 school girls were abducted a month ago by Islamist rebel group Boko Haram, according to agency reports yesterday. It will be

Jonathan’s first visit since the kidnappings to Chibok village, epicentre of a growing international effort to rescue the girls. Officials said he would also be at a regional security summit in Paris where Boko Haram will be discussed.

Besides, heads of the Armed Forces yesterday met the Presidential Fact-finding Committee on the abduction of the Chibok schoolgirls, noting that, by its terms of reference, it would help reveal to the world an accurate

account of the mass kidnap. In the same vein, the United Nations (UN) has reiterated its commitment to the release of the girls, according to the Special Representative of the Secretary General for West Africa, Said Djinnit, as global outrage continued over the abduction. Former Ghanaian President John Kufuor, wife of the late South Africa President Nelson Mandela, Graca, NigerCONTINUED ON PAGE 2

Suspected arsonists bomb ex-governor Ohakim’s house -Page 3

Lassa fever kills 25 people In Ebonyi - Page 3 Appeal Court says Ibori has case to answer - Page 4

A young South African student at a primary school in Durban writes a message on a paper sheet reading ‘‘Be a Man Boko Haram, Bring Back Our Girls!” during a ‘‘BringBackOurGirls” school project calling for the immediate release of over 200 abducted Nigerian school girls, in Durban, yesterday. Several protests are being held worldwide over the abduction of the girls by members of the Islamist Boko Haram group in mid-April and to call for their liberation. PHOTO: AFP

Fashola, Tinubu, Akiolu, others laud ‘selfless’ ex-civil servant, Ambode - Page 5

Path to Nigeria’s development, by Ade Ajayi By Kabir Alabi Garba, Iyabo Lawal and Najeem Raheem ESS than two weeks to his Ltorian 85 birthday, eminent hisand former Vice Chanth

cellor, University of Lagos (UNILAG), Prof. Jacob Festus Ade Ajayi, takes a panoramic view of the country and declares, “Nigeria’s problems are deep and complex.” But the way forward, he says,

lies in “a continuing dialogue between society’s collective memory and the present.” This interaction, he insists, “ought to be dialectic. But where collective memory is deficient or defective, contemporary society runs the risk of losing its guiding compass. There has been a disturbing tendency for the Nigerian society to downgrade or even to ignore

its past. We need to look through the rearview mirror of history in order to learn the right lessons and chart a meaningful way forward as a nation.” The great historian spoke this week at his Bodija, Ibadan home in a special interview with The Guardian as a prelude to the 85th birthday due on April 26. Ajayi was born on April 26, 1929.

The ceremony will kick off at the Conference Centre, University of Ibadan on May 21, 2014 with a roundtable on the development of “Africa/Nigeria Historiography and the Role of Prof. J.F. Ade-Ajayi.” The Organisation for Historical Research in Nigeria is planning the roundtable featuring emeritus Prof. Michael Omolewa as guest speaker.

On May 26, the actual anniversary date, the compendium, J.F. Ade Ajayi: Life and Career authored by scholars and intellectuals will be presented together with a birthday lecture to be delivered by Prof. Olatunji Dare. Although old age appears to have taken its toll on the erudite scholar as his pace of response is slow, he displayed mental alertness in the

course of the 33-minute interview as shown in his knowledge of happenings at national and global levels. In what appears like a tacit approval of the ongoing national conference, he says all nationalities in the country should continue to dialogue: “What does each one want? Do they desire to continue staying together and CONTINUED ON PAGE 2

THE GUARDIAN www.ngrguardiannews.com

Friday, May 16, 2014

Path to Nigeria’s development, by Ade Ajayi CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 on what terms? It makes no sense to sweep grave problems under the carpet and pretend that all is well.” Ajayi does not subscribe to blaming our colonial masters for “Nigeria’s woes. Whatever mistakes they (British) committed should have been rectified by us long ago. But do we have a modernising elite, a visionary elite? What about the persistent inclination of

Nigerians themselves to lionize and play the sycophant to those whom we appoint to leadership? What about the persistent denigration of our history and traditional culture?” And to critics who have continued to describe the amalgamation of Northern and Southern protectorates in 1914 as a ‘mistake’, the historian has a different view, saying: “What people tend to forget is that the Nigerian people had been interacting

peacefully for centuries before the Europeans arrived in the 15th century on the Atlantic Coast. Why do people speak as if we were total strangers to each other before Sir George Taubman Goldie and Lord Luggard came here? I find it strange. One of the projects I scripted and presented with the NTA which is yet to see the light of day – “Nigeria: Portrait of a Culture” – saw me travel with a film crew to all the nooks and crannies of Nigeria and interview many of our traditional rulers, showcase the culture and lifestyle of the various ethnic groups in an attempt to demonstrate that the people of Nigeria have

much more in common than we give ourselves credit for.” Reminiscing on his growing up years, he identifies “integrity and morality” as two core values of the Yoruba nationality “which have virtually disappeared from our society today.” He notes further: “When I was growing up, the farmer would leave his produce unattended and come back to meet payment for goods bought, without any fear of thieves. Each community had its own inherent sanctions and people seemed more God-fearing than they do today despite the proliferation of churches and mosques. We have replaced

our ancient traditional values with the new gods of materialism and Western liberalism. My question is, can these new foreign gods take us far?” He decries the insecurity in the nation, lamenting that the “global scourge of terrorism has a particularly virulent and heartless expression in the Boko Haram in northern Nigeria. There needs to be a more concerted effort to address security issues in northern Nigeria.” According to Ajayi: “It is difficult, if not futile, to attempt to find the fundamental cause of the bloodshed in the far North. The obvious task at

hand is to end it. However, is the national leadership sufficiently aware of the seriousness of the situation? Hopefully, we don’t have any Emperor Nero in our midst,” he says, adding: “My sober view is that government played with the problem for far too long, until it seems to have become monstrous and unmanageable.” And for peaceful general elections in 2015, the octogenarian simply says: “This country needs prayers to survive.” Almost 36 years after his disengagement as VC of UNILAG, Ajayi attempts a clarification of circumstances that led to his forced resignation.

Jonathan may visit Chibok, Paris today, GOC removed, replaced CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 ian Women in Diaspora Leadership Forum (NWDLF) and Oxfam have called for their unconditional release. Also, a group, the Transformation Ambassadors of Nigeria (TAN), has called on all to support the government and security agencies to address the scourge of terrorism. Meanwhile, the Federal Government has said that the process for the extradition of Sadiq Ogwuche, one of the masterminds of the first Nyanya bombing, was ongoing. The northern leadders, under the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), in a statement by its Secretary General an former military administrator of Kebbi State, Col. John Ubah (rtd), in Kaduna yesterday at the end of a meeting, said: “We caution that the request before the National Assembly to approve the extension of the year-long state of emergency declared in Borno, Yobe and Adamawa States, be considered against its impact so far, which can only be described as disastrous. “Before the State of Emergency was declared in the three states, between 2009 and 2012, the total causalities arising from insurgency were less than 1,500. But this figure skyrocketed to over 2,700 during the one year of emergency rule, according to figures released by Amnesty International. “During the emergency rule, Boko Haram had attacked and destroyed large swathe of areas in the North east, including 18 towns and cities not counting schools, mosques and churches. “It is not clear to the public why violence has been escalating since the imposition of the state of emergency on those three states. If we counsel against the continuation of the emergency rule, we are only being guided by our ugly experiences thus far.” Addressing reporters yesterday in Abuja, the Co-Chairman of the National Security Committee and former Inspector General of Police (IGP), Alhaji Mohammadu Gambo Jimeta, who spoke on behalf of his panel, said the state of emergency imposed in the area has outlived its usefulness. Senator Ahmed Lawan, Yobe North, also dismissed insinuations by the Federal Government that extending emergency rule in the three States, was the best option to tackle insurgency. Lawan, who spoke after the

closed-door session maintained that records have shown that insurgency is not tackled within three to five years. According to him, addressing such problems require revision of necessary resources and manpower other than perpetual emergency rule. Gumi, in a statement yesterday, said emergency rule was “only useful in aiding the concealment of crimes and the continued suppression of the populace.” The Senate’s decision was disclosed at the end of a marathon session between the upper chamber and the service chiefs, during which vital information regarding the operations and performance of the military in the three states were given by the service chiefs. Deputy President of the Senate, Ike Ekweremadu, presided over the meeting. The meeting was attended by the Chief of Defense Staff, Air Marshal Alex Badeh; Chief of Army Staff, Maj. Gen. Kenneth Minimah; Chief of Naval Staff, Rear Admiral Usman Jibrin; Chief of Air Staff, Air Vice Marshall Adesola Amosu, Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Abubakar as well as the Director, State Security Services, Mr. Ekpeyong Nsah. Also, Minimah has removed Maj. Gen. Ahmadu Mohammed, General Officer Commanding (GOC), 7 Division of the Nigerian Army with headquarters at the Boko Haram enclave of Maiduguri, Borno State. Brig.-Gen. N.Y. Ibrahim replaces Mohammed, though in an acting capacity. Mohammed, who took over the Army’s newest Division in January this year, was addressing his troops yesterday when soldiers fired into the air to protest the death of four soldiers in an ambush on their way back from Chibok, where they have gone for operation. He has engendered great resentment by the soldiers because of his leadership style. Already, a probe panel into the incident is in Maiduguri. The incident, which took place at the Maimalari Cantonment base of the 7 Division headquarters, marked the first time Nigerian soldiers would openly shoot into the air as a mark of protest over decisions of superior officers. Army spokesman, Brig.-Gen. Olajide Laleye confirmed but did not give official reasons for the change, although sources say it was to give the Board of Inquiry the freedom to do the job

without interference. Director of Defence Information, Maj-Gen. Chris Olukolade said at a press briefing in Maiduguri yesterday that Wednesday’s incident did not affect the morale of soldiers and officers in the ongoing counter-insurgency military operations. He also maintained that the GOC was not shot by the protesting soldiers as reported, adding that he had gone to the barrack after the evacuation of the remains of the slain soldiers at the scene of the Boko Haram attack to the hospital morgue. “A successor will soon come here to Maiduguri; but for now, there is an acting GOC in the division,” he added. The 7 Division, established in August last year, has already had three substantive GOCs. The Service Chiefs spoke when members of the Fact-finding Committee held an intensive interaction with the top brass of the military in Abuja on Wednesday. A statement by the spokesperson for the Presidential Factfinding Committee, Kingsley Osadolor yesterday in Abuja noted that Badeh who thanked members of the Committee for taking on the assignment said, “It will give us respite if you are able to get to the root of all that has happened.” The All Progressives Congress (APC) urged the Federal Government to immediately stop the discordant tunes emanating from the highest echelons of government and speak with one voice on issues concerning the ongoing efforts to find and rescue the girls. In a statement in Abuja yesterday by its Interim National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the party said the conflicting statements credited to top government officials over the conditions given by Boko Haram for releasing the girls were totally unwarranted and could send the wrong signal to the insurgents and hinder the efforts to ensure the safe return of the girls. It said the government must designate a spokesman, be it the Minister of Information or whoever it deems fit, to be responsible for daily relaying to the public any relevant information concerning the search for the missing girls, instead of allowing a cacophony of voices on the issue. The Catholic Social Communications Directorate (CSCD) of Maiduguri Diocese yesterday said that between 2009 and March 2014, 54 churches were destroyed with the killings of

523 Christians, while 90, 000 others were displaced with over 1, 500 orphans as a result of insurgency. TAN said the insurgency ravaging the country could only be solved by all citizens in a concerted manner, by cooperating with the president and jettisoning political affiliations. A statement by the group’s secretariat yesterday said even if the country deployed the services of the best security experts from anywhere in the world, if the school, the Chibok community, Borno State government as well as all politicians irrespective of party affiliations are not cooperating, nothing would be achieved. It added: “The Chibok girls’ abduction issue is unfortunate but we are seeing the effect of years of neglect rearing its ugly head now. How can we blame this president for things that took its root more than 50 years ago, shortly after independence? “You may not agree with but our police and military are of the best stock worldwide. If not, how do you explain the medals and laurels they win when they go for international operations? Terrorists anywhere in the world are hard to contain but can be managed from wrecking further havocs. “The Irish Republican Army (IRA) are still there despite concerted efforts to eliminate them, so also are the AlShabab, al-Qaeda and so on. Despite all efforts of the United States and other western powers, bombs still go off every day in Afghanistan and Iraq. Are we saying that these world powers and the home governments are not doing enough? No. So, how can you blame our president? “That is why those advanced countries are always able to achieve success, not by playing the blame game as we have here. Intelligence gathering is not only through gadgets but people cooperation. It is easy to put the blame on the doorstep of the president, but what have the school, the Chibok community, the Borno State government and other people done to put us in this situation? And what have we as individuals done to stem the tide? Why must it be the President that carries the blame? All is not lost, we must all come together to assist government.”

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Friday, May 16, 2014 | 3

News Federal, states, councils share N634.7b for April From Mathias Okwe and Anthony Otaru, Abuja HE Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) has shared the sum of N634.721 billion to the Federal Government, States and Local Government as revenue for April. A breakdown of the distribution shows that the Federal Government received N249.060 billion, representing 53/68 percent, states got N126.327billion, representing 26.72percent while Local governments received N97.392 billion representing 20.5percent. The Accountant-General of the Federation (AGF), Mr. Jonah Otunla, gave the figures yesterday while briefing newsmen in Abuja on the outcome of the April FAAC meeting. Otunla said: ``The distributable statutory revenue for the month is N533.746 billion, which is less than the N534.907 billion that was shared for March. Accordingly, the sum of N35.55 billion was proposed for distribution under the SURE-P programme.

Panel to bridge HND, First Degree dichotomy begins work • Minister wants end to ASUP, COEASU strike From Kanayo Umeh, Abuja HE committee set up by the Federal Government to bridge the gap between Higher National Diploma and First Degree yesterday held a strategic meeting with key issues deliberated upon by all stakeholders. In attendance at the meeting chaired by the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Education were representatives of the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP), National Board for Technical Education, National Commission for Colleges of Education (NCCE), National Universities Commission, Federal Ministry of Labour and the Director, Tertiary Education Department of the Federal Ministry of Education.

Govt investigates Kaduna violence From Saxone Akhaine, Northern Bureau Chief RKED by the violence that was unleashed in Kachia town last Sunday, claiming four lives, the Kaduna State Governor Mukhtar Yero has vowed to ensure that anyone found culpable in the crisis is apprehended and punished. Yero, who spoke when he visited victims of the crisis yesterday, said investigation into the cause of the ugly incident has since commenced. He said the government will ensure that persons found to have perpetrated the violence are prosecuted, no matter their status in the society. “Investigation is already on and whoever is found to have a hand in this crisis will face full wrath of the law. I call on people not to try thwarting the course of justice by protecting suspects during arrest.”

60 Nigerian technicians sponsored by Nigeria LNG Limited’s subsidiary, Bonny Gas Transport (BGT) to South Korea for a training on ship construction at the Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI) Technical Education Institute.

Suspected arsonists bomb ex-governor Ohakim’s house From Charles Ogugbuaja, Owerri USPECTED arsonists in the Sgained early hours of yesterday entrance through the roof of the Owerri residence of the immediate past governor of Imo State, Chief Ikedi Ohakim, and reduced some part of the house to rubbles with improvised explosives. Ohakim, who was visibly sad over the incident, conducted some journalists round the destroyed home, accusing his political opponents of masterminding the arson. Ohakim, who alleged the arson might have been perpetrated by his opponents because of his planned declaration on Saturday to run in 2015 elections, said he would not be deterred. Narrating his experience in the saga, Ohakim said he was

informed about the bombing at about 1:30 a.m, by his security details and got to the scene about 6.30 a.m. He stated that his security men had informed him about loud noise which turned out to be in his house he built in 1992 when he was a commissioner in the state, wondering why anyone could do such to him when had not hurt anybody, even as the governor for four years (2007 to 2011). ”That is the only building I have in this Owerri, Imo state. I built it in 1992 when I was a commissioner. Now, I have to knock at peoples’ door before I would sleep in a house. “They said they saw the ceiling opened from outside and some things were thrown in. I don’t know but I leave that to the security people to investi-

gate. I have never assassinated anybody, contrary to their blackmail. What triggered their adrenaline might be my intension to make a political statement on Saturday, but I will not be deterred. This is a state I have served , yet no penny from the government as my pension. Can

you imagine I was sick and my papers I forwarded to them for my entitlement bills was torn?,” Ohakim said. The Police Public Relations Officer in Imo State, Mr. Andrew Enwerem, could not be reached for comment. The Senior Special Assistant (Media) to Governor Rochas

Editors meet in Owerri, to inspect Okorocha’s projects From Charles Ogugbuaja, Owerri OVERNOR Rochas OkoG rocha has expressed happiness and readiness to host editors of newspapers and electronic media under the aegis of Guild of Editors, who are billed to hold their annual conference from Friday, May 16 through Sunday, May 18 in Owweri, Imo State. According to a statement is-

sued by the Imo State government in Owerri on Wednesday and signed by the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Media, Mr. Sam Onwemedo, the governor said the Femi Adesina-led Guild of Editors will use the opportunity to embark on media tour of the state to see the projects being executed by the Okorocha-led administration.

Lassa fever kills 25 people in Ebonyi From Nnamdi Akpa, Abakaliki. HE Nigeria Medical AssociT ation (NMA), Ebonyi State chapter yesterday revealed that no fewer than 25 people have been killed by the deadly Lassa fever in the state. The association said eight doctors, four nurses and five other health workers are feared to have contacted the lassa fever after they participated in operating a pregnant woman at the Federal Teaching Hospital, Abakaliki (FETHA) and have been moved to Edo State for further treatment. According to NMA, the pregnant woman and her baby (names withheld) later died a

• 17 health workers feared affected few days after they were discharged from the hospital. The breakdown, according to NMA, shows that “in 2005, we lost five nurses who died of Lassa fever contracted in the cause of their duty. In 2008, we had six cases and two doctors died in the cause of treating them. In 2011, we had seven cases and two deaths. In 2012, they were 20 cases with six deaths. In 2013, they were 21 cases with eight deaths. In 2014, we have, so far, 18 cases and two deaths.” At a press conference, the state Chairman of NMA, Dr. Chidi Esike, stated that the af-

Okorocha, Mr. Sam Onwuemedo, has dissociated the state government from the bombing. Onwemedo also stated that he was not aware of any bills sent by Ohakim to be paid and was torn into pieces. “I am not aware. What I am aware of now is the building,” he said.

fected medical personnel had been moved to the Specialist Hospital, Irrua, in Edo State for diagnosis and immediate medical attention. According to him, the refusal of the Federal Government to provide a virology centre in the South East geopolitical zone in the face of overwhelming evidence of the need for such has threatened the gains in the health sector. “The sad aspect of this whole saga is that since all these times that this woman and her child were managed with several doctors, nurses and all kinds of health workers ex-

posed to the risk of the deadly Lassa fever virus, we are still suspecting that we have cases of Lassa fever in our land. “Today 15th May, 2014, 17 health workers in the Federal Teaching Hospital, Abakaliki are suspected to be affected by Lassa fever. As we alert our people and health workers about the presence and dangers of Lassa fever, they should take all necessary steps, including covering their food properly to avoid contact with rats, preventing rats from entering their houses and avoid the eating of rat meat in order to prevent Lassa fever,” he said.

It reads in part: “More than 40 editors from various media houses across the nation will be arriving Owerri on Friday for the historic and all important conference. “The editors had chosen Imo State for this year’s conference following the serene and convivial atmosphere enthroned by the people–oriented government of Rochas Okorocha. “The governor, and the government of Imo State accepted to host this year’s Guild of Editors conference because of their respect and high regard for Nigerian journalists and journalism as a profession. “During the editors stay in the state, they will tour Imo to see for themselves some of the landmark projects executed by this administration to enable them know the type of stories they will be believing about the state since seeing is said to believing.” According to the statement, Okorocha, the government and good people of the state welcome the editors in Nigeria to Imo, and promise to give them all the cooperation to make the conference and their stay in the state memorable and successful.”

THE GUARDIAN www.ngrguardiannews.com

4 | NEWS Friday, May 16, 2014

60 Belgian firms for investment in Nigeria From Mathias Okwe, (Assistant Business Editor), Abuja OR the first time in 50 Fworth years, over 60 high netinvestors from Belgium will be storming Nigeria to explore investment opportunities in such areas as power, transport, logistics, agro-allied and health, among others. The expected huge investments in these sectors, should they materialize, would create a lot of employment opportunities and also contribute immensely to the growth of the nation’s economy. While in the country, the investors will network and establish prospective business partners. Their investment exploration is under the auspices of the Nigerian-Belgian Chamber of Commerce and the Belgian Commercial Information and Documentation Centre. According to the Belgian Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr. Dirk Verheyen, who addressed newsmen in Abuja yesterday, the drive stems from the revelation of the great opportunities existing in the country following the

recent rebasing of its Gross Domestic Product (GDP). The development is coming on the heels of a lopsided trade relationship between both countries, in favour of Belgium, which exports to Nigeria as at the end of 2013 stood at N459.165 billion, as against Nigeria’s N16.753 billion. Ambassador Verheyen explained: “Our country is with a total export figure of two billion Euros a year - the third largest European exporter to Nigeria. But it’s time for diversification and for more sustainable structure of our trade. This is why there was such a big response in Belgium when Flanders Investment and Trade, in charge of commercial missions, looked for candidates to come to Nigeria. “Everyone knows that the progress of the GDP in your country has been 7 percent for over a decade. So, more than 60 companies are coming to Lagos from June 1 to 4, 2014. 50 of them will latter that week make the trip to the Federal Capital Abuja; stay here until the 6th.

Confab committee seeks religious commission

Former Secretary-General of the Commonwealth, Chief Emeka Anyaoku (left); Celebrant, Obi of Onitsha (Agbogidi), Nnaemeka Alfred Ugochukwu Achebe; Deputy Speaker, House of Representatives, Emeka Ihedioha, former Governor of Ogun State, Segun Osoba, and former Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Afribank Nigeria Plc, John D. Edozien, at the book launch and 73rd birthday of Obi of Onitsha (Agbogidi) in Lagos. PHOTO: AYODELE ADENIRAN

Students of the University of Benin, flanked by officials of Shell and NNPC pose with the car they produced shortly after it was internationally certified in Rotterdam, Netherlands …yesterday. The car will now compete at the 2014 Eco-Marathon.

End to govt funding of pilgrimages From Karls Tsokar, Abuja CENTRALISED body to adjudicate religious matters in Nigeria has become necessary, just the Federal Government should stop sponsoring individuals to religious pilgrimages, the National Conference Committee on Religious Matters has said. Decision on a central commission to be called Religious Equity Commission was reached yesterday as the committee, like others at the conference, concluded its work. It agreed that the commission would address religious issues and conflicts that might arise and further adjudicate for all religious groups in the country. It was unanimously endorsed by all members. The committee, co-chaired by Nurudeen Lemu and Femi Ajakaiye, so resolved because members held that pilgrimage of any kind, either to Mecca or Israel, is a religious exercise that has to do with personal decisions. A member, Talatu Nadir, had posited that though religion and the state are inseparable, there are other practices or activities allowed by a particular religion that might infringe the sensitivity of other citizens also entitled to protection by the state. Bishop Joseph Bagobiri acknowledged the relationship between the state and religion noted that they are two separate entities, therefore, the state should not interfere, manage, influence or involve itself in religious

affairs, as freedom of religion should be guided by conscience and liberty of practice. Justice Mamman Nasir advised that the state could give support to religious institutions, as “there is a clear distinction between contributing to the development or funding of education and sponsoring individuals to fulfill a religious obligation.” According to Andrew Haruna, in states where one religion dominates, the other is subdued to the point of intimidation, such that “where Muslims dominate, the Christians worship in fear. “The nature of Nigerians is that we are not sincere to ourselves; the total neutrality of the state in the affairs of religion would reduce competition and fighting, especially if there is nothing attractive in it.” Though such issues as funding of religious courts remain unresolved, the agitation that for ecclesiastical courts was voted out, as members argued that it might signal government’s tacit endorsement of the existing gulf between the two religious groups. However, government should provide the enabling environment for worship. Furthermore, Muzzammil Hanga proposed the creation of a social welfare scheme for the religious groups as another form of poverty alleviation, starting with 12 million people, two million from each geo-political zone.

Govt to release broadband spectrum 2015` From Nkechi Onyedika, Abuja S Nigeria intensifies efforts towards a seamless transition from analogue to digital terrestrial broadcasting in 2015, the Federal Government is finalizing arrangements to ensure availability and release of spectrum for broadband deployment after the switchover. Also, it has concluded plans to provide subsidy of up to 6000kms for operators willing to roll out broadband infrastructure in the rural areas between now and next year. Similarly, government is facilitating full rollout by 3g network operators with the potential for immediate transition to 4g/lte as spectrum becomes available. Minister of Communication Technology, Mrs. Omobola Johnson, briefing newsmen in Abuja yesterday on the 2014 World Telecommunication and Information Society Day celebration, said it is expedient for the nation to roll out high-speed broadband networks to make it affordable and a universally accessible tool to fast-track sustainable development. She observed that the transformative benefits of having broadband available to all include improved learning, increased job creation, better community and civic engagement,

Providers in rural areas may get subsidy improved trade and commerce, and a positive impact on the Gross Domestic Product (GDP). According to her, mobile broadband subscription may reach 10 billion by end of decade, while the key objectives of the national broadband plan are to promote pervasive broadband deployment, increase broadband adoption and usage, and ensure availability of broadband services at affordable rates in order to maximize its socio-political and economic benefits to the people. “It is intended over the period of this plan to see more than a five-fold increase in internet and broadband penetration figures as well as

ensure that state capitals and urban cities have metro fibre infrastructure installed,” she noted. “Certain estates and business districts within major cities shall have fibre to the home or premises.” To increase broadband accessibility, she disclosed, the present administration auctioned 30mhz on the 2.3ghz frequency band, with a further arrangement to auction 2.5ghz band frequency spectrum. “The telephone subscriber figure for Nigeria as at the end of February 2013 was 116,601,637 active lines. The four active GSM operators have about 96 percent market share while the three active CDMA operators have the rest,” she said.

“2g mobile coverage is at 98 percent but 3g coverage, which is mostly concentrated in urban areas, is very limited at less than 35 percent. Internet penetration is quoted at 33 percent and broadband penetration is at 6 percent. Though the Internet was first introduced in Nigeria in 1996, no appreciable uptake was recorded until further opening of the market in 2001. “The slow uptake of Internet has been largely attributed to network infrastructure deficiency, among other factors. Nigeria currently boasts primary fibre optic backbone infrastructure presence in all the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory, with most fibre infrastructure concentrated in state capitals and a few urban centers.”

Ibori has case to answer, says Appeal Court From Alemma-Ozioruva Aliu, Benin City THREE-MAN panel of justices at the Benin Division of the Court of Appeal yesterday ruled that former Governor of Delta State, James Onanefe Ibori, currently serving a 13-year jail term in a London prison, has a case to answer. The ruling is coming six years after Justice Marcel Awokulehin of Asaba High Court struck out a 170-count charge of money laundering

brought against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). The judges’ unanimous decision, which set aside Awokulehin’s ruling, was delivered by Justice Ibrahim Saulawa in company of Justices P. M. Ekpe and H. A Barka, who assented. The EFCC had approached the appellate court to set aside the judgment on the grounds that the court erred in law, based on four grounds: That the trial judge

looked at the proof of evidence and evaluated same as if the prosecution had called all its witnesses and trial has been concluded; • That the procedure is by way of summary trial and not trial by indictment or information; and • That the proof of evidence clearly shows a prima facie case has been disclosed against the accused/respondent and that His Lordship erred when he held that no case was disclosed.

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Friday, May 16, 2014 NEWS | 5

Court remands ex-Chevron official over alleged N5b fraud

Police arrest ex-council chairman, others for alleged murder

By Bertram Nwannekanma Lagos High Court sitting in Ikeja yesterday (Thursday) remanded in prison custody, a former accountant with Chevron Nigeria Limited, Mr. Michael Adenuga, over alleged fraudulent conversion of landed property worth N5 billion. The action against Adenuga by the court presided by Justice Sedoten Ogunsanya, was sequel to his arraignment by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on the alleged offence, which he pleaded not guilty. But his counsel, Mr. Ehis Badmus, had pleaded with the court not to remand his client in EFCC custody, as he had already filed a bail application. He further told the court that since Adenuga is diabetic and also suffers from high blood pressure, remanding him in prison could worsen his health. But the judge, in a short ruling, denied the request but rather ordered that both parties return to court on May 21 to argue the bail application. According to the charge, Adenuga alongside his company, Covenant Apartment Complex Limited were alleged to have fraudulently converted a 22.68 hectares of land located in the Lekki area of Lagos. The prosecuting counsel, Mr. Jamiu Musa, alleged that the property, situated at Ayetoro Ikota in Lekki area of Lagos, was jointly owned by Covenant Sugarland Property Development Limited and Messrs Sunday and Joseph Oyeniran.

From Muyiwa Adeyemi, Ado Ekiti FORMER local council chairman in Ekiti State and two members of the Oodua People’s Congress (OPC) have been arrested by the police for alleged involvement in the murder of a suspected kidnapper, Mr. Benjamin Akpan. The victim set ablaze on Sunday in Ikere Ekiti by irate mob for alleged possession of materials suspected to be human parts. The Police Public Relations Officer, Mr. Victor Babayemi, who disclosed this on Thursday, said preliminary investigations revealed that the ex-council boss allegedly instigated the youth of the town to committing the act. He added that the alleged culprits will be charged for murder to serve as deterrent to others.

Oba of Lagos, Rilwan Akiolu (third right);Mr. Ambode (middle) and others, during the book launch…yesterday

Fashola, Tinubu, Akiolu, others laud ‘selfless’ Lagos ex-civil servant, Ambode By Seye Olumide AGOS traditional rulers, led by the Oba of Lagos, Rilwanu Akiolu 1, and the leadership of the Lagos State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) have endorsed the state’s former Accountant-General, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode, to succeed the incumbent Governor Babatunde Fashola in 2015. Though the party has neither held its primary election nor come up with any official statement of the endorsement, Oba Akiolu, who spoke in Lagos yesterday at the launch of the book, A Biography of Akinwunmi Ambode, by

Marina Osoba, hinted on the preferred choice. “I am not in the business of hide and seek, neither will I be part of political scheming,” he declared. “Myself, other traditional rulers and some notable elders have met and decided that Ambode should be the next governor of Lagos.” Appealing to other aspirants to accept their decision in good faith and wait for their turn, the monarch said: “I am not a politician and there is no need to deceive ourselves by pretending. We are launching a book, the party can go and hold its primary but as for the traditional

rulers, who are the custodians of grassroots politics, Ambode has been endorsed to take the mantle of governorship in 2015.” Fashola, who was represented at the event by the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Mrs. Oluranti Adedoyin, gave a veiled endorsement when he described Ambode as a successful administrator and an overall public servant, who has demonstrated exemplary quality of leadership. According to him, “it would be rare to ascribe the type of quality ascribed to Ambode to just anybody.” Similarly, APC leader and former governor

of the state, Bola Tinubu, who was represented by the former Attorney-General of the state, Mr. Fola Arthur Worrey, said he recognised the quality of a good accountant-general in Ambode, who “has a character of good public servant and quality leadership.” Akiolu further said: “You in the party will elect governor, but the traditional rulers led delegations to me concerning who would be the next governor of Lagos and I told them to relax. I have consulted with elders and who-is-who in the state and they have agreed and said Ambode should be the next governor.” Referring to the stiff opposi-

tion Tinubu encountered when he first showcased Fashola’s candidacy in 2007, Akiolu said: “Today, we are all witnesses to the great and marvelous development Fashola has brought to the state by placing it as first among the 36 states of the federation; there is need for us to give this choice a benefit of doubt.” In his remark, Ambode said he served under Tinubu and Fashola and “there is no room for failure with them,” adding that the letter of recommendation given him by Fashola after his exit from service was his “gold medal” for serving in the state’s public service.

TheGuardian on Saturday

COVER Abducted Schoolgirls: Conscience, Nurtured by Truth

SATURDAY, MAY 17, 2014

Should The Government Negotiate With The Boko Haram Sect Members or Not? HE federal government has assured that it would do anything posT sible to secure the release of the abducted Chibok schoolgirls and ruled out swapping the girls for detained sect members. While some Nigerians support the government’s position, others call for a carrot and stick approach.

POLITICS

LDER statesman and former Aviation Minister in the First Republic, Chief Mbazulike Amechi, speaks on the Boko Haram insurgency, next year’s general election, the National Conference and other issues.

Ekiti Election S the governorship A election holds in Ekiti State next month, the camps of Governor Kayode Fayemi of the All Progressive Congress (APC) and former governor, Mr. Ayo Fayose, square up for the poll.

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Seven important things you and your partner should know about relationship. These and more in The Guardian tomorrow. Grab your copy

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6 | NEWS Friday, May 16, 2014

EKITI 2014

Fayemi

Fayose

Bamidele

Bamidele denies copying governor’s programmes Stories by Muyiwa Adeyemi (Ado Ekiti) HE labour Party (lP) governorship candidate in Ekiti State, Opeyemi Bamidele has dismissed the allegation from All Progressive Congress (APC) that he is copying the programmes of its candidate, Dr. Kayode Fayemi. In a statement in Ado Ekiti by

Ahmed Salami, his media aide, Bamidele said he would invite the APC while officially unveiling his manifesto to confirm whether the allegation was true or spurious. Bamidele stated that he has nothing to copy in Fayemi’s eight-point agenda; a manifesto he said had brought colossal damage to the econo-

my of the state. He said, “Our attention has been drawn to a recent media comment made by the Ekiti State chapter of APC amounting to an unfounded allegation that my party copied the manifestos of the party in the course of our campaign rallies. “While we describe such an

allegation as laughable, watery and baseless; we equally see it as one of the last efforts of a drowning party and its government in Ekiti to remain afloat. “It is also another of its several attempts at evading politics of issues and embracing politics of character assassination which APC is known for.

Group, Fayose disagree over plans for youths SOCIO-POlITICAl-OrGANIA zATION, Ekiti youth Emancipation Movement (EyEM) and the governorship flag bearer of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Mr. Ayodele Fayose have disagreed over his programmes on youth empowerment and job creation. EyEM stated that it was quite unfortunate that Fayose has not deemed it fit to tell Ekiti youth what he has in the pipeline that betters what Governor Kayode Fayemi has offered. The group demanded that he provides a guarantee that he has moved away from the era of tokenism his previous administration was known for. In a statement in Ado Ekiti by its president, Mr. Taiwo Olatunji, and the secretary, Mr. Kunle Adewumi respectively, said the present administration has gainfully involved over 2,000 youths in commercial agriculture, about 17, 000 in youth Volunteer Corps and 3200 by both Ekiti State Teaching Service Commission and the Civil Service Commission. EyEM added that about 500 youth are now having careers in the Ekiti State Traffic Management Agency while 800 have been employed under Ekiti State Peace Corps, among other laudable projects being enjoyed by youths under the Fayemi’s administration. The group accused Fayose and the PDP of being bereft of idea about youth empowerment, saying allowing the party to return to power would further inflict injuries on our youths, who the present government is gainfully employing. EyEM expressed regret that the former Governor still place premium on sharing

peanuts to the youths rather than giving them what can enhance their future advising Fayose to stop misleading the youths by engaging them in violence and thuggery, saying this will further derail their future and expose them to crimes. According to EyEM, “a few okada men who used to follow him around initially deceived Fayose, not knowing those motorcyclists were using him as to feather their nests. EyEM disclosed that the recent opinion polls collated by EkitiPanupo, a coalition of Ekiti indigenes in the academic, private and public sectors had given an honest impression of how the June 21 election will turn out to be. “This poll had foretold that streets parade, noise making and tokenism will not win election in Ekiti State on June 21. So, there is no gainsaying the fact that the gubernatorial election is between the candidates of the APC, Fayemi, and the labour Party (lP), Mr. Opeyemi Bamidele. However, Fayose assured that he has a lot of job creating

agenda to be implemented if elected as the governor. Speaking through his spokesperson Idowu Adelusi, Fayose said, “The programme of planning better future for the Ekiti youth was actually started by Fayose during his last administration. Education being the light and vehicle for the youth to have

better future, Fayose tackled the moribund position of education in Ekiti when he came to the office. Ekiti state was in the 36th position in Nigeria in secondary school public exams as at 2002. But by 2005, during Fayose administration, Ekiti moved to 8th position in WAEC and 7th position in NECO in Nigeria.

“It is also ridiculous for a party that prides itself as ‘the indomitable’ ahead of the June 21 poll to embark on such pettiness and political desperation while governance under its care currently cries of total neglect in the last three years. “To further educate APC and its deluded co-travelers, lP and MOB have not unveiled their manifestos. We admonish APC to exercise patience and wait for our invitation to this event scheduled for a later date at Ado Ekiti before making further claims.” Dispelling the allegation that he is a ‘copy cat’, he urged the APC to return to the academic environment and gain further knowledge in the usage of such a parlance, revealing that twenty four hours after the egg-heads in our party undertook an effortless perusal of the so-called “APC Manifesto”,

PDP will win Ekiti election, says candidate PPArENTly reacting to Tinubu’s comment that he Ado Ekiti on Wednesday. He A allegations by national had planned to rig the elec- asserted that the grand plan leader of the All Progressive of APC was to cause mayhem Congress (APC) Senator Bola Tinubu, Ekiti State Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, former governor Ayo Fayose has denied plans to rig the June 21 governorship election maintaining that he is prepared to win a free and fair election. Fayose also berated the state government for approving to rehabilitate Ero Dam with N1.4b, saying the contract was a conduit plan to finance election. . The PDP candidate, who described as “reckless talk,”

tion, said with the massive support PDP is getting from the people, it is APC that is jittery and planning to subvert people’s will. Fayose said propaganda, name-calling and character assassination have become ways of life of the APC. He said that Tinubu had only revealed publicly what the APC has planned to do knowing fully that it cannot win the June 21 election. Fayose spoke through his spokesman, Mr. Idowu Adelusi in a press statement made available to the press in

before and during the election in Ekiti State so as to discredit election results. Fayose also said that the PDP has uncovered all plans of Ekiti APC to allegedly rig the election, stressing, “one of their strategies is collusion with Ekiti INEC officials and buying of voter’s card from unsuspecting Ekiti people with N2, 000 or N5, 000. “During my campaign tour to rural areas in Ekiti, many people told me that some APC chieftains came to purchase their cards on the

Fayemi urges electorate to collect permanent voters’ cards KITI State Governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi has E implored the electorate who have are yet to collect their permanent voters’ cards to do so as a matter of urgency. Speaking through the Kayode Fayemi Campaign Organisation, the governor revealed that May 21, 2014 has been designated as the last day for the collection and transfer of voter’s cards in the state. recently, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had expressed worries over the high num-

ber of permanent voters’ cards yet to be collected. According to the resident Electoral Commissioner in the state, Alhaji Halilu Pai, only 285, 794 out of the 635,315 permanent voters’ cards have been collected. Spokesman of the Kayode Fayemi Campaign Organisation, Mr. Dimeji Daniels said with the May 21 deadline set by INEC, only a few days is left for those who are yet to collect their cards to do so if they are to exercise their franchise in the June 21 poll.

INEC had declared that people with temporary voters’ cards would not be allowed to vote in the election. The campaign organisation, which stressed that good governance can only be engendered and sustained when citizens perform their civic responsibility such as voting, urged people to collect their permanent voters’ cards (PVCs) to be able to keep their choice in the June 21 governorship election, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, in office for the delivery of more democracy divi-

dends. Meanwhile, ethnic nationalities including the Tivs, Idomas, Igedes and Ebiras in Ikole local Government Area of Ekiti State have pledged their support for the candidacy of Governor Kayode Fayemi in the forthcoming governorship election. The non-indigenes, who trooped out in their large numbers at the All Progressives Congress (APC) rallies held in Oke-Ako, Irele and Ipao communities on Wednesday said they have benefited immensely from the Fayemi administration.

we have concluded that there’s nothing there to copy as being claimed. On the claim that he is not a foundation member of APC, Bamidele said “It is on record that Michael Opeyemi Bamidele was not only a foundation member of ACN that later metamorphosed into APC in Ekiti, but unarguably its major financier in those days of struggle. “For seven years, he contributed both financial and intellectual resources to this party. And we stand to be corrected on this assertion. From the foregoing, it therefore smacks of brinkmanship and recklessness in self-glorification for anyone in today’s APC to accuse same MOB of borrowing ideas from a chapter that can be called his brainchild,” he concluded.

promise to return them but failed to do so. We have lodged complaints at the appropriate quarters and PDP is battle ready to prevent rigging of this poll by whosoever.” . Fayose continued, “it is the ways of life of APC and its leaders to accuse people of what they intend to do. Tinubu is not in tune with reality on ground in Ekiti, he is still living in the past and I am advising him to send a fact-finding team he can trust to Ekiti who will advise him better not to expend his resources on a failed project. “Fayemi has destroyed education, put Ekiti in debt, impoverished Ekiti people through capital flights. Nobody really want to return APC to power in this state. APC is like leprosy to the people. Also, the Director General of the Ayo Fayose Campaign Organisation (AFCO), Chief Dipo Anisulowo, said it was curious that the Fayemi-led government is now awarding contracts worth several billions of naira when election is less than five weeks. The Ekiti State Government had said last week that it approved a N1.375 billion contract for the Turn-Around Maintenance (TAM) of the Ero Dam, Phase 1. .

Friday, May 16, 2014 NEWS | 7

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FG accepts UAE police report on Nigeria boy’s death From John Okeke Abuja N what may likely draw more anger from the family of Oloruntoba Falode, the 19year-old student, who was allegedly killed in Dubai mid February, the Federal Government has accepted the United Arab Emirates police report on the unfortunate incident. Falode was allegedly killed by one Faisal Aldakmary-Nasser, a Saudi boy on February 15th

Two held for operating illegal maritime school in Kogi From John Akubo Lokoja WO suspects linked to the disbanded illegal Nigerian Merchant Seafarers Petroleum Security and Safety Corps training depot in Idah, Kogi State, where dangerous weapons were recovered recently have been apprehended by security agents. According to a statement from the Kogi State Command of the Nigerian Police signed by the Police Public Relations Officer, Emeh Emeka and made available to The Guardian in Lokoja yesterday, the Nigerian Navy Ship Lugard Naval Base Lokoja handed over five suspects in connection with the disbanded institution to them. The statement explained that the suspects were arraigned along with exhibits in connection with a case of criminal conspiracy, impersonation, management/membership of an unlawful society and unlawful possession of arms and ammunition.

this year. In a telephone interview with The Guardian yesterday, Nigeria Ambassador to United Arab Emirates, Ibrahim Auwalu explained that he had received the report of Oloruntoba Oluwadamilola Falode death, a student of SAE Institute, Dubai, UAE. Auwalu said that the police report and forensic investigations carried out on his corpse indicated that Toba died due to the influence of alcohol. He said, “I will start by telling you that the police report said that there was nothing like violence or mark on his body to suggest that there was a physical fight between him and anybody. In both the police and forensic reports there was no mention of violence at all. The reports did not suggest that he had a physical fight with anybody.” “The forensic report carried out in his body indicated that

there was no mark on his body to show he was murdered and the same result shows that there was high level of alcohol content in his body.” According to him, the family of the deceased has received the copies of the police report from Dubai on the death of Toba. He said, “Of course their doctor left behind the request of the family that they would like to have the copies of the police report. And we were able to get both police and forensic reports and made them available to the family.” The envoy blamed the family for failing to take the embassy’s contribution when they were pursuing the case of Toba’s death in Dubai. He noted that he had the copy of the petition to the Foreign Minister, adding that they are waiting for the ministry to react over the matter. “Even now I am reading from

the Internet the letter of the lawyer; Festus Keyamo, who, with the family was said to have visited Dubai last month. Of course they never contacted us, they never sought our assistance or contribution whereas they have my number right from when the incident happened.” “The letter informed us that they were in town. I think one thing I learnt about his letter is that they were in town. Our expectation from them, at least is that they should have called us to let us know so that we could see the possibility of introducing them to a private law firm, a reputable one, which could now advice them on all they could do and they didn’t do so till they left. Because of their stand we could not sell them the idea of the local (UAE) law firm idea, who could assist us and them on the way to go.” Asked whether he has the

copy of the petition, he said “I received my copy of the letter from the one they sent to the foreign ministry on May 7th 2014. They have been putting pressure on the Federal Government to re-open the matter in Dubai.” “And of course we are waiting to receive a reaction from the ministry of Foreign Affairs. Am sure that the ministry of foreign affairs will contact us for the matter so that we can summit our formal correspondence that seek the wish of the family,” he said. He pointed out that the Nigeria embassy was about 150 kilometres from where the student died. He said, “Dubai is the capital city of United Arab Emirate and where the incident happened was 150 kilometres away from my office.” He added “We are also taking counsel from a private lawyer who will guide us on all the

Ijaw mark anniversary of military invasion From Chido Okafor Warri JAWS of Gbaramatu Kingdom, Warri South West council, Delta State, yesterday marked the 5th anniversary of the military invasion of the kingdom by the military joint task force (JTF) The invasion, which was ordered by military authorities on May 15, 2009, following the killing of 12 soldiers including a senior army officer in an ambush by mili-

tants caused the destruction of Okerenkoko and Oporoza communities. Many of the buildings destroyed during the invasion are yet to be rebuilt. Two helicopters, 5 warships, 14 gunboats and 7 thousand troops were allegedly used in the attack. President of the Federated Niger Delta Ijaw Communities (FNDIC), Oboko Bello, at a low-key gathering in Warri, alleged that oil firms such as

Chevron and Shell were masterminds of the invasion. Oboko Bello warned that another crisis over oil related issue is in the offing, again, in Gbaramatu kingdom over land grab for the Federal Government’s Delta Gas City and Export Processing Zone (EPZ). He said, “Again, over oil concerns, not less than 335.554 hectares of Kpokpo/Okpeleama have been acquired for purposes of Escravos Gas Export Port. Consequent

upon this land revocation/quit notice have been served and most local economies have been dislocated and there has been nagging, hunger, and humanitarian crises in the affected communities,” Oboko said. Oboko said what is even more worrisome is that there has been no visible payment as compensation by Government for the land grabbed.

options. As far as the family is concerned the matter is ongoing and of course we have to go by the wish of the family. Therefore, for us too the matter is ongoing. Once the family says that they are not satisfied we continue because we represent Nigerians and their interest.

Electricity workers give govt ultimatum over unpaid pensions From Hendrix Oliomogbe Asaba ORMER employees the Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN) have given the Federal Government a sevenday ultimatum to settle all their gratuities and pension benefit or else they will embark on nationwide protest. Some of the former electricity workers gathered at the local Benin Electricity Distribution Company (BEDC) to protest their plight yesterday. SouthSouth zonal secretary of the union, Engineer Tony Onwubolu bemoaned the death of many of their members who had waited in vain for their entitlements. According to Onwubolu, between 2003 and the privatization of the power sector, payment of the retirement and terminal benefits to the retirees had become discriminatory and inconsistence with familiar rules and regulations in the organization, warning that the resentment by the aggrieved workers may soon snowball to a nationwide protest if their demands are not immediately met.

TheGuardian on Sunday Conscience, Nurtured by Truth

COVER

SUNDAY, MAY 18, 2014

Nigeria On The Brink VERYTHING points at the fact that Nigeria is headed for the precipice. The political environment is troubled, deeply by ethno-religious strife. The economy, despite government’s optimism is shaky, with a huge number of unemployed youths who are not captured in government’s plans, either immediate or long-term. The most troubling of all Nigeria’s headaches is the Boko Haram insurgency and its tendency to foment religious disharmony. The sect is carrying on as if Nigeria were in the middle ages, when life was short and brutish. Who will rescue Nigeria? For now, the only path that appears open to retrace from the brink is the National Confab. Can we therefore count on the ongoing dialogue to safe Nigeria from itself?

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STILL ding-dong between Customs and Clearing Agents over the new automotive policy and its new regime of duties and tariff.

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Friday, May 16, 2014

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PHOTONEWS

Special representative of the Secretary-General for Disaster Risk Reduction, Margaretta Wahlsrom, (left); Director-general, National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Muhammed Sidi, Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Sen. Anyim Pius Anyim and Minister of State for FCT, Olajumoke Akinjide, at the 5th Regional Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction in Abuja. PHOTO: NAN

Territorial Commander, The Salvation Army, Nigerian Territory, Commissioner Mfon Akpan (left); General Secretary/CEO, The Bible Society of Nigeria, Rev. Dare Ajiboye; staff of the United Bible Societies from Norway, Mrs. Konstance Raen and Chief Secretary of The Salvation Army Nigerian Territory, Lt. Col. Godfrey Payne, at a meeting in Lagos… recently PHOTO: THE BIBLE SOCIETY OF NIGERIA

Special Adviser to Lagos State Governor on Public Health, Dr. Yewande Adeshina (left); General Manager/Chief Executive Officer, Lagos State Environmental Protection Agency (LASEPA), Rasheed A. Shabi, Head, Regulatory Affairs, British America Tobacco, West Africa, Sola Dosunmu, and Consultant, Public Health, Yomi Dada, at a one-day Advocacy and Sensitisation Campaign/Stakeholders’ meeting on Non-Smoking Law in Public Places in Lagos;” Towards Cleaner Atmosphere for Healthier Living” in Lagos.

General Manager, Nigerian Stock Exchange, Taba Peterside (left); National Programme Officer-science, UNESCO, Osuji Out, Chairman, Citilodge Hotel and Conference Centre, Olufemi Talabi, and Executive Director, Institute of Communications and Corporate Studies, Lagos, Austin Tam-George, at the opening ceremony of PHOTO; SUNDAY AKINLOLU Tourism Development Foundation in Lagos.

PHOTO: FEMI ADEBESIN-KUTI

Women of Grace Assembly Church pose for a group photograph after a service on the “Bring Back Our Girls,” campaign in Lagos.

Assistant Corps Commander Unit Commander, RS2 17, Ojota Unit Command, Kehinde Hamazat during the (Beyond), Public Enlightenment lecture at Ambassador Taxi Park, Old Toll Gate Ojota in Lagos.

Assistant Governor, Rotary Club of Akowonjo, Rotarian Kemi Popoola (left); Past Assistant Governor, Rotary Club of Akowonjo, Segun Ogunye; Head Teacher, Abati Nursery and Primary School, Mrs Ibe Grace, and President, Rotary Club of Akowonjo, Rotarian Shonubi Taiwo Anthony, at the commissioning of the ten rooms convenience facilities, at Abati & Rauf Aregbesola Nursery and Primary School in Shasha, Lagos.

Lions Felicia Obilo (left); Victoria Edekeme of the Anthony Simons Club; Lion Dolapo Balogun, Lagos Doyen Lions Club; CMD, Eye Foundation Hospital, Dr. Kunle Hassan (in white); receiving cheque from President of the Lagos Doyen Lions Club, Adewunmi Adeyemi-Bero (fourth right); President of the Anthony Village Simons Club, Lion Favour Attah; Lions Tokunbo Aromolaran and Tunde Aromolaran of the Lagos Doyen Lions Club, at the handover of cheque for 1,000 cataract eye surgeries by Lagos Doyen Lions Club and The Anthony Village Simons Club to the Eye Foundation Hospital, Ijebu-Mushin.

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Friday, May 16, 2014 | 9

WorldReport No act of terror can match strength of U.S., says Obama NITED States President, U Barack Obama has praised the new September 11 museum yesterday as “a sacred place of healing and of hope” that captures both the story and the spirit of heroism and helpfulness that followed the attacks. “It’s an honor to join in your memories, to recall and to reflect, but above all to reaffirm the true spirit of 9/11 - love, compassion, sacrifice and to enshrine it forever in the heart of our nation,” he told an audience of victims’ relatives, survivors, rescuers and recovery workers at the ground zero museum’s dedication ceremony. “Like the great wall and bedrock that embrace us today, nothing can ever break us. Nothing can change who we are as Americans.” After viewing some of the exhibits, including a mangled fire truck and a memorial wall with photos of victims, the president touched on some of the many stories of courage amid the chaos: the passengers who stormed a hijacked plane’s cockpit over a Pennsylvania field and first responders who rushed into the burning twin towers. He also honored military members “who have served with honor in more than a decade of war.” He focused especially on the story of Welles Crowther, a 24year-old World Trade Center worker and former volunteer firefighter who became known as “the man in the red ban-

danna” after he led other workers to safety from the trade center’s stricken south tower. He died in the tower’s collapse. One of the red bandannas he made a habit of carrying is in the museum, and Crowther’s mother, Alison, told the audience she hoped it would remind visitors “how people helped each other that day, and that they will be inspired to do the same in ways both big and small. This is the true legacy of Sept. 11.” By her side was Ling Young, one of the people Welles Crowther rescued. “It was very hard for me to come here today,” but she wanted to thank his parents, she said. Before the ceremony, Obama walked quietly through an expansive hall with former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg. First lady Michelle Obama, former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton following behind them. The museum, which commemorates the 2001 terrorist attack, as well as the 1993 World Trade Center bombing, opens to the public on May 21. Reflections from dignitaries including New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, current New York Mayor Bill de Blasio and former Mayor Rudy Giuliani were interspersed with the voices of everyday people caught up in Sept. 11.

People chant slogans as they take part in a protest against the government of the Turkish Prime Minister, in Ankara, yesterday, three days after an explosion and fire at a coal mine in Soma in western Turkey which killed hundreds of workers. PHOTO: AFP

Thousands flee California ‘fire in the sky’ HOUSANDS of people fled T raging wildfires in southern California which on Wednesday destroyed homes and triggered evacuations at a nuclear power plant, a military base and a Legoland amusement park. The blazes, which also closed a major north-south highway, come amid record temperatures in the western US state, where the annual wildfire season typically starts much later in the year. At least 15 buildings have

Thai polls in doubt as attack kills three protesters Bangkok’s Erawan Emergency THAILAND’S election au- sial court ruling has sent tenA thority yesterday called for sions soaring in the Southeast Centre said three people were killed and 23 wounded. July polls to be postponed after three people were killed in a grenade and gun attack on opposition protesters in Bangkok, stoking fears of spiralling violence. The latest wave of bloodshed comes as demonstrators push for the appointment of an unelected premier in a move that has infuriated government supporters. The dismissal of prime minister, Yingluck Shinawatra from office last week in a controver-

Asian nation, which has endured years of political turmoil. Her “Red Shirt” supporters have warned of the threat of civil war if power is handed to an unelected leader. Unknown assailants fired two grenades into a rally camp early Thursday at the Democracy Monument — a stone’s throw from the city’s famed backpacker zone — followed by a burst of gunshots, police said.

Hours later opposition demonstrators stormed a meeting between the government and vote officials, forcing caretaker Prime Minister, Niwattumrong Boonsongpaisan and other ministers to flee. “The election on July 20 is no longer possible. It must be postponed,” Election Commission secretary general, Puchong Nutrawong told AFP after the talks ended in chaos.

been destroyed, including three homes, said Michael Davis, fire chief in the seaside resort of Carlsbad, north of San Diego. “At times it looks like there’s fire in the sky with the wind whipping back and forth,” eyewitness Ryan Marble, waiting in a long line at a gas station to get fuel to evacuate, told The Los Angeles Times newspaper. About a dozen non-essential staff at the San Onofre nuclear power plant were evacuated “as a precaution” due to a nearby brush fire, the plant said on its Twitter feed. Twenty thousand people were asked to evacuate their homes near San Diego on Tuesday night, although the order was later lifted as firefighters got the upper hand

is set to become Egypt’s next head of state, called on the United States to help fight jihadi terrorism to avoid the creation of new Afghanistans in the Middle East. In his first interview with an international news organization in the run-up to the May 26 to 27 vote, Sisi called for the resumption of U.S. military aid, worth $1.3 billion a year, which was partially frozen after a crackdown on the Muslim Brotherhood.

Asked what message he has for U.S. President, Barack Obama, Sisi said: “We are fighting a war against terrorism.” “The Egyptian army is undertaking major operations in the Sinai so it is not transformed into a base for terrorism that will threaten its neighbors and make Egypt unstable. If Egypt is unstable then the entire region is unstable,” said a quietly spoken Sisi, wearing a dark civilian suit. “We need American support to fight terrorism, we need

American equipment to use to combat terrorism.” He said neighboring Libya, which has descended into chaos following the Westernbacked uprising that toppled Muammar Gaddafi, was becoming a major security threat to Egypt with jihadis infiltrating across the border to fight security forces. Sisi said the West must understand that terrorism would reach its doorstep unless it helped eradicate it. “The West has to pay attention to what’s going on in the world - the map of extremism

(brush around) those (threatened) homes, but when you have a wind-driven fire, it makes it very difficult,” said Cal Fire captain Mike Mohler. “This is a very difficult firefight. This is an urban wildland firefight, so it is definitely more difficult than you would see in a more rural setting.” California and other western US states are routinely hit with wildfires during the summer and fall, but blazes have occurred earlier in the year in recent times. Southern California including Los Angeles has been bracing for record temperatures over 100 degrees Fahrenheit (38 degrees Celsius) this week, with authorities opening cooling centers for those otherwise unable to escape the heat.

Brazil’s WWII ‘rubber soldiers’ win compensation RAZIL’S congress adopted a law on Wednesday to compensate workers who say they were never paid properly after being recruited to Amazon rubber plantations to help the Allies during World War II. The Brazilian government

Egypt’s Sisi seeks Washington’s help in fighting terrorism BDEL Fattah al-Sisi, the A general who ousted an elected Islamist president and

on the blaze. But on Wednesday multiple fires erupted, including two at the Camp Pendleton base between Los Angeles and San Diego where a naval weapons station was evacuated, along with military housing and a school. The fire charred brush along the nearby Interstate 5 freeway which runs up and down the West Coast, at one point forcing its closure, although some lanes were later reopened. In nearby Carlsbad fires burned homes, downed power lines and forced evacuations of homeowners, as well as schoolchildren and tourists at the Legoland amusement park. “The city of Carlsbad has done very well in clearing

and its expansion. This map will reach you inevitably,” he said. In a sideswipe at Western policy on Syria, where U.S. and European support for rebels fighting for three years to bring down President Bashar al-Assad has seen a proliferation of jihadism and the fragmentation of the country, Sisi stressed the need to maintain the unity of Syria. “Otherwise we will see another Afghanistan”, he said. “I don’t think you want to create another Afghanistan in the region.”

sent the “rubber soldiers” to work on plantations in the rainforest under a deal signed with the United States after Japan invaded Malaysia in 1941, cutting off the supply of rubber crucial for Allied weapons and vehicles. The conditions were harsh, and close to 20,000 died in the Amazon, said deputy parliament speaker Arlindo Chinaglia, calling the new law a “minimum of justice” for the surviving workers.

Now in their 80s and 90s, some 6,000 of the workers will each get a one-time payment of 25,000 reais ($11,300, 8,200 euros) next year, in addition to the small monthly pensions they already receive. About 7,000 descendants of deceased workers will also qualify. The bill, which was voted through by the senate in April, had been stuck in congressional gridlock for 12 years, according to media giant Globo’s G1 news site.

10 Friday May 16, 2014

THE GUARDIAN www.ngrguardiannews.com

Politics The National Conference Debate

‘Restructure Nigeria for Nigerians to have sense of ownership’ • Corruption, leadership incompetence only symptoms of nation’s problems Pastor Kehinde Osinowo, President of the Christian Foundation, founding Pastor of the Christian Foundation Missionary Church and Solemn Assembly based in Akute, Ogun State, spoke to Debo Oladimeji on the need to restructure Nigeria. IS your interest in praying for Nigeria cloaked in political ambition? don’t have political ambition. I believe it is God’s way for us to pray for our nation. In 1988, that is about 26 years ago, we started the Solemn Assembly. The first Solemn Assembly was held on Saturday, October 1, 1988. And we have been holding it every October 1 and May 1 since that time, to pray for Nigeria. In 2010, we pray that Nigeria would not break, because that was how the Holy Spirit directed us. This year, we are looking at the political and economic restructuring of Nigeria. This focus has come because of the National Conference. In 2012, we focused on rebuilding the foundation of Nigeria. We were praying that there should be a national conference where people can sit down and see the need to restructure this country. We believe that the restructuring is important. I like to thank the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN) for partnering with us. I desire that President Goodluck Jonathan will hear us; and that the Secretary to the Federal Government, Anyim Pius Anyim, Justice Idris Legbo Kutigi and Professor Bolaji Akinyemi and all those coordinating the National Conference will read this. What is your stand on the National Conference? We are saying that although people see corruption and political leadership’s incompetence as problems of Nigeria, they are only symptoms. They are symptoms of a lack of sense of ownership. The core problem of Nigeria is that there is no sense of ownership. An average Nigerian is proud of the great potential of Nigeria and we would want to participate in its realisation. Still, these Nigerians do not have a sense of ownership of this country. We all like Nigeria; we all like to participate in its great potentials but the way we are structured politically and economically alienates us. Therefore, although we desire our nation, and we like her, our hearts are not in her because our treasures are not in her. Jesus said in Matthew 6:21 that for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. President John Kennedy said to the Americans that: don’t ask of what America will do for us, ask of what you will do for America. The average American has a sense that America belongs to him or her, but the average Nigerian does not feel so. Economically, we all feel that we have been robbed of our treasures. The Land Use Act gives the title of the lands we inherited from our ancestors to the state government. Why should it be so? The Nigerian constitution transfers the ownership of the mineral resources in our inherited lands to the Federal Government. Why should it be so? Although we might not have articulated it, we all feel loss of our legitimate inherited posses-

What we need to do is to restructure the country. What does that means? We are saying that we should let our local government take care of the real needs of the people: roads, electricity, power, and education. Let individuals have title over their properties. If you an Ijaw man and you inherited land from your father, why should the Federal Government come and control the oil in that land? When we elect people in our local government, we see them; they will not be able to do what they are doing at the federal level. Even if there are going to be corruption, it will be at a minimal level. I was privileged to be at a prayer meeting in Aso Rock some years ago, and the President said he had observed that if you had somebody at the local government, who was faithful and honest and you brought him to the federal level, he would start stealing. This is because at the local level, the people know you and you feel a sense of belonging. But at the federal level, it is a no man’s land.

Osinowo sions. We all look for ways of taking back some of our stolen possessions. It is very unusual if you find a tribe or community, which will elect a person to state or federal government without the intention to steal money. It is very unusual to find a tribe or regional representative at the Federal Government level, who does not come back with stolen resources and yet, he/she will not be ostracized by the people. We might not have articulated it, but we all feel that we are not safe; we are being stolen. This is why we are all hypocritical about our fight against corruption. We are blaming former President Olusegun Obasanjo and President Goodluck Jonathan for not fighting corruption. If General Muhammadu Buhari (Rtd) becomes president, he cannot fight corruption because corruption is a protest by the average Nigerian. When they give them appointment in their local government and ministry, they are stealing. SO, what is the solution? What we need to do is to restructure the country. What does that means? We are saying that we should let our local government take care of the real needs of the people: roads, electricity, power, and education.

Economically, we all feel that we have been robbed of our treasures. The Land Use Act gives the title of the lands we inherited from our ancestors to the state government. Why should it be so? The Nigerian constitution transfers the ownership of the mineral resources in our inherited lands to the Federal Government. Why should it be so? Although we might not have articulated it, we all feel loss of our legitimate inherited possessions. We all look for ways of taking back some of our stolen possessions. It is very unusual if you find a tribe or community, which will elect a person to state or federal government without the intention to steal money. We might not have articulated it, but we all feel that we are not safe; we are being stolen. This is why we are all hypocritical about our fight against corruption. We are blaming former President Olusegun Obasanjo and President Goodluck Jonathan for not fighting corruption. If General Muhammadu Buhari (Rtd) becomes president, he cannot fight corruption because corruption is a protest by the average Nigerian.

Let our local government take care of them. Let individuals have title over their properties. If you an Ijaw man and you inherited land from your father, why should the Federal Government come and control the oil in that land? If you are a Hausa man or from Jos and you inherited land and there is gold in it, you and your neighbour can have arrangements with anybody to prospect it for export. You sell it, get the money and pay tax to the government. When we elect people in our local government, we see them; they will not be able to do what they are doing at the federal level. Even if there are going to be corruption, it will be at a minimal level. More than that, the people will know them. We will choose our people. You send somebody to Abuja and nobody knows him or her. I was privileged to be at a prayer meeting in Aso Rock some years ago, and the President said he had observed that if you had somebody at the local government, who was faithful and honest and you brought him to the federal level, he will start stealing. This is because at the local level, the people know you and you feel a sense of belonging. But at the federal level, it is a no man’s land. I am saying let us devolve power. How do you expect the Federal Government to provide good education, security, power, and food? They can’t do it. If it’s possible, remove the states and let the power be at the local level. We have 774 local councils; let the National Confab come out with the criteria to determine local councils. If we like, let us have 1,000 local councils (in a state) and the revenue generated by the councils will run them. They will be more homogeneous. Let individuals own their resources. Let them protect their resources. Let them meet at the centre by tax. If they now send our representatives to the centre, they won’t have the money. Now, all the money goes to the centre, and they can steal the money. If we do that, the money at the centre will be too little and there will be nothing to steal, and then, the centre will be less attractive. It will be those who want to make history that will be going there. Economically, let the resources be controlled by

individual owners. Politically, let the country be managed at the level that is closest to individuals. If you like, you meet at the state. As it is now, the local level cannot do anything. With this kind of arrangement, won’t some states become far richer than others? Look, our five fingers are not equal. But even though they are not equal, they are all important. Look at Japan; what natural resources do they have? Until China came (up recently), they were the second largest economy in the world. Look at Singapore, what resources do they have? The way we are structured now, economically and politically, it is very disincentive because we are all depending on Ijaw (Niger Delta) resources. We are all robbers stealing Ijaw resources, and fighting over it when our own resources are there. We are all becoming lazy and idle. Our children go to school and they are taught to be servants, when they can go and manage their resources. Nigerians are intelligent people. We had the resources, tourism, cocoa, groundnut pyramids, where are they now? Many ideas will come. The state that has the least natural resources can become the richest. Everybody goes to Dubai; is it oil that made them what they are now? No. In the Bible, God gives each tribe their resources and their abilities. The tribe of Levite was known for religious acumen. Other tribes were for trade, farming, and intelligence, etc. What is implication of not restructuring Nigeria? If we don’t restructure Nigeria, things will become unnecessarily difficult. As it is, people don’t know what they have; they don’t know what they can do. As they say: necessity is the mother of invention. If we can restructure our nation politically and economically, those places where you think don’t have resources, ideas will come up. Nigeria will become a lot better. If the people of Borno State were to be controlling their resources, Boko Haram will not be powerful. If they want to Islamise the place, they will do it in a better way.

Friday May 16, 2014 POLITICS 11

THE GUARDIAN www.ngrguardiannews.com

‘I’ll bring positive change to Osun’ Babatunde Oralusi, who contests the August 9, 2014 governorship in Osun State on the platform of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), served under the administration of Governor Olagunsoye Oyinlola as Senior Special Assistance on Water Resources and Development till 2007. He told Seye Olumide that despite being new on the political scene, the SDP is poised to unite the people for positive change in Osun. HY are you seeking to govern W Osun State? My desire to rule Osun is an extension of what I started before. I initiated and founded the Nigeria Capital Development Fund (NCDF), and the only thing we do is to alleviate poverty and to promote development in Nigeria and through the job, I am able to see and understand the nature of the grassroots and the population of the country. I am privileged to have the statistics of poverty and that of the lowincome citizens, and through this data, we have been able to identify the tactical solution to Nigeria’s problems. Going from that to wanting to be the governor of Osun State is basically an extension of what I am already doing. With my background and knowledge, being a governor would enable me access more resources through which I will be able to make more impact in the lives of an average citizen of the state, and Nigeria in general. What is the reality of your ambition under a party like the SDP? The issue of party is all about principle. The principle and the fundamental of the SDP and the caliber of people involved attracted my interest. You must understand that if you are a good fish in a wrong river, definitely you might die. If you want to be a good fish, you must find a good river where you can swim, where there is sincerity and passion for development. That is why I decided to run on the platform of the SDP. Have you weighed the strength of the party in Osun? The strength of a party is a very big factor; I appreciate that but at the same time, Rome was not built in a day. The SDP was registered not long ago but all we need do is to make the people know that the party exists. This is the SDP that won consider-

able number of states during the 1992 governorship elections. The SDP united Nigerians during the 1993 presidential lection when Chief M.K.O Abiola was its candidate. The entire country voted massively for the party without rigging or manipulation. Unfortunately, the military government annulled the election. I know that that strength could come back if people are aware that the party exists. What are your chances beside the likes of Aregbesola and the PDP candidate, Sen. Iyiola Omisore? I do have a chance. Personally, I have one thing that is above all, and that is God. Before I do anything, I seek God’s consent. The only place I will refer to in the Bible is the case of David and Goliath. If David had placed himself besides Goliath, I am sure he would not have gone for the contest against the giant because he was no match to Goliath, in everything. I don’t see them (Aregbesola and Omisore) being giants, as you think. Another thing I consider is intention. What are their intentions — to continue in the office or wanting to come into office to my own intention? I believe I can do it well regardless of who the other person is. My strength is in my capacity and experience. In the U.S presidential primaries, President Barack Obama was classified as an under-dog with low financial capacity, but he won the election. Remember that I served under the former governor, Olagunsoye Oyinlola, before the Appeal Court gave the ruling that favoured the present governor. The total public officers are more than 3,000 but Aregbesola came from Lagos and pushed everybody aside. The people of Osun cannot be pre-

dicted; I know them very well. The people are very sensitive and they are yearning for solution. I don’t believe money power will determine the coming governorship election in the state. The people voted massively against the PDP because they were looking for change. People actually voted for a change and not for the APC per se. What is paramount to an average Osun person is change; we are not looking for just any change, but a positive change. And now, I am coming with a positive change. Could you clarify you are not one of those candidates the presidency is planning to use as inroad to the Southwest in 2015? If President Jonathan plans to use me to ensure development in Osun State, I will be grateful to God and to him. But there is no time he (Jonathan) has discussed that with me. Everybody wants people that have weight to support them. The only thing I know is that Mr. President is one out of million Nigerians. I have been with him personally several times. He has the best intentions and God knows that I am not talking for him. This is a man, whenever he is discussing with you, he is talking so basic to your understanding. He believes in the common man and he would say, ‘I am looking for a Nigeria, where people would not be judged because they have godfathers or money, but because of their capacity and what they want to do right.’ But a few months ago, it was rumoured that you organised a meeting between President Jonathan and some traditional rulers in the Southwest; is that part of your strategies to win Osun? Yes, there was a meeting between the traditional rulers and Mr. President, but it was not a political meeting. The meeting was based on

Oralusi consultation on the marginalisation of the Southwest. Mr. President found it important coming to Lagos to meet with stakeholders in the Southwest so that we would have trust in him that he did not marginalise the region. President Jonathan is an expert in consultation; he doesn’t come up with policies over night, but he consults properly. Part of his consultation then was to meet the traditional rulers, make them understand the position of things and get a good result. For instance, after that meeting, do you know how many Yoruba that have been appointed by the President? I was able to facilitate the meeting with my other colleagues so that the Southwest would not be marginalised in the scheme of government. It was a perfect meeting and every agreement was implemented. What is your view on the loan facilities Governor Aregbesola has

incurred on behalf of the state and the argument that his administration has not been able to pay salaries and pensions? I spoke about welfare. If somebody is not being paid and the state is getting its monthly allocation, then you expect him or her to react. If I become the governor of Osun, it is important the standard of living must improve. I think it is a wrong design to be building infrastructure while the standard of living of the people is going down. What is your manifesto? Number one on my agenda is social support to the environment. Osun State’s poverty rate is growing every second. The economy of the state is going down and it requires serious attention, a serious consideration. It is good to build infrastructure; I am not condemning anybody, but people will use the road only when they can buy food or fuel their cars. Often times, I traveled to Osun and you asked people to come and see you somewhere, but they would tell you that to even get money for transport was difficult. And we are talking of N100 billion on this and that project. To me, we need to improve on the social standard of the people of Osun immediately. The social welfare of every citizen has to be addressed in a sustainable manner and not just distributing wealth. We need also to correct the mistake that the current government is making on education. We have to integrate a system of education that applies to every part of the country. Healthcare is also a very big issue. You can only pay for health if you can feed. We need to consider the health system we can give free to our people. I have the plan to set up Osun AgroDevelopment Pact, and one of my biggest priorities is to provide affordable homes.

‘Aregbesola’s Opon-Imo in the Guinness Book of Records’ Comrade Amitolu Shittu, an activist under the tutelage of the late Chief Gani Fawehinmi, is the coordinator of ‘De Rauf’s Volunteer Group’ actively supporting the reelection bid of Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola of Osun State. He spoke to Joe Adiorho on issues in the poll. HY did those campaigning for W Governor Aregbesola suddenly bring up the issue of the murder of Chief Bola Ige? You know that Nigerians have short memories. In advanced states where there are rules of law, they don’t joke with information, particularly in the area that has to do with criminality. On this particular one, the former Attorney General of the Federation, a society builder, a strong pillar of education in Nigeria, Chief Ajibola Ige, was murdered in cold blood in his bedroom, and the people that were suspected to be the killers politicised everything. No nation that ventures into this type of thing triumphs. So, anytime some politicians that were alleged of these types of criminality surface, the matter will resurface. There cannot be an action without reaction. He (Ige) was harassed in Ile-Ife, and a particular person claimed responsibility for the action and two weeks after, such a man died, what do you think will happen? Yoruba adage says a witch cried in the night and in the morning a child died, who would the people say killed the child? Don’t you think that it is the same witch? What has Aregbesola done that other governors of the state had not done that made you to stick out your neck for him? They are many. The first thing a politician does when he gets into an office is to place himself above the people, create a barrier and distance himself from the people. They

Shitu behave as if they are deputy to Almighty God, the creator of everything and make you feel that the key to your life is already in their armpit. They believe that using you to get what they want ends there. When Rauf took over, he said that he would be granting people, from 60 years and above, social security. And I want to tell you that till today, he is giving them N10,000 each. That is social security that I have been campaigning for all through my life. Whether you are a graduate or not, a beggar, old and young, once you have no job, you are entitled to social security in Aregbesola’s government, and that will reduce the rate of crime in Nigeria.

We will now look at the Opon-Imo that Aregbesola introduced in the state. There is nowhere in the world such a thing had ever happened. Today, that project is already in the Guinness Book of Records. It’s alleged that the little Aregbesola has achieved was obtained at a very high cost and that he has left the state a huge debt portfolio? Did Aregbesola tell you that he did not inherit debt from his predecessors? The debt you are talking about is beneficial. You say he has done very little at a very high cost; when there was $12 billion oil windfall of General Ibrahim Babangida, he still went to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to borrow money and all the projects, like the Third Mainland Bridge (in Lagos) and others were embarked on with the construction giant, Julius Berger, building things. People raised hell, but to the glory of God, we are enjoying those things and still using the bridges, but the debt profile of Nigeria has not changed. You can see that this great man (Aregbesola) is laying a very solid foundation for the future, but people are saying it is expensive. Before Aregbe (Aregbesola), Osun was just there as a state without any plan; and without a plan, a state cannot develop. The state capital was like a glorified local government headquarters. Aregbe has changed all these. So, if you perceive an issue of corruption, will you just condone it because he has pleased you?

No. I have called on the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to relocate to Osun. The truth is that this man is transparent. Take your time to ask whether the man has fixed education, roads, and support the life of the people? There was crisis in the school system, caused by Aregbesola by merging schools and the issue of uniform. How do you defend that? Those stoking the matter are those whose children are not in the public school system. He allowed the children of the poor, who could not afford the school fees, to go to school free, and he bought uniforms for those who could not afford uniforms, and you are complaining. You have your children in London, New York; the best private secondary schools and universities in Lagos and you are trying to destroy what is being built in Nigeria and here in Osun State. The programme Aregbesola is executing will definitely out-live him and wipe out all their (critics) records. We must learn how to celebrate our heroes. Aren’t most of Aregbesola’s activities hyped and mere propaganda? For instance, the Opon-Imo is allegedly available to very few students and even some of them are being withdrawn… There is nothing you will do that your enemy will ever appreciate. They will always find a way to rubbish whatever effort you are making and what achievement you have recorded.

These people also rubbished Chief Awolowo, saying that he used our money to build the Cocoa House and how could that translate into food in the people’s stomach? I am not a professional politician. The truth is that I have never worked with any politician like Aregbe in my life. He has a future and the opposition is trying to destroy that. He built roads and schools; sewed uniforms for students and asked the people to send their children to school free. Are these pieces of propaganda? Osun people are not seeing Aregbesola the same way you are painting him, not after pulling down their houses and many other things he did. How do you react to this? Aregbesola did not demolish anybody’s house. What he did was the separation of the setbacks. Shanties and kiosks took over half of the roads and you would be struggling in the midst of street traders. These are the things that his administration is trying to curb and remove, including some illegal structures on government land. Aregbesola has his opponent in Senator Iyiola Omisore; is that not enough worry for him? I don’t know why you people give too much prominence to some people. Aregbesola has no rival in Osun State. Some of them are just looking for a way to popularise themselves so that people will not forget them during the 2018 elections; they are not struggling with Aregbe in this one.

TheGuardian

www.ngrguardiannews.com

12 | Friday, May 16, 2014

Conscience Nurtured by Truth

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

Editorial Michael Agbolade Otedola (1926 – 2014) HEN Michael Agbolade Otedola, politician, journalist and former goverW nor of Lagos State died on May 5, in his Epe, Lagos residence at the age of 88, Nigeria lost one of its most accomplished, highly respected servants. He will be sorely missed for his grace and humility. Born in Odoragunsin, Epe, on July 16, 1926, Otedola received his early education in Lagos. He received a scholarship to study journalism at the Regent Street Polytechnic in London from where he graduated in 1958. He began his career as a teacher, worked as a reporter at the St. Pancras Chronicle and also reporter and sub-editor at The Guardian and The Times in England before returning to Nigeria in 1959. On his return, he worked as Information Officer in the Western Nigeria Government and later was appointed the Editor of the Western Nigeria Illustrated. In 1961, he moved to the Western Nigeria Television/Western Broadcasting Service, where he worked until 1964 when he joined the Mobil Oil Group of Companies until 1977. After leaving the company, he continued as a consultant to Mobil. Otedola left Mobil to join politics and in 1992, he was elected governor of Lagos State from 1992 to 1993 on the platform of the National Republican Convention (NRC), leaving when the late Gen. Sani Abacha came to power. His administration facilitated the establishment of the Yaba College of Technology, Epe Campus, his home town. After leaving office, Otedola continued his career as a writer and consultant, holding positions on the board of various businesses. A philanthropist, his commitment to education was unequalled and his giving was gracefully veiled by a deliberate quietness that was his signature. Lagos State Governor Babatunde Raji Fashola has been kind enough in his tribute to acknowledge that, Lagos being described as “The Centre of Excellence” was Otedola’s choice when he was invited along with other governors to choose a sobriquet for the state. He may not have had the time to achieve remarkable excellence in governance especially given his emergence almost by default and having no control over the state’s political apparatus, he obviously had excellence as a goal. He was a governor who served and never lost touch with the people. His example of humility and prudence in governance is one Nigerians need the most now. Otedola will be greatly missed.

Adamu Atta (1927 – 2014) DAMU Atta, lawyer, civil servant, politician and former governor of old A Kwara State passed on in the early hours of May 1, at the National Hospital Abuja at the age of 87, shrinking further the pool of that generation of men who wielded power largely to stay in the hearts of their people. An indigene of Ebira land, Atta was born in 1927 in Okene in the present Kogi State of Nigeria to the family of Ibrahim Atta, who wielded enormous powers under the Native Authority system in the colonial days. In 1967, he was permanent secretary for the Federal Ministry of Finance, who led discussions with the then Union of Soviet Socialist Republics over possible development loan to Nigeria. Atta was elected into the Constituent Assembly in 1977. In October 1979, after a long period of military rule, Adamu Atta became the first civilian governor of the old Kwara State now comprising Kwara and Kogi states, on the platform of the National Party of Nigeria (NPN), with the staunch support of Dr. Abubakar Olusola Saraki. In the 1983 elections, Saraki, the godfather had fallen out with Atta and backed Cornelius Adebayo who then defeated Atta to take the governor’s seat in Ilorin until the Muhammadu Buhari-led military coup that ended that era. No one, however, doubted Atta’s commitment to his people, even if his performance as governor was far from stellar. Like most members of his generation of Nigeria’s leaders, perfection was certainly not ascribable but the rapacious corruption and insensitivity of the succeeding generations was also not their suit. Indeed, that Nigerians look back with nostalgia on even the worst of that generation of Nigeria’s leaders is best indication of the perfidy of the successor generations. Atta was a statesman whose records and antecedents are clear in the history of Kwara State and Nigeria at large. His death has further depleted the rank of true public servants and Nigeria is the poorer for it.

LETTERS

Umuahia International Market as a model IR: For more than seven Smarket decades, Umuahia main remained at the centre of Abia State capital. The colonial masters’ attempt to relocate the market in 1953 met stiff resistance from traders and indigenes. Thus, successive governments even before and after the creation of Abia State from the old Imo State in 1991 avoided tinkering with the idea of relocating the market in order not to incur the wrath of the few people that have been benefiting from it. With the creation of Abia in 1991 and Umuahia becoming the capital, human activities and population grew astronomically. So did business activities in the market and its environs. And the Abia State Governor Theodore Orji came up with his government’s plan to relocate the market to a more suitable place, I was among those who criticised the idea based on the futile attempts in the past. How sincere and transparent will government be in relocating the market? When and to where? My disposition changed when I discovered that the state government has relocated the notorious and dirty timber market to a well developed and secured area with all essential facilities including asphalted links roads.

Also relocated was the motor spare parts market and mechanics workshop from the state capital to Ohiya along the Enugu/ Port Harcourt Expressway. Last month, a taxi driver told me that the market has been relocated to Ibeku Ubani since ending of last year. The new Ubani Ibeku ultra modern market is just 10 minutes drive from Umuahia. The single lane, Umuahia/ Uzoakoli/ Ohafia road leading to the market is already being dualised by the government. Apart from the public buses and tricycles that convey people from different places to the market, there are fully air conditioned coaster buses provided by the state government to ease transportation to the market at subsidized rate. I was surprised with the hustling and bustling in the market coupled with its massive and wellplanned layout that is befitting of a modern market with a future. From the entrance to the exit was a dual carriage asphalted road and other link roads that made movement of goods and people easy with the market. The old Umuahia market was more of chaos. Already complet-

ed and occupied were about 4,500 shops. Facilities in the market are public toilet system, a police station, fire service, banks, street lightings, security, water, schools and hospitals. It was segmented into the products/ services. Not too far from the market’s vicinity was a 5000 housing units estate called Traders Estate built by the state government for traders and others who would be interested in living close to the market for business exigencies; and prompting a rush for property along the axis. Truly the market was a vision well-conceived; a modern market whose importance in the economic growth of the state and the country at large lies in the days ahead. Umuahia International market at Ubani Ibeku has the potential of overtaking Onitsha main market in the nearest future. The Abia government’s achievement in relocating most of the markets inside the state capital that had become public nuisance is a historic feat. The situation has already changed the face of the capital city from a glorified village of the past years to a befitting state capital today. The achievement of the present government in several sectors is a proof that with vision, transparency and determination, an individual can change a system for better. • Clement Omeneogo, Toronto, Canada.

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Friday, May 16, 2014

Opinion Jonathan and the devil’s alternative By Pius Isiekwene RESIDENT Goodluck Jonathan’s, nay, Nigeria’s P predicament over the current security challenges of the country, is akin to the Devil’s alternative. Whichever way the pendulum of decision ultimately swings, there are abound to be dire consequences for the Islamic insurgents, their direct victims and Nigeria at large. The consequences may only differ in form and intensity. The challenge therefore lies in making wise choices with the least impact on the potential beneficiaries of the war against terror. British author Fredrick Forsyth captures this inevitable challenge of leaders in his 1979 thriller with the title “The Devil’s Alternative.” In the tension-soaked fictional reality, initially intended as a screenplay, Forsyth tells the story of a longdrawn face-off between the United States and western allies on the one hand and the Soviet Union on the other, over a delicate proposal to exchange American food for the Soviets’ political and military concessions. The Soviets are confronted with a severe famine following an accidental poisoning of their wheat crop. Upon learning of the Soviets’ predicament, the U.S. offers to sell food to them in exchange for some political and military concessions. The negotiations are complicated by a leakage of Soviet Union’s alternative plan to invade Western Europe and the hijack of a Russian airliner by an aggrieved Anglo-Ukrainian and two Ukrainian nationalists in their bid to escape from Ukraine. They are arrested in West Berlin during landing. Some westerners of Ukrainian origin, in turn, hijack an oil supertanker and demand freedom for the detained airliner hijackers. Fearing a likely monumental ecological disaster in the event of the hijackers blowing up the oil tanker as threatened, the coastal nations press for the release of the airline hijackers. On its part, the USSR threatens to withdraw from the foodfor-military concessions negotiations if the prisoners are released. The U.S. President is faced with a hard choice: to dare the Soviets, release the prisoners and face a USSR war against Western Europe or risk an unprecedented ecological catastrophe. Over the next few days, weeks and, perhaps months, the Jonathan-led government and allies would have to decide the modus operandi and du-

ration of the anti-terror war. For how long would the foreign security experts stay and will their involvement be limited to intelligence and reconnaissance? With only a few dissenting voices, the offer of assistance by the U.S., Britain, China, France and Israel and acceptance of same by the Nigerian government, enjoy popular support across political party, ethnic and religions divides. The main argument of the dissenters, echoed by Akin Oyebode – Professor of International Law and Jurisprudence at the University of Lagos – is that foreign involvement in the war against insurgency amounts to a surrender of Nigeria’s sovereignty to other powers. Nobel Laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka, and former military President Ibrahim Babangida echoe the views of many other Nigerians that have embraced foreign support in the intensified fight against terror. Soyinka, reputed for independent and often radical views, expressed support for foreign involvement in the anti-Boko Haram scheme in a CNN interview with Christiane Amanpour. In answer to a question on the appropriateness of international assistance, Soyinka said “President Jonathan should have asked for it from the very beginning. I don’t believe in false pride.” He noted that the insurgency was clearly beyond the capacity of the Federal Government. In a separate telephone interview with the BBC Hausa Service, Babangida said Nigerians should embrace the offer of foreign assistance for the rescue of the school girls rather than continue to apportion blames. One of the hard choices to be made, a choice that must be made now, is whether to negotiate with the insurgents or not. The insurgents’ eccentric leader, Abubakar Shekau, has underlined the urgency with his offer to release the girls in exchange for imprisoned Boko Haram members. Government’s initial reaction is a flat “No” but it may very well not be the final answer if an unconditional release of the girls cannot be assured by other means. In addition to military personnel, advisers and surveillance equipment, the U.S. had specifically promised “hostage negotiation experts” among its team already in Nigeria. Painful and distasteful as the girl-prisoner swap offer may sound, it would be beneficial to try out the U.S.

skills. Negotiations with Boko Haram are made the more difficult by the track record of Islamists to dishonour agreements. Their offer to release the girls in exchange for their imprisoned members may just be a ploy to buy time or beat a tactical retreat. With the array of foreign experts and apparent unanimity of Nigerians, Boko Haram may reckon that the game is almost up and initiate dialogue as their swap offer seems to imply. This element of urgency does not make negotiations easier or surer. Government’s reluctance or outright refusal to negotiate may trigger more desperate and unpredictable reactions with unpleasant consequences. The release of the girls demands an urgent action. But beyond this immediacy – the reason for the international uproar and support – the government would need to make hard choices on long-term peace and sustainability, particularly in the North East. What should be done about the region’s economy, the Sambisa forest and porous external borders vis a vis the intra-ECOWAS free movement protocol? Can there be a lasting political or military solution? A post- insurgency North East would certainly need a heavy dose of funds for re-development. Where would the funds come from and how would the other regions respond to this need if a special fund were to be created at the Federal level? Mr. Peter Briyo, representative of Chibok constituency in the House of Representatives, proffers a rather simplistic solution to the menacing hideout of the insurgents. Displaying an intimate knowledge of the 3,600 square kilometre Sambisa forest, he proffered that “unless the Federal Government takes a bold step to destroy the forest, the fight against insurgency may continue to rage in the area. My advice is that the trees in Sambisa forest must be destroyed. If the government can do that, the problem of insurgency will end.” Briyo probably did not give any thought to the reaforestation policy which has gulped huge sums of money over the decades. How would the environmentalists and conservationists respond to such a forest-destruction policy. Would Nigeria still muster the same global anti-terror support if the government were to

adopt Briyo’s recommendation? Did he even consider the cost of destroying the forest and the economic impact on his constituents? France’s proposed Africa Security Summit involving Nigeria and her West African neighbours – incidentally all Francophone – offers a glimmer of hope. But how can France’s initiative be reconciled with the African or West African common market aspirations for which Paris has, at best, shown lukewarm support, if not outright indifference or subtle opposition? How would a permanent border closure affect socio-cultural and economic relations in a region where Nigeria is seen as a “Big Brother?” In the 478-page book: The Devil’s Alternative, Forsyth places the buck on the U.S. President’s desk – as it ought to be in the kind of presidential system that Nigeria also practises. It is the responsibility of one man to see through the intrigues, the emotions, the exigencies and to reconcile them with short-term, medium-term and long-term goals in accord with national interest. The buck stops on his table. That man is Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, the Commander-inChief of the Armed Forces and Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian state. It behooves him to direct the mixed team of Nigeria’s defence forces, security agencies and foreign experts for purposeful actions in rescuing the Chibok girls and ultimately subduing insurgency. His team members must not be seen to be taking different positions and saying different things, as has happened in the immediate aftermath of the sect’s girls-forprisoners swap offer. Such prevarication can only heighten Boko Haram’s suspicions, confuse the public and endanger the girls’ lives. It is equally true that Jonathan’s success against terror is Nigeria’s success. Nothing must be said or done to again sectionalize or politicise the antiterror war as was sadly the case before the Chibok abductions and Nyanya bombings jolted everyone unto action. Jonathan is answerable as the Chief Security Officer of the nation; but all stakeholders – opposition politicians, state governors, law makers and security agents – should latch unto Nigeria’s new-found unity, ironically spurred by the Boko Haram’s onslaught, to defeat insurgency. To act otherwise would be too costly and the entire nation, not just President Jonathan, would be the worse for it. • Isiekwene wrote from Lagos.

President, save Nigeria from inferno By Emele Mba Uka ANY people in Nigeria today have been asking what is it M that has made governance in a big country like Nigeria so ineffective and apparently incapable of silencing a small group of militants who are out to overthrow the government of the nation. There are a multiplicity of factors that could account for this including ill-advised leadership, docile followership, poor accountability regime and non-exposure of high-profile culprits and non-punishment of high profile corrupt officials, ill motivated and highly infiltrated military. The audacious Boko Haram is taking full advantage of the lapses in government to engage in untrammeled acts of vandalism and the most heinous acts of killing innocent armless Nigerians with careless abandon – in churches, motor parks, abductions in schools, in recent time mosques, setting ablaze high school dormitories while the students were sleeping, abduction of 234 girls from a girls’ high school, attacks on police and army stations. One wonders why the Boko Haram insurgents score all these high level of success in their devilish operations. Military investigations and intelligence reports show that “Boko Haram is a special purpose vehicle created to achieve political ends in Nigeria.” For now, there is tension in the military barracks and anger in the streets as the casualties of war on both sides pile up. According to some military sources, the psychological disposition of the Nigerian soldiers is worrisome, and the ease with which Boko Haram routinely breached the security of the soldiers to score operational points against trained professionals is disturbing. According to the findings of Anayochukwu Agbo of TELL magazine of April 7, 2014, “one of the realities the army is trying to come to terms with is that there are Trojan horses within the rank and file of the Nigerian Army who are sympathetic to the cause of the insurgents. This probability is responsible for the ability of Boko Haram to get important intelligence on military deployments and troop movements. As such, the ease and regularity with which Boko Haram strikes successfully at military targets is attributable to inside knowledge provided by com-

petent officers. It is also strongly suspected that there are civilian Trojan horses in the Presidency who are providing security updates to assist the sect in their bloody campaigns. The informed conclusion is that the current Boko Haram insurgency is not only made in Nigeria but made for Nigeria, and its ambition is political. With the 2015 elections around the corner, there is an upsurge in the activities of Boko Haram to discredit President Jonathan from running for a second term. So the thinking in some circles is that the renewed onslaught is to force the President to step down from 2015 race for the Presidency. Information gathered from intelligence report shows that the insurgents are being funded from within and probably assisted with technical support and local knowledge. Field reports affirm that helicopters fly in men and supplies to Boko Haram. Residents in those areas have severally reported to military authorities but they have made no attempt to stop them. TELL investigation showed that the insurgents have enough technical information about Nigeria’s airspace. So helicopters fly below 9000 feet thereby escape radar detection. According to the account of a female student who escaped one week after being abducted, by the insurgents recently, revealed that they have well established camps in the forest, in addition to SUVs, Hilux vans, military uniforms. The sketch of recent upsurge of violence suggests that some master tacticians are at work and their aim is to continue to embarrass the government and try to find their way into Abuja to unsettle the nation’s capital and the Presidency. But one wonders what the government has been doing with all the security agencies at its disposals? The overall current situation is that Nigeria is being challenged by the overwhelming nature of insurgency and the complex criminal acts they are perpetrating in the country. All that the ordinary Nigerian is doing is to lament with deepest lamentation at the escalation of violent attacks on innocent lives and property in multiple locations. The Northern Governors Forum has raised the alarm over the deadly escalating murderous activities of Boko Haram and their sponsors. They have called on the Federal Government to unmask the sponsors of Boko Haram so as to save the country from further agony.

The current horrible insecurity is caused largely by the insurgents. When George W. Bush and later Barack Obama faced similar situations in Iraq and Afghanistan they dealt with it by a troop surge policy that saw the introduction of thousands of fresh troops to counter the growing strength of the insurgents. I think Mr. President as the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces should now exercise that power to its limit by implementing the full scale provisions of the state of emergency by setting aside albeit temporarily all the civilian governors and their respective Houses of Assembly in Yobe, Adamawa and Borno and replace them with a crack military command charged with the sacred task of restoring total security to the affected areas. The President should bear in mind that the primary aim of government is to provide security of lives and property of the citizens. Besides, Mr. President, in his oath of office pledged “that I will not allow my personal interest to influence my official conduct or my official decisions; that I will, to the best of my ability preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. I will do right to all manner of people, according to law without fear or favour, affection or ill-will … I will devote myself to the service and well-being of the people of Nigeria.” Granted that this oath of office was duly sworn to by Mr. President, I beg to remind him that God has helped him thus far and has urged me to encourage him to do the business of the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces not just engage in the role of touring disaster sites to offer homilies that tell us not to be afraid or discouraged; when the truth of the matter is that Nigerians are distressed, depressed and frightened out of their wits. Now that everybody is complaining about the menace of Boko Haram and their continued success in destabilising the polity, with the singular aim of rendering the nation un-governable – the time is very ripe for a full declaration of state of emergency in all its military ramifications to save Nigeria from the possible inferno of a civil war or the continued tragic slaughter of innocent Nigerians. • Most Rev. Prof. Emele M. Uka is Prelate/Moderator of the General Assembly, The Presbyterian Church of Nigeria.

Friday, May 16, 2014

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Opinion Nigeria played host to the world By Boniface Chizea T is now a matter for the records that Nigeria for Iplayed the first time in the West Africa Sub-region host to the world under the platform of the World Economic Forum Africa. South Africa has had the single honour of doing so on several occasions; in fact some accounts indicate that it had played host to this Forum 11 times now. First of all we congratulate the Government and people of Nigeria for a very successful outing against the background of the fear occasioned by the senseless and murderous activities of Boko Haram (western Education is sinful) a militant and terrorist Islamic group founded in the year 2002 by Mohammed Yusuf that seeks the introduction of ‘pure’ Islam in the country within the context of Sharia jurisprudence. It was obvious that the terrorist attacks were orchestrated as the hosting of the Forum approached with a view to stopping it. After two years during which there was a lull, there were suddenly two deadly bomb explosions in Nyanya, a suburb of Abuja where such incidents have not been experienced before. The first intimation of the looming tragedy was when it was reported that an attempt was made by the sect to release some of its members held in, of all places in the guard room of Department of State Security in Abuja. In point of fact, some people have also raised issues regarding the morality of hosting the world when the country is facing the challenge of having to find the kidnapped girls. But besides the reputational damage withdrawing from hosting would have cost the country, as it transpired, the actually going along with this hosting, it is expected, might fortuitously fast track the finding of the girls and commence the numbering of the days to the termination of the murderous activities of the deadly sect. Therefore, we must give glory to God that the evil intentions of the insurgents were not realised. It is, therefore, stating the obvious to observe that the hosting of this Forum took place under

very difficult and trying circumstances for the country. The country was faced with the unprecedented situation whereby mysteriously over 200 school girls were abducted from their dormitory at night by the dreaded Boko Haram sect. The mystery surrounding this development is that it is difficult to envisage how such large number of girls could be taken from their school considering the share difficulties that would be encountered in putting together the logistics that would be required. Not surprisingly, there have been a number of conspiracy theories making the rounds. The northern chapter of the Christian Association of Nigeria made it a point to accuse the Governor of Borno State, Kashim Ibrahim of complicity in this matter demanding to know how come since the incident the Governor who has immediate and direct responsibility has not found it expedient to take any positive steps in attempting to contribute to the solution of the unfortunate incident and how it happened that none of the principal officers at the school had their child involved in this kidnap saga. And that this suspicion is exacerbated because this is an area dominated by Christians. This suspicion led to the request that the pictures of the girls involved should be released and that WAEC should also come forward to authenticate their bona fides as registered candidates for the examinations. This goes to demonstrate to what extent politics has eaten into the body fabric of this country but it is reassuring that somehow good counsel prevailed and two principal members of the opposition in the persons of former President Buhari and APC leader Ahmed Tinubu separately issued published statements asking for all to come together irrespective of whatever political differences there might be to fight and find a solution to this assault against our common humanity. Buhari pointedly made the point that this was not the time to play politics but for all to join hands to find the miss-

ing girls while condemning in unmistaken terms the deadly activities of Boko Haram. The world really rallied round Nigeria in this moment of her need. The feeling of outrage and sympathy was unprecedented and came from across the globe. Mitchell Obama used the opportunity of the U.S. Presidential weekly national address to add her voice by expressing the views that the mass kidnap of Nigerian school girls fits neatly into a pattern of threats and intimidation facing girls around the world who are intent on pursuing their education. Malala, the Afghanistan teenager that was shot on the head to prematurely terminate her agitation for girl child education but miraculously survived and now a recognized international campaigner for girl child education also added her voice in condemnation and prayer for the early release of the kidnapped girls amongst many other numerous celebrities. But the fact remains that Boko Haram has shot itself in the foot through this abduction which has generated such massive rage as it will no longer be business as usual for the deadly sect. Already it is reported that the world leading economies of United States of America, China, England, France and Germany have all promised support and in some cases personnel and equipment are on ground in furtherance to the promise to help find the girls and bring them safely back home. It has been reported that the international community will be deploying advanced imaging capability and satellite tracking technology and report has it that some success has been recorded as there was immediate breakthrough as one of the culprits has been caught and he is singing and that the location of the girls has been identified. We hope that this would signal the speed with which the country can put this insurrection behind it as the Uganda experience with the Lord Resistance Army proved protracted and is still on going after so many years. Report has it that in 2011 the Americans sent troops to Uganda to

help apprehend Joseph Kony, the leader of the group and after three years reinforcements of personnel and equipment were sent and the chase as at today is still on. But we align ourselves with the view of the President that the days of Boko Haram are numbered and any political objectives behind its activities would ultimately be to no avail. The World Economic Forum Africa by all counts was a roaring success. There were over 1000 participants including 13 heads of government in spite of the Boko Haram threat; a level of participation for which President Jonathan is on record as having thanked the international community for the vote of confidence and which has led to the defeat of the obvious evil intentions of Boko Haram to stop the Forum from holding. There were 48,000 articles on the Forum compared to 16,000 which were published the last time the Forum held in South Africa. A whopping amount of 68 billion dollars was pooled toward investments based on various initiatives in the country. There was Grow Africa Initiative, initiatives related to health, agriculture, small and medium scale enterprises amongst others but particularly the ‘Safe Schools Initiative’ which was masterminded by Gordon Brown; a former British Prime Minister for which the Nigerian Business Community pledged the sum of $10 million which the Nigerian Government has matched with the counterpart funding of also $10 million with Gordon Brown promising to mobilize the international community to contribute. This particular initiative is aimed at making schools in North Eastern part of Nigeria safe for pupils to attend. As we add up the gains of the Forum we must remember the fact that Nigeria dominated the airwaves of international media during this period which is a contribution difficult to quantify in monetary terms. We hope that we would run with the various initiatives to facilitate the rapid growth and development of the Nigerian economy and further give fillip to the President’s transformation agenda. Dr. Chizea wrote from Lagos.

Quality policy to break global trade barriers By Farouk Abdulsamad HE absence of a National Quality Policy in Nigeria may be reT sponsible for poor quality infrastructure, weak technical regulation and low level of international trade. As a result of this, the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment, through the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON), has been tasked to midwife a National Quality Policy; an official national document adopted at the highest level of government of a country, which gives the general visions on quality and technical regulation issues. With great support from the Federal Government, a National Steering Committee to formulate the National Quality Policy has been constituted to give Nigeria a proper roadmap with regard to the issue of quality and a guideline to participate in global commerce. The broad-based, inter-ministerial committee is headed by the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr. Olusegun Aganga, and the Director General of the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON), Dr. Joseph Odumodu as the secretary. The National Steering Committee is expected to review and harmonise existing quality policies in Nigeria, prepare a draft National Quality Policy that is acceptable to all stakeholders, and support the approval and implementation of the policy. These measures will produce an encompassing system that will provide quality specifications for all manufactured products in the country, and act as a catalyst for local productivity and quick adaptation of best global standards and practices towards enthroning quality culture; improved management of processes and work environment, in addition to attaining efficiency and product competitiveness, reducing imports and increasing exports. The NQP helps for the definition of objectives and results to be achieved, as well as the necessary resources to be mobilized in the field of quality. An important outcome is that the policy will facilitate the establishment of functional National Quality Infrastructure (NQI) in the country, thereby catalysing Nigeria’s entry into international trade in line with global best practice. National Quality Infrastructure is the totality of the institutional framework (public or private) required to establish and implement standardization, metrology (scientific, industrial and legal), accreditation and conformity assessment services (inspection, personnel certification, testing, product and system certification) necessary to provide acceptable evidence that products and services meet defined requirements, be it demanded by authorities (technical regulation) or the market place (contractually or inferred). The NQI is the key tool for the implementation of the National Quality Policy. Through this system, Quality infrastructure such as a National Accreditation Body (NAB), National Metrology Institute (NMI), Quality Assurance and a system

to ensure development, publication and adherence to Standards, will be available and fully operational in the country. Having the acceptable level of quality infrastructure will strengthen the capacity of trade support institutions, improve business and investment climate, enhance consumer protection, and facilitate domestic and international trade, while contributing to job creation and enhancing the goal of poverty alleviation. No doubt, the government’s efforts to establish well-structured National Quality Policy will increase awareness and knowledge of issues pertaining to technical regulations by associating, while creating linkages for the organized private sector in the National Quality Infrastructure. Nigeria’s desire to attain greater heights in global trade can be measured by the degree to which goods made in the country are accepted outside its shores. At present, the level of acceptability for Nigerian-made goods is not high due to technical barriers to trade, which are understood as regulations, standards, testing and certification procedures, which could obstruct trade. Sanitary and Phyto-Sanitary measures also needed to be attended to, which in essence, are measures dealing with food safety and animal and plant health. Nigeria has not received favourable rating in these areas, but with operational National Quality Infrastructure, these hindrances will be removed. World class test laboratories need to be built in the country so that certification of products will be done just once and accepted globally without subjection to further tests. Metrology institutes must be developed to ensure calibration of instruments and traceability of measurement to international standards. Funding and support should be easily accessible for SON to effectively carry out its duties without hitches. Accreditation of laboratories is a major policy thrust on which a large degree of administrative success hinges upon. It is not for nothing that United States of America has over 13,000 accredited laboratories, while countries like South Korea, with a population of 50 million people which is approximately just one-quarter of Nigeria’s population, has around 7,000 laboratories, all of which are internationally recognised and accredited. The existence of accredited laboratories for testing and metrology serves as a link-bridge between the government/administration and the producers/exporters with the international community, in the sense that it forms a common meeting point for all parties to unanimously determine the quality of what will be put out into the local and international markets. Producers constitute a major focal point for the national quality policy while the interest of consumers is a key motivation behind the policy, in addition to products from Nigeria gaining global acceptance, among key factors. To these ends, the national quality policy must sufficiently address the concerns of producers, proffering adequate solutions to matters that act as stumbling blocks to their adherence to set standards and quality expectations.

Consumers must be protected from exposure to harmful consumption by way of patronising fake and substandard goods. This protection should extend to the exploitation associated with high, disproportionate prices for goods and services offered in the market which may arise under the guise of increased costs due to adherence to standards practice by producers. Notably, consumers also need to be re-oriented on the choice and decisionmaking process, so that quality is preferred over quantity as it were. Sensitization thus forms a point of focus for the committee. In some countries that have succeeded in National Quality Policy, sensitisation is fostered through sustained media campaign and a “Quality Circle”, which comprises workers, retailers, producers and all those in the distribution chain right down to the consumers. Furthermore, the National Quality Policy will harmonise the roles of all agencies involved in supervision and regulation, especially those of the nine principal bodies/groups that exist in Nigeria which are Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON), The Weights and Measures Department of the Federal Ministry of Trade and Investment (FMTI), Consumer Protection Agency (CPC), National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC), Small and Medium Enterprises Association of Nigeria (SMEDAN), Conformity Assessment Bodies (CABs), Consumer Associations (CAs) and The Organized Private Sector (OPS) of Nigeria which includes bodies like Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN), Nigerian Association of Small & Medium Enterprises (NASME) and the Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (NACCIMA). Nigeria’s economy will attain the desired level of growth and development through the establishment of a National Quality Policy to integrate the economic system and thereby, improve sectoral performance, market functionality and institutional efficacy; three indices which interact to gain global confidence – a thing that the Nigerian economy really needs, as this will increase the volume of both public and private sector-based international trade. Enhanced trade leads to economic growth, with the resulting impact of poverty reduction. The National Quality Policy Steering Committee has a huge task before it, but not a task that it cannot efficiently handle, considering the commendable manner in which the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) and the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment have so far, handled issues with regard to quality and standards over the past three years. This dynamic momentum can only climax with the attainment of set objectives. Global confidence can only be gained when international best practice is institutionalised and quality becomes a culture – an accepted way of life. • Dr. Abdulsamad is a seasoned policy analyst.

Friday, May 16, 2014 15

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TheMetroSection Pandemonium in Lagos over suspected explosives

Briefs Babawale becomes Bobagunwa of Inisa HE Director General of the T Centre for Black and African Arts and Civilisation (CBAAC), Professor Tunde Babawale will tomorrow be conferred with the chieftaincy title of Bobagunwa of Inisa Land by the paramount ruler of Inisa Land, Oba Oladunjoye Oyedele. Inisa is in Odo-Otin Local Council of Osun State. The event will hold at the new Inisa Town Hall,Olunisa Palace Arcade, Inisa at 10.00 a.m. while reception for guest is scheduled for the Methodist Primary School, Okua Road, Inisa.

MAPOLY alumni hold award tomorrow HE Moshood Abiola PolyT technic Alumni Association will otomorrow hold its distin-

The condoned area

Anti-bomd squad of the Nigeria Police evacuating one of the objects

By Odita Sunday ESIDENTS and traders along the ever-busy Nnamdi Azikiwe Street at Idumota on Lagos Island, Lagos State were yesterday thrown into panic following the discovery of three strange objects suspected to be explosives. The objects, which resembled fireworks, but bigger, were reportedly detected in the area at around 8.00a.m. by some residents. The objects were placed at the junction close to a branch of a bank in the area. The area was some metres away from the central mosque where traders, top government officials and dignitaries conduct their daily prayers. The objects were discovered late be-

cause traders in Lagos normally observe the weekly environmental sanitation day on Thursdays. One of the traders said on hearing the news, they hurriedly closed their shops and ran to the scene. He said: “On getting there, we discovered that the anti-bomb unit of the Police had already cordoned the place to remove the objects. “Residents raised the alarm, which threw the area into instant pandemonium.” Economic activities were brought to a standstill for hours as traders, bankers and passersby scampered to safety. Banks’ gates were immediately shut by security operatives to avoid hoodlums taking advantage of the situation.

The operatives of the anti-bomb squad packed the objects into a vehicle with Registration Number LSR 276 BP and left around 10.55a.m. with the Divisional Police Officer, Ebute-Ero, CSP John Otahunmele.. The Lagos State Police boss, Alhaji Umar Manko, told The Guardian that the information was false. According to Manko, “ There was no bomb anywhere in Lagos. The information is false. Lagosians should go about their businesses without any fear.” Police spokesperson, Ngozi Braide, a Deputy Superintendent (DSP), however said the content of the abandoned bag was not explosives but Sealants used in mending rusted part of Ships. Braide, who commended residents

for being security conscious and for reporting to the police confirmed operatives from the anti-bomb unit were deployed to the scene immediately the report reached them.

Residents raised an alarm, which threw the area into instant pandemonium. Economic activities were brought to a standstill for hours as traders, bankers and passersby scampered to safety. Banks’ gates were shut to avoid hoodlums taking advantage of the situation

guished Alumni Award/ Convention at Rabiatu Babalakin auditorium, Ojere campus, Abeokuta at 11.00am. Awardees include: Commissioner for Information, Lagos State, Mr. Lateef Ibirogba, Commissioner for Information, Ogun State, Mr. Yusuph Olaniyonu; General Manager, OGTV, Ayinde Shoaga, among others.

Ordor, 86, for burial rites for Chief FoforiUNERAL Ihekachi TamunonenginyeJames Ordor, who died on March 2, , at the age of 86, began on Wednesday with a service of songs in Port Harcourt. He will be buried tomorrow, after a funeral service at Cathedral Church of Christ, Akwete, Ndoki, at 10.00a.m. A thanksgiving service holds at the same church on Sunday, at 10.00a.m.

Shettima urges Gambouru residents not to flee to Cameroun over insecurity From Njadvara Musa, Maiduguri ORNO State governor, Kashim Shettima has appealed to the people of Gambouru not to “relocate and flee” to neighbouring Cameroon over the destruction of their houses and other property in last week’s Boko Haram attacks and bombings that also destroyed the NigerianCameroonian border Bridge near Ngala. The destroyed houses and the central market, will also be rebuilt by the state government, as a 17-man panel has been set up to assess the extent of damage to both lives and property, before completing the rebuilding the houses and market. Addressing the people at Gambouru’s Central Mosque, Governor Shettima said there was no need for any victim to flee to Chad, because their houses and other property were destroyed in the May 5 Boko

Haram attacks that claimed several lives, including the blowing up of Nigerian-Cameroonian border Bridge near Ngala. “I am here today to appeal to all of you here assembled in this mosque not to relocate or flee to the neigbouring Cameroon, which is a stone’s throw from your destroyed residences. As a responsible government, all the destroyed houses are to be rebuilt and completed by the committee already set up before the rains set in,” Shettima assured. He also added: “Adequate security measures will be provided for the affected town and those who lost their property will also be compensated by this administration, before the end of this year.” The Guardian learnt that a total of 715 trucks, vehicles and motorcycles were also destroyed in last

week’s attacks, including the slain of 16 policemen and nine Cameroonian residents that had been living in the border areas with Gambouru. Conducting the Governor round the destroyed market, the Caretaker Chairman of the council, Alhaji Bukar Mustapha said: “The death toll from the attack by suspected Boko Haram members on Gamboru is over 300 and amongst the dead are 16 Policemen and some Cameroon traders who were in the market as at the time of attacks and bombings. “My people also lost over 300 vehicles with other property worth millions of naira. We have set up a committee comprising religious scholars and traditional rulers who are to work assiduously to assess the extent of damages for possible assistance to the victims, particularly those who lost their beloved ones and the injured.”

Council boss, OPC members arrested for alleged murder From Muyiwa Adeyemi, Ado Ekiti FORMER local council chairman in the Ekiti State and two members of the Oodua People’s Congress (OPC) have been arrested by the police over alleged involvement in the murder of a suspected kidnapper, Mr. Benjamin Akpan. The victim was set ablaze on Sunday in Ikere Ekiti by irate mob, on allegation that he was in possession of materials suspected to be human parts.

The Police Public Relations Officer, Mr. Victor Babayemi, who gave the hint yesterday, said preliminary investigations revealed that the former council boss allegedly provoked the youths of the town against the victim. Babayemi said the alleged culprits would be charged for murder to serve as deterrent to others, who always take laws into their hands. He added that investigations by his men indicated that Akpan lived in the

neighbourhood where he was killed and that nothing was found on him to suggest that he was a kidnapper as claimed by the youths. Babayemi added that the council boss was said to have captured Akpan and handed him over to the suspected OPC operatives for torture before he was mobbed by irate youths. He said, “We even learnt that it was the former local council boss that incited the youths against him

after he handed him over to the police. “We have been able to get evidence that the three detainees had link with the jungle justice meted out to the victim. “They did not only participate but investigations also revealed that they supervised his beating before he was subsequently set ablaze. “It is on that ground that we got them arrested. They have case to answer as regards what prompted the

victim’s arrest and his beating”. Babayemi declared that the police were on the trail of others who are now at large but participated in Akpan’s death. “The law of the land is very clear that when you see a suspect, you must hand him over to the police for investigation and prosecution. Jungle justice is not in our law and we will do everything to ensure that such is not practised in Ekiti”, the PPRO said.

Ordor

Beatrice Azeez for burial EACONESS Beatrice TaniD mose Azeez, who died on April 25, at the age of 104, will be buried today after a funeral service at Enuwawa, Ijebu Abigi, Waterside Area Local Council, Ogun State. Guests will be entertained on Saturday from noon to 7.00p.m at Obaruwa Multi-Purpose Events Centre, Hall, Itamogiri, Ijebu Imushin, Ogun State. He is survived by children, grand and great grand children and relatives among whom are Mr. Adeoye Hassan, Dr. Anthony Bamidele Azeez and Mrs. Risikat Sanni.

Azeez

THE GUARDIAN www.ngrguardiannews.com

Friday, May 16, 2014

Briefs Council boss calls for improved health care By Emeka Nwachukwu HE Chairman of Amuwo Odofin Local Council, Ayodele Adewale, has called on the Federal Government to pay more attention to health care delivery so as to achieve economic stability and foster national security. He made this call during the commissioning of the upgraded ELLab Medical Diagnostic and research center at FESTAC Town, Lagos. According to him the success of the arduous labours of health workers in the country will become manifest “when the current health status of Nigeria and Nigerians change for the better”, therefore there is a clarion call on the Nigerian government to give immediate attention to the health sector. Commending the efforts of foremost medical diagnostic outfit in its partnership for over three years with Primary Health Care (PHC) delivery system in provision of laboratory service for the Amuwo Odofin people, the council boss noted that EL- Lab has been instrumental to the improvement of health care delivery in the local council. He further emphasized that with this feat, “there is increased access to free and qualitative health care service.” He further admonished residents to pay more attention to their environment while tasking them to pay their rates and levies promptly. Also speaking at the commissioning of the diagnostic centre which was equipped with automated analyzers for clinical chemistry, hematology, immunology, cytology and genetics facility, former Commissioner for Health in Lagos State, Dr. Leke Pitan, acknowledged the efforts of the Executive Chairman of Amuwo Odofin Local Council, for encouraging Public Private Partnership, which, according to him, has brought increased performance in health care delivery of the local council in particular, and the State in general. “It is a win-win situation that has been ignited by EL-Lab and Amuwo Odofin Local Government”, he noted.

Bank partners Chaz B on emotional intelligence HE award winning radio host Chaz B’s Emotional IntelliT gence event for couples has received a boost with the pledge of support announced by Sterling Bank Plc. in its drive to enrich the lives of its customers and offer real value to the country The event according, to Chaz B, the popular on-air -personality and motivational speaker has been specially crafted to cater for the needs of married and engaged couples. In a statement, Sterling Bank’s Group Head, Strategy & Communications Mr. Shina Atilola said the Bank was supporting the initiative because of its laudable objective which was to provide couples with the requisite skills to improve their relationships and deal with salient issues which lead to breakdown in communication and other serious issues between couples. He expressed his concern that a lot of couples entered into marriage without the necessary skills required for success, which had led to the sharp increase in the number of divorce cases in the country. “A lot of couples do not go through the rigours of understanding each other before they enter into marriage. As a result, they are unprepared. Marriage is about sharing lives, enduring partnerships and sharing love. Marriages are under pressure because there is not enough focus on these core relationship enablers” He further stated that: “Marriage is an institution ordained by God. It remains a sacrificial commitment between the wife and the husband as they both leave their families to come together and live as one”. The event will host 100 couples to ensure a focused and enjoyable evening of entertainment featuring music by Chocolate City sensation, Nosa, with comedy provided by hilarious standup act, Gordons amongst other artists to thrill and entertain the guests.

‘No fewer than 700,000 Nigerian children suffer from cerebral palsy’ says Gbadebo From Anthony Otaru, Abuja OT less than 700, 000 children in Nigeria are suffering from cerebral palsy disease, the founder Benola Cerebra Palsy Initiative, Air Vice Marshal Femi Gbadebo (rtd.), has said. Gbadebo, therefore, called on the Federal, States and Local governments to put in place disabled- friendly infrastructures and enabling laws to assist victims especially, in the rural areas. “Cerebral palsy is one of non-progressive, non-contagious limitations of movement that eventually lead to various types of physical disability in affected persons. It also affect a person’s ability to move and keep his or her balance and posture as a result of an injury in parts of the brain or as a result of problems associated with growth in the mother’s womb.” The Chief Executive of Benola, Air Vice Marshal Femi Gbadebo (rtd.) said caring for his son, Olaoluwa Gbadebo, who was diagnosed with cerebral palsy shortly after birth in 1996, has given him the opportunity to experience first-hand reality of life as a parent of a child with the ailment. According to him, though cerebral palsy is not curable and noncontagious, Gbadebo said early detection would do a lot of good to the affected child as it would enable experts work with such child with a view to eliminating future concerns. “ For those who know the signs such as the paediatricians and child neurologists, children as young as 10 weeks could easily be identified as having developmental delays, thereafter, various therapists as each case may require, like physio- occupational, speech, vision etc , along with other experts, would now work to determine the nature of the delay and possible implications for the future of the child,’ he stated. Gbadebo disclosed further that the challenges of cerebral palsy in Nigeria is existing in three levels such as the child’s physical limitations, poor acceptance within a community and environmental barrier.

Nights of Prophetic Transformation at CAC HRIST Apostolic Church Mount (CAC) Zion (a.k.a) Zion C Transformation Ministry) Three Nights of Prophetic Transformation will start on Wednesday, May 21 through Friday, May 23, at 11.00pm. It will end on Sunday, May 25, 2014, with an anointing service at church auditorium, along 4, Adegbola Street, opposite Ikeja Local Council, IkejaAlong, Lagos at 7.00a.m. Tagged: ‘Operation Change My Story,’ host is Pastor Emmanuel Tayo Ayodele.

Ondo landslide: Mimiko visits site as intervention work begins

OLLOWING the recent landFtipupa, slide that occurred in Okithe headquarters of

Okitipupa Local Council of Ondo State, the governor, Dr. Olusegun Mimiko on Tuesday, inspected the level of the landslide with a promise of immediate government's intervention to make transportation easy in the area. Mimiko, who was accompanied on the visit by the State Commissioner for Works, Gboye Adegbenro, Chairman Ondo State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission (OSOPADEC), Pastor Johnson Ogunyemi and chairman Ondo State Asphalt Company (OSAC), Kehinde Oshikoya among others described the landslide as a major ecological problem on the major road that links Okitipupa and Igbokoda. Mimiko assured that engineers are already at the site carrying out the necessary sur-

Mimiko (second left), with his Chief Press Secretary, Eni Akinsola (left) during the his visit to the site of a landslide in Okitipupa Local Counci... on Tuesday. described the landslide as a tion accorded priority to vey work of the landslide, geotechnical failure that safety of lives and property, stressing that government needed urgent attention, adding that people should would not allow the situation added that officials of his minsteer clear of the area pending to degenerate into uncontrolistry were already working on its repair in their best interest. lable level. data that would be used for its The State Commissioner for He noted that his administraWorks Gboye Adegbenro, who speedy repairs.

Lions Club Marks 2014 World Immunization Week By Gbenga Akinfenwa S the International Association of Lions Clubs District 404A1, Nigeria, joins the rest of the world to mark year 2014 Immunization Week with the theme: “Are You Up To Date?”, it has called on government to strengthen routine immunization across the country to control preventable diseases among children. At a press conference held in

Yaba on Wednesday, in partnership with Paediatric Association of Nigeria (PAN), it disclosed that blindness, polio, measles, yellow fever and others, were related to non-immunization of children. A former president of the Club, Lion Adetope Tychus, said immunization could avert an estimated two to three million deaths every year from diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis

(whooping cough) and measles. She added that globally, vaccination coverage-the proportion of the world’s children who receive recommended vaccines, has remained steady for the past few years. “For example, the percentage of infants fully vaccinated against diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis (DTP3) has held steady at 83 per cent for the last three years.

Tychus claimed that the partnership was the begining of a good and long term relationship for the future of the country, saying the relationship is more into complementing rather than competing, to make the world a better place. On his part, PAN President, Prof. Abiodun Olowu said the major killers of children are still very preventable, especially children pneumonia.

Fulani herdsmen arrested over farmer’s murder in Enugu From Lawrence Njoku, Enugu HREE Fulani cattle rearers have been arrested in connection with the gruesome murder of a father of four, Mr. Matthew Aniugo at Ogui –Agu Eke in Udi Local Council of Enugu State. The State Police Public Relations Officer, Ebere Amaraizu, who confirmed this said the arrest had to do with the May 1 murder of Aniugo on his farmland by the herdsmen, who allegedly murdered him over a disagreement that arose while their cattle was grazing on the

farmland. A cousin to the late Aniugo, Sergius Aliozo, who briefed newsmen about the incident, said that the 44-yearold farmer met his untimely death while working with his wife, Nneka, on his farm. Aniugo was said to have confronted the herdsmen whose cattle were feeding on his crops and they left. He said: “Unknown to Mr. Aniugo, the herdsmen returned shortly with guns and knives. One of them shot him with a gun while the rest used machetes on him and left him to die in

the pool of his blood but his wife, Nneka was lucky as she escaped before they descended on her husband.” Aliozo said one his uncles, Ozo Clement Aniugo informed him about the death and he alerted vigilance group as well as the police who took over the matter. He said three days later, the vigilance group arrested the three Fulani herdsmen and Matthew’s wife was called to identify them, which she did, adding that the culprits were subsequently handed over to the police at 9th Mile for necessary action.

He said amid tears that Matthew left behind four kids with the eldest being nine years old. He said: “Matthew was in his farm the fateful day when they attacked him. He was warning them not to trespass in his farm. The Fulanis left and came back later with gun, stick and machete, shot him and used machete to cut his body.” He said it was not the first time Fulani herdsmen have killed a man in their village. “Two years ago, one man was killed through a similar circumstance.

Adebanke Johnson goes home with eulogies By Isaac Taiwo ESTIMONIES and accolades flowed, recounting her good deeds, when yesterday Deaconess Adebanke Adedunmola Jonhson was laid to rest. Her short but meaningful sojourn on earth could best be signposted by the scriptural passage: “Let me die the death of the righteous and let my last end be like his”. Her husband, her children and friends were full of testimonies of her disciplined life, which she invested not only in her children but also in the less privileged and the work of God. Described by her friends as cheerful giver and supporter, Adebanke would not be forgotten for her readiness to proffer solution to every problem even when the means was not readily at her disposal. This, no doubt, was the reason, families, friends and wellwishers in Lagos, Abuja and other parts of the country, thronged the Redeemed Christian Church of God, Grace Assembly Parish, Zone 1, Lagos Province 24, to attend her funeral service. Pastor Tony Okpobrisi, who spoke both at the service and at her interment at Ikoyi

Daughter, Adeyosola Johnson (right), husband, Kehinde Johnson, son, Adebidola Johnson and Sola Thomas at the interment of Deaconess Adedunmola Johnson at Ikoyi cemetery … yesterday PHOTO:ISAAC TAIWO “ She has lived a life worthy of Cemetery, described the death emulation and the rest of us of God’s people as an ‘honour,’ should be thinking of our end which Adebanke benefitted too and what would be said of from. us” he said. “We thank God for the life of Her husband, Kehinde Johnimpacting on others she lived son, described Adebanke as “I and we should be comforted can” woman who believed that she is with the Lord. On that she could get things done the day of resurrection, she … and she did. will wear a new body that will “I married you 34 years ago defy corruption.

On October 5, last year, there was an attempt by the cattleand I took you as my sister, a friend and a lover. “Despite the fact that I am a deeper thinker, you always found your way around me. You were fondly called “the husband’s husband. “You were a Dorcas. You gave shelter to the people in need, fed those who were hungry and encouraged those who were down. “You worked in the Redeemed Christian Church of God in Lagos and Abuja, as well as put in place an orphanage. “To say in a few words that I loved the woman I married, will be saying the obvious. Miss you,” he said. The daughter, Adeyosola Johnson, described her mother as very loving, kind, a rare gem who loved everybody. “I would miss her advice, her love, a mother who was ready to brighten up everybody.” The son, Adebidola Johnson, also described her mother as very caring and loving. “She used to call me every time, when I was in America and now she is no more here. I would miss her,” he said. Pastor Mrs. Bose Akinbade, a friend, described her as a humble woman and one who always believed that “nothing was impossible.”

THE GUARDIAN www.ngrguardiannews.com

Friday, May 16, 2014 BUSINESS

Business Shareholders laud NB on 2013 performance HAREHOLDERS of S(NB)Nigerian Breweries Plc have commended the

company for the assessed impressive 2013 financial result. At the 68th yearly general meeting of the company held on Wednesday in Lagos, the shareholders hailed the company for achieving 13 per cent increase in profit after tax, as well as the dividend payment of 4.50 kobo per ordinary share of 50 kobo each- the highest the company has paid out in recent times. The shareholders were also elated by the news of merger discussions between Nigerian Breweries and Consolidated Breweries subject to regulatory approvals. They expressed confidence that if the regulatory approvals pulled through, it would strengthen the company’s ability to meet consumer expectations and assure higher return on shareholders’ investment. The company sees the strong presence of the emerging entity across the premium, mainstream, and value beer segments of the market as a major competitive advantage. It also expects increased profit margins on improved operational efficiency. Nigerian Breweries recently announced a 6.3 per cent increase in turnover from N253 billion in 2012 to N269 billion in 2013. The results from the company’s operating activities increased by seven per cent while profit after tax grew by 13 per cent being further impacted by lower financing costs. In its audited result, the company’s board had recommended the payment of a total dividend of N34, 032, 169, 944, that is, N4.50 per ordinary share of 50 kobo each. Following the approval of the recommendation, it is expected that the dividends would be paid (less deduction of withholding tax at the appropriate rate) yesterday to all shareholders recorded in the company’s register of members at the close of business on Wednesday, March 15, 2014.

Group Managing Director/Chief Executive of First City Monument Bank (FCMB) Limited, Ladi Balogun (left); Managing Director of Nigerian Breweries Plc, Nicolaas Vervelde and Chairman, Chief Kola Jamodu, at the pre-yearly general meeting forum of Nigerian Breweries in Lagos on Tuesday.

Nigeria’s FIU sustains global membership From Abosede Musari, Abuja HE Egmont Group has reconnected the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU) to the global database after its investigations into alleged unauthorised access by suspected policemen proved false. By this action, the group has waived its proposed review, which was meant to consider whether the Nigerian FIU should be reconnected, or not. The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), where the NFIU was domiciled, said on Wednesday that the development had put to rest, speculations in some quarters that the NFIU will remain cut off from the global body. Spokesman to the EFCC, Wilson Uwujaren said in Abuja yesterday that “NFIU’s membership of the Egmont Group is not under any threat. Indeed, the Unit has been discharging its

obligations to the group. The much touted disconnection of the NFIU from the Egmont Secured Web has also become a relic, as the Unit has since been re-connected to the ESW, with unfettered access to other 138 members of the group”. The re-connected NFIU has also received commendation for it commitment to the fight against money laundering and terrorist financing. The commendation was passed by the 21 plenary session of the Inter Governmental Action Group against Money Laundering (GIABA), in Niamey, Niger Republic, where Nigeria was rated first among 16 member states for the FIU’s compliance with the FATF 40 + 9 Recommendations using the Mutual Evaluation Reports, MERs, and followup reports sent to the FATF. This accolade contradicts publication in section of the media alleging that the NFIU had been frozen out of the comity of global Financial

Intelligence Units. One of such reports had alleged that the NFIU, an autonomous body domiciled within the EFCC, stand the risk of being suspended from the Egmont Group by June 1, 2014. ‘This claim, in addition to the report that the NFIU has been disconnected from the Secured Web of the Egmont Group and cannot share intelligence with other Financial Intelligence Units around the world, is unfounded and patently false”, Uwujaren said. Chief of Staff in the office of the EFCC chairman, Kayode Oladele who spoke with The Guardian on telephone called on the National Assembly to reconsider the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Agency (NFIA) bill before it, especially as it concerns the appointment of its directors, in order not to jeopadise its independence. He urged the National

Assembly to take cognizance of Fincen’s feedback on the draft legislation to establish the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Agency. According to Oladele, Fincen made several reservation on the proposed bill. For instance, it is of the opinion that the role of the governing board of the NFIA is very broad and will diminish the operational independence of the proposed Agency. “According to the Bill, the powers of the Board include formulating and providing general policy guidance for the discharge of the FIU functions, advising the FIU on AML/CFT, monitoring and ensuring the implementation of the FIU’s policies and pprogrammes, and “carrying out such other functions as are necessary or expedient to ensure the efficient performance of the functions” of the Agency. The Board’s powers according to Fincen will encroach upon the operational inde-

pendence and autonomy of the Agency to make decisions and carry out its functions , that is receipt, analysis, dissemination of financial intelligence and such powers of the Board would be inconsistent with international AML/CFT standards”. He noted that another area Fincen had advised the National Assembly to reconsider is in the appointment and removal of the Director –General for the Agency. “The Bill authorizes the President on advice from the Governing Board to remove the Director-General of the agency if he is satisfied that it is not in the interest of the Agency or of the public for the person appointed to continue in office. In the opinion of Fincen, provision in the Bills may enable the exercise of undue influence over or interference with the FIU by the Board or other senior government officials”, Oladele said.

Intels invests N976 billion in oil, gas operations By Roseline Okere NTELS Nigeria Limited, an Iicesintegrated logistics servfor the Nigerian oil and gas industry has invested $6.1 billion (N976 billion) in its operations in its determination to become a top player in the country. The company engages in receiving and dispatching goods while providing localised services and supplies in the oil and gas sector in Onne, Warri, Lagos and Calabar ports respectively. The Special Assistant to Intels’ Managing Director,

Marko Miskovic, who made this disclosure during a visit by the Senate Committee on Privatisation, said that the company is committed to investment in the Nigeria economy. He called on the Federal Government to dredge and deepen the Bonny, Warri and Calabar entrance channels to boost activities of the company. Miskovic also called for a review of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN)’s law on offshore banking which is militating against its smooth operations. The Chairman of the

Committee, Senator Olugbenga Obadara, expressed delight over the impressive performance of Intels Nigeria Limited and urged its owners to take the company to the Nigerian Stock Exchange for listing so that more Nigerians could buy shares to be part of the success story of the oil and gas services company. Obadara who led other members on a visit to the company in Onne, Rivers State as part of the committee’s oversight visit to privatized enterprises in the state last week, noted that

Intels is a privatisation success story. He said Intels had impacted positively on the Nigerian economy and commended its ability to generate 20 megawatts of electricity for its operations. Also, at the West African Container Terminal Nigeria Limited, Onne, its Managing Director, Martin Jacob, called for the intervention of the Senators over the uncooperative attitude of an unnamed unit in the Ministry of Finance whose personnel refuse to work at approved hours and days.

He told the committee members that officers in the unit were designated to work with Customs officials 24 hours a week to clear goods but that “in Port Harcourt, they come to work from 8am and close at 6pm.They don’t come to work at weekends, whereas their counterparts in Lagos work round the clock with the Customs. We have made overtures to them to no avail. This is affecting our revenue adversely”. The Committee members also visited Brawal, Ports & Terminal Operators

Limited and BUA (Concessionaire of Terminal B), Port Harcourt Port, where they restated that government embarked on the privatization programme to bring about efficiency in service delivery, create jobs and generate revenue to finance its yearly budget. Intels Nigeria Limited’s mission is to promote the development of the Nigerian economy via the Oil and Gas Industry by addressing its core competences to fulfilling the corporate market’s outsourced logistics needs.

18 BUSINESS Friday, May 16, 2014

THE GUARDIAN www.ngrguardiannews.com

MTN strategises to expand market By Adeyemi Adepetun, with agency report TN Group is eyeing opporM tunities to expand in the Asian market having ruled out

any more attempts to merge with an Indian partner. The company claimed to face political pressure from South African politicians to ensure that it remains a majority South African owned company, which has made it difficult for the firm to expand overseas through share based mergers. MTN needs to pay cash, or seek deals where share based transactions do not substantively dilute the South African shareholders stake in the firm. Citing people familiar with

the company’s plans, Bloomberg confirmed that MTN is indeed now seeking medium sized deals, mostly in Asia to help expand the size of the company, without worrying domestic politicians. The telecommunications firm, which operates in over 22 countries across Africa and Asia, currently has about 210 million subscribers. The Nigerian arm, which has demonstrated more buoyancy, controls about 45 per cent market share, has over 57 million subscribers in the country. The South African arm currently has over 25.2 million subscribers. Meanwhile, chairman of India’s largest mobile-phone operator Bharti Airtel Ltd,

Bharti Airtel laments Nigeria’s tax hike Sunil Mittal has said that telecommunications companies are unfairly taxed in Nigeria because the industry supports other areas of the economy. Mittal, in an interview with Bloomberg, at the just concluded World Economic Forum in Abuja, said “the taxes are very high in Nigeria. That needs to come down. If telecoms are seen as a rightful infrastructure for the growth of many other sectors in the economy and the multiplier force, then I think it doesn’t deserve to be taxed so high.” Currently, the South African government owns a 14 per cent stake in MTN through a

state pension fund. “We’re beginning to open to the idea that these companies are going international, but their South African weighting must be preserved,” the Vice Chancellor of Johannesburg’s University of the Witwatersrand, Adam Habib stated. To help avoid shareholder dilution, MTN can tap into its $4 billion cash pile, and seek to increase debt. One potential target being cited though is Luxembourg based Millicom, which has operations in Latin America and across Africa. Such a deal would cost around $10 billion, but not overly dilute MTN’s

$40 billion market capitalisation. Millicom is also a well-regarded owner, which can help offset some of the regulatory risks that come from investing in some countries. Meanwhile, Mittal is hopeful that the Nigerian market will experience further growth. “We are seeing now growth coming back again. “The last quarter versus the fourth quarter was reasonably good. I’m very hopeful that this year will be a year of real stabilization”, he stated. Mittal, who reiterated that the firm has no plans to expand into new territories, said the Bharti Airtel currently operates in 17 African nations. “We don’t have any designs for expanding our footprint at

Founder, Gidi Mobile Learning, Tunji Adegbesan (left); Head, Consumer Insight and Engagement, Michelle Nwoga; Head, Consumer Propositions, Olumide Akindele; Head, Retail Banking, Jude Anele, all of Diamond Bank Plc at a press briefing to herald Diamond Bank National Prep Challenge held in Lagos on Wednesday. PHOTO: SUNDAY AKINLOLU

Ekiti seals off Chinese company over tax default From Muyiwa Adeyemi, Ado Ekiti KITI State Internal E Revenue Service (IRS) has sealed off the construction

site of a Chinese firm located in Ado-Ekiti for an alleged N71.761 million tax default. The Chairman of the agency, Isola Akingbade, who led an enforcement team to the site, explained that the action was consequent upon the failure of Hongye Ampic Concept Ltd to comply with the Personal Income Tax Act (PITA) of 2006. Akingbade stressed that the agency followed due process adding that the action was carried out after a court order was duly obtained from a court of competent jurisdiction. He said several efforts had earlier been made to ensure payment of the tax due after it was discovered through a tax audit that the company was heavily indebted to the state government. Flaying the nonchalant attitude of many foreign contractors to payment of taxes, the state IRS boss noted that such unwholesome position is not acceptable in their home countries and warned that government would no longer tolerate tax evasion.

Akingbade wondered why a company whose fleet of heavy duty trucks enormously contribute to the short lifespan and incessant damage of roads that were constructed with taxpayers’ money in the state would evade tax. He warned that the site would not be reopened until the company pays the total amount outstanding tax debt and appealed to individuals and corporate

Flaying the nonchalant attitude of many foreign contractors to payment of taxes, the state IRS boss noted that such unwholesome position is not acceptable in their home countries and warned that government would no longer tolerate tax evasion organizations affected by the development to prevail on the tax defaulters to obey the laws of the land. Commending those that are faithful in paying their taxes, Akingbade empha-

sized the need for defaulter to repent and start paying their taxes as required by the law and in order to enable government have funds to fulfill its obligation to the people and develop

the society. Efforts to speak with the contractors or their agents who were sighted around the construction site were unsuccessful as they declined comments.

NEXIM Bank backs mines, steel sector with N1.3 billion According to him, the effort bank hopes to increase the Orya also said that the bank IGERIA Export Import N Bank (NEXIM) will sup- had identified manufactur- is to ensure that any product efficiency and profitability port the mines and steel sec- ing, agriculture, solid miner- for export must have “some of manufacturing establishtor with N1.3 billion during the year as part of efforts to boost performance in the non-oil sector, an official said. The Managing Director of the Bank, Roberts Orya, made the plan known in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja. ``The bank is supporting the mines and steel sector with 10 per cent of its total financing, which amounts to N1.3 billion. ``NEXIM Bank has made an intervention totaling N5.76 billion in the solid minerals sector from 1991 to 2013,’’ he said.

als and services as sectors of the economy it would support in its programme.

value addition more than what it used to be in the past. ``With the programme, the

ments through the funding and acquisition of new technology.’’

the moment but within the countries that we operate we are strengthening our position. Nigeria remains a longterm market for the company even as Islamist militants carry out a wave of deadly bombings and kidnappings across the country”, he said. Meanwhile, Moody’s Investors Service has issued a report saying that both South Africa’s MTN Group and India’s Bharti Airtel maintain credit profiles that are supported by dominant positions in their respective home markets of South Africa and India mitigating potential volatility from their other African operations. While the two telecoms operators share many similarities such as scale and exposure to Africa, there are key differences that contribute to the one-notch rating differential between the two companies. According to a Moody’s Vice President - Senior Analyst and co-author of the report, Dion Bate, “MTN holds leading and dominant market positions in many African markets by subscriber numbers, benefiting from a first-mover advantage, while Bharti is the second or third largest operator in the rest of the African continent. However, Bharti faces less exposure to African emerging market cash flows than MTN, as India remains the predominant cash flow driver for Bharti. The report noted that MTN has historically followed the traditional approach of taking ownership of its infrastructure, but has recently moved to monetize its passive infrastructure like Bharti. Bharti employs an asset-light business model that seeks to optimize operational efficiencies. It outsources non-strategic assets, such as cellular towers, submarine cables and network infrastructure, so resources can be used to expand its 3G, 4G and data services. It further said that while both companies have comparable EBITDA margins in their home markets, MTN’s EBITDA margins in other African countries are markedly higher than Bharti’s owing to its leading market position and firstmover advantage. Bharti offers low-priced services in Africa to gain market share, which leads to lower profitability and is reflected in the company’s profit margins. “MTN faces higher emerging market risks as a larger percentage of its cash flows comes from either non-rated or non-investment grade countries whereas Bharti’s cash flow stream is largely investment grade. However, MTN receives sizable dividends and management fees that are up-streamed from markets outside of South Africa, which improves its debt servicing ability at the holding company level”, said Bate.

Association’s president urges govt to support poultry farmers HE National President, Poultry Association of T Nigeria (PAN), Dr. Ayoola Oduntan, has called on the Federal Government to support poultry farmers in the country to enhance production. Oduntan made the call at the Nigeria Poultry Summit 2014 with the theme ``Consolidating the Growth Plan for Poultry Industry: 2013-2023’’, on

Wednesday in Lagos. He commended the Federal Government’s effort in providing raw materials used in processing feeds through the Ministry of Agriculture in 2013. “Poultry farmers need about 1.5 million tonnes of maize annually for feed production. “Meanwhile, government made available 5,000

tonnes of maize in 2013 to the association which was distributed to farmers. “We are calling on the Ministry of Agriculture to do more by increasing the amount of tonnes given to farmers so as to increase the production of feeds.’’ Oduntan said that poultry farmers required maximum support from the government to increase consumption across the

country. He also said that the association would set up capacity building facilities across the country to enable poultry farmers to get appropriate training to guide them in the business. The president also urged farmers who were not able to manage or sustain their poultry farms to contact the association PAN for necessary assistance.

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Friday, May 16, 2014 BUSINESS

Kewalram Chanrai to build Foton assembly plant in Nigeria EWALRAM Chanrai Group, K has unfolded plans to set up an assembly plant in Nigeria for Foton brand of vehicles. This move is in response to the New Automotive Policy introduced by the Federal Government of Nigeria. This Policy aims to encourage local automobile assembly, discourage imports and increase employment for Nigerians. The Auto Policy forms a part of the agenda of President Goodluck Jonathan’s Nigeria Industrial Revolution Plan and the National Enterprise Development Programme. The Kewalram Chanrai Group has tied-up with Foton to set-up an ultra-modern state-of-the-art Assembly Plant in Lagos. This plant will assemble the full range of Commercial and Passenger vehicles as offered by the Group including HighQuality Trucks, Buses, Vans, Pick-ups, SUV’s, etc.. The assembly plant will meet global industry standards, and make Nigeria proud. The idea of an auto assembly was conceived a few years ago, especially since the Group is known for settingup local industries and believe in backward integration. With the re-introduction of the auto policy, it has become imperative to set-up local auto assembly plants. Raju Sawlani, the Executive Director has confirmed that the Group has already acquired 25 acres of land for this plant, and are in the process of finalising designs, importation of equipments,

Arik Air announces increase in flight operations RIK Air on Wednesday A announced an increase in its flight frequencies to meet passengers’ demands. A statement by the airline’s General Manager, Chris Ndule, in Ikeja said that the airline increased flight frequencies on its LagosMonrovia and Lagos-Luanda routes. The statement added that the airline had continually reviewed its route networks to offer increased and seamless connections to all destinations. “The Lagos-Monrovia service has been increased from three to four weekly flights using a Boeing 737-700 aircraft,’’ the statement said. It said that there would be flights on the route on Saturdays in addition to the existing, Monday, Wednesday and Friday services. “All the four weekly flights are operated via Accra with a fifth freedom traffic rights approval facilitating traffic. “Similarly, the twice weekly Lagos-Luanda service has been increased to three weekly flights, it said.’’ It said that the airline would henceforth operate on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays on the route. ``The outbound flight will depart Lagos at 9:30p.m. (local time) and arrive in Luanda at 12:35a.m. (local time). ``The inbound flight will depart Luanda at 02:00a.m. (local time) and arrive in Lagos at 05:05a.m. (local time),’’ it added.

etc. Over 10 Billion Naira will be invested in this project with an initial capacity of 15,000 units annually, which can be increased as required. Sawlani stated that Kewalram Chanrai Group’s partnership with Foton will ensure high quality and affordable vehicles for Nigerians and would create jobs in the country. He said the policy would transform the nation’s industrial landscape, leading to an increase in skills development, job creation and conserve valuable foreign exchange. Raju Sawlani who has over 18 years of experience in the Nigerian auto industry and has managed over 25 brands believes that the New Auto Policy will be very successful and place Nigeria in the Global Automobile Map. He stated that numerous auto parts and accessories pro-

duction plants will be setup. In fact, his Group is considering on setting-up such industries. He is also planning in setting-up of an Automobile Technical Training School which will cater to qualifying Nigerians, resulting in increased employment. Foton is the largest Commercial Vehicle manufacturer in China and the 2nd largest in the World having produced and sold more than 850,000 vehicles in year 2011. Foton has Joint Venture companies with Daimler and Cummins. Foton vehicles are distributed in more than 40 countries including Angola, Algeria, Kenya, South Africa in Africa, and Russia, Spain, Italy, Holland, Indonesia, Vietnam, Middle East, India, Argentina, Chile, etc.

Manager,Development Trading, Propertygate Development and Investment Plc, Olayiwola Asere (left); Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Adetokunbo Ajayi; and Chief Executive Officer, SOFUNIX Investment and Communications Ltd, Sola Oni, at Propertygate’s advisory services forum, in Lagos.

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20| INTERNATIONAL Friday, May 16, 2014

Google loses landmark privacy case EOPLE have the “right to be P forgotten” and search engines like Google must remove certain unwanted links, Europe’s top court decided in a surprise ruling on Tuesday. The case, which spotlighted the clash between privacy and freedom of information advocates, centered on a Spanish man’s efforts to remove historic links to his debt problems. In its decision, the European Court of Justice found operators of search engines such as Google were the “controller” of information. They were therefore responsible for removing unwanted links if requested. “An Internet search engine operator is responsible for the processing that it carries out of personal data which appear on web pages published by third parties,” the judges said in a statement about the ruling. A Google spokesman, in an email to CNN, said the ruling was “disappointing,” and that the company needed time to “analyze the implications.” Google had previously argued it was only hosting the data and said it was up to the individual websites to remove the data. The decision came as a surprise to the industry and legal experts, as it ran contrary to the court’s Advocate General opinion, whose guidance is usually followed. Does Google know too much about us? Your G-mail is watching you Getting caught

on Google maps “For Google, this result creates a headache — and potentially huge costs,” University of East Anglia Law School lecturer Paul Bernal said. “The ruling looks like a strong decision in favor of privacy and individual rights — and against the business models of search engines, and certain aspects of freedom of speech.” The case arose in 2010, when Mario Costeja Gonzalez complained to the Spanish Data Protection Agency about an old newspaper notice detailing his social security debts. The advertisement was placed in a Spanish newspaper by the Ministry of Labour in 1998. It detailed a property auction being held to recover the debts. Gonzalez argued that he had long resolved his debts and the information was no longer relevant. He complained that details about his old debts were coming up in Google search results, which he said violated his data protection rights. The Spanish privacy watchdog rejected the complaint against the newspaper, saying it was right to publish the information at the time of the auction. However, it also said that Google had no right to spread the news about Gonzalez further and ruled that the search engine must remove the link from the list of results. Google challenged the ruling with the Spanish High Court which referred the case up to EU’s top court.

International watchdog Index on Censorship said the ruling “violates the fundamental principles of freedom

of expression.” “It allows individuals to complain to search engines about

information they do not like with no legal oversight. This is akin to marching into a

library and forcing it to pulp books,” Index said in a statement.

Euro zone Q1 growth misses target HE euro zone economy T grew much less than expected at the start of the year and inflation remained locked in the 'danger zone' below 1 percent, increasing pressure on the European Central Bank to ease monetary policy at its next meeting in June. The 9.5 trillion euro economy expanded only 0.2 percent quarter-on-quarter in the first three months of 2014, the same as the downwardly revised rate in the last quarter of 2013, while economists had expected 0.4 percent growth. The first quarter figure stayed positive mainly thanks to strong growth in the biggest economy Germany, which compensated for stagnation in France and shrinking output in Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal and Finland. "Today's figure is a major disappointment, as it suggests that the euro zone is still far away from reaching the escape velocity required for a sustainable recovery," said Peter Vanden Houte, chief euro zone economist with ING. With growth so weak and consumer price growth well below the ECB target, the bank is preparing a package of measures for its June meeting, including cuts in all its interest rates and steps to fight the

risks of deflation. "The package...the ECB appears to be preparing is welcome... but the overall steps are likely to be too small to make a real difference," said Nick Kounis, economist at ABN AMRO. "More aggressive easing than the ECB currently seems to be considering would help from that perspective," he added. German quarterly growth of 0.8 percent marginally exceeded forecasts and was double the pace at the end of 2013. The zero growth in France was a disappointment compared with expectations of 0.2 percent growth. Inventory changes and public

spending were the only factors which kept the French economy from contracting while Germany's performance was driven largely by domestic demand, French and German statistics office data showed. France will now need 0.5 percent growth each quarter to meet a government forecast for 1 percent growth in 2014, Natixis Asset Management chief economist Philippe Waechter said. "France's public finance plan has been built on the 1 percent growth forecast. If we don't achieve it, France will not meet its (debt and deficit) targets for 2014 and 2015," Waechter said. Missing the deficit targets

again is likely to put Paris on a collision course with European Union rules under which it has to cut its deficit below 3 percent of GDP by 2015. France is not the only euro zone member in the doldrums. Italy defied growth expectations and contracted 0.1 percent, denting a fragile recovery begun at the end of last year when the country finally put an end to its longest recession since World War Two. The euro zone growth outlook for the second quarter was poor too, which will not help reduce the risks of deflation.

Spain cracks down on fake business, benefits scam PANISH police have arrestSnationwide ed 750 people after a investigation into fake businesses, according to a statement Wednesday. The mass arrests were part of a crackdown on a scam through which $28 million of public funds were paid out for Social Security benefits, according to the police statement. Police targeted fake compa-

nies operating in tourism, construction, industrial cleaning and package delivery, and made the arrests over recent months. “Among those arrested are 30 managers of the fake companies who, without any real business activity, registered people for Social Security to illicitly obtain benefits, or to obtain residency or working permits for foreign citizens,” the police statement said.

A total of 8,400 people were registered on Social Security rolls as part of the scam, and in 2,100 cases, they received some form of government payout. In addition, 362 foreigners were able to get working or residency papers in Spain through the fraud, the police said. The investigation uncovered 4,000 crimes of document and other fraud linked to the payments from public funds.

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Weekend

WEFA: World leaders unite against terror

Arts & Culture P. 36 â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;With StarTimes, pay TV no longer a luxury in Nigeriaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;

Autowheels P.43

Business Travels P.46

CFAO launches three new Mitsubishi brands

Demand for passenger air travel decelerates March

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Inclusive growth, Africa’s promise

President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan (left) Governorof Cross Rivers State, Liyel Imoke and DG,Nigerian Economic Summit Frank Nweke Junior, during the World Economic Forum in Abuja. PHOTO LADIDI LuCy ELuKPO.

The 24th World Economic Forum on Africa (WEFA), which took place in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) between May 7 and 9, has been adjudged the single largest of its kind ever attended by world leaders outside its traditional base in Davos, Switzerland. MATHIAS OKWE, who covered the proceedings, examines the various issues discussed and the outcomes. HE recently concluded World Economic T Forum on Africa (WEFA) held in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) between May 7 and 9, was the first to be hosted in any part of West Africa in 24 years. Yet, it turned out to be the most successful and was well attended by world and business leaders across the globe. Other WEFA editions have been held mostly in South Africa, and also in Zimbabawe (1997), Namibia (1998), Mozambique (2004), Tanzania (2010) and Ethiopia (2012). Results emanating from the Abuja edition have been impressive. Elsie S. Kanza, Director, Head of Africa, WEF, reported that partnerships forged at the latest meeting resulted in a whooping $59 billion investment boost for the continent. This is expected to create more than 230,000 jobs and support for 500 schools. . Li Keqiang, the People’s Republic of China’s Premier also unveiled an investment plan of $42 billion for Africa, including $10 billion in investment financing; $30 billion extending credit lines; and an additional $2 billion in the China-Africa Development Fund. Other commitments were provided by the private sector. This is in addition to a new investment expansion plan by Africa’ s richest man, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, worth $16 billion in Nigeria. Coincidentally, Nigeria, the host country, got the world community to demonstrate inclusive action, which was the theme of the forum against terrorism, as she used the occasion to rally world support against the Boko Haram insurgency, which began in 2009. Indeed, two fatal blasts in mid – April and May 1 at Nyanya, Abuja could not discourage world and business leaders from attending the forum. Addressing the audience, Li Keqiang declared that China was ready to provide financial, personnel and technological support to infrastructure development in Africa. He said: “China will step up its investment worth $42 billion and financing cooperation with Africa, by providing an additional $10 billion credit line to a total of $30 billion and by adding another two billion US dollars, to make the China -African African

Development Fund a total of $5 Billion. China will vigorously advance the African talents program, providing 18,000 government scholarships to African students and training 30,000 African professionals in the various areas. China will also help train more technical personnel for Africa through multiple ways, including training schemes by China ‘s enterprises and Confucius Institutes in Africa.” On his part, President Goodluck Jonathan said the successful hosting of the event, in spite of threat by Boko Haram, was a big blow to the terrorists. He expressed optimism that the over 200 abducted Chibok Girls Secondary School students, would soon be rescued. Jonathan declared: “Foreign governments have offered to help end the crisis. The kidnapping of the girls is the beginning of the end of terror in Nigeria. If you had refused to come because of fear, the terrorists would have jubilated and may have created more havoc. But your coming here to support us morally is a major blow to the terrorists and by God’s grace we will conquer the terrorists.” He added: “African leaders face special challenges. We have the challenge to provide jobs, housing and healthcare. McKinsey, the consulting firm, has calculated that an additional 122 million workers will enter Africa’s labour force by 2020. And that, by 2035, the combined size of the African labour force would be greater than that of the most heavily populated countries in the world, including China. This is daunting, and should be a wake-up call to all of us in Africa, to work harder on job creation with a great sense of urgency.” Former British Prime Minister, Mr. Gordon brown who was visibly disturbed by the abduction saga, said: “I think Nigeria’s economy is strong and growing and I think what people want to do now is to support the economy of Nigeria and indeed of the whole of Africa. Right all over the world, terrorism is experienced. Even in Britain, right on my first day as Prime Minister, there were terrorism incidences. So terrorism is a problem that has hit every continent. It’s the responses that matter.

“We want the resources created in Nigeria to be available for the people of Nigeria. And I would be able to come back here and find that not only have these girls been returned safely and we have safer schools, but every other girl that is out of school at the moment and has been denied the chance of going to school is in school because that is the key to the future. I think people in Nigeria have demonstrated that they are not prepared to tolerate attempt by terrorists to prevent girls wanting to go school. This is the most inhuman thing to prevent a girl from having her education and worsening it by taking her away from her family. “Bring back the girls is a phrase that resonates in every corner of the world now. From the Congress in the White House to the United Kingdom (UK) Parliament and is spoken in every corner of the world. This just shows that the international community feels awful when they see girls who were innocently going to school that day to do an exam now taken away from their families who are innocent about what is happening to them.” The obviously elated Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo Iweala said: “We are grateful to WEF for the hosting of this forum, the first in West Africa, the first in Nigeria and for the international community for attending. The attendance is splendid, more than a thousand participated and very few dropped out as a result of the incident and that underlines the confidence and strength that people see in Africa as well as what they see as the underlying strength of the Nigerian economy. “The second point I want to make is that the forum was a success because it enables us to mobilize all participants to support our campaign on bring back the girls. Every single participant at the forum was focused on that issue. The world community rallied round us to say, we have to bring back our girls including international support and a homegrown support, which is one direct outcome of the forum. The Government has said it will partner with them. This will be on top of what we are planning and doing to make schools safe.

“Mr. President has announced a $10 million to match the US$10 million (donated) by the business community. That is over and above all the efforts of the government so far, to try and protect the schools better. So, a specific initiative, solidarity of the international community and global business, with the girls and a very large turnout. This is the second largest World Economic Forum turnout outside of Davos, according to WEF itself. So it has been a success for the girls and solidarity for Nigeria. “The problem of inequality is something that the entire world is struggling with. There is this new book by Thomas Piketty Capitalism in the 21st Century. That is the whole thesis; that there is the problem of inequality all over the world. Ninety five per cent of the recent growth of the US was captured by one per cent of the people. So, this is again a global problem that we all need to learn from each other. “Inequality is a major challenge in the growth story of the whole of Africa and Nigeria. And that is what we are working at. We do not want to grow with leaving more people behind; we want to change the quality of that growth. And I think the crux of that matter is creating jobs, people here do not want handouts, they want us to create decent jobs. “The government is really working hard at improving agriculture. Studies have shown that if you improve agriculture, you are able to tackle poverty three times better and faster. We are working on that. We are turning around agriculture and we are launching the housing sector to create jobs. We need 1.8 milllion jobs in the country; we are still creating 1.6 million. We are still falling short, plus we have the pool of the unemployed. “The biggest focus in alleviating poverty in Nigeria is creating jobs. The second is improving human development indicators, which are not very good. Maternal mortality, infant mortality rate, children out of school, these are things we are focusing on to get our resources to the level where we use them effectively to deal with these problems. “The third and final point is that, the threeday forum, apart from the support and the ral-

Friday, May 16, 2014 WEEKEND 23

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dominate talks at WEFA Roll Call Premier of the People’s Republic of China, Li Keqiang Vice President of Japan, Heroshi Kata Former President of Brazil, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silba President of Algeria, Mogammed Larbi Ould Khalifa President of Senegal, Sall Macky Former President of South Africa, Mr. Thabo Mbeki Former UN Secretary General, Mr. Kofi Annan President of Kenya, Uhuru Kenyata President of Tanzania, Jakaya M.Kikwete President of Togo, Faure Gnassigne Ghanaian President, John Drama Mahama Prime Minister of Madagascar, Kolo Christophe Laurent Rogers Prime Minister of Mali, Mara Moussaka President of Benin Republic, Thomas Yayi Boni President of Rwanda, Paul Kagame Prime Minister of Cote d’ Viore , Daniel Kabian Duncan AFDB President, Dr. Donald Kabureka lying, has a direct impact on the announcement of further business investments by the Nigerian business community to create more jobs. This will help us give our youths hope and help them feel that they have a future in this country, not only safe and secure, but also that they can feed themselves and their families.” Africa’s richest man, Alhaji Aliko Dangote announced a whopping investment plan worth $16 billion in diverse sectors of the economy, to create jobs, reduce poverty and close the widening inequality gap in the country. Dangote unfolded the plan at a plenary session which he cochaired. He explained that the move was also part of efforts to bolster local investors’ confidence in the country, adding that until African rich people begin to look inward for investments, the much sought after Foreign Direct Investments [FDIs] would not come. Dangote spoke as the Governor of Anambra State, Willy Obiano told newsmen at the meeting, that his state was being opened up for investors with the creation of an enabling environment, including the simplification of obtaining a certificate of occupancy in the state. He said: “ We are doing enough to open up the state for investment. We have continued with the good works of my predecessor in opening up new roads, so that investors can easily convey their goods. We have intensified security in the state and crime level is at its lowest ebb. We equally have very generous incentives like tax holiday for investors and of course, we have a very rich pool of intelligent human capital in the state.” According to Dangote, the area of investment includes Agriculture, refinery and petrol-chemical and expansion of the sugar investment to the North West and Middle Belt areas of the country. His words: “When we started business around 1994 and 1996 , we took a lot of risks and people were asking why we were investing in uncertainty and very un -conducive environment because of the poor state of power. But we went ahead and undertook some initiatives, like building our own captive power stations and today we are not regretting that we took that decision. And we have kept on increasing our investment in this country because we have understood that there is no better place to investment. “Now, we have outlined the sum of $16 billion investment in this country in the next five years in refineries, petrol- chemicals, fertilizer and agriculture. We have already got a good measure of land in Niger and Kogi states for the cultivation of rice and the sum of $2.3 billion alone is to invested in this sector, which will create 18000 jobs. “Another challenge that we still face is that, some African rich men prefer to keep their monies abroad instead of investing it in Africa. Please bring back these monies and invest here because if you do not do, no foreign investor would come because they would think there is a confidence crisis in your country. Also, Africa is not trading with self and this not encouraging.” The forum also presented an opportunity for Nigeria to show to the rest of the world, that it is fertile ground for global investments. In this regard, the Office of the Chief Economic Adviser to the president compiled and published a five - chapter investment guide, profiling all the available investment opportunities in all sectors of the Nigerian economy. The publication titled, No Better Time, also provided the available incentives and opportunities for investing in Nigeria and was freely distributed to participants at the event. The forum witnessed different plenary and private business network sessions in and around the Abuja city centre, where the delegates were accommodated. One of such sessions was on “Partnering for Prosperity,” where US Trade Representative, Michael Froman, stressed the need for African countries to explore the agriculture sector, which he said was capable of opening the economy of many African countries, since the continent “has at least 20 per cent of the world’s land.” On his own part, the Deputy, Director-General, WTO, Geneva, Yonov Fredrick Agah, stressed the need for African governments to take advantage of free trade rules and enhance trades within and outside Africa. He suggested that profits made from trade could be channelled to develop other sectors of the economy. According to him: “Trade rules are not bad. They enable you to work for your own economy and for the economy of the trading partner. Trade is part of the solution to Africa’s development. A trade led growth strategy is compatible with other strategies that would grow the economy. From trade, you direct resources into manufacturing to create more jobs and reduce poverty l e v e l . ” On conducive investment environment, Mr. Jabu Mabuza,

Governor Of Niger State, Muazu Babangida Aliyu (left), Hajia Bola Shagaya and Acting Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria Dr. Sarah Omotunde Alade at the forum.

Global Head of Buissness Development Mercuria, Switzerland, Guillaume Leenhardt (left); Chairman, Seplat Petroleum Development Company, Nigeria, Ambroise Orjiako; Director General Security Exchange Commission, Arunma Oteh; and Mutuma Marangu from Kenya, at the forum. chairman, Telkom Groups, South Africa, said educating Africans would go a long way in bringing about the needed development in the continent. He also stressed the need for local domestic investments to be encouraged in order for foreign investments to come in. “We need to recognise that we are at various stages and we need to sort out our own regional issues first,” he said. Also at another session, which focused on job creation, infrastructure and intra African trade, agriculture and inclusive growth, participants unanimously agreed that agriculture could deliver growth but that access to finance, infrastructure improvements and a reduction of the perception of risk was also needed. The Discussants believed that Africa was on track to achieve the 5.5 per cent economic growth this year, predicted by the International Monetary Fund (IMF), but it must create jobs, improve infrastructure, foster intra-African trade, fund the agribusiness revolution and find new pockets of industrialization. With the right infrastructure, enormous growth can be achieved from agriculture, said Hendrik du Toit, Chief Executive Officer, Investec Asset Management, United Kingdom. “This is where long-term capital is needed if you want to exploit the agri-business revolution,” he said, adding, “one of the most momentous changes from a business point of view is that Africa is integrating itself, particularly via China. It is not just an African local market, but it is Africa in the world.” The forum’s Grow Africa Initiative partners, doubled their commitments for agriculture and food security to $72 billion. So far, $970 million has been invested, resulting in 33,000 new jobs and support for 2.6 million small farmers. Cross-border payment systems; transregional and pan-African infrastructure developments; deeper financial markets across the continent; the free movement of people, capital and goods; and exploiting short-term wins are the most urgent action points, according to the panel. Claver Gatete, Rwanda’s Minister of Finance and Economic Planning, noted that money cannot be raised just from the banking system. “We need to develop and link to capital markets. We have been relying on public money. We must bring in the private sector, which requires structuring investment [deals],” he said.

“It is Africa’s turn; Africa is rising and leadership and political will is emerging,” said Pravin Gordhan, South Africa’s Minister of Finance. “As Africa becomes more connected to western economies, there is optimism, but we must be aware of the risks of contagion and we must be aware of how to manage those risks.” According to Julian Roberts, Group Chief Executive, Old Mutual, United Kingdom, “Huge progress has been made but to unlock Africa’s potential, much work must be done. Opportunities exist in each individual country, but the power will come in when the countries are working together.” Africa has a great opportunity to realize its potential, but must put its house in order, said Jin-Yong Cai, Executive VicePresident and Chief Executive Officer, International Finance Corporation (IFC), Washington DC. “We must fill the infrastructure gaps and make economies competitive by establishing competitive industry sectors,” he added. To fasttrack this process, Africa must ensure a supply of electricity and create a regulatory framework that allows investors to make money. We need to work out the details and get rid of the perception of r i s k . ” Sideline activities included the investment portfolio plans by the Nigerian Breweries, whose Chairman of the Executive Board / Chief Executive Officer of Heineken and Co Chair of the WEFA, Mr. Jean -Francois Van Boxmeer spoke expanding in view of the great prospect in the Nigerian market According to Van Boxmeer who shared his insight with newsmen at the sidelines of the on-going WEFA in Abuja said the gains of investing in Nigeria was more than the imagined fears of insecurity. He however advised Nigeria entrepreneurs to emulate the enterprising spirit of Alhaji Aliko Dangote to invest or expand their investment the Nigerian economy as a way of boosting foreign investors. His words: “Our operation in Nigeria is the second largest in the world after Mexico and we know where the successes exists , but there is always the big question mark . But we have been able to sustain the successes of the Nigerian Breweries for over a decade . Nigerian Breweries has also survived very difficult times before and one of the things that some people don’t know is that it’s here in Nigeria that through Heineken we have been developing the Sorghum technology with the Nigerian

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BusinessRound-Up AFRICA NEEDS TO ORGANISE ITS DOMESTIC CAPITAL FOR ECONOMIC GROWTH Century told CNBC Africa. Nigeria hosted the forum for the first time after the country recently rebased its GDP and Kiuna believes that in the past the opportunity in Africa was seen much more as an export opportunity but today, people are realising the size of the domestic market. “Everybody sees the growth trajectory and everybody believes it but the question is how best to partake in it?” “In my opinion one of the very important things is really around the organisation of domestic capital and how that domestic capital starts to express itself and really behind that, you’ll start to see a lot of foreign capital,” he said. Africa is expected to continue its growth trajectory in the coming years while most of the world is facing major political and economic uncertainty as the continent’s population is projected to double in the next forty years. “I think its fallacy to believe that investments will be purely foreign led, we really need to look at it such that we have a lot of strong domestic capital behind of which a good platform is built for foreign direct investments,” he explained. Nonetheless, Kiuna believes that the domesAfrica's population is expected to double over the next forty years. PHOTO: Google.com tic capital needs to be organised first for the growth, creating jobs was aimed at address- continent’s Direct Foreign Investment to By Dara Rhodes ing the issues about unemployment and in- continue to rise as FDI’s alone can’t lead inclusive growth many African countries face. vestments and create all the jobs. “At the end of the day its not rocket science, ORLD Bank figures show that net For“I think it’s a great time for Nigeria, I mean I’ll say that if you look at the fundamentals of eign Direct Investment inflows into for us to take centre stage, we are now the Africa grew by 16.2 per cent to 43 billion in largest economy on the continent, I think it is what is driving growth of the African econ2013. also good for all of us to really reflect on what omy, you know agriculture, wholesale retail trade, manufacturing, those have to play a The World Economic Forum on Africa that the true size of some of these domestic part in driving job creation,” he concluded. ended recently themed, Forging Inclusive economies are,” Gachao Kiuna, CEO, Trans-

AFRICA FACES UNDEREMPLOYMENT unemployment this would be a key focus for discussions. NDEREMPLOYMENT is catching up with “The rate of unemployment in Africa generunemployment in Africa as highly edually is huge but what is worse is the rate of uncated youths now face a workforce that does- deremployment and the particular aspect of n’t use their skills. it is that most of the unemployed are very The theme of this year’s recently concluded young people,” Aeneas Chuma, regional direcWorld Economic Forum on Africa was, Forg- tor of the International Labour Organisation ing inclusive growth, Creating jobs. Theretold CNBC Africa. fore, with the continent’s huge problem with According to the Nigeria’s bureau of statistics, the rate of unemployment in the country stood at about 29.5 per cent in 2013 which resulted in some analysts suggesting a state of emergency. On the other hand, Statistics South Africa said in a recent report that the unemployment rate in the country rose from 24.1 per cent to 25.2 per cent in the previous three months. “The youth are relatively well educated than the previous generation and they face

By Dara Rhodes

unemployment at a time when the African economy has grown significantly in the last decade. I don’t know about a state of emergency but I think it’s a very appropriate way of categorising the type of problem that African countries have,” he explained. Despite significant growth on the continent, unemployment is an issue many governments are still tackling. Nonetheless, Chuma believes that there attention to the matter is good and that what is lacking now is a common approach and response to the problem going forward. “The big debate is around what type of growth are we seeking here. We need to invest in the type of growth that generates jobs and these jobs have to be decent jobs that pay wages and reduce poverty but we need to make special investments around the youth,” he said. Chuma, hopes that there will be a general recognition of the magnitude of the problem at the forum and a recognition that macroeconomic growth is important as African economies have grown over the past 10 years. “The African population is very young and that can be approached as a tremendous resource for a growing continent but it can also threaten social stability if we’ve got these large armies of young Africans, well educated, able to work and they are not given opportunities,” he added.

In association with

$28 MILLION BOOST FOR NESTLÉ NIGERIA By Thando Matutu ESTLÉ Nigeria has announced plans to inN vest 28 million US dollars to develop a high tech water factory. “We believe by having more [water] plants across the country to serve communities and consumers close to the source brings down our distribution and adjust our prices [appropriately],” Darnesh Gordhan chief executive officer of Nestlé Nigeria told CNBC Africa. Nigeria being the largest economy, with a GDP estimate of 503 billion US dollars, has set a goal to create inclusive economic growth. It is believed that inclusive economic growth results in job creation and a rise in the middle-class allowing a larger market for consumer goods. In Nigeria there has been a rise of the middle-class which would equate to a larger market with buying power. “The Nigerian consumer is a very smart consumer just like the other consumers around the world, our job is to provide the best value,” he said. According to African Development Bank, the Nigerian middle class consisted of 23 per cent of the population and the average household had a monthly income range between 480 and 645 US dollars in 2011, currently this number is believed to have increased. However, the consumer goods market has its challenges. The increase in the middle-class has not brought much growth to consumer consumption in recent times. “Concern is the potential revaluation of the naira which will have an impact on costs, the uneasiness before the election and the money flow has become tighter which has affected the man on the street,” said Gordhan. The Nestlé team is more determined to take on the challenges and has explored of different ways of operating their business do develop the brand, Nestlé Pure Life. “We see massive consumer opportunity in water. We have to think about innovation and renovation to [develop] our products to excite our consumer,” he said. Gordhan described the model of the water business as one which will situate the water source close to the market. This strategy will be implemented to avoid large distribution expenses as water plants will be built across Nigeria.

Nestlé Nigeria has announced plans to develop a high tech water factory. PHOTO: Google.com

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Friday, May 16, 2014

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BRITAIN, U.S. WARN CITIZENS OF hIGh RISK OF ATTACKS IN KENYA RITAIN and the United States warned of potenB tial terrorist attacks in Kenya and British citizens were urged to immediately leave. The citizens were urged to leave the east African country’s port city of Mombasa following a series of attacks. The latest warnings, issued on Tuesday and Wednesday, may further damage Kenya’s tourism sector, one that President Uhuru Kenyatta said was “on its knees” after high-profile attacks in resorts along its Indian Ocean coastline. Explosions in Nairobi and Mombasa killed seven people on May 3-4, and Kenya has blamed a series of gun and grenade attacks countrywide on the al Qaeda-linked Somali group al Shabaab. The militants killed at least 67 people, including many foreigners, in a raid on an upscale Nairobi shopping mall in September. Britain’s Foreign Office said that unless on essential travel, all its citizens should avoid Mombasa and the surrounding area “following recent terrorist attacks and the continuing terrorist threat in the area”. The warning said there was a high threat from “terrorism, including kidnapping”, but excluded Mombasa’s Moi International Airport and another airport at Diani on the coast.

“If you are currently in an area to which we now advise against all but essential travel you should consider whether you have an essential reason to remain. If not, you should leave the area,” a Foreign Office statement said. The U.S. Embassy in Kenya also warned its citizens of the continued threat of “potential terrorist attacks in the country”, citing targets include hotels, nightclubs and malls. The embassy and other diplomatic missions were beefing up security due to the

KENYAN ECONOMY STRAINED BY TERRORIST ATTACKS end in the coastal city and two simultaneous attacks on public transport indicate the maghE Kenyan economy is set to face a strain nitude and frequency of attacks in East as the country is moving toward inAfrica’s economic hub. creased security so as to lure prospective inAnalysts predict that perceptions on security vestors. will affect decisions of investors who are yet “The real problem is the escalation in the to come into the country. nature and form of the attacks. The attacks There have been eight separate attacks beare sophisticated and will surely prompt an lieved to be initiated by terrorists from last increase in costs of security in the country,” September. Robert Bunyi, chief executive officer of In 2013, terrorists brought business to a halt Mavuno Capital told CNBC Africa. at the Westgate mall killing over 60 people in “Kenya has always been in a vulnerable poa series of attacks. sition. We have always been a neighbour to a The United States has warned its citizens to country that was in a civil war for over 20 avoid travelling to the coastal city of Momyears, so it was to be expected that a natural basa following the weekend attacks, posing a evolution would eventually lead to a spill danger to the country’s tourism sector. over to neighbouring country.” President Uhuru Kenyatta is reported to have “It started with proliferation of small arms said the country’s tourism sector was on its into the country and increasingly a number knees due to the recent attacks. of raids started to be encountered at the bor- Kenya’s travel and tourism contribution to der regions precipitating the entry of the the country’s gross domestic product (GDP) is Kenyan military into Somalia which resulted estimated to be above five per cent of the total in a backlash from terror groups,” he added. GDP and was forecasted to rise by 3.4 per cent The two attacks experienced over the week- per annum, from 2012-2022.

By Trust Matsilele

Al shabab, has claimed responsibility for a series of attacks in Kenya.

PHOTO: Reuters

threat on foreigners in Kenya as well as the recent spate of explosions in Nairobi, it said in a statement. Kenyan authorities denied knowing of any imminent threat. “There isn’t any specific threat that we know about to warrant these advisories,” Interior Ministry spokesman Mwenda Njoka told Reuters. Western diplomats have privately said Kenyan security forces - which receive aid and training from the United States, Britain and Israel among others - are weakened by rivalries between agencies that also hamper intelligence work. Al Shabaab has said it will carry out attacks in Kenya to demand Kenyan troops withdraw from neighbouring Somalia,

something Kenyatta has rejected. Kenya sent troops into Somalia in October 2011 to pursue the insurgents it blamed for a surge in violence and kidnappings threatening tourism in east Africa’s biggest economy. Kenya rebuked the United States for warning its citizens over travel to the country after the Westgate mall attack, calling the alert “unfriendly” and asking Washington to lift it. Sam Ikwaye, head of the Kenya Association of hotel Keepers and Caters, told Reuters the latest warning could hurt tourism, a significant foreign exchange earner, even further. “We are receiving many calls from our members telling us that the few clients in their hotels are worried and some are even cutting short their stay,” Ikwaye said.

IMF SAYS UGANDA’S ECONOMIC GROWTh TO ACCELERATE DESPITE REDUCED FOREIGN AID RISK GANDA’S economic growth should acU celerate to just above 6 per cent in the next fiscal year through June 2015. This was despite the risk of reduced foreign aid and unrest in key export market South Sudan, the IMF said on Tuesday. Western donors have halted or re-directed about 118 million US dollars in aid to Uganda since President Yoweri Museveni signed a law in February which toughened existing rules against gays. Analysts have said that the east African economy has become less dependent on aid for budget support in recent years, but the IMF said reduced foreign aid made it even more important for the country to expand its tax base. “Following the recent large shortfall in tax revenue and the risk of reductions in foreign aid, broadening the tax base and improving efficiency in tax administration are more critical than ever,” the International Monetary Fund said in a statement. Tax revenues have lagged as economic growth has been slower than expected this fiscal year although the IMF said the economy was still solid. “Despite a slowdown in agriculture and unrest in South Sudan, growth continues to be robust,” it said. Neighboring South Sudan has been experiencing violence since last December, disrupting trade between the two nations. Ugandan exports to South Sudan include food, plastics, beverages and construction materials. The IMF said that Uganda needed to curtail its public spending to relieve pressure on creditmarkets and spur lending to the private sector. “Restrained public consumption in the upcoming year ... would create room for improved credit conditions, laying the ground for a rebound in private sector activity,” it said. The IMF’s projections for economic growth of 6.1 per cent in the 2014/15 fiscal year, and

Uganda's President Yoweri Museveni. PHOTO: Reuters 5.7 per cent in the current fiscal year, broadly match those of the Ugandan central bank, which predicts growth will reach 6.0-6.5 per cent in 2014/15. The bank this month cut its forecast for growth this fiscal year to 5.7 per cent from 6 per cent. Boosting tax collections and curbing public spending, the IMF said, would help limit government borrowing in the domestic market, keeping a lid on interest rates. Interest rates have been on hold since the central bank unexpectedly cut its benchmark rate by 50 basis points in December to 11.50 per cent, saying economic growth was below potential.

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S.AFRICA’S BANKS TO EXPECT TOUGH TIMES AHEAD: MOODY’S By Wilhelmina Maboja OUTH Africa’s banks are expected to bear the brunt of the Sgrowth, pressure from the country’s current subdued economic Moody’s has said.

Heineken's Jean-François van Boxmeer says Africa needs domestic investment.

AFRICA WILL CONTINUE TO GROW: VAN BOXMEER By Trust Matsilele FRICA should work towards improving Infrastructure, eduA cation, healthcare among other sectors if it is to attract more foreign investment. Jean-François van Boxmeer, chairperson of Heineken International told CNBC Africa on the side-lines of WEF Africa in Nigeria that stability was critical for attracting foreign direct investment. “Risk perception differs from companies that have been working in the continent for decades with those companies that are new.” There has been a growing risk perception in the continent partly fuelled by civil unrest and policies that have been enacted in certain countries across the region in the last decade.

PHOTO: World Economic Forum

Heineken’s operations include 57 breweries and plants across 20 African countries. “We have a long story with Africa as our involvement with the continent started in the 1920s. Over the last ten years for our group, Africa has been the fasted growing region in the world accounting a fifth of our total revenue.” “Africa is big, meaningful and is growing hence attracting the lion share of our investment.” On inclusive growth van Boxmeer noted the importance of utilising local producers to supply implements. “Inclusive growth should benefit a large number of people. We do our part through direct employment and over a decade now, we have also been investing in the continent through downstream agriculture produce.” “This requires collaboration with governments which is now anchored in many African governments’ policies which wasn’t the situation 20 years ago.” “We have our biggest success story in Nigeria where we started 15 years ago and now half of our supplies comes from local producers and this is increasing every year,” he noted. Heineken International has a community of 50 000 farmers working to produce 100 000 tonnes of sorghum that the company use in Nigeria. “The situation is improving due to pro-active agriculture policies that will move people from subsistence farming into commercial farming.” He added that though foreign investment was important, what Africa needs is domestic investment. Van Boxmeer said that Africa will continue to grow due to its competitive advantage of having the strongest demographic group in the world.

“Weak real GDP growth and the likelihood of an interestrate increase will exert pressure on asset-quality and constrain corporate business development, while the banks’ large domestic government exposures links banks’ credit profiles to the South African government,” Nondas Nicolaides, Moody’s vice president and senior analyst said in a statement. In a new Moody’s report entitled “Banking System Outlook: South Africa”, the banks’ substantial holdings of domestic sovereign securities, expected asset quality pressures and funding challenges are factors that will contribute to the maintenance of a negative outlook for the sector. “Whilst the South African government faces political and budgetary pressures alongside high inequality and unemployment, funding challenges will also persist for banks, owing to their reliance on short-term wholesale deposits,” Nicolaides explained. “The latter will make it difficult for the banks to fully meet the Basel III liquidity requirements.” Weak prospects for private consumption and investment, as well as the deteriorating unsecured retail lending market in the past 18 months, will see additional pressure on asset quality among banks. According to the report, non-performing loans in the system are expected to increase and thereafter range between 4.0 per cent and 4.2 per cent of gross loans in 2014 and 2015. This will be a significant acceleration from a reported 3.7 per cent in December 2013. “South African banks’ credit profiles are closely linked to the sovereign’s creditworthiness, in view of the banks’ holdings of government securities that accounted for approximately 135 per cent of their Tier 1 capital on average as of December 2013,” said Moody’s. “As such, downward pressure on the largest banks’ standalone profiles would develop if South Africa’s credit profile deteriorates.” The rating agency however explained that banks will continue to maintain solid liquidity profiles, which will slightly reduce some of the risks stemming from the asset-liability mismatches.

OUR COMMITMENT IN THE REGION IS LONG TERM: CISCO AFRICA By Trust Matsilele ISCO Africa has trained about 70 000 students this year and 335 000 from the time of the inception of its networking academies. An estimated 30 per cent of the total figure of students who have passed through the information technology giant’s training academies is comprised of females. Cisco Africa’s vice president, David Meads, noted that ICTs skills are critical for leveraging growth in the continent’s development agenda. “These skills can be employed in government priorities like through e-agriculture, e-health and e-education taking that five per cent growth in Africa further,” he noted on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Nigeria’s capital Abuja. Cisco partners with governments and non-governmental organisations, schools, and universities in helping build up technology skills base. “It’s about leveraging and unlocking the skills in innovation across the whole continent whether it is about judging the

Through its networking academies Cisco has trained about 70 000 students in Africa. PHOTO: UFH

agenda through education, healthcare, safety and security.” “Cisco manages its innovations through centres in the United States and we are venturing now into India and Israel. Our long term commitment to the emerging markets across the world not only in Africa is resolute,” he added. Rwanda is cited as one of the countries that has embraced technology in her developmental projects with a success. “Cynical reports suggests that a 10 per cent penetration can have a minimum of a point five increase in a country’s gross domestic product up to 1.3 per cent,” Meads noted. The average gross domestic product of the continent is estimated at five per cent and growing.

Banks are expected to suffer downward pressures due to anemic economic growth. PHOTO: Getty Images

MAURITIUS OFFERS OFF-SHORE INVESTMENT HAVEN By Thando Matutu HE Mauritian financial sector seeks to establish a haven for T“With off-shore investments. the higher rates [on investment] returns one would invest in off-shore rather than concentrate on only domestic markets. We are currently seeing a lot of cross-border investments going into Africa these days,” Yogesh Gokool Head of International Banking, Trusts and Custody at AfriAsia Bank told CNBC Africa. However, international and African private sector companies are sometimes reluctant to conduct off-shore finance due to insecurities of possible risk of corporate expropriation. “There are risks associated with off-shore investments in order to mitigate those risk investments you would need to find the best place for the investment. Mauritius is one of the best places for structuring African investments,” he said. To protect foreign investors the government implemented the Investment Promotion and Protection Agreements (IPPA). These are consensual agreements between countries which promote and protect the interests of the foreign investor within a local country. According to World Bank ranking for Ease of Doing Business 2014 report Mauritius is ranked 20th out of 189 economies. The

report also ranked the island at 12th position for protecting investors and for trading across borders categories. “Mauritius is a treaty based jurisdiction to mitigate tax positions with 40 double-taxation agreements with foreign countries and about 20 agreements with African countries,” said Gokool. The ranking of 45th place according to the World Bank’s Global Competitiveness Report 2013-14 makes the country the best destination for trade in Africa. The banking industry consists of 21 banks, of which 14 are foreign, six local banks and one is a corporation of both local and foreign ownership. All the banks are authorised to perform both local and international banking transactions. “Cross-border investments are encouraged now with organisations such as the SADC [Southern African Development Community] or COMESA [Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa] which encourage cross-border trades among countries and allows preferential tariff rates to be applied in these regions,” said Gokool. The banking structures in Mauritius allow the African member states of SADC and COMESA to receive bridge finance to reach capital goals for investments transaction with international investors.

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Friday, May 16, 2014 ARTS 29

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Literature Talking Zainab Alkali’s writing, feminine issues in the North Stories by Anote Ajeluorou LTHOUGH female writers have long taken centre-stage in Nigeria writing, it’s still a southern affair. Too few women from up north have taken the gauntlet to write their names on the literary map. This is as much a source of worry as it represents the marginal position women from that part of the country still occupy. Prof. Zainab Alkali is perhaps the only excerption, the trailblazer to have emerged from this milieu notching up such prose titles as The Stillborn, The Virtuous Woman, The Initiates, The Descendants and a short story collection, Cobwebs and Other Stories. She has also co-edited a collection, Vultures in the Air: Voices from Northern Nigeria. Nevertheless, Alkali is least discussed in literary circles; reasons for this apparent oversight is hard to conjecture except to say that her last out was in 2007 and that the work had probably little visibility and impact. This tends to suggest a lack of currency in her writing that should attract much attention. However, this does not make her works less relevant to her socio-cultural and religious environment, works that continue to speak to the heart of many oppressed women struggling to find meaning to lives lived below their various dreams and aspirations. It’s for excavating these depths of human and feminine emotions that Alkali has made a mark. So that when she was billed to appear on in a programme at just-held Port Harcourt UNESCO World Book Capital 2014 (PWBC) last month, it generated considerable buzz among the literati in attendance. Sadly, Alkali didn’t make the event on account of being bereaved. Sighs of sympathy and frustration were palpable. But the organisers had to improvise. A panel was drawn up that consisted of Richard Ali (author of City of Memories), Ukamaka Olisakwe (author of Eyes of a Goddess), Bisi Oluyemi (journalist), Uzo Nwamara (author of Dance of the Delta) with university don, Dr. Margaret Nutsukpo moderating.

Alkali Although some panel members wanted to ask the author questions such as the condition of women in the north and her views about feminism in the socio-cultural and religious environment that shapes her writing, they had to be contented responding to these questions themselves. Ali described her as “an iconic person for us in the north as the first female writer” to emerge, adding, “Alkali is not a feminist and she agrees with it. We should approach her with more nuance than feminism. She should be approached in a more rounded manner”. Olisakwe disagreed, arguing, “Alkali calls for a new way of looking at feminism, where men and women have to live together. you can be a feminist but not without a man, as The Stillborn suggests. Even if you live in a weak marriage you must find ways to resolve things so as to have men and women living side by side for development”.

70 cheers for literature teacher, Ebele Eko ECENTLy, the literati around Calabar and R indeed, from many parts of the country gathered at the University of Calabar to celebrate two great literary souls. Dr. Elechi Amadi (author of The Concubine, The Great Pond, The Slave) among others had his 80th birthday celebration alongside poet, former Deputy Vice Chancellor, University of Calabar and authority on Amadi’s works, Professor Ebele Eko, who clocked 70. A variety of activities were held as she retires from the university. In fact, the annual International Conference on African Literature and the English Language (ICALEL) was dedicated to and revolved around “Ebele Eko at 70” in honour of her literary contributions since starting out in 1977 at the English and Literary Studies (ELS) Department after returning from the U.S. The ICALEL conference kicked off on May 6, with the theme “African Literature, the English Language and the Environment” with papers presentation revolving around the theme. A gala night, which featured a command performance of Amadi’s play The Woman of Calabar by ELS students, to the admiration of the author, Amadi and others. Professor G. G. Dara of English and Literary Studies Department, Delta State University, Abraka and popular columnist and currently a member of the National Conference, who gave the keynote, stoked the first fire of controversy in his presentation. He spoke on ‘Literature and the Environment’. But Dara, who spoke mostly extempore, left many astounded as he chose to go historical

and ‘upturned’ all known logic, especially biblical history. His assertion that Egypt was the cradle of civilization and that the civilization as powered by blacks elicited an acerbic response from a lecturer at ELS Department, Dr. Peter Onwudinjo. Onwudinjo countered him by saying that the race in Egypt as at that time, from historical and archeological findings, was not blacks. Dara parried the question and said another conference should be held to further explore the issue. On his part, Deputy Dean, Postgraduate School, University of Lagos, currently a Visiting Professor, Department of English, University of Education, Winneba, Ghana, and one of Eko’s many protégés, Dr. Emmanuel Adedun, said Darah, an authority on oral literature, should in fact have titled his keynote as a ‘deconstruction of the Bible’ in light of his ‘dissection’ of many biblical accounts, including the

fact that the Garden of Eden was actually sited in Tanzania! But ICALEL, founded over three decades ago by Professor Ernest Emenyonu (now based in the U.S.) and others including the retiring Eko, is no stranger to controversies as it drew the best literary and sometimes most unconventional writers from across Africa and beyond and was a major global gathering, especially in the 1980’s. It provided many a literary enthusiasts and aspiring writers an opportunity to catch a glimpse and to be inspired by leading literary figures such as Ngugi Wa Thiongo, Ayi Kwe Amah, Kofi Awunor, Chinua Achebe, Zulu Sofola, Wole Soyinka, Bessie Head, Cyprian Ekwensi and other eminent writers. Eko, one of the last persons standing among the ICALEL pioneer organisers, said she worked towards keeping the conference spirit alive and launched a 656-page book The Masterpieces of African Literature (Volume One), a collection of reviews of 100 of the

best of African literature. A young lecturer in the department, Dr. Idom T. Inyabri, who worked with the Head of Department Dr. Stella Nsa towards the success of the conference, said the theme was an apt one, adding, “It has keyed into the global issues of our time. More importantly, it has shown that the conference is sensitive to the development of African literature, and provides an opportunity for critics and writers alike to engage on the emerging study of the eco-criticism, eco-linguistic and green cultural studies”. Lagos-based writer and activist, Betty Abah, who gave a preview of her upcoming biography on Eko titled Mother of Multitudes at the gala night, said, “The celebration was a worthy effort in appreciation of Eko, who has touched lives not only in the academia but ‘generations of students who passed through her and whose lives she transformed in unforgettable ways”.

Eminent novelist and author of The Concubine, Dr. Elechi Amadi; Prof. Ini Uko of Univerity of Uyo; key speaker, Prof. G.G. Dara; Dr. Stella Nsa of English and Literary Studies Department; celebrant, Prof. Ebele Eko, who is retiring from UNICAL

To which Oluyemi also affirmed, saying, “She believes so much in the culture of men and women working together. Alkali isn’t a feminist per se; she’s a realist. Every man is proud to have a woman who can deliver to her world. Her type of feminism is one that faces reality”. Again, Ali stated that women in Muslim world “are striving for justice. The idea of emancipating women is not incompatible with Islam at all. Alkali has dealt exemplarily in tandem with Islamic religion”. On the question of finding a healthy mix of brain, beauty and career in women, Olisakwe was up in arms against anyone who sees things otherwise. “Why can’t you as a woman have beauty, brain and career and all?” she asked fiercely. “Why not? Most times in our bid to maintain tradition, men tend to limit women’s aspirations. There’s education as a tool. In all her works, there’s a pushing forward for the girl child to go to school. “She’s a strong writer who first portrays women pushing upward. In her works, you find women who can have extramarital affairs in her restrictive part of town. Even if some say her characters are weak, she robustly presents them. 22 out of 39 writers that make up African 39 are women; only 17 are men. This is a testament to women’s ascendancy. Women are now telling their own stories and powerfully, too. Feminism is asking for human rights, a recognition of the woman as a human being”. For Ali “western liberal education has changed the dynamism of society, which says nothing stops women from having it all as against what previously obtained. Alkali is exhorting women to come to a position where they even make choices. It’s only equal access to education that empowers boys and girls; that’s why females are writing their stories”. For Nwamara, there is no prevarication about the position Alkali has taken, saying, “She is a feminist pure and simple, and not a radical or benign one. Feminism is an attempt by women to repossess what they originally lost. From time immemorial, the woman is a god! It was the reason why the serpent in bible account preferred to deal with her (Eve), rather than Adam!” But to cap the heated discussion on feminism and whether Alkali’s narratives fit the brand, Director, Rainbow Book Club, organiser of PWBC, Mrs. Koko Kalango, said she regarded the hoopla about feminism issues of no consequence. Using her own experience as example, Kalango noted that she had never felt the need to campaign for feminine rights, as she had never felt cheated out of what is due to her because she is a woman, adding that she’d been allowed to dream and aspire to her full potential as a girl child while growing up and now as a married woman. Kalango also attested to growing up in a home where boys and girls were given equal educational opportunities and that she’d had the support of her husband in what she current does trying to get young people interested in reading and education. She, therefore, canvassed for a healthy relationship between men and women, as the best way possible for overall national development.

Poem

Broken Lines By Tofunmi Omowumi Broken lines on the corridor of eternity of that which is which was and which is to come the corridor walker will sleep forever for thus far, this banana peeled mystery has glided into the river of reminiscence now will I sew these broken lines like “aso ofi” on the loom of history and gather lies like maize chaffs and burn on the firewood of truth. broken lines on the passage of time of that which is which was and which is to come thus birthed the riddle of the griot whose story even the fetus unborn would tell again and again till these broken lines are plastered by the very hands that drew these lines thus salvation line is drawn broken lines on the balcony of reality of that which is which was and which is to come what will we tell our children when the palm tree is no longer tall and we cannot say that the lines are hidden on the peak that they can see the unborn will tap their palm wine gathering around the palm tree chanting our shame in our very presence

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30 ARTS Friday, May 16, 2014

VisualArts Nigeria’s history of wastefulness takes centre-stage in Bashorun’s exhibition By Tajudeen Sowole HE unprecedented mismanagement of human and material resources, which Nigeria from which currently suffers is the thematic focus of design artist, teacher and sculptor, Raqib Bashorun. Expressed in sculptural designs of wood, aluminum and metal, the artist’s new body of works entitled Evolving Through Waste, will be presented as at exhibition opening tomorrow; it ends on May 31, 2014 at Omenka Gallery, Ikoyi, Lagos. The show summarises a 17-year journey of the artist’s tracking of a wasteful nation. Bashorun’s largely machine-aided works speak to government, individuals and society at large through the analogy of the prodigal son. From successive governments’ penchants for lack of accountability and disregard for human dignity, to individuals’ mismanagement of scarce resources, Bashorun’s bold themes speak to a failing nation and it declining values. “We waste just about everything in this country; spiritual, material, labor, manpower, lives, energy, time, mind, money, words; the list is inexhaustible,” Bashorun argued. Such works as Frozen Promise in wood, aluminum and glass emits aesthetics, but radiates a chilling failure of the people’s inability to apply their resources in positive ways; Greed, a depiction in the metal grip of wood and aluminum explains how the people in leadership position acquire what they don’t really need; and Peace Meal series, a set of works combining aluminum and stainless mounted on wood, advise self restraint. Some of the other works in the list of 20 floor and wall exhibits include Black Gold, Cat Walk, Contemporary Charm, Ripple Bubble and Waste Gift. And in Cat Walk, which is a reenactment of runway in semi-abstract forms, Bashorun warns about inability to run away from “our challenges.” The four pieces of stylised figures that appear to present a viewer with all round perspective, indeed show that no matter which side you turn, one cannot escape those on the walkways. “However we may pretend, we cant run away from these problems,” the artist warned. Coincidentally, Bashorun’s show is coming at a time when the incompetence of Nigeria’s leadership is being exposed to the rest

Bruce Onobrakpeya’s deep etching Dance in the Bush

Onobrakpeya, Oshinowoboost value appreciation at art auction By Tajudeen Sowole ESPITE not producing a new art auction record, the recently held TKMG auction had on display one of the richest gathering of modern and contemporary African works in recent times. From a rare Ablade Glover, Women to Landscape by Kolade Oshonowo and Bruce Onobrakpeya’s deep etching, Dance in the Bush and several others from young and established artists, the auction showed that the ascendancy of art appreciation in Africa is well complemented by increased interest in the secondary market. Held at Intercontinental, Victoria Island, Lagos, the auction also had an impressive attendance for the TKMG auction, which is making its first outing outside the traditional Terra Kulture venue – a few minutes drive from the new hotel. The auction took off with quite a steady flow of sales until it began to decline midway. And after the auctioneer, Yinka Akinkugbe’s hammer fell on the last of the 90 lots, there were indications that some bidders ‘suddenly showed interests’ in some unsold pieces and “bought more works.” At the end of the auction, a total of “58 successful lots were sold,” curator at Terra Kulture, Ronke Akinyele, stated. The figure, she explained, represents about 64 per cent of total lots presented as Onobrakpeya led the list of the top sales. “Total sales is N38,510,000 with top of the sales, Lot 42 by Onobrakpeya, which sold for N3,650,000; Lot 61 by El Anatsui sold for N3,050,000; and Lot 76 by Kolade Oshinowo for N2,200,000.” Akinyele added that the total sales represent 64 per cent of lots presented. Oshinowo added another impressive sale as his mixed media of fabrics and oil on canvas titled At the Party was sold for N2.2 million. Still on the high standard of the lots on dis-

play, Coalescence II by Segun Aiyesan, A Gem, bust from Patrick Agose, Family Ties Series of Aimufa Osagie, Diseye Tantua’s No Wahala, and the Alley series of Lekan Onabanjo, among others added to the richness of the auction. At the last edition of the auction house, which had Oshinowo’s Royal Procession (32 x 60 in, 2011) selling for N3.9 million, a total of N47 million was recorded, which was an improvement on the previous year’s sales of N38,125,000. What perhaps could have made another Nigerian record for Anatsui did not come to pass as Generation Mix, a wood on aluminum estimated at N16 million as well as a triptych wood Untitled, dated 1987 and estimated at N12 million could not be sold. However, the seventh outing of the TKMG auction was also a good day for young artists Oyewole Olufemi and Tayo Olayode, whose works Self Contain, Mixed Feelings and The Higher the Hotter radiate masterly strokes. As the auction house combined new and old artists, the lots for this year’s auction, according to Mrs. Bolanle Austen-Peters were spread in “20 percent for the masters and 15 for the new artists,” while the remaining lots went to the regular and established names. Ahead of the auction, Austen-Peters and Sinmidele Adesanya of TKMG assured that the auction would continue the mission of the partnership “to lead the Nigerian art market into the world stage and build investor confidence in the art market”. They noted that the past six auctions had “helped in promoting new collectors, who were inspired by the activities on the auction floor”. An unspecified number of charity lots were also sold for the TKMG’s new auction venue, Intercontinental Hotel project Shelter in a Storm.

of the world. In fact, the headlines coming from the foreign press in the past few weeks have not been very pleasant. For example, ‘Nigerian government irresponsible in protecting Youth, Hilary Clinton; Jonathan leads a corrupt government, by New York Times, Jonathan is incompetent, The Economists, among other from the foreign media speaks volumes of leadership failure in Nigeria. Bashorun’s Evolving Through Waste is not exactly a work coming from a later day activist. It shows he has been tracking his country’s wasteful history for quite some time now, so suggest the list of past exhibitions that shared similar themes. He recalled how he was “touched by our indifference to our wasteful life styles”, and started the journey as far back as 1997 with a show titled Full Moon on Waste Station. Given the current state of Nigeria, Bashorun noted that “maybe it was then just a mere child’s play in comparison to the multiplicity of what constitutes waste around us today.” He explained that his advancing through the themes over the decades was premised on “the gospel of cleansing all aspects of our life of this cancerous attitude”. And to express the mission better, he felt combing waste materials from metal and aluminum would best complete “the gospel.” Extracts from his Artist Statement reads: “I particularly loved the challenge of working with the soda can tabs considering their sizes and the quantity required to create a piece. What I enjoyed most, however, was the innovative and time-consuming technique of stapling them one after the other to the supporting forms. This technique gives me the confidence of durability and I hoped that over time, the anticipated changes in appearance of the staple pins if any will enhance the depth of the works. I also hoped that the dazzling visual sensation created by the nature of aluminum will draw viewers into the pieces and create a web of connection for them”. Bashorun holds an M. Ed., Art Education and MFA from University of Missouri, Columbia, U.S. 1998 and 2002 respectively. He was a lecturer at Yaba College of Technology, Lagos (Yabatech)’s School of Art, Design and Printing from 1986 to 2008. He was a Visiting Assistant Professor, Fine Arts Department, University of Missouri, Columbia, in 2003.

Briton to return two Benin artefacts From Alemma-Ozioruva Aliu, Benin City N what appears like a respite for the Benins after over 100 years of agitation, a Briton, Mark Walker, grandson of Captain Philip Walker, one of the participants in the 1897 expedition popularly referred to as the Benin massacre is set to return to Benin Bronze works his grandfather carted away. There have been agitations to return the tourism assets to Benin since they were forcefully taken away without the consent of the Benins. The Enogie of Obazuwa, Prince Edun Akenzua, younger brother to the Oba of Benin yesterday said the two bronzes would be returned in June this year. Akenzua, who also is the chairman, Great

Benin Centenary Committee, said the items would be returned as a “gift” to the Oba of Benin just as he said that the ceremony would coincide with the birthday of the revered monarch. “The man bringing the gift is a Briton, Mr Mark Walker, a great grand son of Captain Philip Walker, one of the British soldiers who actually fought in Benin in 1897. He is also bringing with him a replica of the war diary which his great grandfather kept during the war. “This is an interesting development considering the fact that these artfacts are very dear to us in Benin Kingdom. It shows that our efforts have started yielding fruits. We will handle this event properly so that it encourages others who have the works in their custody to emulate Mr Walker and return them.

al work titled Greed Raqib Bashorun’s wood and met

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THE GUARDIAN www.ngrguardiannews.com By Tajudeen Sowole months after the Dr. Kunle AdeyemiFnityOUR led group of artists hosted the art commuin Lagos at Open Studio-1, their mission of advancing the skills of members appears to have found additional task of generating new visual language. Now known as Visual Explorators, the group will make its first exhibition titled Dialogue with Forms on May 24 till June 7, 2014 at Reconnect Gallery, Ebute Meta, Lagos Mainland. In January, Adeyemi had led 11 artists in the Open Studio-1 gathering held at his studio in Mushin. Artists in the Visual Explorators group include Adeyemi, K.K. Olojo-Kosoko, Tunde Oguntuyo, Biodun Okemakinde, Adetola Adenuga, Lukmon Jimoh, Abiola Adeyemi, Bashir Kalejaiye, Olushegun Oduyele, Dayo Adeyemi, Bodurin Abiodun and Aremu Monsuru During a preview at Reconnect Gallery, Adeyemi disclosed that the group’s Dialogue of Forms was inspired by the need to revisit, in visual context, African signs and motifs. He noted that African written signs of ancient times that represented the people’s means of communication had disappeared. Adeyemi, whose work is populated with African signs, listed the area of coverage of the Explorators to include “sharpening our intelligence” for strong intellectual articulation as well as “understanding our environment.” He also noted that the exhibition is coming at a time when art for aesthetics appears incomplete to meet the challenges of contemporary times, adding, “Many have argued that art should not only be fine, but message-driven such that it is relevant to the society.” He, therefore, assured that Dialogue of Forms would have on display works “that are set to engage the viewers in some sort of conversation and discussion to the understanding of certain issues of our society.” A statement from the group articulates the essence of the show thus: “One of Adeyemi’s works titled Evolution of Money depicts various symbols associated with money from inception. Before the use of promissory notes which we all know as paper money, exchanges were done in time past with objects such as cowries, coins etc. “Oguntuyo’s Symphony of Grace shows five circles interwoven in one another, each circle having its own unique forms which seem to fuse together to form a unique art piece. The circle in the centre depicts blossoming flower that shows grace of life in human nature. “Olojo-Kosoko’s Market Mode is an interesting depiction of a market intentionally made not to be crowded. Umbrellas are seen to cover the traders from the scorching heat of sunlight. The use of colour is warm and inviting. Beyond the beauty, the artist is reminding whoever cares to listen that life itself is a marketplace. “Ayinla’s I see the Future brings back childhood memories which we all experienced. However, the child in the picture is looking expectantly at this present generation of Nigerians. Sitting in the steering wheel of an

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From Open Studio to Dialogue of Forms, artists search for new visual language

Aje Ogungunuso Series by Dr. KunleAdeyemi abandoned automobile, the child is definitely up to something. Probably thinking about the bleak future? Your guess is as good as mine. “Monsuru’s The day of Joy shows two females, one making up for the other who seems to be celebrating. Obviously, the artist attempted to capture arguably the most important day in the life of a woman – the engagement day. “Bodurin reminds us in this painting title, Just like my Mom that children do what they see their parents do. Here is a girl attempting to enrich her look with make-up, which she must have seen her mom use. “Adeyemi believes that everyone on earth is a tourist. In his painting titled, The Traveller, he shows a beast of burden as the channel of transportation and a rider who is the Traveller. The background is marked by several

Amoda wins grand prize of Dak’Art 2013 Biennale CULPTOR, Olu Amoda has been announced SDakar, by the organizers of Dak’art 2014 Biennale in Senegal as the winner of the top prize. Amoda however shares the Leopold Sedar Senghor top prize with Algerian artist, Driss Ouadahi. According to the organizers, Amoda won the top prize with his metal work, the Sunflower Series Other award of the biennale given few days ago included the prize of the Minister of Culture won by Justine Gaga, a Cameroonian; award from the city of Dakar went to a Tunisian, Faten Rouissi; Zambian, Milumbe Haimbe won the award for Blancher Foundation; center of the African sun went to Tunisian, Nuda Robben . The organizers stated that the awards were given based on the reflection on the fact that the winners are “people who have been able to resist the call of conceptual , technology and had the courage to return to the form of African art, to stay and still prove that painting, sculpture, can embody new and contemporary ideas. “ The nominees were also able to synthesize contemporary and modern art, and through their work have managed to show a new vision of art and therefore a new perception of the world , highlighted the Commissioners. Three Senegalese were nominated under the distinctions awarded to each edition of the biennial of contemporary African art. The price of the organization of the Francophonie ( OIF ) re-

turned to Sidy Diallo, about Amary Sobel Diop and Djibril Diop André , they respectively won the grand prize awards Oumar Ndao and distinction brought into play by the Union west African economic and Monetary ( UEMOA ) . Senegalese artists have caught the attention of Commissioners approve the distinctions to be awarded as part of the Biennale of Contemporary African Art . Sidy Diallo was awarded the trophy awarded by the Organization of the Francophonie ( AIF ) Amary Sobel Diop won the grand prize Oumar Ndao and Djibril Diop André took over the price of Economic and Monetary Union of West Africa ( UEMOA ) .

Sunflower by Olu Amoda

motifs indicating various reasons why people travel from one place to another. “Kalejaiye’s Benin Dancers attests to the rich cultural heritage we have in Nigeria with special emphasis on the Benin people of Edo state, Nigeria. The semiabstract painting depicts five female royal dancers, adorned in beads on their necks and heads. The use of colour is subtle and succulent just like Benin music and dance. “Adenuga’s I am beautiful is a call to everyone to pipe low on the hype of outward appearance and beauty but encourages all to seek to discover the beauty within. For him, good character is much more significant than outward beauty. “Okemakinde’s Market Discussion is a paintocast mixed media work of traders (buyers and seller) engaged in a dialogue most probably about their products, and the challenges they face due to the current economic melt-down; it tries to decipher ways to re-strategize for more profit. “Oduyele’s Butterfly and the diurnal flower is a colourful painting showing butterfly fluttering around blossomed flowers, Diurnal flowers are open (active) during the day and closed at night. The art piece is likened to the life of a young beautiful damsel and the world, the young damsel whose beauty is radiating and attractive to all, having the beauty to arouse interest, tend to gain more attention from all and becomes everyone’s favourite, periodically; as the beauty fades, so does the admirer.” Host of Reconnect Art Gallery the proprietor, Mrs. Olayemi Madu stated that the gallery “is

pleased to be associated with the Visual Explorators.” Recalling that the purpose of setting up the gallery was to support young artists who need a platform to launch their creative potentials, Madu hoped “that this opportunity given the group will create a big and desired impact in the art career and professional life of these artists.” Reconnect, which is barely a year old, is already attracting art collectors on the Mainland and beyond as well as established and young artists. Madu, who is also a trained artist, noted that there was need to offer opportunity for graduates of art institutions produced every year, adding, “There is need to create more of these kinds of opportunity for budding graduate artists in the country. In an attempt to sustain the practice potentials of such artists, Reconnect Art Gallery also provides studio space where the artists can carry out their artistic creativities”. Areas of focus of the gallery, according to Madu, include organising programmes that encourage skill acquisition among students of secondary and other special institutions, organise art competitions to develop potential art talents in the society, carry out outdoor exhibitions and execute special projects and commissions.

Symphony of Grace by Tunde Oguntuyo

Enu Kan (one mouth) by Tunde Oguntuyo

In Lagos, Art of Football kick-starts Brazil 2014 S the world awaits the kick off of FIFA A World Cup 2014 in Brazil next month, Art of Football, an exhibition with focus on the ‘beautiful game’ opens today at Terra Kulture, Victoria Island, Lagos. Showing for just two days, the exhibition, organized by African Arts Resource Centre (AARC) is an extension of the Oladele Olaopa-led effort of forming a synergy between art and sports. The event includes awards such as Life Time Achievement, Sponsor of the Year, Art Teacher of the Year, Art Journalist of the Year and Gani Odutokun Award for Excellence in Art. Over 100 emerging Nigerian artists will participate. Olaopa stated: “We believe that art is an end in itself and also a critical reflection of the world we live in and an essential expression of the human experience. “In 2009, we organised an art exhibition on Golf – The Art of Golf – at

Ikoyi Club 1938. The highly successful event was sponsored by NOKIA. Football is the most popular sport on the planet and no less in Nigeria where it enjoys massive followership that cuts across people from all social, economic and ethnic strata. “The is the biggest and most desired football event in the world and the Nigerian team – Super Eagles – have qualified to be a part of it, hence the choice of the theme. “When expectations and enthusiasm are high – we intend to organise an art show of works by emerging Nigerian artists on the theme of football. This event is designed to capture all aspects of the culture of football in general and its peculiar influences in Nigeria. “We will create a huge forum that will draw on the popularity of the sport to attract traditional and non-traditional audiences including the minister and commissioners of sports, executives of NFF, NPFL, SWAN, past and present national football icons, football enthusiasts and celebrities among others. “The best entries for the exhibition will be rewarded with cash prizes and trophies at the African Art Awards ceremony during the show. Outstanding contributors to the art industry will also be recognized and rewarded with trophies and gifts. This event will be spiced up with a diverse repertoire of high quality entertainment and refresh-

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Revue ‘With StarTimes, pay TV no longer a luxury in Nigeria’ Regarded as China’s only certified private enterprise for international outsourcing projects in television broadcasting industry, and one of the top 100 National Technology Innovation Enterprises, StarTimes, for more than 25 years, has become a prominent system integrator, technology provider, and network operator. With the mission of enabling “each African family have access to digital TV, afford digital TV, watch good digital TV, and share the beauty presented by digital TV,” it began operations in Nigeria through a partnership tagged NTA-STAR TV Network Limited with the joint venture between Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) and Star Communication Network CO, Limited of China. It was incorporated in August 2009 as a private limited liability company and officially launched on July 29, 2010. Till date, the firm has its tentacle spread to 32 cities across the country, while it has also introduced its DTH service, StarSat into the Nigerian market. But some issues have been raised concerning the activities of StarTimes in the country the chief of which is the allegation of shoddy deal characterizing the company’s relationship with the NTA; the use of sub-standard facilities to deliver its services and the fear that a foreign entity may turn-out to be Nigeria’s national carrier with the proposed creation of a new firm — signal distributor— from the present NTA. This is in addition to not showing genuine commitment to Nigeria’s march to digitization. However, in this encounter with KABIR ALABI GARBA, Chairman, StarTimes Group, Mr. Xinxing Pang debunked all the allegations insisting that pay TV industry in Nigeria has been liberalized greatly with the advent of StarTimes as many Nigerians now have access to quality pay TV service delivery at very affordable cost. Pang came for the World Economic Forum hosted in Abuja last week. Excerpts: HINA has made remarkable progress in the C world as one of the fastest growing economies, how did it come about this? Actually, the situation is similar to what is happening here in Nigeria as the economy is growing fast. China is a developing economy, just after the Reform Policy, it has expanded for more than 30 years. The China economy has maintained a sustainable and fast development due to the authority’s faithfulness to reform policy and culture of openness that has been brought to bear on governance. StarTimes, a private business came to Nigeria as a joint venture between your parent company in China and the government-owned broadcasting outlet, the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA), how far so far about the partnership? In more than five years, our cooperation has been with the NTA and so far, it has been good and the two parties are very happy about the cooperation. Regarding the business of a joint venture, we can say that we are very satisfied with the results. Actually, our initial expectation has been met. The reason why the joint venture is growing smoothly and yielding results very fast is the commitment of both parties to support the growth of the joint venture especially the StarTimes brand which has also met the demand of the Nigerian public. Customers have enjoyed rich content and quality service delivery. Indeed, StarTimes introduced the new technology, Digital Terrestrial Television (DTT) to the African continent and also introduced the same technology to Nigeria. Before Star Times entered into the African market, the cost of pay TV service was highly exorbitant. The initial installation fee was more

than 200 dollars and the monthly subscription fee was high too. Indeed, before the advent of StarTimes, pay TV service was a luxury; only elite could access it. But StarTimes came with different variation to enable an average household get access to digital TV. So far, this mission has been accomplished as reflected in our subscriber base, which is growing smoothly. How would you describe competition as it affects your business and do you see the price of pay TV going down further looking at the influx of new players? Competition is basic and a must under the marketing economic model. Competition on one hand can benefit the customer and provide cost effective service. On the other hand, the competitors can also benefit from competition to promote the progress for the competitors and so we are very welcomed to the local competition. Essentially, competition helps to drive the development of the market and the pay TV business can’t be different. But because StarTimes is everything in one: system integrator, technology provider, network operator and content producer, we have the capacity to dictate the pace in this industry. Our target is for every household in Africa has access to pay TV without compromising the quality in terms of hard and soft wares. It is believed that the target of the StarTimes is the digitalization going on in the world. Will be right to say that its arrival in Nigeria is motivated by the decision of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) that television broadcasting should transit to digital come June 17, 2015? We cannot say things like that, social trend demands you switchover to digitalization. The ITU stipulates that member countries should realize their digitization of the TV and broadcasting industry on or before June 17, 2015. And the campaign began in 2006, whereas, StarTimes has been around since 1988 as a high tech enterprise in the broadcasting and TV industry. For all those 26 years, we have been involved in this industry as system integrator, technology provider and digital TV operator, we also produce content. The vision of Star Times is to enable every household to enjoy digital TV. We believe that a great enterprise is one that is very precious and valuable to the society while promoting the values of that society. We want to emphasize that StarTimes is out to popularize digital TV while making it affordable to every household. The National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) regulates the industry, as a big player, how would you rate the performance of the regulatory agency? We are very sure that the NBC which regulates Nigeria’s TV and broadcasting industry is doing very well and working very hard to promote the digitization of Nigeria. However, the digitization of the TV and broadcast industry in Nigeria is a huge project because the country is vast and wide. Digitization carries a lot of benefits both to consumer and operator. For consumers, they will enjoy crisp picture and excellent sound, television assumes elevated experience with digitization, while for operators, spectrum is open to accommodate more channels. But the challenge is that the process needs to be driven with a lot of commitment on the part of the government represented by the regulator. It also involves the cooperation of all stakeholders. Some changes will be made in the areas of legislations and structures. It also requires massive campaign. We have seen that NBC is doing a lot of work, but we also see some

Pang… ‘StarTimes is a responsible enterprise offering cutting-edge services to our customers globally’ problems happening. Competition is normal and we are very receptive to it. But we believe that such competition should be legal and in compliance with the legislation, we don’t like to see illegal operators coming into the market. What is your assessment of Nigeria’s preparation for digitization? The digitalization project is a very complex and serious project which requires serious and much preparation. We believe that the attitude of the Federal Government of Nigeria is very active and they are ready to realize the digitalization before the deadline. But then, Nigeria is a very big and large country with so much economic development that is imbalanced comparing the urban and rural areas and before such a big country would realize such a huge project will be very challenging. StarTimes as a major player is committed to cooperate with the government actively to do what we ought to do; we will establish the marketing and sales systems to the public and reach out to other regions in the country thereby switching of the analogue system and also moderate the digitization of the country. But how strategic is Nigeria to the success of this company, what is the contribution of the Nigerian market to your overall revenue

globally? Nigeria is the biggest market in the continent. Nigeria is also a great country and we really show our respect to Nigerians and our customers. We always hope that the bond between our company and the NTA continue to grow, because of the huge benefit to the workers and our customers. We really respect the legislation of Nigeria and appreciate the efforts of the regulatory agency to ensure that operators play the game in compliance with the rule. We will continue to act as a very responsible company in Nigeria; grow and develop products and services to the delight of our customers. StarTimes has presence in 23 African countries and we started pay TV in 12 of them including Nigeria where we have the highest revenue and we also have the largest team of employees in Nigeria. In short, Nigeria is contributing greatly to the success of our business continentally and globally. You mentioned some challenges that could derail the digitization process, in what way is StarTimes cooperating with other stakeholders to ensure that the deadline (June 17, 2015) is met? Actually, the digital TV system is a complicated one. It is capital and technology system intensive. The digital TV system is composed of four parts; the digitization of the programme source, digiti-

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Promoting peaceful coexistence through culture From Bridget Chiedu Onochie, Abuja AST week, the 40th meeting of Chief L(CEC) Executives of Culture of the Federation ended in Abakaliki, Ebonyi State with a commitment on how culture could be used to promote peace and national unity in the country. Thus, as participants perfect programme of activities for the 2014 edition of National Festival for Arts and Culture (NAFEST), their resolve was to initiate artistic contents that promote culture of peaceful co-existence in their presentations. “As we draw our programmes in dance, drama, story telling, music, children’s presentation and painting, we should ensure that the message we are sending will draw attention to the need to live together in peace and harmony. “The content of events should be properly spelt out when states are making their presentations at NAFEST so that by the time these packages are presented, they will go a long way in sending messages of peace, of the need for a peaceful co-existence and the need to shun violence”, rocunted the Executive Director/Chief Executive Officer, National Council for Arts and Culture (NCAC), Mr. M.M. Maidugu. In his welcome address, Maidugu noted that the security situation called for deployment of cultural resources to support efforts of the federal government towards mitigating prevailing security challenge in the country. On behalf of chief executive of cultures and the Federal Ministry of Tourism, Culture and National Orientation, the NCAC boss expressed gratitude to the government and people of Enonyi State for accepting to host elders of the tribe comprising mostly of directors of states Art Councils from across the country. According to him, Ebonyi, which was hosting the meeting for the first time, was spotted for its amiable and conducive environment. On hand to receive culture delegates and declare the forum open was the Executive Governor of the State, Chief Martin Elechi. Represented by his Commissioner for Culture and Tourism, Chief Hyacinth E. Ikpor, the governor expressed the state’s belief in culture as the most effective tool to promote peace in the society. “This singular reality has accounted for our dedicated participation in NAFEST over the years,” the governor said. Adding, “our collective resolve as a state to shoulder the responsibility of your presence is stimulated by our penchant for the redemption of our eroding cultural heritage and its pivotal relevance to national development.” Chief Elechi underscored the multi-dimensional advantages of NAFEST, insisting that the cultural fiesta, among other benefits, has constituted avenues for talent hunt, display of creativity, exchange of ideas, skills and techniques for development. At the meeting, delegates came from a total of 20 states including River, Yobe, Niger,

Director of NCAC, Maidugu (second right) with some delegates at the meeting Benue, Akwa Ibom and Delta States were in attendance. Others are Enugu, Bayelsa, Osun, Abia, Anambra, Kogi, Ogun, Imo, Kaduna, Bauchi, Ekiti, Ogun, Nasarawa and the host, Ebonyi State. Also in attendance were the Executive Secretary, National Institute for Cultural Orientation (NICO) and the Artistic Director, National Troupe of Nigeria, Dr. Barclays Ayakoroma and Elder Martin Adaji, respectively. Centre for Black and African Arts and Civilization (CBAAC) sent representatives. Maidugu commended the commitment of culture ambassadors towards sustaining the objective of CEC platform, which he said, enables culture administrators from both federal and state agencies to deliberate on issues bordering on the development of art and culture. He thereby charged them to exhibit a high level of innovation and creativity that would stimulate economic growth. Participants also deliberated on the forthcoming 7th African Arts and Crafts Expo (AFAC 2014) as well as the draft syllabus for the 28th edition of NAFEST. Other issues that engaged the attention of participants included the 2014 National Culture Quiz Competition for secondary schools; reports and memos from parastatals in the Culture and Tourism Ministry as well as reports and memos from the 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory. At the end of the deliberation, a new date, July 1 to 12, was endorsed for this year’s African Arts and Crafts Expo (AFAC2014). However, participating states and nations are expected to arrive on or before July 1 while the official

opening ceremony is slated for July 7. Closing ceremony comes up on July 12 at the Eagle Square, Abuja. According to Maidugu, the change became imperative to ensure a successful outing. “We have presented a memo to change the date. It was due to logistic reasons but AFAC by the year is gaining more recognition and acceptance, not only by the states and NonGovernmental Organizations but also from other countries. “We have a delegation from China and he disclosed that Chinese government has approved the participation of a 12-man delegation at the arts and crafts market. “I have been getting calls from most of the African countries as well including Niger, Ghana, Sierra-Leon and Mali, stressing their readiness to attend. We will communicate them to inform them of the change in date,” Maidugu said Meanwhile, NAFEST theme for the year is Celebrating Nigeria at 100: The Role of Culture as Vehicle for National Unity. Although the hosting state remains sacrosanct, it was expected that Ebonyi State will take advantage of its successful hosting of CEC meeting to apply for the right to host. Not only was the state noted for its peaceful atmosphere, which was one of the prerequisites for such festival, it was also considered one of the most consistent states at national cultural events. Besides, it is among the remaining few states that are yet to benefit from the immense economic benefits of hosting Nigeria’s biggest cultural event. Meanwhile, Ogun, Ondo and Osun states have been charged to be on standby.

In the communiqué issued at the end of the meeting, government was commended for the introduction of empowerment programme on performing arts administration. States that have complied with NCAC’s mandate to form culture clubs in schools were also applauded, while states that participate actively in national cultural events were encouraged to keep up the tempo. The house also received with cheers, the reported introduction of financial incentives and recognition by state governors of individuals that excel at national and international cultural events. However, some delegates used the forum to express their disappointments over state executives’ apathy towards sponsorship of cultural activities, and suggested devising means of educating some of them on the relevance of culture to the economic development of the society. As part of the efforts to get the attention of governors, members urged NCAC to create avenues for liaising with them and their commissioners for culture and tourism and enlighten them on the need to support arts and culture activities within and outside their states. Other measures considered towards winning attention of state executives include sending copies of National Policy on Culture to them while regular courtesy visits be also paid on them. This, they noted, would help in bridging the existing gap between some governors and the heads of culture departments. But Maidugu believed that the problem of poor funding is not peculiar to the culture sector and as such, directors of arts councils should rather initiate ways of using their cultural endowment to generate revenue.

‘Digitisation is part of our commitment to Nigerian market’ CONTINUED FROM PAGE 36 zation of the play out and monitoring system, digitization of the transmission network and digitization of the terminal products. It is only when all the four parts mentioned have been realized that we can say that digitization has been realized nationwide. StarTimes has been involved in the whole process of digital migration of China and is the most influential in the Chinese TV and broadcasting industry. StarTimes has signed the digital migration agreement with six African governments: Tanzania is the first African country to switch off the analogue system and its (StarTimes) market share is over 80 per cent and the Star Times brand has been awarded top ten of the most valuable brands in Tanzania. We see that too happening in Nigeria, both from the government and the regulator. Star Times is in 32 states plus the Federal Capital and we plan to build large digital TV centres in more than 16 states. We know that the territory of Nigeria is very large and we are trying to use our DTT platform to boost the coverage of the whole country. StarTimes is committed to digital migration process in Nigeria and the NTA Star now has over 1000 employees and all these people contribute as the human resources to the migration process. There is a policy on ground that stipulates that NTA will be restructured to give birth to two entities National carrier and the content provider. With your partnership, it is being rumoured that

StarTimes Nigeria is scheming to become the national carrier? The digital migration of the industry provides the pre-condition for the separation of content and also the signal distribution. After the digital migration, it is actually the trend for the industry to separate the content production from signal distribution. I learnt that our partner, the NTA is being proposed to become the signal distributor because it has a lot of resources in terms of infrastructure. That decision belongs to the government and the regulatory agency. As for why we chose to partner NTA, it is the most influential broadcast station in Nigeria. Another reason is unlike other commercial stations, NTA does not focus mainly on making profits, this tallies with the vision of StarTimes; we are popularizing the digital TV not to make money from it. In Star Times, we have the content, technology, capital, brand and experience and this kind of partnership is to complement each other. Since your current decoder doesn’t meet the specification for digital transmission (DVB-T2), what are your plans making necessary adjustments? DVB-T and DVB-T2 belong to transmission standard of digital TV. With the development of new technology, there will be a lot of new products that will be launched into the market, and the new products will be compatible to the new specification. Our set-top box in the Nigerian

market is compatible with the standard of DVB-T2. Just like the mobile phone, we are used to using the analogue and now we have the digital from 2G to 3G and now the 4G even now, we can see that these 2G and 3G phones are no longer popular. We believe that such problems are caused by other players in the market to create some kind of confusion. This information is misleading. We understand that our competitors in their DTH platform are using DVB-S, whereas StarTimes uses DVB-S2 for both DTH and our set-top boxes, and we have never made any reference to our competitors’ standard. You know that all of our platforms are on High Definition which are affordable. These competitors who say that our products are sub-standard are merely causing some kind of confusion for our customers. When mobile telephony started in Nigeria, the billing was per minute and consumers agitated for per second but operators said it wasn’t possible, until Globacom came and started per second billing. Now, consumers of pay TV are agitating for ‘pay as you view’, will that be possible with StarTimes? The StarTimes technical system can support all kinds of billing model. StarTimes is a system integrator as well as technology provider, so, we can say that StarTimes is

very strong on the technology side, and so we can support all the methods of billing, pay as go; pay per view; weekly or monthly subscription, we have the technology for all of these. But the problem is during our operation, we should provide the easiest way f or our customers to pay. In Kenya, we do use the pay per view model; all the customers use the mobile money to pay their subscription fee, but the situation is difficult in Nigeria because it is very difficult to promote the mobile money in Nigeria and Nigerians are not used to paying subscription fe on the internet since it is not so popular here. We believe that with improvement in the internet facility and popularity of mobile money in Nigeria, the pay per view will be realized. What is the cost implication of ‘pay per view’ model? Will it be available and affordable to every household? It is very reasonable to adopt ‘pay per view’ or pay as you go’ for those people who travel a lot. We will consider this very seriously and shorten the period of the unit of the billing. What is your experience like in Nigeria? I first came to Nigeria in October 2008. then I was a bit scared because of what the media portrayed, the negative side of Nigeria but being here physically, I witnessed the change and development of the Nigerian society and so my impression of Nigeria gets better and I am confident of Nigeria’s future.

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38 ARTS Friday, May 16, 2014

Film Cannes filmfest gets underway without Nollywood From Shaibu Husseini, Cannes, France HE world’s most prestigious movie showT case, the Cannes International Film Festival opened on Wednesday in Cannes, South of France. Filmmakers and moviegoers from all parts of the world are looking forward to 10 days of outstanding movie showcases and networking as well as pitching of projects, selecting and buying films at the expansive film market. Oliver Dahan’s Grace of Monaco starring Nicole Kidman as Grace Kelly opened this 67th edition of the festival, which will run through to May 25 but will effectively close on May 24 due to the European Parliament Election taking place on May 25. However, the winner of the coveted Palme d’Or, the festival biggest award, will be announced on May 24 by the jury of the festival led by New Zealand film director, Jane Campion. Though there are few Nollywood practitioners in Cannes for the festival, Nollywood is definitely not in Cannes as an industry. The Nigerian Film Corporation (NFC), which used to maintain a pavilion at the area reserved for countries to showcase their industries, could

not mount a pavilion this year. They blamed their inability to be at the Cannes on ‘funding’, yet as a filmmaker from Nigeria who is already in Cannes observed, “the NFC had funds to squander on a jamboree they called Zuma International Film Festival which held in Abuja between May 4 and 8, 2014.” Except for 2011, the NFC has had an unbroken participation at the Cannes. It has since 2007 always secured pavilion 114 at the Marche Du Film (Film Market), which serves as meeting and contact point for Nigerian filmmakers attending the Cannes. “The NFC has also used the pavilion to showcase the potentials and investment opportunities that abound in the Nigerian motion picture industry. It has together with agencies like the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), the Lagos State Censors Board and the Nigerian Export and Import Bank hosted interactive sessions on co-financing and co-production opportunities in Nollywood. But the NFC is not in Cannes this year and it is not bothered at all. Unfortunately, this is one year that people are likely going to visit the pavilion to make enquiries on how

they can partner with the Nollywood industry especially with the provision of the N3 billion naira Project-Act Nollywood intervention fund and again, because of the success of a coproduction projects like Half of a Yellow Sun. The questions some investors have been asking each time they encounter Nigerians here is what incentives are available for co-production in Nigeria. Only the NFC can answer that and they are sadly not on ground. But the South Africans, the Moroccans and the Kenyans among other African countries are here and they are making good use of their participation at the festival. The South African film industry led by the South African Film and Video Foundation (NFVF) working in association with the Department of Arts (DAC) has put up a well laid out pavilion where they have been showcasing the potential of the South African industry. “We have been receiving enquiries and much of it has been on co-production. We go everywhere to market our industry’’ a staff of the South African pavilion said. The festival continues with the screening of films that are both in and out of competition. Moviegoers will also have the opportunity to view films that have been selected for the

short film corner of the festival. Moviegoers will have the chance of viewing ‘Living Funeral’ the short film by Nigeria’s Udoka Oyeka, which aims at creating awareness on breast cancer at the short film corner. The Short Film Corner is a side event of the Cannes film festival that provides the opportunity for emerging filmmakers to showcase their works and to seek future production and co-production opportunities. The corner has been described as the essential rendezvous for filmmakers who want to take decisive steps for their future careers. So many short films by Nigerian filmmakers had featured previously at the short film corner. Fidelis Duker’s Senseless screened at the corner in 2008 and so for many short films by students of the National Film Institute (NFI). Starring Norbert Young and Liz Ameye nee Benson, ‘Living Funeral’ recently screened at the 2014 Pan African Film Festival in Los Angeles and at New York African Film Festival. The film garnered 8 nominations at the 2014 Africa Magic Viewers Choice Awards and has been nominated in the Best Short Film Category for the 2014 Africa Movie Academy Awards. It has also been selected to screen at the 2014 Durban International Film Festival in South Africa in July.

Capacity building for scriptwriters to enrich Film content Stories by Shaibu Husseini HE partnership between Nollywood T Workshop and Gist, a free global information platform that was launched to inform and educate filmmakers around the world on social, health and developmental issues has yielded its first fruit- a one day Gist Writers Workshop held recently at Freedom Park, Lagos. With Entertainment, Creativity and Health as theme, the workshop organized in conjunction with the Screen Writers Guild of Nigeria (SWGN) attracted stakeholders from within and outside the movie industry. Emeruwa explained that the workshop was aimed at equipping filmmakers, particularly scriptwriters on how to inspire or cause change to happen in society. Unlike most workshops and seminars in Nollywood that practitioners hardly attend, the attendance at this workshop was impressive. There was indeed a heavy presence of key stakeholders of the Nollywood industry including festival organizer and one-time President of the Directors Guild of Nigeria (DGN), Fidelis Duker; foremost scriptwriter and producer, Paul Emema; popular Nollywood actor and producer, Emeka Ossai; prolific director and producer, Chico Ejiro; and popular Nollywood actor and director, Sunny McDon W. Acting President, SWGN, Yinka Ogun mobilized members of the guild to attend while the President of the Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN), Ibinabo Fiberisima came with a large delegation from the AGN. For Yinka Ogun, the Gist Writers Workshop could not have come at a better time. He noted that scriptwriters in Nollywood have been at the receiving end of blames for the low quality of scripts that are produced as films in the Nollywood industry. He reasoned that if the quality of scripts have to be improved upon, then scriptwriters must be ready to be trained and re-trained on the ‘art and science of scripting’ either for commercial and developmental purposes. Ogun was particularly pleased that the workshop was going to touch on health issues as some practitioners in the industry have, in recent time, been faced with life threatening health challenges. He gave the example of the President of the SWGN, Chike Bryan who has been diagnosed with acute renal failure for over a year now and needs funds for an urgent transplant. “Beyond information on health issues like the one on family planning that has been shared here, I find this workshop important because as filmmakers, we must

Participants at the workshop also be mindful of the accuracy of our information and data pertaining to health issues. So, I am happy that with a platform like Gist, we shall have unfettered access to such information,’’ he said. But Ogun ended his speech canvassing support for the ailing Chike Bryan who, he said, would need “close to ten million naira to undergo kidney transplant in a medical facility in India. I want us to see Chike Bryan’s problem as a problem of Nollywood and not just a SWGN problem. We must rally round to help him and all of us that are healthy must seek information on how to remain healthy and luckily we have Nollywood workshops providing the needed link and information and how we can remain healthy as creative people.’’ Filmmaker and co-director of Nollywood Workshop Bond, Emeruwa who presented Gist to the workshop participants informed that the event would be held with other relevant stakeholders in the motion picture industry across the country.

“Gist was launched as a global centre for health and development in collaboration with Hollywood Health and Society Norman Lear Centre of the University of Southern California. It provides training and information on important social, health and developmental issues to filmmakers and also serves as a free on demand resource centre that connects writers, directors and producers with top health experts with all services offered free of charge,’’ he explained. Emeruwa, who at a time was President of the DGN also said that with a platform like Gist, filmmakers and television producers would be provided with adequate information that they need to make accurate and compelling films and television programmes. “I am sure that there are other ways we can show that a woman is pregnant in our films. What you have now is a woman rushing to the bathroom to throw up. But I know there are other ways to show state of pregnancy and that is one of the reasons Gist is here,’’ he said. Presentation of papers preceded a panel dis-

cussion on the theme of the event. Paul Emema, producer of the popular television programme on reproductive health issues, ‘I Need to Know’ spoke on the power of the writer. The role of entertainment in tackling family planning issues in Nigeria was the focus of the presentation by Dr. Bola Kusemiju of the Nigeria Urban Reproductive Health Initiative (NURHI). Represented by Mrs. Stella Akinto, Dr. Kusemiju canvassed the need for filmmakers to make films that will educate their teeming audiences on the gains of family planning. Earlier, Director of International Film and Broadcast Academy, Victor Okhai gave a talk on screenwriting as a source of livelihood, enumerating opportunities abound for scriptwriters especially those who write for development. The event closed with the launch of Gist/SWGN short script competition. Emeruwa assured that Nollywood Workshop would facilitate the production of the winning script.

Friday, May 16, 2014 ARTS 39

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ArtHouse Bayelsa ready for AMAA By Shaibu Husseini

LL seems set for the 10 edition of Africa’s premier film award, the African Movie Academy Awards (AMAA). The A Bayelsa State Tourism Development Agency says it has concluded arrangements to host the awards on May 24 in Yenagoa, an emerging city that is also fast assuming the status of the entertainment capital of Nigeria. This year’s event, which will be held in newly refurbished Dr. Gabriel Okara Cultural Centre, is expected to attract a galaxy of celebrities and stars in the African movie industry. Like previous edition, this 10th anniversary edition is planned to be a night of glitz, glamour and razzmatazz as the entire city of Yenagoa is expected to come alive as the government and people of Bayelsa state roll out the drums to celebrate excellence in the African movie world. In an interview with reporters in Yenagoa, the Director General of the Bayelsa State Tourism Development Agency, Mrs. Ebizi Ndiomu Brown disclosed that the state intends to use the occasion of the event to showcase its rich cultural heritage and to promote the tourism and investment opportunities in the state. Mrs. Brown reiterated the fact that this year’s event is being bank rolled by the public sector and some public spirited individuals who share in the vision of the state Governor Henry Seriake Dickson in transforming Bayelsa State into the tourism haven in Africa. She stated further that AMAA has provided a veritable platform to train our youths in various departments of movie making in line with the capacity building and empowerment programme of the governor. This year, about 500 youths will again be trained as cinematographers, producers, camera men, vision mixers, make-up artists, script writers, directors, actors and many more. The essence of the training aspect of AMAA, Mrs. Brown observed, is to provide Bayelsa youths the opportunity to participate in the production of movies in Nigeria thereby reducing the burden on government as the sole employer of labour in the state. The AMAA awards is considered as Africa’s answer to Oscars and it is reputed as the most authentic and widely acclaimed award in the African continent. Founded in 2004, the award ceremony brings together a kaleidoscope of movie producers and other practitioners from across the globe to interface and share ideas and celebrate excellence on a regular basis annually.

Ten authors in race for Wole Soyinka Prize for Literature TOTAl of 10 African authors have been shortlisted for the 2014 edition of the Wole Soyinka Prize for Literature in A Africa. This year’s award is the fifth edition and it coincides with the 80th birthday of the Nobel Laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka. On the shortlist of the literature prize sponsored this year by Nigeria’s National Telecom Carrier, Globacom, are: Othuke Ominiaboha, Akin Bello, Soji Cole, Comfort Adesuwa Ero, Toyin Abiodun, Isaac Attah Ogezi, Moshood Oba, Mayowa Saja, Wumi Raji and Akin Adejumo. The 10 nominees emerged from a total of 163 entries submitted from 17 African countries in the genre of Drama, which is the focus of the 2014 edition. The shortlist will be further reduced to three to be announced by the judges of the prize in June 2014 while the ultimate winner is expected to emerge and presented with his prize on July 5 at the Civic Centre, Victoria Island Lagos. The Wole Soyinka Prize for Literature in Africa is a biennial award for the best literary work produced by an African. It was established by the Lumina Foundation in 2005 and has since been serving as an African equivalent of the Nobel Prize, particularly in recognizing and encouraging professional and personal excellence. Entries were invited from authors of any published play or collection of plays by the same author of African descent, published within the last two years (that is, a play published between 2012 and 2013) The first edition of Wole Soyinka Prize for Literature in Africa was held on August 5, 2006 at the MUSON Centre, Lagos, Nigeria. The aims of the award include propagating the dynamics of self enhancement, celebrating excellence, patriotism, integrity, heroism, intellectualism and selfless service epitomized by the man, Wole Soyinka and generating excellent books (both in content and packaging) authored by Africans They also include fostering global harmony through the provision of opportunities for appreciation of cross cultural perspectives and promoting the authors and their works, according to the recognition they deserve among renowned authors across the world. Globacom was also a major sponsor of the prize in 2012. The ultimate prize is $20,000USD (over N3 million).

Ganuwan Daura, Keith Richards, takes a ride shortly after his chieftaincy conferment in Daura, Katsina State

Keith Richards turbaned as Gunuwan Daura HE outgoing Managing T Director of Promasidor Nigeria Limited, Chief Keith Richards added to his haul of Nigerian traditional chieftaincy titles when he was turbaned Gunuwan Daura by Mai Martaba Sarkin Daura, Alhaji Umar Faruk Umar in Daura, North Central Nigeria on Saturday, May 10, 2014. The new title is about the fifth in Chief Keith Richards’ traditional titles having been conferred with Aare Baaladun of Isolo Kingdom by Osolo of Isolo Kingdom, Lagos State. He was also installed Ike Oha 1 of Okpu Omoubu Community, Abia State and Eze Di Oroma 1 of Enugu State. He is also a recipient of the Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire

(OBE) among other titular honours. Gunuwan Daura title comes as another feather to his cap and in recognition of his work for communities he has impacted lives through his philanthropic gestures. The turban ceremony, which took place inside the palace of Mai Martaba Sarkin Daura in Daura, Katsina State was attended by scores of top government functionaries including representatives of the Governor of Katsina State, Dr. Ibrahim Shehu Shema, industry bigwigs, diplomats and dignitaries from the Nigerian and expatriate business communities. Richards, who first came into Nigeria in 1982 and has since shown great interest and

commitment to the development of the country, which he regards as ‘his home’. A recipient of the Order of the British Empire (OBE), Richards was born on October 11, 1953 in the United Kingdom. He was educated in the United Kingdom and the United States of America but his career spans more than 30 years of involvement in developing markets for multinational companies, especially in Africa. He has at different times held various leadership positions in Nigeria as managing director and corporate executive board member at top ranking companies such as John Holt Plc, International Equitable Association, Guinness Nigeria Plc and presently Promasidor Nigeria Limited. His views are

Ojez, NFVCB mourn Amaka Igwe HE Managing Director of Ojez Limited, Chief Joseph T Odobeatu has lent his voice to those of other entertainment practitioners who are presently mourning one of their fallen amazons Amaka Igwe who passed on recently. Odobeatu, also a record label owner (O’jez Music) described the Nollywood icon as an ‘asset to the industry’’. Odobeatu who also described her as ‘’a Nollywood rights activist who was passionate about the industry that her passion became an obsession” expressed his sympathy to the family, the movie industry and the entire nation and disclosed that O’jez would be proud to be part of the funeral activities when the family finally announces the schedule. “That will be an honour on our part as an entertainment centre that has been heavily involved in Nollywood activities for almost two decades now,” Odobeatu submitted. Meanwhile, the management

and staff of the National Film and Video Censors Board (NFVCB) has also condoled the family and the industry on the loss. Director General of the NFVCB Patricia Bala described the late Amaka as an icon of Nigeria’s creative industry who will be remembered for her pioneering role in Nollywood. Bala also said ‘’Checkmate, the television soap which she created had the roads emptied on the evening belt when it was broadcast. It was later to become the acting nursery, which supplied Nollywood many of its early stars. Without resting on her oars, the late motion picture matriarch went ahead with other epochal interventions setting up production studio, creating award-winning television series, founding BOBTv and growing it to become an industry benchmark with her husband’’. Meanwhile the industry still awaits the burial programme for the late Amazon.

highly respected in the different boardrooms and associations across diverse sectors in Nigeria. Richards sees himself as an ‘Outsider’ who is also a thorough ‘Insider’ on Nigerian affairs, as his book title, Outsider Insider suggests. Everywhere he goes across the country he not only fully absorbed and integrated himself into the community, he makes himself an integral part of his host community. He never sees himself as a stranger in Nigeria nor ever acts as one. Richards enjoys good music, loves writing and authored the book, Outsider Insider – an intelligent and fresh perspective on the culture, economy, politics and Nigerian society.

Friday, May 16, 2014

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ExecutiveBrief In association with TRIPPLEA ASSOCIATES LIMIED The light weight concrete system is a combined effort by Wilkie Construction Nigeria Limited with other companies to develop the most effective, efficient and fast construction method available today. Wilkie Construction Nigeria Limited has an exclusive franchise agreement with these companies for Nigeria and is the first construction company to demonstrate the capacity to integrate these building systems to provide quality and affordable homes, with insulation fire resistant. The organisation assembled the various companies into a cooperative effort to offer the complete system, as well as establish training for contractors and employees so that many can take advantage of using this system. The overall goal of the company is to provide exceptional service, performance and superior handicraft in the construction Industry. In this interview with Nnamdi Nwokolo, Osahon Idemudia, a Director at Wilkie Construction Nigeria Limited spoke on the benefits of using the light weight concrete system. HAT is light weight concrete system? W Wilkie Construction Nigeria Limited looked at many locations of builders and contractors to understand the need and frustrations they encounter. The company then met with companies that have latest innovations to these challenges and brought these companies in to become part of the grand scheme to produce this system. The ingredients or parts, which some are patented products, have given Wilkie Construction Nigeria, exclusive marketing contracts for many countries to utilize this system. The system is a combined effort by Wilkie Construction Nigeria Ltd. bringing together other companies to develop the most effective, efficient, and fastest construction method available today. What are the main components that make up the system? There are for main components that make up the system. First, there is the Spider Tie forming system which uses Plastic interlocking form ties to create a frame work for the form plywood to attach to with special screws. This process greatly reduces the time and labor to accurately form a concrete wall of any height or thickness. Any type of concrete can be poured into these forms. Second, we use Light Weight Cellular Concrete (LWCC). LWCC is a special concrete mix design that is highly air entrained. The foaming agent we use is manufactured by Cellular Concrete Technologies (CCT) USA. This special foaming agent creates very durable tiny air bubbles that can with stand the rough mixing process involved in mixing concrete. This air entrainment process has proven to be very successful in providing a type of concrete that has considerable insulation properties three to four times that of regular concrete. It also decreases the weight of the finished produce by as much as 45%. The mix design can achieve strengths up 4500 PSI. Third, there is also the introduction of the concrete mix design a product called Helix Fibers. Helix Fibers are also referred to as “micro rebar”. The use of Helix Fibers considerably reduces the need for rebar. These fibers are made of zinc coated steel stands 1½” long. These tiny fibers are thoroughly mixed into the wet concrete before placement. These tiny steel fibers create a stronger matrix than traditional concrete and rebar methods. Helix fibers do not replace rebar completely. Rebar is still needed in load bearing locations. But, in all other areas of the project such as the floors and walls Helix Fibers offer tremendous benefits. Fourth, the Speedfloor forming system is used to form suspended concrete floors in a fraction of the time of that of traditional methods. The forms can be used one of two ways. First it can be used to stay in place, embedded into the concrete floor allowing very long spans. Second it can be used as a temporary forming system supporting the concrete floor until it has fully cured. No extra supports are needed during the pouring of the floor thus allowing free movement underneath. The Speed Floor system consists of rolled steel joists spanning the width of the room and spaced 4” apart. Cross bars are then inserted into the floor joists providing support for the forming plywood that is laid over top. Later the cross bars and plywood are removed for reuse. What are the equipments needed to form the light weight concrete system. The equipment is fairly basic with the exception of the foam generator. A standard cement mixer of any type can be used. The foam generator turns the surfactant into the special foam. The generator then pumps the foam into the concrete mixer. Electronic scales are used to weigh the mix to ensure the proper mix design. This special foaming agent creates very durable tiny air bubbles that can withstand the rough

Osahon Idemudia: Creating an Innovative Trend in The Construction Industry

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based project services as well as exceptional real-time project communications. Our goal is to provide increased staff productivity, greater efficiency, more accurate data, improve documentation, speed up resolutions, reduce cost, increase revenues, better accountability. We will improve project and personnel management while having document management – accessible to anyone from anywhere, at any time, to all parties involved in the design and construction process – whereby communications are faster with increased accuracy and accountability. We measure our success by having satisfied, successful and repetitive customers who look to and trust Wilkie Construction to provide valuable construction services to them, every day. The combination of the four systems is new to the market. Each part of this system has in its own right proven its unique advantages. At Wilkie, We promise only what we can achieve and we deliver more than what we promise. The bottom line is that we succeed when you succeed and Wilkie has been succeeding since 1959. What’s your take in terms of safety using Wilkie’s model? Several years ago, Wilkie Construction Company made the decision to take Safety off its list of priorities and add it to our list of Core Values. Priorities have a tendency to change. However, Values remain constant. As well as our Core Values including delivering a quality project; delivering the project on time; delivering within budget, we need the Project being built safely. A successful project depends on a level of safety commitment by every Team Member. As part of our Mission to be the best in everything that we do…we extend this mission requirement to our construction safety policy and practices and Wilkie Nigeria Limited will be no exemption. It is a Core Value of mixing process involved in mixing concrete. This air entrain- Wilkie Construction Company to provide a healthy, safe, clean ment process has proven to be very successful in providing a and enjoyable working environment for our employees, our subcontractors and our clients. Achievement of safety is a contype of concrete that has considerable insulation properties, tinual process of improvement - everyday. We uphold our focus three to four times that of regular concrete. It also decreases the weight of the finished produce by as much as 45%. The mix on safety through an objective of zero accident tolerance. Working safely is part of Wilkie’s cultural design can achieve strengths up 4500 PSI. character. To this end, every job is How does it work in terms of speed, thermal efficiency, checked for proper wear, language greenery and durability compared to the traditional methand music; a clean, safe and orderly ods? jobsite; and a weekly safety meeting The Spider Tie Concrete forming system takes about half the with Trade Contractors. Providing time or less to erect a residential structure compare to the work safety and meeting those time it takes to build using the traditional methods. The safety goals pays its own divithermal qualities are enhanced greatly, thus temperature is dends. Equally important, we stabilized (heat or cool air do not transfer from within the treat your project and staff with structure). Also, sound is quieter. Walls can now be used with utmost respect because we are ordinary screws or nails to hang anything. The fire rating is guests in your home. about 2 hours/inch thickness. In terms of cost, how affordable is this system? The costing of the wall forming would be comparable to traditional cost or less as you add in reduction in cost of time (interest on funds), labor, quality of finished products, elimination of having to redo, plaster, etc. The finished product is smoother and ready to finish. We have a special forming board we use that will give at least 100 reuses of the board, thus greatly reducing the cost of forming boards. The light weight concrete is poured into the forms by means of a pump from a concrete mixer, be it a portable mixer, a mobile truck or batching plant. The system can be used in making concrete panels and can produce any desired façade. The system reduces by more than a third the average period of construction, while delivering better quality and consistency in finishing. This system has been recognized as the building product of the future. How successful has this product been? We take responsibility for our role. We actively manage every component of the construction process. We have in-house and associate expertise in every aspect of construction development. Wilkie has achieved notable building success globally in a wide variety of markets and industry – which keeps our skills honed, our cost sharp, and our knowledge and information of both our industries and our clients ever evolving. Our Project Teams understand the complexity of today’s construction projects. To determine...How a project will be constructed and delivered is one of the critical and key aspects to a successful project. Wilkie understands the client expectations and needs of an experienced and qualified Team of construction professionals. We plan, manage, provide and build solutions that meet your goals and objectives. Every project is different and we tailor our services to meet the specific goals of each one. Wilkie is committed to bringing Value to our customers by providing innovative solutions that exceeds our customer’s expectations on each project. Communications is the biggest challenge when working with multiple software products and different disciplines...”and they don’t talk to one another.” Wilkie uses web

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Create Your Own Cash on Your Terms EXECUTIVE FINANCE

and freedom? If so, then read on...

By Bette Daoust, Ph.D.

Solopreneur: This is where you get to do it all yourself, manage it yourself, and outsource what you think is necessary. You are in full control at all times. You just need to have a product or service people want. If you do not like a customer, you can fire them. You can also bend over backwards for the good customers. This is the greatest career on earth. Partner: Although I like partnerships, you really have to draw the line as far as work load goes. Know ahead of time around topics such as who does what and balancing the load. Figure out what you will do when it comes to decision making time. If one partner is stronger than the other, the weaker one may feel that they are not getting what they want out of the partnership. Partnerships always work well in the beginning then for various reasons, tend to fall apart. All of mine fell apart. Corporate: If you like to be a part of a big business, then this is ideal for you. The issue I found was that I had to answer to someone else that I felt had no clue about what was going on. Have you ever felt that way? Also, getting ideas in place for improvement took a long time to get in the system and then credit

have been in business for many years and have tried a multitude of business models. Solopreneur, Partner, Corporate, Network Marketing, Joint Venture, Online, Offline, and anything else you can think of. The connection between them all is that most were not giving me what I wanted. In some there is a lot of hype and recruiting, others it is sending emails to as many people as you can, and yet others relied on someone else doing the sales. Here is what I have learned and what I know as the best deal for me. I am a writer by trade. I write technical manuals, training modules, books, and other types of content. I am good at it. How do I know? I know because people read my materials and pay me for it. I love doing research and writing and I found a way to get paid without reporting to anyone else! I don’t know about you, but for me I need independence and freedom as part of my lifestyle! I love creating the marketing and helping others achieve success, so a career in writing and training has worked out very well for me. Now down to the brass tacks, so to speak. Are you also one of those people that like Independence

was always given to someone else. I guess if you are the CEO you can make the decisions but then on the other hand, the CEO has to answer to the employees if something goes wrong. I always found myself at the short end of the stick when it came to having a positive impact on the direction of the company. I am not saying big companies do not have their place. I am saying that they are not for me when it comes to independence and freedom! Network Marketing: Here is a

great place for people to start. I belong and belonged to several. The problem here is the return on investment. I found that I had to show a passion for their product (not mine) and I had to share that passion to others that may or may not like the idea, then I had to follow all the rules for marketing, websites, and commission structures! Gradually there were so many distributors that advertising on the web brought up so much competition, I did not feel it was worth it.

Joint Venture: This is another favorite of mine. I find that defining your own expertise and also defining what you lack makes it great for putting together a joint venture. The joint venture I am currently working on has three other partners, each with their set of skills. Mine is the content and developing training modules, another is an SEO expert, another is a mobile applications expert, and our fourth partner has editing and writing skills. Together we divided the workload, put in writing

what we were each responsible for doing, and we made a strategic plan of what needed to be done and when. This is an excellent way to do business. Everyone has a say and we discuss it, no feelings of no one is listening. For now I have decided to work as a Solopreneur and also do Joint Ventures. This way I get my independence and freedom! For you, it may be different. The choice is yours. Only you can create your own cash on your own terms.

WINNING AT WORK

Magic Customer Service Words - Part 1 HEN you take a look at those indiW viduals who are truly outstanding customer service providers, one of the things they have in common are strong communication skills. They seem to instinctively know how to say the right thing in the right way at the right time. It’s amazing how much of an impact a single phrase can have on an interaction with a customer. We refer to it as ‘Positive’ and ‘Negative’ language. Positive languages are words and phrases that most often trigger positive responses with customers; with negative language most often triggering negative responses. Over the next four installments of Winning at Work, we will look at some classic examples of how you can use words and phrases to your advantage (or disadvantage). Here are the first two:

Positive: “I’m great, thank you for asking!” When a customer says to you “Hi, how are you?” how do you typically respond? If you’re like most people, you reflexively come back with something like, “I’m okay,” “I’m fine,” etc. And, if you’re like most people, you haven’t given much thought as to how you answer a question that few people ask with any genuine interest. But try this little experiment just for fun: For the rest of the day today, when someone asks how you are, use a different, more positive word than the one you normally use. Instead of being “okay”, be great, excellent, terrific, outstanding, wonderful, etc. Watch how differently people respond to you. They will smile, their eyebrows will raise a little, and you’ll feel a little more energy in them. Yes, there will be some who will say

Action is the foundational key to all success. -Pablo Picasso

things like “Wow! What kind of pills are you taking?” But that’s okay too. Despite the tongue-in-cheek comment, they’re communicating that they’re seeing a positive change. This simple little change can have a tremendous impact on how people perceive you and interact with you. It makes sense when you think about it. After all, would you rather deal with someone who is “okay” or someone who is “outstanding?” Negative: “Like I told you before...” If you’re going to say this to customers, you might as well go ahead and say “idiot” out loud at the end. After all, that’s what your customer is going to hear. This phrase serves absolutely no purpose other than to make you feel a little superior to your stupid customer. Don’t ever say this - unless, of course, you’re trying to provoke a fight.

42| Friday, May 16, 2014

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Friday, May 16, 2014 AUTOWHEELS 43

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AutoWheels CFAO launches three new Mitsubishi brands

New Mitsubishi SUV FAO Motors, dealers of Mitsubishi and C Fuso, has launched three new Mitsubishi models into the Nigerian market. Speaking at a press conference, General Manager, CFAO Motors, Navin Chander said the new models are Space Star, the Attrage and the all-new Mitsubishi Outlander SUV. He said, “We are showing our full range of vehicles from the Mitsubishi stable which are world class vehicles to our Nigerian’s customers.” “At CFAO Motors, we offer value for money. We are an international company and we apply it in the marketing of our Mitsubishi products. With our pedigree as a professional company that has done auto business in Nigeria for over 80 years, we are closer to the customers and we offer the best of products which is what Mitsubishi brand stands for”, he said.

The general manager noted that they offer the best after sales available in the Nigerian auto sector, stated that they don’t just sell vehicles and abandons the customers. He stated that they researched on what the customers’ demands in these car segments, which include, comfort, safety, fuel efficiency, and good performance. All these, he said abound in the newly introduced Mitsubishi cars. Giving insight on the vehicles, Navin said that the Mitsubishi Space Star, which is making its debut in Nigeria, is a compact 1.2 litre engine car with generous space and amazing fuel efficiency. The car can cover about 21 kilometres with just one litre of petrol. Though a hatchback, the Space Star has a very versatile interior. It is available in either manual or automatic transmission.

The Mitsubishi Attrage is also a 1.2 litre engine saloon car with generous space and large boot. It boasts of the same fuel efficiency as the Space Star and is positioned to compete in the same segment with the Toyota Yaris, Honda City and Nissan Almera. The Attrage has a captivating design and comes in either manual or automatic transmission. The newly introduced Mitsubishi Outlander, according to Mr. Navin is a completely redesigned sports utility vehicle with an entirely new platform. The new Outlander is a seven-seater sport utility vehicle with AllWheel Control (AWC). The Electrically controlled 4WD offers incredible traction and stability even in challenging terrain by optimally combining Active Stability Control (ASC). The Drive model selector when desired: will make

4WD ECO mode for maximum economy, 4WD Auto mode for normal driving conditions or 4WD Lock mode on rough terrain. Although the all-new Outlander is available in three engine variants; 2.0 litre MIVEC, 2.4 litre MIVEC, and 3.0 litre V6 MIVEC, CFAO says that they are offering only the 2.4 litre engine with full option as the Nigerian specification. This engine according to the general manager is extremely responsive and fuel efficient: The Outlander’s other strong point is its leading fuel economy and Co2 emissions, advanced safety and reliability as well as premium quality and spaciousness. The vehicle were showcased at the ongoing Lagos Motor show at the Federal Palace Hotel, Victoria Island. The company also promised to offer ten percent discount on any Mitsubishi vehicle bought during the Motor show.

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Friday, May 16, 2014

GM’s latest recalls brings 2014 total to 11.1 million ENERAL Motors Co. (GM) G is recalling an additional 2.7 million vehicles, including models with faulty brake lights that have led to hundreds of complaints, pushing the automaker’s total number of cars and trucks called back for fixes in the U.S. this year to 11.1 million. The new total for the year so far is more than GM recalled during the previous six years combined. Chief Executive Officer Mary Barra is grappling with the recall of 2.59 million cars to fix a defective ignition switch linked to at least 13 deaths. She reorganized the engineering department, added personnel to investigate problems and introduced a program to encourage employees to flag safety concerns. An internal report is due later this month. The bulk of yesterday’s five recalls cover 2.44 million Chevy, Pontiac and Saturn cars dating back to the 2004 model year. Corrosion can affect wiring and cause brake lights to fail to illuminate, Detroit-based GM said yesterday in a statement. The company has received hundreds of complaints and said it’s aware of thirteen related crashes and two injuries. GM said it doesn’t know of any

fatalities. “Customer safety is at the heart of how GM designs and produces vehicles, and these announcements are examples of two ways we are putting that into practice,” Jeff Boyer, vice president of GM Global Vehicle Safety, said in the statement. GM expects to take a charge of as much as about $200 million in the second quarter, primarily for the cost of recall-related repairs announced in the quarter, the company said. That’s after a $1.3 billion charge in the first quarter for recall costs. Its shares fell 0.9 percent to $34.64 at 10:14 a.m. in New York and dropped 15 percent this year through yesterday. Congress, federal regulators and the U.S. Justice Department are all looking into why it took the automaker more than a decade to recall 2.59 million cars with switches that allowed keys to slip out of the “on” position, shutting off the engine and disabling air bags. With GM’s actions yesterday, the industry is on track to exceed last year’s 22 million recalls and for the most vehicles since 31 million in 2004. Industrywide recalls were

19.9 million for the year so far for the U.S., according to a combination of National Highway Traffic Safety Administration data and new recall information from GM. The 2.44 million vehicles recalled yesterday for brake lamps includes the Chevy Malibu from 2004 to 2012, the Malibu Maxx from 2004 to 2007, the Pontiac G6 from 2005 to 2010 and the Saturn Aura from 2007 to 2010. GM issued a technical service bulletin in 2008 describing a fix for its dealers and conducted

a more limited recall in 2009 that only included 2005 model year cars. NHTSA informed GM in a Nov. 14 letter that it had upgraded a defect investigation into brake-light wiring in the Pontiac G6. Regulators had 447 reports of malfunctioning lights that worked in reverse — lighting when the pedal wasn’t depressed and turning off when the brake was applied. The agency said it had received similar complaints about the Malibu and the

Aura. Some vehicle owners also complained that cruise control wouldn’t engage and their stability control and traction control warning lights came on, it said. GM yesterday also recalled 111,889 Chevy Corvettes from 2005 to 2007 that potentially can lose the use of their lowbeam headlamps; 140,067 2014 Malibu sedans with 2.5 liter-engines for hydraulic brake issues and 19,225 Cadillac CTS cars from 2013 and 2014 for windshield wipers that can become

inoperable. The company also recalled 477 of its 2014 Silverado and GMC Sierra pickups and 2015 Tahoe sport-utility vehicles for tierods that might not be tightened enough and that can lead to a crash, GM said. As part of her response to the recall crisis, Barra named Boyer vice president for vehicle safety in March and he’s part of a newly aligned engineering department aimed at reducing compartmentalization and catching future safety issues.

Honda S2000 to stage comeback in 2017 ESPITE Honda’s enthusiD ast-friendly reputation, the brand’s only sport-oriented model offered in the U.S. these days is the Honda Civic Si. This could change within the next few years, though, as a report from Auto Express speculates that a return of the Honda S2000 sports car may be in the cards. The report says this reborn S2000 would be a midengine coupe, unlike the previous front-engine, rearwheel-drive convertible sold between 1999 and 2009. This would hypothetically com-

plete a future Honda lineup of three mid-engine sports cars, with the rumored compact Honda S660 roadster at the bottom, the new Honda S2000 in the middle, and the upcoming Acura NSX hybrid supercar at the top. AE says there was recently a secretive meeting at Honda’s R&D center in Japan discussing this sports car project, with the result being a strong likelihood for the S2000 being approved. The rumour is that the new Honda S2000 would go on sale in 2017 for a price of £35,000 (approximately

$60,000), a much higher price than the previous Honda S2000, which cost $35,669 during its final model year, 2009. The new car would be much more powerful than before, though, as the report says that the new S2000 could be powered by the same 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine that’s expected to make more than 300 hp in the new Honda Civic Type R. Hybrid technology from Honda’s F1 division is another possibility, as the 2015 Acura NSX supercar is already confirmed to be an all-wheel-

drive performance hybrid. All of this is exciting news for Honda’s U.S. performance stable, which has been lacking since the previous S2000 finished its run in 2009. At a recent Honda event, a U.S. representative also told Automobile that the new Honda Civic Type R may make its way over to the U.S. after the production version debuts for the Japanese and European markets sometime later this year. If both that and the reborn S2000 arrived, we’d once again have a healthy stable of Honda performance cars on our shores.

switches that open and close the third-row power windows. The company said that it is unaware of any related injuries or accidents and that there are only 36 known incidents of overheating. There’s been a number of recalls coming from automakers this year. Ford and Chrysler rival General Motors (GM, Fortune 500) recalled 2.6 million vehicles for a faulty ignition switch.

The issue is tied to 13 deaths and has brought on a number of investigations and lawsuits for the company. Some in the industry are concerned that the trouble facing GM is making other automakers overly cautious. “I think you’re going to see a heightened level of sensitivity across all automakers on this issue,” said Fiat Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne earlier this week at a company conference.

Honda S2000

Ford, Chrysler announce large recalls ORD and Chrysler have Fadding both issued recalls, to the growing list of vehicles in need of repairs coming from automakers this year. Ford recalled more than 750,000 Escapes and C-Max vehicles in North America for two separate issues. One is a software problem that delays the deployment of side airbags when the vehicle rolls over. That affects about 692,500 Ford Escapes

from model years 2013 and 2014, as well as about 65,000 C-Max crossover vehicles from the same model years. All of those Escapes, plus about another 60,000, are also being recalled for a second issue related to malfunctioning door handles. The exterior door handles can get stuck in the open position, become tough to close, or open while driving. In that instance an indicator light will display on the dash-

board and warning chimes will sound, said a Ford (F, Fortune 500) spokeswoman. No C-Max vehicles are recalled for the door issue. Owners can take their vehicles to the dealer who will reprogram the software and inspect door handles, fixing them if necessary. No accidents or injuries have been linked to either issue, the company said last week. Chrysler Group recalled

780,000 minivans Friday in which switches for third-row power windows can overheat. The problem can happen if the window switch, located on the driver’s door, is exposed to moisture. The recall affects some 20102014 Dodge Grand Caravan and Chrysler Town & Country minivans. Owners will be contacted directly about when their minivans can be fixed. In the interim, a dealer can disconnect the

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Hyundai Motors opens N500m ultramodern service facility in Lagos YUNDAI Motors Nigeria H has commissioned an ultramodern 3s (service, sales and spare-parts) facility and skill acquisition centre in Orile, Amuwo - Odofin district of Lagos State. The over N500m facility, which is one of its numerous aftermarket midpoints in the country, will provide full-scale service support for the growing Hyundai clientele in Nigeria and render technical training assistance to dealerships across the West African subregion. General Manager, After Sales, Rama Subbiah, Hyundai Motors Nigeria Limited who announced this standpoint at a media facility tour of the venture said the facility had been accredited by Hyundai Motors Corporation Korea as the hub for technical training support and spare parts depot in West Africa. “We will from this facility in Orile – Lagos provide technical training support, using intensive classroom coaching and web-based modules to train and retrain technical personnel and supply the parts’ needs of dealerships across Nigeria,” Subbiah remarked. He added that the facility would further allow existing and future customers to appreciate the convenience of complete one-stop shopping, covering all aspects of vehicle ownership and seamless access to quality service. “We have concluded plans to expand Hyundai service network through the appointment of provisional agents to provide service support for Hyundai vehicles nationwide and our mobile service will offer

unlimited technical assistance to distressed customers outside Lagos.” The 100-staffed service centre has dedicated service technicians and engineers for corporate, retail and fleet customers, the after sales general manager affirmed. Hyundai Motors facility Orile – Lagos is currently adjudged West Africa biggest with a sprawling architecture covering 22, 280 square meters (5.5 acre) with state-of-the-art equipment and storage facility for over N400m spare parts and about 100 working bays and 35 lifts. The location of the facility in Nigeria is aimed at maximizing sales potential and enhancing Hyundai growing clientele, 14 years after the Stallion Group and owners of the franchise got the Korean automakers’ consent to market and distribute Hyundai products and services in Nigeria, Subbiah noted. He said: “As a global brand with reputation for excellent performance, Hyundai takes pride in repositioning to meet global corporate identity for quality service and customer satisfaction and that is why we are expanding our network to cater for all our customers irrespective of their locations. “We are committed to upholding the reputation of Hyundai and making the brand one of Nigeria’s most sought after passenger car,” he affirmed. Hyundai is currently the fastest selling passenger car and the most valued brand in the Nigerian automobile market, given recent brand placement. “Our obligation is to make

Rolls-Royce designer eyes future crossover EVELOPMENT of a RollsD Royce crossover is still underway, but design chief Giles Taylor says the future model will look more like a wagon than an SUV. “I’m interested in function and functionality. I’m looking to create a properly functional vehicle — a shooting brake, not a crossover with a sloping roof,” he told Autocar. Autocar also reports the future Rolls-Royce model will based on the Ghost sedan family, can be imagined as “a kind of Mercedes GLK-plusplus,” and won’t arrive before 2017. Expected to cost around £200,000 (about $336,000), Giles said that the new car’s interior will be more “cool” and “modern” than current Rolls-Royces: “It will retain aspects of the current interior but will remain luxurious and a sanctuary. We are not talking about ostentation.” Although we reported last year that the Rolls-Royce crossover would be based on the BMW X7 — itself an

extended X5/X6 — Autocar says the plan is now for Rolls to use a new platform that combines steel, aluminum, and carbon fiber. The architecture will be used for a BMW 9 Series ultra-luxury SUV, the all-new RollsRoyce Ghost that is due by 2018, and of course the crossover. The BMW Vision Future Luxury concept shown in Beijing (pictured) reportedly rides on that platform and may preview the direction of a future 9 Series. Like many automakers, Rolls-Royce sees newly moneyed Chinese buyers as the ideal way to grow its sales. Giles said that market has become more important to Rolls-Royce in recent years because, “Many customers are now Chinese entrepreneurs. They might be as young as 30 years old and are very interested in authenticity, Chinese heritage and prestige.” The crossover model will likely be tailored directly to those types of customers.

A cross section of the technical staff of the commissioned 35-Hyundai Motors Nigeria at Orile, Lagos owning a Hyundai vehicle an enjoyable experience, and we recognize the importance of excellence both in the quality of our

cars and in after sales service,” Subbiah reasoned. He said: “We have retrained all our service technicians in multiple auto repair disci-

plines and they are acquainted extensively in Hyundai’s always-changing technology. In fact, our client testimonials are a proof of our good

work and reliability and our honesty, dedication, friendly behaviour and quality of service has kept our clients, both old and new, returning

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BUSINeSSTRAVeL Friday, May 16, 2014

Quote of the week

AviationBusiness

Take nothing for granted; do not jump to conclusions; follow every possible clue to the extent of usefulness . . . Apply the principle that there is no limit to the amount of effort justified to prevent the recurrence of one aircraft accident or the loss of one life. —— Accident Investigation Manual of the U.S. Air Force. ibeuwaleke2012@yahoo.com 08033151041 (SMS only)

Some passengers who were leaving Nigeria from Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos… on Tuesday

PHOTO:IBE UWALEKE

Demand for passenger air travel decelerates March ISSUE Stories By Ibe Uwaleke NTeRNATIONAL Air Transport Association Iresults (IATA) announced global passenger traffic for March showing a moderation of the pace of growth in demand. Total revenue passenger kilometers (RPKs) increased by 3.1% compared to March 2013. Although this represented a slowdown in comparison to the February year-over-year traffic increase of 5.6%, cumulative traffic growth for the first quarter of 2014 was 5.6%, which is a slight improvement over the 5.2% overall growth achieved in 2013. “After a number of very strong months we are seeing a slowing of demand growth. The strong performance of advanced economies nevertheless is likely to support the continued growth of traffic in the coming months,” said Tony Tyler, IATA’s Director General and CeO. International passenger markets: International passenger traffic rose by 2.6% in March, a significant slowdown compared to the 5.4% increase in February. Capacity rose 5.5% and load factor fell 2.3 percentage points to 78.0%. Most regions experienced a slowdown in year-on-year growth rates. Asia Pacific carriers experienced some of the weakest traffic growth in March with international traffic up by just 1.1% compared to a year ago. Part of this is attributable to the relative slowdown in demand after the positive impacts from the Lunar New Year in January/February. But the result is also probably owing to downward pressure from continued weakness in the Chinese economy, as well as a recent contraction in regional trade volumes. Capacity rose 5.3% and load factor fell 3.1 percentage points to 76%. european carriers’ international traffic climbed 2.0% in March compared to the yearago period, down from a 5.7% growth rate a month earlier. The slowdown may be linked to weaker economic performance in emerging markets given that europe’s economic performance has been undergoing a continuous, steady improvement since mid-2013. Capacity rose 4.6% and load factor slipped two percentage points to 79.6% North American airlines saw demand rise 0.6% in March compared to a year ago, a slowdown on the February growth rate of 2.0%. Weakness in international air travel growth for North American carriers is likely in part due to the weather-related slowdown in the first quarter. With capacity up 4.7%, load factor fell by 3.3 percentage points to 80%. The latest data suggest that growth trends in business activity are pos-

itive and downward pressure on employment is easing, which could support stronger growth in future. Middle east carriers had the strongest year-onyear traffic growth in March at 10.0% as airlines continue to benefit from the strength of regional economies and solid growth in businessrelated premium travel. The Gulf nations are benefitting from acceleration in non-oil sectors of their economies and positive developments in sectors such as trade, transport and tourism. Capacity rose 10.7% however, and load factor dipped 0.5 percentage points to 79.5%. Brazil domestic air traffic rose by 12.0% supported by Carnival-related travel, which began at the end of February and continued into March. Overall, however, the fundamental drivers in Brazil remain fragile with continued economic weakness suppressing domestic demand. Russian and Japanese domestic air travel rose by 12.8% and 10.0%, respectively, in March. Japan’s continued economic expansion has seen domestic air travel recover strongly over the last nine months while sustained employment and income growth are supporting the growth in domestic air travel in Russia. The Bottom Line “Rising demand for air travel tapered in March, following months of increasing demand. Aviation is crucial for economic expansion and development. But it is up to governments to

treat aviation as a partner, not as an easy target for overly excessive taxation and onerous regulation or to have its infrastructure needs neglected. When aviation is treated as an economic enabler the industry is able to rise to its full potential as a key engine of growth and job creation,” said Tyler. The Air Transport Action Group (ATAG) has released a new research confirming aviation’s important role in driving economic growth. Research conducted by Oxford economics in ATAG’s Aviation: Benefits Beyond Borders publication highlights that globally aviation supports over 58 million jobs and some $2.4 trillion in economic activity (equal to 3.4% of global GDP). “every day nearly 100,000 flights carry 8.6 million passengers and $17.5 billion of goods to their destination. This activity not only helps to drive economies forward, it enriches the world by bringing people together in a global community,” said Tyler. From June 1 to 3 2014 the global aviation community will meet for the IATA Annual General Meeting and World Air Transport Summit in Doha, Qatar. “Qatar is a great example of a country in which aviation is playing a very strategic role in driving growth and prosperity. It is a great location to remind people of the potential of aviation as the industry celebrates its 100th anniversary,” said Tyler

Latin America was the only region to see an improvement in March compared to February, with regional carriers registering a rise of 4.7% year-on-year, compared to 4.2% in the prior month. The outlook for Latin American carriers remains positive, with continued robust performance from economies like Colombia, Peru and Chile. Latin America was the only region with an increase in load factor- in March load factor was 78.8%, up from 77.0% the previous year. African airlines experienced the only contraction in demand among the regions, with demand down by 2.6% a year ago. The weakness in international air travel could be in part from the adverse economic developments in some parts of the continent, namely the slowdown of South Africa. Airlines in Africa have seen virtually no growth, only 0.2% during the first quarter of 2014 compared to the same period in 2013. Domestic passenger markets The growth of domestic markets slowed in March, rising by 4.0% a year ago, compared to 5.8% in February, but there was significant variation among the largest markets. With capacity up by 4.9%, load factor slipped 0.8 percentage points to 80.5%. Growth was especially strong in the developing economies of Brazil, Japan and Russia, with all three recording double-digit increases in demand compared to a year-ago.

Aerodrome Rescue Fire Service marks International Fire Fighters Day eRODROMe Rescue and Fire Kano International Airport that could be made much more safer ally, ribbons of red and blue A Fighting Service (ARFFS) of the consumed a fire fighter, the recent and secured. colours representing fire and Federal Airports Authority of fire outbreak at the Kaduna Airport Nigerian Police Band, Ikeja, treated Nigeria (FAAN) has marked this year’s International Fire Fighting Day (IFFD). This day is set aside by aircraft fire fighters all over the world to remember fire fighters who put their lives on line for others to live. It is also an annual event to celebrate the gallantry of the fire fighters and to remember those who died in the course of duty. The remembranceday which takes place on every May 4 started in 1999 after the catastrophic fire that happened in Austalia in 1998. This year’s celebration which took place at Sheraton Hotels and Towers, Ikeja Lagos was without pomp and pageantry as reminiscences of the Associated Airline aircraft that crashed in Lagos mid last year, the fire incident at Aminu

Control Tower and the dearth of infrastructure including the difficulties fire fighters encounter in their herculean job, featured prominently in most of the discussions of the day’s event. Apart from the sad moments that were shared together, the Service launched its anthem composed by one of the fire fighters, Mr. Jacob Ikulu, Sarki, a metallurgical engineer who was later presented with an award. The event also featured parades, presentation of a keynote address by a renowned public relations consultant in the aviation sector, Mr. Chris Aligbe with theme: “Transforming the ARFFS,” with several other discussants who proffered a good number of solutions on how the job of the fire fighters

members of ARFFS and the guests to beautiful music that was so entertaining thereby forcing some of them to go to the dancing floor to try their dancing steps. Thereafter, dinner was served. But before dinner was served, the host and the general manager of ARFFS, Mr. Peter Onyeri, in his welcome speech said Nigeria in the whole of Africa, pioneered the celebration of the IFFD, adding that nations across the world have since 1999 come to use the day to focus attention of the lives and activities of fire fighters in their societies through presentation of papers, fire parades or special drills and donation to the Service in appreciation of their role in the society. According to him, on this day glob-

water are worn by members of the public across the civilized world,saying that aviation firefighting in cases of distressed aircrafts and intervening in emergency situations is what the Service exists for as provided by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), rules which is rescuing trapped persons while also battling above 1000 degree centigrade temperatures to reduce the level of damage due to fire. He however said his men are doing their best despite some constraints which include problems in accessing water hydrants, inadequate number of tenders and problem of having enough men to man them 24 hours a day for any eventuality.

Friday, May 16, 2014 AVIATIONTrAVEL 47

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Bi-courtney Aviation Services company installs new escalators at MMA2 By Ibe Uwaleke I-COUrTNEy Aviation B Services Limited, operators of the Murtala Mohammed Airport Terminal Two (MMA2), has begun the installation of brand new escalators/elevators at the eight and half years old terminal to ease movement of passengers and luggage and to provide a convenient and comfortable access to all high-rising areas of the terminal building. The new elevators are replacing the old ones that packed up for sometime now which have become a source of worry to passengers and other users of the sprawling edifice who now resort to using the staircases as a result of the disused escalators. To ensure that it gets the value for its money for a job well done, Bi-courtney gave the contract this time to a German firm, Mitsulift Elevating Standards, which was confirmed to be experts in constructing escalators around the world. The firm, through its operations manager, roger Khairalla who conducted journalists round the site of the new construction

on Wednesday, promised to deliver quality and durable job that will stand the test of time. Khairalla also said his company would meet the time target given to it by Bicourtney. The Guardian observed that the escalator equipment manufactured by Mitsubushi Japan and delivered to Bicourtney, is what the German firm is trying to couple for the elevators to come alive again. Addressing journalists on Wednesday at a press conference jointly hosted by the chief executive officer (CEO), Christophe Penninck and the chief operation officer, (COO), Ms. Adebisi Awoniyi, the duo said while the construction work is going on, their company has made adequate provisions to cushion the effects of the inconveniences and hardships the renovation would cause their customers. According to them, the company has deployed both facilities and personnel to assist people to use the staircases while the construction work is going on in order to reduce the amount of inconveniences they might encounter. Giving more details for the

replacement of the elevators, Awoniyi said the old ones were built by Nigerians and because of the poor maintenance culture known to Nigerians, the thing packed up within the short period of eight and half years. She stated that the speed in which they were trying to complete the work on schedule was to comply with the rules of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), which admonishes that the comfort of passengers using the terminal must be taken with utmost responsibility. On the cost of the project, both the COO and CEO said over N60 million has been spent so far, adding that more money is still required to complete the final installation. They also announced that over N500 million has been projected as the overall cost of the entire upgrading of the facilities at the terminal which include: full automation of the car parks, changing and increasing the number of checking counters from 31 at the moment, to 45 by the beginning of July this year. On the preparedness of the

Operations Manager, Mitsulift Nigeria Limited, Mr. Roger Khairallah (second right) explaining a point to journalists during the tour of the escalator/elevator project being executed by Bi-Courtney Aviation Services Limited, operator of the Murtala Muhammed Airport Two (MMA2) during a media tour of the project...on Wednesday. With them are the Chief Executive Officer of BASL, Mr. Christophe Penninck (left) and the Chief Operating Officer, Ms. Adebisi Awoniyi (right).

company to integrate two new domestic airlines that are joining the fold, they said that checking counters and space have already been provided to them to operate. One of the two airlines, Azman Air Services Limited, started operations yesterday with a flight operated from Kano to Lagos. The other airline, Discovery Airways, they said, have just taken delivery of its second

aircraft and as soon as NCAA issued it with AOC (Airline Operators Certificate), it will start operations. While announcing that his company is insisting on knowledge transfer from the foreign engineers to his own staff for regular maintenance of the new elevators, the CEO said unfortunately, the MMA2 terminal which has existed for more than eight and half

years had been run on generators with several back-ups to ensure a 24-hour service at a very huge cost, due to poor public power supply. He appealed to all passengers and other users of the terminal to bear with his company as work on the installation of the escalators would be completed by mid next month.

Etihad Airways shifts Qatar operations to new Hamad International Airport TIHAD Airways has E announced the airline’s four daily passenger flights

Human resources manager, Bristow Helicopter Aviation, Mr. Femi Collins, (left), managing director, Captain Akin Oni, and group managing director (GMD), Verdantzeal Group, Mr. Tunji Olugbodi at an annual press briefing by Bristow Helicopter Aviation on its services and activities, held at its headquarters in Lagos… last week

from Abu Dhabi to Doha which will now operate from the new Hamad International Airport (HIA) from May 14. Freighter operations to the new airport will commence from May 18. The airline’s first flight Ey 399 to the new airport departs Abu Dhabi International Airport on Wednesday, May 14, at

02.40, and touches down HIA an hour later. The return flight Ey 390 departs Doha on the same day at 04.15, and arrives in Abu Dhabi at 06.15. All Etihad Airways ticketing and check-in, gates, baggage services and customer service operations will be working out of Terminal 1 from May 14. Captain richard Hill, Etihad Airways’ Chief Operations Officer, said: “We believe moving our operations to the new

state-of-the-art airport is a positive step which will offer our guests newer and more spacious facilities and enhance their travel experience flying in and out of Doha.” Opened at the end of April, HIA is designed to handle 29 million passengers annually and has three times the capacity of the existing Doha International Airport. An upgraded range of facilities and services have been

introduced at the new 600,000 square metre passenger terminal, including larger check-in areas and newly designed retail and dining outlets. Upgrades to the baggage handling system and security areas have also been made. The UAE flag carrier started operations from Abu Dhabi to the Qatari capital in 2006 and currently offers four daily flights between the two capitals.

Ndigbo Lagos confer meritorious award on Oduah, others By Ibe Uwaleke

T was yet another recognition of excellence when last weekend, the immediate past minister of aviation, Princess Stella Oduah received a meritorious award at a grand reception organised by Ndigbo Lagos. The award, according to the organisers, was in recognition of her immense contribution in transforming the aviation sector into world-class standard that will remain a reference point by industry players and other stakeholders for several years to come. Ndigbo Lagos is a socio-cultural organisation which serves as a central point for the articulation, coordination, promotion and protection of the interest and well being of Ndigbo in Lagos State. Memberships are drawn from six Igbo speaking states of Anambra, Imo, Enugu, Abia, Ebonyi and Delta. The president general of this Ogbako Ndigbo, the Igbo group, and chief host, Professor Anya O. Anya, described Oduah as a pride of Ndigbo, a rare woman of substance, an achiever that has brought international recognition to Ndigbo in concrete terms by facilitating the building of an international airport at Enugu, South East region. According to Anya, Ndigbo regard this singular feat as a

great achievement because of how long it took to be realised and the rapid economic growth it will engender to the region. Anya said that all the great contributions and achievements of Ndigbo in government and in business have become the success story which Nigeria showcases to the whole world as her development milestone. He therefore urged all Igbos wherever they may be in the country, to remain resolute and continue to contribute their quota to the development of the nation despite the daunting leadership and security challenges plaguing Nigeria. Oduah was not alone in this award galore. Eight other illustrious sons of Ndigbo who have also made tremendous impact in their fields of endeavour, equally received this meritorious award for their various achievements. They included the immediate past governor of Anambra State, Mr. Peter Obi, immediate past Chief of Army Staff, General Azubuike Ihejirika, former Chief of Naval Staff, Admiral Dele Ezeoba and former Minister of Power, Professor Barth Nnaji. Others were the former Executive Secretary of Petroleum Products Pricing and regulatory Agency (PPPrA), reginald Chika

Stanley, former managing director/CEO of Fidelity Bank Plc, Mr. reginald Ihejiahi, former managing director of Nigeria Liquidfied Natural Gas (NLNG), Chima Ibeneche and former managin partner of PriceWaterHouse West Africa, Mr. Ken Igbokwe. responding on behalf of other recipients, Peter Obi, thanked Ndigbo Lagos for recognising their achievements while in office and deciding to celebrate their own. He encouraged them not to relent in this effort because by celebrating Igbos of honour and great achievements, a strong statement is being sent out that Ndigbo have become a force to be reckoned with in Nigeria’s overall development. Obi, while going down memory lane to describe the contributions made by Igbos since independence, said such contributions have become a significant part of the greatness of Nigeria. He singled out Oduah in his speech and showered her with encomium over her singular achievement in the aviation sector within a short period of time she was in office despite all the distractions caused her by the hues and cries over armoured bullet-proof cars. Obi gave her kudos, saying that her feat was un-paralleled in the industry and therefore difficult to surmount.

Former Secretary General of the Commonwealth, Chief Emeka Anyaoku, who presided over the occasion, called the awardees service achievers who have brought honour to Igbo land. The Obi of Onitsha, Igwe Nnaemeka Achebe (Agbogidi), who performed the kola nut breaking, was the royal Father of the day. The keynote address was delivered by Professor rev. Father, Godfrey Nzamujo who also did the presentation of the plague to Oduah.

Speaking to journalists at the end of the award, Oduah who was visibly happy at the turn of events showed her appreciation saying: “I am extremely elated. I am very very, happy. It is a confirmation that truly there is dignity in labour and that we should all strive wherever we find ourselves to ensure that Nigeria is properly developed”. Over 2000 dignitaries attended the event which took place at Oriental Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos, including former governors, ministers,

members of the National Assembly, ambassadors, traditional rulers and titled chiefs, captains of industries, legal luminaries and nollywood stars. Among those present were: Fomer military governor of old Imo and Lagos states, rear Admiral Ndubuisi Kanu (rtd), former minister of finance, Dr. Kalu Idika Kalu and the former chairman of MTN, Mr. Paschal Dozie. The event which ended by 11 pm was rounded off with a dinner.

Former Minister of Aviation, Princess Stella Oduah (right) and former managing director/CEO of Fidelity Bank Plc, Mr. Reginald Ihejiahi, both recipients of the meritorious award… at the occasion last weekend. PHOTO: IBE UWALEKE

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48 Friday, May 16 , 2014

FridayWorship By Afis A. Oladosu

In the Name of the Almighty, the Beneficent, the Merciful “And fear an affliction or a trial which affects not in particular (only) those of you who do wrong”- (Quran) HE girls were born like my daughters-bearers of fortune and “carriers” of motherly love and affection. They were born with pure hearts, utterly incapable of doing evil and completely oblivious of agents who have become principals in the courtyard of the devil. Brethren, the girls came to the world in order to fulfill the hopes and aspirations of their mothers and fathers. They were born at a time when to come to the world with the pudenda had ceased to be a marker of inferiority and diminution. Brethren, the girls were born the same way girls were born in my village and were treated as such. They were treated like ornaments and priceless jewels. In the inner recesses of the household, it is the girls who usually sit next to the bosom from which everybody in the house had sought comfort. Thus it is she who first gets to hear about the secrets and concerns of the mother. How she walks, how she talks, what she says and what she wears is usually the concern of the matriarch. Thus, to come to the world as a girl in my culture, is to make the boys “regret” being born with the phallus. But brethren in order that they might fulfill the hope of their mothers and fathers, the girls had to go school. Thus girls in the Northeast met the same way girls and boys in our schools usually meet. They came from different religious, ethnic, and cultural backgrounds. They met in Chibok. Chibok became a world they wanted to recreate in their own image. Thus in the school, what mattered to them was their collegiality; in that school, what mattered to them was their intellectuality. While their fathers and mothers see things and life as

Apparently enamoured by the same age-old Muslim-Christian politics in the country- a politics which has functioned only in promoting underdevelopment and lack of religious harmony- the CAN strove to tell us all that the Chibok “Surely, the religion with Allah is ISLAM,complete submission”... Qur’an 3:19 Girls were first of all Christians and Muslims before they were Nigerians. The CAN list gave a sense that the tragedy of the abduction of the Chibok girls is suffered more by Christian and Muslim, they approached life and when series of futile searches and vacuous living as good and beautiful. claims and empty pontifications by the security Christians in Nigeria than their Muslim and nonMuslim compatriots. Aside from its potential to Thus months ago, those girls were living in a agents returned zero findings. Out of dampen the non-partisan zeal in the current world which was saner than that of their fathers Frustration, she exclaimed: “Where are their and mothers. It was a world that was devoid of mothers now?” This is a trauma which is, at best, efforts to find the girls, I could not but poohpooh the list for another reason- it had the often fractious relationships which had become beyond human comprehension; this is an evil potential to expose the supposedly Christian vicemblematic of contemporary relationship which only the devil can perpetrate.” tims among the girls to more inhumanity and between those who claim they are followers of Invariably, it turned out my sister was expressbestiality. Jesus and Muhammad. ing the same sentiments, which the world has In other words, dear brethren, I would rather Ramatu, the daughter of the Imam, became seen from women and indeed men across the not view the Chibok Girls as Muslims and the close confidant of Elizabeth, the jewel of the country. Bishop. During the dining, they all chorused the Thus the tragedy of the abduction of the Chibok Christians. No they are not. They are victims of Suratul Fatihat in unison; at night they joyfully Girls has served to bond Nigerians across various the noxious collusion between agents who desire the destruction of this country and missang the Song of Praise. To live among the girls divides together. Muslims, Christians, men and guided elements who are masquerading under was to experience life in paradise; to behold women, young and old have been demonstratthe canopy of Islam. them on the playground is to appropriate the ing against the evil, which have become the lot Brethren I would not consider the Chibok Girls Divine wisdom in the creation of humanity into of the girls till date. They have been praying to as Muslims and Christians, but metaphors for tribes and races and the contrariety in our locathe Almighty to intervene and rescue the girls the failure of governance in this country. tions and situation. Brethren, theirs was a life from the encampment of the Brethren I would not consider the Chibok Girls that was devoid of hatred and strife, theirs was a destroyers who have held them hostage and as Muslims and Christians but signifiers and the living that was insulated against the madness kept the nation in bondage. signified being the utter lack of effective strucin our cities and villages. Until about a month Brethren, if there was a time Nigerians ever ture and infrastructure to combat internal and ago! rose in unison for the same cause, such is this external attacks against the very existence of this Brethren, about a month ago, over 230 among moment in which those innocent girls are lost nation. the girls in Chibok lost their innocence. They in the wilderness. If there was ever a time our Thus The Friday Sermon joins millions of well were violently unplugged and uprooted from humanity found expression in our commonalimeaning individuals and groups who have been their beautiful world; they were heinously ty, such is this occasion in which the nation is taken away from their paradise. About a month held in the jugular by agents of grief and gloom. on this trail in pursuit of those who desire to make away with the soul of this nation. We say ago, girls, now known across the world as But the outpouring of love and affection from Aamin to the supplications being offered all “Chibok Girls,” were abducted by elements Nigerians of all walks of life which has attended whose stock in trade is the imposition of this unfortunate event was punctured the other around the world, the target of which is the rescue of the Chibok jewels from the hands of the anomie and the despoliation of memory. day by the ill-advised and ill-timed intervention jezebels. About a month ago, the Chibok Girls were vio- of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN). lently taken away from their school and driven Brethren, CAN went to town the other day with a We pray to the Almighty to hearken unto our to a world that is better left to the imagination. document that supposedly contained the names calls and rescue this nation from the precipice (aaamin). My wife could not but shed tears the other day of the girls as well as their religious affiliation. (08122465111 for text messages only)

Chibok girls are neither Muslims nor Christians

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50 MARKET REPORT Friday, May 16, 2014

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MarketReport EQUITY MARKET SUMMARY

AS AT 15=05=2014

PRIMERA AFRICA www.primera-africa.com

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MARKET INDICATORS

AS AT 15=05=2014

PRIMERA AFRICA

Performance indicators dip in bearish transactions By Bukky Olajide HE equities market closed T yesterday on a negative note, as Nigerian Stock Exchange’s (NSE) All Share Index (ASI) depreciated by 0.46 per cent to close at 38,957.47 basis points, compared with the appreciation of 0.47 per cent or 39,138.98 points declared on Wednesday. Precisely, its Year-to-Date (YTD) returns currently stands at -5.74 percent. With continued profit taking, the market capitalisation, which opened at N12.891 trillion lost N60 billion to close at N12.831 trillion. Market breadth closed positive as ETI leads 30 gainers against 25 losers topped by Skye Shelter Fund at the end of yesterday’s session, an improved performance when compared with previous outlook. Market turnover closes negative as volume traded depreciated by 29.70 per cent against 52.28 per cent upbeat recorded in previous session. Indeed, FBN Holdings, ZENITHBANK, and UBA were the most active to boost market turnover. FBNH and ZENITHBANK top market value list. For sectoral Indices, Oil recorded 1.09 per cent to emerge the most supportive sectoral performance among others while NSE Industrial is the most hit with 1.28 per cent loss recorded yesterday.

Union Homes led the list of active stocks that record impressive volume spike at the end of yesterday’s session. Meanwhile, a total volume of 21,013,720 units of shares valued at N1.05 billion in four deals were executed as off-market trades on Unilever Nigeria PLC at N50 this week by Cordros Capital Limited. The bullish trend at the stock market continued yesterday leading to a growth of N193 billion in market capitalisation of the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) in three days. After resuming the week with a marginal growth on Monday, the market recorded a higher growth of 1.02 per cent on Tuesday, when investors reacted positively to the announcement of the change in baton in the presidency of the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE). The market amassed N193 billion in last three days to close at N12.892 trillion. Yesterday accounted for N61.3 billion of the N193 billion recorded in the three days. Similarly, the volume and value of trading increased by 52.3 per cent and 45.2 per cent respectively as traded 435.793 million shares valued at N5.514 billion in 4,949 deals up from 272.383 million shares worth N3.123 billion exchanged in 5,221 deals the previous day.

Unilever approves N4.6b dividend payout By Helen Oji of Unilever SedHAREHOLDERS Nigeria Plc have commendthe board on the efficient running of the affairs of the company, especially its consistent dividend policy over the years, even as they unanimously endorsed the company’s N4.7billion dividend. Specifically, the national coordinator, Progressive shareholders Association of Nigeria, Boniface Okezie explained that the company, which has been in existence for 89 years has maintained a consistent dividend policy, adding that the company paid out all the earnings as dividend to shareholders during the year under review. He said:” I commend the board for the result we are seeing today. The company paid out the whole earnings as dividend. Unilever has a tradition of dividend policy that has the interest of shareholders at heart. “ The President Nigerian Shareholders Solidarity Association, Timothy Adesiyan, stressed the need for the company to look inward in the sourcing of its raw materials rather than depending on importation. He said:“ We appreciates the dividend of N1.25 per share that has been recommended and this shows the sustainability of the company’s dividend policy, but we think going forward interim dividend payout should be considered instead of bonus issue to avoid dilution of stake holdings. “The company should look at sourcing its raw materials

locally. We don’t want the company to make Nigeria a dumping ground, the idea of importing and coupling goods should be discouraged. If our raw materials are sourced locally the prices of our products will be very competitive with our competitors.” The Chairman of the company, His Majesty Nnaemeka A. Achebe, commended the shareholders for their contribution s, while assuring them that the company would do everything within its powers to sustain the growth of the company and enhance profitability. “The company’s results for 2013 are reflective of short term effects of deliberate investment strategy to achieve a more sustainable future. Our company nevertheless continues to demonstrate strong fundamentals and strong agility to weather the increasing fiercely competitive landscape and tough operating environment. “Our turnover grew by 8 per cent compared to 1.5 per cent in 2012; Operating margin was 13.1 percent with earnings per share of N1.27. We are paying a dividend of N4.7 billion translating to N1.25 per share. Revenue went up N60.004 billion from N55.547 billion, while operating cost went up by 87 per cent from 84 per cent in 2012. “As we continue our sustainability journey, it is evident that we will have to sacrifice short term profitability to build a more enduring business and fully harness the opportunities the Nigerian market portends.

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Sports Ahead Brazil 2014 World Cup

Eagles need more than friendlies to succeed, says Chukwu By Alex Monye ORMER Super Eagles hanFbelieves dler, Christian Chukwu, Coach Stephen Keshi can excel in the 2014 World Cup only if he picks committed and disciplined players in his final 23-man list for the trip to Brazil. The former Harambee Stars of Kenya handler, who is also a member of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) technical committee, told The Guardian yesterday that Keshi has a big task ahead of him in ensuring all the players, who are not regulars in their clubs, raised the standard of their game before the Mundial. He noted that the technical committee has given the Eagles’ boss the free hand to select the best legs he feels can deliver at the World Cup, even as he stressed that the committee would continue backing the senior national team as they fine-tuned preparations for the competition. The former Nigerian captain

said the technical committee did not influence Keshi to include any player in the World Cup squad, saying the 30-man provisional list was picked solely by the ‘Big Boss.’ “Nobody in the 30-man squad was imposed on Keshi by the technical committee or anybody from the NFF,” he said, adding, “Keshi was given the free hand to pick the players he wants. “We decided not to question his selection because we don’t want anything to hinder the team’s success in Brazil. “The technical committee would be behind Keshi to see he get the best preparations, but I don’t think the friendly games organized for the team is enough guarantee that the coaches would get the best legs for the Mundial.” Chukwu encouraged Keshi to choose only players committed and ready to die on the pitch in the final 23-man list, saying it was the power behind Eagles’ victory in CHAN.

Arsenal prepares significant bid for Benzema RSENAL are preparing to A make a significant bid for Real Madrid’s prolific striker, Karim Benzema. Arsene Wenger is reportedly targeting the French international for his developing team and is a huge fan of the player. Sami Mokbel of the Mail Online says that the Arsenal boss has made moves for Benzema in both of the previous two summers, and he now hopes to finally land his primary target as Real Madrid turn their attentions to Luis Suarez. Mokbel writes: “Benzema has 12 months left on his contract leaving him in a strong position to either re-negotiate a new deal or force a move away this summer. And the Gunners are hopeful this

could be the summer Real finally do business with regards to the Frenchman.” The Emirates Stadium club have been alerted to Real’s growing interest in Liverpool striker, Luis Suarez and feel the Spanish giants will look to cash in on Benzema to fund a move for the Uruguayan. The deadly attacker has been in stellar form for his club this season and will be travelling to the World Cup as France’s primary striker. In La Liga this season, he has scored 17 times in 34 matches and contributed eight assists, per WhoScored.com. He has also featured heavily in the Champions League for Real on their way to the final, bagging five goals and as many assists in 10 matches

The Super Eagles celebrating a goal during their successful campaign at the South Africa 2013 Nations Cup.

Musa returns, as CSKA Moscow retains Russian title HMED musa, who has A been out injured, was a late substitute of his club, CSKA Moscow, retained the Russian Premier League title with a last-day win over Lokomotiv Moscow yesterday. CSKA prevailed 1-0 at home to Lokomotiv to take its fifth Russian title by one point, as Zenit St. Petersburg won 4-1 away to FC Kuban to take second place and qualify for the Champions League. Lokomotiv led the title race for much of the season before its form dipped. It finished third, earning a berth in the Europa League.

Serbian winger Zoran Tosic’s 49th-minute goal gave CSKA the win against Lokomotiv, completing a remarkable season for his team, which was nine points off the league lead in March. World Cup-bound Musa was a prominent figure of the CSKA Moscow successfully fought back to retain their title with 64 points, just a point ahead of Zenit St. Petersburg. The Nigeria international forward, who has been out for a while due to injury, was a 79th minute substitute for A. Dzagoev. Thrilled by yet another suc-

cess in Russia, Musa told AfricanFootball.com he is happy to have ended the season on a high. “I am very delighted to have won the league again,” he said. “My target for the season was a league and cup double, but I thank God we won the league.

Brazil’s most troubled stadiums held an important test event without any major setbacks. The stadium will host Super Eagles’ opening game against Iran on June 16. The test match at the delayed Arena da Baixada in the southern city of Curitiba was a step forward, local officials said yeserday. There were some problems during the exhibition game on Wednesday between Corinthians and host Atletico

Paranaense, with fans having difficulty getting into the venue. But organizers said that was expected because the stadium infrastructure remains unfinished. “The pressure paid off after we had all the delays with construction work,” said Ricardo Trade, CEO of the local World Cup organizing committee. “There are some adjustments to make, but everything went well.” The test match was held at Arena da Baixada despite seats still being installed and unfinished work outside the stadium.

Arena da Baixada is one of FIFA’s main concerns ahead of the June 12 opener. It is one of the three stadiums yet to be completed, along with Arena Pantanal in Cuiaba and Itaquerao in Sao Paulo, which will feature the high-profile match between Brazil and Croatia. Itaquerao will have its first official test with a Brazilian league match on Sunday. The nearly 25,000 fans who attended Wednesday’s match saw bulldozers parked outside and construction material piled up. There was heavy traffic and delays for those arriv-

ing at the stadium. Inside, fans said some bathrooms not working and only a few concession stands were open. The area for the media also wasn’t completed, and the local organizing committee admitted some improvements in communications must be made for the World Cup, which starts in four weeks. Corinthians coach Mano Menezes praised how the stadium looked but said “inside there are some things that need to be finished, as it happens in almost all of these new arenas being built in Brazil.” Curitiba organizers also have

It has not been easy but we battled through. “I am happy to be back from injury and take part in this game.” This successful league championship defence means CSKA will feature in next season’s UEFA Champions League.

Heineken UEFA Champions League final ticket winners set for the stars T was celebration time for all the football enthusiasts, Iwho won all- expenses-paid trip to watch the final match of the Heineken UEFA

FIFA officials endorse Curitiba, venue of Nigeria’s clash with Iran ORLD Cup organizers finally had some good W news to deliver after one of

PHOTO: AFP.

to deal with a labor court ruling that said constructors must make some changes to avoid irregularities related to workers’ shifts at the venue. However, Atletico Paranaense said the needed adjustments were not likely to cause any further delay in the renovation. Curitiba was nearly excluded from the World Cup this year because of chronic delays that were caused mostly by financial shortcomings. “We are in the final stretch, there’s not a lot left to be done,” Atletico Paranaense president Celso Petraglia said.

Champions League at the Stadium of Light in Lisbon, Portugal. At a media interaction during the second leg semifinal match of the competition, all the winners in separate interviews disclosed that they were yet to come to terms with the reality that they would be among the privileged thousands of football faithful to watch the final of club football’s most prestigious tournament live at the stadium. Usurhyel Auta, a winner from Abuja, said he was destined to win the ticket going by the way events played out on the fateful night he got lucky. “It was a busy schedule for me that day after arriving Abuja on early flight for official duty from Lagos. I had the option to stay in-doors but decided to hang out with my friends at a bar to watch the Champions League match.

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Ogwumike sisters join ‘bring back our girls’ campaign NEKA and Chiney N Ogwumike always hoped that one day they would be able to do something to benefit their parents’ homeland of Nigeria. The recent mass kidnappings of schoolgirls in the African nation have added a sense of urgency to the WNBA star sisters’ desire to help. Education has always been important to their family, and the Stanford graduates were distraught to hear about the 300-plus girls, who were taken in the remote northeast area of Nigeria last month. “There are some fundamental rights and a right to education is a big one,” Chiney told The Associated Press this week in a phone interview. “Everyone should have an education, no matter what form it is. That makes it even tougher that they were just trying to better their lives. It shouldn’t matter what type of education they are receiv-

ing.” Nneka added: “It’s difficult to see these girls trying to go to school and get an education and this happened.” “Bringing awareness can go a long way, I believe,” said the top pick by the Los Angeles Sparks in 2012. The U.S.-born sisters, who became only the second set of siblings to be drafted with the No. 1 choice in one of the major sports leagues — joining Peyton and Eli Manning — have already begun plans to work with the US Fund for UNICEF. They want to maximize their impact and help Nigeria’s education and child protection programmes. “It’s something we’re passionate about,” said Chiney, taken first by the Connecticut Sun in the WNBA draft last month. “When I was drafted to follow in Nneka’s footsteps, it was huge in Nigeria. My uncle sent me an email a day for two weeks with pictures, headlines and articles

DAWN Games kicks off in Lagos HE maiden edition of ing Agege Stadium, Mobolaji South-West Secondary Johnson Sports Complex, T Schools Games, tagged Rowe Park, Yaba and the DAWN Games, will begin today in Lagos with over 2,000 athletes and officials in attendance. The DAWN Games, which will feature athletes from Lagos, Ogun, Oyo, Osun, Ondo and Ekiti states, is a 12sportstournament of Nigeria School Sports Federation (NSSF). The sports are athletics, badminton, basketball, chess, football, gymnastics, scrabble, swimming, table tennis, tennis, taekwondo and volleyball. The events will hold in three centres across Lagos, includ-

Teslim Balogun Stadium, Surulere, as well as the NYSC Camp at Iyana Ipaja. According to the schedule of event released by the Technical Sub-Committee of the Main Organising Committee (MOC), athletes and officials are expected to check into the Games Village today with accreditations taking off in full swing, while events will begin on Sunday with football and gymnastics taking the centre stage at the Agege Stadium and Rowe Park Sports Centre respectively. According to the schedule,

CBN Open Tennis: Top seeds, Atseye, Enosoregbe, others cruise to semifinals By Samuel Ifetoye OPS seeds, Henry Atseye and Clifford Enosoregbe have zoomed into the semifinals of the ongoing Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Senior Open Tennis Championship holding at the tennis courts of the National Stadium, Lagos. The men’s singles defending champion, Atseye, was made to sweat by number six seed, Thomas Otu, in a thrilling encounter that lasted for over two hours to advance to the semi-final stage of the championship. He beat Otu in three sets by 6-3, 2-6,7-5 In other encounters, Nonso Madueke dismissed Jonah Samuel 6-1, 6-3 to get a semifinal date with Atseye. Number one seed, Clifford Enosoregbe, overpowered number seven seed, John Otu, 6-2, 6-1 to qualify to challenge former champion, Abdulmumin Babalola, who dismissed Moses Michael in two sets of 6-3, 61. A breakdown of the prize money for the different categories shows that the Men’s singles winner will earn

N700, 000. The runner up will get N500, 000, the two semifinalists are to go home with N200, 000 cash, four quarterfinalists N100, 000 each, eight third round qualifiers will earn N45, 000, 16 second round qualifiers are to get N30, 000 prize money and 32 first round finalists N20, 000.

on the front page of Nigerian newspapers.” “Nneka and I want people to know we care. We’re not passive. We want to be active in our own way and raise awareness,” she said. Both sisters have already spent a lot of time in the country, visiting nearly every two years. Chiney spent eight weeks in Nigeria last spring as part of a studyabroad requirement for her international relations major. She also worked with the charity “Access to Success” to build a basketball court. “I had a great experience. It’s eye-opening being an adult now and seeing it with adult eyes,” Chiney said. “I worked with the Minister of Petroleum and seeing people in power trying to change the country. I worked with the human rights committee and there are a lot of dilemmas with a variety of issues.”

Rowe Park will also host badminton, basketball and tennis. At Teslim Balogun Stadium, sports such as table tennis, taekwondo, volleyball, swimming, scrabble and athletics will be on stage, while Agege Stadium will also host chess. Already set for the battles, Team Ogun has listed 186 athletes, while no fewer than 163 will represent Team Lagos. Meanwhile, a member of the Lagos basketball team, Ololade Azeez has expressed confidence that Lagos will win gold medal in both male and female basketball event of the competition. “I am happy to be among the players to represent Lagos at DAWN Games. Our training so far is superb and very impressive. We are in good form now and ready to win gold medals for team Lagos in Basketball both male and female category,” he said. Head Coach of Badminton of Team Lagos, Kayode Olatunji said there is high spirit in camp as the players are looking forward to participating at the DAWN Games, adding that the support the players and officials received from the state government would boost their morale to excel at the Games, which will end on May 24.

CBN Open defending champion, Henry Atseye.

WNBA basketball sisters, Nneka (right) and Chiney Ogwumike hold signs in reference to the recent mass kidnappings in Nigeria, their parents’ homeland. PHOTO: ASSOCIATED PRESS.

Onyeali promises more goals, as Abia Warriors eye continental ticket HE man who took Bayelsa United to the cleaners to T snatch maximum points for Abia Warriors away in Benin has boasted that he will keep banging in goals to ensure a strong finish for the Ochendo boys. With perfect finishes, Ifeanyi Onyeali produced a brace scoring in the 39th minute to equalise and in the 57th minute to put the Warriors up, while team mate, Osamudiamon Idehen, completed the ambush with a third goal to sink Bayelsa United at the Sam Ogbemudia Stadium, Benin, Wednesday afternoon. Speaking with Glo Premier League Update, Onyeali, who described himself as “in and out striker” said he is now more confident to go for goals. “I feel great scoring two goals in the match and my confidence has grown. I am sure to keep scoring because we want to get a continental ticket and I am assure we can achieve it even if we don’t win the league title. “We have started slowly, but we are shoring up. With this victory we will now move up in the table and if we keep

scoring we will be in continental range. This is possible because we have a number of outstanding matches. Winning away is important and this victory over Bayelsa gives us assurance that we can pick many more points on the road.” Meanwhile, in consonance with Onyeali, Abia Warriors defender, Mohammed Garba, says the dream of his

team mates is to take a taste of the continent, warning that though they are a young side and new in the elite league, they are not a push over. “Yes, we are a young side and a new entrant to the premier league, we faced tougher challenges fighting for promotion and I don’t think we can be intimidated competing against old timers in the league.

PTIMA Sports O M a n a g e m e n t International (OSMI), the

ers. Olofinjana will serve as a cocommentator and co-presenter at the pitch side presentation for all the Super Eagles matches and features on Inside Brazil, a daily magazine programme during the World Cup while the duo of Alabi and Okeleji will serve as presenters/reporters for Inside Brazil. Speaking on their appointments, Mr. Kunle Falodun, managing director, OSMI, said their choice reflects the premium the organisation places on quality as they represent some of the finest in their chosen endeavours. He said: “We are pleased to announce some of the personnel that will be working with us in Brazil during the World Cup. Their choice is informed by the desire to give the Nigerian football enthusiasts, who will be relying on OSMI for broadcast and update of the World Cup, the best, whether in terms of production, presentation or analysis. “While Alabi and Shina Okeleji worked with us at South Africa 2010 World Cup and we know how much they contributed to the success of the project, Olofinjana, however, is coming on board newly but his knowledge of the game is faultless having being involved for about 15 years at both the domestic and international levels.”

exclusive 2014 FIFA World Cup terrestrial broadcast rights owners for the Nigerian territory, has appointed Nigeria’s former Super Eagles player, Seyi Olofinjana, as a guest analyst and ace broadcasters, Jide Alabi and Shina Okeleji, as presenters for its 2014 FIFA World Cup broadcast. Olofinjana, a defensive midfielder, who played 44 times for the Super Eagles between 2002 and 2010, began his career with the domestic sides, Crown FC, Ogbomosho and Kwara United of Ilorin before moving to Europe with Norwegian side SK Brann. The combative player also played in England with Wolverhampton Wanderers, Stoke City, Cardiff City, Hull City and Sheffield Wednesday. He also holds a Masters degree in Chemical Engineering from Aberdeen University. Alabi is the Manager, Sports on both Rhythm 93.7 FM and Silverbird Television while Shina Okeleji has about a decade experience in sports reporting for BBC World Service. Both of them have covered various domestic and international football events including FIFA World Cup, African Nations Cup, and CAF Awards, among oth-

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SPOrTS Friday, May 16, 2014

Heroes Of Temile: Hussey College star, whose amazing When he made his first contact with football, Clement Temile, a 1984 Nations Cup silver medal winner, knew he had to work hard to attain stardom. His journey to the top began at the famous Hussey College in Warri, from where he embarked on a journey that saw him playing for top clubsides in the country. He was involved in major epic battles for Bendel Insurance and NNPC of Warri in the middle 1980s before he left the local scene in 1988 for a professional stint in Cyprus. He eventually ended his career in Israel. Now retired from the beautiful game, Temile, who is a UEFA Grade A coach and a former handler of Kentish Town FC in England, told ADEYINKA ADEDIPE that football offered him the opportunity to realise some of his life’s ambition. He also talked on the League Management Committee (LMC) and how to grow the domestic game. rOWInG up in Warri exposed Clement G Temile to the game of football early in life. As a young child, he fell in love with the round leather game despite his parents’ reservations. His first contact with organized football was in the streets of the ancient city, where he played with his peers and got the opportunity to develop his skills. reminiscing on his early days in the game, Temile revealed that like other children, he would always sneak out to play football, adding, however, that he was always careful not to incur the wrath of his parents by coming home on time. Despite his limited time on the field, Temile would soon develop into one of the most soughtafter kids during his neighbourhood’s five-a-side football games. To ensure that he was always picked in such games, he usually bough his own balls, which made it impossible for him to be left out of any game played with his ball. But he had a problem. Where to keep the balls was a challenge, as his parents always destroyed them whenever they saw them. However, like every child enamoured to something precious, Temile devised a means of hiding his balls by keeping them with his friends. That way, it was impossible for his parents to destroy his balls. When Temile attained school age, he was enrolled into Township School, Warri, where he teamed up with other kids to further his interest in the game. At that time, he played for fun with other students, while picking up the basics of the game. Temile revealed that football was not properly organised in the school, but the students played in inter-class competitions to decide, which class was the best in football. Temile was a regular feature in those games, but he also had the chance to play after schools with his mates and students from other schools at pitches outside his school premises. “Playing football as a kid provided a lot of fun for me and my mates. We would play during and after school despite the fact that my parents did not like the idea of playing football. “I bought balls to ensure that we had something to play in school and after school. I got into the school team very early, but it was on the streets that I picked up skills that helped my development in the game. “My school played against some other schools, but they were not serious games, but that experi-

Temile ence still helped to launch me into the game fully later in life, ” he stated. On leaving primary school, Temile enrolled into the Iwere Grammar School in koko, Warri, which according to him, was where actual football started for him. He went straight into the school junior football team in form one with Davidson Owumi, who was also a burgeoning young player. However, he didn’t stay at Iwere for more than a year, as he was scouted by a coach, one Godwin, popularly called Koboko from Hussey College, while on Principal’s Cup duty for Iwere’s junior team. Though, he didn’t win any laurel with Iwere, his performance was convincing enough for the management of Hussey College to offer him scholarship to study in the school. As soon as he joined Hussey in form two, he became a pillar of the junior team, churning out scintillating performances at competitions. “Joining Hussey College gave my football and academic careers a lift. There was no way I could have allowed the chance to pass me by. I had the opportunity to play football and also study in the school without paying any fee.

“Everything was taken care by the school and all I had to do was play football as well as face my studies. “It was not difficult to combine the two because we had periods to train and also had time for lectures. Even when we missed classes due to our sporting commitment, we were given extra classes. The principal, Mr. Ojo, was a stickler for perfection and would always remind us that we needed to study as much as we did sports, if we wanted to become complete students.” While in form three, Temile began training with the school’s senior team where he gained the necessary exposure that would help him become a top star. According to him, “training with the senior team helped me develop my skills further and toughened me, thus becoming fearless against top players from other schools. “It didn’t take me much time to break into the senior team of Hussey College. I had a sound background and so I was comfortable even though I started training with the senior team while I was in form three. “I was small, but I was very bold, which endeared me to majority of the students. In the

Playing for the national team with other top players was a fantastic experience and I was happy to be in the squad that defeated Ghana, who had dominated us before then. I also won an award for scoring two goals in five minutes in our last group game against Malawi. We lost to Cameroun 3-1 in the final. The Lions then were one of the top sides in African football.

team, the likes of Charles Ologobio and Bemigho Lorri were my role models. Playing with the big boys was good for me, but I must say that I was better than some of the senior boys. But my small stature deprived me the opportunity of playing in the team early.” On making his entry into the senior school team, he was also invited to join the then Bendel State Football Academy, which, according to him, was the path to playing for any of the national sides. His splendid performance in the senior school team earned him the nickname papingo and Omovodu (a person with a big heart). He was good with both feet and could play on anywhere in attack. He met other good players in his team, but the likes of Mike Obiku, Humphrey Jebba and Mobosa Brodericks joined him later at Hussey, transforming the school team to a formidable one. Apart from getting extra lessons, playing for the school also brought Temile lots of benefits and privileges. He got weekly allowance, free uniforms and had a special place in the dinning hall. All this spurred him to greater height. Temile said: “I was so impressed with the opportunity the school gave me and I repaid it with good performances on the pitch. “If I didn’t play, it would be show in our games, because there was always the feeling that the team wasn’t complete. I always scored, which made me very popular among the players and other students. “Opposing defenders were always after me and sometimes when the hard tackles became

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School Sports skills held Africa spellbound Rangers of Enugu was recruiting big players… I was contacted and I signed a year contract for N35, 000 and a monthly salary of N1,800. Also in the team were Mike Emenalo, Emma Okocha, David Ngodigha and Paul Obiako, while Christian Chukwu was the coach. unbearable, it turned into small fights on the pitch, which were quickly resolved.” With his skills and dedication, Temile led the school team to three Principal Cup wins, playing against the likes of Harrison Jalla, Owunmi (Urhobo College) and Titi Kalo, another great Principal Cup star. He said: “Winning those titles propelled the players to greatness. We had good schools at that time, but we were always a step ahead. Broderick, Obiku, Kato Joshua, Charles Oloigbo, Jebba, who were part of the team at some point, contributed greatly to the team’s success. We were not treated like students, but like stars. My picture was enlarged and placed in the principal’s office,” On leaving Hussey College, he moved to Government College for his HSE programme, where he continued to play but was ineligible to play for the school because he has started playing for the state team and clubsides. “While I was in school, I had started playing for the NEPA of Warri where I was earning N51.80K per month. I also moved to Bendel State Rubber Board and the experience I garnered at these clubs helped me, while on duty for my school.” Temile was scouted by Coach Alabi Aissien, who signed him for Bendel Insurance, where he said he experienced professional football for the first time. “I really enjoyed my time at Bendel Insurance because that was where I experienced real professional football. I was in the team with the likes of David Adiele, Kadiri Ikhana, Francis Monidafe, Stoneface Anigbogu, Agbonifo Felix, Henry Ogboe, Roland Ewere and Ikpowonsa Omoregie. “My first season with Insurance was an eye opener. We played in front of capacity crowd at the Sam Ogbemudia Stadium, which was a good motivation for me. We were the state champions, but I didn’t win the league while I played for the team. I was placed on level 12 and I was paid almost N500 monthly.” Temile’s first league game was away to Enugu Rangers. He faced the likes of Sylvanus Okpala, Alloysious Atuegbu and other notable Rangers players. According to Temile, it wasn’t a dream debut, but it gave him an insight of what to expect in the domestic league. Though the fans liked his performance, he knew he had to work hard to get to the top. After a season in Benin, he left Insurance to help NNPC of Warri in the second division. The team was looking for promotion and the likes of Temile and other top players joined the team on a rescue mission. To save his international career, he had to leave NNPC for IICC Shooting Stars (now 3SC) in 1985. Before joining the Ibadan team, he was at the African Cup of Nations in 1984, where he played alongside late the Rashidi Yekini, Chibuzor Ehilegbu, Henry Nwosu, Stephen Keshi, Sunday Eboigbe, Yisa Shofoluwe, Humphrey Edobor, Emmanuel Okala, Paul Kingsley and Mohammed Lawal. Nigeria defeated Ghana 2-1, drew with Algeria and held Malawi to a 2-2 draw to qualify for the next stage of the competition. Speaking of his Nations Cup experience, Temile said: “Playing for the national team with other top players was a fantastic experience and I was happy to be in the squad that defeated Ghana, who had dominated us before then.

“I also won an award for scoring two goals in five minutes in our last group game against Malawi. We lost to Cameroun 3-1 in the final. The Lions them were one of the top sides in African football.” Temile moved to IICC in 1985 under Coach Felix Owolabi, who also played for the team. “IICC was one of the best teams I have played for. It was amazing and challenging to play in Ibadan because the fans always wanted the best for the team. I played alongside Taiwo Ogunjobi, Tunde Bamidele, Baba Mohammed and other star players. I was a regular in the team. In fact, I moved to the team based on the understanding that I would always be in the first team. At Shooting, I won the state FA Cup.” At this point, he had become a traveelin star, staying with a club for just one season. He attributed this to the fact that as a good player, he was always in demand and became very difficult for him to stay with a club for more than a season. After Shooting Stars, he moved to Abiola Babes and was in the team that lost 0-1 in the 1986 Challenge Cup final to Leventis United of Ibadan. He said: “At Abiola Babes, I played alongside Toyin Ayinla, Raymond King, Dehinde Akinlotan, Louis Igwilo, Nicholas Ukadike, Best Ogedegbe, Muda Lawal and many others. “It was financially rewarding playing for Abiola Babes, but after the disappointment of losing the FA Cup to Leventis, Temile moved on Rangers International in 1987, where he signed for just one season despite the team’s insistence that he signed for two years. “ “Rangers of Enugu was recruiting big players… I was contacted and I signed a year contract for N35, 000 and a monthly salary of N1,800. Also in the team were Mike Emenalo, Emma Okocha, Charles Okonkwo, David Ngodigha and Paul Obiako, while Christian Chukwu was the coach. He was on the move again in 1988 when he teamed up with coaches James Peters and Shaibu Amodu at BCC Lions of Gboko. The team won the FA Cup, but Temile left for Cyprus at the semifinal stage to play for Apol Nicosia for two seasons. According to him, the move was not beneficial in football terms, but was financially rewarding. From there, he moved to Israel in 1990 where he played for Beitar Natanyn and Maccabi Natanyn for years before going into coaching. “I didn’t win any laurel with both teams, but it was better than playing in Cyprus. The move to Cyprus was only rewarding financially, but not in football terms.” On quitting the round leather game, he started coaching at a youth development institute in Israel and obtained his UEFA Grade A coaching license. After staying in Israel for 20 years, he moved to England, where he coached Kentish Town, in the fifth tier of English football. He took the team to the fourth tier of English football, but had to leave the club in pursuit of a degree in leadership and management at the University of East London. Apart from Temile’s son, Toto Tamuz, who plays for the Israeli national team, he is also the uncle of Omonigbo and Frank, who are also footballers. He has since returned to Nigeria and runs a football consultancy and a travel agency. But Temile says he is not done with coaching yet, adding that he has not gone into coaching of clubs in the country because of the unprofessional way football clubs are run. “I will rather work as a coach who will help develop the youth instead of coaching clubs. “Coaches are not given contract and are sacked indiscriminately. I have my badge and I will come back when things are better. “ Temile believes that the only way to bring back the glory days to the local league is to put clubs in private hands, insisting that private owners would run the club like businesses with the hope of making profit. He, however, is hopeful that the involvement of the League Management Board (LMC) would propel the domestic league to greater heights.

Temile

Temile’s son, Tamus

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60 SPORTS Friday, May 16, 2014

European round-up

Vermaelen confident Arsenal will end cup drought this season RSENAL’s long wait for a A trophy will not affect their performance in tomorrow’s FA Cup final, according to Thomas Vermaelen. Victory over Hull at Wembley would give Arsene Wenger a first success since 2005, when Arsenal beat Manchester United on penalties to win a fourth FA Cup under his management. A barren nine years since has seen Wenger branded “a specialist in failure” by Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho, but club captain Vermaelen is confident of ending the drought this weekend. He said: “We want to win it for him, for the players and for the fans. “There’s been a lot of talk about us not winning, and we’re doing it all together as

a club and for him as well. “It would give us a massive boost for the next few years. There’s loads of potential in this team, a lot of good players, and it would give them confidence for the following years. “We’re used to the pressure every game has to be won. There’s been a lot of talk about not winning for nine years and there’s a lot at stake, but we go with a lot of confidence.” Vermaelen is unlikely to start given first-choice centrehalves Per Mertesacker and Laurent Koscielny are available. He said: “Everyone knows the Cup final is something special. Everyone wants to play finals as a player, so for me as well it would be something special to be out there.”

Wilshere agrees with Scholes over career progress criticism ACK Wilshere says he has Jholes cleared the air with Paul Scafter the Manchester United great questioned his career progress. Scholes spoke out during a pundit’s appearance on Sky Sports in March, claiming Wilshere is no better a player now than he was when he broke into Arsenal’s first team as a teenager. The criticism hurt Wilshere, now 22, and the England midfielder tracked down his idol for an explanation. He said: “It was a bit strange, out of the blue,” he said. “I remember watching it, he was having a go at Arsenal, and I was thinking ‘Is he going to come for me?’ “I actually spoke to him after. We had quite a good chat. He is entitled to his opinion but I just wanted to know. “If it had come from a rubbish player I could say ‘what are you talking about?’ But it came from Paul Scholes. “So I wanted to get to the bot-

tom of it. I spoke to him, he explained it a bit better and told me what he thought I should work on. For me he was the best English midfielder of all time.” Wilshere missed the whole of the 2011/12 season through injury and has only recently returned from a broken foot. He said: “Scholes was right in a certain way. When I first burst onto the scene there was all this noise and then I got injured. “I have had bad luck with injuries but I can’t keep saying I’ve been injured a lot. There comes a time when you stop being a kid and I think that’s what he’s referring to. ‘He’s young, he’s got all this potential ‘ - you have to start putting that potential in. “This season I have improved a lot, scored a few more than I have in the past and got a few more assists. That side of things, you can keep the ball and you can look good but it’s those stats that matter.

Sevilla’s players celebrate with the trophy after winning the UEFA Europa league final football match between Benfica and Sevilla at the Juventus stadium in Turin. FC Sevila’s won in the penalty shoot out…on Wednesday. PHOTO: AFP /

Knee injury forces Thiago out of Mundial AYERN Munich midfielder, B Thiago Alcantara, will miss not only for DFB-Pokal final but the World Cup for Spain with a knee injury. The Bundesliga champions confirmed yesterday that the defensive midfielder will be undergoing surgery on a knee

injury he picked up in training. “It’s very bitter for Thiago and we’re really sorry for the lad,” said Bayern’s chairman KarlHeinz Rummenigge on his club’s website. “He’s a young lad who’s worked hard on his comeback

and to be fit for the World Cup in the country where he was born, and suddenly both dreams are over. “We’ll take care of him in the coming weeks and do all we can to make sure he’s fit for the start of the next season.” Thiago, who joined Bayern

Western Union’s UEFA Europa League Pass campaign scores HE Western Union ComT pany, a global partner of the UEFA Europa League, together with the Western Union Foundation, announces the contribution to education that its PASS initiative has been making

after a second season of the programme that has supported UNICEF secondary education programs in Jamaica, Nigeria and Turkey. Western Union’s PASS initiative has been turning every successful pass made

during the 2012/13, current and next season of the UEFA Europa League into support for access to quality education for young people around the world. With the final of the UEFA Europa League held on

‘Mourinho is a fool for calling me old’ HE coach appeared to T poke fun at the Cameroun international’s age earlier in the season and he has now slammed the Portuguese, with his contract at the club having expired Samuel Eto’o has labelled Jose Mourinho a “fool” after the Chelsea boss questioned the veracity of his official age earlier in the season. Mourinho was unwittingly caught on camera lamenting the quality of the strikers at his disposal at a sponsors’ event in Switzerland in February, and jokingly suggested that Eto’o could be older than he claims to be. The now-33-year-old appeared to react in jest by celebrating his next Chelsea goal by holding his back in false pain, aping the manner of a geriatric. However, Eto’o - who is now out of contract at Stamford Bridge - has blasted Mourinho for his comments, while also insisting that he can continue playing at the highest level for the foreseeable future. “Today, I am 33-years-old -

and it is not because a fool called me an old man that you must believe it,” the Cameroonian told africanfootball.com. “And you may have noticed that the old man was better than the youngsters. Some believe I am going to retire in the United States or in the Middle East, but I have regained the joy of the Champions League and I am going to carry on playing in the Champions League. “Where? I am not going to tell you.” Eto’o is set to feature at his fourth World Cup for Cameroon next month, and the four-time African Player of the Year feels he could go on and break Lothar Matthaus’ and Antonio Carbajal’s record of playing at five World Cups. “I am going to carry on playing because physically and mentally I feel great,” he added. “So I am going to go to this World Cup and to the next one when I will be 37. Some did it at 42, so I can still play at two more World Cups.” • Culled from Goal.com

from Barcelona last summer, missed the start of the season due to injury and had various ailments during his first season in German football. He had been named by Vicente Del Bosque in his 23-man squad for the World Cup, but has now been forced to withdraw.

Arsenal’s players celebrating in one of their league match victories…recently. Can they be in this same mood in tomorrow’s FA Cup battle against Hull City?

Wednesday at the Juventus Stadium in Turin, and this will take the number of passes completed during Western Union’s sponsorship term to date to more than 350,000 having reached 170,000 at the end of the 2012/13 season. The Western Union PASS initiative is not only meeting its objectives in terms of on-the-ground delivery; it is also driving awareness of the global education issue highlighted by the company’s broader Education for Better campaign and attracting some high profile support from within the game. In February, former Brazilian football legend Roberto Carlos met with students supported by UNICEF and the PASS initiative in Istanbul, Turkey. Later that same month, former Eintracht Frankfurt star and Nigerian international, Jay Jay Okocha, also lent his support. During the first year, Western Union’s PASS collaboration with UNICEF focused on education programs in Nigeria, Jamaica and Turkey, and education programs will be supported starting later this year in Brazil, Senegal, Morocco and China. Western Union’s funding is supporting activities including teacher training and curriculum development; financial literacy, vocational and life skills training for adolescents; school improvements; eliminating barriers to school access, and more.

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Cycling Giro d’Italia: Michael Matthews wins amid crashes USTRALIAN Michael A Matthews extended his Giro d’Italia lead to 21 seconds as he avoided a late crash that scattered the field to win stage six. Matthews, 23, was followed home in a small group by compatriot Cadel Evans, who is now his closest rival in the general classification. Colombian contenders, Nairo Quintana and Rigoberto Uran lost time, with Spain’s Joaquim Rodriguez well down. Katusha’s Giampaolo Caruso was taken to hospital following a heavy fall. The Italian 33-year-old stayed conscious but motionless on the road before an ambulance arrived. He was the worse affected as the field picked up pace inside the final 10km, but came unstuck attempting to negotiate a roundabout on wet roads. American Tyler Farrar was one of those to make their way home in badly-torn race suits. The stage-defining incident came with about 10km remaining of the 247km trip

from Sassono to Montecassino. Before that an early and stubborn four-man breakaway, consisting of unheralded Italians Andrea Fedi, Edoardo Zardini and Marco Bandiera and low-profile Colombian Rodolfo Torres, was the main source of interest. After escaping in the 11th kilometre it was not until they were the same distance from the finish that the quartet were finally reeled in by the peloton. Evans’s BMC team had been massing at the front immediately before the crash and, as chaos descended behind them, they pushed on with leader Matthews for company. Quintana’s Movistar team lead the chase of the eightstrong leading pack, but with their numbers depleted could not return their team leader to the front. Instead Matthews stalked Evans’s back wheel before slipping by him in the final metres to claim his first individual stage win in the race.

Strauss backs Flintoff for T20 return NDREW Flintoff is capable A of making a success of his potential Twenty20 comeback for Lancashire, says former England captain Andrew Strauss. The club are in talks with the former England all-rounder, 36, over a return in this season’s Twenty20 Blast. “It seems far-fetched but it’s amazing he’s in the right physical shape to do it,” Strauss told BBC Radio 5 live. “He’s the ideal player for T20 cricket if he still has the form that he had of a few years ago.” Flintoff played 79 Tests, 141 limited-overs internationals and seven Twenty20s for England between 1998 and 2009 before he was forced to retire because of persistent knee problems. He was scheduled to play for Lancashire Second XI in a match against Cheshire at Sale yesterday, but pulled out

to allow an ankle injury more time to heal. He will not play in Lancashire’s first two Twenty20 Blast matches today or tomorrow, but talks over a possible role as a player, coach and mentor are at an advanced stage. Strauss, who played alongside Flintoff in the 2005 and 2009 Ashes victories, added: “For Lancashire, the thought of him coming back is going to create so much interest in the competition. “I still want to see him out there on the pitch before I can really believe it. But he has obviously been hitting the ball in and bowling well in the nets.” Since retiring in September 2010, Flintoff has forged a successful media career and also had a brief stint as a professional boxer, winning his only fight against American Richard Dawson in 2012.

Hill: Hamilton has matured EWIS Hamilton can attribLseason ute his superb form this to his new-found maturity, according to former world champion Damon Hill. The Briton leads the early Formula One drivers’ championship after winning the last four races while competing fiercely with Mercedes team-mate Nico Rosberg. Now in his eighth season in F1, Hill feels Hamilton’s level of experience and a more settled personal life are proving important factors in his fellow Briton’s bid to win a second world title. “He’s definitely matured,” the 1996 world champion told Press Association Sport. “Not only has he matured, he’s found himself some sort of balance. “It’s not easy when you’re young to come into Formula One. It’s a very extreme environment in all sorts of ways such as the travel, the people you meet, the pressures, the press, all those things.

“It takes a while for a driver to settle into those responsibilities. After a bit they become accustomed to it and become better able to deal with the situation.” Hill, speaking ahead of this summer’s 50th British Grand Prix at Silverstone, added: “He’s got extraordinary talent and he’s happy.

Britain’s player, Andy Murray returns the ball to Austria’s Juergen Melzer during the Rome Masters Tennis tournament yesterday at the Foro Italico in Rome. PHOTO: AFP

Murray to play Rafael Nadal in the Italian Open quarter-final REAT Britain’s Andy G Murray will face world number one Rafael Nadal in the quarter-finals of the Italian Open. Murray produced a determined display to beat Austria’s Jurgen Melzer before Nadal came from a set down to see off former top 10 player Mikhail Youzhny. On his 27th birthday, Murray faced 10 break points, including five in the ninth game, to win 7-6 (7-1) 6-4 against the world number 67. After a slow start, Nadal eased to victory over Youzhny 6-7 (74) 6-2 6-1. “I’d love to play against Nadal,” said Murray. “It would be a great match for me with the French Open around the corner because I would see exactly where my game is at and what I need to improve. “It has been at least two or three years since we played so it will be good to know what works and does not work against him.”

It is the furthest Murray has gone in the Rome tournament since his semi-final defeat against Novak Djokovic in 2011 and bodes well for the start of the French Open on 26 May. The tournament at Roland Garros is the only Grand Slam in which Murray has not reached the final, but he showed the battling qualities necessary for success in beating Melzer for the sixth time in as many matches. “This week I wanted to try and play solid tennis as much as possible and I did a pretty good job in tricky conditions,” added Murray, who beat Marcel Granollers in round two. “There are still some things I would like to do better; it is still a surface that takes me some time to get used to.” Murray - US Open champion in 2012 - had never met Melzer on clay and took three of his five break opportunities. Having lost serve in the

Award panel member; Mr. Ejiro Omonode (left), the Chairman, award panel, Mr. Ikeddy Isiguzo, another member of the award panel, Chief Mrs. Falilat Ogunkoya and the General Manager, Unmissable Incentives Limited, Mr. Kayode Idowu, during the press conference on the 2014 edition of the Nigerian Sports Award held in Lagos… on Tuesday.

opening game, Murray found himself exposed to the 32year-old’s forehand as only 56 per cent of his first serves were accurate in the opening set.

After saving break in a lengthy ninth game, he closed out the set 7-1 in a tie break - part of a run which saw him win 15 points from 16 to lead 2-0 in set two.

Alvarado vows to retire Marquez IKE Alvarado has vowed M to bounce back in style by retiring Mexican legend, Juan Manuel Marquez when they clash this weekend. Denver’s Alvarado is looking to impress following his punishing 10-round stoppage to WBO light-welterweight world champion, Ruslan Provodnikov in his previous outing. The brutal defeat last October came following an impressive string of wins for the exciting Alvarado who had battled his way past a host of top names including Brandon Rios, Mauricio Herrera and Breidis Prescott. Now, however, the 33-yearold is out to end the glittering career of four-division world champion, Marquez as he aims to get back to winning ways. “Retiring a legend is going to be huge,” said Alvarado. “I respect Marquez and his great career but now is my time. This is one of those opportunities that you cannot miss and I will give everything in the ring to get the win. It’ll be a great fight and I have to fight without any mistakes to beat Marquez. “This is a huge step in my

life to redeem myself and I know that this is only going to make me a better person, a better fighter and a better man in my life. I respect Marquez fully, he’s a legend in this game, he’s already made his mark. This is the perfect opportunity for me to redeem myself and even retire as a legend.” Alvarado believes he has grown and matured since the Provodnikov bout, with the pressure of a high-profile comeback against Marquez something he will thrive on. “When Top Rank called and offered a fight with Marquez I started jumping around - I was so excited because I have the opportunity to get into the ring and retire a Mexican legend,” he said. “I’m great under pressure and I’m going to fight like the ‘Old Mike’ and use my power and my will to beat Marquez. “I made a mistake of looking past Ruslan Provodnikov. He jumped on me and got me in a bad situation. He had such an awkward style. “The difference against Marquez will be my power. I am going to train super hard for my biggest fight. I am very excited.”

62 Friday, May 16, 2014

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GolfWeekly Maiden Arik Air Pro-Am fails to fly at first attempt ARELY six months after which he owns. B mobile telecommunicaChairman of the organising tion firm Globacom Nigeria committee of the tourney, dashed the hopes of professional golfers by calling off a mouthwatering continental tour at the eleventh hour, Arik Air joined the infamous list by calling off its maiden tourney albeit temporarily. The firm made a volte-face with its much-publicised Arik Air Pro-Am Golf Tournament, which was suspended barely two weeks to its tee-off date. As was the case with the botched Glo Africa Tour, some foreign professional golfers, who hold dual tour cards, had recently confirmed participation in the tourney which prize money was pegged at N10m, only to be freeze on their tracks with the news of the “temporary cancellation.” Tournament Director of the Professional Golfers Association of Nigeria (PGAN), Martin Odoh, yesterday confirmed to The Guardian in an interview that the tourney has been “put on hold for now.” According to Odoh: “I can confirm to you that the 1st Arik Air Pro-Am Golf Tournament has been put on hold for now by the sponsors.” On the rationale behind the development, he said the firm said it decided to shift the event till after its board meeting. “So we are actually looking forward to them returning to sponsor the event after the said meeting.” Meantime, the date (May 29 to June 1st), which was earlier set aside for the tourney would now be taken over by a hurriedly assembled tourney at the behest of the Senate President, David Mark. The Otukpo Pro-Am, will still hold at Otukpo Golf and Country Club, Akpegede, Benue State. Mark was also on hand to help the pro golfers when Globacom backed out of the proposed Glo Africa Tour last November. He staged a tourney for the pros at the club,

Odoh in a past tournament in Morocco

Olugbenga Odusanya had told reporters that this year’s event would be in honour of President Goodluck Jonathan for his commitment to sports development in the country. He explained that out of the participating golfers, 150 would come from the professional ranks while 200 amateurs would be part of the field. Odusanya, who had stated that the committee had received tacit approval of the Nigeria Golf Federation (NGF) to stage the event, added that the choice of the venue was to encourage locals in the area to take to golf, as well as honour Senator Mark, who has provided the golf facility for use by interested players at no expense. “This is the 1st Arik Air Pro/Am golf tournament. We have tagged it the President’s Cup because it is in honour of the President Goodluck Jonathan. And the reason is that we see the President as somebody who believes that people from the other side of the divide should also be appreciated. “He believes that we are equal. That is also the spirit exhibited by the Senate President, David Mark who has built a golf course in Otukpo and has given it out to his community where everybody will come and play without paying. Head of the airline’s Abuja office, Dr. Nnamdi Bolu, also added that the airline intends to make the tournament an annual event as part of its efforts to help discover talented youngsters and nurture them to become professional g o l f e r s . He said winners in the amateur category during the four-day event would take home mouth-watering prizes while those in the professional ranks will win standard prizes laid down in professional golfing.

Nigeria furthers dominance at Cameroon tourney as Odoh wins Stories by Eno-Abasi Sunday BB Golf and Country Club IOche assistant resident pro, Andrew Odoh, became the third Nigerian to win the Cameroon Open International Golf Championship, which recently ended at the Likomba Golf Club, Tiko in the outskirts of Douala, Cameroon. The late Ali Abdullahi died three days after winning the maiden edition of the tournament (and shortly after winning the 15th Moanda Open Golf Championship in Gabon), while Gboyega Oyebanji of

IBB Golf and Country Club, Abuja won the second edition. In the recently concluded championship, Nigerian players did not just stretch the record by winning their third crown, six of them finished in top eight positions, while four failed to make the cut. In second place was MicCom Golf Club’s Olapade Sunday, who was playing his first international tourney. Port Harcourt-based Atako Morgan finished joint fifth with Augustine Kafumpa of Congo Democratic Republic. In seventh place

was homeboy Desire Ebela of while Chidi Tobias of Ikeja Golf Club finished eight. The four Nigerians that failed to make the cut were Kingsley Oparaku, Liadi Jaiye Ola, Femi Olagbenro and Magnus Onumajuru. Odoh entered the tourney as one of the favourites, having just won the first ever Annol Pro-Am Golf Championship at the Dolphin Golf Club in Lagos days earlier. His victory was via the 294 six over par he shot at the Likomba Golf Club. He pocketed 10, 000 Euros.

In an interview with The Guardian, Odoh said bringing the third crown back to the country inundates him with a great sense of pride for the country, and also strengthens the fact that the country remains a powerhouse in professional golf as far as West and Central Africa were concerned. Odoh, who is the defending champion of the CMCL Open Championship as well as the Equatorial Guinea International Pro-Am Golf Tournament, said with the back-to-back victory he has achieved, he remains confident that he is capable of

ending the ongoing season on a high. “What this victory means to me, as in the past, is that I have a chance to win in any tournament that I sign up to play in. This victory has further raised my confidence level. Most importantly, as I prepare to defend the CMCL Open, which I won last year, it is a great morale booster,” Odoh stated. Odoh, a past Professional Golfers’ Association of Nigeria (PGAN) Order of Merit leader attributed his improved performance to hard work, and the recent

fitting, which his equipment underwent in South Africa. “I would attribute this success to hard work and dedication to my profession. In addition to that, I would say that the fitting, which my equipment underwent in South Africa, has added to the improvement in my game because the fitting of my clubs are now better than they were. That obviously contribute to my improved game,” he stated. He promised to do the needful to sustain his performance so as to end the year in a respectable position on the PGAN’s log.

GolfWeekly Friday, May 16, 2014

THE GUARDIAN www.ngrguardiannews.com

Scott

Scott to become world number one as Woods nurses injury DAM Scott can enjoy this week’s HP Byron Nelson Championship on television, safe in the knowledge that he will become world number one regardless of the result. In the absence of the injured Tiger Woods, Scott has had several opportunities to play his way to the top of the rankings, most notably when blowing a seven-shot halfway lead in the Arnold Palmer Invitational. The former Masters champion would also have overtaken Woods with a top-16 finish in the Players Championship last week, but slumped to an opening 77 and eventually finished joint 38th. However, the 33-year-old Australian will finally follow in the footsteps of compatriot Greg Norman when the updated rankings are released on Monday, even if Matt Kuchar wins the tournament. World number five Kuchar would also overtake Woods with a victory, but would not be able to surpass Scott, who would make it the 12th time that a player has moved to number one despite being inactive. Woods has yet to set a date for his return following back surgery on March 31 and will continue to

slide down the rankings as his last wins were more than three months ago. Martin Kaymer’s last win was of course just days ago, the former world number one’s victory in the Players Championship on Sunday lifting him from 61st to 28th in the rankings. Kaymer will attempt to

make it back-to-back wins at the TPC Four Seasons Resort in Irving, Texas, where he finished joint fifth on his debut last year. Jordan Spieth, who played alongside Kaymer for the final two rounds at Sawgrass, returns to the event where he made his PGA Tour debut at the age

of 16 in 2010, finishing joint 16th. The 20-year-old will be playing in his hometown event for the fourth time and hoping to follow in his footsteps is sponsor’s invite Scottie Scheffler, currently one of the world’s top ranked juniors. And the 17-year-old even

has ambitions to do even better than Spieth, despite having to split his time between golf and school homework. “I have a calculus project I have to do and a quantum science test in the morning,” Scheffler told a press conference. “Obviously there is a little

bit of pressure, but I’m trying to treat this like I would any other tournament with my preparation, and that’s really all I can do, is just keep preparing the same way I have been. “I was going to try to get in the top 10. I thought that would be a good goal for me.’

Medical doctor cleared in female golfer’s wrongful death case jury in Nevada cleared a A Las Vegas physician, Dr. Thomas Hess, of a wrongful death and medical malpractice lawsuit stemming from the May 2010 suicide of Ladies Professional Golfer Association (LPGA) golfer Erica Blasberg. Jurors who heard five days of civil trial testimony deliberated less than an hour before finding Hess had no liability in the death of a woman, who according to testimony harboured deep feelings of unhappiness even as she became a college golf star and a photogenic rising talent on the women’s pro tour. Hess, who testified earlier Tuesday that he had a ‘’flirty’’ relationship with Blasberg, wasn’t in the courtroom when the jury finding was read. He has maintained that he and Blasberg were friends, but didn’t have a romantic relationship. Hess’ attorney, Kim Irene

Mandelbaum, declined immediate comment after the jury finding was read in Clark County District Court. Earlier, Mandelbaum urged the jury of four men and four women to remember that Blasberg’s suicide letter said not to blame anyone. Blasberg’s parents, Mel and Debra Blasberg, who are divorced and live in Southern California, said they were disappointed in the finding but glad to have aired their concerns in court. They accused Hess, now 46, who was married at the time, of pursuing a romantic relationship with their 25-year-old daughter, and of putting that interest ahead of her medical needs. “We had a doctor much older than my daughter, who got involved with my daughter, and he crossed the line, and it affected my daughter,” Mel Blasberg told reporters.

“That’s why we came here, not for money, but to let the world know there was more to what happened than Erica committing suicide.” “The court feels that, for whatever reason, he doesn’t have the legal liability,” Blasberg said. Hess, a family practice doctor, pleaded guilty in December 2010 to a misdemeanor obstruction charge for removing the suicide note and some medications after finding Blasberg dead in bed at her Henderson home. He said he removed the items to spare the Blasberg family, whom he had never met, anguish following Blasberg’s death. Hess didn’t know Erica Blasberg had been seeing a psychiatrist for depression, his lawyer said, and he didn’t prescribe the many medications that Blasberg took before going to bed with a dust mask over her mouth

and a plastic bag over her head, secured by rubber bands. The Clark County coroner determined that Blasberg committed suicide by asphyxiation, with a toxic combination of medications in her system. Her suicide note said the prescription medications had been accumulated over time, and ‘’I blame no one

Blasberg

no one for the drugs I take this evening.” Blasberg was from Corona, California, where she was coached by her father before becoming an All-American in 2003 and 2004 at the University of Arizona. Her best year as a professional was 2008, when she tied for eighth at the SBS Open in Hawaii and earned more than $113,000 in winnings,

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Friday, May 16, 2014

Conscience, Nurtured by Truth

By Isaac Asabor S an African proverb says, when a farmer A arrogantly beats his chest at the market square and proclaims that his son would one day build him a better hut than the one he built for himself and later on in life give him a befitting burial when he dies, then one does not need a soothsayer to tell him that he must have, over the years, harvested enough tubers and invested same towards the child’s future. Viewed from the perspective of the foregoing, one may not be wrong to think that the late American president, John F. Kennedy was very confident of the enabling environment which the then American leaders created for the American youths coupled with the investment made on their future when he said, in his inaugural speech as the 35th president of the United States, “…ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country.” The foregoing quote, which has somewhat become a catch phrase for motivational speakers and rhetoricians in this part of the world, is already been misunderstood and misquoted as it obviously does not really fit into the pitiable situation of the Nigerian youths whenever it is applied to calm their frayed nerves or to pep them up. The reasons why the inspirational quote seems to be meaningless to many Nigerian youths can be understood from the perspective of the fact that the Nigerian leaders have not created a conducive environment for the youths to thrive like their American counterparts. Yet they have turned the saying by JFK to a mantra of sort. Whenever any agitated and depressed youth is told “…ask what you can do for your country”, it is logical for the youth to sharply retort, “How is it possible for me to give back to the country that has not invested anything on me?” Nigerian youths have every reason to be angry given the unwholesome realities that daily confronts them. For instance, for close to one year now millions of youths in the polytechnics have been at home doing nothing. The majority of them that graduated have no jobs. The few of them that have jobs are obviously under-employed. At events that call for their participations, they are not always properly represented in the true sense of the word. Majority of them have been literarily conscripted as leg-soldiers of desperate politicians. With all these, what does the country wants from them? The truth that is inherent in this piece bitter as it may be to many self-styled patriots of this nation must be told. It is obvious that if the truth is not told the myriads of obstacles that are standing in the way of the youths may not be adequately removed for them to get prepared for their future leadership role. Without any modicum of exaggeration, Nigerian youths have for ages been subjected to the retrogressive factors of abject neglect by the government, exploitation by slave drivers and criminalisation by politicians who are bent on winning elections at all costs in the spirit of “do-or-die.” What can the growing army of unemployed youths give to a country that has rendered them famished and devalued their certificates so much so that many of them have taken to “Okada” and “Keke Marwa” businesses to keep body and soul together? Even some youths who went against all odds to become entrepreneur without support from any quarters hardly have a reliable power supply to keep their businesses going not to talk of having motorable roads constructed to link with their offices. Most of these creative and entrepreneurial youths are today out of their businesses owing to paucity of funds, a situation that when accessible, was worsened by high interest rates charged by banks. The banks themselves are operating in a non-conducive business environment. It is as bad as that! Then, what does the government want the youths to give back to the country?

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What can youths give to the country?

The need to express this opinion became imperative because some leaders, motivational speakers and politicians seem to be abusing this saying made by one of the world’s visionary leaders that knew that

the people, particularly the youths, needed to be equipped with skills and in turn give back to the country that gave them that much. To me, most people that are wont to mouth this inspirational saying are com-

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pletely ignorant of the underlying motives of the saying. The saying is not meant for the youths that are yet to be equipped to face future challenges. It is not meant for youths that are left to jay walk the streets many years after graduation. It is equally not meant for the youths that trampled themselves to death during recruitment exercise into any Federal Government parastatal or para-military service. To me, the youths can hardly give anything to the country as long as their voices are unreasonably stifled each time there is an opportunity for them to express their views on burning national issues. For instance, who is truly representing the youths at the on-going national conference at Abuja? What can the youth whose spirit is daily crushed whenever they are told that they are not employable give to the country of their birth as John F. Kennedy admonished? What can many hardworking and peaceful youths give back to the country when they are unfairly and unjustly relegated to the background while other youths that are into militancy are appeased with scholarships and juicy government contracts? It is a known fact that no one can give what he does not have. If I may ask again, what has the government given to the youths so far for the youths to give back in return? There is no denying the fact that the youths have zealously and patriotically shown the interest of contributing their quotas to the national growth but they are not always encouraged. For instance, the ones that showed interest to serve the nation by joining the immigration services were recently shown the way to their graves —prematurely. Also, who is representative enough to represent the youths at the on-going national conference? Who is representative enough to represent the youths at the youth wings of various registered political parties? The question goes on and on without any convincing answer. At this juncture, it is pertinent to ask those that are steering the ship of the Federal Government of Nigeria what kind of youths they really want, and what kind of gift do they really want the youths to give to the nation. In view of the above puzzling questions, our leaders are in a good position to choose the quality of contributions they want from the youths. It is germane to point out at this juncture that JFK’s 1961 inauguration address was marked by sparkling phrase-making among which is “If a free society cannot help the many who are poor, it cannot save the few who are rich.” In the light of the deep wisdom that is inherent in the foregoing speech, one is tempted to ask what our leaders want from the youths. Is it violence they want from them? It is not false to say that they are getting enough of it from many of the youths in the northern part of the country that have unpatriotically and defiantly joined the dreaded Boko Haram sect. Still in the same nexus, if they want the youths to be giving back to the country by creating sodomic environment across the nation, they should be rest assured that they are already getting that from some vulnerable youths that have literarily strayed away from various institutions of learning, to the streets and clubs. Finally, the essence of this piece is to let our leaders decide what they actually want from the youths. If they want peace, they should begin to initiate youth-centered policies and programmes. On the other hand, if they want violence from the youths it is left to them. They should not forget that the youths cannot give what they do not have. • Asabor lives at Eric Moore, Surulere, Lagos. eyezeek@yahoo.co.uk