Mon 26 May 2014 by The Guardian Newspaper

TheGuardian Conscience, Nurtured by Truth

Monday, May 26, 2014

Vol. 30, No. 12,933

N150

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World Health Assembly okays use of traditional medicine • N5.15b fake drugs seized in global crackdown • India, China top global sources of counterfeit medicines By Chukwuma Muanya RESOLUTION for a better A integration of the use of traditional medicine was among the proposals adopted as the 67th World Health Assembly (WHA) closed at the weekend. According to a press statement by the WHO, traditional medicine covers a wide variety of therapies and practices, which varies from country to country and region to region. The statement reads: “The CONTINUED ON PAGE 2

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...DAY 42 Pope Francis (second left) stands next to Israeli President, Shimon Peres (left) and Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu (third left) during a welcome ceremony upon his arrival at Ben Gurion Airport yesterday near the Mediterranean Israeli coastal city of Tel Aviv. Pope Francis said he was deeply saddened by a deadly shooting attack in Belgium, which left three people dead, including two Israelis. PHOTO: AFP/DAVID BUIMOVITCH

Gunmen kill 24 in fresh Borno attack From Saxone Akhaine (Kaduna), Mohammed Abubakar, Chuka Odittah and Nkechi Onyedika (Abuja), Isa Abdulsalami Ahovi (Jos) and Njadvara Musa (Maiduguri) S violence continued to A ravage Borno, gunmen suspected to be members of Boko Haram yesterday attacked Kamuya village in Biu Local Council of the state and shot dead 24 people. They also torched several houses and shops and carted away

food items and livestock. Kamuya is a farming community; and 101 kilometres south of Maiduguri, the state capital. According to an eyewitness who is a resident of Kamuya, Isah Yakubu, the gunmen stormed the village in several

• Terror attacks meant to destroy my govt, says Jonathan • ‘African leaders want collective action against terrorism’ • Boko Haram can’t win war, declare northern leaders Hilux vehicles and motorcycles at 9:45 a.m. and started firing sporadically at any person in sight for some minutes before setting many houses and shops ablaze. He said out of the 24 bodies,

eight had their throats slit after tying their hands to their backs. Others sustained injuries. On whether there was security, he said: “No, this village had no soldiers to protect us

here. When the gunmen burst into our village yesterday morning, we fled for our lives, because we didn’t know whom the gunmen CONTINUED ON PAGE 2

OURGIRLS Two policemen feared dead in Arepo pipeline explosion - Page 8 Prayer, a weapon against adversity, says Sambo - Page 81 Clarion Chukwurah wins best actress at AMAA - Page 87

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N5.15b fake drugs seized in global crackdown CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 strategy aims to build the knowledge base for national policies and strengthen quality assurance, safety, proper use and effectiveness of traditional and complementary medicine through regulation. It also aims to promote universal health coverage by inte-

grating traditional and complementary medicine services into health care service delivery and home care.” The Health Assembly adopted revised provisions on yellow fever vaccination or revaccination under the International Health Regulations (2005). These include extending the validity of a cer-

tificate of vaccination against yellow fever from 10 years to the extent of the life of the vaccinated person. The Assembly also adopted resolution on addressing the global challenge of violence, in particular against women and girls. Meanwhile, law enforcement agents have arrested 237 people worldwide in a 10-day crackdown on fake drugs, resulting in the seizure of counterfeit and unlicensed medicines worth N5.15 billion (£18.6 million/$31.4 million) even as global-health campaigners and researchers are protesting against a proposal they say would allow drug companies raise prices for needed medicines in many developing countries, including Nigeria. Britain’s healthcare watchdog in a report monitored by The Guardian said the haul of 8.4 million doses of medicines included potentiallyharmful slimming pills,

controlled drugs such as diazepam, anabolic steroids and anti-impotence pills. The British Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), which was responsible for seizing products worth £8.6 million, said that the INTERPOL-co-ordinated operation was conducted between May 11 and 21, 2014. The crackdown also targeted 10,603 websites, leading them to be closed down or suspended through having their domain name or payment facilities removed. MHRA Head of Enforcement Alastair Jeffrey said in a statement: “The medicines recovered during these raids were being held in appalling conditions, such as a dirty old building with broken windows, with medicines lying on the floor in bin bags. “Criminals involved in the illegal supply of medicines through the Internet aren’t interested in your health;

they are interested in your money.” “India was the source of 72 per cent of the illicit medicines seized in Britain, while China accounted for 11 per cent”, the MHRA added. According to the WHA, member-states will work to strengthen the role of the health system in addressing violence. WHO will develop a global plan of action to strengthen the role of national health systems within a multi-sectoral response to address interpersonal violence, in particular against women, girls and children. The WHA approved a resolution to improve the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of viral hepatitis and proposals to improve global co-ordination of efforts to address non-communicable diseases such as diabetes, cancers, heart disease and stroke. The resolution noted the importance of implementing

appropriate measures to protect groups such as people who inject drugs from infection and to improve their access to diagnostics and treatment. As most people with chronic Hepatitis B or C remain unaware of their infection, there is also a need to improve screening. WHO’s Director-General, Dr. Margaret Chan, said: “This has been an intense Health Assembly, with a record-breaking number of agenda items, documents and resolutions, and nearly 3,500 registered delegates. This is a reflection of the growing number of complexity of health issues, and your deep interest in addressing them.” As requested in the resolution, WHO will develop a draft global action plan to combat antimicrobial resistance, including antibiotic resistance for presentation to the World Health Assembly for approval next year.

Terror attacks meant to destroy my govt, says Jonathan CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 were targeting in their incessant village attacks and killings.” The Borno State Police Commissioner, Tanko Lawal, confirmed the incident yesterday, stating that about two dozens of villagers were feared dead in the village attack at Kamuya in southern part of the state. Meanwhile, President Goodluck Jonathan yesterday said that the terror attacks were meant to pull down his government and that the Chibok incident had dented the image of the country. But he assured that there would be elections in this country in Nigeria in 2015. At the interdenominational church service to mark the 2014 Democracy Day in Abuja, the President noted that Nigeria was facing the challenges of evil forces, stressing that all these distractions were planned to bring down his government. He pointed out that since the detractors failed in bringing down the government, terrorism would also fail in Nigeria. Also, Jonathan, together with the heads of state of Ghana, Ethiopia, Uganda, Kenya, Cote d’lvoire, Congo and South Africa have outlined new measures for effectively tackling activities and sponsors of terrorism in the sub-region. The new modalities, which among other things recommended the tackling of insurgency issues as a global phenomenon, rather than a local security threat, came up at the end of deliberations by eight African Heads of State in South Africa. The meeting, according to a statement by Special Adviser to the President on Media, Dr. Reuben Abati, focused on the issue of terrorism on the continent and discussed modalities for setting up, and defining a stronger framework for co-operation and partnership among African states to deal with the emerging security threat. “The Presidents recognised the fact that no one country can on its own deal with the challenges of terrorism in Africa. That what is required is not just a country-based ap-

proach or a regional approach but a continental approach which requires the co-operation of All African states”, he said. Yesterday too, Arewa leaders said that despite the attacks by Boko Haram, it was a war that the insurgents would not win. The declaration by the elders came yesterday on the heels of the second bomb blast in Jos by the insurgents at the weekend. The National Publicity Secretary of the Northern Delegates’ Forum (NDF) and former spokesman of Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), Mr. Anthony Sani, noted in a statement that “the bomb blasts in Jos for the second time in a week are aimless just as they are heinous. “Aimless because it is not a war the insurgents can win besides causing harm and pains to families in Nigeria. Most of all, the insurgents are offending all known religions and also God whom they claim to please.” According to him, “ the Northern Delegates Forum wishes to appeal to perpetrators to embrace civilised methods of addressing any perceived grievances”, adding that “the forum also urges governments to step up efforts of its intelligence community and of security agencies in order to put an end to insurgence in Nigeria.” But shedding light on the activities of the dreaded Islamic sect, Boko Haram and the hideout of its leadership yesterday, the leader of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria, known as Shittes, Sheikh Ibrahim Zakzaky, said that he knew the hide-out of the sect leader, Abubakar Shekau. Alleging that the Nigeria’s military authorities were collaborating with the Boko Haram, Zakzaky said that the activities of the terror group were part of covert operations of a section of the West to balkanise Nigeria and plunder the nation’s resources. Zakzaky who spoke in Zaria during his movement’s yearly Martyrs’ Day, disclosed that “Abubakar Shekau is presently being kept safe in a military camp”. He added: “Let no one be fooled, there is nothing like

Boko Haram.” The Shittes leader, who lamented the trouble the insurgency in Nigeria had caused the people and the wanton loss of lives and property it inflicted in the North, insisted that it was part of the agenda that had been mapped out to destabilise the nation. He said: “It is a covert operation to balkanise Nigeria and steal its resources in the name of search for Boko Haram insurgents. If you can fool others, we cannot be fooled. “They have realised that there is gold in Zamfara and Zaria, Birnin-Gwari, gold and platinum in Sokoto and Borno. They did it in Iraq, as they went in search of weapons of mass destruction which they never found but plunged the country into chaos. “The same thing was experimented in Afghanistan before our eyes. The Western countries are experimenting the second phase of scramble for Africa with great expectations from Nigeria”. However, Zakzaky urged the appropriate authorities to order the release of two members of his Movement, Haruna Abbas and Ibrahim Hussain, arrested over a year ago for no just cause, rather he stressed that they were “unjustifiably” detained without trial. “No law or constitutional provision allows for such a lengthy detention without trial and without visitation by families and friends, especially in a democratic government Nigeria is claiming to operate,” Zakzaky argued. During the church service yesterday, Jonathan said: “Since we came on board on May 29, we have been facing a lot of challenges, now it is terror and also abduction of Chibok girls. We were to host the whole world to a World Economic Forum. People wanted to frustrate that programme and then there was a bomb blast but still global players appreciate this country. At the end of WEF, in terms of turnout, content and programme, what happened in Abuja was the second best. You can imagine if we were not facing these distractions within this period, definitely,

we would have moved further than this. But I always say one thing which all of you believe, all these distractions are planned to bring government down, and since they failed, terror will also fail.” He noted that the whole world is facing challenges, adding that Nigeria was having a very unfair share of these global challenges. He said: “It would have been worse if not for your prayers. “In human history, societies are always confronted with two forces, the forces of development and the forces of evil. Evil will never triumph over good. The international community appreciates Nigeria for our doggedness and commitment to succeed. We will continue to work to move the nation forward.” The President noted that despite the challenges facing the country, his administration was working. Listing his administration’s achievements in the past three years, Jonathan said: “The rail lines are being resuscitated, the road infrastructure has improved that those who are criticising the government are commending it; the airports are being improved; the agricultural sector is doing well; the power programme is moving on and by the time all the challenges facing the power sector are addressed, every sector of the economy would be affected. “ In his Sermon, Pastor Obi Ekwueme said Nigeria was in a defining moment and at the critical point where she would rise to her God’s given glory. According to him, “In a defining moment, you either go up or go down in disgrace. We need to make the necessary turn. Nigeria is at the verge of breaking forth into a new dawn.” He urged government to bring to book all those perpetrating religious violence and other vices threatening the peace and unity of the country and appealed to Nigerians to support the government to restore peace in the country. Yesterday, Plateau State Police Commissioner, Chris Olakpe, disclosed that the explosion that killed at least three people in the central Nigerian city of Jos was hidden in a car.

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Nigerian dons leave for Islamic varsity in Uganda

Adesiyan, Obanikoro fault complaints commission’s report on harassment By Tope Templer-Olaiya, Seye Olumide and Tunde Akinola HE Minister for Police AfT fairs, AbdulJelili Oyewale Adesiyan, and the Minister of State for Defence, Musiliu Obanikoro, have debunked accusations leveled against them by the Public Complaints Commission (PCC), alleging their involvement with Senator Iyiola Omisore, to harass Isiaka Adeleke, a gubernatorial aspirant under the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). Senator Adeleke, a former governor of Osun State, had written a petition to the commission, alleging that he withdrew his governorship ambition because of harassment by men of the police force. He claimed that this was allegedly masterminded by Omisore with the help of Adesiyan. The commission, in a letter dated 11th April 2014, cautioned Adesiyan, who was alleged to have exhibited some uncharitable acts during the April 3rd PDP primaries ministin Abuja and his state. The National Commissioner of PCC, Prof. Razaq Abubakre, advised politicians against spiteful remarks and threats against the opposition as the 2015 elections approaches. The commissioner specifically urged stakeholders in the coming Osun State election, scheduled for August 9, 2014 to ensure free and fair election. The letter entitled: “Complaint on Arbitrariness and Abuse of Office” read in part: “I wish to recall the disturbing incident of 3rd April, 2014 at the Ideal Nest Hotel, Ilobu Road, Osogbo, in which you were alleged to have used policemen to harass, intimidate and embarrass Senator Isiaka Adeleke, the first civilian governor of Osun State in your capacity as the Hon. Minister of Police Affairs. “It is obvious that this reported conduct is a recipe for anarchy if all ministers were to act in the same manner. Thus, there is need to thread with caution to avoid being branded as acting out a script in collaboration with the Hon. Minister of the State for Defence, Senator

Musiliu Obanikoro, to cause problems in the southwest.” Prof. Abubakre added that the commission, as ombudsman, has a duty to advice anybody whose act may lead to injustice against other citizens. Reacting to the allegation, Adesiyan in a statement issued by his media aide, Wale Akinola, described the situation as a ploy of the opposition to tarnish his image. According to Obanikoro, “If as grassroots politicians, we have been appointed to enhance the fortune of our party in the South West and this is now been termed as a source of instability, that is very unfortunate, particularly when it comes from someone who should know better.”

From Niyi Bello, Akure HE first batch of volunteer T lecturers requested from Nigeria by the Islamic Uni-

The site of the suicide bomb blast near where fans were watching the final of the UEFA Championships League on Saturday night in Jos. PHOTO: ISA ABDULSALAM

Experts urge ECOWAS member-states to develop security strategies From Itunu Ajayi, Abuja N the wake of increasing seIAfrica, curity threats in West a two-day inter-governmental meeting of experts on the Validation of the ECOWAS Regional Policy Framework on Security Sector Reform and Governance (SSSR/G) ended in Banjul, The Gambia, last Friday, with a call on member-states to develop national security strategies with developmental objectives where they do not currently exist. The participants advocated minimal political interference in the professional affairs of the security sectors of member-states, which have already initiated SSRG reforms to align such initiatives with the Regional Policy Framework proposed by ECOWAS once adopted. In its 17-point report, the meeting urged ECOWAS to define strategies, priorities, timelines, success indicators or shortcomings on the implementation of the reforms. The member-states were also urged to take into cog-

nizance the need to consistently improve the remunerations/welfare packages of law enforcement agents/security providers as a prerequisite for effective implementation of SSRG processes as stated in Article 74(a) of the ECOWAS Conflict Prevention Framework of 2008. Also, they called for exchange of best practices among member-states on security sector reform. In her address at the opening of the meeting, read by the Head of Division, Regional Security, Col. Abdourahmane Dieng, the ECOWAS Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security, Mrs. Salamatu Hussaini Suleiman, said: “The role of ECOWAS has become crucial to assist our member-states

to prevent, anticipate, prepare and respond better and faster to issues that could challenge security and stability of our region.” The commissioner recalled various regional instruments in place and efforts by ECOWAS to redefine security as a subject that is not only the exclusive preserve of the military and the political class, but also requires the participation of civil society as a common denominator in the process. Gambia’s Interior Minister, Honourable Ousman Sonko, who opened the meeting, said the experiences of West African countries emerging from conflict over the past two decades have shown that security is a prerequisite for economic and social development and regional

integration. It is also acknowledged that security can only be ensured through democratic control of the security sector, he added. Consequently, he urged the participants to critically review the ECOWAS document and make quality recommendations for its enrichment, with a view to reducing the potential for internal and external conflicts in the region. The ECOWAS SSR/G Policy Framework, which has been under development since 2009, was reviewed by the relevant ECOWAS Directorates and international independent experts. It is now expected to be presented to the Mediation and Security Council for endorsement following the review by the Banjul meeting .

‘Good governance, optimum tax compliance attainable’ By Chijioke Nelson KWA Ibom State governor, A Godswill Akpabio, has said that enthroning good governance is not a rocket science and exclusive preserve of the developed countries as long as there is a political will. Also, Bauchi State governor, Isa Yuguda, stated that the success of the search for optimum tax compliance by Federal, state and local governments is dependent on the promotion of trust and confidence by the authorities. These submissions were made at the 16th yearly Tax Conference of the Chartered Institute of Taxation of Nigeria (CITN) in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State capital, at the weekend. Akpabio, who was represented by his Deputy, Valerie Ebie, while declaring the conference open, said there is a twoway bond between the government and citizens, which can only be fulfilled by the will to do what is right. To him, transparency, good governance and visible features of development are elixir to boosting the morale of citizens to obey tax law, among others, voluntarily.

He, however, noted that obedience to tax law is not just an obligation but civic responsibility that beckons on all. Akpabio pointed out that taxation has become a major source of revenue globally used in planning and development policies, adding that attention should be given to the challenges of corrupt practices, registration processes and low tax education bedeviling its potentials. To him, it is possible that government can work for the good of the citizens, as his accomplishments in infrastructure developments like road network, free health projects, e-library, underground rail system, Olympic size stadium under construction, among others, can show. Also, Yuguda, who delivered a lecture on the theme: “Achieving Optimum Tax Compliance: Challenges and Sustainability,” sued for a drastic reduction in wasteful and discretionary spending by government, but investing tax revenue on developmental projects. According to him, there is also need for transparency, equity and fairness in tax administration, as this would

elicit positive influence on the extant behaviour of taxpayers. He pointed out the need for intense advocacy to improve the understanding of the taxpayer, while the laws should be clear, straightforward and understandable by average Nigerian. “Revenue authorities need to automate the process of tax administration to improve efficiency and provide more convenience to taxpayers. This will also reduce compliance cost. “There is need also to reform tax authorities to make them taxpayer-oriented, more responsive and ensure taxfriendly atmosphere that will definitely encourage compliance. There should be understanding of taxpayers operating environment, as this can bring to the fore their difficulties in preparing information required by the authorities,” he said. He commended CITN for its contributions in the evolving tax laws in the country, particularly the amendment of the Personal Income Tax Act in 2011, while urging for work on others, which still date back to 1930s.

versity, Mbale, Uganda, under a bilateral agreement on manpower support between the Federal Government and the Republic of Uganda, left Abuja for Kampala, capital of the East African country, at the weekend. The deployment was done by Nigeria on the platform of the Directorate of Technical Aids Corps (TAC) in the implementation of a 1985 pact, which was renewed last year, during which a written request for about 60 Nigerian lecturers in diverse fields of academic discipline was submitted to TAC’s DirectorGeneral, Dr. Pius Olakunle Osunyikanmi, by Vice-Rector of the institution, Dr. Mouhamad Mpezamihigo. Under the TAC programme, which was established in 1987, Nigeria deploys high and middle-level manpower to countries in the African, Caribbean and Pacific regions on request from the receiving countries to boost their manpower support in the spirit of South-South cooperation drawing from the country’s vast pool of human resources. At a brief departure ceremony for the volunteers in Abuja, Osunyikanmi urged them to be of good behaviour and act as good ambassadors of Nigeria during their twoyear stay in the host country, as TAC was not going to condone any act of indiscipline. Osunyikanmi disclosed that since his assumption of office as the director general last year, about four volunteers have been recalled for acts bordering on indiscipline.

Soyinka opens Rhodes commemorative exhibition By Tajudeen Sowole TWO-WEEK exhibition of A photographs and other memorabilia in memory of the music icon, veteran broadcaster and showbiz impresario, Steven Omodele Bankole Rhodes (aka Elder Rhodes), will open tomorrow at Freedom Park on Lagos Island. According to the organisers, Nobel laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka, will formally open the exhibition designed to celebrate late Rhodes’ eminent contributions to African music and artistic heritage. The exhibition will showcase rich and resourceful collection of photographic recordings of his over six decades of illustrious career. Rhodes died on May 29, 2008, at 82. Also, the event will feature screening of Metamorphosis: The Music of Steve Rhodes, a work produced and directed by Femi Odugbemi. The screening is organised by the Steve Rhodes Foundation (SRF) – founded in the aftermath of Elder Rhodes’ passing – as well as the Steve Rhodes Memorial Anniversary Committee led by artiste and art patron, Mrs. Francesca Emanuel.

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Monday, May 26, 2014 ISSUES IN THE NEWS

ISSUES IN THE NEWS

Lagos 2015: The storm over choice of ‘governor’ By Ehichioya Ezomon (Group Political Editor) NLY a few individuals or groups may have correctly locatO ed the source(s) of the proclamation by the Oba of Lagos, HRH Rilwan Akiolu, which has elicited a lot of hullabaloo, and condemnation. Otherwise, the bulk of the criticism of the revered monarch would have been directed elsewhere, as some critics have rightly done. The Guardian investigation reveals that Oba Akiolu was only used as conduit to broach the “choice” of Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode to the public, as the “next governor” of Lagos even without a primary poll by the All Progressives Congress (APC) or a general election of all the political parties to that effect. Several APC sources, including one on behalf of one of the leaders of the party, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, had denied such a decision had been reached. In other words, Oba Akiolu, as an individual exercising his right to free speech, only spoke his mind, and about his preference for the governorship of the state. However, another of Tinubu’s aides gave a testament to the general but muted belief that the source of the Oba’s pronouncement is located in the former governor of Lagos State. According to the source: “Asiwaju Bola Tinubu recently introduced Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode to some local government chairmen, as the successor to Mr. Babatunde Raji Fashola, after an extensive consultation with various stakeholders, interest groups and powerbrokers in Lagos. “The result of this vast consultation is the recent endorsement by the Oba of Lagos last weekend.” The source gave the qualities that may have endeared Ambode to Tinubu, Fashola and other stakeholders in the state. “The choice was unique in every sense because Mr. Ambode, apart from being part of the architects of modern Lagos, has worked in all the local governments in Lagos State as treasurer,” the source said. “They see him as a bridge between the people in the rural communities and the elite. “Lagos will be 47 years this year and for a man who had spent 27 years in the civil service of the state, he is equipped with a wealth of experience and is in a vantage position to manage its affairs efficiently. “He was part of the team of Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, who developed the template for improving the internally-generated revenue of Lagos from N600 million in 1999 to N9 billion and has since increased to N27 billion today based on the same template. “He was also the brain behind the blueprint of how Lagos survived during the days when the then President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, seized the local government funds of Lagos State.” For an icing on the cake, the source said that, “Ambode is also an answer to the agitation and desires of Lagosians for a Christian Governor.” “Ambode is a member of the Glover road branch of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, where his wife is also a deaconess,” the source signed off. Except employed as mere name-dropping, which is commonplace in politics in order to gain advantage over other persons vying for the same position; the revelations above are quite weighty amid a cacophony of denials. The man that broached the idea N the matter of 2015 governorship of Lagos State, three issues, among others, predominate. They are the production of (a) a Christian candidate, who (b) is of Lagos origin and (c) zoning of the post to an area that had not produced a governor since 1999. Agitation for the fulfillment of this troika had been long, vocal and sometimes fierce, especially since Tinubu, a sup-

In the matter of 2015 governorship of Lagos State, three issues, among others, predominate. They are the production of (a) a Christian candidate, who (b) is of Lagos origin and (c) zoning of the post to an area that had not produced a governor since 1999. Agitation for the fulfillment of this troika had been long, vocal and sometimes fierce, especially since Tinubu, a supposed non-Lagos indigene, ascended the governor’s office in 1999 and allegedly filled his cabinet with non-indigenes. To crown it all, the former governor, a Muslim, handed over to another Muslim, Mr. Fashola, “to the indignation of the Christian community, which had to endure a reign of 16 years (Tinubu and Fashola) or 24 years were another Muslim to become governor in 2015,” a source analysed last week. The source said that a cocktail of such demands by the agitators, if not met, was capable of giving Lagos, on a platter, to the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the next general elections.

Tinubu

Fashola

posed non-Lagos indigene, ascended the governor’s office in 1999 and allegedly filled his cabinet with non-indigenes. To crown it all, the former governor, a Muslim, handed over to another Muslim, Mr. Fashola, “to the indignation of the Christian community, which had to endure a reign of 16 years (Tinubu and Fashola) or 24 years were another Muslim to become governor in 2015,” a source analysed last week. The source said that a cocktail of such demands by the agitators, if not met, was capable of giving Lagos, on a platter, to the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the next general elections. The source said that the fear of the party faithful, even Elders and other critical stakeholders in the polity of Lagos, was whether Asiwaju Tinubu would be amenable to the “movement for a shift of position.” It referred to the adage, which says, “The leopard can’t change its spots” or ‘The cat can’t leave the mice alone.’ Meaning, “People cannot change their character, especially if it is a bad one.” Tinubu is variously described as the ‘The King (Lion) of Bourdillon’ (on account of his ever-busy abode on Bourdillon Road, Ikoyi, Lagos, where major political decisions affecting his ‘dynasty’ are conceived, planned and executed); ‘The Jagaban’ (his chieftaincy title); and ‘The Last Man Standing’ (for being able to withstand the ‘capturing machine’ of the PDP in the 2003 elections). Indeed, he is a daredevil politician who brooks no second thought in matters in the polity he believes in. Two recent events will lend credence to this assertion, at a time when faint-hearted men are in denial of self-confidence. First is the issue of the National Conference that President Goodluck Jonathan convened for exchange of ideas on the future of Nigeria. Prior to this conference, Tinubu was at the forefront of those who, for years, canvassed a national dialogue under a Sovereign National Conference (SNC), later modified to a Conference of Ethnic Nationalities (CEN) or any national conference, for that matter, owing to the exigencies of the times. But immediately the major opposition political parties in the country — Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP), Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) and a faction of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) — teamed up to form the APC, Tinubu turned 360º: he was no longer for a national conference. And he demonstrated this stand when he made ‘no conference’ a singsong, which the APC, as a body, bought into and refused to send a representative to the National Conference going on in Abuja. The second event eliciting Tinubu’s risk-taking is his controversial statement that only two or three revered Obas of the Southwest are credible. This statement has provoked widespread condemnation from many quarters, including several foremost traditional rulers of the zone. But unlike many in his shoes, Tinubu has not recanted his position on the National Conference and the alleged character of some traditional rulers of the Southwest. The red-hot 2015 governorship HERE are issues, which are few and far apart, that Tinubu, in spite of his carriage often bordering on bravado, cannot address personally and requires a third party to deliver. According to a saying, when a mountain of excreta oozes smoke, only the big flies dare perch on it. This is the case with the governorship of Lagos State on the platform of the ruling APC in the 2015 general elections, which Tinubu probably found “too hot to handle” this time in his acclaimed unilateral or solo fashion. Recall that in 2007, on the eve of his departure from the seat

Akiolu of government in Alausa, Ikeja, Governor Tinubu, contrary to expectation of his horde of loyalists angling for the position of governor, hand-picked his Chief of Staff, Mr. Fashola, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) to succeed him in office, given that Fashola would win the election, which was a foregone conclusion, anyway. Tinubu’s choice and announcement of Fashola to replace him occasioned bedlam in the otherwise cohesive ACN, prompting some of his presumed ardent allies and followers to quit the fold and seek greener pastures elsewhere. Nonetheless, at the elections, the Tinubu-led ACN vanquished all opposition, including those that left the party “in annoyance.” But in the matter of 2015 governorship of Lagos State, Tinubu may have attempted to douse the fears of the party people by changing his “character” or at best changing his tactic. And the three main issues in focus, in considering the governorship ticket, were reportedly responsible for this about-turn. A wily old fox that he is in affairs political, the former Senator turned to his advantage the agitation for zoning of the governorship to Lagos East and the coronation of a Christian aspirant of Lagos origin. How did he use one stone to kill three birds? A member of the Tinubu political family told The Guardian that the choice of Mr. Ambode, as the governorship “candidate” of the APC in Lagos, was a product of one year of consultation among the various stakeholders in the state, including non-members of the APC. The source said: “The concept to draft him (Ambode) in started a year ago. Of course, the Asiwaju, in consultation with Governor Fashola, needed a little prompting to kick it off. “It was agreed that the matter had to be taken to the power brokers in the state, for them to debate the successor to the governor.” The source clarified that: “When you talk of the power brokers in the state, it’s not only the Asiwaju. Of course, he is very powerful, and can sometimes be over-bearing. But he sounds out people before taking any action.

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ISSUES IN THE NEWS Monday, May 26, 2014

ISSUES IN THE NEWS

Intrigues that set off whirlwind of reactions CONTINUED FROM PAGE 5 “So, in this matter of Lagos governorship in 2015, considering the agitation on ground, the Asiwaju solicited the advice of the stakeholders, including party and non-party elders, local government chairmen, traditional rulers, the clerics of both Christian and Islamic faiths, market men and women and other segments of the society that are critical in an election. “They were all consulted and they bought, it now appears, the idea and the person put forward by the Asiwaju and Governor Fashola, who asked them to do their checks on the aspirant.” When these stakeholders turned in “a positive report” on Ambode, the next assignment was to introduce him, physically, to the stakeholders, “so that they can own him as their own.” Tinubu and Governor Fashola had done such introduction at a reported meeting with local government and development area council chairmen last month in the State House, Marina. Aftermath of the Ambode ‘pick’ HE Marina meeting seemingly “let the cat out of the bag.” Soon, a barrage of criticisms in the media followed the alleged plan by Tinubu to “impose Ambode on the people of Lagos.” A group, Visioners for New Lagos (VNL), led the media onslaught, warning that any attempt by Tinubu to impose Mr. Ambode as the next governor of Lagos would be resisted “vehemently.” Stressing that Lagos does not belong to any individual, the coordinator of the group, Mr. Bambo Akin-Johnson, said in spite of the ideals of the APC as a mega party, Tinubu has refused to drop his “unsavoury habit driven by selfcentredness, political Darwinism and perceived ownership of the state.” “There is no doubt about the fact that Tinubu has settled for Mr. Akin Ambode as his governorship candidate in 2015,” he said. “Why(sic) no one is opposed to the person of Ambode aspiring to the office of the governor, we take exception to his imposition. If anything, he must be a product of a credible process in the emerging new Lagos.” Mr. Akin-Johnson said the sentiment of playing the religion and zonal cards, “as if the two factors have consciously been part of the Lagos political system, would be counter-productive.” “In fact, Tinubu’s enemies cannot wait to see him fail since he has chosen to arrogate to himself the power of life and death, as if there was no Lagos before him,” he said. Probably caught unawares on how the “leak” was made about Ambode’s choice, the Lagos State APC, through its publicity secretary, Mr. Joe Igbokwe, tried a hand at damage control. While denying the said imposition of Ambode by Tinubu, he strove strenuously to explain that Tinubu has no such powers without the blessing of the Elders of the party and Stakeholders in the state. It was a flimsy defence, and in the end, Igbokwe only succeeded in confirming the allegation by those opposed to the “coronation” of Ambode as the APC candidate (“governor”) in the 2015 elections.

Ambode

Solomon

Dabiri-Erewa

Banire

Ashafa

Meeting with the media EANWHILE, as part of the damage control arising from speculations surrounding the governorship, the Tinubu camp decided it’s about time Mr. Ambode was introduced to the press, albeit informally, so that the practitioners, who helped publicise the critical reactions of the aggrieved to the unfolding drama, were given first-hand information on how and why the choice of the aspirant was inevitable. The journalists at the session were introduced to a (campaign) team of professionals, reportedly constituted on Tinubu’s motivation, which would assist to push the Ambode aspiration. It was a sharing-of-ideas kind of parley: the

aspirant giving his bio-data, his reach/connections, and his readiness for the office of governor, and the newsmen quizzing him on some alleged grey areas during his career in the Lagos State Government, whether he was from the “right zone” of the state for the governor’s position, if he was an “indigene” of Lagos and his “faith” and what he might do to make him actualise his dream. Ambode affirmed all three major factors — he’s from Lagos East, an indigene of the state and a Christian by faith — that will determine who gets the APC flag for the 2015 governorship. In the end, the pressmen got away with the impression that this was another core professional, like incumbent Governor Fashola,

who’s not the typical politician. Still, there was a critical assignment to be done: that of publicly proclaiming Mr. Ambode as the “choice” of the stakeholders in the state. The lot fell on the Oba of Lagos, HRH Rilwan Akiolu, who no Lagosian could carelessly disdain unless at their own risk, politically. And the no-nonsense monarch chose the perfect setting of the book launch of Mr. Ambode to proclaim what had been in the closet of the Lagos APC bigwigs. That proclamation has since developed into a whirlwind that only a change of heart on the part of the powerbrokers could contain its domino effect.

Ikuforiji

CONTINUED ON PAGE 7

Why Lagos APC aspirants want transparent primaries, by Solomon OVERNORSHIP aspirant in Lagos G State, Senator Ganiyu Solomon, has said Oba Rilwan Akiolu’s pronouncement on the choice of a candidate for the 2015 elections will not deter other aspirants from pursuing their ambition. Rather, he said the alleged choice of Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode by the leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and elders in the state has emboldened the aspirants to fight for a level playing ground in a primary election. Senator Solomon, who fielded questions from newsmen in Lagos, also said that the issue of religion and the zoning of the governorship should be handled with caution, to ensure the continued peaceful coexistence in the state. Last week at a book launch, the Oba of Lagos declared that Mr. Ambode,

former Accountant-General of the state, had been chosen by the elders and stakeholders as the person to succeed Governor Babatunde Fashola in 2015. The statement has generated heated debate in the polity even as denials came from the leadership of the party. However, Mr. Solomon, a former council chairman and two-term senator said the monarch’s statement was political and had nothing to do with the actual choice of the party flagbearer, which, he said, was the sole responsibility of members of the APC. According to him: “I don’t know which part or provision of the constitution of the party says a traditional ruler endorses or can endorse. “Whatever he (Oba Akiolu) says is

his personal wish, which is not the same thing as the wish of the generality of the people. At the end of the day, we have a party structure.” Besides, he said the Oba’s pronouncement came at a time when the party had not concluded putting structures in place. “So, it (choice of candidate) couldn’t have been in consultation; with who? Is it with the political leadership? Is it with the traditional leadership?” Admitting that traditional rulers usually make political statements every where, Solomon said, “in our own case, such statements would not deter us; it will not deter the party men.” He added: “You go around, meet them. They are determined. This time around, they want to have a say in who becomes their candidate,

and who eventually rules their state because we are all stakeholders, just like any other person.” Solomon said religion had never been an issue in Lagos politics and should be kept out of it, especially as it is a very emotional and sensitive given what is going on in the country. “In this particular part of the country, we don’t discuss religion when it comes to governance,” he said. “This is the very first time some people are bringing it up. “And I can tell you that they are bringing it up because of their own selfish interests. I don’t want to go further.” He also said that it was the first time that zoning of the governorship was rearing its head in Lagos, and challenged anybody to prove him wrong.

However, he said that in a free, fair and transparent primary election, losers would take it as their fate and queue behind the choice of the party people and not the choice of a few individuals. “In a free and fair primary election, I’ll queue behind whoever wins,” he said, cautioning, “if there was none (credible primaries), we‘ll leave that to that time; we will act accordingly.” Nonetheless, Solomon said he has the drive and passion to serve as governor of Lagos State. “I believe I can serve; I believe I have what it takes to govern Lagos, not just to govern so that they call me ‘His Excellency’ it is about impacting on the lives of the people,” he said. “At this point in time, it is the uppermost thing that should be on the mind of anybody.”

THE GUARDIAN www.ngrguardiannews.com

Monday, May 26, 2014 ISSUES IN THE NEWS

ISSUES IN THE NEWS

The ‘disqualified’ Lagos APC aspirants By Seye Olumide CONTINUED FROM PAGE 6 NLESS there’s a change of heart in the powers U that determine and control the political destiny of aspirants to the exalted office of governor of Lagos State, the aspiration of all but one of the contenders under the All Progressives Congress (APC) is already grounded. The Oba of Lagos, Rilwan Akiolu, practically said so last week, thus opening a floodgate of criticism, and even condemnation. Yet, while the whirlwind is blowing, it’s apposite to look at some of the “disqualified” aspirants even before getting to the starting block. Ganiyu Olawale Solomon (GOS) HE former Chairman, Mushin Local Government, one-time member of the House of Assembly and a two-term Senator from Lagos West is at present the hard nut for the party to crack. His radicalism and strong political hold on Mushin has reportedly remained a puzzle to Asiwaju Tinubu, “to the extent that the Jagaban was said to have conceded his ambition to contest for the Senate in 2007 to Solomon, to enable him present Fashola for governor.” In his desire to realise the governorship ambition, Solomon was the first aspirant to declare interest with the commissioning of his Campaign Office located in Ikeja. While it was speculated that Tinubu has convinced other aspirants like Senator Ashafa, Hamzat and Dr. Pitan to concede the 2015 governorship to the choice of the party leadership, “Solomon remains obstinate and has also traced his roots to Ikorodu in Lagos East,” a source said. On the other hand, he stands a chance to claim both religions by virtue of his name, Ganiyu, a Muslim and Solomon, a Christian. Another source disclosed that the senator is proving stubborn on the hint that Tinubu “is most likely to play a last-minute joker by presenting his wife, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, who is a Christian, as the party’s governorship candidate, in case the insistence of the Christian community on having a Christian candidate as governor in 2015 sales through.” Obafemi Hamzat HE incumbent state Commissioner for Works is alleged to have indirectly made his intention to rule Lagos in 2015 known on his Facebook account over a year ago. Although messages were indirect, “but insinua-

tions suggested nothing but the fact that the technocrat was strongly considered by Fashola and Tinubu,” a party source said on Friday. The source said that when the APC merger arrangement started in 2012, Governor Babatunde Fashola and the party leader, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, reached an agreement that Fashola should fund the merger, while Tinubu would, in return, support Hamzat, as the preferred candidate of the outgoing governor. This secret but subtle arrangement somehow got leaked to some of the party loyalists, such as Dr. Muiz Banire, Senator Ganiyu Solomon, and the Commissioner for Environment, Mr. Tunji Bello, who allegedly confronted Tinubu and told him that, “they would never, for any reason, allow Fashola to impose a governorship candidate on them the way Tinubu imposed him (Fashola) on the party in 2007.” It was gathered that some radicals within the party also threatened to stay away instead of allowing Governor Fashola to have his way. However, not long after, it came to public awareness that Hamzat is not an indigene of Lagos East or an indigene of Lagos; rather a scion of a traditional ruler in Ogun State. At a time of clamour for an indigene for the post of governor, “this revelation, with a huge setback, may have technically knocked out Hamzat,” a member of the party lamented at the weekend. Adeyemi Ikuforiji HE Speaker, Lagos State House of Assembly, who is from Lagos East, is, serving on the ticket of Lagos West. He moved from the East to the West in 2011 when the speakership ticket was zoned to the West, to enable him re-emerged as the Speaker. Ikuforiji’s governorship ambition is not new. In 2011, he nursed a similar goal before the ACN leadership decided to return Governor Fashola for a second term. However, this time, he must overcome the ongoing case of corruption against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). Tinubu is said to be highly sympathetic with Ikuforiji but a source said, “there is nothing he could do, as the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is calling for him to step down as Speaker of the House until the EFCC case is resolved.” The source added: “I believe there is a deliberate agenda to drag the case for long simply to checkmate Ikuforiji’s 2015 governorship ambition.”

from Lagos West and a Muslim by faith. The fact that the party has zoned the governorship ticket to Lagos East may exclude him from the 2015 race. Yet, the party leadership cannot afford to ignore his political relevance in Mushin and Alimosho Federal Constituencies, where he and Senator Solomon have strong influence. “If excluded from the governorship race, their combination is capable of wreaking serious havoc on the party in the constituencies,” a source said. “So, the party is advised to address that aspect with caution.” Gbenga Ashafa HE Senator representing Lagos East would face not one but several challenges in his quest to succeed Fashola in 2015. First is his Muslim background and the fact he is a first term senator, who needs to gain more political experience. He is a member of the Mandate Group, one of the political platforms within the party, which Tinubu has reportedly vowed not to allow access to the governor’s power in Lagos. The senator is also not getting full support of most traditional rulers and people in Lagos East. A lawmaker from the zone told The Guardian that Ibeju Lekki would not produce the governor in 2015. “Every benefit coming to the zone cannot be enjoyed by Ibeju Lekki alone,” he said. “They have the planned airport, Free Trade Zone, the senatorial ticket and they are asking also to be governor. That is not possible.” However, a reliable source said Tinubu has succeeded in convincing Ashafa to shelve his governorship ambition. Leke Pitan NOTHER strong contender for the post of governor, he was former Commissioner for Health and Education, and served in other capacities under the state government. He believes the odds will favour him, especially being a Christian from Lagos East, and it the primaries are thrown open. But the clog in his case is whether he will secure the blessings of Governor Fashola and Asiwaju Tinubu in his quest. He belongs to the Mandate Group, which the two kingmakers in the party in the state are not favourably disposed to.

Hamzat He is also alleged to have a Cold War with Fashola, with our source saying: “If there is anything Fashola would fight with the last drop of his blood, it would be Ikuforiji succeeding him as governor.” Abike Dabiri-Erewa HE current Chairperson, House of Representatives Committee on the Diaspora, would complete a third term of 12 years in 2015, representing Ikorodu Federal Constituency. However, according to a source: “The lawmaker has been made to understand that the ticket for the Ikorodu Federal Constituency does not belong to any individual; therefore, her chances of retaining the seat in 2015 is very slim.” The source said the best she could achieve “is either a post of commissioner or any other effective post within the party but definitely not the governor, deputy governor or a return ticket to the House.” “Indeed, there is the fear the party might risk losing that ticket if it insisted on fielding her again for the fourth time in 2015.” But another source dismissed the above calculations, insisting that Mrs. Dabiri-Erewa, a Muslim, from Lagos East, has her eyes set on the position of deputy governor, as the odds will not favour her governorship ambition. Muiz Banire LAWYER and Acting National Legal Adviser of the APC, he is a three-time commissioner

Spontaneous opposition to Akiolu’s proclamation By Abiodun Fanoro RIOR to last week, there appeared to be a measP ure of balance in the activities and expectations of the aspirants to the Lagos governorship on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC). They were mutually hopeful that their individual chance was bright having in mind that the party and its leadership would provide a level playing ground and refrain from deploying their weight behind any aspirant. However, this situation did not last, as the apple cart was upset by the comment of the Oba of Lagos, Rilwan Akiolu, who, at a public book presentation in Lagos, declared Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode as the anointed ‘governor’ to succeed Governor Babatunde Fashola in 2015. This implies that the door has been closed against other aspirants, including those from other political parties. Among APC aspirants that have shown interest in Fashola’s job are the state’s former Health Commissioner, Dr. Leke Pitan; the former Accountant-General, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode; Senator Ganiyu Solomon; incumbent Commissioner for Works, Babatunde Hamzat; member, House of Representatives, Mrs. Abike Dabiri-Erewa and the Acting National Legal Adviser to the APC, Dr. Muiz Banire. Expectedly, the monarch’s pronouncement has sent the state’s political landscape to a Tsunamilike commotion, as various interest groups and the aspirants, except Ambode, are visibly jolted, battered and obviously demoralised. Dr. Pitan, one of the frontline aspirants, declined to speak when The Guardian sought his views on Oba Akiolu’s comment. However, in a telephone chart, one of Pitan’s media officers said his boss has enormous respect for the Oba and all traditional rulers and would not do anything to undermine them, no matter the issue involved. According to him: “Dr. Leke Pitan holds in high esteem the Oba of Lagos, our revered father, Rilwan Akiolu, like other traditional rulers and would at no time move away from this position, no matter what happens. “Dr. Pitan has no ill feeling against anybody’s personal opinion, especially when it is not part of the

Pitan

processes of primaries that are well spelt out in our party’s constitution. “We are not perturbed at all; rather, we are more resolute in our goal and it has galvanised more citizens of Lagos to stand up and support us, further showing even more than before that the majority of the good people of Lagos State are behind us.” In what portrays him as someone who believes that the party would provide a level playing ground and has no anointed candidate, Dr. Pitan, in an interview with The Guardian more than one week before Akilolu’s comment, expressed his confidence in the party and its readiness to conduct a free and fair primary election. His words: “I have never thought of internal democracy not working. I expect and presume that that internal democracy will work. “That there would be a level playing field for everybody within the context of the fact that anybody that would eventually emerge would be capable of winning the governorship election. “Therefore, the party would always want to put its best candidate forward for the election. It is just normal for the party to bring out its best candidate. In this case, we talk of a candidate with experience and a track record of performance, which the people could testify, too.” He proverbial: “If the party promises to give clothes or dresses to a community that has no

dresses, the party would not take a carpenter (candidate) to the community because, when members of the community see a carpenter, they would quickly conclude that he has been sent to come and prepare coffins for them. “But if a tailor is sent to them, they would be convinced that the party means well and truly wants to clothe them.” The aspirant, who believes that agitation for a Christian to govern the state is legitimate, however gives a note of caution. “It is within the right of individuals or groups to agitate or demand a fair share of any common inheritance, but this must be carried out in a decorous manner, without threatening the general peace and order,” he said. “Therefore, my reaction is that there is need for caution the way the agitation for a Christian governor for the state is being promoted. This should be done with great respect for the common things that bind us together. “Having said that, it is just natural for people to demand a fair share. I think that is what the clamour is all about. I am of the view that it is legitimate but it must be done without undermining peace and stability of the state and our peaceful co-existence.” The Lagos Development Advocacy Group (LDAG), one of the groups believed to be promoting the governorship aspiration of the Executive Chairman of the Lagos Inland Revenue Service, Mr. Babatunde William Fowler, has frowned at the comment credited to Oba Akiolu, noting that the Oba deviated from the impartial position the institution is reputed for. In a statement, the group’s Executive Chairman, Mr. Oluyemi Olukunle, said the Oba was supposed to be the father of all irrespective of political leanings or interests and that to that extent, he was expected to be an arbiter that should mediate in whatever dispute that may result from governorship contest. His words: “We, at this period, call for caution, as our traditional and religious leaders have enormous responsibility of helping to douse inevitable tensions that may arise from intra-party and interparty politics in the state. “We assert our confidence in our traditional institutions and leadership and their onerous role of promoting peace and tranquility in our communities.” Notwithstanding the Oba’s comment, the LDAG expressed confidence in the APC to allow a level

playing ground and conduct a free and fair primary poll for all the aspirants. “It is our firm belief that the leadership of our great progressive party, the All Progressives Congress, will allow a level playing ground for all aspirants to test their popularity through a credible primary in preparation for the 2015 general elections,” it said. Another interest group, the New Lagos Movement (NLM), which has taken the APC to court over its recent State Congress, also faulted the pronouncement of Akiolu on the governorship contest. While admitting that the Oba has the right to support any candidate of his choice, the spokesperson for the group, Mr. Popoola Ajayi, advised the Oba to allow the relevant political parties to decide who their candidates would be. “The Oba only expressed his personal opinion and he has every right to support any aspirant of his choice,” Ajayi said. “More importantly, he is not known as a cardcarrying member of APC; so, he should leave the party members alone to choose any of their members to rule the state after Fashola.” The group kicked against any attempt to impose any candidate on the party, and charged the party to go for a free and fair primary where all the aspirants would have equal opportunity to test their acceptability or otherwise. “It (choice of candidate) must be all-inclusive; it’s not just a person or individuals seating somewhere to handpick their surrogate whose commitment and loyalty will be to them alone instead of Lagosians,” it said. “Whoever wants to be the next governor of Lagos State must be ready to subject himself/herself to direct primaries, as stipulated in the party’s constitution.” However, the APC’s Director of Publicity in the Southwest, Ayo Afolabi, said that those who claimed to be angered by Akiolu’s comment were merely crying wolf and ignorant. According to him, the party, as a democratic organisation, would follow the due process in its constitution to elect its candidate for the Lagos governor in 2015.

THE GUARDIAN www.ngrguardiannews.com

8 NEWS Monday, May 26, 2014

Two policemen feared dead in Arepo pipeline explosion By Odita Sunday O fewer than two policemen were feared dead in an explosion that rocked the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) pipeline in Arepo village in Ogun State yesterday. Casualty figure was still sketchy as at the time The Guardian got the report, but the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA)

said the explosion followed a shootout between pipeline vandals and the security personnel deployed to protect pipelines at the Arepo area. According to an eyewitness, some policemen from the Anti-pipeline Task Force had stormed the area based on tip-off that vandals had struck again. However, the vandals saw them from afar and tried to scare them off using gunshots, while attempting to es-

cape with the stolen petroleum products. The policemen were said to have engaged the vandals, now at large, in a gun duel that saw them retreat into the swamp. The Guardian learnt that the explosion occurred during the shootout as bullets penetrated the steel frame casing the products. While the casualty number is yet to be ascertained, eyewitnesses claimed that the ex-

plosion must have killed two policemen and some of the vandals, as they were very close to the pipeline when it erupted. Confirming the incident, the NEMA South-West Zonal Spokesperson, Mr. Ibrahim Farinloye, said the pipeline probably exploded as a result of heavy fire, adding: “Though we are yet to ascertain what transpired that set off the pipelines, we figure the explo-

sion must have been set off by fireballs during the exchange of gunfire. “The police were alerted late Saturday night that vandals had again struck at Arepo. The team set off to investigate but the vandals tried to pursue them with their gun power, but the police repelled them. “However, due to the ruggedness of the terrain, we have not been able to carry out res-

French firm trains Nigerians to manage wind energy project By Oghogho Obayuwana, Foreign Affairs Editor, Paris, France S Nigeria battles to increase the quantum of foreign investments, its domestic security challenge has ironically yielded an arrangement that translates to a transfer of technology in the power sector. French wind turbine manufacturer, Vergnet has announced in Orleans that a Nigerian wind energy experts team is being built to “localise high grade technological scientists” in Nigeria and to operate, maintain and continuously develop the fledging wind energy industry as an alternative source of electricity in Nigeria. In 2012, the French company’s operations in Nigeria suffered a set back following the kidnapping of its expatriates by the Boko Haram sister organisation Ansaru in Rimi, Katsina

State. Its other experts on ground fled. A subsequent disagreement with the Federal Ministry of Power stalled the completion and “automation” of the Katsina wind farm project. Fielding questions from a team of international journalists at the company’s headquarters in France, at the just ended media forum on the new trends in climate change and the politics of international cooperation, the president of the Board of Directors of Vergnet Jerome Douat said the training of some selected Nigerian engineers in order to drive the clean energy high tech project was novel. “It is a sacrifice we now have to make. This has never been done before. The practice was to always send in the expatriates, sign agreements in this regard and to continue to be in

charge...but the time for a change has now come”, he added. Flanked by its charge d’ Affairs Africa, Sylvia’s Charrier and corporation’s Secretary General Henri-Luc Julienne, the Vergnet boss disclosed: “Since that time (The kidnapping and vandalisation of site office), we found it difficult to send people from here to finish the project. For 18 months now, its been like this, not finished, not commissioned. Our kidnapped tech-

nologists were only released in December last year. We lost quality equipment. The office in Rimi was vandalised. But we want to continue the partnership, now in a different way...” He spoke further on the 20 million euros project: “Everyone knows that Nigeria needs energy. We want to finish the job because we want to be a partner of Nigeria. We have to find a way around it to complete the job. So, we will start in two weeks time, training of six

saries. Fagge who spoke with reporters at the end of the 18th National Delegates Conference of the union held in Ibadan lamented the dwindling quality of Council members. While stating that ASUU would resist the appointment of people of doubtful quality and integrity into university Governing Councils, Fagge noted that if incompetent Governing Councils are allowed to steer the nation’s university management, it would lead to chaotic and crises ridden system through the appointment of incompetent Vice chancellors and principal officers.

On 2015, Fagge noted that the political space in Nigeria wass increasingly becoming intolerant, desperate and unhealthy for the polity. The ASUU president who said that Nigerians were not being given sufficient options to choose from , added that “the same crop of crooks are recycling themselves from one party to another to scramble for power” While noting that the ruling elite has systematically edged out the people from the governance equation, Fagge averred that the “crop of looters in the garb of rulers pretending to be leaders cannot create the Nigeria of our dream”

Edo APC, SDMP others bicker over party’s registration, congresses From Alemma-Ozioruva Aliu, Benin City HE Edo State chapters of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Labour Party (LP), National Conscience Party (NCP) and the Social Democratic Mega Party (SDP) yesterday engaged in war of words over allegation of betrayal of trust and manipulation of party membership registration and congresses by the APC. Governorship candidates of the three political parties in the 2012 election in the state; Andrew Igwemoh (LP), Paul Orumwnese (NCP) and Frank Ukonga (SDMP) in a joint statement under the aegis of Governorship Candidates of the Allied Political Parties, yesterday in Benin City accused Governor Adams Oshiomhole of running a private agenda in the APC. They also condemned in strong terms the alleged “abysmal handling” of the party’s ward congresses and registration accusing the governor of high handedness in the affairs of the party. The statement accused the governor of he deliberately “ alienating stakeholders led by Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu in the same way he treated the

Allied Political Parties Governorship candidates that assisted him in the governorship election.” But the state ‘s APC Interim Publicity Secretary , Godwin Erhahon in an interview said the parties were not competent to comment on the issues of membership registration because they are not members of the APC in the State. Erhahon said they could join forces with Iyamu if they so chose: adding that he was not also aware of any agreement or understanding between them and the governor before, during and after the 2012 gubernatorial polls in the state. “They are not competent to comment on the issue of membership registration or the congresses. Of the three, only the Labour Party governorship candidate can make comments but the rest two cannot; they are not members of the APC and therefore cannot comment on the exercise. I am also not aware of any understanding between them and the governor on any issue. I wish them well if they say they say they are part of Pastor Ize Iyamu.” The former candidates further alleged that the APC congresses held in the state were characterized by fraud

Right group wants Zamfara to tackle malnutrition in kids From Isah Ibrahim,Gusau

Nigerian engineers. The objective is to get a Nigerian expert team. The reason why a certain high level team of expatriates are in developing countries most of the time is because of the lack of capacity at that high level, so now we send high grade experts when you can have it from that same country. So now many years you have talked about real transfer of technology, we want transfer of know how. This will happen in Nigeria.”

ASUU alleges politics in appointment of varsities’ governing councils From Iyabo Lawal, Ibadan ATIONAL President of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) Dr Nasir Fagge yesterday raised alarm over alleged politicization of appointment of governing council members in the nation’s universities. He warned that the growing twin tumors of corruption and impunity may consume the very existence of the country if not arrested, incarcerated and destroyed. He alleged that visitors of public universities have turned the appointment of Governing Council members into political compensation to allies or political bait to adver-

cue operations there, so at the moment, we can’t ascertain the casualty number.” According to Farinloye, four policemen were rescued alive, and though the terrain is hampering rescue operations, the emergency team on the ground was mapping out measures to conquer it.

and insincerity on the part of the party leadership. “It is evident that the sham party registration and congresses have depleted the membership of the APC with the mass decampment by former members of the party including some members of the state House of Assembly and other leaders cutting across the three senatorial districts. “We are aware that the structure and platform that saw the emergence of Oshiomhole as candidate and later governor of Edo State were put in place by the founding members of the Action Congress (AC) which later transformed to ACN under the leadership of Pastor Ize Iyamu. “The group is stupefied to see the governor playing the ostrich with Iyamu, Prince Tony Omoaghe, Amos Osunbor and Alhaji Usman Shagadi who laboured endlessly to ensure that he emerged as candidate and succeeded at the polls in 2007 and 2012”. They accused the governor of embarking on “winner takes all” and in the process relegated the allied group and other relevant stakeholders who ordinarily should have continued to back him .

OALITION of civil society C organizations working on Maternal Newborn and Child Health [MNCH] in Zamfara State, has decried the rising cases of infant deaths in the state due to malnutrition. The group raised the alarm at the weekend in Gusau, at the end of its quarterly meeting. In a statement, the group’s acting secretary, Muhammad Sabiu called on the state government to complement the efforts of UNICEF and Save the Children in their bid to curtail the menace of malnutrition in children. The coalition called on the state government to release funds for the procurement of drugs for the treatment of complicated cases affecting thousands of malnourished children in the state. They further stressed the need for the state government to review upwards the salary and conditions of service for health workers in the state in order to stem the tide of mass exodus of such officers.

Corp member feared killed in auto crash From Abiodun Fagbemi, Ilorin. FUEL tanker on Saturday A evening rammed into a motorcycle conveying a member of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), Muibi Abdulrasaq, killing him in on the spot along Ilesha-Baruba road in Baruten council of Kwara State . An eyewitness account revealed that the deceased corps member, and an unidentified colleague, were passengers on a commercial motorcycle that was trying to overtake the fuel loaded-tanker. The tanker was said to be coming from Saki in Oyo State to dispense the petroleum product to a filling station along the Nigeria-Benin Republic boarder route, while the two corps members were coming from a market in the IleshaBaruba community. The source noted that as the motorcycle was trying to overtake the tanker, it had an head on collision with an incoming wheel barrow. While the cyclist and the other corps members fell into a nearby gutter, the deceased was said to have rammed into the tyres of the moving tanker. The State Police Command’s Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Mr Ajayi Okasanmi who confirmed the incident, added that the tanker driver was already in police custody and undergoing interrogation.

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Monday, May 26, 2014

PHOTONEWS

Kwara State Governor, Abdulfatah Ahmed (left); interacting with the students of Jubilee Nursery and Primary School, Ilorin, at the International Airport, Ilorin

Yobe State Governor, Ibrahim Gaidam (middle); Speaker, Adamu Dala Dogo,(first right), Vice Chancellor, Yobe State University, Prof, Musa Alabe (second left), and other officials, during an inspection of completed road projects executed by the state government within the University Campus in Damaturu.

Cross section of members of the NGO, Women for Change Development Initiative Oyo State Chapter, during a prayer session held to round up the seven days fasting for the release of the girls kidnapped at Chibok by Boko Haram in Ibadan PHOTO: NAJEEM RAHEEM

Administrative Manager, CARMAX Autocare Centre, Ms Uyi Imafidon (left); Managing Director, Andrew Ogunlana; and Sales Manager, Ms Nosa Idahosa, during the launch of CARMAX Autoguard in Lagos PHOTO: SUNDAY AKINLOLU

Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Protection Plus Services Ltd, Ubong King (left); Executive Director, Ivy King, Flag Officer Commanding, Easter Naval Command, Real Admiral Obiora C. Medani, Commander, Nigerian Navy Hospital, Calabar, Surgeon Commodore Jeremiah Onubi, at the re-commissioning of Borehole Water project for Nigerian Navy Hospital, Calabar

President, Nigeria Computer Society, Prof. David Adewumi (left); Chairman, Computer Professionals Registration Council of Nigeria, Sekinat Yusuf; Director General, National Information Technology Development Agency, Peter Jack; and President, Information Technology Association of Nigeria, Florence Seriki, at the Stakeholders Forum and Hosting of DG by ITAN in Lagos PHOTO: FEMI ADEBESIN-KUTI

Corporate Affairs Adviser, Nigerian Breweries Plc, Kufre Ekanem (left); Marketing Director, Nigerian Breweries Plc. Walter Drenth; Marketing Manager, Consumer Market Intelligence, Nigerian Breweries Plc., Emmanuel Oriakhi; President, Outdoor Advertising Association of Nigeria (OAAN), Charles Chijide; Chairman, Media Link, Babu Akinbobola, and Senior Brand Manager, Star Lager Beer, Ita Bassey, at the eighth Exhibition and Poster Awards in Lagos

Brand Communications Manager, Oral-B, Tomiwa Ajewole (left); winner of the Moderate Category, Tayo Adelekan; winner of the Severe Category, Tosin Adekoya; winner of the Mild Category, Jaiye Johnson; and Initiator, Project Smile, Dr. Amy Traore-Shumbusho, during the Project Smile Award Ceremony, which took place at Smile 360 Dental Specialist, Ikoyi, Lagos.

10 Monday, May 26, 2014

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WorldReport Sudanese rebels launch ‘big offensive’ in Kordofan S UDANESE rebels said they have launched a major operation against an area in South Kordofan which a controversial counter-insurgency unit showed off to journalists after “liberating” it last week. The local commander of the government troops, known as Rapid Support-2, was reported killed. “Our forces launched (a) big offensive in Daldako”, Arnu Ngutulu Lodi, spokesman for the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N), told AFP late Saturday in an email. Fighting continued into Saturday evening, said Lodi, who could not be contacted on Sunday. Troops from Rapid Support-2 said they had seized the strategic Daldako area, 17 kilometres (11 miles) northeast of South Kordofan’s state capital Kadugli, on May 18. Two days later they flew journalists to the area, allowing a rare visit to a war zone where access is tightly restricted. Troops held a victory rally, followed by another one the next day in the capital Khartoum. But yesterday the Al-Sudani newspaper, quoting Defence Minister, Abdelrahim Mohammed Hussein, said the Daldako field commander of Rapid Support-2 had been killed in the rebel counterattack. He said government forces defeated the rebels but Colonel Hussein Jeber al-Dar lost his life. “He was a brave man,” the newspaper quoted the minister as saying.

Sudan’s military spokesman could not be reached for comment but the Facebook page of Rapid Support said Dar had died. It gave no details about the cause of death. Residents of Kadugli reported hearing heavy outgoing government artillery fire on Saturday morning. “It was really serious shelling all morning yesterday,” one resident told AFP. “It was unusual.” Ethnic minority rebels in South Kordofan have been fighting government forces for three years in a largely-hidden war which the United Nations says has affected more than one million people.

An elderly woman (left) signs a vote register before casting her ballot in her house in Khotyanivka village, outside Kiev yesterday.

Poland’s last Communist leader dies Putin condemns Prince Charles’s ‘Nazi’ remarks OLAND’S last Communist leader General Wojciech LADIMIR Putin has Russian president said: “In as I am, are guided by nation- PJaruzelski has died aged 90 after a long illness, Polish media Vdescribed Prince Charles’s such cases, I am reminded of al interests rather than some say. reported comparison of him a good expression: If you’re with Adolf Hitler as “unacceptable”. A former Polish war refugee who met the Prince of Wales during a royal tour to Canada said he had likened some Nazi actions in Europe to those of Putin. The Russian president, who has faced criticism in the West over Russia’s actions in Ukraine, said if the prince had made such comments they were “wrong” and “not royal behaviour”. Clarence House declined to comment. Asked about the prince’s reported comments during an interview with international news agencies, the

angry, you’re wrong. “Pass this on both to the prime minister and Prince Charles. He has visited our country many times. I did not hear him say that. “If that is so, then of course it is unacceptable. I think that he himself understands this. He is a well-brought-up man. I am acquainted both with him and members of the royal family. “This is not royal behaviour.” Despite criticism from the UK of Russia’s recent actions, Putin played down a worsening of relations between the countries. He added: “I think that if our partners in Great Britain, just

Afghans sack 5,300 poll staff FGHANISTAN’S election A commission has fired 5,338 of its staff over alleged fraud in the first round of presidential elections last month. Those sacked will be barred from working on the second round next month, commission officials said. Both the leading candidates

PHOTO: AFP

have made allegations of fraud. Millions of Afghans defied Taliban threats to take part in the election. Turnout was double that of the previous election in 2009. Former Foreign Minister, Abdullah Abdullah won the most votes in the first round,

with 44.9 per cent. Ex-Finance Minister, Ashraf Ghani came second with 31.5 per cent. Most of those dismissed were district field co-ordinators who were responsible for polling centres on election day.

other considerations, then all this will pass quite quickly and we’ll continue to co-operate as we have done before”. The Russian president made clear this would not “go on to become a real diplomatic problem” between the Britain and Russia, she said. The prince’s alleged comments were made during a conversation with a former Polish war refugee during a royal tour to Canada. He was speaking to 78-yearold Marienne Ferguson, who left Poland for Canada shortly before the Nazi occupation, at an immigration museum in Halifax, Nova Scotia. They had been discussing Hitler’s takeover of countries. Ferguson said the prince said “something to the effect of ‘it’s not unlike... what Putin is doing’”. The prince and the Russian president are both due to attend a D-Day anniversary event in France next month. The Russian embassy said the reported remarks were “outrageous”, but reaction in the UK was more supportive of the prince.

Gen Jaruzelski led Poland from 1981, when he declared martial law and ordered the arrest of the pro-democracy Solidarity leader Lech Walesa. But he lifted martial law two years later and after growing unrest was forced to negotiate with Solidarity in 1989. He had been in ill health for some time. Gen Jaruzelski fought in a Polish unit of the Russian army during World War Two and rose up the military ranks after the war to become chief “political officer” of Poland’s armed forces. He was defence minister at the time of the 1968 Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia, in which Polish soldiers took part. He denied ordering the fatal shooting of dozens of shipyard workers in the northern cities of Gdansk and Gdynia in 1971, for which he was later put on trial. Gen Jaruzelski was also tried in 2008 by Poland’s postCommunist authorities for his December 1981 decision to impose martial law. Tanks rolled on to the streets and thousands of opposition activists were arrested overnight.

Grenade attack in Djibouti condemned HE European Union Naval Force and the African Union on T Sunday both condemned a grenade attack in the tiny East African nation of Djibouti that is reported to have killed three people. The attack happened Saturday night when a grenade blast detonated in a busy restaurant. The port city of Djibouti is used as a base by several militaries including the United States, which has its only permanent base in Africa in Djibouti. The Djiboutian news agency ADI said three people died and 15 were wounded. Djibouti contributes troops to the African Union military force fighting militants in Somalia.

Egyptian crackdown risks spreading instability abroad, Islamist warns In an interview with Reuters, FORMER Muslim the price, and for which the ment was using that fight to Brotherhood leader has Abol Fotouh predicted wider A world will pay the price,” he repress legitimate political warned that government consequences flowing from said in the interview, which opposition, including the oppression in Egypt is fanning militancy that will pose a threat abroad unless the army-backed authorities start respecting freedom and human rights. Abdel Moneim Abol Fotouh, who left the Brotherhood in 2011, said that once former army chief, Abdel Fattah alSisi wins a presidential election this week, as is widely expected, he had two choices: restore Egypt’s path to democracy, or risk more instability that will dash hopes for economic development.

the crackdown launched last year after the military overMuslim the threw Mohamed Brotherhood’s Mursi, Egypt’s first democratically-elected president. He noted, for example, how past oppression in the Middle East had bred radicalism of the type that led to the September 11, 2001 attacks on the United States. “The world around us must recognize that it will not be stable unless Egypt is stable, and what is going on now is producing terrorism for which Egyptians are paying

was conducted on May 21. The security forces killed hundreds of Mursi’s supporters and jailed thousands more after his removal from power. Members of secular pro-democracy groups have also been jailed. The state, claiming a popular mandate for crushing the Brotherhood, says it is in a war against Islamist militants who have killed several hundred members of the security forces in bombings and shootings that followed Mursi’s removal. Abol Fotouh said the govern-

Brotherhood which denies that it has turned to violence. This contrasted to tactics used by autocrat Hosni Mubarak, who was overthrown in a popular uprising in 2011. “Hosni Mubarak didn’t do this. He repressed the politicians on one hand, and the terrorist groups on the other,” said Abol Fotouh. “The current regime is mixing them all together.” “This regime is generating terrorism. If this oppression and injustice does not stop, the base of terrorism will expand.”

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Wednesday, May 26, 2014 WORLDREPORT

Netanyahu blasts Europe as two Jews are killed in Belgium -ISRAEL yesterday blamed -Brussels rising anti-Semitism for a shooting attack,

Pope Francis blesses a child, from his popemobile, as he leaves the Manger Square after presiding over an open-air mass outside the Church of the Nativity in the West Bank Biblical town of Bethlehem yesterday. PHOTO: AFP

Israeli-Palestinian conflict ‘unacceptable,’ Pope insists OPE Francis made an P unscheduled stop at Israel’s towering West Bank separation wall in Bethlehem yesterday after calling for an end to the “increasingly unacceptable” Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The pope has said his threeday visit to the Middle East, which began in Jordan Saturday, has “purely religious” motives, but Palestinians hoped he would show support for statehood, weeks after the collapse of USbrokered peace talks with the Israelis. Francis was to continue his visit with a trip to Jerusalem later Sunday and meetings with Israeli leaders. He flirted with the region’s

sensitive politics when he climbed out of his white, open jeep in Bethlehem as his convoy passed near the controversial separation wall erected by the Israelis. Dressed in his white cassock and flanked by anxious Palestinian security guards, he walked over to the eightmetre (26-foot) high concrete barrier, which is topped by a guard tower. Bowing his head in silent prayer, he paused for several minutes in front of the graffiti-daubed wall, his palm resting against the concrete. “Pope we need to see someone to speak about justice. Bethlehem look like Warsaw ghetto. Free Palestine,” read the graffiti in English,

scrawled over the wall that had been painted by the Israelis only on Friday. The unexpected stop came as the pope, who is on a threeday visit to the Middle East, was on his way to celebrate mass with 10,000 pilgrims in a packed and colourful Manger Square, next to the site Christians revere as the birthplace of Jesus. His arrival in the West Bank early Sunday marked the start of the second stage of his brief tour aimed at easing an ancient rift with Orthodox Christians and speaking out in favour of regional peace. Looking tired as he arrived from Jordan by helicopter, the pope received a red carpet welcome from local officials

Thai protesters test military’s resolve HAILAND’S military tightT ened its grip on power yesterday as it moved to quell growing protests, saying anyone violating its orders would be tried in military court. It also took its first steps to revitalize a battered economy, saying nearly a million farmers owned money under the previous government’s failed rice-subsidy scheme would be paid within a month. The military overthrew the government on Thursday after months of debilitating and at times violent confrontation between the populist government of Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra and the royalist establishment. Critics say the coup will not end the conflict between the rival power networks: the Bangkok-based elite dominated by the military, old money families and the bureaucracy, and an upstart clique led by Yingluck’s brother and former telecommunication mogul, Thaksin Shinawatra. The Shinawatras draw much of their influence from the provinces. The military has detained

numerous people including Yingluck and many of her ministers, party officials and supporters. Leaders of six months of anti-government protests against Yingluck have also been held. The military said they will be freed within a week. The military has thrown out the constitution, censored the media and dismissed the upper house Senate, Thailand’s last functioning legislature. Yesterday, it said anyone accused of insulting the monarchy or violating its orders would face military court. Power now lies in the hands of army chief General, Prayuth Chan-ocha and his junta known as the National Council for Peace and Order, and their priorities appeared to be stamping out dissent and tending to the economy. An army spokesman warned against protests and told the media to be careful in its reporting too. “For those who use social media to provoke, please stop because it’s not good for anyone,” deputy army spokesman, Winthai Suvaree

said in a televised statement. Despite the warnings, a small crowd of protesters, some holding handwritten signs such as “Anti the Coup” and “Get out Dictators”, formed outside a central shopping center in the morning and grew through the day.

and priests. Palestinian president, Mahmud Abbas received him at his palace with a warm embrace. Abbas raised the thorny subject of Jerusalem, claimed both by Israel and the Palestinians as their capital — accusing Israel of “systematically acting to change its identity and character, and strangling the Palestinians, both Christians and Muslims, with the aim of pushing them out.” Francis did not mince words in his speech, as he called for peace. “The time has come to put an end to this situation which has become increasingly unacceptable,” he said. “The time has come for everyone to find the courage... to forge a peace which rests on the acknowledgement by all of the right of two states to exist and to live in peace and security within internationally recognised borders.” Israel began building a vast barrier through the West Bank in 2002 at the height of the second Palestinian intifada, or uprising, saying its construction was crucial for security.

which killed three people, including two Israelis, lashing out at Europe for “hypocrisy” in its attitude to the Jewish state. As officials confirmed the deaths of two Israelis and a French national in Saturday’s attack on the Jewish museum in the Belgian capital, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was quick to hail the visiting Pope Francis for his “determined stance” against anti-Semitism. “We appreciate the pope’s determined stance against anti-Semitism, especially in light of the growing hatred of Jews that we are witness to in these days,” Netanyahu said, hours ahead of the pontiff’s arrival in Israel as part of a three-day Middle East tour. The afternoon shooting shocked Belgium and drew condemnation from top European leaders, although Brussels said it could not immediately confirm whether it was “a terrorist or anti-Semitic act”. But Netanyahu said the attack was a result of “incessant incitement against Israel by different elements in the Middle East and Europe itself,” denouncing

the latter for what he said was a hypocritical attitude to Israel. “There are elements in Europe that rush to condemn the construction of a flat in Jerusalem but who do not rush to condemn, or offer only a weak condemnation of the murder of Jews here or in Europe itself,” he said, referring to Israel’s ongoing settlement construction in the West Bank and in annexed east Jerusalem. “Even worse, they applaud unity with terror groups like Hamas, which calls for the destruction of Israel,” he said. The rightwing premier was referring to Europe’s welcome of an intra-Palestinian reconciliation agreement between leaders in the West Bank and the Islamist rulers of Gaza. “We oppose this hypocrisy, we defy it,” he said. However, he praised Belgian Prime Minister, Elio Di Rupo, who telephoned to express condolences and update the Israeli leader on the investigation. “Prime Minister Netanyahu thanked the Belgian prime minister for his call and offered to help with the murder enquiry,” his office said.

Gunmen kill eight policemen in Pakistan UNMEN killed at least G eight tribal police in an attack on a local checkpoint yesterday in Pakistan’s restive southwest, officials said. The incident occurred in the Waadh area of Khuzdar district, some 350 kilometres (217 miles) southwest of Quetta, the capital of oil- and gas-rich Baluchistan province which borders Iran and Afghanistan. “Gunmen attacked the checkpost early in the morning and shot dead eight tribal police officials, known as Levies,” provincial home secretary Akbar Hussain Durrani told AFP. He said one other officer was wounded in the attack but survived, adding police will question him over how the fighting occurred and who the gunmen were once his condition stabilises. A local intelligence official also confirmed the attack and casualties. So far, no group has claimed

responsibility for the attack. Baluchistan, Pakistan’s largest but least developed and most sparsely populated province, is racked by a separatist insurgency as well as sectarian violence, Islamist militants and banditry. The separatist conflict was revived in 2004, with nationalists seeking to stop what they see as the exploitation of the region’s natural resources and alleged rights abuses. The idea of giving greater autonomy to the province — which is the size of Italy but has just nine million inhabitants — is highly sensitive in a country still scarred by the war with its eastern portion in 1971, which saw that region break away to form an independent Bangladesh. Baluchistan, spread over an unforgiving landscape of mountains and deserts abutting Iran and Afghanistan, is rich in gas and mineral deposits — adding a financial dimension to the battle.

Deserted streets as rebel-held east Ukraine shuns poll HE streets were deserted in even finding somewhere “The fact that we have all Even before the vote, elecT yesterday in Ukraine’s to cast their ballots. turned up to work here today tion officials reported many rebel-held eastern hub of In the Donetsk district of shows that we’re not afraid,” Donetsk, with only a few polling stations open for an election many here are ignoring. “Ukraine is now another country so I don’t see why we should take part in this election,” said one woman in Donetsk city centre who gave her name as Elisabeta. “It doesn’t matter what the result is, it doesn’t concern us today.” Pro-Russian separatists waging an insurgency against the Kiev government have threatened to disrupt the vote in Donetsk and Lugansk, the main regions they control in the heart of Ukraine’s coal and steel industry.

cases of intimidaton and attacks on polling stations in the east, where scores of people have been killed since Ukrainian forces launched an offensive to crush the insurgents in midApril. According to the official Donetsk administration website, only 426 out of 2,430 polling stations were open about two hours after voting officially started. In Lugansk, officials had said only two out of 12 wider constituencies would open their polling stations. But some residents remained determined to exercise their democratic right despite the problems

Kalininska, housewife Raissa was visibly distressed to find the doors firmly closed at the school where she usually votes. “We went to the airport because we read we could vote there but there was nothing,” she said. “We can’t vote and that makes me want to cry,” she said. “I can’t stand this situation, I want to vote for change because I love Ukraine.” The story was however a little different in Dobropillya, a town west of Donetsk where election officials defied the rebel threats to make sure polling stations were open.

said Tetyana Shapovalova, the head of the polling centre. A steady trickle of voters, mainly elderly, came to cast their ballots in the frescoeceilinged cavernous hall of Dobropillya’s Stalin-era palace of culture. “I felt an obligation to come to vote. If we can organise all this in our town then I feel it is my duty to vote as a Ukrainian,” said Natalya Filatova who works at an agricultural firm. “It is scary of course but I had to vote, especially in this town where the people have defended themselves and the army is out surrounding the town.”

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Monday, May 26, 2014

Politics 2015: Victories in dozen litigation embolden Wada From John Akubo, Lokoja VEN after he was elected into office, E Governor Idris Ichalla Wada of Kogi State was perceived as not cut out for politics because of his gentle mien, principled stance on issues, as well as his peaceful disposition. For a man who had attained the peak of his carrier in the aviation industry as Captain-inCommand with the Nigerian Airways, and having risen to become a managing director and chief executive officer of an airline, politics appeared to be a different stroke. But gradually, he seems to be learning the ropes, going by his recent sacking of the state cabinet and the State Universal Basic Education Board. The cabinet was alleged to have been imposed on him as reward for his supposed ‘godfathers,’ who was reportedly responsible for his (Wada) seeming lack of firm grip in the early part of his administration. And the recent visit of the governor to Onyedega, the headquarters of Ibaji Local Government Area of the state, provided the platform for him to announce to the people that he was in firm control. Though the visit was to thank the people for giving him their mandate and for their solidarity with his government in the past two years, Wada used the opportunity to send strong messages to his detractors, perhaps emboldened by his victories (about 12) in a series of litigation. Hence, his speech at Onyedega took many of such his traducers by surprise, as he reeled out his achievements, and blueprint for transforming the state. Governor Wada described himself as the proverbial cat with nine lives, having fought and won 12 of the most daring legal battles of his electoral victory, even as he awaits the outcome of three more lawsuits. He said he had outlived the wish of his detractors, who predicted his government would not last for 12 months, but already, he had spent two years and some months in office. “In fact, with 15 court cases against me, 12 of which I have already won by the grace of God, I have unfortunately earned the unenviable designation as the most litigated governor in Nigeria today,” he said. He said that his initial focus was on the completion of ongoing projects, which he inherited because, for him, governance is a continuous process. “You do your tenure, you leave and another person will take over and do his own,” he said. “This belief is re-enforced by our pledge to prudently manage the available resources, by consolidating on every existing gain and avoiding the wasteful habits associated with abandoned projects.” Stressing that that decision has helped to minimise wastage of scarce resources, the governor said his administration has initiated several projects and programmes that cut across all sectors in the local governments of the state. Wada expressed his sense of fulfillment for completing most of the ongoing projects he inherited, adding that he had also completed several projects initiated by his administration. “So, it is pertinent to point out that we have made these remarkable achievements in spite of the avalanche of court litigation and negative publicity orchestrated by detractors who predicted we would not last one year in office but by the grace of God, we have done just over two years,” he said. “The various litigation were deliberate means of diverting our attention and focus so as to slow us down. However, it is right to make our critics acknowledge that within two years, we have done a lot of good to our people.” He said he would not be carried away by achievements since there was so much left to be done, adding that his government had set its hands on the sail and there was no going back.

Wada T the inauguration of two blocks of classrooms and a motorised solar-powered borehole in Ichalla-Ajode village, the governor announced the approval N400 million to fund micro-projects by the state’s Community and Social Development Agency across the state. He said the state government approved the money because the International Development Association (IDA) had stopped providing funds for the agency in 2014. “We have retained the status and structure of the agency for 2014,” he said. “We have been informed that there will be little or no IDA funding to such agencies in all the states of the federation. “We are, therefore, harnessing resources so that we commit at least N400 million to fund community projects.” Wada commended the agency’s community development approach, saying it is a reliable instrument for the development of the rural areas where about 70 per cent of the people live. The governor reiterated that the agency was vital to the state because rural dwellers have access to less than 20 per cent of the state resources. “This government strongly believes in the restoration of the dignity of man, which can only be achieved by stamping out the causes of poverty, disease and ignorance,” he said. The governor also promised to construct a road linking Ichalla-Ajode with Echabi Junction from Idah-Onyedega road, to ease the transportation challenges facing the community. The agency’s General Manager, Mr. James Odibla, said the World Bank had so far given it N1.2 billion to execute community development projects in the state. The state government had paid N421.5 million, as its counterpart funding and recently directed the payment of N1 million as the state’s contribution to the agency. Noting that the state government had also awarded a contract of N47.5 million for the construction of the agency’s secretariat, he said 260 micro-projects had been approved and N751 million disbursed directly to the communities as of March. He added that 226 of the 260 micro-projects had been completed. On the essence of his visit to the riverine people, Governor Wada said the local government tour was for several reasons, as it would enable him to acquaint citizens of Kogi State, especially those at the grassroots with the activities of his administration in the last two years. “It will also give me an opportunity to per-

Though the visit to Onyedega was to thank the people for giving him their mandate and for their solidarity with his government in the past two years, Wada used the opportunity to send strong messages to his detractors, perhaps emboldened by his victories (about 12) in a series of litigation. Hence, his speech took many of his traducers by surprise, as he reeled out his achievements, and blueprint for transforming the state. He described himself as the proverbial cat with nine lives, having fought and won 12 of the most daring legal battles of his electoral victory, even as he awaits the outcome of three more lawsuits. He said he had outlived the wish of his detractors, who predicted his government would not last for 12 months, but already, he had spent two years and some months in office. sonally assess the level of development and the problems and challenges confronting our people in the various local governments in our state,” he said. “The tour will also enable me to interact with the people, especially at the grassroots with a view to appreciating their problems, their aspiration, their expectation and their feelings about our government.” Besides enabling him see, first hand, the level of execution of projects by the state government, the local government and even the communities themselves; the visit would give him an opportunity to flag-off some of the projects in the various local councils. Most importantly, Wada indicated that he would use the opportunity of this tour to say “a big thank you” to the people of Ibaji local government and the other councils. “Since I came into office about two years ago with an overwhelming mandate freely given to me by the people of Kogi State to pilot the affairs of the people of the state, I haven’t had the opportunity of this (visit),” he said. “As much as I wanted to, I was faced with so many challenges among which are those that required me to go to Abuja more often than I will like to.” The governor explained that the people of Ibaji played a prominent role in his victory at the poll, because their overwhelming support was very instrumental to his final victory that saw him to the Lugard House, Lokoja. On the coincidence of his name with the community, the governor said his visit to Ibaji was historic because the first village he visited, Ichalla, happens be his middle name. His words: “It makes it very special to me. When my father gave me the name, Ichalla, after Idris, I disliked the name; I did not know there is a village called Ichalla that gave me that name. “You know my father had worked in all parts of Igala land, including Ibaji, as a judge. So, I am sure he had some special moments in the village of Ichalla; that is where I got my name.” OVERNOR Wada apparently responded to G a recent call by his predecessor in office, Alhaji Ibrahim Idris, to assist the Ibaji people with modern agricultural inputs and equipment to enable them up their ante in food production, which would enhance the revenue base of the state. Wada acceded to the prayers of the people, as he promised to attend to the issues at the appropriate time. Idris spoke recently during the Ibaji Day celebration in Lokoja, where he was honoured for

giving the people a lifeline of road that has linked them to the rest of the country. In his words: “I am very sure that Ibaji can feed the entire country if only they are given the needed support,” Idris said. “I will appeal — remember I cannot direct but plead — that the governor (Wada) should give to them all the necessary assistance to improve their dexterity in agriculture so that they can produce more to feed the entire nation. They are capable of doing that.” Indeed, the people of Ibaji local government of Kogi State, who are yet to recover fully from the 2012 flood disaster, which claimed their farmlands and produce, have the capacity to feed Nigeria if the government adequately supports them to regain lost grounds. For the people, their greatest need has been a network of roads to enable them transport their farm produce to the market. In his speech during the governor’s visit, the chairman of the local government, Mr. David Ina Ogu, blamed the 2012 flood for washing away the only road that linked the community to the rest of the world. “May I mention here that the road was prone to quick wash because it had no ‘asphalt overlay’,” he said, asking the governor to consider that, as his (Wada) visit had rekindled their hope to ask for more roads. Ogu appealed to the governor to consider constructing a road access to the potential oilfields on the upland from Odogwu, through Unale, Enweli, Ayeke, Odeke to Echenyo. On the prospect of the state joining the league of oil producing states, Governor Wada said it was not in doubt, but he warned the people to remain law-abiding over the oil well in its domain. He said the dispute over the oil well discovered in Odeke, a community in Ibaji local government, would soon be resolved in their favour. The discovery of oil well in the community, which shares boundary with Aguleri-Otu in Anambra State, has been a source of violence between the youths of the communities in the two states. But Wada warned the youths and the people of Ibaji against taking the laws into their hands over the oil well. “I understand few days ago, some of you carried a fight to the people of Anambra State; that is not right when we are negotiating at the highest level with the governor of that state under the watch of the President,” he said. “We should not take the law into our hands; the matter is being handled properly. “So, if you can just remain patient, we have one more point to be resolved and then the issue of our boundary will be defined and pronounced on by the Federal Government.” He appealed to all the leaders, the youths and the women to remain calm, adding that he was in communication with the new Governor of Anambra State (Mr. Willie Obiano), whom, he said, was committed to cooperating so that issue could be resolved peacefully. “Whatever happens, we know that the oil in that area belongs to Ibaji land,” he said. “So, if you remain peaceful and law-abiding, definitely, it will be resolved in our favour. “While we urge you to remain peaceful, be rest assured that government is very deeply concerned to achieve amicable resolution, at the highest level, of the various disturbances that have occurred in Ibaji land, particularly on the issue in Odeke and Echenyo.” Wada disclosed that the Boundary Commission had been directed by the President to delineate the boundary between Anambra and Kogi States. He said there were seven points of the boundary that needed to be determined out of which six had been completed. “It remains only one point for which coordinates are to be determined by the boundary commission,” he said, adding, “I want to urge everyone of you to cooperate fully with the Boundary Commission.”

Monday, May 26, 2014 POLITICS 13

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Jibrin Isah vs INEC: A case of judgment without justice? By Ogbonna V. Ogbonna ASICALLY, “lex non deficere potest in justitia B exhibenda” is a Latin legal maxim, which implies that the law can not fail in dispensing justice. It is expected that the primary aim of any adjudicating process ought to be geared towards occasioning a harmonious marriage between judgment and justice. Consequently to achieve the end of justice, the law not only requires that all parties to any given dispute be heard (audi alteram partem), but insists on strict adherence to the principle of “Fiat justitia ruat caelum,” another Latin maxim that means “Let justice be done though the heavens fall.” While saluting the industry deployed by their Lordships in arriving at the judgment of the Apex Court on 21st February, 2014 in the Kogi gubernatorial tussle, I cannot help admitting that I do not share the views of the honourable Supreme Court justices as a careful analysis of the judgment reveals that the Supreme Court committed several errors in both facts and law and overlooked the vast amount of evidence presented before it, while arriving at the decision, with new evidence ‘manufactured.’ My Lords held in paragraph two (2) of the lead judgment written by Bode Rhodes Vivour, SC that: “The facts are these: On the 9th day of January, 2011 the PDP conducted its primaries to decide who its candidate would be for gubernatorial elections in Kogi State slated for April 2011. The appellant, and the 2nd respondent, both members of the PDP participated in the primaries.” With respect I submit that, it amounts to delivering a judgement without justice by relying on a ‘fact’ that is non-existent and farcical. Let me emphasise here that, none of the parties to the suit made such averment. Besides, Wada himself even if under illusion couldn’t have averred that INEC Chairman, Attahiru Jega he did, because he was not even a member of the PDP at that time. So, how did their Lordships ar- court did not exist. See, Waziri & Anor v Ali & Anor (2009) 4NLWR (Pt. 1130)178 at 221 and 227 where rive at that conclusion? Why would my Lords render an opinion on the court held that a judgment delivered in refacts that were not before them nor averred by spect of an appeal from the decision of a trial any of the parties? What is more serious is the court, being one in continuation of the case beconfidence and certainty with which the justices fore the trial court is deemed to have started relied on the said non-existing ‘fact’ throughout from the date of the decision of trial court. The court further held that no legal conseits judgment to dismiss the case. It was simply a clear reminder of the many dramatic twists and quence can be derived from the judgment of the intrigues the case suffered at the level of the lower court which has been set aside or declared Appeal Court; as the date for the judgement on a nullity. Which was why, in compliance with the case at the appellate court suffered up to the January 27, 2012 decision in Marwa Vs Nyako, four adjournments. It was initially fixed for 20th INEC held governorship elections in Adamawa December 2012, rescheduled to 16th January, State on February 4, 2012, in Bayelsa State on 2013 and was again postponed to Tuesday 28th February 11, 2012, in Sokoto State on February 18, January, 2013 before the court finally delivered 2012 and in Cross River on February 25, 2012. But the judgement on 31st January 2013; making it INEC refused to hold fresh governorship election the fourth time the judgement would be post- in Kogi State after the judgement. Therefore, it is crystal clear that the nexus beponed and the first time such a thing will haptween the Supreme Court judgment in Marwa v pen in the history of the Court of Appeal. The Supreme Court appeared to also be in seri- Nyako and the Appellant is evidently clear,unasous error when it held that the appellant was sailable and cannot be impeached by any imparnot a party in Marwa v Nyako and as such could tial and unbiased panel. With much respect to their Lordships decision not derive any benefit from the judgment. With much respect to their Lordships decision, in this matter, I am of the view that their the Supreme Court, by the decision in Marwa v Lordships failed to distinguish between “facts” Nyako invalidated the decisions of the two lower and own interpretations and thereof making it courts, set aside and nullified all rights or inter- look as if it were for the purpose of arriving at a est that may have accrued from the decisions predetermined conclusion when they held that and of course restored whatever and whichever the appellant (Jibrin Isah) participated alonginterest that was suspended or put in abeyance side 2nd respondent (Idris Wada) in the during the subsistence of the of the decisions of September 2011, that was conducted during the pendency of INEC’s appeal at the Supreme Court the lower courts. Against the foregoing background, we submit in Marwa vs Nyako. that it was the decisions of the Federal High The fact is that the falsity of the assertion of their Court and Court of Appeal (that were set aside by Lordships is confirmed in a document in respect the Supreme Court in Marwa v Nyako) that of the said 2nd Primary Election prepared by the stalled and hindered Appellant’s already re- 1st respondent (INEC) titled: “Report of the stored rights to contest election as governor of Special State Congress of the Peoples Democratic Kogi State since his name had already been for- Party (Pdp) Held On 22nd September, 2011 at the warded to INEC (the 1st Respondent) as its candi- Mini Stadium, Lokoja, Kogi State,” which was tendate for the said election. Legally and logically, if dered before their Lordships (certified true it was the decision of the Court of Appeal and copies on pages 1906-1909 of the records) where Federal High Court that hindered the Appellant it was clearly stated as follows: “It is noteworthy to observe that only three out from contesting; the setting aside of those decisions by the Supreme Court revived his already of the seven cleared aspirants addressed the delegates at the venue. They were Addulrazaq Isa vested right. Put differently, since all parties are ad idem that Kutepa, Capt. Wada Idris and Mr. Philip Salawu is was the decisions of the Federal High Court (Deputy Governor of Kogi State), and the remainand the Court of Appeal (giving rise to the ap- ing four (4) were absent.” Besides, the records before their Lordships puts peal and decision in Marwa v Nyako) that frustrated Appellant’s already vested right to con- it beyond doubt that the appellant through his text election as governor, it will amount with all counsel intimated the 1st respondent (INEC) respect to standing logic on its head to argue vide a letter of 17th November, 2011 of the illegalthat a setting aside of those decisions would not ity of the second primary election and the subseconfer any benefit on the Appellant irrespective quent general election. In view of the germane of whether he was a party to the proceedings or facts drawn from the records, it is without doubts that the Appellant abstained from the not. With much respect, I assert that, the setting second illegal primaries, which was held on the aside of those decisions mandatorily conferred basis of the Federal High Court and Court of appellant with benefits qua locus, because the Appeal decisions and which was set aside by the law is clear that the effect of an appellate court Supreme Court in Marwa vs. Nyako (supra). In another breadth, my Lords at the supreme setting aside the decision of a lower court is that in the eyes of the law the decisions of the lower court willfully ignored the evidence in a manner

Chirf Justice Mukhtar inconsistent with the records before the court and proceeded to make another grossly incorrect finding when it held in paragraph 8 of the lead judgment that: “This suit was filed by appellant on 9/2/12. That is,it took the appellant over two months to complain about an election he did not take part in...” With much respect to their Lordships, Suit no. FHC/ABJ/CS/807/2011 – Umar Lawal & Alhaji Jibrin Isah V. Inec, Pdp & Captain Idris Wada before the Honourable Justice B.B Aliyu of the Federal High Court, Abuja was filed before the illegal primary election in September 2011. So, how did my Lords arrive at the mathematics of appellant filing the suit 2 months after the election? Permit me to also pointedly state that their Lordships decision to uphold the lower courts decision on the issue of jurisdiction conflicts with the decision of the apex court in Orhena Adugu Gbileve & Anor V. Mrs. Ngunan Addingi & Anor (SC.193/2012), where, his brothers Justices, declared in that case that, Addigi as one of the aspirants in the primary election, had acquired the right to approach the Federal high Court, Makurdi as she did in her originating summons to seek redress in that court which was vested with jurisdiction by virtue of the provisions of section 87 (4)(c) (i) (ii) and (9) of the Electoral Act 2010, the federal high court, Makurdi had the jurisdiction to hear and determine the case as it was determined by it in favour of Addigi on the 31st of January,2014. Are they now different rules for different classes of people? Finally, let us assume without conceding that the Supreme court was tangentially right in restricting itself to the purported election that produced Idris Wada on 3rd December 2011, the Supreme Court is duty bound by the Nigerian Constitution and the statutes to let Nigerians and the international community know what section of the constitution or under which provision of the electoral act, the said election conducted. INEC would not have deliberately acted to overreach an appeal it filed by taking a pre-judicial step during the pendency of that appeal. Put more pointedly, it was because INEC was convinced that the provisions of the Sections 180(2) and (2a) of the Constitution were clear and unambiguous that it filed an appeal in SC/357/2011. The Supreme Court agreed with INEC as per INEC’s appreciation of the clear and unambiguous provisions of these Sections. INEC is therefore estopped from avoiding the clear and unambiguous provisions of Section 287 of the 1999 Constitution with regard to the effect of that judgment of the Supreme Court and also forbidden from taking pre-judicial steps during the subsistence of the said appeal. The questions I am constrained to ask their Lordships are: If, by constitutional imperative and a judicial pronouncement of the Apex

court,the tenure of the last holder of the office of Governor of Kogi State ended on May 28,2011,was the election conducted after May 28,2011 during the pendency of INEC’s own appeal before the Supreme Court, constitutional? If Wada was actually a Governor-in-waiting after the judgement of the Supreme Court on 27 January, 2012, why did the PDP approach the same Court vide an application on February 1, 2012 praying the Supreme Court to exempt Kogi State from the effect of the judgement of the Supreme Court on 27 January 2012? Recall that the Supreme Court in a ruling on 16th February 2012, dismissed the said application. On another leg, when the facts in this case are assessed and properly distilled, it will be safe to also conclude that, the primary elections of the People Democratic Party (PDP), which held in Kogi State on the 22nd day of Septembe elections that was held in Kogi State on the 3rd day of December, 2011 were held in utter disregard and contempt of the orders of the Federal High Court, Abuja. The orders referred to the above are the orders of the Federal High Court, Abuja Judicial Division contained in the judgment delivered on the 23rd day of February, 2011 by Hon. Justice A. Bello in Suite No. FHC/ABJ/CS/651/10, which was also up-held by the Court of Appeal, Abuja Division. The judgment of the Federal High Court, Abuja and that of the Court of Appeal were all subsisting and building when in a show of unbridled and arrogant impunity, the PDP and INEC decided to engage in frolics of their own when they organised the primary elections and the gubernational elections respectively that produced the Capt. Idris Ichalla Wada as the Governor of Kogi State. For all purposes and unequivocally, the judgment of the lower courts subsisted until the 27th day of January, 2012 when the judgment of the Supreme Court was delivered. It is therefore an elementary law to say that all things done in disobedience to the clear orders contained in the judgment of the Federal High and Court of Appeal are to the extent of their inconsistency thereto improper, unlawful and illegal and the product of such illegality and illegitimacy must be dismantled. From the foregoing, it is clear that the verdict of the apex court was based on non-existing facts and wrong legal foundations. So, its validity remains questionable. It is my considered opinion this action amounts to an established case of bias vide an abuse of judicial powers which the Chief Justice of Nigeria must investigate to bring sanity to the Judiciary. It is hoped that the Supreme Court will have another opportunity to reverse the highly erroneous judgment so as to restore the confidence of the common man in the judiciary • Ogbonna is of The Lawyers for Justice and Equity, Lagos

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14 | Monday, May 26, 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 Search for equity in revenue allocation HAT Revenue Allocation is one of the most contentious issues in Nigeria today is T not debatable. That the debate over the issue at the ongoing national conference has been so boisterous, therefore, is no surprise. Reason must, however, prevail to ensure that justice and equity, in the true spirit of federalism, reign in whatever the final resolution is. The present formula is certainly whimsical and an affront to the principle of federalism. Attempts to have an acceptable revenue formula began in 1958 shortly before independence when the Raisman Commission was set up. There were also the Aboyade Technical Committee on Revenue Allocation and the Okigbo Commission on Revenue Allocation of 1979, all set up to assuage popular agitations against the extant revenue formula. The grouse of critics and rightly so is that since the country is a federation, its revenue allocation formula must be consistent with the principle of federalism as it obtains in other federal systems such as U.S., Canada, Australia, Switzerland, to mention but a few. This was relatively so under the 1960 Constitution, for which reason the regions were strong, healthy and able to move at their own pace. The result was that there was little interest in and no pressure on the centre just as there was little or no struggle for federal appointments as obtains today. However, the forays of military into the politics and national life of the country reversed this trend. The hierarchical command structure of the military filtered into governance, sounding the death knell on decentralisation and devolution of powers associated with federalism. Thus Nigeria had a Revenue Allocation principle uniquely and peculiarly at variance with the acclaimed principles of federalism in two sensitive areas giving rise to reasonable apprehension from genuine patriots. First is the ratio for the distribution of the revenue between the three tiers of government by which 55% was allocated to the Federal Government, 35 % to the 36 state governments and 10 to the 774 local governments. This in all intent and purposes and for all times is manifestly unjust, inequitable, exploitative and oppressive of the states as it subjects them inexorably to mere appendages of the Federal Government. President Goodluck Jonathan, perhaps inadvertently, gave vent to the possibilities of the Federal Government’s over-lordship recently when in receiving Peter Obi, former governor of Anambra State said that governors who challenge him or the Federal Government do so at their own peril as their states will suffer underdevelopment while those who are subservient to him and kowtow to the Federal Government would have a lot to take home. In essence, subservience of a state governor to the President has been elevated to statesmanship and principle of economic development. This is outside the beautiful contemplation of the federal system of government which by nature desires that every constituent unit must be sufficiently independent of the centre in a way that the unity of the whole is not compromised. This is why Nigerians have never ceased to decry the warped arrangement currently in place, which has consigned state governments to perpetual beggars The problem is accentuated by an unacceptable sharing formula for revenues derived from natural resources which jettisoned the formula adopted by the 1960 Constitution and replaced it with one that can hardly ensure fair and equitable distribution of these resources among the people. This is yet the second area of controversy, so topical to the point of provoking acerbic and combustive agitation and palpable tension particularly in the oil producing areas of Nigeria. Section 162(1) of the 1999 Constitution of Nigeria establishes the Federation Account into which shall be paid all revenues collected by the government of the federation with a few exceptions. Subsection 2 of the said section empowers the National Assembly to determine the formula for the distribution of funds in the Federation Account. The proviso to the sub-section entrenches with respect to natural resources, the principle of derivation in any formula the National Assembly may come up with. By this principle, “not less than 13 per cent ” of the revenue accruing to the Federation Account directly from any natural resources shall be payable to a state of the federation from which such natural resources are derived. For a state to qualify for this allocation of funds, from the Federation Account, the natural resources must have come from within the boundaries of the state, that is the resources must be located within that state. Pursuant to the provision of the constitution, the National Assembly promulgated the Allocation of Revenue (Federal Account) Act which pegged the derivation formula exactly at 13 per cent even though the constitution anticipated it could be more. The principle of tokenism reflected in the derivative formula promulgated by the National Assembly did little to assuage public clamour for a revenue formula that is consistent with federalism. For nowhere in the world are constituent units in a federation made as ridiculously dependent on the central government as obtains in Nigeria. In fact the vociferous agitation which the present constitutional arrangement generated was one of the reasons which made the convocation of national conference quite compelling. Those who oppose the extant formula often refer to the 1960 Constitution which allowed to “each region a sum equal to fifty per cent of (a) the proceeds of any royalty received by the federation in respect of any minerals extracted in that region and (b) any mining rents derived by the federation during that year from within that region”. In addition to that, the federation was expected to “credit to the Distributable Pool Account a sum equal to thirty per cent of – (a) the proceeds of any royalty received by the federation in respect of minerals extracted in any region and (b) any mining rents derived by the federation from within any Region”. This is vintage fiscal federalism at work, the default the 1979 and 1999 Constitutions. Although the 1999 Constitution improved sparingly on the shortcoming of the 1979 Constitution in the area of revenue allocation accruing from natural resources on derivation principle, it fell far short of the lofty principles contained in the 1960 Constitution in this important area. While the 1979 Constitution omitted to make provision for sharing revenue accruing from natural resources on derivation principle, the 1999 Constitution did by allowing 13 per cent to derivation principle, a far

cry from the 50 per cent prescribed by the 1960 Constitution. Against this background, the confab ought to focus its attention on this area and be guided by the provision of the 1960 Constitution. The phenomenal growth which the country and each of the regions experienced during that period as a result of the revenue allocation principle in place at that time should naturally commend the same formula to the country. It was a period when competition was encouraged among all the regions. And expectedly each Region rose to the occasion and competed very well with the result that the Northern Region became identified with groundnut pyramids that earned foreign exchange for Nigeria. Through that means, Western Region harnessed its cocoa from which it was able to sustain its free education programme, built network of roads, set up the first television station and generally set the pace in governance in the whole of Africa. The Eastern Region also survived on the incredible industry of the people with its coal mining and palm produce. The landmarks of that era across Nigeria remain for all to see up till today. If for whatever reason it is not practicable under Nigeria’s peculiar circumstances for a state to have absolute control of its resources, there is no reason the half measure of the 1960 Constitution cannot be replicated. That should be the worst case scenario. On the contrary, feelers from the confab do not inspire confidence that there is light at the end of the tunnel. The rank of elder statesmen who have the benefits of hindsight with which they could conveniently steer the ship of the nation away from atrophy and a crash, have failed to rise to the occasion. They seem to have abdicated their patriotic duty to the country, which in the first place was the reason they were brought into the conference. Instead, they have capitulated abysmally to primordial and ethnic sentiments that can hardly lift the country from the economic and political morass that has been her lot over a long period of time. They have chosen to identify with ethnic and regional cleavages such that the token conceded by the 1999 Constitution, adjudged to be poor and inequitable, even stands imperiled. The optimism which the convocation of the confab generated at its beginning is now gradually giving way to despondency. Unless the Confab promotes the principle of derivation or resource control, it will lose all and the cynics will have the day. It will go the way of its predecessors, which added no value to Nigeria. As has been observed, revenue allocation, derivation and resource control is the greatest test assignment of the Constitution review process: to effect the desired arrangement so that justice is done to all stakeholders in Nigeria. Failure to do this will render the ongoing conference the greatest fraud perpetrated against Nigeria and her future.

Monday, May 26, 2014 15

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Opinion Between two ministers of aviation By Patrick Dele Cole HE first thing the Minister for Aviation did T in Malaysia was to resign when flight MH370 was no longer found. The person we have been seeing on screen every day for the past six weeks is an acting Minister for Aviation, flanked by the head of Malaysian Airlines, the Chief Engineer and the Chief Pilot. These gentlemen have patiently explained what went wrong and how they are tackling it. They hired hotels and counsellors to accommodate the grieving and to console and counsel them. There is a very clear aim of helping and comforting the mourners. Suppose the plane was a Nigerian, carrier? I have never seen a Minister of Aviation after any airline disaster in Nigeria take responsibility for what has happened. He sends the P.R.O. of the airline or the Ministry to make inane announcement about what he does not know. We are filled with and told unnecessary technical facts which only go to confuse the people who are already mourning the loss of their loved ones. After the Sosoliso crash, I cannot remember whether the black box was ever found but that accident was blamed on human error. But I jump ahead of myself. When a plane goes down in Nigeria, we do not see the Minister. The next thing is that the whole fleet is grounded, not to check whether the rest of the planes are air worthy but as a sort of “punishment” for an airline having an accident. Then all the potential bribe takers in the Ministry and in FAAN, FCAA etc. have their hands out to fleece the company. The Ministry, meanwhile, deploys no one, or if they do it, is very casual, to

see if they can find the black box. The only serious activity is the arrival of the plane makers and the leasing company who understandably want to know what has happened to their plane by locating the black box. The most scandalous of this unfeeling attitude happened when (a) The ADC flight crashed (b) Dana Air crashed. The Nigerian modus operandus went into gear. All ADC flights were cancelled and planes grounded. Now if you do that to the airline you have killed it because the airplanes had been leased and if the planes are not flying your cost – personnel, aircrew, payment of leasing, other debts – continue to mount. By the time the embargo is lifted the company is already bankrupt. In the case of the ADC, despite the fact that the plane had a large number of eminent men about – Mr. Ajumogobia, a former permanent secretary and Nigeria’s permanent representative to UNESCO (Odein’s father), Prof Claude Ake, etc – the search for the black box was peremptory and abandoned after a very casual search. The plane landed in a nearby swamp in Lagos. No Minister said a word in the Dana crash – less than one hour after the crash the airline was grounded. Request for money started to fly all over the place, Mac Donald Douglas/Boeing came here to try to locate the Black Box which was found. It was then carried to the U.S. for analysis and it was determined that the cause was man error. No Minister ever spoke. It took another four to five months for Dana to be recertified after a decision that McDonald Douglas plane of a certain type and age

- M.D. 80s - was no longer to be accepted to fly in Nigeria. Compare the efforts being made for the Malaysian plane and the perfunctory efforts of the Nigerians when the ADC was lost. Up till today no one knows where that plane landed. No one has grounded all Malaysian airline planes. They are still flying. In South Korea, after the recent boat tragedy, even the Prime Minister resigned. In Nigeria, no Minister said a word. It was as if talking to the Nigerian public was below the dignity of the Minister. I do not know if Dana is now flying but the airline went through hell as did survivors of victims who erroneously blamed the air line for the non-payment of insurance when the Ministry knew very well that if they certify a plane to fly it must have adequate insurance and that the responsibility to pay was with the insurance, not DANA. The purpose of this piece is really about responsibility of Ministers who must accept that when things go wrong in their Ministry, they owe the public an apology and a duty to resign. Like Mrs. Hamilton, the Culture Secretary of Mr. Cameron’s Cabinet in the UK and unlike several Ministers in the Nigerian cabinet today whose presence has done untold harm to the president they purport to serve. Mrs. Hamilton resigned over a £4000 expense which she had repaid and apologised for. She resigned. In Nigeria we have disputes about missing billions – US$49 billion, US$29 billion, or US$10 billion! We cannot even count how much is missing. Another Minister, through unbelievable incompetence, causes 21 women to die. Nothing. There are examples galore to show that taking

responsibility and resigning do not actually hurt the President or Prime Minister – resignations rather heighten the moral tone of the Cabinet and its Leaders. Please, recall Lord Gardner, the British Foreign Secretary, who felt uncomfortable about his advice being ignored by Margaret Thatcher in the Falkland Islands War. He resigned. Thatcher went to war and won. Recently the Deputy Speaker of the House of Commons had resigned over allegations and criminal trial that he raped one of his parliamentary aides (they were both homosexuals). He was freed after trial but he resigned. There is the case of Mr. Colson, the spin doctor of Mr. Cameron who was alleged to have been privy to information obtained by hacking someone’s computer and using it while he was editor of the Daily Sun. Another Tory Minister left the Cabinet when it was revealed that he used parliamentary money to pay for his partner’s apartment – a fellow homosexual. Julian Barnes once claimed in the New Yorker Magazine that resignation was a bit like creative bankruptcy if effected the right way and at the right time, it can restore the fortunes and even the reputation as was in the case of Mr. John Profumo, in the famous Christen Keller case, a prostitute and alleged Soviet Union informer, for his peccadilloes with the prostitute. He resigned as Defence Minister but has since been rehabilitated and knighted for his good works. In 1997 Matthew Paris made this observation “like a glorious tropical sunset, a resigning politician is a beautiful sight”. Nigerians take note – we need more glorious tropical sunsets, • Dr. Patrick Dele Cole (OFR) is a Consultant to The

Synergy between WEFA and Confab/NASS By Raphael Okunmuyide EYOND the investment promises/MOUs during the justB ended World Economic Forum for Africa (‘WEFA’) and the photo-opportunities in the on-going Confab are the legendary words of William Shakespeare: “There is a tide in the affairs of men, which, taken at the flood, leads on to fortune; omitted, all the voyage of their life is bound in shallows and in miseries. On such a full sea are we now afloat and we must take the current when it serves or lose our ventures.” through “Brutus” in “Julius Caesar”. Brutus’s main point was that there must be action while the ratio of forces was most advantageous because power is a force that ebbs and flows in time and one must not miss the opportunity of using it well to achieve clear targets to avoid the misery of failure. Although it is unclear whether organising WEFA and the Confab paripassu was by design or accident, certainly these related parallel events of such national magnitude and importance are rare especially as the country was slowly drifting towards a point of socio-political and economic inflexion that has demanded extensive and intensive use of local and global “trigonometrical functions” to differentiate her urgent problems from the first principles and integrate them towards a sustainable path of socio-political peace. Hence, two issues from the WEFA are particularly critical for the Confab/National Assembly: the massive financial haemorrhage through illicit financial outflows and the critical need for “social (and political) inclusion” as imperatives for development and economic growth. On financial haemorrhage, the Executive Director of Oxfam International, Ms. Winifred Byanyima, lamented that the poverty rate on the continent has been exacerbated by massive looting of Africa’s resources and skewed policy measures which make tax evasion easy for companies operating on the continent. Quoting a report of the African Development Bank, she declared thus: “$63 billion was being taken out of Africa annually in illicit funds and a whopping $1.4 trillion had been stolen from Africa in the last 30 years.” Probably, about 50 per cent of this illicit annual outflow from Africa was/is from Nigeria. Accordingly, the urgent challenges from this issue for the Confab/National Assembly are two-fold: how the politicians (with self-initiated bill for legalising their operating foreign bank accounts!) and technocrats will tigthen the implementation of laws for stemming the very high outflow of illicit funds that induce Nigeria’s financial desertification and the judiciary’s patriotic answer of its call of duty in this respect. Certainly if the government cannot efectively eliminate illicit funds outflow in the public sector, it will be impotent to eliminate it in the private sector. Although a Confab committee

has voted to expunge the notorious “immunity clause” from the constitution, Nigerians are still holding their breath until it is approved at the plenary session! Furthermore, Byanyima’s candid view was backed by Africa’s richest billionaire and entrpreneur-extraordinaire, Aliko Dangote, who stated thus: “The challenge is that some Africans, rather than keeping their money in Africa take such money away to other parts of the world. Many are not investing our money in Africa. When such money is taken out, Africa loses. The biggest challenge we are facing today is that some of us here in Africa will rather keep the money abroad than invest in Africa but, by doing that you are not creating confidence. You have to invest your money as an African to create confidence for foreign investors to bring in their money. When you import goods, you import poverty and you export jobs to other parts of the globe where such goods are produced...the only way to solve the problem of Boko Haram is to create jobs…” Thus, he emphasised that the provision of jobs for Nigeria’s teaming population was the only effective way to check the twin problems of poverty and terrorism in Nigeria. Certainly his view is similar to this writer’s comment on the 2012 Federal budget (The Guardian 17/10/2011) thus: “ Incentives for growing the agricultural sector should be urgently pursued especially in key areas of potential synergy with the manufacturing sector e.g. investments for cotton growth in tandem with the revival of the textile mills that can also reduce the potential number of recruits for the Boko Haram group of violent malcontents... importation of rice, beans, fish, poultry products, goats, sheep, cows, tropical fruits and vegetables, water, toothpicks, cosmetics, hair extensions, low-technology-requiring generic pharmaceuticals, textbooks, cotton-textiles, shoes and leather bags etc for which local production skills and capacity exist should be banned. As long as the cheaper imported versions of these products continue to be available, our manufacturing and agricultural sectors will remain moribund while our unemployment levels will continue to soar. Creative manouvres around WTO rules are now required for this socio-economic nightmare. Social upheavals should be prevented to maintain peace and stability which are essential for nurturing our yet-tender stage of democratic governance in Nigeria...” Although none of these suggestions has been concretely/effectively implemented, it has become necessary to provide more incentives for creating more Aliko Dangotes (minus the controversial import duty waivers!) who will invest their funds in Nigerian businesses to create jobs and generate good profits towards engendering a sustainable socio-political peace and stability. The second and more ramifying point was made by Profes-

sor Klaus Schwab who stated thus: “…we believe that the economic growth without social stability, without social inclusion is not sustainable. On the other hand, social development is not also possible without economic growth… It underlines particularly the need for good governance and best practices...” Obviously, Schwab spoke with Swiss diplomatese in avoiding the use of “political” in the contexts of “social stability” and “social inclusion” as there can be no “good governance” through “best practices” in a developing country like Nigeria without socio-“political” inclusion/stability! In effect, where there is a lack of socio-political inclusion to sustain economic development and growth, there is a compelling need for a change in the ground norms to use “best practices” towards achieving “good governance”! This is a very serious point for action by appropriate committees of the Confab and the National Assembly because certainly, there is something critically wrong with a constitutional form of government that displeases virtually every part of the country. It is thus hoped that the members of the Confab who arrived with steel-rigid pre-Confab regional/tribal perspectives and with total disregard for this critical need for socio-political inclusion of every part of Nigeria’s multi-tribal-lingual-and-religious structure in the expected new form of government will use the chance of the six-week extension to review their stand and put Nigeria first and above their sub-national interests before the Confab hands over to the National Assembly, especially as many Nigerians fear that the crusted national problems may become very intractable if this opportunity is wasted carelessly. Hence the point made by “Brutus” in “Julius Caesar”should weigh heavily on the minds and actions of all technocrats and politicians in order to harvest the gains from both events synergistically. Surely Nigeria has attracted a lot of international sympathy/support during this period of socio-political distress which cannot be taken for granted indefinitely as she is expected to get her acts together quickly by using these and other ideas offered at the WEFA very well. Unfortunately time is not on her side because at the next UN General Assembly in October 2014 and WEF meeting in Davos in January 2015, these world leaders will demand a progress report from her. And if she goes there wringing her hands publicly, she may be told the sour-and-distressing truth that Cyprian Uzoigwe (“Monosacus”! ), a prefect in a secondary school in the mid-60s, used to tell junior students who disobeyed school rules frequently: “Stand aside, your (“ya”!) case is serious”! Therefore the synergy between WEFA and the Confab/National Assembly is critically compelling! • Okunmuyide wrote from Lagos.

16 | Monday, May 26, 2014

THE GUARDIAN www.ngrguardiannews.com

Opinion Search and rescue, by the professionals By J.K. Randle E are clearly at a crossroads. Some would W even insist that we have a grave (excuse the pun) crisis on our hands – death is everywhere. Kidnappers are on the prowl; armed robbers are now operating in broad daylight (after 6 pm they demand extra pay for working anti-social hours!!); rapists are having a field day; and the newspapers, radio, television, magazines and internet are turbo-charged with gory tales of turbulence and carnage in our nation. Yet it was not so long ago that all was calm and serene in our beloved nation. Or is it a fanciful memory trick? Anyway, let us as professionals take stock or more appropriately take heed as we strive to make sense of the turmoil that has engulfed our nation and the role allotted to us in the monumental search and rescue operation which has become inevitable. The first hurdle we must cross is to convince our fellow countrymen and women that we lay no claim to being superior (or being possessed of superior knowledge). We are all literally groping in the dark – no thanks to the epileptic power supply!! Indeed, regardless of the poor visibility, inclement weather and a hostile environment, the search and rescue operation must proceed in earnest. Otherwise we are doomed to share in the heartache and forfeit our investment (equity) in hope. As chartered accountants (or indeed any of the other professionals) we must accord due recognition to the “Bottom Line” but nobody prepared us for a bottomless pit or a moral, ethical, professional bottom lie that has vanished on account of being thoroughly vanquished by the collapse of the financial and political infrastructure (and architecture) of our political economy. Before embarking on our rescue mission, perhaps we need to remind ourselves of the basic tenets of our various professions – our starting point is what we know before we proceed to the unknown. For us, the unknown is not defined by “UFO’s” (Unfinished Flying Objects). Rather, the unknown is the avalanche of circumstantial evidence with which we are inundated but as regards which we have been incapacitated – no audit trail; no substantive/compliance testing; no verification; no corporate governance; incomplete records in abundance; mutilated documents; unreliable witnesses and no independent confirmation. Therefore, on what basis can we draw any conclusions not to talk of expressing an opinion regarding a true and fair view of the state of our beloved nation?

However, we have a moral and profound obligation to respond to the slagging off of Nigeria by President Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe. It has gone viral on Internet. Headline: Nigerians are corrupt – President Mugabe of Zimbabwe (March 16, 2014) “President Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe has taken a swipe at Nigeria, labeling the country and her citizens as corrupt. He made the remark during his 90th birthday luncheon hosted by the service chiefs and the public service commission.” Mugabe said Zimbabweans are now almost behaving like Nigerians who have to be corruptly paid for every service. “Are we now like Nigeria where you have to reach your pocket to get anything done?” he said. “You see we used to go to Nigeria. Every time we went there we had to carry extra cash in our pockets to corruptly pay for everything. You get into a plane in Nigeria and you sit there and the crew keeps dilly dallying without taking off as they wait for you to pay them to fly the plane,” said the President followed by a huge laugh from the delegates attending his birthday bash. The current corruption rankings in the world rank Zimbabwe’s corruption a lot worse than Nigeria. Nigeria is ranked 163 worst corrupt country in the world while Zimbabwe is an embarrassing 170 third from the bottom. The report was carried by Bulawayo24 News, in Zimbabwe. As confirmation of the boldness, vibrancy and independence of our press, the “Vanguard” newspaper carried the same story with bold headlines on its front page: “Are we now like Nigeria where you have to reach your pocket to get anything done?”- Mugabe However, last year, it was reported that Nigeria was involved in corruption to the tune of $3 billion, while Zimbabwe was at $2 billion. It was in this context that Nigeria may be considered more corrupt than Zimbabwe. For us as professionals who are obliged to adhere strictly to the ethics of our various professions, Mugabe’s damnation is a dagger plunged directly into the hearts of our professions. The humiliation and embarrassment are excruciating. Indeed, we have every reason to be apprehensive if other African leaders go public with what has hitherto been their private anxiety and apprehension regarding the reputation of Nigeria and Nigerians – not excluding Nigerian professionals. Perhaps we can at least agree that the power structure in our nation places the Executive (represented by a hugely powerful president) at the top of the pole. In theory, the Legislature and the Judiciary are vested with powers which are

meant to check-mate the Executive under the doctrine of checks and balances as vital ingredients of democracy which is in turn anchored on the Rule of Law and Justice. Somehow or the other the press has accorded itself the accolade of the “Fourth Estate of The Realm”. However, there is no specific reference to professionals in the power sharing or in the Constitution. Our power and our relevance are secret and mysterious. As we speak, the Internet and the airwaves are buzzing with the following major events: • The mysterious disappearance of the Malaysian airline MH 370 with 239 passengers and unconfirmed reports that it is lying at the bottom of the Indian Ocean instead of its intended final destination – Beijing, China. • President Vladimir Putin of Russia has invaded Crimea and hoisted the Russian flag over what was until a few days ago Ukrainian territory. • In Rome, Italy our President Goodluck Jonathan and the First Lady are guests of Pope Francis I at the Vatican. • In Nigeria, the Boko Haram insurgency is unabated. It has metamorphosed from a volcano to a hurricane. Now it’s a tsunami that is destroying all in its path – men, women, children, Christians, Muslims and non-believers. No discrimination. • In Abuja, the CONFAB of nearly five hundred delegates has got off to a shaky start but the first item on the agenda, according to cynics, is the sharing of money and payment of allowances. We as professionals must not rush to judgment. What is relevant is that there is no specific reference to professionals in any of these momentous events. No niche has been carved out for us. We would be thankful for now; we simply do not know how many professionals have perished in the MH 370 air disaster or those who have been slaughtered by Boko Haram. When the Search and Rescue Mission commences, should we give preference/priority to professionals or accept that in these monumental tragedies, all lives are equal? Regardless, we must resist the temptation to strut or boast that we alone carry in our genes/DNA the recipe for survival and triumph. Rather, we should concede that luck is a critical factor in missing the plane that was doomed to crash or avoid a hitherto peaceful village that was on the watchlist of rampaging marauders – Boko Haram. Whatever forensic skills we possess cannot be relied upon to provide answers. The forensic must surrender to the ballistic. That is the new message of force and missiles. Where will forensic get us in rough seas and unpredictable currents? Let us be realistic, in our power equation the

‘Black Box’ is firmly in the custody of the politicians. They have no intention of sharing power with anybody. They are both the pilot and co-pilot. Everybody else is just a passenger although we are at liberty to grab seats in the First Class cabin; the Club Class cabin or the Economy Class at the tail end of the plane. Every now and again, the soldiers dislodge the politicians – but it has nothing to do with the professionals. The soldiers have long ago discovered the supremacy of guns and ballistic missiles over the forensic skills of professionals. Interestingly, when the politicians mess matters up they know where to look for salvation. They go looking for professionals. The latest case in point is provided by the front page headline in the Financial Times of London: “Top barrister will lead Bank of England inquiry” “The Bank of England has called in the services of a leading lawyer as it seeks to tackle allegations that officials turned a blind eye to foreign exchange rigging. Lord Grabiner QC, who has been involved in commercial litigation for 40 years, will lead BoE investigation into the forex affair, which has led to the suspension of one official. Lord Grabiner’s previous roles have included chairing the management and standards committee set up by News Corp to deal with the phone-hacking scandal. Press reports have said in the past that he charges clients up to £3,000 an hour, but the BoE said he was charging a fraction of the sums claimed in the media. His credentials were unrivalled as “the right man for the most tricky jobs”, said Rob Moulton, a partner at the law firm Ashurst. The BoE probe, which is being supported by the law firm Travers Smith, will examine whether any central bank official was aware of actual or attempted market manipulation between 2005 and 2013 or of any “unlawful or improper behaviour or practices”. It will look into whether any officials were involved in sharing confidential client information or aware of market participants sharing such information. Mark Carney, BoE governor, and Paul Fisher, markets director, faced tough questions from the Treasury committee on Tuesday, with MPs asking why the bank had not done more to examine claims there were problems in forex markets. Lord Grabiner’s investigation will be given full access to BoE records, staff and outside experts. It will report after the Financial Conduct Authority’s inquiries are complete. • Bashorun J.K. Randle OFR, FCA is Chairman & Chief Executive JK Randle Professional Services Chartered Accountants.

Is the policeman your friend? By Ayinde Alaba Today, we have a Police Force that we have been crying for. Today the Police are more civil to members of the public. They are more polite. They have shown that they are there to secure members of the public – Ikemefuna Okoye, Commissioner of Police, Ogun State HERE would, of course, be a mixed reaction to these remarks T of a police chief who seems not to have heard (or appears not to believe) that members of the Force are guilty of various aspects of corrupt activities levelled against them. There are reports of extra legal detentions and torture in the hands of the police. We also have reports of policemen colluding with armed robbers through renting of guns and ammunition to gangsters to unleash terror on the citizens. We also hear that of some men in uniform are used to settle scores among civilians after money has exchanged hands between one of the disputing parties and the police. If you have seen all these, can you agree with the police sing song that the Nigerian policeman is your friend? Can you agree with Mr. Ikemefuna Okoye that a new Force is emerging to meet the yearnings of Nigerians? It would be unwise to answer these questions without also looking at the stories of the gallantry of some members of the Force. They speak indeed of a new police in the making, coming out from the old stereotype of men and officers who were hostile to the citizens they were paid to protect. A man driving recently from Lagos to a state in the east across

River Niger was met by policemen at a checkpoint. He had trouble with his car and was fixing a flat tire. He expected the worst, because of reports of extortion and outright robbery and brutality under such circumstances. But a big surprise awaited him. He wrote in a newspaper that the policemen came to his aid without him soliciting for assistance. He wondered if the policemen were from another planet after they had helped him and let him go without asking for a kobo or molesting him. He said he expected them to ask wetin you bring. In another report, a traditional ruler from the Volta region of Ghana traveled to Nigeria by road, coming in through Seme border town. He arrived in a chauffeured luxury SUV. By his own account he and the driver would have been killed or manhandled by hoodlums as they drove along the Badagry Expressway trying to locate the abode of the chief’s daughter and husband. He said it was the intervention of a uniformed man which saved them. The officer took them to a hotel where they lodged, since the Ghanaian did know the residence of his daughter he came to visit. The third story about the gallantry of policemen was related by writer and newspaper columnist Banji Ojewale. He identified two policemen, Deputy Superintendent of Police Joseph Imafidon and Sergeant Joseph Agbagba both under Ogun State Command who displayed uncommon valour to prove that the policeman is really your friend. When a student forgot her wallet containing her school fees on an okada, she thought it was lost. Her elder brother took the matter to the Iju Police Station where he met Imafidon and Agbagba Imafidon who was DPO and Agbagba his deputy, swung into action after taking the mandatory statement. They visited the

home of the bike man and learnt he had traveled. They traced him to a joint at Ipokia, near Idiroko, several kilometres away, all at their personal expenses. Eventually, they confiscated the suspect’s bike after he confessed to the theft. He struck a deal to be given some time to return the money. He did, dropping the cash with Imafidon who called the elder brother of the student on phone to come for the money. The policemen requested no financial inducement from him to discharge their duties. The case, after neighbours heard how it was resolved without the staple stigma of police corruption, dereliction and compromise, boosted the image of the Force in Iju area. Those in the community came away with the lesson that somehow dead bones have a chance to live again! Now I can also personally testify to the highly professional conduct of the Police in Ogun under Mr. Ikemefuna Okoye, the Commissioner of Police. He and Muyiwa (Ire ooo) Adejobi, the PPRO have promptly acted to restore law and order and peace in Onibuku, Ota, when calls are made to them in time of distress or threat to the law and order. Same can be said of Mr. Samuel Amos, the DPO at Onipanu Police Station who combines humility and professionalism to serve the people of the area. It is unfair not to admit that these reports suggest a renascent Police breaking away from a stone age of incivility that disconnected the Force from the people. If we have more Imafidons and Agbagbas in the field with more Adejobis, Amoses, Okoyes and Mohammed Abubakars (IGP) at the top who instill exemplary discipline and motivation, we shall hail the arrival of the Police Force Ikemefuna Okoye speaks of. • Alaba is a public affairs analyst in Ota Ogun State.

Monday, May 26, 2014 17

THE GUARDIAN www.ngrguardiannews.com

Focus Toba Falode’s murder: Many questions, few answers By Rotimi Lawrence Oyekanmi HE heart-rending story behind T Oluwadamilola Oloruntoba Falode’s murder in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates’ (UAE) most populous and second largest emirate on February 15, raises serious questions about the safety of Nigerian students in legitimate pursuit of knowledge in foreign countries. With a total of 129 Universities offering less than 300,000 slots in a country where over one million candidates seek placements every year, many anxious parents with enough funds have been persuaded to seek alternative placements for their wards in foreign Universities. A combination of factors determines where a particular parent sends his or her wards to. While Universities in the United States of America (U.S) Canada and the United Kingdom (UK) are considered relatively safer for Nigerian students, the required fees are beyond the reach of many. Many American Universities charge foreign students about $40,000 (N6.2million @ N155:$1) yearly, while foreign students in United Kingdom’s Universities cough out about £30,000 (N7.86 million @ N262:£1) annually, depending on the course. But the cost is far less in countries like Malaysia, UAE, India, Cyprus and Ghana among others, where foreign students get to pay about half of what they would have coughed out in western tertiary institutions. This attraction, coupled with the relentless education fairs organized by Asian and East European countries, with the help of Nigerian Public Relations firms, where many parents are hoodwinked about security issues in the respective countries, have combined to lure them into taking poorly informed decisions. A petition by Festus Keyamo, a legal practitioner, to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, dated April 23, over Toba Falode’s death, says it all. It averred that Falode was a student of SAE Institute in Dubai (UAE), studying Audio Production with course number BAP: 1013 and identification number DUB11065. Falode lived on the 17th floor of Apartment 1703, referred to as Manchester Towers, at Dubai Marina. In the wee hours of February 14, Keyamo stated, Mrs Aisha Falode, his client and mother of the deceased, received a call from the security guard at Toba’s apartment block, informing her in a hysterical tone that something serious had just happened to her son. Keyamo continued: “Aisha Falode then called her son’s friend, (names withheld) who informed our client (Aisha) that Toba had passed on from falling from his balcony. He said he was right there with Toba’s remains in Toba’s apartment. “Our client made various frantic calls to Toba’s pastor (his guardian in Dubai), to go to the scene. In the end, the Police came and took away Toba’s body and arrested all those present at the scene. Four days later, when the Falode family went to bring the corpse of Toba back home for burial, they met with the Deputy Director of the Jebel Ali Police station. He had the case file of the investigation into Toba’s death with him. The summary of their report is as follow: “That they (Dubai Police) confirmed that Toba died in the morning of 15th February at approximately 4am. That this occurred around the premises of Toba’s apartment, the Manchester Tower, Dubai Marina. That they confirmed that there were five other people with him at the time of his death – four boys and a girl – a Nigerian, a French Canadian national, a South African and a Saudi national. The girl is British. “That Toba had been drinking and by the early hours of the 15th of February, 2014, had consumed a lot of alcohol together with the other witnesses who were with him in the apartment. That close to the time accident, Toba was on the balcony of his flat with his alleged girlfriend. That Toba was sitting on the railing if his balcony with his feet off the floor and that he was swinging in this position backward and forward. That his girlfriend was still there with him and was warning him to be careful. That she later went inside the flat and shortly after, all (friends) noticed that Toba was no longer sitting on the railings or on the balcony and must have fallen down from the balcony railings. “That his friends all rushed down and found him lying dead in front of the apartment block.

Falode

Faisal Aldakmary Al-Nasser and Olivia Melanie Richards Evans, in a picture posted on the latter’s Facebook page That they called the Police, who took charge of things. That all statements of the witnesses were similar and that they were all interviewed separately. That the forensic evidence, including the examination of Toba’s body at autopsy, did not reveal anything to contradict this version of events. That there were no injuries on Toba’s body inconsistent with a fall from a great height as the cause of his death. That there was no evidence of bruising or other injury to indicate anything else be blamed as the cause of his death. That his blood alcohol level, taken after his death as part of investigations, was above the legal intoxication limits. That based on the findings, they decided therefore not to conduct a full internal autopsy. That if, from their investigations, they had even the slightest indication of anything other than this version of events, they would definitely have conducted an autopsy.” But not convinced with the Police report, Keyamo, Aisah and another family member and travelled to Dubai on April 18 to “see and hear things for themselves.” And while in Dubai, he stated, the three visitors met with the Toba’s friends who were present in Toba’ apartment on the fateful day. Keyamo continued: “The summary of the

accounts of these friends (names withheld) are totally different from what the police report indicated and has revealed a most shameful and disgraceful attempt by the authorities in Dubai to shield obvious murder suspects fro the long arms of the law. “The friends and witnesses in question volunteered written statements to us and we summarise their account as follows: That sometime in December 2013, the said Faisal Aldakmary AlNasser stormed the apartment of the deceased, Oluwadamilola Oloruntoba Falode and ordered Miss Olivia Melanie Richards Evans (his supposed girlfriend) out of Toba’s apartment, accusing her of having an affair with Toba Falode. “That a fight was to have ensued from his confrontation, but for the intervention of other mutual friends. Since then, there was no love lost between Toba and Faisal Aldakmary Al-Nasser. “That in the evening of the 14th of February 2014, Toba, together with friends went to a club in Dubai, known as M Deck, Media 1 Hotel, Media City. That at the club, they again met the said Faisal Aldakmary Al-Nasser and Miss Olivia Melanie Richards Evans, who came together to the club. “That again, an argument started at the club

concerning Olivia and shortly after this, Faisal and Olivia left the club. The quarrel was to the effect that Faisal was still accusing her (Richards Evans) of still dating Toba. That shortly after the two left the club, Toba and his friends also left the club. “On their return to Toba’s apartment, Toba (and his friends) were shocked and surprised to find Faisal and Miss Olivia outside Toba’s door, waiting. Olivia was crying hysterically and appeared frightened. Faisal, however, was very calm, with a determined look about him. “That Toba let them all into his apartment. That after they all got into the apartment, Toba Faisal and Miss Olivia entered his (Toba) room to sort things out. That shortly after, the three of them exited the room and went on to the balcony of the apartment on the 17th floor (though, the account of who first went to the balcony and who joined thereafter are slightly varied). “That a serious argument with raised voices and raised hands went on at the balcony. At some point, (one of the friends) opened the curtains and saw serious confrontation between the three of them going on. That shortly after, Faisal and Miss Richards Evans came back into the room and announced that Toba had fallen off the railings. However, Faisal had blood splattered all over this shirt and he had bloody knuckles. There was also a noticeable cut on his finger. At this point, they all rushed to see Toba’s dead body lying several metres away from the building (approximately 12 to 15 metres). That the position of Toba’s body (which can still be verified today), was not consistent with someone dropping from the balcony (in which case, the body would be much closer to the building), but was consistent with someone that was violently pushed or thrown from the balcony. “That the Police arrived thereafter and arrested all of them to the station. That before and during the journey to the station, Faisal kept repeating to the hearing of everyone, that the maximum punishment for him would be 25 years in jail and that the other boys should not worry. Meanwhile, Miss Richards Evans was hysterical and did not say anything. “That at the station, Faisal and Miss Richards Evans were kept away and interviewed separately, whereas the other three were kept at a separate room and interviewed separately. The witnesses were clear that the (full account of the events) was narrated and written as statements to the Police, yet, the Police Report did not make any reference to the presence of Faisal or Miss Olivia Richards Evans on the balcony when Toba allegedly fell. “Later that night, Faisal and Miss Olovia Melanie Richards Evans were released to go home without taking the blood stained T-Shirt from Faisal. Meanwhile, the other witnesses were charged with drinking and other sundry offences and are still facing these charges in court.’ Keyamo added: “Hon. Minister, for too long, the lives of Nigerians living abroad have become too cheap and without any value. The most distressing of late is that Nigerian students living and studying legitimately in so many countries have become subject of hostilities and murder. It is the way the Nigerian government handles situations like this that will either place a premium on the lives of every Nigerian living abroad or otherwise. “We call on you to use your good offices to prevail on the authorities in Dubai to re-open the investigation into the murder of Toba Falode.” Meanwhile, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has denied that the Federal Government has accepted the UAE Police’s report on investigations into the cause of Toba’s death. The Ministry’s denial followed the publication in The Guardian, on May 16, of a statement credited to Nigeria’s envoy to the UAE, Ambassador Ibrahim Auwalu, affirming that the mission had “received the report of Oloruntoba Oluwadamilola Falode’s death.” A statement by the Director/Spokesperson of the Ministry, Ogbole Amedu Ode said: “There was nowhere the ambassador was quoted as having accepted the contents of the Police report and forensic investigation carried out on the remains of the deceased. What is obvious in the report is that the ambassador provided highlights and obviously, the conclusion of the host Police’s investigations into the alleged murder.”

18 Monday, May 26, 2014

THE GUARDIAN www.ngrguardiannews.com

TheMetroSection ‘Our estate is submerged…’ • Amuwo-odofin residents cry out to govt to salvage them from flood occasioned by poor planning

Briefs Jacob Gbogidi passes on HOTO Journalist AssociaP tion of Nigeria, Delta State Chapter (PJAN) has announced the death of one of its members, Mr. Jacob Gbogidi, a freelance photographer with The Guardian Newspaper, Asaba, Delta State. A statement by the Public Relations Officer, PJAN, Delta, Nath Onojake, said he died on Monday, May 19, 2014 at Federal Medical Centre Asaba, after a brief illness Funeral ceremony will be announced later by the family.

The flooded estate By Kenechukwu Ezeonyejiaku ESIDENTS of Divine Estate in Amuwo-Odofin Local Council of Lagos State have called on government to come to their aid and rescue them from the flood that is ravaging the area. The flood, which has submerged many buildings and taken over the streets, was caused by lack of planning, indiscriminate building and structures built on supposed waterways and roads. In the whole estate that is predominantly industrial and filled with warehouses, there is no drainage where water could drain and gigantic houses on adjoining streets have all blocked the waterways. Surprisingly, there are two big canals at the back of the estate, one by the side of the estate and AmuwoOdofin main road with a big drainage system at the front, but houses and concrete fences have been used to block these thoroughfares where water could flow into the canals. Access to the estate,

Another view of the flooded estate which normally should have a direct link with the town’s main road, can be likened to Israelites’ journey from Egypt to the promised land as a result of structures built on roads. As a result, volumes of water that can could submerge passersby up to the thighs has accumulated on the road and empty plots of land, causing havoc and untold hardship to residents and business operators and forcing new developers to abandon their buildings with some intending to come back when government finally remembers the area. Speaking with The Guardian, a staff of one of the companies in the area, Mr. Jerry Ekwuruke, who described their condition in the area as hell, disclosed that the whole problem was caused by lack of proper planning and no layout plan for the area from the government when allocating and selling the lands. He revealed that some lands in the area which were initially mapped out for

Cross River govt raises alarm over influx of Fulani herdsmen From Anietie Akpan, Calabar HE Cross River State government has raised alarm over the periodical movements of Fulani herdsmen into the state in view of Boko Haram activities in the country. The state’s Security Adviser, Mr. Rekpene Bassey, while meeting with Muslim leaders recently, said the meeting became imperative to ensure peaceful coexistence among the various ethnic groups in the state as the frequent movement of Fulani herdsmen from the Middle Belt region into the state, especially in the North district. He added that there was the need for the Muslim leaders to take stock of the movement and sensitise the herdsmen to maintain peace in areas where they graze their cattle. It would be recalled that crisis between villagers and Fulani herdsmen in 2012 left no fewer than 30 person dead in NtanObu, Odukpani Local Council of the state and “the natives of those areas are requesting for regular monitoring and sensitisation of the herdsmen to avoid altercation when they graze their cattle. ” “Our people are mostly agrarian and when these herdsmen allow their cattle to graze on their crops, the people do not like it. So, the leaders should try and to let them know what to do because this is often the cause of friction with the locals.” He said efforts have been made to address the perennial crisis between the herdsmen and the people of Ntan-Obu. Bassey also said efforts are being made towards evacuating street beggars and urchins, most of who have been identified to come from the northern extractions and being used to commit crime. On his part, the Leader of Muslims in Calabar, Alhaji Abba Lawan, said a register has been opened to record the details of any new entrant into the various Muslim communities in the state. According to him, “the days when anyone would take just anybody into his house for obvious reasons have gone and we have sensitised everybody to watch out for anybody even among the old members who could cause trouble for us.” Lawan said many Hausa/Fulani people in the state were born in Calabar and “have no other home than Cross River. Moreover, the people do not tolerate terrorism and acts of criminality, which are clearly not part of Islam.’

schools and markets were later resold to individuals who without plan and sense of purpose built gigantic warehouses there without putting the aspect of drainage into considerations. According to him: “I am aware that this area was sold by government and not by local touts. And, if this is so, government should have done a proper layout for the place, which includes proper channeling of gutters. Also, whatever anybody wants to build here, what it should have been is that the government should come in, do a proper channeling of the gutters for easy discharge of water.” “Look at this place now, all these areas that warehouses have been constructed were supposed to be schools but government later resold the plots of land to people and when they did that, they didn’t guide them on how to erect the structures to allow for easy passage of water. What we experience here is that in the dry season, the water will dry up and in

the rainy season, because the water doesn’t have anywhere to flow through, it keeps rising and causing problems for us and our business.” “We as a company have spent a lot of money and also done a lot to know whether we can salvage the situation but the problem is bigger than us and that is why we have a government. They are the people who should be directing people on how and where to erect structures through their Town Planning Department but their impact is not felt here. Even with this situation that we are now, they still come to collect tenement rates and other levies from us.” “We are, therefore, calling on government to come into this estate and look at the terrible state of things and take necessary steps to avoid this rain causing more havoc. We are just in the early months of the rainy season and the situation is like this and if this situation is left like this, the water will continue to rise and cause a bigger disaster,” he appealed.

Pomp as Idumuje Unor monarch gets Staff of Office By Odita Sunday OMP and ceremony reigned supreme in the small town of Idumuje Unor, Aniocha North Local Council recently as the traditional ruler, His Royal Majesty Charles Chukwunwike Anyasi 111; the Obi of Idumuje Unor received his staff of office from the Governor of Delta State, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan. Anyasi mounted the throne of his forefathers on May 5th 2014 in a colourful ceremony, but since that day, he has not received his Staff of Office from the government of Delta State. The governor, represented by his deputy, Professor Amos Utuama at the Idumuje Unor Royal Palace, presented the staff of office to the monarch. Before the presentation of the staff, the governor told the mammoth crowd that government would continue to preserve traditional institutions in order to ensure peace and security within the communities in the state. Before his ascension to the throne, the traditional ruler was a communication consultant, creative artist, author and a philanthropist. He is the president of Universal Blood Donors Development centre, a

Gbogidi

Stolen vehicle NAVY Blue Toyota Camry A 1999 model with Registration No. UG 148 AAA, Chassis No. 4TIBG22K8WU91730 and Engine No. 5S63638, belonging to Mr. Femi Fadipe, was reported stolen where it was parked at No.12, Alade Avenue.Ikeja, Lagos on Sunday, May 11, 2014. If found, please report to the neartest police station or call 08130920291 or 08033188772.

Women prayer confab holds Saturday HE 2000 Women Prayer T Conference will hold on Saturday, May 31, at No.3, Obasun Street, behind Mobil, Aguda, Surulere, Lagos at 11.00a.m. A statement by Pastor (Mrs.) Uche Mkparu says “the event will also mark the first anniversary of KPI Childcare

Expert calls for new laws on ﬁre safety OVERNMENTS at federal G and state levels have been urged to tinker with the pres-

Anyasi receiving Staﬀ of Oﬃce from the Deputy Governor, Prof. Utuama non-governmental organizamuje Kingdom Brain Trust tion (NGO) devoted to blood (IKBT), an intellectual think donors in Africa and developthank established to galvaing countries. nize leadership excellence. He was also the national coAccording to one of the sons ordinator of Umu Anioma of the community, “ The Foundation worldwide. greatest attribute of his Royal The Obi held sway in several Majesty is his Christian faith print media in the early 1980’s which has endeared him to all as a cartoonist and humour sons and daughters of the columnist. He is a major community at home and player in the call for the creabroad. ation of Anioma State. He is To his credit, all Christian the author of the book titled missionaries within his king“Anioma: Resolving the Idendom formed ‘the Idumuje tity Crisis.” Ministers Association’. The asTwo weeks after his coronasociation is said to be fostertion as the king of Idumuje ing unity among Idumuje Unor, he launched the IduChristians.

ent laws on fire safety in their respective domains to prevent the losses as a result of fire occurrences. This called was made in Lagos by the Executive Director of Safety Consultants and Solutions Provider, Mr. Olufemi Young, at a press briefing to announce his company’s conference on fire safety slated for May 27 in Lagos, with the theme, An innovative and sustainable approach to active and passive fire safety. The seminar is organised in conjunction with 3M, an international safety organisation. He said though there are laws on safety, there is a need to enforce them besides ensuring they are in tune with modern time, adding that stakeholders are already engaging policy makers at the federal and state levels to ensure that there is better legislation on issues of safety.

THE GUARDIAN www.ngrguardiannews.com

Briefs Delta Police intensify search for abducted Cuban From Hendrix Oliomogbe, Asaba HE Delta State police have intensified the search to rescue a T Cuban national, Mr. Ernesto Mendez, who was abducted in March at Ezenei Avenue, Asaba.

Monday, May 26, 2014 19

Rotary Club donates books, borehole to school, Langbasa community

The Police Public Relations Officer, Mrs. Celestina Kalu, disclosed yesterday in Asaba that the police were on the trail of the kidnappers of Mendez, a construction engineer with Johnson Construction Company. Mrs. Kalu explained that the abductors of the Cuban are believed to be members of the same gang that previously attacked one Apostle Moses Gradure. The police spokeswoman said operatives of police Special AntiKidnapping Squad (SAKS), Asaba, had an encounter with the same suspected kidnappers operating in a Toyota Camry car with Registration No. AA123BT between Utulu-junction and Ubulu Okiti along Benin/Asaba Expressway on May 17. She said that during the shoot-out, the tyres of the car were punctured and made it to veer off the road and got stuck in the bush while the bandits fled into the bush with bullet wounds. The Delta Police image-maker said that the locals and vigilance group in the area were contacted to watch out for the wounded hoodlums. Kalu said that in furtherance of the search for the hoodlums, on May 20, a combined team of policemen and vigilance group recovered one FNC rifle with two magazines and thirty-nine rounds of live ammunition apparently abandoned by the fleeing kidnappers in the bush at Ubulu-Okiti. She added that the blood-stained vehicle used by the culprits has been recovered while the police have intensified effort to arrest the fleeing criminals.

Kwara gov’s wife prays for release of Chibok girls From Abiodun Fagbemi, Ilorin RS Omolewa Ahmed, wife of Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed of Kwara State has declared that only spiritual weapons through ceaseless prayers could salvage Nigeria out of its present security challenges. She, however, believed that the situation, especially the insurgency, would be short-lived if it was frontally tackled without political, ethnic or religious colouration. She reacted to the weekend prayers of women in Kwara State who gathered in Ilorin praying for over six hours for the peaceful release of the over 200 abducted girls at Chibok Borno state by Boko Haram terrorist group. The prayers, anchored by the governor’s wife, saw women in their hundreds taking turns to pray in both Islamic and Christian ways. Christened, Kwara Mothers Pray, the women apart from occasionally betraying their emotions during the event, believed that the efficacy of various prayers offered to God for the release of the adopted girls would complement other efforts being packaged for the release. Omolewa, while addressing reporters at the event said since warfare remained the exclusive duties of men, women could only complement such endeavour with fervent prayers.

BAT Foundation trains women on vegetable farming By Tope Templer Olaiya RITISH American Tobacco Nigeria Foundation (BATNF) has restated its resolve to ensure farmers in the country are empowered for better performance and increased productivity. General Manager of the foundation, Ms. Abimbola Okoya, disclosed this on Wednesday at the training programme organised by BATNF for women vegetable farmers in Oshodi, Lagos. The training, according to Okoya, would empower the farmers with an in-depth knowledge of how, when and where to plant their crops, how to access loans, and apply fertilizers, among others, for better yield. Okoya, who noted that BATNF invited agriculturalists from the National Horticultural Institute (NIHORT), Ibadan to train the women, said: “From our research, we found out that women need expert knowledge on vegetable farming. This is why we brought in experts from NIHORT to conduct the training. It is also in line with our mandate of contributing to sustainable agricultural development of the country.” She said that the training would be a continuous process, as the women farmers, apart from the theoretical knowledge that they have gained, would also be assisted by the NIHORT officials to practically apply what they have learnt in their farms.

Mrs. Odinaka Nguzo (right), First Bank representative, Ismail Omamegbe, President, Rotary Club of Victoria Garden City, Mrs. Victoria Kuteyi, former Governor, Central Bank of Nigeria, Joseph Sanusi and Alhaji Rilwan Akinjagula at the event By Isaac Taiwo “We keyed into that and apmaintenance of the bore“We gave seven books to proached many organizahole. The club is also exHE Rotary Club of Victoeach of the pupils in accortions, including the First pected to grow. It is ria Garden City, District dance with their classes and Bank, to collaborate with us expected that the club 9110, in collaboration with by virtue of their needs” she would open an account the First Bank of Nigeria has with a view to sinking a said. borehole for the school and with the First Bank that extended its hands of The Head Teacher of the the community. sponsored the project. benevolence to Langbasa School, Mrs. Ayodele Oke“It was the only First Bank “We have invited the Baale Primary School, Eti-Osa East biorun in response to the that responded positively and members of the comLocal Council Development donations said the borehole by donating N4 million to munity to witness this occa- would no doubt meet the Area, Lekki as well as memexecute the project while sion and also be acquainted bers of Langbasa communeed of both the school and with the fact that the water nity, by donating a borehole the club added N1 million. the community. “Our joy is full today as we provided is to be sold at a to both. She listed other needs of see the children happy. We subsidized rate,” she said. Speaking after the commisthe school to include a also put in place some set of The President said she sioning ceremony, which school library, sports equiptaps outside the gate of the would be in charge of the took place at the school’s ment, information and school to serve members of project after her tenure as premises, the President of technology equipment the public,” she said. the President to ensure that the Club, Mrs. Victoria among others. Kuteyi-Ogundemuren also the project does not die. Kuteyi-Ogundemuren, said Representative of the First disclosed the launch of RoShe also disclosed that it was discovered that the Bank, Head, Corporate Retary Community Project prior to the commissioning school had no drinking sponsibility Marketing & that would look after the of the borehole, the Club water, and the club, thereCorporate Communicaborehole by ensuring its also donated exercise fore, decided to assist. tions, Ismail Omamegbe, continual usage, devoid of books, drawing books and “They had a borehole that said that it was expected the vandalisation. writing materials to the was sunk a long time ago, water project would im“Rotary Community Projpupils of the school under which ceased to function prove the health and welect is a mini club, expected the club’s education and litand that led to their drinkfare of the school children to generate money in the eracy programme at a cost ing any type of water that and the good people of course of selling the water N0.5 million (Half a million could have been inimical to Lamgbasa community as at subsidized rate for the naira). their health. well as its environs.

Dufil Prima hosts 55,000 kids to mark Children’s Day UFIL Prima Foods, makers D of Indomie Noodles, has flagged off activities to commemorate the Children’s Day celebration. The event, which began which kicked off on Tuesday

at the National Theatre is expected to end on Children’s Day (May 27). The seven-day event organized under the auspices of Indomie Children Fan Club, also had in attend, among

other dignitaries, the Special Guest of honor, wife of the Lagos State Governor, Abimbola Fashola, wives of Commissioners for Energy, Power, Justice and Education. One of the highpoints of the

NGO needs N1 million to rehabilitate orphanage By Ujunwa Atueyi IGHTEEN-YEAR-OLD Emmanuel Abuh, from Ohimini Local Council of Benue State, who is at present receiving succour at Bobnel Child Support Foundation, a humanitarian nongovernmental organisation, has lent his voice to an appeal for support, for the construction of a world-class orphanage. The foundation, has for the past 15 years been extending hands of fellowship to the physically -challenged and lessprivileged children in Nigeria through schools, motherless babies’ homes among others. Some of the schools and care homes they have partnered include: Modupe Cole Memorial Handicapped School, Yaba; Red Cross Motherless Babies Home, Yaba; Junior Boys Approved School, Yaba; Spinal Cord Injuries Home, Amuwo Odofin; Wesley School of the Deaf, Surulere, National Orthopedic Special School, Igbobi, among others. Just recently, the foundation, which decided to build a home for the displaced children, completed the foundation laying ceremony of the centre, in Ogun State, and is making a passionate appeal to well-meaning Nigerians and corporate bodies to support the construction of the centre, which will accommodate about 100 children. Abuh, an SS1 student, has been out of school for years, until he met CAPOR foundation in Benue state which reinstated him in school. However, due to paucity of fund, the foundation could no longer cope with Abu’s educational and daily needs. Having discovered his academic potentials, the foundation referred him to Bobnel foundation in Lagos, which has accepted to see him through his education to university level.

Public Relations Manager,Dufil Prima Foods Plc., Tope Ashiwaju ( left); wife of Lagos State Governor, Dame Abimbola Fashola; Chief Executive Officer, Dufil Prima Foods Plc, Deepak Singhal and the Co-ordinator, Indomie Fans Club, Faith Joshua with some of the children during the Indomie Children’s Day Celebration, in Lagos PHOTO: SUNDAY AKINLOLU

event was a special prayer request made by Mrs. Fashola for the safe return of the Chibok girls. Mrs. Fashola, commended Dufil Prima Foods for giving the children the rare opportunity given to the kids to mark their day. The Public Relations/ Event Manager, Dufil Prima Foods Plc, Mr. Tope Ashiwaju, stated that the Indomie Children’s Day celebrations was a yearly activity that the company has consistently celebrated for a decade now, and the reason is not far-fetched, as it has remained a passion of the company to show appreciation and love to the children, who happen to be the brand’s core loyalists. “Dufil Prima Foods believes so much in the Nigerian child and the annual Children’s day is always one good opportunity, to show them how much we indeed treasure them. The children’s day party proper would hold in 19 locations across four cities namely: Lagos, Ogun, Abuja, Ibadan and Akure.” Aside from the annual children’s Day celebration, Dufil Prima Foods Plc organizes a quarterly birthday party for all the children that are registered under the Indomie Fan Club.

20 Monday, May 26, 2014

THE GUARDIAN www.ngrguardiannews.com

BUSINESS INTERVIEW / 62, 63

PROPERTYGUIDE /56

How to achieve competitiveness within Nigeria’s environment, by Mordi

Surveyors urge govt to establish national mapping policy

MONDAY, May 26, 2014

Obstacles to tax drive in Nigeria, by experts By Chijioke Nelson

HE twin issues of lack of confidence in the management of the nation’s tax revenue and unstructured nature of the informal sector operations have been identified as the main challenges militating against effective tax drive in the country.

The development, which formed the fulcrum of discussion at the weeklong event of the 16th yearly conference of the Chartered Institute of Taxation of Nigeria (CITN), in Uyo, Akwa Ibom, emerged as part of the bane of increased tax revenue collection for nation-

al development projects. A professor of law and taxation at the Rivers State University of Science and Technology, Uche JackOsimini, said that a new survey showed a rising apathy to payment of taxes, due to lack of confidence that the tax revenue will be used judiciously for

general interest of the public by the authorities. According to him, many are of the view that the revenues are not properly accounted for and at best, used to fund the private luxury of the privileged few, hence they become highly apathetic to tax matters, even as some

Chairman, Dangote Sugar Refinery plc, Alhaji Aliko Dangote (left); Group Managing Director, Graham Clark; Deputy Group Managing Director, Abdullahi Sule; and Director, Bennedikter Molokwu, at the eighth yearly general meeting of the company, in Lagos. PHOTO: FEMI ADEBESIN-KUTI

By Helen Oji TURNOVER of 1.869 billion A shares worth N23.917 billion was exchanged in 23,554

deals by investors on the floor of the Exchange last week, in contrast to a total of 1.675 billion shares valued at N20.861 billion that changed hands in 24,513 deals during the preceding week. Specifically, the financial services industry (measured by volume) led the activity chart with 1.486 billion shares valued at N15.519 billion traded in 12,384 deals; thus contributing 79.53 per cent and 64.89 per cent to the total equity turnover volume and value respectively.

D esc r i ption

TTM

B i d P r ice

Y iel d

O ffe r P r ice

Y iel d

13.05 16-AUG-2016

2.23

102.20

11.88

102.35

11.80

15.10 27-APR-2017

2.93

107.65

11.92

107.80

11.86

16.00 29-JUN-2019

5.10

114.30

12.15

114.60

12.07

16.39 27-JAN-2022

7.68

118.85

12.49

119.15

12.44

14.20 14-MAR-2024

9.81

109.30

12.52

109.60

12.47

16.17

80.00

12.98

80.30

12.93

10.00 23-JUL-2030

Exchange rates at May 23, 2014 Exchange rates as atasMay 23, 2014 ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !

CONTINUED ON PAGE 22

tured models. According to him, many informal sector operators do not have particular offices, as some operate “mobile offices,” deliver services on demand, even through the Internet, which at the moment cannot easily be tracked by tax authorities. “There are 65 per cent of all adult taxpayers in the informal sector. It is also the sector that is most difficult to tax, because people there are not well educated and do not even understand and appreciate the need to pay tax. They see government as the ‘godfather’, therefore, government should do everything. “But we are now saying that widening tax rate is not about increasing the rate, but making it easier for people to comply. This will be educating people through tax publications and advocacy, letting them know that tax revenues are used for those facilities they expect from government. “But mostly, the provision of visible features of application of the revenues will boost the morale of the citizens to comply. It is a determinant of cost benefit of paying and every citizen has right to demand a proof of what is been done with the tax, otherwise they will refuse to pay,” he

FGN Bonds

Bullish trading bouys NSE’s turnover by N23.9 billion The conglomerates industry followed with a turnover of 109.647 million shares worth N607.628 million in 1,230 deals. The third place was occupied by the services industry with 81.708 million shares worth N228.740 million in 857 deals. Trading in the top three equities Namely- Wapic

devise strategies to either, avoid tax payment or evade it in its entirety. “Informal sector reacts to the perceived gap between governance and taxation and already, people have shown lack of faith in government expenditure. They are asking about what government will do with the taxes collected and how certain it is that the funds will not become unaccounted for or diverted for private use. “We have suggested that at least, 40 per cent of tax collected in a particular area should be used there. When a taxpayer sees the amenities in the area, the confidence will be bolstered. “There is sense in prudence management of tax revenue. If it is prudently used, no doubt the taxpayer will see it, but presently there is general apathy and persistent call for payment of tax will not allay the fear and suspicions that are already existing,” he said. But the President of the Chartered Institute of Taxation of Ghana and West African Union of Tax Institutes (WAUTI), Mike Kofi Aflu, while discussing the issues of taxation on the informal sector, said the challenges arise as most of the workers and business owners are less educated, with unstruc-

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22 Monday, May 26, 2014

FINANCIALGUARDIAN

Ecobank gets $200m lifeline from AfDB for regional trade deals By Chijioke Nelson COBANK Transnational E Incorporated and the African Development Bank

(AfDB) have signed a $200 million Trade Finance Facility for its deals in the

continent. The facility was signed by Ecobank’s Group Chief Executive Officer, Albert Essien and a Director at AfDB, Alex Rugamba, at an official ceremony held during AfDB’s yearly general

meeting in Kigali. According to Ecobank, the facility comprised two components- a $100 million unfunded risk-sharing facility to bolster Ecobank’s capacity as an international confirming bank for trade

transactions originated by issuing banks in Africa and another $100 million trade facilitation loan, which will be used by Ecobank to provide trade finance support to local corporates and SMEs in Africa.

Over a period of 3.5 years, the facility will support approximately $1.8 billion of trade transactions in Africa. “This facility will greatly support international and intra-regional trade in

Africa. We look forward to an ever-deepening collaboration with the AfDB to provide vital trade finance support to promote regional integration and the development of SMEs across Africa,” he said.

Financial stocks boost turnover CONTINUED FROM PAGE 21

Group Managing Director Designate, Skye Bank Plc, Timothy Oguntayo (left); Deputy Managing Director Designate, Amaka Onwughalu; and Executive Director, Enterprise Wide Risk Management, Dotun Adeniyi, during the bank’s pre-yearly meeting media briefing, in Lagos at the weekend. PHOTO: SUNDAY AKINLOLU

CSCS posts N4.82 billion profit, revenue up by 34% By Helen Oji ENTRAL Securities Clearing C System Plc (CSCS), has posted a Profit before Taxation of N4.82 billion in its 2013 operations, against N3.09 billion achieved in 2012. CSCS Chairman, Oscar Onyema, in a statement said:

“In fulfillment of our promise to continually pursue annual growth in revenue, the company’s total revenue grew by 34 per cent from N5.17billion in 2012 to N6.89billion in 2013.” The Chairman also announced the retirement of three directors from the Board;

Emmanuel Nnorom, Herbert Wigwe and Abubakar Sule, while Haruna Jalo-Waziri, Obinna Nwosu and Kennedy Uzoka were appointed to the Board. The Managing Director of CSCS, Kyari Bukar explained that the company achieved

improved performance during the year under review. “Our operating income for the year stood at N6.9 billion, that is a 34per cent increase from the previous year’s operating income of N5.2 billion. Profit before tax for the year under review was N4.82 billion as against N3.09 billion from the previous year, 2012 while total revenue grew by 34 per cent during the year, operating expenditure decreased by 1per cent due to efficient cost management approach adopted by the company in 2013.”

Based on the performance, a dividend of 22 kobo per share was approved for payment to members whose names appear in the Register of members at the close of business on Monday May 5, 2014. He pointed out that the 2013 financial statements of the company was prepared in line with International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) as prescribed by the Financial Reporting Council of Nigeria (FRCN) and the Securities & Exchange Commission, having first adopted the IFRS in 2012.

Insurance Plc, Zenith International Bank Plc and Guaranty Trust Bank Plc. (measured by volume) accounted for 815.138 million shares worth N11.613 billion in 3,151 deals, contributing 43.62 per cent and 48.56 per cent to the total equity turnover volume and value respectively. Also traded during the week were a total of 674 units of Exchange Traded Products (ETPs) valued at N127, 162.83 executed in 15 deals compared with a total of 10,329 units valued at N3.305 million transacted last week in 18 deals There were no transactions recorded in debt instruments this week under review. However, 50,000 units of FGN bonds valued at N51.513 million were transacted last week in 1 deal. The NSE All-Share Index and Market Capitalization appreciated by 2.08 per cent and 2.34 per centto close on Friday at 39,831.83 and N13.152 trillion respectively. All the NSE indices appreciated during the week with the exception of the NSE Industrial Goods and NSE ASeM indices that closed flat. 42 equities appreciated in prices during the week higher than 37) equities of the preceding week. 33 equities depreciated in prices lower than 36 equities of the preceding week, while 124 equities remained unchanged lower than 126 of the preceding week A total of 3,350,509,750 ordinary shares of 50k each at N9.50 of Caverton Off Shore Support Group Plc were admitted to trade at the Exchange on May 20.

!"#$%&'($)"(&!"%*+,-& ! "#$%&'($)"(&!"%*+,-& 16,606.27 16,606.27

+6 +63.19 3.19

+0.38% +0.38%

S&P 500 S& P 5 00

1,900.53 1,900.53

+8 .04 +8.04

+0.42% +0.42%

NASDAQ NA SDAQ

4,185.81 4,185.81

+3 1.47 +31.47

+0.76% +0.76%

1 172.85 72.85

+0.82 +0.82

+0.48% +0.48%

DOW

TR US US INDEX INDEX

& FT FTSE SE 1 100 00

6 6,815.75 ,815.75

-4.81 -4.81

-0.07% 0.07%

DAX DAX

9,768.01 9 ,768.01

+47.10 +47.10

+0.48% +0 .48%

CA C 40 40 CAC

4,493.15 4 ,493.15

+14.94 +14.94

+0.33% +0 .33%

179.70 179.70

+0.22 +0.22

+0 .12% +0.12%

EUROPE TR EUROPE

& NIKKEI NIKKEI

1 14,462.17 4,462.17

+124.38 +124.38

+0.87% +0 .87%

HANG SENG HA NG S ENG

22,965.86 2 2,965.86

+12.10 +12.10

+0.05% +0 .05%

SENSEX SEN SEX

2 24,693.35 4,693.35

+318.95 +318.95

+1.31% +1 .31%

Monday, May 26, 2014 23

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FINANCIALGUARDIAN

Challenges of agric financing, by Skye Bank By Chijioke Nelson and Anthony Nwachukwu OMMERCIAL banks’ intervention in the agriculture sector may remain low due to the inadequate guarantee on credit, which consequently tied the fate of the facilities to the success or otherwise of the farms. The Group Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer-designate of Skye Bank, Timothy Oguntayo, made the observation, while addressing the media in Lagos, during the bank’s pre- yearly general meeting briefing. To redress this disturbing situation, which is also negatively impacting government’s drive in that sector, Oguntayo, urged the Federal Government to revamp the Nigerian

Agricultural Insurance Corporation, established to guarantee loans and encourage banks to fund the sector. Though he put the bank’s agricultural intervention in cocoa processing and animal production, among others, in the past year at over N15 billion, Oguntayo, however, lamented government’s failure to sustain the agric-insurance bank, stating that the lack of fallback options for agric loans is a huge disincentive. Meanwhile, as part of measures to beef up its equity and working capital, Skye Bank Plc said it was close to raising $150 million from development finance institutions in Europe, which would release to it a Tier 1 capital of $50 million before the end of June, while Tier 2 capital of $100 million would

come by the end of July. Oguntayo said the drive was in tandem with the shareholders’ approval at the 2012 yearly general meeting and was progressing as planned. According to him, the capital so raised “would enable us deepen our penetration in existing markets, while also providing the avenue for exploring uncharted segments and other opportunities.” He hoped that the bank would improve the growth pattern in the remaining period of the financial year. Noting that the new capital would make the bank more solid, Oguntayo said the bank would use its enhanced strength to further fund critical sectors of the economy towards national develop-

ment. The bank chief said the financial institution is number one in real estate development and a top performer in oil and gas sector, while not abandoning agriculture and educational institutions, among others. Reliable source also hinted that the bank was making good progress in its efforts to acquire one of the bridge banks in the country, and would soon perfect its bid for the second phase coming up in the next two weeks, having passed the first phase. Explaining the decline in the 2013 result, Chief Finance Officer, Mr. Dele Ogunaike, said that AMCON sinking fund and NDIC premium negatively impacted the bank’s financial report with the unexpected

implementation of the increase from 0.3 percent to 0.5 percent in 2013. Meanwhile, the bank recorded a 28 percent surge in operating cost from N40.2 billion in 2012 to N51.4 billion in 2013, due mainly to regulator payments, which included AMCON sinking fund of over N13 billion shares and NDIC premium reserve. Gross earnings dipped by 3 percent from N127.7 billion in 2012 to N127.3 billion in 2013, while loan book marginally grew by 2 percent - from N540.4 billion in 2012 to N549.9 billion in 2013. Also, customer deposits grew by 4 percent – from N790.1 billion in 2012 to N823.3 billion in 2013, while loan to deposit ratio from dropped from 77.7 percent in 2012 to 69.6 per cent in

2013, and non-performing loans went down from N28 billion in 2012 to N18 billion in 2013. Profit before tax was N17.136 billion for the financial year ended December 31, 2013 (an increase of 3.79 percent over the N16.510 billion in 2012), and profit after tax of N16.023 billion (an increase of 26.7 percent over the N12.644 billion in 2012). Nevertheless, the bank forecasts a deposit growth of 20 percent in 2014 and loan growth of 15 percent. To reduce cost, Oguntayo said the bank would focus on alternative source of power, while its new retail banking strategies have been designed to aid the mobilization of cheap deposits.

24 Monday, May 26, 2014

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EQUITY MARKET SUMMARY

MARKET REPORT AS AT 26=05=2014

PRIMERA AFRICA www.primera-africa.com

Monday, May 26, 2014 | 25

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MARKET INDICATORS

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OIL&GAS WEEKLY

FINANCIALGUARDIAN

Remi Aiyela, Editor-in-Chief

editor@NOGintelligence.com www.NOGintelligence.com

UPSTREAM NEWS

Shell Divestment Winners Revealed ETAILSof the results of the latest round of Shell’s divestment of its interest and that of its joint D venture partners, Total and ENI in oil mining leases (OMLs) 18, 24, 25 and 29 are beginning to emerge. Through its own sources, NOGintelligence has been able to put together a picture of the winning bids although there is no official confirmation of the winners yet. Shell put the blocks up for sale discreetly in June last year but the process soon became a scramble leading Shell to open the application process up to over 100 companies. As Shell began to compile its shortlist, all sorts of consortia were formed as it became clear that it would be a very hard fought race. As a result, the winner bidders are mostly in consortia that have been formed to create formidable teams that are more likely to scale the financial hurdles for the acquisition of the assets. Already, the winning bidders have had to pay a 10 per cent deposit to secure their bids but Shell has given them a long-stop date of the end of June to pay the balance. Shell had always stated that it wished to complete the process quickly. The company is keen to complete this stage of the process and move on to the Ministerial Consent stage, a process that has been known to take more than a year. Some people are surprised that most of the winning bidders are names that are not known in the industry but that is unsurprising given that they are mostly special purpose vehicles (SPVs), which the consortium companies have formed to represent their interests under the joint ventures. OML 18, is said to have been won by Erotron, a consortium made up of Mart Resources, Suntrust Oil and Midwestern. OML 18 produces 21,000 bopd from 6 fields and 12 mmscf/d of gas. Pan Ocean is understood to have put in the highest bid for OML 24, having decided to go it alone. As a long-term indigenous producer of 7,500 barrels per day from its OML 98, it had the credibility to pull off a sole bid. OML 24 has 25,000 bopd production from 3 fields and 8 mmscf/d of gas. Essar, made up of a consortium of indigenous professionals and a leading financier, is said to have won the bid for OML 25. The block is producing 33,000 bopd from 1 field and 2 mmscf/d of gas. OML 29 is believed to have been won by a consortium that includes Aiteo and Taleveras who NOGintelligence previously revealed had been told to go and get other companies to join their consortium given that the two market traders have no real upstream experience. OML 29 includes the troubled Nembe Creek Trunkline, which has been under constant attack by oil thieves in the last few years, even in spite of a recent $2 billion upgrade by Shell. OML 29 produces 58,000 b0pd from 5 fields and 20 mmscf/d of gas. It supplies gas to NLNG. Joint production from all four OMLs is about 90,000 bopd (a peak of 140,000 bopd in 2012) and 60 mmscf/d of gas but already identified routes mean production can quickly ramp up to 250,000 bopd and 150 mmscf/d. There can be no certainty of the final winners until they demonstrate their ability to fund their winning bids. NOGintelligence gathers that the position has been changing as those who failed to back up their bids are thrown out of the race. The companies involved are remaining tight-lipped until the ink is dry on the acquisitions, particularly in view of what is happening in the Chevron divestment, which is currently stuck in litigation. NOGintelligence is still awaiting independent confirmation of the bid amounts, but we understand that the bids have surpassed the initial estimates of analysts. It is does appear that the bidders were all undeterred by the insistence of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) (owners of a 55 per cent stake in the assets) that operatorship reverts to it following divestment by Shell. The winners will be hopeful that they can secure a deal with NNPC that will allow them to operate the assets as NNPC’s catalogue of operated assets

continues to grow as a result of the divestments but with no corresponding investment in the capacity it needs to be able to operate all those assets. It is a hopeful situation as there is already a precedent for this in some of the Shell divested such as OMLs 26, 30, 34, 40 and 42. They are currently operated by the buyers of the divested stakes in various kinds of arrangements. Shell has so far raked in over $1.78 billion over the last few years as it continues on its mission to sell off its Nigerian onshore assets. The company plans to raise $15 billion from the sale of assets worldwide this year.

Lekoil Acquires 40% Interest in Green Energy’s Otatikpo Marginal Field ONDON’S Alternative Investment Market (AIM) LGreen listed Lekoil has signed a farm in agreement with Energy International Ltd under which it will acquire a 40 per cent interest in the Otatikpo marginal field. Otatikpo has 2C reserves estimates of 36 million barrels of oil and 31 billion cubic feet of gas. After its acquisition of a 40 per cent equity interest in the field, Lekoil will have added 14 mmbbl of oil and 12 bcf of gas to its books. Lekoil Oil also revealed some of the financial details of the transaction. It is required to pay a signing bonus of $7 million to Green Energy as well as a production bonus of $4 million. The latter is contingent on production as well as receipt of ministerial consent to the transfer of the participating interest. Lekoil will acquire the interest through its Nigerian subsidiary, Lekoil Nigeria in which it has a 90 per cent economic interest. Lekoil enters into the joint venture as Green Energy’s technical partner. Otakikpo is located in oil mining lease (OML) 11, held by joint venture partners, Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria Limited, Total E&P Nigeria Limited and Nigerian Agip Oil Company Limited. The field is in a swamp location, in the eastern part of the Niger Delta. Otatikpo was awarded to Green Energy in 2011 in a discretionary allocation. The award came under fire after being awarded by the Federal Government outside an official bid round. Under the Petroleum Act, the President has the power to grant discretionary awards of oil and gas licences. In the face of criticism of such opaque awards, the Federal Government press machinery has pointed out that the licensees usually have onerous local content projects, which they are obliged to undertake. Green Energy must develop a small-scale gas utilisation project within 30 months of commencement of production as part of the conditions of the award. Under Lekoil’s agreement with Green Energy, it will fund the initial work programme, which consists of the re-entry of the existing wells on the field. Lekoil will also fund all costs, estimated at approximately $67 million, until commencement of production. It will recover the expenditure on the initial work programme from a preferential 88 per cent of production cash flow from Otakikpo. Green Energy can terminate the agreement if Lekoil Oil and Gas fails to follow through on its obligation to pay $11 million for the acquisition or to fund the initial work programme. Although the transfer of the equity participation interest is contingent on Ministerial Consent to the transfer, which can sometimes take more than a year, Lekoil will not have to wait till then to enjoy benefits of the proposed acquisition. The parties have signed a Financial and Technical Services Agreement, which takes effect immediately, enabling Lekoil to enjoy an economic interest in the 40 per cent share it proposes to acquire. The field is covered by partial 2D seismic with a limited amount of 3D acquired over the southern area. Three wells have been drilled in the field and hydrocarbons were encountered in multiple intervals. The field is close to existing infrastructure for the delivery of crude to market. As a marginal field, Otakikpo will benefit from attractive fiscal terms, principally a 55% tax rate on net income. Commenting, Lekan Akinyanmi, Lekoil's CEO, said, "Acquiring this interest in Otakikpo is a very attractive proposition, economically and operationally for Lekoil. It brings access to near term production - in line with our growth strategy, cash flow to fund activity on our other assets and upside potential to be proved up from 3D seismic and appraisal drilling. As the Technical and Financial Partner we will be able to showcase the technical ability within the Company to bring assets into production." Lekoil is planning to place approximately 10 per cent of its issued share capital with institutional and other investors and the net proceeds will be used to fund the equity portion of the work programme – about 20 per cent. It then intends to obtain a reserves based lending facility from domestic banks to fund the remaining 80 per cent of the work programme. Analysts are beginning to sit up and take notice of Lekoil’s acendancy, with Westhouse analyst Mark Henderson moving his “add” recommendation up to a “buy” with a target price of 86p up from his previous 62p recommendation. Lekoil made a giant discovery last year, with its Ogo exploration well, which turned out to be one of the largest discoveries worldwide for last year. Lekoil is also expected to feature in the soon to be revealed results of the latest round of Shell divestments. Lekoil expects its latest acquisition to be in production within 12-18 months.

in association with

CAMAC Awards Offshore Development Contract for Oyo Field Project to Ceona/Marine Platforms EW YORK Stock Exchange listed CAMAC Energy N is continuing the development of its Oyo field with the revelation that it has awarded valuable project work to subsea umbilicals, risers and flowlines (SURF) specialist, Ceona. The contract consists of the installation and recovery of umbilical and flexible pipe as well as light subsea construction in up to 500 metres water depth. UK company, Ceona will execute the contract as Project Manager, while local offshore support and engineering work will be delivered in partnership with local partner, Marine Platforms Limited, one of a growing band of indigenous companies developing deeper capabilities in the offshore sector. Ceona plans to use the DP-3 offshore construction vessel, Normand Pacific, which it mobilized with a new high-specification 75t VLS, a reel drive system of 400t reels and two work-class ROVOP ROVs for the offshore works planned to commence in July 2014. Ceona has chartered the vessel from Solstad Offshore since April 2014 for one year, with an option of extension making it easy to move the vessel from its location in the Gulf of Mexico where it was working on a Ceona contract for the installation of umbilicals for Bennu Oil. Mark Preece, Executive VP Commercial and Business Development at Ceona expressed his delight at securing the installation project for CAMAC Energy, adding: “West Africa is a key market for Ceona and we are well positioned to compete for the many upcoming SURF projects in the region”. Oyo field is located on CAMAC’s principal assets, oil mining leases (OMLs) 120 and 121 in deep water, offshore Nigeria. Oyo was the first deep water discovery in Nigeria and has been in production since December 2009. Drilling operations at the Oyo-7 well commenced in September 2013 using Transocean’s Sedneth 701 drilling rig. The company says it is currently pursuing further additions to its exploration portfolio in East and West Africa after successful raising $270 million in equity investment from South African State-owned company, the Public Investment Corporation (PIC) representing approximately 30% ownership interest in CAMAC after completion of the transactions. Established in 1911, PIC is one of the largest investment managers in Africa, managing assets of over US$140 billion, and manages funds on behalf of the Government Employees Pension Fund in South Africa. CAMAC’s goal is to be able to produce about 14,000 barrels of oil per day once Oyo-7 and Oyo-8 are completed this year.

DOWNSTREAM NEWS

in 2012. There was a media backlash in view of which the House of Representatives brought an investigation into whether Buckingham was fit to be awarded an OML. After Shoreline put up a vigorous defence of their business partner Buckingham who is the CEO of Heritage Oil, the whole matter died down and since then, OML 30 has been delivering great returns for Heritage. Last year, Heritage, which is listed on the London Stock Exchange, released its Interim Management Statement for the period from 1 July 2013 to 18 November 2013, which showed that its revenues had been transformed with production up 60 per cent compared to the first half of the year. The company said its investment in OML 30 through Shoreline Natural Resources was key to the dramatic improvement in the company’s fortunes after generating total revenues of $49.1 million in the third quarter 2013 (compared to $2.1 million, Q3 2012), of which $46.4 million was from the interest in Shoreline Natural Resources Limited. They closed the year with a profit of $100.4 million for 2013 on sales of $431.9 million. Production in OML 30 has reached 50,000 barrels per day. Another boost to its fortunes came from the settlement of a tax dispute under which it obtained various tax waivers leading to a substantial reduction in tax. Al Mirqab Capital, a company controlled by Qatar’s royal family, made a cash offer valuing Heritage Oil Plc at $1.55 billion. In view of its good fortunes, owing mainly to its Nigerian oil production, Heritage said it had recommended a 320 pence per share cash offer, which represented a 25 per cent premium to its closing price the day before the approach was announced. Tony Buckingham will retain a 20 per cent holding and serve as an adviser for at least five years. Heritage Chairman, Michael Hibberd said in a statement: “The independent committee of Heritage’s board believes that the offer represents an attractive and certain value.” Qatar's Sheikh Hamad Bin Jassim Bin Jabor Al Thani and his family own Al Mirqab Capital. Sheikh Hamad used to be CEO of the Qatar Investment Authority and is now driving the family’s private investment vehicle to scoop up valuable stakes in blue chips, real estate and luxury brands around the world. The new investors intend to grow Heritage’s production in Nigeria and also develop its exploration portfolio in Tanzania and Papua New Guinea. Heritage sold its Kurdistan assets to raise the funds for the acquisition of its interest in OML 30. The deal is said to be subject to shareholder approval.

LEGAL

OPEC Daily Basket Price Stood at $107.00 a Barrel Thursday, 22 May 2014 HE price of OPEC basket of twelve crudes stood T at $107.00 a barrel on Thursday, compared with $106.82 the previous day, according to OPEC Secretariat calculations. The price of OPEC oil continues the upward trajectory it has been on for two weeks, buoyed by news of the International Economic Agency (IEA)’s forecast of growing world demand for oil. Introduced on 16 June 2005, is currently made up of the following: Saharan Blend (Algeria), Girassol (Angola), Oriente (Ecuador), Iran Heavy (Islamic Republic of Iran), Basra Light (Iraq), Kuwait Export (Kuwait), Es Sider (Libya), Bonny Light (Nigeria), Qatar Marine (Qatar), Arab Light (Saudi Arabia), Murban (UAE) and Merey (Venezuela).

FINANCIAL

Heritage Oil Sold to Qatar Sovereign Wealth Fund ERITAGE OIL, the partner of Shoreline Power H Company in Shoreline Natural Resources, which owns a 45 per cent interest in (oil mining lease), OML 30, has been sold to a Qatar sovereign wealth fund, Al Mirqab Capital. Heritage Oil is an independent Jersey-based oil and gas exploration and production company. Founded by controversial figure and former mercenary, Tony Buckingham, its activities are currently focused on Africa. The partnership with Shoreline came under great scrutiny after the $850 million OML 30 acquisition

Nigerian Community Back in UK Court over Shell Compensation for Oil Spill HE fight by around 15,000 members of the Bodo T community for compensation for the 2008 oil spills in their communities by Shell is back in a UK High Court. Although Shell admitted liability for the spills in 2011 arguments have continued over the amount of the spills, how much damage was caused and the amount of compensation to be paid to the community who say their livelihoods have been decimated as a result of the spills. The community members are represented by London firm, Leigh Day is said to be looking for $200 million in compensation while Shell is said to have offered $46 million a sum rejected by Leigh Day as insulting. Martyn Day, senior partner at the firm said that his clients know how much their claim is worth and will not be bought off cheaply. He expects the community to get a lump sum payment from the settlement and individual amounts to also go to each member of the community. He said that each of those affected earned $5-8,000 a year before the spills robbed them of their livelihoods. The parties are still not agreed on the amount of the spills, which may become an issue in court. While Shell says 4100 barrels were lost in the two spills, Leigh Day maintains that 500,000 and 600,000 barrels were spilled. Shell blames most of the spills on “widespread and continual criminal activity, including sabotage, theft and illegal refining, that leads to the vast majority of oil being spilled.” Activists remain critical however, accusing the company of not doing enough to prevent the damage and clean up after the spills. In a statement Mutiu Sunmonu, managing director of Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria Limited (SPDC) said: "From the outset, we've accepted responsibility for the two operational spills in Bodo in 2008. They're deeply regrettable operational accidents, and they absolutely should not have happened.”

28 Monday, May 26, 2014

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Monday, May 26, 2014 29

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FINANCIALGUARDIAN

Hyosung’s recycling ATMs debut, boost cash-less scheme By Adeyemi Adepetun HE Central Bank of Nigeria’s (CBN) cash-less economy gets a boost recently with the introduction of a recycling Automated Teller Machine (ATMs) by an Information Technology outfit, Nautilus Hyosung. Hyosung, a Korean technology firm, is doing this in partnership with its Nigerian partner, Inlaks Computers. According to Nautilus Hyosung and Inlaks Computers, the new product will address the non-availability of funds in the ATMs. Besides, it was disclosed that the machines were designed to ensure that ATMs have cash to dispense from time to time, and noted that deposited cash would be recycled and made available for customers to withdraw. Speaking in Lagos, at a seminar with the theme: ’Improving Cash Efficiency with Hyosung Self Service Terminals in a Cashless Economy”, to unveil the ATMs, the Vice President, Hyosung, Jin Ho Moon, said the motive behind the new model was to ensure that the predominantly cash-reliant system in Nigeria is made easier and address situations whereby ATMs do not have cash to dispense, thereby leaving customers stranded. “Whenever a customer makes deposit, the machine

checks the authenticity of the cash, identifies fake notes and separate them. It also separates clean and dirty notes and process the good notes for withdrawal, which would reduce the counterfeit notes in circulation,” Moon said. He explained that the new ATM, with model number 8600, is capable of dispensing cash, receiving cheque and cash deposits, while using the cash from its received deposit to pay customers who want to withdraw, stressing that it would save financial institutions the need to put cash in the machines from time to time. According to him, Nigeria is a growing and developing very fast and need technologies to sustain the growth. He said Korea and Nigeria can be great partners in business and technology transfer. He disclosed that the firm had in the last few years sold close to 300,000 units of ATMs in about 33 different countries. To the Managing Director, Inlaks Computers, Femi Adeoti, the machines were designed to accommodate the challenges that are peculiar to different environments. He identified the features of the new machine to include enhanced security. “The new ATM comes with two cameras, it is biometric ready, which supports the Know Your Customer policy of the Central Bank of Nigeria by capturing user’s finger-

DSR shareholders laud firm’s corporate governance, dividend policy By Helen Oji HAREHOLDERS of Dangote Sugar Refinery Plc (DSR) have commended company’s corporate governance principles and dividend policy, urging them to take appropriate measures towards reducing the number of unclaimed dividends in the list. The shareholders, who spoke during the 8th yearly general meeting of the company in Lagos at the weekend, also approved the firm’s N7.2 billion dividend recommended for the 2013 financial year. Specifically, the Chairman, Ibadan Zone Shareholders Association, Sola Abodurin lauded the company for paying virtually all the earnings as dividend to shareholders. He noted that the company’s profit increased, despite the dip in turnover, adding that the various strategies put in place by the board has enhanced its bottom line and profitability. The President, Pragmatic Shareholders Association of Nigeria, Mrs Bisi Bakare urged the company to do everything within its powers to reduce the number of unclaimed dividend in their list. She, however lauded the firm’s backward integration strategy, adding that the company has created employment opportunities to the people. The Chairman of the DSR, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, explained that the company recorded a turnover of N102.467 billion in 2013 as against N106.868 billion in 2012. While profit before tax

rose from N16.331 billion in 2012 to N20.099 billion during the year under review. Profit after tax also grew from N10.796 billion to N13.537 billion. Based on the performance, according to him, the directors recommended a dividend of N7.2 billion, which translated to 60 kobo per share due to every investor of the company. Dangote pointed out that the 2013 financial year was characterized by variable market conditions, ranging from volatile world market sugar prices to consumer sensitivity. “I am happy to report, however, that by adapting to the needs of our customers, we sustained our leadership position in the market and grew our profits during the period under review. He explained that the company has commenced its development plan, in pursuant to the introduction of the federal Government’s National Sugar Master Plan in Nigeria. “The plan is targeted at the producing 1.5million to 2.0 million tones of sugar per annum from locally grown sugar cane within the next five to 10 years. This will further consolidate our position as the largest sugar producer in West African region,” he said. He explained that the company has taken appropriate steps towards the preparation of this sugar development plan with their operations being structured to enhance increased focused on the company’s backward integration project.

prints, an anti-scheming device which is inbuilt and makes it impossible to clone ATM cards.” Adeoti said the machine would not allow fake notes to mix with good ones, which other machines may not be able to do. The Inlak boss, who said Nigeria, has become one of the most important markets for Hyosung, saying that ATM stakeholders want availability, robust customer experience, business performance and a key differentiator. According to him, some drivers of Nigeria’s payment system include the continued decline in cheque volume; migration to electronic payments, growth in Internet penetration among others. Adeoti listed branch expan-

sions; deployment of ATMs offsite; removal of ATM sur charges; CBN financial inclusion among others as factors driving ATM penetration in the country. Adeoti said the increasing penetration of Internet and expansion in the use of mobile and Internet banking would not eliminate the use of ATMs in Nigeria, “as people will continue to use the ATMs.” He said, “Our environment is still, one way or the other, cash-based, so a lot of people would still withdraw from the ATM. Even in the US and other places where technology is advanced, people still use ATMs, so, there is always a market for every type of solution.”

FBN Holdings assures shareholders of sustain growth, profitability By Helen Oji BN Holdings Plc has assured its shareholders of sustainability in profit and performance in 2014, even as the bank has designed a three-year strategic plan to boost operations. Reviewing the bank’s performance at the 2nd yearly general meeting of the bank in Lagos yesterday, the Chief Executive officer of FBN Holding, Bello Maccido, explained that the three year strategic plan would run from 2014 to 2016, adding that the group would redefine its public sector engagement in order to enhance the entire value chain of the banking services to achieve its plan. He pointed out that FBN Holding would also diversify

its income sources to maximize profit to change its investment banking contribution from the present figure to a much higher one. “We are enhancing our investment banking so as to increase the profitability of the company and the returns we give to you, our shareholder”, Maccido said. He explained that amid tough operating environment, the consolidated results for the group overall showed marginal growth across all the key indices. This, according to him, was buoyed by the improving performance of the non-banking subsidiaries. He pointed out that its net interest income grew by 1.5 per cent from N226.61 billion in 2012 to N230.12 billion in 2013.

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French central bank watches closely BNP’s U.S. case HE French central bank T said on Friday it was closely monitoring risks related to a U.S. probe of BNP Paribas which may cost France’s biggest listed bank a multi-billion dollar fine and its reputation in one its growth markets.

BNP Paribas said last month it faced U.S. fines in excess of $1.1 billion in the case over alleged dealings with countries subject to sanctions. Though BNP has declined to provide a specific number, U.S. authorities are

seeking a settlement of more than $5 billion, according to media reports. If borne out, that would top the $2.5 billion recently agreed by Swiss bank Credit Suisse in an unrelated case over tax evasion.

EBay faces European privacy probes over cyber-attack BAY Inc. (EBAY) faces posE sible probes by the Luxembourg and U.K. dataprotection authorities into a cyber-attack that exposed passwords and personal information, adding to investigations in U.S. states. The head of Luxembourg’s privacy watchdog, Gerard Lommel said the regulator will decide next week whether to investigate the company over the data breach. U.K. Information Commissioner Christopher Graham said in a blog post that he’s “actively looking at the situation with a view to launching a formal investigation.” A database containing encrypted passwords and personal information was breached from late February to early March, the San Jose, Californiabased company said May 21. EBay urged users to change their passwords, while noting that credit card numbers are stored separately and there was no evidence of unauthorized activity resulting from the breach. Luxembourg has already told EBay that it “will expect answers” over the breach, Lommel said in a phone interview today. The country’s regulator would take charge of any data-protection investigation because it’s responsible “for all users that have signed a contract with EBay in Europe,” he said. “This is a big deal and we will for sure stay in close contact with our colleagues in other data protection authorities in Europe,” Lommel said. “The first steps will be to see where the risks now are and what the company’s plans are to remedy the situation.” EBay has reached out to relevant authorities to work with them and will continue to cooperate, Amanda Christine Miller, a spokeswoman for the company, said in an e-mail today. “Nothing is more important to EBay than ensuring the security of our customers’ information and the protection of their data, and we are committed to doing the right thing for them,” Miller said. “We are committed to working with the relevant regulatory and governmental authorities to address their questions about this matter.” Regulators usually take charge of compliance for U.S. companies that have European headquarters in their countries. EBay’s European base is in Luxembourg. The U.K. can act if the

country’s data-protection rules have been violated, Graham said in his blog post. “There’s millions of U.K. citizens affected,” he said. “So far our work has been offering assistance to Luxembourg and providing advice to consumers.”

Attorneys general in Connecticut, Illinois and Florida said yesterday they would investigate the EBay breach, while New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman said he had asked the company to provide affected customers with free credit monitoring.

We believe BNP would either be able to absorb any fine amount above the provision (for the case) through earnings, or take actions to support capitalisation should capital generation in relation to earnings be notably dented “Obviously we are very attentive towards risks related to what could be a development in American jurisprudence,” Bank of France Governor Christian Noyer said in answer to a question about the case. Speaking as he presented the annual report of France’s ACPR financial watchdog, Noyer declined to speak more specifically about BNP Paribas’ case. Asked about the risks to banks posed by U.S. regulations, he said that French regulators had found no evidence that

French or United Nations rules had been broken. He added that European banks were generally vigilant about U.S. regulations covering dollar transactions, even those carried out by non-U.S. companies. North America is a key part of BNP’s new strategy to increase profits outside Europe. It aims for the region to account for 12 per cent of its 2016 revenues, up from 10 per cent in 2013. Fitch ratings said on Wednesday it expected

the amount of BNP’s fine to top that of Credit Suisse, as the level of fines imposed on banks by the U.S. authorities has been rising. “We believe BNP would either be able to absorb any fine amount above the provision (for the case) through earnings, or take actions to support capitalisation should capital generation in relation to earnings be notably dented,” Fitch said in a note. It added that it may downgrade the bank’s “A+” rating should the final decision be a surprise. BNP’s total litigation provision last stood at 2.7 billion euros ($3.69 billion), while it reported a net income of 1.7 billion euros in the first quarter.

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‘Banks, telecoms operators move to address electronic payment challenges’ • NIBSS, Verve, others set for card, ATM expo By Adeyemi Adepetun HERE are strong indications that the lingering network challenges experienced by consumers on the electronic payments platforms including the Automated Teller Machines (ATMs); Point of Sales (PoS) terminals and mobile payment are currently being addressed. This was made known by the Head of Public Sector and Corporate, Nigeria Inter-Bank Settlement System (NIBSS) Plc, Osa Odiase in Lagos at the weekend. Odiase, while speaking on the June 17 to19 Card, ATM and Mobile Expo Africa, being organized by Intermarc Consulting, informed that a joint technical committee from the financial and telecommunications sectors with other stakeholders has been set up to look at possible ways of mitigating the growing network challenges threatening the growth of ePayment transactions in the country. According to him, NIBSS is working to also create and enabling infrastructure that will guarantee secure and seamless day-to-day transactions on the platform. He said an upgraded infrastructure would go a long way to give cash-less economy a boost in the country. The NIBSS official noted that

to deepen the electronic payment and cash-less economy initiative, there is need to create more awareness and publicity and also guarantee customer security. He however, stressed that there have been a quantum leap in the volume of ePayment transactions in Nigeria. NIBSS, alongside VISA; Verve, MasterCard; eTranzact, National Identity Management Commission are among firms giving support to the forth coming expo, with the theme: “Financial Inclusion: A Better Future For Africa Starts Here”. A senior official in Nigeria’s second largest telecommunications firm, who preferred anonymity confirmed to The Guardian that there is a move towards removing the bottlenecks confronting ePayment channels in the country. According to him, a technical committee has been set up, “we are working on that challenge. The fact remains that if the networks are bad, we are loosing money, which we don’t want. So measures are in place to stem that tide.” Speaking at the press conference organized by Intermarc Consulting for the expo, the Business Development Manager, Emezino Afiegbe, said the conference would drive financial inclusion, as new innovations will be

unveiled. He stressed that financial inclusions is key to taking Nigeria out of the doldrums. Afiegbe called for concerted efforts from all stakeholders to ensure restoration of confidence to the various payment platforms. To an official of MasterCard International, Omokehinde Ojomuyide, there is need for a centralized ecosystem that will help drive electronic payment in Nigeria, stressing that education, collaboration were key to financial inclusion. Ojomuyide stressed the need to address the lingering infrastructure deficit in Nigeria’s quest towards enthroning an ePayment platform in the country. According to Intermarc Consulting Group Head, Marketing, Ann Agbokhan the adoption of electronic payment has been on a consistent increase in Africa, which only focuses on technology know how. “But beyond the theories of modernization, access to finance and innovation, payment technologies need to start impacting on the real sector of electronic growth such as manufacturing, education, oil and gas, aviation, health, agriculture, transportation and others in a way that will help boost efficiency and profitability as well as create gains for the macro economy.”

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Nigeria, others back new UN global deal on reducing disaster Page 57 risk

‘Govt must bring down substantially cost of housing construction’

Surveyors urge govt to establish national mapping policy

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MONDAY, May 26, 2014

Architects floor draughtsmen in court over development permits Litigation By Emmanuel Badejo NTIL otherwise statU ed, the Nigerian Association of Draughtsmen (NAD), has for now lost its claim to development permits, which includes preparing, submitting, sign and counter-signing any type of building plan in Nigeria, courtesy of an Ogun State High Court, Abeokuta Judicial Division. The suit by NAD against the Executive Governor, Ogun State, Ogun Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, its State House of Assembly, Commissioner for Ministry of Physical Planning, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Physical Planning, General Manager, Planning Board and Architects Registration Council of Nigeria (ARCON), specifically attacked two laws in the state including Ogun State Urban and Regional Planning Law 2005 and Ogun State Building Planning Regulations 2010. While the draughtsmen urged the court to hold that the laws retroactive and some of the sections therein contradict, contravene and inconsistent with the provisions of Sections 40 and 42 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended), the court on the other hand said that there was nothing in laws complained unconstitutional. It was also argued that the planning laws were against a consent verdict in Suit No. AB/204/1990, between Mr. Ayo Olu Odubela and three others, against Architect Clement Sanyaolu and 2 others, which it said “still remained valid, subsisting and unappealing till date”. But, the court in the instant judgment said:

The judgment stipulates that the Ogun State Urban and Regional Planning Law 2005 and Ogun State Building Planning Regulations 2010 are not inconsistent with the provisions of Section 40 and 42 of the 1999 Constitution, hence draughtsmen bid to development permits has been forfeited. “the mere fact that a consent judgment was entered into between the claimant and the first to sixth defendants in 1992, which allowed registered draughtsmen in Ogun State to submit plans in respect of any type of building does not mean that the Government cannot subsequently make a law to regulate approval of building permits in the manner stipulate in Ogun State Urban and Regional Planning Law and Ogun State Building Plan Regulations, assuming without conceding that Section 1 of the Architects (Registration etc) Act only deals with the use of appellation of Architect and that of the consent judgment was not delivered per incuriam. “The consent judgment would be deemed to have been entered into at the material time based on the provisions of the existing Law. That does not mean that there cannot be any change in the Law subsequently. Having provisions now in the Law and Regulations that have just been made excluding members of the claimant (draughtsmen) from those who can be granted development permits in respect of any building it follows that the consent judgment no longer has any effect,” Mr. Justice Larewaju Mabekoje held recently. Offended at some certain

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Layout of the proposed Heartland Gateway International market, Mgbidi, Imo State

Developers beckon investors for N16b Heartland Gateway market project Projects By Chinedum Uwaegbulam NOVEL multi- billion naira A Heartland Gateway International Market deal was the offer from the Imo Government, at the weekend, to hordes of investors, mostly traders seeking pickings in the wake security challenges in the North and opportunities to expand their businesses in the South East of the country. The project, touted to be the first comprehensive and ambitious market facility is hinged on a Design, Build, Operate and Transfer (DBOT) Agreement between the State and a private firm. The Market is envisaged as a multi-purpose one spot commercial and business service centre which will serve as a key commercial destination for Imo State in particular, Nigeria as a nation and the whole of West Africa. Floating the project as the lead promoter is Graceland

The State has entered into agreement with private developer under Design, Build, Operate and Transfer agreement to promote a multi-purpose one spot commercial and business service centre in Mgbidi, Oru West Local Government Area of Imo State, which will produce 10, 000 lock up shops, and other ancillary services Channels Limited and the deal is seeking the participation of investors through Ohanaeze N’digbo and members of the Imo State Towns Development Association (ISTDAL), Lagos branch in the 10, 000 shop unit and housing project. The estate surveying and valuation firm of M.I.Okoro and Associates is acting as marketing agent to the scheme, estimated to gulp about N16 billion. The proposed site is approximately 28.097 hectares in area and located along Okwelis-Oguta Junction, Mgbidi, Oru West Local Government Area of Imo State. The site for the commercial neighbourhood is

bounded by both existing and proposed roads. The major arterial, OnitshaOwerri Expressway together with an existing road lies to the east of the project site, while Oguta Road abuts the site to the north. Another land about two minutes drive from the market centre has been designated for housing estate to cater for the needs of those that will use the market. The estate consists of 3,000 units of various classes like detached, semi-detached, terrace houses and flats. More than 80 units of warehouses each measuring 68 square metres will also be provided to take care of the

needs of those who may want to store their goods. Similarly, ancillary services and infrastructural facilities within the scheme will be provided such as banking halls, parking space for cars and articulated vehicles, clinic, road network, fire station, schools, mini water works, sewage treatment plants, electrical installations, waste management networks, security services and hotels. “The houses will be developed alongside with the market and open for purchase by investors. This arrangement will take care of housing problems that may arise in future as population of the area will increase due to the presence of this market,” according to the Principal Partner, M.I.Okoro and Associates, Dr. Innocent O k o r o . Okoro who unveiled the project to ISTDAL members in Lagos said the site is largely undeveloped, and will at

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PROPERTY GUIDE

PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE

Anambra inaugurates committee on housing, plans new estates Housing From Uzoma Nzeagwu, Awka FFORTS to increase the E housing stock in South East part of the country may yield fruits soon, with the inauguration of an inter-ministerial committee on delivery of housing estates by the Anambra State Government. The committee to be chaired by the Commissioner for Housing and Urban Development, Mr. Lawrence Chinwuba was inaugurated by Governor Willie Obiano last week at the State Secretariat complex, Awka. He charged members to provide first class housing estates, especially as its membership comprises persons with experience in the delivery of homes. The terms of reference for the committee include; identifying suitable and strategic locations for the construction of housing estates; to resume the provision of infrastructure in existing government land slated for housing construction and to enter into partnership with willing developers on Public-PrivatePartnership initiative with a view to providing decent and affordable houses in wellplanned environment. Others are to ensure provision of leisure parks, and recreation areas to sustain development design of government as well as to identify sources of finance for any of

the projects. Speaking to newsmen after the inauguration, Chinwuba assured that the committee would achieve its objectives, adding that the committee’s initial task would be building housing estates in the three senatorial districts of the state such as Awka, Nnewi and Onitsha. He stated that Anambra needs residential areas to cater for the interest of all classes of people, whether super rich, middle class or migrant residents. Chinwuba said: “The envisaged estates that will spring up from old sites including allocations designated for the Three Arms Zone, comprising members of the executive, legislative and the judiciary. An additional 300 hectares were required to augment the 800 hectares already secured for the Greenwood Estate in Awka for the housing estate project”. Other members of the Committee are Linus Nwankwo (Ministry of Lands), Anthony Amobi (Ministry of Works), Obi Okonkwo (ASHDC), Josephine Ilo (Ministry of Housing and Urban Development), A.I. Nwofor (ASHDC), Dr. (Mrs) Ngozi Ezeike (Permanent Secretary) and Quantity Surveyor I.C. Dim (Housing), Engr. Mike Obiekwo (Works), K. Mbanugo ((Housing), Ngozi Chilokwu (ASHDC) and Mr. Ojeleke of the Ministry of Housing.

Nigerian delegates at the FIABCI congress, last week

Nigerian delegates in Luxembourg for FIABCI congress Congress theme. Topics respected international real HE International Real keynote speaker Jeremy included “Architecture & estate meetings taking place Estate Federation (FIABCI) T Rifkin, an economic and social Urban Design,” “Cities & on a global basis with over 2014 World Congress was held in Luxembourg last week. The FIABCI 65th World Congress attracted global leaders from the real estate industry who visited this key gateway to Europe to network, build business, share experiences, advance industry knowledge and stimulate conversations. The 65th FIABCI World Congress is one of the most

1,000 real estate leaders attending. Among speakers is President Africa Region, Mr. Chudi Ubosi who made presentation on African Real Estate Market. The FIABCI 2014 World Congress theme will focused on “Building Humanity.” Each Congress day spotlighted specific topics related to the

Technology,” “Real Estate Marketing” and “Finance & Tax.” Several world-renowned experts and internationally recognized business leaders from the global real estate and development industries were present sharing information and cutting-edge ideas The World Congress opening ceremonies began with

theorist who discussed his recent book “The Third Industrial Revolution.” Rifkin is the President of the “Foundation on Economic Trends” and an author of 19 books that focused on the impact of scientific and technological changes on the economy, the workforce, society and the environment.

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PRIME ESTATES

PROPERTY GUIDE

German firm showcases Huf Hauf, new prefab technology Housing By Tunde Alao AVING excelled in other H climes, a German company has deemed it fit to inject new innovation to the Nigerian housing industry, introducing a new solution to the nation’s housing challenge with its prefabrication buildings technology, known as Huf haus (Huf houses). Alternatively, the innovation also known as “Green Revolution”, or Dream House”, is self-sustaining insulated houses that have been around for more than century are German innovation, being replicated across the globe. Currently, 140 units of such buildings are being produced annually, based on the order received from clients. The energy saving accommodation are of different house types, with materials fabricated and brought to site where they are fixed together. They are mechanically ventilated, as the houses are built on a designed as airtight to a centralised insulation system of the houses. With this innovation, occupants of the houses do not need electricity to generate hot water, neither power for the air conditioner. Unfolding the plans to introduce the products in Nigeria recently, Director of Marketing, Huf Haus, Mr. Thomas Geiner, a German, said the uniqueness about Huf houses is their environmentally friendliness and sustain-

ability. According to Geiner, features of every Huf Haus are that they are triple-glazed, fully insulated and uses renewable energy sources, such as air-sourced heat pumps. “‘The innovative post and beam architecture of a HUF Haus has a fascinating as well as expressive appearance. Wooden beams teamed with generous glazing form a visual gateway to the surrounding nature; thus creating a unique living space and experience.

“Where we chose to live and work influence our lives and our surrounding environment. This can impact on our well being, motivation and happiness’’, said Geiner, adding that experience the innovative timbered architecture of Huf Haus in its diversity is like realizing ones dream home that was planned and built according to ones’ wishes as turnkey project on time, energy-efficient and of the highest quality. He noted that with the expres-

sive symbiosis of wood and glass, every Huf house has a distinctive character and will enhance clients’ quality of life as sunlight and the natural world are brought directly into the living space. Besides, as an end-result, Huf Haus offers the realisation of an individually planned construction project that is dealt with by competent and dedicated professionals from beginning to end. The entire process is therefore uncomplicated, swift and stress-free for a

client because the HUF specialists not only in taking care of the coordination of all trades, but also ensure the highest quality with every single design detail’’. The marketing director who noted that all devices in Huf houses could be centrally controlled, “because the house itself lives intelligently with you’’. He pointed out that one could monitor the temperature of the house from anywhere. Explaining that a lot of plan-

ning and innovation is put into the construction processes of Huf houses, said the shell of the houses is bullet proof because of materials used which include glass and prefab concrete. The official of Huf Haus, who disclosed that a Huf house could be constructed in four days, because materials would have been ready, added however, that the shell of Huf houses takes two weeks to construct. The Marketing Director hinted that Huf Haus apart from being an elites’ targeted project is also into commercial buildings, saying the firm is equally into high rise buildings apart from constructing luxury living houses. He assured that Huf houses are defect-free for five years that any defects detected would be rectified by the team of experts, “No matter where the house is cited” and that is why the houses have five years warrantee. The Huf Haus’ Africa Country Representative in Nigeria, Mr. Tunde Fagbami said Hauf houses are being introduced in Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt and everywhere in Nigeria, adding that ‘’our mission in Nigeria is to deliver first class housing for highly placed people. Fagbemi, who informed that the firm already has a limited offer in Nigeria, saying that ‘’our target are the people like Aliko Dangote, Mike Adenuga, Femi Otedola, Ibeto and others. The houses are meant for rich people and not the poor.’’

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LITIGATION

PROPERTY GUIDE

ARCON, others win suit against draughtmen CONTINUED FROM PAGE 39 sections of the planning laws, NAD in its amended originating summons of December 12, 2013, had raised three questions. They are: whether the Ogun Governor and Ogun House of Assembly, being first and third defendants could enact and pass retroactive laws to wit:Ogun State Building Plan Regulations, 2010 and Ogun State Urban and Regional Planning Law, 2005 which some of their sections contradict, contravene and or inconsistent with the provisions of Section 40 and 42 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended) and consent judgment delivered on March 16, 1992 by the Justice C.O. Jacobs (Retired) in Suit No: AB/204/1990 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; between Mr. Ayo Olu Odubena & 3 ORS

vs. Arch. Clement Sanyaolu & 2 Ors which remain valid, subsisting, binding and unappealing till date. They also wanted the court to determine whether they as association of registered professionals could be allowed to perform her profession within the ambit of Section 40 and 42 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended), and whether as registered professionals under the Companies and Allied Matters Act, (As amended) could be restrained by all the defendants, their servants, agents and anybody whatsoever from subsisting preparing, signing and counter-signing any type of building plan vis-Ă vis the consent judgment delivered on the 16th day of March, 1992? Based on the said ques-

tions, the claimant wanted the court to declare that they could prepare, submit, sign and countersign any type of building plan, as well as directing the government to comply with the consent judgment. They also asked that the court should strike out section 4(b) and schedule 3 to the Ogun State Building Plan Regulations, 2010 and Sections 2, particularly from (lines) 205-218, 5(1) and 34 to the Ogun State Urban and Regional Planning Law, 2005 for contradicting, contravening and or inconsistent with the provisions of section 40 and 42 the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended) and the consent judgment. Alternatively, the draughtsmen asked for an order directing the first and third defendants to

include its name in the appropriate places to wit; Section 4(b) and Schedule 3 of the Ogun State Building Plan Regulations, 2010 as registered association who could submit, prepare, sign and countersign any type of building plan. The facts deposed to in the said affidavits, briefly put, are that the claimant is an association of professionals who are skilful in making plans or drawings of any type and was registered in 1989 under the Companies and Allied Matters Act as a company limited by guarantee. It was stated that ever since the incorporation of the draughtsmanship, its members have been submitting, preparing, signing and counter signing for approval, building plans in respect of any type of building within Ogun State and through-

out the Federation of Nigeria and its environs without any restriction whatsoever from any quarters. But the body said sometime ago, there was a public notice published by the then Western State Government of Nigeria restraining the registered draughtsmen from submitting, preparing, signing and countersigning for approval any type of building plan except only domestic building plans within the then Western Sate as a result of which Suit No: 1/368/1972 was instituted by the Nigerian Union of Registered Draughtsmen as plaintiff against the Architects Registration Council of Nigeria and the Attorney General of Western State as defendants. It was stated that the action was resolved in its favour in the judgment delivered in the suit and the public notice declared illegal and ultra vires. The deponent stated that the same issue arose sixteen years later when a similar public notice was issued by the Ogun State Government. It was deposed that the claimant instituted Suit No: AB/204/90 against the Commissioner for Lands

and Hosing, the Ogun State Chief Town Planning Officer and the Attorney General, Ogun State and that the suit was amicably settled by the parties leading to the consent judgment which was delivered on 16th of March, 1992, based on the terms of settlement of the parties. In opposition, the first to sixth stated that the claimant was not a body of professionals but artisans and that they are not skilful in making architectural drawings and other plans and designs, adding that they had been carrying out the profession of architecture for which they lacked the requisite professional or academic qualification. Though, admitted that consent judgment, the defendants third defendant in the exercise of its constitutional power had already passed the Ogun State Urban and Regional Planning Law 2005, arguing that the claimant had ample opportunity at the various public sittings held by the legislators to make its input, if any, before the bill was passed into law. In its counter-affidavit, ARCON said it is the statutory body and the only body empowered to register and grant license to a person to prepare, submit, sign and counter sign any building plan in Nigeria, contending that the claimant notified the Governor about the consent judgment delivered in Suit No. AB/204/90, it also wrote a letter to the Governor urging him to disregard and discountenance the claimantâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s claim.

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LITIGATION Enterprise Bank loses battle to sawmill operator over mortgage deal

PROPERTY GUIDE

Litigation By Emmanuel Badejo NABLE to sway the minds of U their lordships at the Supreme Court of Nigeria, a financial institution known by its name, Enterprise Bank Limited, has lost legal battle to undo a verdict of a lower court, holding its action unlawful, irregular, reckless and a violation of a mortgagee’s constitutional right. Justice Bode Rhodes-Vivour, who read the lead judgment, also did not find any convincing reason or argument sufficient enough for the apex’s court to undo the judgments of the two lower courts in an appeal by the bank against Deaconess Florence Bose Aroso, Chief Deji Olatunji, Mr. Ola Olatunji, Evang. (Mrs.) Aduke Omodara, Miss Busayo Olatunji and Mr. Femi Olatunji.

All the three courts including Ekiti State Court, Court of Appeal, Ilorin Judicial Division and the Supreme Court of Nigeria found the financial institution liable in the manner it went about recovering a debt, which it advanced to one of its customers The Olatunjis had sued for themselves and as representatives of the children of Chief M.O. Olatunji, after a business relationship between one of them and the bank went sour. Precisely, in 1986, Kayode Olatunji, an engineer, trading under the name of Kaylat Enterprises, applied for and obtained a loan from Enterprise Bank Limited, the appellant. One Chief M.O. Olatunji, the Managing Director of a sawmilling company called Olukayode & Sons Nig. Ltd and the father of the debtor guaranteed. To perfect the guarantee, Chief M.O Olatunji put forward a building at Ado Ekiti as collat-

eral. A deed of legal mortgage dated 18th November 1986 was duly executed. To further secure the loan, Chief M.O. Olatunji executed a personal guarantee form. Unfortunately, Mr. Kayode Olatunji defaulted. He failed to meet his financial obligations, and so judgment as obtained against him under the undefended list procedure from an Ondo state High Court on 6th August 1997. But Chief Olatunji, who guaranteed the loan, was not a party to the proceedings and as a result, notice of default of debt or demand was not served on him, following the default of his son, the principal

debtor. The judgment of the High Court of Ondo State was registered in the High Court of Ekiti State and on 13th August 1997, an auctioneer, who was the second defendant in the High Court, acting on behalf of the financial institution, in company of heavily armed policemen, went to the sawmill factory of Chief M.O. Olatunji and, at gun point, carted away the entire sawmill equipment, a 75KVA generator and cash. Due to the development that led to the carting away of the entire sawmill equipment on 13th August 1997, Chief M.O. Olatunji sued the appellant (then known as Owena Bank Plc), its agent, the Commissioner of Police of Ekiti State and another person. The appellant entered an unconditional appearance after the writ on summons was served on it. According to his further

Imo, developer plan N16b Heartland Gateway International market CONTINUED FROM PAGE 39 completion consist of a series of well-laid subsidiary markets; sophisticated infrastructural facilities and standard housing units within an aesthetically pleasing environment. “Graceland Channels Limited has secured all necessary drawings and planning approvals that would enable them take off the development of the market. The proposed Heartland Gateway International Market will provide an enabling environment for economic growth, job creation, tourism and recreation and thereby impact positively on the state and the entire country.” He said: “ We have secured the participation of First bank Plc, Keystone Bank Limited and Fidelity to coordinate the financial contribution to be done by traders and other stakeholders. After the initial 30 per cent deposit, and when the construction takes off, you will be advised gain to pat another 30 per

cent while the balance will further be paid on demand. We have packed the funding and development to achieve a win-win situation for the buyers, promoters and bankers.” The Chief Executive Officer, Graceland Channels Limited, Pastor Nat Omoruyi explained that the Market is a dream come true for the people of this emergent hospitable city of Mgbidi in Imo State of Nigeria. The land earmarked for this project had, since 1973, been procured by the then government to establish a sub-regional commercial hub that would in a convenient way express the business and entrepreneurial culture of the people of the state. He said that the proposal of an organized market in this location would absorb the spread of Onitsha market, which is just at about 30km away and also decongesting the crowded Douglas Road in Owerri. “The ripple effect too will create development in this area as economic activi-

ties will stem up and the cottage industry will also have their share of expression and marketing. “ Omoruyi said: “The construction period is estimated at three years and broken down into three phases of 12 months for the first Phase, 12 months for the second Phase and 12 months for the third Phase. The phasing is predicated on the foreseen impact of such a magnitude of project on the environment to adjust to population growth explosions. “Due to the construction

complexity and completion time, we have our entire contract documentations with working drawings to engage any eligible contractor with track record of such constructions to construct the entire market. Funding is personal funds, and facilities sourced locally from our bankers, mortgage banks and some selected International finance houses. Opportunities for various kinds of investments will be provided for interested investors with well guided profitability.”

amended statement of claim, Olatunji asked for a declaration that the action of the defendants in trespassing upon, violently and forcefully removing the sawmill/factory equipment and tools of the plaintiff and the use of gun against his person was unlawful, irregular, reckless, and a violation of his constitutional right. The claimant also urged the court to declare that the continued holding unto, detention and denial of his sawmill equipment despite demand and the order of the court was wrongful and illegal and that he was entitled tom possession of his properties forthwith, and order directing the defendants to return all the sawmill factory equipment, generating sets and the tools to his premises in specie and install them to their original positions tested and made functional within two days from the date of judgment and damages for wrongful detention and losses arising from the illegal, unlawful and reckless actions for the defendants. During the proceedings at the trial court, the original plaintiff/respondent sought and was granted leave to delete the name of the fourth defendant (the Commissioner of Police) from his amended statement

of claim. The appellant also deleted the name of the fourth defendant from its pleadings. Seven witnesses testified for the original plaintiffs/respondents while two witnesses testified for the first and second defendants. The third defendant gave evidence foe himself. A total of 38 documents were admitted in evidence. In its judgment, the trial court ruled that the respondents’ claims against the appellant and second defendant succeeded and proceeded to award the sum of N30,272,000 against only the appellant and the second defendant. Only the appellant lodged an appeal against the said judgment to the Court of Appeal. The Court of Appeal, in its judgment, dismissed the appellant’s appeal. Still aggrieved, the appellant appealed to the Supreme Court. And after reviewing the whole submissions by both the bank and the Olatunji family, the apex court narrowed down the issues to four. Unanimously, all the issues were resolved in the latter’s favour. Other Judges who sat on the appeal are Muhammad Muntaka-Coomassie, Nwali Ngwuta, Olukayode Ariwoola and Musa Muhammad.

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PROPERTY GUIDE

Lagos unfolds Isale Gangan II regeneration scheme FG sets 2015 completion for Urban Renewal By Tunde Alao

O eliminate shanties, slums and other dilapidated housing from Central Lagos, the authorities have launched the Ojo Giwa/Aroloya and Isale Gangan phase11urban regeneration scheme. The new scheme will include redevelopment in part of Princess, Old Aroloya and Anikantamo Streets within Lagos Island. The concept plan jointly prepared and completed by the state government and the land holding families, which enabled them to pool their plots together is ready. The redevelopment of the first phase of Isalegangan that formed the pilot scheme had 13 land holding families with smaller plots of land under private-public participation in urban renewal. They were encouraged to pool their lands together for a meaningful development that is sustainable and in consonance with global standards across the world. The phase I f the project has 11floor structure with 54 serviced luxury apartments, upon completion, the participating land holding families would be resettled back to the building. The Guardian learnt the structure is at its ninth floor. Unfolding the project at the 2014 Ministerial Press Conference, the Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, Mr. Olutoyin Ayinde, said unlike the Phase 1 of the project, the proposed development is a 13-

In its commitment to restore the original master plan of the area, Lagos State Government has proposed a regeneration plan for the burnt buildings, distressed adjoining structures and market, with the conceptual plans jointly prepared by the government and affected property owners floor structure to be built on a total land size of 2,985.084 Square Metres. Giving the overview of the project, Ayinde hinted that residential buildings in Ojo Giwa and Okoya environs (Jankara market) on the Lagos Island were over the years illegally converted to commercial usage where explosives and firecrackers are stored for subsequent sales to member of the public. “However on December 26, 2012, following an inferno which affected quite a number of the buildings, the market was closed down. The Lagos State Government in its commitment to restore the original master plan of the area, proposed a regeneration plan for the burnt buildings, distressed adjoining structures and Jankara Market”, said Ayinde, adding that conceptual plans have been jointly prepared by the government and affected property owners. In Dolphin extension, he said the Ministry had conducted a socio-economic survey on the estate to revalidate the earlier report. The findings revealed that Phase 1 Extension with 5 blocks of flats is the most vulnerable part of the estate. Conceptual plans have been prepared for the project while resettlement arrangements for

the 30 flat owners during the period of reconstruction have also been concluded. Features The project is conceptualized as a seven-floor structure with ground floor exclusively reserved for parking, auxiliary facilities such as sewage treatment plant, water treatment plant, ample car park, multipurpose courtyard and mini-shipping facility. To allow a comprehensive regeneration of the axis, there is need to relocate Anikantamo Plank Market, which is sandwiched between Anikantamo, Ojo Giwa and Onola in the Island. “The relocation of Anikantamo market from its present location at Adeniji Adele road in Lagos Island to Iberekodo became necessary because, the government resolved to develop the present site into a community Hall and Medical Centre as part of the continuous redevelopment of the Lagos mega city. “So far the evaluation/inventory of the Anikantamo market and traders has been carried out and documented, while the New Town Development Authority (NTDA), has allocated four hectares of land at Iberekodo Industrial Scheme in Ibeju Lekki Local government

for the relocation of the market”. Ayinde said that perimeter survey plan prepared by Surveyor General’s office has been obtained with reconnaissance survey already been carried out, with plan preparation still at the conceptual stage. He disclosed that the Ministry recorded significant achievements in all areas of its activities particularly as regards the evaluation of environmental impact assessment, granting of development permit. Having been stimulated for speedy processing of development permits, it granted a total of 1,511 development permits out of the 2,067 applications received in 2013. “One major fast tracking method put in place by the Ministry is pre-screening of applications. In effect, applications due for submission are first vetted and ensured they meet requisite conditions for development permit before they are finally submitted for approval. This method has helped in fast tracking and meeting up with the recommended 30-day limit for processing of development permit application for approval in line with the service charter. “A total of two hundred and forty-one applications for planning technical report vetting and clearance were received out of which two hundred and fifteen were cleared, twentyseven are still under processing while two applications were sent back to the applicants due to non-compliance with Town Planning Standards”.

N11b Bida-Mokwa road Roads From Nkechi Onyedika, Abuja HE Federal government T has announced November 2015 completion date for the N11billion Mokwa-Bida road rehabilitation project in Niger state. The contract was awarded in November 2013 to Triacta Nigeria Limited. Speaking after inspecting the ongoing work at the project site, Minister of State for Works, Bashir Yuguda who expressed satisfaction with the quality and the pace of work, pledged government’s commitment to ensure speedy completion of the project. He assured that government would ensure adequate flow of fund in order to complete the project on schedule. The World Bank would provide 90 per cent of the funding for the project while government would contribute 10per cent. Yuguda who described the road which was constructed about N30 years ago as one of the worst roads in the Northern part of the country, said that funding for the project is adequate and government do not envisage any p r o b l e m . He said: “After inspecting the Query and Asphalt plant of the contractor, I discovered the contractor has the capacity to deliver the project on time. The pace of work

Mike Onolememen on the road has picked up. We are happy with the project and the quality of work. There were constraints before the take off of the project. It is a World Bank project initiated by the ministry. World Bank is contributing 90 percent of the fund for the project. With adequate funding, the contractor would complete the project on schedule”. Earlier, the Managing Director, Triacta Nigeria Limited promised to deliver the project on schedule. He said. “We have handled some other projects for the federal government and we will deliver the project in two years time without exceeding the completion deadline given by government. All the equipment are on ground and are brand new.”

“

ATO Architects marks anniversary, opens Lekki office Professional Practice FTER being on the saddle A for 25 years, one of Nigeria’s leading architectur-

Company Secretary, Mrs Tolu Osho (left), Board Chairman, Dr. Adeyinka Bibilari and Managing Director, Infinity Trust Mortgage Bank Plc, Olabanjo Obaleye during the company’s AGM in Abuja, recently

Infinity Homes laments insecurity, records drop in profit Mortgage Finance From: Karls Tsokar, Abuja HE mortgage sector has T started to feel the pinch of insecurity in the country, with of the banks - Infinity Trust Mortgage Bank blaming an unprecedented 250 per cent crash in its 2013 profit after tax to the security challenges. The company, however, assigned N125 million as dividend to the shareholders for the period. Chairman of the Board, Adeyinka Bibilari made this known recently in Abuja,

while presenting the 2013 Annual Reports and Account to the shareholders. He said “profit After Tax dropped from N517million to N205million, a decline of 250per cent”. According to him, despite the growth witnessed in the country’s economy, occasioned by aggressive monetary policy stance and ensuring price stability amid single digit inflation rate, “some factors slowed down the economy, such as the security challenges in the country, which affected farming activities and movement of goods, vandalism, theft and shortage of

petroleum products. He said the institution has proposed a dividend of 3Kobo per ordinary share of 50 Kobo for the year ended December 2013, a sharp decrease from the previous year. Although the gross earnings of the company grew from N524m in 2012 to N584m in 2013, total assets also leaped 33per cent from N5.6 billion to N7.4 billion during the same period, as well as depositors’ liability from N482.7 to N1.3 billion, representing a 270 per cent increase. The General Manager and

Chief Executive Officer, Olabanjo Obaleye said the institution has assisted more than 10,000 Nigerians to have their own houses since they commenced operations eight years ago. He said, “Despite the size of the Nigerian economy, mortgage debt to GDP (Gross Domestic Product) is about 0.5 per cent of the 13.7 million housing units in Nigeria are currently financed with mortgage. These are surprisingly small, given the country’s high rate of urbanization at an estimated 3.5per cent”, he said.

al firms, Messrs ATO Architects, recently rolled out drums to celebrate its successful professional practice in the country. The firm, which started operations from the sixth floor of the Cooperative Bank building, Marina, Lagos used the occasion of its 25th anniversary to formally open the doors to ATO Studios, its new purpose-built offices in Lekki, Lagos. The celebration which was tagged “25 years of design excellence” entailed a 15.9 kilometre Charity Walk to raise funds to support the Pacelli School for Blind and Partially Sighted Children, Surulere and the Lagos State Motherless Babies’ Home, Lekki, and an inaugural edition of its Anniversary Lecture Series. The lecture titled, “The WOW Factor as a Metaphor for Excellence?” was given by renowned Architect, Professor John Godwin, who highlighted the diminishing prominence of the architectural profession in favour of glossy and shallow. ‘Do It Yourself’ alternatives by flashy non-professionals. The trend, he noted was resulting in buildings that are unresponsive to the environment, non-functional and fiscally unsustainable.

Godwin said: “The buildings constructed by these non-professionals typically elicit the exclamation, ‘WOW!’ upon first encounter but mask deeper unresolved problems underneath. This trend of events is a problem spanning beyond the shores of Nigeria to professional practice globally” he said. The climax of the anniversary celebration was a Cocktail Party and Open House held at the new Lekki office of ATO Architects. Guests toured the building and viewed an exhibition of selected projects from the firm’s rich and varied portfolio of work spanning 25 years of its existence. The firm’s principal, Ayoola Tokunbo Onajide, an architect who appreciated God for the growth of the firm, added. “We did not expect that in 25 years we would have done so well”. The occasion served as a reunion of some sorts as former staff of the firm graced the event from various parts of the country. The event also attracted members of the executive council of the Nigerian Institute of Architects, Lagos State Chapter, represented by the chairman, Mr. Ladi Lewis and Vice Chairman, Titi Adeleye. Also present were the two Past Presidents of the Association of Consulting Architects Nigeria (ACAN), Fred Coker and Roti Delano, among other dignitaries.

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INTERVIEW

PROPERTY GUIDE

‘Govt must bring down substantially cost of housing construction’ Building cheaper houses and providing homes for low - income group have always been a topical issue among the built environment professionals. In this interview with Assistant Housing & Environment Editor, CHINEDUM UWAEGBULAM, a Professor of Construction Management at Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria and Chairman of the Board of the Council of Registered Builders of Nigeria (CORBON), KABIRU BALA throws more light on the synergy existing among the professional bodies, the role of builders in the mandatory building insurance scheme and other emerging trends. Excerpts: Property Interview ROM the inception of FBuilders Council of Registered of Nigeria (CORBON), one of the major aims is to regulate activities of professional builders. How are you fairing on this matter? The builder (and professional builder), is a professional with appropriate training /academic qualifications and relevant experience, registered and licensed by CORBON to practice in the building profession. Therefore, CORBON only regulates the activities of professionals licensed by it and are listed in its register, as provided for in the Act that established it. I can confidently say that CORBON has done well based on the number of builders registered and licensed to practice the building profession. We started by inducting 39 in 1990; in 1991 we inducted 25 builders and last year (2013) we inducted 201 builders. To date we have 1,909 builders on our register. CORBON closely monitors the activities of all registered builders, and they are licensed annually if they satisfy the requirements. In this way, it further assists us monitoring our members. There is the issue of unregistered builders who are being blamed for the nation’s building collapse. Can you say this can be solved? Let me first state that a registered builder has never been involved in the case of any building collapse in this country. By unregistered builders, I believe you are referring to quacks comprising persons who may have received building education and those who may not have, including school dropouts. The challenge of quackery can be solved by professionalizing the sector. The National Building Code clearly spells out the specific roles and responsibilities of each profession in the built environment. If we abide by the provisions of the code and with an enabling Act that sanctions infringements, incidences of building collapse will be greatly minimized. Some other professional bodies have introduced a leeway to take some of these unregistered people often called quacks as members. For instance, estate surveyors recently set up an estate agency association. Are you doing anything along that l i n e ? Yes, but only those with requisite educational training as enshrined in our enabling law. However, CORBON cannot register traders, school dropouts or any other person

without the requisite training and experience in the art, science and technology of building as members. Building is a delicate profession that should be practiced only by competent persons. What is the council doing about builders who have been found wanting in performance and character? There are rules and procedures for identifying, investigating, and sanctioning members found wanting in the discharge of their professional duties. CORBON always follows such route whenever an issue in that regard arises. We will soon commence regular project site monitoring and evaluation, to identify quacks and assess the performance of members on handling building projects. The public should note that it is only professionals that are licensed by CORBON, as enshrined in the relevant Law of the Federal Republic of Nigeria that can manage building production (construction) in all its aspects and ramifications. Project owners should as much as possible liaise with CORBON to ensure that builders are giving them value for their money. Recently, the issue of compulsory building insurance policy has come to the front burner of discuss. What is the role of builders in all these and does the enforcement of this law have any benefit to your membership? Secondly, is their any existing partnership with Nigeria Insurance Co m mi s s i o n (N A I C O M )? The law on insurance reform specified compulsory insurance for every two-storey building and above. We are by law saddled with the responsibility to prepare the health and safety management plan of buildings, including fire safety. If we are mandated to prepare the plan for any building, then we are best suited to partner with NAICOM in the implementation of the compulsory building insurance policy. We have been in partnership with them, and had few outings in Lagos, and I b a d a n . Are there benefits for the builders? Off course, there will be benefits because in every building, the health and safety management plan must have to be prepared. Then, by the National Building Code provisions, there must be a health and safety management plan for every building. The review of the National Building Code was completed recently. Do you think the document will bring about professional synergy in the building industry? Exactly. It will bring synergy among the professionals. It is

already doing that because the building code has specified the duties of all the professions in the industry, clearly defined. Now, there will not be any encroachment by any profession into another profession’s responsibilities. The housing industry is in crisis for over a decade now, with over 17 million homes in deficit. As an expert, how can we achieve low-income housing in the country? Low income is an issue of affordability. We have to bring down the cost of building; it has been done elsewhere in the world like India and China. The government has to bring down substantially the cost of housing construction. It is too high in this country. Even the conventional materials in the market. We need to use appropriate technology such as bricks not conventional material to ensure the cost is lowered. The Hydraform technology being used in South Africa can be adopted and used in our own environment. We should be looking at materials such as laterite blocks that are much cheaper than Sandcrete blocks. When you are assembling the house, it is much more faster because the important cost has been brought down substantially. With this technology, people can own homes easily and cheaper. Otherwise, it will be a mirage. Now, only the very rich can own houses. What are your actual recommendations for the governm e n t ? Government has good policies with regards to providing low income and affordable housing. The Presidential Committee on Housing retreat attended by all stakeholders came up with very g o o d recommendations,which the government is considering implementing such as the issue appropriate technology, mortgage refinancing, capitalising the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria so that people obtain loans, government supplying houses, and supporting the private sector to supply h o u s e s . The World Urban Forum 7 has come and gone, what are the big lessons for Nigeria and its p r o f e s s i o n a l s ? There are so many lessons for us. For instance, urban governance, there is the issue of caring for everybody, low, medium and high-income earners. When equity is embedded in urban development strategies, efficiency is enhanced, asset utilization becomes optimal, productivity improves and social cohesion is strengthened.

Prof. Bala, CORBON Chairman

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PROJECTS

PROPERTY GUIDE

Cross River, UPDC gear up for Summit Hills City project Projects From Aniete Akpan, Calabar OING by the projections of G the Cross River State government, its ambitious project, popularly known as Summit Hills – a 367 hectare real estate development in Nigeria that includes centre, hotel, recreational facilities and golf course with clubhouse, nature reserve, nature reserve, hospital and variety of residential units would be completed before the expiration of Governor Liyel Imoke administration. The city when completed will have Calabar International Conference Centre (CCIC) that can accommodate 5,000 persons at a sitting, large car park, an 18 hole professional golf course, two five star hotels, 200 housing units, a monorail, an excellent road network and many others. It sits on a hill overlooking Tinapa that will be linked with a rail line across the lake. When commissioned, the road network to the Summit Hill is expected to reduce the current distance to Tinapa from 14 kilometres to four kilometres from the city centre. Governor Imoke while inspecting the progress of work at site recently said that everything was on course to deliver the project before he leaves office in 2015. UACN Property Development Company (UPDC) will build the residential units. The company is presently embarking on 200 of the houses. He said: “We are putting everything into the project. When we started the project

we had some plans on how to finance it. Basically, we have been on target with our funding and the contractors are actually mobilized and we are not behind schedule on anything. More than 50 percent of the work has been done. They have done the most difficult aspect of the job especially when they were piling into the ground”. According to Imoke, “what we are trying to do is to pull in all our available resources. We have in our own planning allocation from the federal level. We have set aside Internal Generated Revenue to take care of specific aspect of what we are doing. We also have credit from our bankers and we also have inflows from revenue commission and our agreement with AMCON (Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria). Basically, we are comfortable. You can have meetings of six people or 5,000 in this building”. He explained that the hospital aspect of the summit hill is a PPP project. “It’s a 50-50 funded project and it is funded by the private sector. The private sector that is to manage it has a global experience and we believe that it’s a model that would actually deliver healthcare. “Its a PPP project the way it is designed, because the private sector operator has to a certain extent, has a certain performance standard. It will not only be obliged to deliver services to the public but is also expected to meet standard that have been defined and there are sanctions if they are not able to meet those standards”, said Imoke.

On-going projects in the Summit Hills City, recently

Sambo, others for AHCN 50 years’ anniversary Housing S part of activities lined up A for its golden jubilee celebration, the Association of Housing Corporations of Nigeria (AHCN) will be holding a two-day national workshop at Sheraton Hotel, Abuja from today. The three-day workshop on ‘The Housing Sector In Nigeria In The Last Fifty Years’ will x-ray the relevance and contributions of the association to the housing sector in the past years with a view to reactivating the sector for effective housing delivery especially for the low-income group. The theme of the event is “Repositioning The Housing Sector For Effective Housing Delivery”. The associ-

ation was established in 1964. One of the major highlights of the events is the staging of Merit Award to honour some individuals and corporate organizations that have contributed immensely to the development of the housing sector in the last fifty years particularly those who contributed to the provision of housing to the low income group. Noted among those to be honoured at the Award Event are the Governor Babatunde Raji Fashola of Lagos State, Governor Godswill Akpabio of Akwa Ibom and Governor Olusegun Agagu of Ondo State for their contributions to the development of housing in Nigeria.

Others include the former Governor of Lagos State, Alhaji Lateef Jakande, Prof. Akin Mabogunje, Chief Samuel Fadahunsi, Fortune Ebie, Gen Patrick Reis (rtd), and former President of the Nigeria Institute of Architect, Mrs. Bukola Ejiwunmi among others. The Merit award is scheduled for Tuesday night, May 27, 2014. The objectives of the workshop among others are to critically appraise the challenges/constraints of the housing sector in mass housing production over the years, ascertain the relevance and prospects of the Association and its members in promoting housing stocks with a view to proffering and formu-

lating workable options for effective housing delivery towards reducing and eradicating homelessness and bridging the housing deficit gap and shortfall in Nigeria. Major players, decision and policy makers and functional executives in the housing, building, construction, mortgage and finance industries are expected to participate and celebrate with the Association in this strategic event The Vice President, Namadi Sambo, an architect is expected as special guest of honour at the Jubilee Dinner/Merit Award Night where five State Governors and 20 distinguished individuals and corporate organizations would receive meritorious awards.

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PROPERTY GUIDE

PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE

Lagos NIESV holds AGM

Surveyors urge govt to establish national mapping policy

Professional Practice

OVED to promote the effiCTIVITIES to mark the sucM cient application of digiA cessful completion of tal technology and encour2013/2014 calendar year of the Nigerian Institution of Estate Surveyors and Valuers (NIESV), Lagos Branch commence today with a career talk and visit to St. Peter’s Anglican Nursery and Primary School, Obafemi Awolowo Way, Ikeja opposite Lagos State Printing Press. While on Tuesday, the estate surveyors would visit the orphanage, fellows of the institution are billed to have a parley with the branch’s chairman, Mr. Stephen Jagun, at its secretariat and Annual General Meeting (AGM) would hold on Wednesday after which the commissioning of the branch’s bus would hold at its secretariat. On Thursday, a church service would be held at Chapel of Christ the Light Interdenominational, Lagos State Secretariat, CBD Alausa, Ikeja and Jumat service would hold on Friday at Lagos State Secretariat Mosque CBD Alausa, Ikeja. In a statement by the branch’s Publicity Secretary, Mr. Lekan Akinwumi, all members were urged to be present at all the events, which promise to be worthwhile and profiting to all attendees.

Firm pledges to train artisans, opens VI showroom Building Materials OISED to ensure quality P service among the nation’s artisans, a company dealing in sanitary and bathroom materials, Alan Caray has said it would continue to train plumbers in the housing industry on proper fittings. The company made this disclosure at the opening of a new showroom in Victoria Island, Lagos. The Group Managing Director of El-Alan Group, Mr. Andrea Geday, told journalists that the target audience were Nigerians who believe in quality and comfort. “We have come to realise that Nigerian customers have become conscious of quality and we are associated with quality. So this is the right place to come for your bathroom accessories if you desire quality in Nigeria.” Geday disclosed that they have established a vocational training school called ETIWA in Lagos. “Alan Caray regularly conducts training sessions free of cost to plumbers to ensure correct use and installation of our products and the use of our after sales support as well as training sessions to plumbers free of cost every quarter.” On the durability of Henco pipes, General Manager, Alan Caray, Mr Ronnie D’Souza said Henco plumbing systems have proven to be the wisest choice for consumers who want high quality plumbing system. “In fact, in 10 years, we have not had a single complaint from customers about leakages, which are prevalent with other plumbing pipes,” he said.

age the more effective development of programmes to meet national needs, professional surveyors have urged the Federal Government to establish a National Mapping policy in the country. The surveyors under the aegis of Nigerian Institution of Surveyors (NIS) also reiterated its call for the government at all levels to embark on massive investment in surveying and digital mapping to engender sustainable development. The institution made appeal at the NIS 49th Annual General Meeting in Benin, the capital of Edo State last week, where its President, Mr. Bode Adeaga advised the government and private sector to collaborate with the surveying profession for the purpose of articulating holistic approach in solving the nation’s challenges. The theme of the conference is: “Connect and Collaborate: Creating Opportunity and Awareness for Spatial Integration.” Adeaga who set the tune of the conference said investment in the surveying and mapping is an investment in the future for sustainability of the economy and protection of environment as well as provide assurance of security and ability to adequately respond to emergencies, grow a healthy and productive nation. He lamented that most designers and policy makers rely on obsolete maps, prepared almost 50 years ago, which has hindered development in the country. According to him, base maps must be created on appropriate scales to enable the overlay of the attributes indicated above, adding that spatial information will drive the nation’s investment and development portfolio faster. Edo State Governor, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole said his government has been

President of the Nigerian Institution of Surveyors (NIS), Mr. Bode Adeaga (left); Chairman, Nigerian Law Reform Commission, Prof. Osarheimen Osunbor; and Surveyor-General of the Federation, Prof. Peter Nwilo; during the 49th Annual General Meeting of NIS in Benin, Edo State, recently

A consolidated federal mapping administration, working in cooperation with the states, would promote transparency and accountability in governance, which would in turn promote wealth creation and employment opportunities for the jobless. committed to surveying profession through the involvement of practitioners in public service in the design and construction of new roads and other infrastructures in the state. Represented by the Commissioner for Land and Survey, Mr. Donald OsikhenaBioh, the governor disclosed that the government has procured equipment worth more than N30 million for the survey department in the Ministry and Land and Survey last year. He said plans are underway to update all obsolete maps of

the state and density controls, which are in dire need for proper coordination of survey activities in the state, adding that the use of satellite imageries and GIS are key in this regard. Chairman, Nigerian Law Reform Commission, Professor Osarheimen Osunbor, who doubles as guest speaker at the event, pointed out that surveying profession and geospatial information are key to sustainable transformation of modern economies, describing them as catalysts to national development.

Osunbor noted that the various haphazard and unplanned developments that characterised the nation’s towns and city centres were due to lack of geospatial information for planning. He pointed out that challenges of modern governance require accurate and reliable tools such as good administrative maps and geospatial information. “The use of geospatial information would promote transparency and accountability in governance which would in turn promote wealth creation and employment opportunities for the jobless.” He noted that many state governments have adopted GIS for the purpose of mapping and allocation of land as well as enumeration for sundry purposes including assessment of tenement rates and levies, enjoining the

national government to do it. Surveyors, according to him, have an important role to play in tackling the current security challenges in the country through the location of suspicious changes on the landscape using high-resolution images such as “Geo-eye, quick bird or digital globe.” Besides, he explained that information from surveyors would help in resolving boundary disputes among states and various communities, adding that such information is a useful tool in wards and constituencies’ delineation for electoral purposes. He urged surveyors to create awareness about themselves and their services, adding that government must give importance to the use of geospatial information for physical planning and development purposes.

IDAN tasks FG on interior decoration, improved living condition Interior Decor By Tunde Alao ONVINCED of its potentials C to become a key economic drivers of the nation, members of the Interior Designs Association of Nigeria (IDAN), has urged the Federal Government to pay more attention to the development of interior decoration in the country. The group spoke last week in Lagos while marking the World Interior Day on “Guide Exhibition Homes and Design Exhibition 2014 (GUIDE)”, saying its theme: “ROTS; Because our Roots Matter”, justifies the fact that while designers create safer, more efficient, and comfortable environments for the world, not only does this drive economic growth, but it enhances the daily lives and contributes to the wellbeing of the occupants of designed spaces. The three-day event espoused what the association called global celebration of design’s influence on society and the

Generally, those involved in interior decoration are trained to create safer, more efficient, and comfortable environments for the world, which ultimately would drive economic growth, enhance daily lives and contribute to the wellbeing of the occupants of designed spaces. built environment. Described as its top priority, IDAN maintains that communicating the positive impact of design is the top priority of the guidepost of all their initiatives. Speaking on the event, IDAN Secretary-General, Titi Ogufere, said this year’s theme ‘Design Matters’, promotes the role that design serves as a medium for positive change. “Design constitutes to life quality with its pervasiveness and serves human goods through creativity and innovations”, said Ogufere, adding that the event showcases 40 of the well known furniture, interior designers, interior products and finishes. She said GUIDE was set up to orientate the public about Interior Architecture, Interior/Product Design

and Decoration, to enhance knowledge about the profession while encouraging cooperation between design professionals and showcasing our contributions to the society. ‘’With many years experience gained in the interior design industry in Nigeria I saw first hand many of the issues hampering the growth of the industry including the lack of professionalism, absence of structures and government. IDAN was then established with the support of IFI (International Federation of I n t e r i o r Architects/Designers), which is the United Nations of the interior design/decoration industry globally”, said Ogufere. Ogufere says IDAN is the only professional Interior design association in Nigeria.

According to her, IDAN membership offers training and networking with International Interior Design schools offering its member a 10 percent discount. Currently there is a non-consideration of Interior design as a discipline and the industry lacks educational standards. IDAN President, Anselm Tabansi, in his address, noted that this year’s theme “ROOTS; …because our roots matter”, promotes the role that design serves as a medium for positive change. Design constitutes to life quality with its pervasiveness and serves the human good though creativity and innovation. Tabansi said the theme “Roots” was chosen by the Guide Team, which was headed by Omon Anenih Mordi of Blue Mahogany and Tolu Pinheiro of Pincheto Lifestyle.

Other members of the team are Osaru Alile of Caxton- Alile Designs, Tola Akerele of IDesigns, Ayo Oyewole, Dotun Adeboyejo of Doshlaps and Kenny Onakoya, who is the IDAN Administrator. These programs include GUIDE, which is Gida Uno Ile Design Exhibition, a word coined from the word HOME in 3 predominant languages in Nigeria: Hausa, Igbo and Yoruba respectively. The event highlights include design clinic: where some of the country’s most talented interior designers offered free design consultations to visitors…bring along photos of problem areas in your home or office, drawing and sketches of whatever projects you are working on and get useful advice and design tips. Young Talent Competition, this segment showcased the work of three students, who exhibited for free and won amazing prizes like enhanced education, internships. The winner of this young talent would visit Inchbald School of Design, London for a week.

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Nigeria, others back new UN global deal on reducing disaster risk

NYSC begins schools’ flood disaster sensitization campaign The Environment

Disaster Management

From Ali Garba, Bauchi

By Chinedum Uwaegbulam OLLOWING attendant humanitarian consequences that created a recipe for crisis and insecurity in several countries in the continent, Africa has became the first world region to make a comprehensive set of recommendations for a new UN global agreement on reducing disaster risk, recognizing that most disasters in Africa are water-related and that efforts are needed to prevent conflict as part of overall efforts to build resilience to disasters. The new development was recorded at the 5th Regional Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction held in Abuja recently, and attended by over 900 participants. The closing day incorporated the region’s Third Ministerial Meeting for Disaster Risk Reduction, and saw the adoption of a comprehensive Statement summarizing Africa’s contribution to the post-2015 Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction, which will be adopted at the Third UN World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction in Sendai, Japan, in March 2015. The Platform was convened by the Africa Union Commission and hosted by the Federal Republic of Nigeria with support from the Economic Community for West African States and the UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNISDR). The Head of UNISDR, Margareta Wahlström, said: “Africa’s focus on people and addressing their vulnerabilities comes through clearly in the summary statement. It also recognizes the need to build on the existing Hyogo Framework for Action and to become more action-oriented and accountable. “Africa has made 12 recommendations for the integration of climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction and recognized the opportunity of 2015 to integrate three agendas around sustainable development goals, a new agreement on climate change and the new framework for disaster

HE National Youth Service T Corps (NYSC), in collaboration with the Community

Wahlstrom

Sani-Sidi

The Statement recognizes the impact of climate change on urban areas and calls for disaster-sensitive physical planning, enforcement of building codes and investments in resilient urban infrastructure, which can be applied to prevent the accumulation of further risks.

(September), and a new UNFCCC climate change agreement (December), which should be explicit in mutually supporting outcomes for sustainable development. The Statement recognizes the impact of climate change on urban areas and calls for disaster-sensitive physical planning, enforcement of building codes and investments in resilient urban infrastructure, which can be applied to prevent the accumulation of further risks. Earlier, Wahlström, told the opening session, that the post-2015 framework for DRR needs “to build on the HFA but we need to add to the HFA those focus areas which will help us to continue our work.” She said that 2015 would also see important agreements reached on sustainable development goals and climate change and there was an opportunity to integrate these three agendas in a way that was mutually reinforcing. Ms. Wahlström recalled that six of the world’s fastest growing economies are in Africa underlining the

risk reduction.” The Deputy Prime Minister of Swaziland and Co-Chair, Paul Dlamini, welcomed the outcome Statement: “We are sharing our views well in advance of the Third UN World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction next year. Our greatest concern is that international cooperation helps us to reduce the impact of disasters on the poor and the most vulnerable. We must work closely together across all regions if we are to save lives and improve the quality of life in our countries.” Under Regional Risk Factors and Institutional Frameworks, there is recognition that rapid urbanization, vulnerable infrastructure, land and environmental degradation and, extreme poverty, food insecurity and disease continue to drive risk and undermine resilience. Small island states need special consideration.

The Statement calls for strengthened institutional capacity to enforce legislation and more decentralization of responsibilities and resources. It notes that public participation in policy development will better ensure that particular vulnerabilities of girls, boys, women, elderly, and persons with disabilities, are addressed. Population movements induced by disasters and long-term violent conflicts call for cross-border cooperation. Integrated and coordinated approaches to disaster risk reduction, climate change adaptation and related aspects of conflict prevention, can improve the impact of investments. The Statement observes that the year 2015 will be marked by three landmark agreements: a post-2015 framework for disaster risk reduction (March), sustainable development goals

important of DRR in the region as disaster mitigation can help support economic development. DRR had to become part of national development plans. She said the process of developing a post-2015 framework for DRR is now moving towards the inter-governmental stage with the convening in July of the first government level discussions on its contents. Ms. Wahlström said she hoped the 5th Africa Platform would send a strong message as to what Africa wants to see in that framework when it is adopted in March next year at the Third UN World Conference on DRR in Sendai, Japan. UNISDR is the UN office dedicated to disaster risk reduction. It is led by the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Disaster Risk Reduction and supports implementation of theHyogo Framework for Action 2005-2015: Building the Resilience of Nations and Communities to Disasters which seeks “the substantial reduction of disaster losses, in lives and in the social, economic and environmental assets of communities and countries.”

U.N. climate fund sets November goal for first cash pledges Climate Change HE U.N. funding vehicle T for helping developing nations tackle climate change has set a November goal to receive its first round of cash pledges, a move hailed as a major step towards a global pact in 2015. The 24-strong board of the Green Climate Fund, set up to help channel at least $100 billion a year by 2020 from governments and the private sector, set a loose deadline after agreeing several procedural steps during four days of

talks in Songdo, South Korea. Getting money flowing towards schemes such as building solar power plants or deploying flood management systems is seen as crucial to getting over 130 developing nations to sign a U.N. climate pact in late 2015. But rich nations such as those in the European Union, Japan and the United States had been reluctant to donate without clear rules to ensure the cash would be spent wisely. Environmental campaigners and investor groups said this

week’s meeting put the fund on track to receive money ahead of December’s U.N. climate talks in Lima, Peru and to start deploying cash by early next year. “It is an important step forward in the context of the climate negotiations - one less excuse for developed countries to delay putting in some money. The pressure is on,” said Brandon Wu of ActionAid, who was at the meeting as an observer. The board, drawn equally from nations classed as developed and developing, agreed

basic principles on how the fund will operate, as well as who could donate and apply for the cash. But it ducked thornier issues such as whether wealthier nations such as China could apply, if money could be spent on coal or gas-fired power plants or the role of multilateral financial institutions such as the World Bank. “There are a lot of finer details still to fill in ... politically it will now be very challenging for major developed countries not to pledge funds by November,” said

Janet Redman of U.S.-based Institute for Policy Studies, also an observer at the meeting. In a major concern for campaigners and some developing nations, the board also failed to set an overall target for the amount to be pledged by November. The U.N.’s climate chief Christiana Figueres said the initial funding should be at least $10 billion and called on governments to put forward a pipeline of international joint projects that the fund could finance

Development Service of National Emergency Management Agency, (NEMA, CDS) has organised a quiz competition for secondary schools students in Bauchi on flood disaster management. The quiz which attracted seven secondary schools in Bauchi Metropolis,was held last week, with the topic “ Flood Disaster Attributed to Natural Disaster than Human Activities”. It was targeted at giving the students tips on how to avoid such activities that are capable of engendering flood disaster. These include blocking of drainage, construction of illegal structure in unauthorized locations, among others. Speaking at the end of the competition, where Immaculate Conception Secondary School got first position and Faria Foundation College and Abubakar Tafawa Balewa International school came second and third respectively, the President of the NYSC, CDS, Jamila Abubakar, said the group which consist of some corps members serving in Bauchi were recently set up to complement NEMA’s effort in sensitize the public, especially youth on how to keep their environment clean in order to avoid flood disaster.

FABE teams up with UNILAG students on WED The Environment S part of efforts to raise A awareness on environmental issues among youths and stimulate political, public action and personal commitment to environmental preservation, a NonGovernment Organisation (NGO) FABE Nigeria is holding an advocacy programme in the University of Lagos (UNILAG). FABE Nigeria intends to do use the event to celebrate the World Environment Day (WED) and draw attention among the youths to a wide range of environmental issues and assist people learn how they can get involved and make a difference. The group and students will be taking part in activities such as clean ups, tree planting, education, advocacy, enlightenment, sensitization and construction of gardens in schools. WED was established by the United Nations general assembly in 1972 to commemorate the opening of Stockholm conference on the human environment and celebrated every year on June 5 all over the world including Nigeria The theme for this year WED is “raise your voice not the sea level”.

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Donors commit $215 million for Amazon conservation in Brazil Through the agreement, “the government of Brazil is committing to the budget and the regulations that are needed to secure future financing for the Brazilian Amazon. The government has made changes to environmental agencies and regulations that critics say make it easier for would-be developers to target protected areas.

Conservation RAZIL’S government, the B World Wildlife Fund and various partners are expect-

ed to unveil an agreement on Wednesday that would establish a $215 million fund for conservation of protected jungle in the Amazon rainforest. The fund, which seeks to ensure conservation of over 90 protected areas in the Amazon, comes as renewed developmental pressures mount in the region, resulting last year in an uptick in deforestation figures after years of record lows. Under the terms of the agreement, partners in the fund will make annual contributions to help Brazil meet financing needs for the protected lands, whose combined area totals more than 60 million hectares, or an area 20 percent larger than Spain.

Contributions, partners said, will be contingent upon conditions required of Brazil, including audits of the government body that will administer the fund and continued staffing and financing of government offices required to administer the rainforest areas. Money from the fund would be used for a range of basic conservation measures, including fences and signs to delineate protected areas and to pay for vehicles used to patrol them. Through the agreement, “the government of Brazil is committing to the budget and the regulations that are needed to secure future financing for the Brazilian Amazon,” said Carter Roberts, chief executive of

the WWF, the non-governmental organization that helped organize the fund, in an interview. Officials at the Brazilian environment ministry, which said it would make an announcement regarding financing for protected lands on Wednesday, did not return calls seeking comment. Brazil’s government through 2012 made large inroads against deforestation, largely through strict environmental enforcement and financial measures that blocked credit for companies and individuals caught doing business with loggers, ranchers, farmers or others known to exploit illegally cleared land. In recent years, however, the

government has made changes to environmental agencies and regulations that critics say make it easier for would-be developers to target protected areas. The government has also altered borders of some parkland to make way for infrastructure projects, including hydroelectric dams on various Amazon tributaries. Financing for the new fund, expected to pay out over 25 years, was secured from private and public sources including the German government, the Inter-American Development Bank, the World Bank, philanthropists and the Amazon Fund, an existing facility financed mostly by the Norwegian government and administered by Brazil’s national development bank.

An aerial view shows illegal deforestation close to the Amazonia National Park in Itaituba, state of Para

China, UNEP to boost South-South cooperation on climate change adaptation Climate Change N a new high-level agreeINairobi ment - endorsed today in by Chinese Premier Li Keqiang and UN UnderSecretary-General and UNEP Executive Director Achim Steiner - UNEP and China agree to harness their “strengths, capacities and resources” to assist countries of the Global South combat climate change. Since 2008, UNEP and China have collaborated with countries across Africa and Asia on climate adaptation projects with co-funding by the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and the Government of China.

During the meeting, Premier Li and Mr. Steiner discussed efforts to accelerate China’s transition to an inclusive Green Economy, the Premier’s newly declared “war” on air pollution and the top issues on the agenda of the first-ever UN Environment Assembly (UNEA), due to be held in Nairobi, next month. Premier Li said, “Over the years, UNEP has made tremendous efforts to further global sustainable development and environmental conservation.” “China would like to continue to collaborate with UNEP to enhance green development and sustainable environmental management.

China has contributed US $6 million to the UNEP trust fund and will continue to make contributions to that fund into the future. China also wants to enhance communication, cooperation and coordination with UNEP and multilateral environmental agreements in support of global environmental sustainability and action to combat climate change at the national and global levels.” Mr. Steiner said, “This new agreement sends another powerful message that China is committed to combating climate change, not only within its own borders, but across the Global South and that in doing so, it can

count on UNEP’s unflagging support.” “I would like to commend China’s far-thinking environmental vision under Premier Li, and its commitment to work with UNEP at the strategic level,” he added. Mr. Steiner currently serves as Vice-Chairperson of the China Council for International Cooperation on Environment and Development (CCICED), of which Premier Li was the former Chair. Although China remains the world’s largest emitter of CO2, the country has committed to reducing its CO2 emissions by 40-45 per cent per unit of GDP below 2005 levels by 2020 through a

reduction in fossil fuel use. China also says that it aims to cut energy consumption by more than 3.9 per cent in 2014 to strengthen energy conservation and emissions reduction - which translates to a decrease in coal consumption of 220 million tonnes, compared to last year. A world leader in renewable energy production, China has the world’s largest installed capacity of wind farms and is the leading manufacturer of solar photovoltaic modules. It produces more hydroelectricity than any other country. In 2012, renewable energy investment in China stood at USD 67.7 billion, the highest in the world.

Islands lead the way on Nagoya Protocol ratification The Environment N the International Day O for Biological Diversity, celebrated under the theme of Island Biodiversity, islands are taking action to effectively conserve biodiversity and promote sustainable livelihoods. These actions, or “Bright Spots,” point the way towards sustainable development for island ecosystems and beyond. In a major gesture to mark the day, four Parties to the Convention, including Samoa, deposited their instruments of ratification to the Nagoya Protocol on Access and Benefit Sharing at the United Nations Headquarters. With the ratifications of Denmark, the European Union, Namibia and Samoa, the total number of ratifications to the Protocol to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) stands at 37. The Nagoya Protocol will enter into force on the 90th day after the date of deposit of the 50th instrument of ratification, acceptance, approval or accession. While the European Union will be a Party to the Protocol, its approval of the Protocol does not count towards the 50 instruments required for entry into force, therefore 14 more ratifications are required. Samoa’s ratification is particularly timely given this year’s theme for the International Day for Biological Diversity. Samoa will also host the Third International Conference on Small Island Developing States in September 2014. “As we celebrate island biodiversity today, we recognize the tremendous efforts made by islanders to build a future of life in harmony with nature,” said Braulio Ferreira de Souza Dias, Executive Secretary of the CBD. “These concrete actions not only support the implementation of the programme of work for island biodiversity, they also provide valuable lessons for integrating biodiversity into sustainable development that can be applied around the world.” “On this day, we also welcome the ratifications of the Nagoya Protocol by Denmark, the European Union, Namibia and Samoa that bring us closer to achievement of Aichi Biodiversity Target 16 that by 2015 the Nagoya Protocol is in force and operational. Their actions take us closer to entry into force before the twelfth meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP 12) to the Convention that will take place in the Republic of Korea in October 2014. I encourage all Parties that have yet to do so to take the necessary steps to ratify the Protocol” he said. In addition to the European Union, Demark becomes the second European Union member State; Namibia the fifteenth African State; and Samoa the sixth Small Island Developing State, to ratify the Nagoya Protocol. Their ratification underscores the global recognition of the importance of this instrument for obtaining access to genetic resources and for sharing benefits arising from their use.

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BusinessInterview how to achieve competitiveness within hEn we talk about competitiveness, W how will you explain this as a concept within this environment? There are lots of definitions but I will explain it this way: If you have a business that operates in country A, say Zimbabwe and that same business operates in country B, say nigeria, the extent to which that business can be more productive in country A than country B is national competitiveness. So, in other words, it is the totality of factors within the country that affects the productivity of that business within the country, including the human capacity, financial capital, the structure and everything that operates within the environment. In talking about what operates within the nigerian environment, how will you place the country vis-a-vis other countries within the continent? In nigeria, we could be doing much better especially when you consider the resources that we have. The popular rankings used to rate countries are Global Competitiveness Index (GCI); the World Bank Doing Business Index; and the Social Status Index. Within these parameters, we can rank countries. What is interesting is that in this year, we have seen some significant shifts. In the Social Index, we have seen some growth, about eight per cent. We expect the GCI and the World Bank Index to come out later in the year. I suspect that this year’s own will be better. What gave you that optimism? We came into operation last year when the Federal Government inaugurated the council. I resumed here at the tail end of last year and we became fully functional early 2014 and we have taken specific steps to begin to engage those who do these rankings to effect competitiveness within this country and right in the early days, we are beginning to see improvement and changes in that direction. When you say changes in that direction, which factors have you assessed? For these areas, they call them pillars and each of these indices that I referred to has a number of pillars. For example, the World Bank has about 10 pillars, including development, procurement, among others. The GCI competitiveness has 12 pillars and those pillars have also become very important like having access to finance; innovation readiness; trade facilitation; security; among others. What we did was to quickly analyse, find out where we stood in all these rankings and strategised for implementation. We discovered that there were so many things required. There is a problem about perception, and problems like this in nigeria are Mordi enormous. I mean if you just look at the way the reports about the country have Chika Mordi, the Chief Executive Officer of National Competitiveness Council of Nigeria (NCCN), is passionate been going around - the Boko haram saga and others. Even analysts know that there about strategies that could upscale the nation’s competitiveness in the global arena. Mordi, who is also the is significant disparity between the reality and what is perceived. This problem is Chairman of UBA Capital Plc, however, believes that holistic approach is imperative in achieving NCCN’s mandeep. however in nigeria, there are won- dates, despite daunting challenges, which he assessed as not being insurmountable. He spoke with Business derful people who are entrepreneurs, with Editor, ADE OGIDAN on the journey so far and prospects of realising competiveness within the economy, both on ideas and are equally ready to work. But we are also cynical. We can argue the long and short terms. Excerpts. about why things have gotten to that level. But in general, we are cynical in nature. you see these surveys, there are so many in our group. We have two ministers There is a lot of red tapism that affects Many of these indices that I mentioned conflicting issues around them. They including the Minister of Industry,Trade these plans. These include cost of doing may have been survey-based. The response come with some negative connotations, and Investment, Olusegun Aganga. We business, ease of doing business and comgotten from all these surveys are now used which are not just external, but internal have top CEOs including Tony Elumelu, petitiveness. I think to be fair to the civil as inputs for the index. as well. Aliko Dangote. We also have the CEO of servants, there is an issue with capacity now, in some countries, they exaggerate, and compensation (enumeration) and Going back to what we did, one of them Standard Chartered Bank. trying to use these surveys to gain some- was to work on the perceptions to the All these stakeholders have been engag- you can’t in isolation say the civil service thing. These happen a lot. From our agencies that did these rankings. We ing on how to come up with policies, is not functional. You have to look at the research on Middle East countries, when have been engaging with them. The secmobilise, encourage and advise on the totality of various factors. they were asked if the press was free, they ond thing we have done is that we are There are lots of good ideas from the course we are embanking on. said yes; they exaggerate a lot, In nigeria, not partisan. But what we want is goverBut really some of these perceptions can ministries but there have been difficulthe press is not in shackles. In Saudi nance that will engage the private sector be said to be true. For instance, in the area ties in implementing some of these ideas. Arabia, where women cannot drive, even and create environment that is conof infrastructure, we have seen lots of Some have failed and some have not even also in Iran, there are some stringent rules. ducive for business. efforts through PPP to engender been implemented. I believe this is as a But in nigeria, there is press freedom; the So, what we have done is to mobilise smoother operations within this sector. result of non-engagement with the stakejudiciary is independent, among others, the private sector around our agenda. To which extent are you getting support holders. which are symbolic of democracy. But if Already, we have three cabinet members Already, we have 56 high calibre impact from the civil service?

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Nigeria’s environment, by Mordi individuals that are within four work groups created reviewing policies in certain areas and that must be looked into. We have people from academia, SMEs, top CEOs, and regulator among others. We are looking at being able to implement whatever we came up with later in the year. Another issue is access to fund. Over the years, it’s been assessed that the interest rates from the financial institutions are not supportive of the productive sector. The rates could augur well for traders but not for industrialists. How is your organisation addressing this issue? To be honest, what we have done is to prioritise the challenges we are facing and access to finance is one of the few areas where Nigeria is ranked very well, compared to the rest of the world. But does that mean there are no problems in access to finance? Of course, there are problems. For example, if the inflation is high, it is very unlikely you are going to get anyone, unless there are other factors. If the risk premium is high, no one is going to invest in it or lend money at a rate that does not reflect inflation under risk premium. So, the banking industry has done a lot in terms of expansion and helping people. The micro finance sector has done a lot as well. The capital market sector is also doing a lot. It has recovered from the recession some years ago. About 50 per cent of the shares on the exchange is held by foreigners. But there is a significant gap in the area of specialist finance for the SMEs. We believe that there is need for a catalyst that will boost the ecosystem. Aren’t you bothered by some issues, especially corruption in the pursuit of your mandates? It is difficult, but we need to progress beyond this. I mean we have to tell ourselves the truth. Corruption is a stigma and this is split into two. One of them is corruption of greed and that of need. If you pay a man salary of N10,000 in a month, he has a wife, three kids and they need health care, clothing, transportation and may be the wife also earns about N10,000 and that makes it N20,000, they Mordi can’t survive well enough on such income. If you put such a man in charge don’t you think that of need may require of winning the war. of something - like you give him a gun to some policy measures? be at the check point to protect people at Absolutely. I am an advocate for this. I am Can you proffer a living minimum wage? the risk of his life or you put him in an in support of privatization of refineries That would mean taking a figure from the office where he has the ability to push among others. If you look at the telecom- skies. If you go back to what people earn through some transactions that run into munications sector, how it has worked out now and some decades ago, you will find millions of naira, and then you are fight- both for MTN and other players, it has been out that civil servants are earning just a liting corruption, I tell you, you can’t win. dramatic. The people working there are tle above what they had decades ago. Such underpaid people are likely to be not poor and they are not taking bribe. But Obviously, there are fears about inflation tempted because of the situation around look at the then NITEL, what has become of and it has been so. But, the fact remains them. The other type of corruption is that it. To minimize this impact is to limit gov- that people have to be paid reasonable wages. engendered by greed. There are situa- ernment’s involvement in business. tions, where public office holders, who But that may not be feasible, because the Part of your mandates is also facilitating within the sub-region. To which already have millions of dollars in their government will still have to maintain its trade extent have you succeeded in this? respective accounts, still go ahead to steal own staff? more billions. That is corruption of greed. Of course, I agree. But you go to some air- We are working hard on that. It is an ongoHow do we address these challenges you ports, things are working, they are not ing process. We are reviewing all the challenges by businesses in Nigeria when they enumerated? being operated by the government. They manufacture, export or import, but if you At NCCN, the practical way we have for are handled by concessionaries. If you go to go to neighbouring countries like Niger, such challenge was to initiate what we local airport here, no one has asked for Benin Republic, among others, you are call the clean business initiatives. bribes. Why can’t we concessionaire the going to find some of the products you are Emmanuel Ijewere, who was a president international airport and hand over to buying in Nigeria there. of ICAN, heads it. Basically, what they have some organisations for 20 years, which But the companies are not getting done is the recognition of the fact that could keep the business running well. So, enough benefits because most of them are corruption is not a government problem. what am saying is that if we could min- smuggled. Despite the ECOWAS treaties, There is a giver and taker of bribes. What imise government involvement in busi- there are still so many barriers. We are they have done is to put together certain ness, there could be greater opportunities principles. These principles simply state that private sector would agree to be transparent, not to take bribe and not to We came into operation last year when the Federal Government engage suppliers or vendors who give bribes. This is an international principle. inaugurated the council. I resumed here at the tail end of last year If you deviate from it, there are conseand we became fully functional early 2014 and we have taken spequences. We are encouraging that and we already have big signs on as a way of limcific steps to begin to engage those who do these rankings to iting corruption. And when more players effect competitiveness within this country and right in the early sign on into that, corrupt individuals will be checkmated. days, we are beginning to see improvement and changes in that That could be feasible in respect of corruption being engendered by greed, but direction.

working to get those barriers out of the way. A committee is looking into that critically and helping government confront some of these barriers. Some of the barriers have been talked about over the years and it’s like the more we talk about them, the more they come up in terms of bringing obstacles to free movement. In terms of free movement, how are you strategising to achieve that part of ECOWAS protocol? If you fly by air to Accra, Abidjan or you come to Lagos, your passport is stamped. You don’t need a visa. However, there are bigger challenges. Government’s are not equipped enough to drive some businesses. ECOWAS has been around for decades. It’s true they have spoken about this free movement issue. They formed several coalitions, but not much is happening. But private sector operators have been achieving a lot in that regard. Like I remember I got a status licence for a bank in Ghana. I was in Ghana to meet late President Kuffor and that was an eye opener for one. This is because we got that licence despite the bureaucracy in Nigeria. But that is a private sector operator. We didn’t need the government before the banks started operations in Ghana. The oil companies, real estate firms, Globacom, among others have opened operations there. What we are doing in this regard for private sector is that we are injecting a kind a philosophy, which are three in nature. The first is to improve on the telecommunications system. In the past, we had challenges, but today things have improved greatly. I am confident that improved telecommunications would make things work better. The second thing is that the world is getting far more globalised. So there is a template to pick from. The third factor is that there is now a realization. For example, two weeks ago, the finance ministers of all the African countries refused to sign the Economic Partnership for Africa (EPA), which would have been impossible two years ago because of the Francophone countries. There would have been issues about agreement, but we don’t have that any more. Now, a kind of realization is crystalising and there is collective cooperation. I am very optimistic that things would change for the better as far as this region is concerned. How would you project the nation’s competitiveness profile within the short run? I think there are lots of works to do there. Like I said earlier, I alluded to the fact that the perception challenges are external and internal. How to get out of these challenges would be for us to create awareness in Nigeria, especially among the business people, about them knowing that there are consequences when they have some kind of cynicisms about their country. Last month, we had a business conference which was well attended in Lagos, with the diplomatic community in attendance and we pointed it out to them that there is cost for everything we do. For instance, if it takes 40 days to clear a good from the wharf, when it can take 20 days, it is a real cost for your business. So, we pointed out to people that there is a need for them to be factual about things happening in the country. This is the message we have been preaching locally. Secondly, there is need for press engagement to achieve better understanding about information dissemination. We need to protect national interest in all we do. It is also important to engage both the international media and international foreign missions. So, we are trying to engage all the stakeholders.

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Insurance, a bulwark of protection, operators insist By Joshua Nse HIEFTAINS of the nation’s C insurance industry have appealed to the public to buy insurance protection for their lives and assets in this time of economic downturn as insurance the world over is the most favoured risk transfer mechanism. Industry managers told The Guardian that over the years many diverse claims running into billions of naira, such as the victims of severe floods, motor accident, fire accident, to claims emerging from explosions, air crashes, have all tested the resilience of the insurance industry. Similarly, the reinsurance industry has come to the fore in the light of its critical role in supporting catastrophe risks and in maintaining financial stability. Specifically, operators admit that with strong financial capability, underwriting companies have embarked on the restructure of the entire systems to enable them provide improved quality services particularly in prompt claims settlement as a result of improvement in premium collection. According to risk managers, there is a strong link between development of insurance and economic development. In developed economies, insurance are a major source of long-term capital and have dominant share in total financial assets. They provide funding for end of service indemnity, life insurance benefits, annuity and gratuity. They also increase the depth and liquidity in stock and bond markets. For instance, the Nigerian Insurers Association (NIA) – the market umbrella association for the underwriting companies – in the 2011 Nigeria Insurance Digest reported that the Nigerian insurance industry continued its transformation processes in 2011 through various reforms and initiatives in its operations, regulation,

documentations and service delivery. The Director-General of the association, Sunday Thomas, explaining the new development in the industry said “Of concern to the industry is the high incidence of fake insurance documents, such as motor vehicle and marine certificates and policies which are sold by unlicensed portfolio companies. Earlier research estimated that not more than 15 to 20 per cent of all motor vehicles on Nigerian roads carry genuine insurance policies. According to him, “Against this backdrop, the NIA in its effort to sanitize and rid the nation of he market for fake insurance documents, initiated the Nigerian Insurance Industry Database (NIID) in 2010 as a repository of all insurances underwritten by NIA member companies. This was enhanced in 2011 starting with the motor vehicle insurance database, which will serve as a platform for verification of valid motor insurance certificates and policies. The initiatives we believe will increase public confidence in the insurance industry and the services rendered.” The NIA boss also acknowledged that the full implementation of the no premium no cover regulation will resolve the issue of unpaid premium in the industry. Besides, it will bring about better balance sheet for the underwriting firms for better services especially in prompt payment of claims. He said “The new development is a major regulatory requirement for the industry and we believe it will have a positive impact on the performance of the industry.” In his remark, the Managing Director and chief executive, Riskguard-Africa (Nigeria) Limited, Yemi Soladoye, said insurance gap of 94 per cent in Nigeria means that in a population of 160 million people, the demand created for insurance by this high population, the insurance

industry is only able to meet (supply) six per cent of these needs. According to him, “We have 160 million Nigerians that have been neglected by the insurance industry for close to 100 years. We have the small and medium scale enterprises that are yearning for protection. Insurance, he said, is a business that guarantees development for other sectors of the economy, mortgage cannot develop significantly without insurance, it provides protection and funds for long term investments. It is through

:Insurance firms record N28.7b premium in 2012, says Daniel From John Okeke, Abuja HE Commissioner for T Insurance,r Fola Daniel, on Friday in Uyo said insurance companies received an estimate of N28. 7 billion in 2012 as premium on compulsory insurances in the country. Daniel, who is also the Chief Executive Officer, National Insurance Commission (NAICOM) said this at the 2014 Insurance Seminar for Insurance Correspondents. He said that the volume of premium written in 2012 alone, was a clear indication that insurance was gradually growing in the country. “I am glad to let you know that even though the N1 trillion target for compulsory insurance is yet to be attained, considerable progress has been made given the statistics available. “This is evident in the num-

ber of policies written by companies under this class of insurance between 2009 and 2012 which rose sharply from 72,180 to 152,181 showing a 111per cent increase. “Also the volume of premium written in this class, rose sharply from N14.93 billion in 2009 to N28.68 billion in 2012, showing an increase of 92 per cent,” he said. Daniel said also that the volume of claims settled under the country’s compulsory insurance, had also increased. He attributed the increase in patronage to interest being shown by various state governments like Imo state, Anambra and Delta. Daniel said also that the reforms taken by the commission in its bid to provide the enabling environment for insurance to strive. These reforms, according to

him were the introduction of Risk Based Supervision, migration to International Reporting Standards, Claims Settlement Reforms and financial inclusion and literacy programmes. To deepen insurance practice in the country and settlement of claims, Daniel said the commission was working to set up nation wide, call centres to aid them in addressing this. “By first week of June, NAICOM will unveil the first ever Insurance Call Centres to listen and address better, complaints from Nigerians on insurance claims and settlements. “I can assure you that through the call centres, we will listen and follow up the complain to make sure that insurance companies do not default in paying real claims’ he said.

insurance that we get funds for project of national development. He said “The Nigerian insurance industry is not set for the expected growth that we have been talking about all these years. The operators equally have to see and understand

that there is the need for a new way of doing business. Hitherto, their business focus concentrated on wholesale markets, - what can we get from the brokers, what can we get from government accounts, they had the capital, but the business orienta-

tion was solely on the wholesale markets, and it became difficult for them to extricate themselves without a prepared alternative However, the market is moving significantly forward as both the regulators and operators are determined to set new trend for the industry..”

CIIN holds education conference HE yearly International T Education Conference of the Chartered Insurance Institute of Nigeria (CIIN) will open on Tuesday June 17, at the Federal Palace Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos. The three day event tagged “Redimensioning the insurance industry contributions to the national economy”, will end with the investiture of Bola Temowo, as the 46th President of the Institute on Thursday June 19. Speaking at a press conference in Lagos, the Chairman of the presidential investiture committee, Eddie Efekoha, said the theme was selected following due consideration of the rebasing of the national economy which catapulted Nigeria to become Africa’s largest economy, a development which is bound to have positive effects across all sections of the economy, including insurance. The conference is therefore an ample opportunity for insurance operators to periscope the opportunities inherent in the new scheme of things, he said. According to him, the theme paper will be delivered by Dr. Ayo Teriba, CEO Economic

Associates Nigeria. The subtheme topic paradigm shifts in insurance education for greater relevance”, will highlight issues in continuous professional education, bridging public education gaps, the imperatives for competency audits and effective succession planning among others. The paper will be deliv-

ered by Professor Sola Fajana, Vice Chancellor, Joseph Ayo Babalola University (JABU). He said that the annual education conference has remained a veritable platform for the exchange of views on topical issues pertinent to the growth and development of the insurance industry.

Premium Pension organises AGM REMIUM Pension Limited, one of the leading Pension Fund Administrators (PFAs) in the country is holding its ninth yearly general meeting on Wednesday, May 28, 2014. The event is slated to hold at the company’s Corporate Headquarters at 4, Agwu Close, Off Faskari Crescent, Area 3, Garki, Abuja starting from 10 AM. “Our company has continued to maintain its enviable position as one of the leading PFAs in Nigeria” said the company’s board chairman, Mr. Aliyu A. Dikko. “”Despite the declining employment opportunities that negatively impacted our business generation drives, the company has expanded its horizon in terms

of funds under management and number of Retirement Savings Accounts (RSAs).” “The company and by extension the industry has virtually overcome its teething challenges’ said Mr. Wilson Ideva, the managing director. “We are now striding to great heights.” One of the pioneer PFAs in the country that started immediately after the promulgation of the Pension Reform Act, 2004, Premium Pension Limited now has over 330 billion Naira under management and has so far paid almost 63.2 billion Naira as retirement benefits while 13, 350 retirees receive pension every month through the company.

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INSURANCE

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RISAN advocates review of Nigeria’s security strategy HERE is the need for the T Nigerian Government to review and update its overall security strategy on crime to focus on detection, prevention and deterrence efforts through careful and sophisticated intelligence gathering, proactive response to the commission of crimes and expeditious dispensation of justice on criminal cases, the Risk Surveyors Association of Nigeria (RISWAN) has said. According to the association, the cornerstone to achieving this is by actively and continuously engaging the local population through established structures or institutions which include (traditional rulers, village heads, community leaders, CDA officers, traders associations and organized religious organizations). Furthermore, proper

deployment and utilization of Information Technology solutions and Telecommunications facilities will aid this initiative considering the wide acceptance both enjoy among the general populace. The President of the association, Jacob Adeosun, said he Risk Surveyors Association of Nigeria (RISAN) is a professional body of experts in risk assessment providing risk control solutions to its clients. RISAN commiserates with the numerous families of innocent Nigerians who have been killed and brutalized in relation with the challenges of insecurity confronting the nation and is lending its professional voice in this statement on the way forward. Recent security events in our dear Country call for sober

reflection and cooperation of everybody irrespective of political, religious, tribal, class, gender, residential and business location circumstances He said, “Unlike before, crimes like armed robbery, fraud, kidnap and ransom, murders, terrorism, vandalism and abductions have become daily occurrences. However, a major feature of all these crimes is that they are perpetuated or facilitated by persons who reside and/or spend time within a specific population. Therefore, any initiative to control and mitigate their occurrence must be creative enough to enlist the support of local population as part of the implementation. “Also of urgent need is the up

scaling of human and material assets of the Nigerian Security Apparatus. Government must quickly collaborate with 6 (Six) of the nation’s top University as well as established foreign resource entities to develop special training curricula as well as training centers for our Men in Arms. Government must take out relevant, adequate and valid insurances covering all the risk/perils associated with their work. Also, the quality of their work tools (i.e ammunitions, vehicles, uniforms) and their respective places of work should be improved to allow them effectively discharge their constitutional duties.” “Governments should tie security budgets to identifi-

able concrete milestones and deliverables which should reflect its policy thrust on the security road map and progress status. For example, the recent manufacturing of a Drone by the Nigerian Military should receive good attention for development. The program should be adapted to suite multiple security needs e.g. for surveillance and intelligence purposes. Government should acquire all critical assets including but not limited to surveillance and satellite facilities required to build a credible security infrastructure. There should be adequate well trained security manpower to provide effective security protection throughout the country.”

In all, he said, government must change its approach to security which favors a segment of the Nigerian population constituted by the political elite and the rich who can pay to be secured. This change has become inevitable considering the asymmetric and unconventional methods adopted by criminals who now seek to wreck havoc on a large scale targeting populated centers. Nigeria needs effective and efficient security protection at all costs and Governments must mobilize its resources and sensitize the people throughout Nigeria to play supportive roles to arrest and snuff out criminal activities and events at all levels.

Custodian wins award HE Chief Executive Officer T of Custodian and Allied Insurance, Wole Oshin, was honoured on Saturday 17 May, 2014, at the Businessday Top 25 CEO Award, as one of the top twenty five distinguished Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) of companies listed on the Nigerian Stock Exchange. The CEOs award is a yearly event which is meant to appreciate the contributions of the 25 CEOs who contributed the most to the growth of the capital market in a particular financial year The 25 CEOs were honoured for having contributed 68 per cent of the gains in the capital market capitalisation in 2013. They ensured that their companies’ share price outperformed the All-Share Index (ASI) of the NSE which closed the year at 47 per cent. Their contributions amounted to 58 per cent of the nation’s budget in 2013. Custodian and Allied Insurance were among the only two companies in

the insurance sub sector who contributed to this achievement. The company worked tenaciously in 2013 to increase shareholders’ profit to N4 billion. Commenting on the award, the Oshin said “This is an encouraging development. I am truly elated to receive this award. I would like to state that this achievement would not have been possible without the support of the Board, Management and Staff of Custodian, who worked as a team to get us to this level. We are glad that Custodian is contributing her quota to the GDP of the Nigerian economy and towards the improvement of the insurance sub sector” Custodian and Allied Insurance is a member of the Nigerian Insurers Association (NIA) and quoted on The Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE). The company is a member of the Custodian and Allied Plc Group, a wholly owned Nigerian investment holding company.

Insurers are ready for solvency II, says PwC partner HE insurance industry has expressed concern about being regulated with the same criteria as other financial institutions, according to Mr. O’Neill, “there is congruence taking place between CRD IV (Capital Requirements Directive), Europe’s response to Basil 3, and … Solvency 2. They both have…three pillar structures - Pillar 1: quantitative requirements; Pillar 2 governance and supervision, and Pillar 3 reporting.” He went on to say that “there is an alignment taking place so I don’t see a huge difference … between regulating banking institutions, asset management institutions, and insurance companies.” In terms of insurers and reinsurers being ready for Solvency II, Mr. O’Neill says “they have made considerable progress over the past number of years, but you can see that the organizations, with the impending arrival in 2016, really ramped up their actives.” According to Mr.ONeill, the impact of Solvency II on prod-

uct development has been minimal. “I think it’s more of a customer centric strategy that organizations will be perusing, which will have a much greater impact on (product development). “ O”Neill believes the impact of Solvency II outside of the EU has been quite considerable. Principals of the IAIS, (International Association of Insurance Supervisors) are very consistent with Solvency II. He does not see any major push for new regulation on the horizon. He does think “a lot of regulation can be in reaction to a particular event, and certainly from an insurers perspective it’s not only the prudential element they have to comply with, but also the conductive element. I suspect there would be an increasing amount of ‘conduct’ regulation that would be introduced in the EU and other jurisdictions, because the “protection of the customer”.

Director Pension and Establishment, Zamfara State, Yusuf Moriki; Executive Director Business Development and Investment, Premium Pension Limited, Adamu Mele; exchanging pleasantries with a retiree at the customer/ retiree forum held in Sokoto

‘Drought, flooding insurance could aid African farmers’ new satellite-based insur- drought index insurance pre- the new insurance in Benin, the continent, causing A ance against drought and miums for small-scale farm- Botswana, Burkina Faso, hunger and nutrition”. Howard Ziko, the regional heavy rainfall could enable African farmers increase food production and income by helping them invest in better seeds, fertilisers and pesticides, according to researchers. The researchers from the Netherlands-based EARS Environment Monitoring Limited, a remote sensing and climate service provider, in a statement released last month (30 April), say most countries in Sub-Saharan Africa face major challenges in the development of agricultural insurance, including high costs and lack of data. Andries Rosema, the report’s co-author and senior researcher with EARS Earth Environment Monitoring Ltd, tells SciDev. Net that the cost of drought insurance to the farmer consist of pure risk premium and transaction costs. “Typical catastrophic

ers with two acres cover US$200 and quality farming inputs package (seeds and fertiliSer) would be US$10.”Andries Rosema, EARS Earth Environment Monitoring Ltd, the Netherlands “Typical catastrophic drought index insurance premiums for small-scale farmers with two acres cover US$200 and quality farming inputs package (seeds and fertiliSer) would be US$10,” says Rosema. The researchers used satellite data that focused on factors that lead to crop losses such as droughts and heavy rainfall. Drought was determined by measuring the amount of water lost through soils as a result of evaporation and through plants leaves — two processes called evapotranspiration. The four-year project, initiated in 2009 has led to trials of

Kenya, Malawi, Mali, Mozambique, Rwanda, Senegal, Tanzania, and Uganda for crops such as maize, wheat, rice, beans and cotton. The project’s final report was published in January this year. The study was funded to the tune of 1.6 million euro (just under US$2.2 million) by the Foreign Affairs Ministry of the Netherlands and partners based in Africa and abroad. The researchers hope to reach one million farmers with the insurance during the next three to five years, according to the report. Zimbabwe Commercial Farmers Union president Wonder Chabikwa says: “The technology is a victory for African famers who need insurance protection to restrain them from past excessive droughts and sporadic rainfall impoverishing

manager of Navistar Insurance Brokers, Manicaland, Zimbabwe, concurs: “The Meteosat-based index insurance system is an effective mechanism meant to reduce losses to African farmers who continue to suffer due to higher unpredictable costs, uncertain future and lack of information that predicts the nature of the farming seasons, including floods, droughts and outbreaks of pests and diseases”. Basil Nyabadza, the chairperson of Zimbabwe’s Agriculture and Rural Development Authority in the Ministry of Agriculture, Mechanisation and Irrigation Development, adds that the country is working towards adopting such technology, but advises that Africa must lead such scientific efforts.

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Monday, May 26, 2014

Media How NTA-STAR Network keeps digital transition alive Issue By Kabir Alabi Garba

Nigeria’s march to digitization may have been hampered by lack of funding as lamented last Thursday in Lagos at the Digital Migration Summit organized by the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC), initiatives by broadcasting firms such as the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) have kept hope of the country meeting the deadline of June 17, 2015 alive. Chief of these initiatives is the joint venture between the national station and Star Communication Network CO Limited of China which gave birth to NTA-STAR TV Network Limited. The partnership, in the words of Group Chairman, StarTimes China, Mr. Xinxing Pang, is not only growing smoothly, “it has also yielded bumper harvest pioneering the new technology of Digital Terrestrial Television (DTT) in Nigeria.” As a follow-up to Pang’s exposition on the workings of the venture and how it has revolutionalized the Maxwell Loko… delivering a speech during the third year’s anniversary of the Group Chairman, StarTimes China, Xinxing Pang at a function in Abuja recently company in Abuja broadcast industry, Director of NTA-STAR TV Network, MAXWELL LOKO in an the facts on ground. You raised four critical In specific term, what role does this venture the blues… encounter with The Guardian, underscored issues: Cultural imperialism; Selling of play in the on-going transition to digital The two events you mentioned are completely not connected. the integrity of the venture, its contribution National Assets, at ridiculous sum; Personal broadcasting? As at today, Startimes is in 32 cities and still The 2009 FIFA Tournament was a Soccer event to digitization process, while debunking the interest and equity ratio. whatsoever gives credence to this counting. This effectively, means that 32 where the cost was borne by the Federal assumption that the partnership is a mani- Nothing cities have been digitized. Let me explain. In Government through NTA in accordance with allegation. festation of cultural imperialism. Excerpts: If you provide a platform where you deploy each of these cities, the entire Over-the-air FIFA regulations. HE Joint Venture has been officially on since July 2010, how far has been the journey? In a few weeks, the company would be exactly four years since commencement of operations. Four years in a life of a company with a long-term objective, is relatively small a period for a meaningful achievement. However, in our own case, we can safely say that, so far, so good. In these few years, the NTA-Startimes brand has become a household name in all the cities that we operate the Digital Terrestrial Television (DTT), which is what this technology is all about. Presently, we are in all but few states of Nigeria. Hopefully, we should be in all the states before June, 2015. If you consider the cost of deploying this technology then you will appreciate this level of achievement. In what way has the Joint Venture contributed to the growth of Television broadcasting in the country? The objective of this Joint Venture aside from providing a Multi-Channel Platform for the transmission of NTA’s various channel (i.e. NTA News 24, NTA Entertainment, NTA Knowledge, NTA Parliament, NTA Hausa, NTA Yoruba, and NTA Igbo), also kick-started the digitization process by providing quality programming content on specialized channels. This implies that viewers can now make choice of programmes to watch amongst our new channel listings. The coming of our DTT Platform (Startimes), has demystified the PayTV sub sector which hitherto has been perceived as reserved for the rich. Today, the lowend segment of the society can watch quality programme of different genre, at an affordable cost. This Platform has also made it easy for new entrance in broadcasting particularly, thematic content providers wishing to be broadcasters. Generally, the DTT Technology, which we are the first in the country to offer, has completely and positively changed the broadcasting landscape. Critics have described this Joint Venture as another manifestation of cultural imperialism – whereby the country’s asset is sold to Chinese outlet at a ridiculous sum for personal interest – What is the percentage of Startimes China in this enterprise? I think that is an unfair assumption. But I understand because you probably don’t know

modern technology to enable broadcasters reach their mass audience with their content, how does it amount to imperialism? Remember also that as a platform provider or a signal distributor, you do not interfere with the broadcaster’s content. Remember also that in a multi-channel digital era, choice to watch and the power to select what programmes is the exclusive preserve of the viewer, not the broadcaster’s least of all the signal distributor. Secondly, we have not; I repeat, have not and will not sell any National Assets under our custody to the Chinese or any foreigner for that matter. Being in partnership does not amount to selling of assets. There are rules and regulations that guide partnership. What we brought to the table was the utilization of our infrastructure where necessary, for the joint venture operations. The ownership of these infrastructure still remains 100 per cent NTA’s. That also answers your question about personal interest. Whose interest is being served if the joint venture assists the country to transit from Analogue to Digital? A process which ordinarily would have cost the country billions of Naira! This is crying Wolf where there is none. Rather than get this bashing, I think NTA must be commended for this bold initiative. Finally, the question of equity structure has been an issue. Agreed, the equity structure favours the Foreign Partners, for now, but this is not static. As our NTA’s equity contribution to the Joint Venture increases, so will the structure adjust favourably. The present structure came as a result of what each partner brought to the table at the beginning.

analogue terrestrial TV Stations both governments owned and private are carried on the platform Free-To-Air at no cost to the broadcaster. In effect, we have prepared them for a smooth transition. If analogue signals are switched-off in these cities today; the viewers would still be able to watch their favourite channels or stations through our platform free of charge. There is the fear that National Signal Distributor to emerge from NTA would be wholly controlled by foreigners in view of the skewed equity structure. Can you allay this fear? The Signal Distributor to emerge from the NTA was the recommendation of the Presidential Advisory Committee, which was approved by Government’s White Paper Committee. It was a decision well thought out based on international best practice. The way it is being structured, there is no way the partners in the joint venture will have overriding control. On the contrary, the Startimes will only be a customer on the platform just like any other broadcaster willing to join the platform. The conditions are clearly stated, “that the Signal Distributor will provide TV service to the broadcaster in an equitable, reasonable, non-preferential and non-discriminatory basis.” The new company will be independent and wholly 100 per cent Nigerian. There is therefore, no cause whatsoever for alarm. It is believed that Nigeria is being short charged, in view of huge investment by Federal Government expended on NTA prior to the Youth Soccer Tournament (2009) and shortly, thereafter NTA-Star TV emerged from

The second stands on a different leg. That is a Joint Venture entered into with a different partner to attain the nation’s digitization objective. What is your assessment of Nigeria’s march towards digitization with January 15 dateline. What is the level of NTA’s preparation for this? The transition to digital broadcasting will usher in new era of broadcasting in Nigeria and it presents the country with enormous opportunity in terms of broadcast landscape. In realization of this all important process, the Federal Government of Nigeria set up a Presidential Advisory Committee (PAC) in 2008 to advise the Government. In response to the Committee’s advice, the Government set up a team called the DigiTeam Nigeria. To date, The DigiTeam has been able to determine the applicable standards for various equipment to be used including the Set-Top-Box. Already advert for expression of interest for Signal Distributor has been released so also that Set-Top-Box manufacturing. A phased approach of Switch-off is been considered with the City of Jos to be the first come June 2014. Public awareness may be poor for now but I think remarkable progress has been made. NBC for instance has held two digital summits of stakeholders (the third was held in Lagos last Thursday) in less than one year. The date is sacrosanct. There is no going back. As for us in the NTA, we are very prepared. Don’t forget we blazed the trail and we intend to sustain it. Our Multi-Channel as I mentioned earlier is a response to this huge challenge. These efforts will become obvious when the Switch-off is actualized.

Marketing institute rebrands OR the institute to keep pace FNational with its new aspiration, the Institute of Marketing of Nigeria (NIMN) has concluded plans to re-brand, necessitating a change in its logo and other visual. The President and Chairman of Council, NIMN, Mr. Ganiyu Koledoye, while making the announcement last week, said

the rebranding is in line with the on-going efforts to be a pan-African organisation. According to him, the formal presentation of a rebranded institute would be done on June 3 along with its annual conference, which would also be considering branding. For him, rebranding efforts represented the new direction of the institute

as a pan-African marketing institute, adding that the institute would also hold its annual marketing summit, an annual event that provides avenue for marketing practitioners to discuss national issues as it relates to marketing. “The re-branding exercise is going to be a holistic exercise. The new logo that will be unveiled is going

to be a review of our past, a review of the mistakes we’ve made in the past and an indication of our future direction. “It is meant to convey to the whole world that the institute is no longer a feuding institute, but a panAfrican one where certificates issued would be recognised beyond the shores of the country,” he stated.

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STI: Using CSR to enhance brand personality Stories by Gbenga Salau RGANISATIONS use different platforms to O build on the personality of its brands. For Sovereign Trust Insurance Plc (STI), besides delivering value to its customers, it has decided to use strategic Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) projects and programmes to enhance its brand personality. The CSR projects are being executed in order to ensure enduring and progressive changes for the advancement of the general public with particular regards to the company’s operating environment both at local and national levels. The three major areas of concentration as regards intervention both on short and long-term basis by the organisation have been on Health, Sports and the Environment. The company’s spokesperson and Head of Corporate Communications and Brand Management, Mr. Segun Bankole said, “The Company shall from time to time evaluate these areas of focus based on inside-out and outside-in approach. This basically suggests that CSR projects or initiatives can be internally identified and executed and can also be in collaboration with external organisations, consultants and intervention agencies on proposals that are considered to promote good and healthy living in the society in line with our identified CSR platforms”. He said that the programmes and projects would be executed without discriminating in adopting CSR initiatives as regards gender, religion or social class, adding, “However, initiatives with political colouration will as a matter of policy not be entertained by the organisation regardless of the proponents of such initiatives.” According to him, the company’s focus on health is intended to foster and support initiatives in the health sector geared towards improving the quality of lives of the Nigerian populace. This is why, he said the company will on an annual basis commit both human and financial resources to initiatives that will help in emancipating the citizenry from life-threaten-

Wale-Onaolapo ing health challenges at all levels of the country’s social strata with a view to advancing the human capital resources of the Nigerian economy thereby projecting the organisation as a pioneering leader in health related concerns. On sport, he said because it has been identified that it is a common unifying denominator for the country, the intervention will focus on promoting, advancing and reinforcing the unity of Nigeria and the world at large, by collaborating from time to time with various sporting organisations and professionals by committing a portion of the company’s resources to the development of sports in the country at all strata with a view to generating mass appeal and awareness for the brand. He further said that the main objective in the area of environment has always been to amplify the campaign against degradation and depletion of the environment in any form.

The brand personality According to Bankole, “As an indigenous underwriting organisation, we seek to assist the insuring public in Nigeria to strengthen

their position in life as it relates to enterprise and family living whilst ensuring that their goals and aspirations in life are met. We strive to earn the trust of our teeming customers through our uncanny knack for building enduring relationships, which have become the hallmark of our operations while maintaining a high degree of integrity and strict adherence to corporate governance. We strongly believe in keeping dreams alive, helping to shape and mould lives into becoming what they want to be. “The Sovereign Trust brand plays a pivotal role in driving the future growth of our business. In Nigeria, where we are long established, our brand secures the loyalty of our esteemed customers and stimulates interest in our array of world-class products and services. In newer markets, we want to grow market share via a combination of local presence and developing mutually beneficial relationships. The marketing goals across the various markets may therefore differ but the brand goal stays the same; to build a strong global brand as a trusted provider of a wide range of insurance and financial services. “Our brand is an important and valuable

asset and therefore an essential element of our business strategy. As part of our brand management process, we use a standardized market research (SWOT analysis), to benchmark the performance of the Sovereign Trust brand regularly against local competitors. Constant feedback from the market helps us to better understand local value drivers, identify the strengths and potential of our brand along the buying process and optimize resource allocation as well as brand investments”. And, as part of its commitment to sport, the second edition of the Sovereign Trust Insurance Plc Open Golf Tournament was held in Ibadan, Oyo State recently. The 3-day tournament brought together some of the country’s top golfers both at the Amateur and Professional levels for both male and female. Captain of Ibadan Golf Club, Prince Bayo Adeleke expressed appreciation to the insurance company for staying true to its promise of supporting the tournament on an annual basis. According to him, “Sovereign Trust Insurance Plc has consistently been leading the pack amongst insurance companies in the country in promoting sporting activities at all levels”. He urged more participation from other corporate organisations in advancing the game of golf and other sports in order to further enhance the human capacity in the burgeoning sports industry in the country. Bankole said the underwriting firm would not relent in in giving back to the society through different sporting and social platforms of this nature in reinforcing its corporate social responsibility stance in line with its corporate philosophy. On his part, the Managing Director/CEO, Mr. Wale Onaolapo stated that the gesture was a further indication of the company’s affirmed commitment to the development of sports in the country. Also recently, Sovereign Trust Insurance Plc was voted the CSR Company of the Year for 2013, by an online Pension and Insurance media organisation based on electronic vot-

Kwara State… Creating new ethos through branding INCE the advent of current demSernors ocratic dispensation, state govacross Nigeria have been making concerted efforts to create some distinction and unique identity for their states. One of the of ways they have been doing this to play up new ethos using a rebranding campaign to execute the new thinking as well as drive home their ideas. One of such state is Kwara State. The administration of Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed has felt the need to create an identity that really resonates with values and aspirations the state wants to be associated with. This was what formed the fulcrum of the recently launched rebranding project with the theme, ‘Shared Prosperity’, which was unveiled recently. While speaking at the launch of the project, Ahmed said the rebranding campaign would be in line with the quest to grow the state for greater prosperity. He further said that the campaign and the new logo that comes with the rebranding efforts are designed to promote the state as a top investment destination using the state’s reputation for peace, strengths in agriculture, commerce, solid mineral development, tourism and strategic infrastructure as ingredients. He noted, “We intend to strongly market our state as a haven for lucrative domestic and foreign direct investment. Let me state here this is not a mere political gimmick. Rather, we are setting the foundations for the long-term prosperity of our great state and its people. As you are all aware, the previous administration placed the state on a global stage through innovative programmes and policies. Today, we make history as midwife a new Kwara, one which gives us all a greater sense of pride,

Abdulfatah Ahmed ownership and participation. “Today, we celebrate the things that make us unique as a people and strengthen our identity as a people. On this day, we commemorate the peace in our communities, our harmony in the midst of diversity, our growing strengths in agriculture and our age-long reputation for entrepreneurship”. He stated that from the streets of Ilorin to the farms of Pategi, the neighborhoods of Erin-Ile, the courtyards of Kosubosu and fields of Bacita, it should be heard loud and clear that a new Kwara is born! “It is therefore with a great sense of history and pride that I formally unveil our brand new logo and flag off the campaign for a greater Kwara. Indeed, it is good here!” While explaining the elements within the state’s logo, Senior Special Adviser to the governor on Media and Communication, Dr.

Femi Akorede, said the African antelope is a herbivorous, mostly nocturnal forest dweller, saying, “It is the largest, most colourful, and most sociable of African forest antelopes. It has a highly advanced social organisation. It represents the humility, goodness, down-to-earth of the people of the state and natural beauty of our landscape”. This, he said, was a symbol of abundant wildlife and rich tourism potential of the state. Akorede said, “The cassava plant is one of the elements in the logo. We decided to identify with it because it is a cash crop that has a limitless potential of championing a new agricultural produce boom with far-reaching influence in local and international trade between Kwara and the rest of the world”. He further said that the state also employs the cowrie because it’s not an uncommon sight to see massive

trading going on using cowries in the earlier days when Ilorin traders were giants of enterprise in crops, garment, livestock and precious stones. “The Kwara traders of old had a heritage of being the forbearers of wealthy enterprise in north western Nigeria.” In explaining the choice of some of the colours, he said blue was picked because it represents flowing water and the beautiful seasonal belts, ideals the state wants to project. Deep red represents the pride, passion, royalty and great spirit of enterprise that has been a lifelong heritage of kwarans as citizens of state are very enterprising. The choice of black to him is because black typifies that Kwara is part of the African while Gold represents the minerals and industrial wealth and Green represents the rich agricultural and potential the state is endowed with. Akorede noted, “Both Shared Prosperity programme and the state logo have done really well with the people. People can relate to Shared Prosperity and the slogan ‘It’s Good Here’. People can easily relate to both and grasp the meaning. It’s interesting to chant Kwara State and hear people reply, ‘It’s Good Here’. Both have streamlined how we communicate both our brand identity and government programmes”. The state said it was not just creating a new communication line through the rebranding project but also providing the environment and substances through good governance that would make the people experience what they are seeing and hearing. This is why the Shared Prosperity campaign would comprise the following fundamentals: Impactful Economic Growth which would entails strong support for commer-

cial agriculture through Public Private Partnership (PPP) initiatives; generating food security by supporting small holding farmers; creating agro-allied jobs and wealth through value chain management; promoting all-seasons farming using advanced irrigation systems; inducing growth and job creation by promoting the state’s capacity to attract solid mineral-based and agro-allied industries; Human Capital Development and Youth Empowerment which would focus on youth job and wealth creation through targeted programmes and policies and promoting youth entrepreneurship via support for Micro, Small and Medium Scale Enterprises. “Others include developing youth capacity with skill acquisition and vocational training and creating a conducive atmosphere for learning using enhanced education infrastructure; strategic infrastructure will aim at strengthening healthcare delivery through 500 meter access to quality primary health centres supported by a cluster of secondary health institutions, ensuring state-wide access to clean water within a 500 meter radius, improving supply of electricity to enhance our people’s well-being and enhance businesses through infrastructure provision. Moreso, the state will build first-class road network to complement strategic priorities and enhance people’s welfare and guaranteeing the security of lives and property through strategic support to security agencies, and then enhance effective governance which would aim at implementing a service charter with a strong emphasis on performance management, monitoring and reward through performance contracts, promoting transparency through openness and public accountability, encouraging high-levels of advocacy in all government activities and become the most efficient state government in the coun-

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NNPC, MEND disagree over cause of Rivers explosion ‘•No fire outbreak at refinery jetty’ From Kelvin Ebiri Port Harcourt HE Port Harcourt Refining T Company (PHRC), a subsidiary of the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) have differed over the real cause of the explosion that left no fewer than ten persons and several other injured near the refinery jetty in Okrika, Rivers state. MEND had in a statement claimed responsibility for the Sunday explosion, which is believed to have claimed more than ten lives, but the management of the refinery said it couldn’t validate militant group’s claim. However, the Executive Director, Services of the refinery, Mr. Ralph Ugwu, told The Guardian that the preliminary investigation revealed that the explosion was as a result of collision by two speedboats used by pipeline vandals who were siphoning petroleum products from pipes 600 meters away from the refinery’s jetty. He explained that the explosion did not affect the refining company. “If they MEND are claiming they are responsible, it’s okay. We do not know who is responsible. All we know is that our premises was not torched and none of our staff died in the explosion. The only thing we know is that vandals were trying to siphon petroleum products and nemesis caught up with them. Refining and jetty operations at the refinery were not affected by the explosion,” he said. On its part, NNPC on Monday refuted reports in the media that the refinery in Alesa-

Eleme and the nearby Pipelines and Product Marketing Company (PPMC) Evacuation/Reception Jetty in Okrika were gutted by fire on Sunday. The NNPC in a statement explained that findings from its preliminary investigation revealed that the fire was caused by the activities of oil thieves who hacked into a pipeline somewhere in the creek where they were siphoning petroleum products when the explosion occurred and that the fire did not in any way affect the refinery or the PPMC Jetty in Okrika as widely reported. “We can confirm that the Port Harcourt Refinery and the Okrika Jetty are intact. The reported fire incident did not in any way affect our operations. While we sympathize with the families of the oil marauders who reportedly lost their lives in the unfortunate inferno, we wish to implore community leaders in Okrika and its environs to appeal to their wards to refrain from product theft and hacking of pipelines,” the NNPC said. The Corporation affirmed the integrity of its pipelines stating that engineers and technologists from the PPMC Pipelines Right of Way Unit are being dispatched to the scene of the incident for proper technical evaluation. Ugwu argued that without fear of contradiction that what happened was a boat explosion, involving vandals who were trying to steal products from our pipeline. According to him, the management of the refinery remains committed to observe international best practices in health safety and environment in all its operations.

“That explosion has no effect whatsoever on our jetty and refining operations. Both the refinery and jetty are operating normally. I can only say that nemesis caught up with these vandals because their boat exploded and caught fire in the creek,’’ said Ugwu. Ugwu, who had earlier yesterday read a statement signed by the company’s Manager, Public Affairs, Mrs. Martha Brown-West, to journalists at the refinery, insisted that the explosion did not impact on activities at the jetty and refineries respectively. “We confirm that none of our facilities; the refinery plants or the Okrika Jetty was gutted by fire. No staff of the company and indeed any staff of NNPC was either injured or affected in any form. We wish to confirm that our operations both at the jetty and refinery are running normally and have not been interrupted in any form by the explosion of a boat belonging to oil thieves,” he said Journalists, who visited the refinery yesterday, were however denied access to the jetty by officials of the refinery. But MEND spokesperson, Jomo Gbomo dismissed claims by the refinery management that the explosion was a result of activities of pipeline vandals and oil thieves just to shield the truth from the public. He claimed that a thorough investigation would reveal bomb fragments are the same as those used in the Warri Refinery explosion of Tuesday, 22 October 2013. An official of the Okrika Local Government council who pleaded anonymity said the death toll from the Sunday’s explosion might have risen to over ten.

MOSOP, INC urge confab to increase derivation fund to 50% From: Kelvin Ebiri Port Harcourt F the national conference refuses to increase the derivation fund to 50 percent, the Ijaw National Congress (INC) and the Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni (MOSOP) have warned that the Niger Delta might experience unrest again. The groups expressed their displeasure with the decision of the national conference committee on devolution of power that the present 13 percent on derivation accruable to oil producing states should be hold. INC spokesperson, Victor Burubo told The Guardian that oil producing states have never been satisfied with the current 13 percent derivation, thus, the demand over the years for fiscal federalism, which will enable the various states endowed with natural resources to control them and pay taxes to the Federal Government. He emphasized that the retention of the present 13 percent does not appeal to the Ijaw and other ethnic nationalities in the Niger Delta. According to him, the aspiration of the oil producing communities is to take

• Seek resource control, fiscal federalism full control of their Godgiven natural resources. “Resource control is the only way forward. The thinking that Nigeria will continue to exist on the basis of all the states going to share money derived from the Niger Delta every month is no longer sustainable. Some people in this country have become lazy and are no longer working to develop their region because of free oil money that is shared in Abuja at the end of every month. This has to stop. We want to control our resources,” he said. The INC spokesperson said the leadership of the national conference should realize that the decision of the committee on devolution of power on derivation remains unacceptable to the Ijaw and other ethnic groups in the Niger Delta, who have anticipated that the conference will avail their the opportunity to control their resources. Similarly, the Media/Public Affairs Advisor to the MOSOP President, Mr. BariAra Kpalap, said the Ogoni want to the derivation to be increased to 50 percent by

the conference, while effort is made to actualize total resource control by oil producing states. Kpalap urged the conference and the political leaders in Niger Delta to appreciate the enormous sacrifice the people of the Niger Delta, who suffer environmental pollution have made forwards the economic sustenance of the Nigerian state since independence. He warned that the Niger Delta unrest might erupt again if the rest of the country continues to ignore the peoples’ demand to control their resources and pay tax to the Federal Government. “We have come to a point where we must have to control our resources and take full ownership of it. We have the resources in our land but we are not controlling it. We demand that we control our resources. At worst, we should have 50 percent derivation; afterwards, we can graduate to total control of our resources. We insist on fiscal federalism. Anything else will be unacceptable to us,” said Kpalap.

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GlobalStocks Global shares rise on U.S. housing data, China’s statistics LOBAL equity markets G edged higher at the weekend, after better-than-expected U.S. housing data lifted Wall Street into record territory, while yields on U.S. Treasuries fell on uncertainty about elections in Ukraine over the weekend. The benchmark S&P 500 set a new closing high, closing above the 1,900 mark for the first time. MSCI’s measure of global equity performance rose to highs last seen in November 2007, just short of all-time highs that month. The day’s gains held, contrary to beliefs there might be selling pressure before the close as U.S. investors headed into a three-day weekend with the Memorial Day holiday on Monday and uncertainty over Ukraine’s elections on Sunday. “There are still some concerns out there but they’re not manifesting themselves in the VIX,” said Philip Orlando, chief equity market strategist at Federated Investors in New York. “There’s a lot of complacency in the market at a point where the market has had a nice little bounce back into the 1,900 area.” The CBOE Volatility Index .VIX, closed down 5.6 percent at 11.36, its lowest level since March 2013. Sales of new U.S. single-family homes rose more than expected in April and the number of houses on the market hit a 3-1/2 year-high, further signs the housing recovery is poised to regain steam, the Commerce Department said. MSCI’s all-country world index .MIWD00000PUS rose 0.3 per cent to 418.33, about 2.4 per cent from all-time peaks set in November 2007. In Europe, the FTSEuroFirst 300 index of leading regional shares .FTEU3 closed up 0.21 percent to 1,369.17. The Dow Jones industrial average .DJI closed up 63.19 points, or 0.38 per cent, at 16,606.27. The S&P 500 .SPX rose 8.04 points, or 0.42 per cent, to 1,900.53 and the Nasdaq Composite .IXIC added 31.466 points, or 0.76 per cent, to 4,185.808. For the week, the Dow rose 0.7 per cent, the S&P 1.2 percent and the Nasdaq gained 2.3 per cent. Traders sought safe-haven bonds on the belief that elections in Greece and Ukraine could result in market volatility, including renewed worries of a Greek exit from the

euro and the potential for greater tensions surrounding Ukraine. “European parliamentary elections and Ukraine elections are key events in the near term which could be driving people into the safety of U.S. Treasuries,” said Robbert Van Batenburg, director of market strategy at Newedge USA LLC in New York. If Greece’s leftist Syriza party wins, its leaders could reject the government’s austerity policies and threaten to leave the euro zone, he said. If proseparatist voters in eastern Ukraine fail to participate, it could stoke further tensions between Russia and Ukraine. U.S. government bond prices rose, with the 10-year note up 5/32, yielding 2.5356 per cent. The euro touched a threemonth low of $1.3614 and a 17month trough against the pound after soft German business sentiment stoked expectations the European Central Bank will lower interest rates next month. Concerns that Sunday’s European Union election results could destabilize some euro zone govern-

ments also weighed on the euro. The euro was last at $1.3627, down 0.2 per cent. The dollar gained 0.24 per cent against the yen at 101.96. Brent crude held above $110 a barrel as U.S. crude futures pushed higher, supported by the crises in Ukraine and Libya as well as positive economic data in the world’s top two oil consumers, the United States and China. Brent settled up 18 cents at $110.54 a barrel. U.S. crude gained 61 cents to $104.35. Both Brent and U.S. crude futures posted consecutive weekly gains. Also, Asian stocks rose for a second straight week, closing at the highest level since January, as U.S. and Chinese manufacturing beat estimates and a weaker yen boosted Japanese equities. China Gas Holdings Ltd. jumped 9.1 per cent in Hong Kong after Russia reached a $400 billion deal to supply gas to China. Honda Motor Co. (7267), which gets about half its sales from North America, surged 4.3 per cent in Tokyo. Copper producer Sesa Sterlite Ltd. climbed to its highest level in almost

three years as Indian stocks soared after the election of Narendra Modi. Stocks fell in Thailand as the army staged a coup. The MSCI Asia Pacific Index rose 0.9 per cent this week to 140.92, bringing its twoweek gain to 2.2 percent. A China purchasing managers’ index of manufacturing by HSBC Holdings Plc and Markit Economics delivered a provisional reading of 49.7 for May, rising from 48.1 in April and beating estimates. A similar index of U.S. manufacturing also topped forecasts. “Market sentiment stabilized, but we need more solid macro indicators that the global economy is still in a sustainable force,” said Linus Yip, a strategist at First Shanghai Securities Ltd. in Hong Kong. “China’s PMI was a good signal, but we still have to see if the growth rate is stabilizing. Investors are confident there will be some policy coming out from central banks to help the market.” Asian stock gains this week also were spurred by minutes that showed Federal Reserve policy mak-

ers see a muted risk of inflation from continued U.S. stimulus. The Fed reiterated that it will keep its key interest rate target near zero for a “considerable time” once it concludes its bond-buying program. Japan’s Topix index jumped 1.8 per cent this week, snapping two weeks of losses, and the Nikkei 225 Stock Average rose 2.6 per cent as the yen fell for the first week in three. Toyota Motor Corp. (7203), which gets 31 per cent of its revenue in North America, added 0.6 percent to 5,557 yen and Honda surged 4.3 per cent to 3,502 yen. The Bank of Japan refrained from adding to monetary stimulus this week, as expected by economists. The Asia-Pacific gauge traded at 12.9 times estimated earnings yesterday compared with 16.1 for the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. South Korea’s Kospi index jumped 0.2 percent this week to its highest close since December. Singapore’s Straits Times Index added 0.5 per cent as

Stocbrokers on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange

a report showed the city’s gross domestic product expanded an annualized 2.3 per cent in the three months through March from the previous quarter, when the economy grew a revised 6.9 per cent. Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 Index advanced 0.3 per cent, while New Zealand’s NZX 50 Index dropped 0.7 per cent. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index climbed for a second week, adding 1.1 percent, and the Hang Seng China Enterprises Index (HSCEI) of mainland stocks traded in the city rose 1.7 percent. China Gas advanced 9.1 per cent to HK$12.90 and China Resources Gas Group Ltd. jumped 8.3 per cent to HK$24.90 after Bank of America Corp. and Credit Suisse Group AG. said the companies will benefit from the deal Russia signed to supply natural gas to China. The Shanghai Composite Index (SHCOMP) added 0.4 per cent this week to close at 2,034.57. The gauge breached the 2,000 threshold earlier in the week, a level analysts have cited as a trigger for state-linked funds to enter the market and the state to announce measures to support growth. India’s S&P BSE Sensex Index (SENSEX) soared 2.4 per cent to a record before the country’s new prime minister announces his cabinet next week. India’s strongest electoral mandate in 30 years has put prime minister-in-waiting Modi in a position to pass measures to bolster Asia’s third-biggest economy, spurring optimism it will lead a recovery among the biggest emerging markets. Sesa Sterlite climbed 25 per cent to its highest level since August 2011, the best performer on the Sensex this week. Thailand’s SET Index (SET) lost 0.6 per cent after the nation’s army staged its 12th coup in eight decades as the army chief, Prayuth Chan-Ocha, said he was seizing control to restore peace. Schools were shut, international television stations were off air and channels broadcast military logos and patriotic music after the military seized control following a six-month political stalemate that has sapped economic growth.

Experts see stocks collapse by 50 per cent in 2014 T is only a matter of time Iplunges before the stock market by 50 per cent or more, according to several reputable experts. “We have no right to be surprised by a severe and imminent stock market crash,” explains Mark Spitznagel, a hedge fund manager who is notorious for his hugely profitable billion-dollar bet on the 2008 crisis. “In fact,

we must absolutely expect it.” Unfortunately Spitznagel isn’t alone. “We are in a gigantic financial asset bubble,” warns Swiss adviser and fund manager Marc Faber. “It could burst any day.” Faber doesn’t hesitate to put the blame squarely on President Obama’s big government policies and the

Federal Reserve’s risky lowrate policies, which, he says, “penalize the income earners, the savers who save, your parents — why should your parents be forced to speculate in stocks and in real estate and everything under the sun?” Billion-dollar investor Warren Buffett is rumored to be preparing for a crash as well. The “Warren Buffett

Indicator,” also known as the “Total-Market-Cap to GDP Ratio,” is breaching sell-alert status and a collapse may happen at any moment. So with an inevitable crash looming, what are Main Street investors to do? One option is to sell all your stocks and stuff your money under the mattress, and another option is to risk everything and ride out the

storm. But according to Sean Hyman, founder of Absolute Profits, there is a third option. “There are specific sectors of the market that are all but guaranteed to perform well during the next few months,” Hyman explains. “Getting out of stocks now could be costly.” How can Hyman be so

sure? He has access to a secret Wall Street calendar that has beat the overall market by 250 per cent since 1968. This calendar simply lists 19 investments (based on sectors of the market) and 38 dates to buy and sell them, and by doing so, one could turn $1,000 into as much as $300,000 in a 10-year time frame.

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For The Record Media freedom for a better future: Shaping Keynote address delivered on the occasion of World Press Freedom Day 2014 by Rotimi Williams Olatunji, PhD Associate Professor, Mass Communication Department of Public Relations and Advertising Adebola Adegunwa School of Communication, Lagos State University, Ojo, Nigeria at United Nations Information Centre (UNIC), 17 Alfred Rewane Road, Ikoyi, Lagos on May 6, 2014 Introduction EAN-Jacques Rousseau (1712-1778), author of Social Contract (1762), wrote: “Man is born free, and everywhere he is in chains” (Oxford Concise Dictionary of Quotations, 2001). This statement seems to have relevance to the global community today than it did during the life and times of Rousseau. With the United Nations (UN) Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and other international conventions and instruments, and the inclusion of press freedom clauses in constitutions of many nations of the world today, it is not in doubt that the legal and constitutional environments under which the press and journalists operate do in fact guarantee press freedom. But in reality, in most nations globally, the enjoyment of freedom of expression and of the press is impaired. The modern press may be born into, and operate within an environment of freedom, but everywhere, the press is in chains.

What is World Press Freedom Day? Your Excellencies here present, Honourable Commissioners, gentlemen of the Press, distinguished ladies and gentlemen. We are here today in continuation of the celebration of World Press Freedom Day, a day usually celebrated on May 3rd annually, in over 100 countries of the world. It is therefore worthwhile for us at this occasion to begin by placing on record our appreciation to the United Nations Organisation (UNO) and in particular the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), for being at the forefront of ensuring that the right atmosphere exists everywhere in the world for the sustenance of Press Freedom and freedom of expression for citizens of the world. We congratulate the Director- General of UNESCO, Irina Bokova, for keeping faith with the mandate of the global body. May 3rd has been set aside to celebrate press freedom and freedom of expression; assess the state of press freedom in different parts of the world as well as pay tribute to journalists and other related professionals who lost their lives in the course of their official duties. It is also a day for us to defend the media from attacks, raise awareness of the importance of press freedom, gender equality in the media and award honours (the UNESCO/Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Prize) to the individual or organization that has made the most outstanding contribution to the defense and or promotion of press freedom anywhere in the world. We in Nigeria therefore join the rest citizens and countries of the world to celebrate the 2014 World Press Freedom Day. We salute Ahmet SIK, the 2014 UNESCO/ Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Prize Laureate for his gallantry in standing out in the defense of Freedom of the Press in Turkey, his country. What to Expect from this Address My Keynote Address focuses on the theme for the 2014 World Press Freedom day: “Media Freedom for a Better Future: Shaping the Post2015 Development Agenda”. This theme is apt, so also are the three sub-themes. Accordingly, in this address, it is my intention to examine issues relating to: Concept and Evolution of Press Freedom; global overview of threats to press freedom and media professionals; sustainability and integrity of journalism; and the contributions of media to development, along with appropriate recommendations.

Dr. Olatunji

sevelt (1884-1962) opined: We look forward to a world founded upon four essential human freedoms. The first is freedom of speech and expression- everywhere in the world. The second is freedom of every person to worship God in his own way-everywhere in the world. The third is freedom from want…. The fourth is freedom from fear. (Source: Oxford Concise Dictionary of Quotations, 2001) Freedom of expression and of the Press is foundational to all other freedoms and an inseparable part of the collective rights that we refer to as Fundamental Human Rights as contained in Article 19 of the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights. They include right to life; freedom of speech, thought, press, religion and association; right to participate in one’s country’s government and other categories of Civil and Political rights. The legendary Roosevelt placed the freedom of expression and of the press as number one in his well considered scale of preference, underpinning the importance of this right. This seems to be re-echoed by the Director-General of UNESCO , Irina Bokova as she declared: For UNESCO, freedom of expression is a fundamental human right that underpins all other civil liberties, that is vital for rule of law and good governance, and that is foundation for inclusive societies. Freedom of expression stands at the heart of media freedom and the practice of journalism, as a form of expression aspiring to be in public interest. (UNESCO, 2014, p. 6). We refer to human rights as fundamental because they are inalienable; they are universal and critical to a person’s existence. They cannot be transferred, waved or forfeited except with the due process of the law. Servaes and Verschooten (2002, p. 56) posited that human rights (including freedom of expression and press freedom) are moral rights of the highest order, applicable to all at all times,. In addition to Article 19 of the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights, other instruments guaranteeing freedom of expression and of the Press are Article 19 of the International Concept and Evolution of Press Freedom In his message to the United States Congress Covenant of Civil and Political Rights of Decemon 6th January 1961, President Franklin D. Roo- ber 10, 1966; Article 9 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights and constitutions

of most of the nations of the world, such as the one enshrined in Section 39, Chapter 4 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Thus human rights are broadly divided into Civil and Political Rights; Rights to Social and Economic Development; and Developmental Rights (Right to Development). But it is upon the foundation of civil and political rights, and most importantly, the freedom of speech and expression, that other rights rest. Article 19 of the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights states that everyone has the freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers. Therefore freedom of speech and expression refers to one’s rights to articulate an opinion without any form of censorship, punishment, or hindrances. The struggle for press freedom may have started with the martyrdom of Socrates (470399 BC) who was killed for allegedly corrupting the youths of Athens with his ‘strange’ idea about their freedom; Galileo Galilie (1564-1642), who was killed for his scientific discoveries, contrary to what the authorities of his days knew as the ‘truth’; (Okoye, 2007) and the scholarly writings during the rise of Liberalism in Europe, a movement that supplanted medievalism and eventually gave birth to capitalism. Clyde (1934) traced the travails of the press to the reign of the Tudors and Stuarts in the United Kingdom when press freedom was curtailed through the practice of licensing and placing a limitation on the number of printers that were allowed to operate. John Milton came out with his timeless publication, Areopagitica (1644), which attacked the licensing law, amongst others. This eventually became a cornerstone of press freedom, leading in 1695 to the abolition of censorship laws in England. The struggle continued, with the First Amendment (1791) to the U.S. Constitution that declared that “Congress shall make no law … abridging the freedom of speech or of the press”, The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. (2012). Patterson (1939, pp. 34-36) observed:

Thus, the eighteenth century marked the shift of press control from the Crown to Parliament and the real struggle for freedom of speech and of the press. It was an era of large movement and ideological conflict. In England, it saw the introduction of a party system of government with an alert and vocal opposition; at its end, in America and France, the birth of formal constitutionalism and declarations of the Rights of man. Moreover, in the eighteen century, the newspaper began to be an active agency in politics; and, as such, they also became champions of freedom of speech and of the press. The Liberal struggle for freedom of the press, although long and bitter, eventually produced what was later christened the Liberal theory of the press, a theory that looks at press freedom from the individualistic perspective, championed by the likes of John Locke, Voltaire, Wilkes, Paine, J.S. Mill, and Jefferson, among others. Becker (1945, pp. 29-30) recalled that the Liberal theory of the press was based on four assumptions, namely that men always desire to know and will be guided by the truth; the free competition of opinion in the market place of idea is the sole method of knowing the truth; that each man must be permitted to canvass his own opinion, since individuals differ in opinions, “freely and strenuously… provided he accords to others the same right; and that as a result of mutual toleration and comparison of diverse opinions, the one that seems most plausible and reasonable will eventually emerge and generally accepted. Becker, 1945, pp29-30), explained the basis of Liberalism in this way: If men were free to inquire about all things, to doubt all things and dismiss all things, to form opinions on the basis of knowledge and evidence, and to utter their opinions freely, the competition of knowledge and opinion in the market of rational discourse would ultimately banish ignorance and superstitions in conformity with the fundamental and invariable laws of nature and the Will of God. Writing on the general concept of Liberty, Mill (1863, p.110) warned us that in adopting democratic practices and freedoms, we should desist from imposing the “tyranny of the majority” on the minority. He said: The majority being satisfied with the ways of mankind as they now are, cannot comprehend why those ways should not be good for everybody; and what is more, spontaneity forms no part of the ideal of the majority of moral and social reformers, but is rather looked on with jealousy, as a troublesome and perhaps rebellious obstruction to the general acceptance of what these reformers, in their judgment, think would be best for mankind. In other words, freedom of expression and of the press implies that the minority should be allowed to be both heard and seen. In the performance of its function as the Watchdog or Guide-dog of the society, the press must not only preserve its own freedom of expression, but it must equally prevent infringements on the freedoms of others in all spheres of life. If this role is now universally recognised and legally entrenched, we may as well ask the question: what is the state of freedom of expression in the global environment today? Media in an Era of Globalisation From the days of the first printed book in China in 686; through the Gutenberg’s revolutionary movable type in 1453; the publication of the first English Language newspaper in 1620, to the days of the discovery of the telegraph, telephone, phonograph, jukebox, cinematography, wireless telegraphs, the loudspeaker, radio, television and the current Internet revolution, “What constitutes “the media”, has both expanded and proliferated”, (Locksley (2009, p.1). The world’s first commercial radio station (KDKA of Pittsburg) began in 1920; the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) began in 1925; it began its High – definition TV broadcast in 1936 and in 1948, Cable TV was introduced in the US. The revolutionary era began with the Internet and associated new media all of which are creating “new industries and social action (and players) which indicates the direct contributions of the

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the post-2015 development agenda media to development” (Locksley, 2009, p.1). The inextricable link between the media and technological changes continuously impact media content, platform, devices, and the conduct of professionals in the media industry. This view is also contained in the recent document by UNESCO (2014, p. 7) which states: Technological convergence has expanded the number of and access to media platforms as well as the potentials for expression. It has enabled the emergence of citizen journalism and spaces for independent media, while at the same time fundamentally reconfiguring journalistic practices and the business of the news. Coincidentally, emergence of new media and professionals is also impacting on freedom of expression and of the press, positively and or otherwise. The traditional concept of the journalist and journalism profession is in a convulsion. Citizen journalists, bloggers, Internet broadcasting, and other emerging practices are changing the traditional approach to journalism, with attendant implication for objectivity, truth, fairness, and other cannons of journalism. An earlier publication (UNESCO, 2013, p. 2) draws attention to the changing nature of journalism and journalists, defined now as: Individuals who observe and describe events, documents and analyse events, statements, policies, and any propositions that can affect society, with the purpose of systematizing such information and gathering of facts and analyses to inform sectors of society or society as a whole. Thus individuals such as journalists, media workers and social media producers who generate a significant amount of public-interest journalism are now classified as belonging to the pen profession, (UNESCO, 2013). This poses associated challenges in the realm of professionalism, ethics and other cannons of journalism. In his assessment of the cohabitation of both traditional and new media, Locksley (2009, p.2) observes that: The 20th century witnessed the development of the mass media and the foundations of a global media. The mass media are essentially a one-way, top-down phenomenon in terms of content-production and distribution. In the 21st century the transformation of the media is accelerating as a consequence of the digitalization of content and its global distribution over digital platform to digital devices. The digital transformation supplements, and at times by-passes, traditional models and platforms by introducing two-way, bottom-up, and literal content distribution and production with new devices. Internet payment-enabled music – and video-playing mobile phones with cameras are recent addition to the new media, adding a fourth ‘screen’ to those of cinema, television and personal computers. Thus new media provide ideal context for every individual to become an active participant in news production, distribution, interpretation and monitoring, an equally perfect atmosphere to exercise freedom of expression and of the press. It is a largely interactive environment that facilitates two-way, exchange of ideas, information and clarifications. Perhaps there is no other era than now when the freedom of expression and of the press must necessarily be given the right fillip. However, in spite of the increasing popularity of new media and on-line news channels, “traditional media institutions and traditional media platforms remain predominant in most regions and television and radio remain the media by which most of the world’s people get their news”, (UNESCO, 2014, p. 9). Earlier, Locksley (2009, p.2) said something similar: New media do not displace old. Rather, they sit side by side. Hardcopy newspapers and books are still published, but can also be accessed on the Internet. The news can be received on radios, watched on TVs, or accessed on laptop computers and mobile handsets. …Traditional radio and TV will continue to be the most effective ways of delivering high-quality information on issues such as health care and education, and debating issues of general interest and promoting a culture of peace. What then are the forces threatening press

freedom and freedom of expression on a global, regional, national or individual basis? State of Press Freedom Today How committed are political actors to guaranteeing press freedom? Do geographical location of countries, political system and differences in level of economic development amongst countries and regions of the world account for level of enforcement of freedom of expression and of the press? Does gender of journalists and media workers account for differences in the level of enjoyment of freedom of expression and of the press? “Journalism is frequently unsafe”, writes UNESCO (2013, p. 3). This verdict applies to situations of media workers globally. Increasingly, new challenges such as such Internet censorship, terrorism, anti-terrorism laws, criminalization of Libel Law, press censorship and other forms of draconian rules in several parts of the world erode the gains of previous centuries with regards to press freedom. In an assessment of the situation, UNESCO (2014, p. 8) declares that even in regions: That have experienced democratic transitions, progress towards greater press freedom has lost momentum in some cases, and press freedom laws have not always been effectively implemented. National security, and anti-terrorism and anti-extremism laws have been used in some cases to curtail dissenting views in the media, while also underwriting expanded surveillance, which may be seen to violate the right to privacy and to jeopardize freedom of expression. Resultantly, there is a growing trend towards laws, policies and applications of technologies that filter or out rightly block access to content online, increases in cyber crime laws and other practices limiting free flow of information. On a yearly basis, the numbers of journalists that are imprisoned are on the increase. A data compiled by Committee for the Protection of Journalists (CPJ) reveal that while 81 journalists were imprisoned globally in 2000, the number rose to 232 in 2012 and slightly declined to 211 in 2013. The Table below (Table 1) is instructive.

Table 1: Journalists in Jail World-wide (2000 to 2013) Source: http://cpj.org/imprisoned/2013.php, reYear 2001 2002 2003 trieved on2000 27th April 2014 2004 2005 figure 2006 2007 in the 2008 The highest was recorded Mid2009 2011in Turkey 2012(described 2013 as dle East, 2010 particularly No. Jail 81offender) 118and Pakistan 139 among 138 oththeinworst 122 134 127 125 and ers. In the125 African continent, Sudan, Libya, 136 145Guinea 179 232 211 Equatorial are replete with oppressive laws and practices. Mohamed Fahmy, Peter Greste and Baher Mohamed, detained Al Jazeera journalists (by the military rulers in Egypt were even denied bail on Press Freedom day this year; they have been detained without trial for over 263 days now, since 2013 Moreover, Reporters Without Borders highlighted cases of human rights abuses against journalists in 2013, including: Killing of 71 Journalists; Arrest of 826 journalists; a total of 2160 journalists threatened or physically attacked; the kidnapping of 87 journalists; and a total of 77 journalists fled their respective countries (for fear of sanctions/official attacks). In the same period, six (6) media assistants were killed, along with the killing of netizens and citizens-journalists, and the arrest of 137 bloggers and netizens So far, the total number of journalists killed globally between January and April 2014 stands at 28 (http://www.un.org/en/events/pressfreedomday/background.shtml, retrieved on 27 April 2017. With specific reference to Nigeria, the picture is not remarkably different. Between 1996 and

2013, a total of 18 journalists in Nigeria had lost their lives, many of them in the course of their official duties. Unfortunately, none of their killers had been identified nor brought to book, a clear case of impunity. Nigeria has been identified as one of the most hostile nations where impunity is the norm, as far as murder cases and crimes are concerned. Journalists in Nigeria are victims of impunity. UNESCO (2013, p. 4) reports that out of 245 cases of journalists killed in the course of duty between 2006 and 2009, only nine (9) cases had led to a conviction. It therefore concludes that The impunity for killers and perpetrators of violence against journalists serves to fuel a cycle of killings. It serves to intimidate the broader citizenry and undermines public confidence in the rule of law. It is widely accepted that safety of journalists will never be resolved if impunity is not addressed. The Table below, derived from the website of Committee for Protection of Journalists, shows individual journalists killed in Nigeria.

petrated most often by male bosses, supervisors and co-workers”; but most incidents were un-reported in spite of the psychological discomforts experienced by the victims (Barton & Storm, 2014). Writing on the physical safety of journalists, UNESCO (2014, p.84) says that between 2007 and 2012, its Director-General condemned the killings of 430 journalists globally. “About 5% of those killed since 2007 were women, reflecting the lower level of representation of women among reporters”. Victims of such killings cut across all segments of the media industry, including 176 journalists, 100 television journalists and 87 radio journalists. Since 2002, the trend has also been shifting to Internet media actors: “Bloggers and online journalists have been included in the UNESCO condemnations”, including three (3) online journalists killed in 2011 and another 32 killed in 2012 UNESCO (2014, p.85). However, over 60% of the total killings occurred in Asia and the Pacific. The increases in the number of killings of journalists in the Middle East in recent times have also been linked with the ongoing violent conflicts in that region. Terrorism also poses threats to journalism and press freedom. Ross (2007) identified the dilemmas that journalists face in the coverage

able 2: Journalists Killed in Nigeria: Confirmed/ Confirmed Motives S/N NAME ORGANIZATION YEAR KILLED MEDIA TYPE Anambra News 1. Ikechukwu Udendu January 12, 2013 Newspaper Channels TV 2. Enenche Akogwu January 20, 2012, Kano Television 3. Nansok SallahHighland FM January 18, 2012, in Jos Radio 4. Sunday Gyang Bwede The Light Bearer April 24, 2010, Jos Newspaper The Light Bearer StateNewspaper 5. Nathan . Dabak April 24, 2010, in Jos The Nation 6. Edo Sule Ugbagwu April 24, 2010,outside Lagos Newspaper The Guardian 7. Bayo Ohu September 20, 2009, in Lagos Newspaper Nasarawa State 8. Eiphraim Audu Broadcasting Service October 16, 2008, in Lafia Television 9. Paul Aboyomi Ogundeji ThisDay August 16, 2008, Dopemu, Lagos Newspaper ThisDay 10. Godwin Agbroko December 22, 2006, Newspaper The Scope November 5, 1999, in Adamawa State Newspaper 11. Samson Boyi Details 12. Sam Nimfa-Jan May 27, 1999, in Kafanchan Newspaper Freelancer 13. Fidelis Ikwuebe Freelance Source: https://cpj.org/killed/africa/nigeria/ onApril 18, 1999, in Anambra National Association of rd Bolade Fasasi May 2014 314. Women Journalists Media NGO Many of these deaths occurred within the printMarch 31, 1999, Ibadan Newsservice 15. Okezie Amaruben Newspaper media industry; some journalists were victimsSeptember 2, 1998, Enugu The Guardian 16. Tunde Oladepo February 26, 1998, in Abeokuta Newspaper of targeted killings, or victims of Boko Haram The Guardian 17. Chinedu Offoaro Newspaper bombings. Female journalists were not also ex- May 1, 1996 T heNEWS 18. Baguda Kaltho March 1, 1996 Magazine cluded. Disturbingly, none of the killers of the journalists had been identified or brought to book, confirming that impunity against journalists is high in Nigeria. Another report by the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) (Al Jazeera and The Associated Press) shows that since 2009 in the US, six government employees and two contractors, including former National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden, have been targeted for prosecution under the 1917 Espionage Act with accusations that they leaked classified information to the press. There were just three such prosecutions under all previous U.S. presidents. http://america.aljazeera.com/articles/2013/10/10/cjp-publishesunprecedentedreportonuspressfreedom.html Moreover, in the world’s largest democracy (the US) those suspected of discussing classified information are increasingly subject to investigation, lie-detector tests, scrutiny of telephone and email records and now surveillance by coworkers under a new “Insider Threat Program” that has been implemented in every agency, the report said. Violence against journalists also wears a gender costume, with female journalists exposed to additional threats including intimidation, physical violence, sexual violence, tapping, hacking and digital security threats, and actual killings, also in war situations and terrorist attacks. Alana Barton and Hannah Storm (2014) carried out an online of 1,078 female journalists between August 2013 and January 2014, using the snowball sampling technique. The report summary shows that a majority of the respondents had experienced several forms of intimidation, threats or abuse in the course of their work, including death threats. It found that “the majority of threats, intimidations and abuse directed toward respondents occurred in the work place and was per-

of terrorism related news, namely that of selective reporting; editorial discretion or otherwise; lack of specialists focusing on terrorism; misinformation given to reporters by national security agencies; news media obstructing counter-terrorist efforts; and sensationalism. Ross (2007, p. 217) noted that terrorists often impose conditions under which they (terrorists) will speak which may lead to ‘selective reporting’. He noted further that any deviation portends danger for the safety of journalist: “some reporters have been kidnapped and killed in their efforts to talk with terrorists”, citing the case of Daniel Pearl, a reporter with the Wall Street Journal who was working in Lahore, Pakistan in 2002 and was killed by terrorists. Pearl, he says, “received a tip that a high-ranking member of al Qaeda was willing to talk with him. Unfortunately, this was a ruse with the express purpose of killing him”, (Ross, 2007, p.217). The press in Nigeria is also, a direct victim of Boko Haram insurgency. For example, on April 26, 2012, the sect bombed ThisDay newspaper offices in both Abuja and Kaduna during which time three Nigerians lost their lives. Nsereka and Orlu-Orlu (2014, p. 36) traced the bombing to the “lies” about the activities of Boko Haram by the newspaper.

In an online statement, the group boasted that it bombed ThisDay newspapers because they reported many “lies” about Boko Haram. According TO BE CONTINUED

78 Monday, May 26, 2014

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ISSUE

Achieving an end to AIDS

By John Idoko

Continued from Friday May 23/5/2014 Progress in preventing sexual transmission of HIV CHIEVING an end to the AIDS epidemic is not a dream. In more and more countries, the groundwork for an end to the AIDS epidemic is being laid, as HIV treatment and other highimpact strategies are being rapidly brought to scale, resulting in sharp declines in AIDS-related deaths and new HIV infections. These success stories exemplify the critical ingredients for success – ingredients that now need to be applied worldwide. In an expanding number of countries, from diverse regions of the world, important gains have been recorded following the implementation of sound, evidenceand human rights-based approaches. In Ethiopia, major investments in HIV testing programmes and community-centred treatment delivery were put in place and this led to sharp increases in HIV treatment coverage , reaching 56 per cent by 2011. The estimated HIV incidence rate fell by 90 per cent from 2001 to 2011, in part due to HIV treatment. Sharp gains against HIV, as measured by estimates of HIV incidence, have been reported in numerous other countries in which HIV treatment has reached over 60 percent, including Botswana (70 per cent reduction in HIV incidence from 2001 to 2011), Malawi (more than 70 per cent incidence decline), Namibia (more than 50 per cent reduction in incidence), and Rwanda with more than two-thirds decline in deaths and more than 50 per cent reduction in incidence. Speed in treatment expansion matter, as rapid scale-up of quality-assured HIV treatment services is associated with greater gains against the epidemic. Countries where HIV treatment has been rapidly scaled up in combination with other core prevention strategies have reported declines in the estimated HIV incidence rate of at least 50 per cent between 2001 and 2011. In contrast, among countries with relatively slow scale-up, declines in HIV incidence from 2001 to 2011 were far more limited. Expediting the comprehensive scale-up of HIV treatment will have a transformative effect on humankind, making our world healthier, more just and more prosperous. Accelerating the scale up of antiretroviral therapy will drive progress across the broader AIDS response. It will reduce HIV-related illness and death, prevent people from acquiring HIV infection, address the needs of women and girls, reduce stigma and social exclusion and promote service inte-

gration. Public health effects of rapidly scaling up antiretroviral therapy HIV treatment is already profoundly affecting the epidemic in countries where it has been brought to scale. In South Africa, where HIV treatment coverage reached 83 per cent in 2012 under WHO’s 2010 treatment guidelines (initiating treatment at a CD4 cell count of 350 cells/mm3), scaling up treatment is estimated to have reduced the number of people newly infected with HIV by 17–32 per cent in 2011. In KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, life expectancy in 2011 was 11.3 years greater than in 2003, when HIV treatment in the province began to be scaled up. In parts of KwaZulu-Natal where a substantial level of HIV treatment coverage (30–40 per cent) had been achieved, the odds of acquiring HIV were 38 per cent lower than in communities in which fewer than 10 per cent of treatment-eligible individuals were receiving therapy. Nigeria with 40 per cent ART coverage has also witnessed significant reduction in the number of new HIV infections. Even greater health benefits will accrue with full implementation of WHO’s 2013 guidelines, which recommends initiating antiretroviral therapy earlier. Achieving and maintaining 80 per cent global coverage under the 2013 guidelines would prevent more than 3 million additional AIDS related deaths and prevent an additional 3.5 million people from acquiring HIV infection through 2025, in comparison with the 2010 guidelines. Achieving 80 per cent coverage of HIV treatment under the 2013 WHO guidelines will require a modest increase in HIV spending, amounting to a 10 per cent increase, at most. In 2015, reaching 80 per cent coverage using the new WHO 2013 treatment guidelines criteria would require an additional US$ 2.2-2.4 billion on top of the treatment costs estimated using the 2010 Guidelines. This expenditure will be good value for money spent as previous analyses have demonstrated that treatment is both cost effective and potentially cost saving over time. As indicated by modelling exercises examining the projected outcomes in Nigeria with rapid scaling up of HIV treatment at universal access level will substantially lower future treatment costs by preventing a much larger number of people from becoming newly infected with HIV and saving over 266 Billion naira in future treatment. Reaching the programmatic tipping point: a critical step towards realizing the promise of HIV treatment In achieving universal

Idoko access to HIV treatment, an important milestone is passed when the annual increase in the number of adults receiving HIV treatment exceeds the number of adults becoming newly infected with HIV. This transition, is referred to as programmatic tipping point. This point represents when the response to the epidemic begins to outpace the epidemic itself. As of December 2011, several countries had passed this tipping point. However, globally, the world has yet to reach the point where the scaling up of HIV treatment is outpacing the epidemic. In 2011, 2.5 million people were newly infected, while the number of people taking antiretroviral therapy increased by 1.6 million. Progress with medical male circumcision An estimated 3.2 million men in sub-Saharan Africa have received VMMC since WHO and UNAIDS issued their recommendation for scale-up in 2007 After slow progress in the target countries in the years immediately after WHO formally recommended VMMC for HIV prevention in 2007, it is currently projected that at least 4 million men will have been circumcised in the 14 priority countries by December 2013. That represents 20 per cent of the 80 per cent coverage target and a four-fold increase in circumcised men since 2009. This has been observed not to be a major issue in Nigeria and West Africa as most cultures encourage circumcision at birth of during childhood and has been postulated as one of the reasons for the much lower HIV prevalence than in Southern and Eastern Africa where most men are not cir-

cumcised. Tests for earlier detection and control Although much has been accomplished in promoting knowledge of HIV status, much more must be done to fully leverage HIV testing as a gateway to HIV treatment. Even though it is becoming increasingly clear that annual testing is critical to timely initiation of treatment and rapid scale-up in countries or populations with elevated HIV prevalence, HIV testing services reach only a small fraction of the population annually in many countries. Many people living with HIV first learn they are infected late in the course of infection, undermining the effectiveness of HIV treatment and facilitating the continued spread of HIV. In nine sub-Saharan African countries, the median CD4 cell count when HIV treatment was initiated in 2010 was below the critical lifethreatening threshold of 200 cells/mm3 – substantially lower than recommended standards for the optimal start of treatment. In many countries, investment in HIV testing services remains concentrated in stand-alone testing sites that require individuals to recognize their risk and voluntarily seek to learn their serostatus. Several countries, however, have shown the way towards more proactive and more effective approaches, using multiple low-threshold strategies to extend the reach and impact of testing services. In Kenya, for example, the number of tests administered rose seven-fold from 2008 to 2010 after the country implemented provider-initiated testing and counselling in health care settings and

began supporting energetic community testing campaigns. Community campaigns, including those that provide screening or prevention services for multiple diseases, have proven effective in Nigeria, Kenya, Malawi, South Africa, Uganda, the United Republic of Tanzania and Zambia. Further efforts are required to normalize HIV testing in health care settings. Recent efforts by Nigeria to provide HIV testing as the entry point for the minimum package of prevention interventions (MMPI) is encouraging and will rapidly increase the uptake of HIV counseling and testing. Pilot projects in both concentrated and generalized epidemic settings suggest that home-based testing is highly acceptable, in part because it protects confidentiality, as a complement to, rather than a replacement for, provider-initiated or facility-based HIV testing and counselling services. Substantially increasing the demand for HIV testing is essential. This requires robust and sustained investment in community-based HIV literacy programmes. Enhanced support for strengthening community systems is also needed, to broaden awareness of the availability of simple, easily tolerated regimens, increase access to user-friendly testing options and alleviate stigmatizing attitudes that deter many from seeking testing services. Focused, community-centred testing outreach can help reach marginalized populations at elevated risk of HIV infection. Fourth-generation HIV test This new test adds p24 antigen to the HIV antibody test to permit detection of

the disease before seroconversion. This new test can detect the presence of HIV in the first week of infection. Rapid tests, ELISA and Western blot (WB) detect positive samples only at sero-conversion, which occurs after three months of HIV infection. This test is approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and its use is recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and will hopefully become available in low and middle income countries in the near future. The test will be a very useful test for screening patients because it can detect HIV during the early acute retroviral syndrome stage unlike the WB results, which require waiting for two to three months after viral transmission. Advantages of this early detection include (1) the possibility of functional cure (discussed below); (2) treatment at the time of maximum risk for transmission; and (3) the opportunity for direct entry into HIV care vs the long delay required for obtaining a positive WB result. This delay leads to 20 per cent to 25 per cent of patients with a positive WB never actually receiving their results. Consequently, their care may be delayed or they may be lost to care. Point-of-care CD4 count and HIV viral load testing Point-of-care (POC) HIV testing has been extremely successful as a screening tool to detect HIV. Now, there is a POC CD4 count test that permits staging HIV at the site of care,] and it is anticipated that a POC viral load test will also be available, although the timeline for this development is unclear. The advent of the POC CD4 and viral load tests permits patients to test their own viral load to facilitate HIV management in an outpatient setting, often without the need for frequent medical evaluation except to test for drug toxicity, Comorbidities, and HIV-related complications. The longterm goal would be self-care akin to standard diabetes management. Preventing vertical transmission Several studies have shown that when pregnant HIV positive women have access to antiretroviral drug combinations, the risk of transmitting the virus to their babies is less that 5 per cent. As a result of this scientific information, access to Prevention of Mother to Child Transmission (PMTCT) of HIV services has increased dramatically. By 2012, 62 per cent of pregnant women worldwide living with HIV had access to antiretroviral drug combinations and in several countries coverage levels are well above 80 per cent. However, Nigeria has made very slow progress (30 per cent coverage) despite

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Monday, May 26, 2014 79

ISSUE

epidemic not a dream efforts at scaling up PMTCT due a number of structural challenges including inadequate services at the level of PHC, poor attendance of pregnant women of antenatal care services; many women preferring to go to Traditional Birth Attendants (TBAs), churches and mosques to access antenatal care and delivery services. The Core elements of the approach to accelerating PMTCT Scale up in Nigeria include; i) Intensive, state-focused approach to scale up, ii) Decentralization of services to primary care level, iii) Private sector engagement in PMTCT Service delivery, iv) focusing on the high burden MTCT states otherwise referred to as the 12+1 states (49) – these states are responsible for over 70 per cent of the burden of HIV/AIDS in Nigeria. Key stakeholders support the notion to better inform implementation efforts driven by a fact-base that is state-specific. This is hinged on the recent work in Nasarawa state where a diagnostic of the PMTCT landscape was conducted and where the outcome of the diagnostics is now being applied to shape program implementation and this has become the basis for regular state-level consultation to drive the program in other states. In the light of this, a new element has been introduced into the national approach to accelerate PMTCT scale up; this is Statespecific diagnostics and profiling to inform implementation of scale-up activities and to enable state leaders to feel more ownership of and accountability for their results. This deep engagement with states and the diagnostics and potential revised plans that result will complement and be synergistic with ‘on-going’ PMTCT efforts in the 12+1 states including the work that is currently being supported by the Government of Nigeria and several partners. What does “the end of AIDS” mean? Early HIV therapy to achieve “Functional Cure” There is now good evidence to show that the HIV reservoir in individuals with chronic HIV infection is substantial and is probably an important factor in immune activation. This explains our inability to achieve cure, despite viral suppression with traditional monitoring. “Cure” is now described in 2 categories: a “sterilizing cure,” in which the virus is eliminated, and a “functional cure,” in which the virus continues to be present but does not require antiretroviral therapy (ART) for viremic control. The “Berlin patient” who underwent stem cell transplantation is regarded as the only person to has achieved sterilizing cure. The “Mississippi baby” is considered a functional cure because she has had virologic control. The “Mississippi baby” is considered a functional cure because she has had virologic control off therapy for longer than 1 year after being treated at birth and briefly after birth, but it is not clear that the virus is eliminated possibly the best example of the impact of early therapy is the VISCONTI cohort. This is a group of patients in France treated early in the course of HIV infection who have remained off ART for months or years, without treatment or detectable virus. The presumed explanation is that treatment early in the course of acute infection limits substantial infection of the reservoir. Thus, recognition of acute disease with rapid implementation of ART now becomes an important priority in the context of HIV management. Researchers determined that initiation of antiretroviral therapy to an HIV-exposed infant 31 hours after birth succeeded in curing the infant of HIV. In early 2013, French researchers reported that 14 individuals were functionally cured after being treated with antiretrovirals during acute infection. In July 2013, two additional individuals were reported to be HIV-free after receiving bone marrow transplants, although experts cautioned that further follow-up was needed before drawing definitive conclusions. Although no broadly applicable cure for HIV is now available, these research results nevertheless increased optimism that a more widely available cure might someday be feasible.

Traditionally “Cure or sterilizing Cure” is talk about eradicating or eliminating disease. At this point in time it is not possible to routinely eliminate or eradicate HIV (except the Berlin patient as there are millions currently infected) but we can certainly bring down the HIV incidence to a level where the reproductive rate of infection is below 1. The world needs a countdown on the journey towards the End of AIDS in each country putting together a planned time table including: • A nationally co-ordinated comprehensive response, including human rights and a legal framework that is conducive to non-discrimination against AIDS • Detailed knowledge of the local epidemiology of HIV, including identifying hotspots, and application of that knowledge to guide investment and programming • Scaling up provision of ART (as part of a comprehensive package of optimum care + medicines + adherence support) to 90 per cent of those qualifying for treatment with 90 per cent annual retention • Elimination of mother-to-child transmission • Number of patients initiating ART exceeds the number of new infections – Tipping Point • The incidence rate (number of new infections in the population) reaches a low point where the reproductive rate of infection is less than 1. Each country will need to calculate and define this target level • The number of new HIV infections reaches a point below the threshold established for each country (e.g. incidence rate where the reproductive rate of infection is 0.25) • Once point 1 is reached, then at point 0, a new set of locally derived milestones are needed to get to zero new HIV infections along the path to the end of AIDS The end of AIDS is an aspirational vision that we hope to achieve over the long term with a program for the next 10-15 years towards this vision. The end of AIDS encompasses reducing new HIV infections, providing ART to all who require treatment and reducing the stigma and discrimination that prevents people from accessing the care and treatment they need as well as maintaining them in care Is the end of aids feasible without a vaccine or cure? Ending AIDS will require more than just biomedical solutions because AIDS is more than a biomedical problem. Ending Mother to Child Transmission (MTCT) in children is already achievable without a vaccine or cure. Ending HIV in everyone will require a cure but ending AIDS will not. We have existing interventions to address social drivers. We also have effective biomedical technologies, such as PMTCT, PrEP, Treatment as Prevention and male circumcision. Models show how we can set the global epidemic on the path to the end of the AIDS epidemic with current technologies noting that future new technologies are also needed to accelerate progress towards the end of AIDS. Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) After 30 years of the HIV-1 epidemic, novel and effective HIV-1 prevention strategies are urgently needed, particularly those that are deliverable to and useable by highrisk populations. To achieve impact at the population level with strategies that are proven efficacious in controlled trials, effective delivery systems and high uptake are critical. To lower the cost per averted infection, targeted delivery to those at highest risk for HIV-1 will be essential. During the past 10 years, a growing scientific and advocacy interest in antiretroviralbased strategies for prevention of sexual HIV-1 transmission has developed, and antiretroviral-based HIV-1 prevention interventions are now among the most promising strategies for dramatically reducing the spread of HIV-1. (28) Antiretroviral drugs have the potential to be used for HIV-1 prevention as 1) antiretroviral treatment (ART) to reduce the infectiousness of HIV-1 infected persons (TasP) and 2) oral or topical preexposure prophylaxis (PrEP) for uninfected

persons with repeated and ongoing HIV-1 exposure. ART and HIV-1 transmission ART reduces HIV-1 transmission by reducing HIV-1 plasma concentrations to undetectable levels within 6 months of initiation in the majority of persons and seminal and cervicovaginal HIV-1 concentrations are also reduced to undetectable levels in most persons on ART. Also, the use of peripartum ART is responsible for the remarkable success in virtually eliminating mother-to-child HIV-1 transmission in resource-rich settings. The efficacy of antiretrovirals for the prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV-1, first demonstrated with peripartum zidovudine was a proof of concept for the feasibility of preventing sexual acquisition of HIV-1 with PrEP. More recent studies have shown that post-natal administration of antiretroviral drugs, provided to infants who have ongoing exposure to HIV-1 through breast milk, can substantially reduce HIV-1 risk. These infant studies provided compelling analogous evidence that antiretroviral prophylaxis could be highly efficacious for preventing infection in the context of known and ongoing HIV-1 exposure. Evidence from studies shows substantial reduction in HIV-1 quantity in the plasma and genital compartments of persons on suppressive ART, which translates into markedly reduced risk of HIV-1 transmission to sexual partners. This evidence has informed the need to explore the use of ART for HIV prevention in many settings including gay men (iprex study, and as microbicides for women. A meta-analysis conducted by Attia et al. showed significantly lower risk of HIV-1 transmission in heterosexual discordant couples whose HIV positive partner was on ART (58). More recently, the Partners PrEP Study, a phase III, placebo-controlled trial of oral tenofovir disoproxyl fumarate (TDF) and combination emtricitabine (FTC)/TDF PrEP among HIV-1 uninfected partners in 4758 HIV-1 serodiscordant African couples, demonstrated that PrEP substantially reduced HIV-1 risk. Across studies, adherence has been a key predictor of efficacy; very high adherence in the Partners PrEP Study likely explains the high degree of HIV-1 protection. Notably, two PrEP trials among African women – FEM-PrEP

Idoko

(using FTC/TDF) and VOICE (using TDF and tenofovir gel, with an FTC/TDF arm still ongoing) – failed to show HIV-1 protection. For one of these (FEM-PrEP), substantial lack of adherence (approximately only 25 per cent consistent use of the study medication) likely explains the failure to show HIV-1 protection. Thus, while a number of factors could explain the divergent trial results, foremost is non-adherence. Importantly, for HIV-1 uninfected members of known HIV-1 serodiscordant couples, as shown in the Partners PrEP Study, adherence appears to be very high. In a very recent follow-up report of the PARTNER study, all the heterosexual HIVnegative partners reported having vaginal sex without condoms, 72 per cent with ejaculation; 70 per cent of the gay HIV-negative partners reported having receptive anal sex without condoms, 40 per cent with ejaculation, while 30 per cent reported only being the insertive partner. A significant proportion of the heterosexual couples reported anal sex. The investigators estimated that the gay couples had sex on 16,400 occasions and the heterosexual couples on 14,000 occasions. There were no cases of HIV transmission when viral load was below 200 copies/ml. Statistical analysis showed that an undetectable viral load reduced the risk of transmission during vaginal sex by 99.5 per cent and during anal sex by 99 per cent (96 per cent with ejaculation). However, the researchers believe the true efficacy of treatment as prevention is likely to be nearer 100 per cent, although, as the study’s principal investigator pointed out, it will probably never be possible to show with mathematical certainty that the risk of transmission from someone on successful HIV therapy is absolutely zero. *TO BE CONTINUED *Prof. John Idoko is the Director General National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA). This is part of a lecture delivered he delivered at the induction ceremony of the Nigerian Academy of Sciences (NAS) on May 13, 2014, at the Reitz Hotel, Abuja. The lecture is titled “Achieving an end to the AIDS epidemic: Laying the ground work.”

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Prayer, a weapon against adversity, says Sambo From Saxone Akhaine (Kaduna), Mohammed Abubakar, Terhemba Daka, Nkechi Onyedika (Abuja), Charles Coffie Gyamfi (Abeokuta), Isaac Taiwo and Tunde Akinola (Lagos) ICE President Namadi Sambo has urged V Nigerians, particularly the Muslim Ummah, to pray fervently for continued peace and tranquility in the country, insisting that prayer is a strong weapon against any adversity. The Vice President made the call yesterday during the maiden National Prayer for Peace and Security, organised by the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA) at the National Mosque, Abuja. He reiterated the President Goodluck Jonathan administration’s commitment to providing adequate security and ensuring the unity and stability of Nigeria. He said: “Let me reiterate that when any adverse situation befell the Ummah during the time of Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) and the Sahabah, their greatest weapon was resort to prayers to seek Allah’s intervention. “We shall continue to organize prayers as frequently as possible and Allah, in his infinite mercy, will answer our prayers in removing in totality the act of terrorism by the Boko Haram and all other vices in Nigeria.” He called on the Ummah to promote the ideals of Islam by living according to the tenets of the religion, which promotes peace, good neighbourliness and kindness, stating that Muslims should “not allow the few disgruntled elements among us to portray Islam and Muslims in bad light.” He further appealed to Muslim clerics to “apply modesty in their sermons and preaching.” On the ongoing efforts towards the safe return of the abducted Chibok schoolgirls, Sambo said the government was “working assiduously to support the efforts of the military by increasing their capacity in the search, to further secure the territorial integrity of the nation and the immediate release of these girls.” Also, the Sultan of Sokoto, Sa’ad Abubakar, stressed the importance of justice, equity and fairness to the maintenance of peace in every society, just as he urged Muslims, especially those in leadership positions, to shun corruption and acts that affect the development of the country. Similarly, the Minister of Information, Mr. Labaran Maku, has urged Nigerians to support the ongoing efforts to defeat terrorism and criminality in the country. Speaking at a special church service for peace at the Mountain of Fire and Miracles, Utako, Abuja, Maku said the insurgency in parts of the country was the manifestation of the spiritual struggle between the forces of light and darkness. He expressed belief that light would always triumph over darkness. “The contentions we see in Nigeria and around the world are not just physical contentions, they are contentions from the thrones of darkness. You may be seeing it physically in the name of Boko Haram, you may be seeing it physically in the name of kidnappers and cultists in our various communities, but the reality is that that foundation is the same,” he said. “It is founded in the kingdom of hell. It is the servants of the enemy that are contending with the light in our country and around the world.” He observed that throughout the time of Jesus Christ on earth, He stood for peace, righteousness and victory hence the need for Christians to redefine peace in the perception of Jesus Christ. He reminded the congregation that going by the nature of the insurgency, which is in form of urban and rural guerrilla warfare, security forces alone could not guarantee overall peace except the people rise in support of the efforts to overcome terrorism by being vigilant and prayerful. The minister urged states and local councils to organise their people to always be vigilant and report suspicious movements and characters to the authorities for prompt action. In his sermon, the Senior Regional Overseer of the Mountain of Fire Ministry, Abuja, Felix Adedeji Peters, called for prayers as panacea to insurgency and destruction by those he described as the enemies of the children of God. And as the search for the girls continue, the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Centre for Values in Leadership, Prof. Pat Utomi, has described Nigeria as an unjust society, adding that wherever there is injustice, violence tends to follow. Speaking yesterday at the event organized to mark the 41st day after the abduction of the

• Utomi, others pray for Chibok girls, blame woes on political class • Maku urges support for govt’s effort against terrorism • Protesters oil terrorists’ propaganda machine, claims don Chibok schoolgirls, where prayers were offered for their freedom with candles lit and ribbons hung, Utomi advanced the need to reconstruct Nigeria as a just and peaceful society. “We gather with pain in our hearts and defiance in our souls as we contemplate the troubles of the young innocent girls that went to school in Chibok, that their future and that of the rest of us may have greater dignity,” he said. Agonizing over the state of nation, Utomi described the nation’s political class as a complete failure, lamenting a country where blood is shed daily and people die more than in any civil war. Also speaking at the event, the President of Women Arise for Change Initiative, Dr. Joe Okei-Odumakin, prayed that as every participant lit candles, every barrier hindering the release of the girls would be taken off through the illumination of the candles and every form of terrorism crushed. “Terrorism is a collective responsibility for everyone to combat and every Nigerian should rise up with the international community to crush terrorism in the nation as we empathize with the parents of the Chibok girls, praying that they would soon reunite with their families,” she said. Meanwhile, an Abuja-based non-governmental organisation, Yellow Jerry Can Foundation (YJCF), has asked the Federal Government to ensure that the activities of the violent Islamic sect, including the abduction of the Chibok schoolgirls, did not stop the 2014 Children’s Day celebration. Another group, Helpline Foundation for the Needy, also based in Abuja, asked government to maintain a low key celebration as mark of honour to the girls, who are still being held by their captors. Addressing newsmen, the YJCF initiator, Adaora Onyechere, said that Boko Haram has launched an attack on the psychology of Nigerians but that the authorities should not allow the sect to win the war. According to her, Children’s Day celebration should be an opportunity for Nigeria to further draw global attention to the predicament of the Nigerian children and the need for strategic security arrangement for their safety. “Children are tools for national development and that is why the sad situation of the missing girls should not be about them alone, it’s about the security of the children,” she noted.

Some of the Chibok girls kidnapped by Boko Haram

“We cannot pretend, if this group and other insurgent groups are not stopped from their dastardly activities, the whole of human is threatened. Nigeria should not allow this opportunity of Children’s Day celebration to go by without ensuring that Nigerian children become a priority for the federal, state and local governments.” Also, President of Helpline Foundation, Mrs. Jumai Ahmadu, told newsmen in Abuja that in view of the unfortunate abduction of the school girls, this year’s Children’s Day celebration should even be totally cancelled. According to her, the situation in the country calls for sober reflection rather than any form of jamboree. She said: “We as Nigerians do not have any reason to celebrate this year’s Children’s Day in view of the obvious fact that our future mothers are still held hostage by a terrorist group.” She noted that the current wave of insurgency in the country would only end if all stakeholders stop shifting blames, stressing that one of the keys to tackling the problem is unity among religious, political and ethnic groups. On its part, the Textiles Workers Union yesterday called on the Federal Government to adequately protect Nigerians, stressing the need for speedy rescue of the abducted girls. In a statement, it stated its solidarity with the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) in its nationwide strike and protest rallies on the issue. The statement, jointly signed by NUTGTWN President, Mr. Oladele Hunsu, and Secretary General, Comrade Issa Aremu, read: “It is increasingly clear that the current security challenge is an assault on our nascent, depressed educational sector. “Whoever abducts pupils and indiscriminately kills their teachers invariably declares war on education in a country struggling to return education to its glorious past.” It read further: “Governments all over the world are established to offer welfare and security to their respective citizens. Nigerian Government is no exception; it must guarantee the welfare and security of the citizens as contained in the 1999 Constitution. “The terrorists might do their worse in violence but the federal and state governments are enjoined to do their best in preventing pupils’ abductions and serial, unacceptable murder of teachers in public schools.” In deference to the current happenings across the nation, especially the abduction of the Chibok schoolgirls, the Ogun State

Government said at the weekend that it has stepped down the activities lined up for this year’s Democracy Day coming up on Thursday. A statement in Abeokuta by the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Mr. Taiwo Adeoluwa, indicated that the decision was taken “to identify with the parents of the over 200 school girls abducted over a month ago by the Boko Haram sect.” The government asked Ogun residents to “spend the day in sober reflection and pray for the safety and eventual release of the girls, and assures that it will continue to take steps necessary towards improving security of lives and property of residents across the state.” Nevertheless, the Professor of International Relations and Comparative Political Economy, Olufemi Mimiko, has urged protesters calling for the release of the abducted schoolgirls to change approach, lest they give the terrorists undue publicity. He described the call for foreign support to curb the insurgency as expedient because no nation is powerful enough to stand completely on its own, according to an international relations maxim. In an interview with The Guardian yesterday, the Vice Chancellor of Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba-Akoko, Ondo State, and delegate to the ongoing national conference said the #BringBackOurGirls# protesters fail to understand that they are unwittingly serving the interest of the terrorists. “Everybody should know that what terrorists want most is publicity of their dastardly acts,” he said. “So, when you go out into the streets everyday under the guise that you are concerned, that does not make you more concerned than the next guy around. And asking government to bring back our girls, it is as if the girls were kept in the Villa in the first instance.” According to him, the protesters are only adding tonic to the devilish agenda of the terrorists, who would be so delighted now that otherwise respectable people have become their megaphone. “So my advice is, let the campaigners think of more serious things to do on this issue rather than cramming the streets everyday and giving the impression of a band that had lost focus. It is also amusing now that even some government officials do partake of such rallies.” On the issue of foreign support, he said he would not understand why anyone would condemn the move, adding: “I find such denial of our limitation infantile. We simply do not have the wherewithal to fight this war alone, and in the interest of our citizens and soldiers who are dying daily, there should not be a place for any ego voyage.”

THE GUARDIAN www.ngrguardiannews.com

82 NEWS Monday, May 26, 2014

EKITI 2014

Confusion over plot to stop monarchs from receiving Jonathan Stories by Muyiwa Adeyemi, (Head South West Bureau Ado Ekiti) HEAD of President A Goodluck Jonathan’s visit to flag off the campaign of the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Mr. Ayodele Fayose last Thursday, there was confusion on whether the monarchs in the state will welcome the President. While the Ayo Fayose campaign organisation alleged that Governor Kayode Fayemi had stopped the monarchs

from receiving the President, the chairman of Ekiti Traditional Council of Monarchs and the Onitaji of Itaji-Ekiti, Oba Idowu Adamo Babalola said it was not in the tradition of the Obas to accept invitation from political parties. The PDP had invited the monarch to the palace of Ewi of Ado Ekiti to receive the President as he is billed to pay courtesy calls to the monarch. Fayose alleged that Fayemi sent a text message to Oba

Babalola telling him to make sure that first class Obas in the state do not attend the reception scheduled for the palace of the Ewi of Ado-Ekiti, Oba Rufus Adejugbe. According to a release by the Director General, Ayo Fayose Campaign Organisation, Chief Dipo Anisulowo, “Fayemi sent text message to the Onitaji of Itaji-Ekiti that the Obas must not receive President Jonathan.” The governorship candidate, who described the Fayemi’s action as childish and petty,

said; “It is regrettable and ridiculous that a State governor would go to such ridiculous and childish level just because of an election that he has already lost.” While describing the APC government as enemy of Ekiti progress, Fayose said; “Meeting with President Jonathan by first class Obas in Ekiti State is a rare opportunity for representations on the State developmental demands from the Federal Government to be made by the Obas. “Such a meeting is an opportu-

nity for our Obas to tell the President what Ekiti people want from the Federal Government. But because of parochial partisan politics, Fayemi is threatening the Obas not to come to Ewi’s palace to receive the President. “This is no doubt shameful, childish, petty and wicked! But reacting to the allegation, the monarch said, “As far as am concerned, when I got the information from them (PDP), I sent the information round to all Obas but we have the

same similar issue during Obasanjo’s regime and since then we Obas in Ekiti State resolved not to meet any president in any Oba’s palace except the Chairman council of Obas palace. “I am not a member of any political party, if there is a message from the presidency for all Obas, then am to oblige and to obey but not from any political party at all. “I learnt he is not coming to pay courtesy visit to us. He is coming for a political rally. So, we are not involved”.

Deputy governor expresses shock over recurring violence Fayemi’s wife urges electorate to safeguard voters card EPUTY Governor of Ekiti D State, Professor Modupe Adelabu has expressed shock over the tragic turn of electioneering campaigns for the forthcoming June 21 governorship election in the state. Adelabu therefore, stressed the need for candidates to rein in their followers from engaging in acts capable of compromising the integrity the poll. The deputy governor gave the advice during a sympathy visit to Mr. Femi Ayodele, a member of the All Progressives Congress (APC), who sustained gunshot wounds by unidentified gunmen in Ikere-Ekiti on Saturday. The victim was shot at allegedly by thugs believed to be members of the opposition Labour Party (LP) during a mega rally organised in the city for the party’s flag-bearer in the June 21 governorship election, Mr. Opeyemi Bamidele. Mrs. Adelabu, who was briefed at Mr. Ayodele’s bed-

side by the Caretaker Committee Chairman of Ikere Council, Mr. Gbenga Omole at the emergency ward of the Ekiti State University Teaching Hospital (EKSUTH), Ado-Ekiti, expressed shock over the tragic turn of electioneering campaigns in the state. She urged politicians against disrupting the peace being enjoyed in the state because of their ambitions, reminding that power belongs to God and that politics should not be taken as a do-or-die affair. Stressing the need to maintain peaceful co-existence before, during and after the forthcoming election, the deputy governor cautioned youths in the state not to make themselves willing tools in the hands of political moneybags. The deputy governor, who prayed for the quick recovery of the victim, described as unpatriotic the alleged importation of miscreants by the LP from the neighbouring state. Also speaking, the Ikere coun-

Adelabu cil chief said the victim was attacked while returning home from a brother’s wedding, alleging that an unknown gunman from a vehicle branded in the LP colour allegedly shot at Ayodele. According to him, the hoodlums had earlier attacked the house of their victim and ransacked the party’s secretariat. He accused the opposition parties of scheming to draw

out members of the ruling APC and create a state of insecurity in the state to pave the way for an emergency situation. Meanwhile, wife of the Governor, Erelu Bisi Fayemi, has advised the electorate against allowing politicians to brainwash them into selling their voters cards or disclosing their Voter Identification Number (VIN). She gave the advice when she led the women wing of the All Progressives Congress on election campaign to Gbonyin, Ekiti East and Ikole Local Governments, at the weekend, to enhance the support base of Governor Kayode Fayemi. The governor is the APC candidate for the forthcoming poll. In related development, the only female governorship aspirant that scaled the Peoples Democratic Party’s screening hurdle and who was also a former State Women Leader of the party, Chief Modupe Ogundipe, has swelled the ranks of the new devotees of

the APC. She was in company with the APC women campaign train, which gave her the opportunity to tell the people why she believed that only Fayemi had the magic wand to take the state to the enviable position among the leading contenders. Besides, it was bumper harvest for traders in select markets in the three LGs visited, as the First Lady also took the APC women campaign to markets where she bought commodities at prices far higher than what obtained before her arrival. At each stop, the governor’s wife engaged in voters’ education, particularly on the voting pattern, early arrival at the polling unit, accreditation and proper handling of the voter’s card after thumb printing to forestall voiding of their votes. Addressing the tumultuous gathering of women at Ikole, the governor’s wife said that reports suggested that

cloning of the voters’ card would be made easier for unscrupulous politicians when the VIN is known. She appealed to the Independent National Electoral Commission to be vigilant and ensure that only those in possession of valid voters’ cards were allowed to vote in the coming election. Fayemi said, “We have reached a crucial stage in the build-up to the coming election when those desperately seeking power will be approaching you to sell your voters cards to them. Please, don’t listen to them. Guard your voters’ card jealously and use it to vote for Dr. Kayode Fayemi on June 21. “They may also make surreptitious attempt to copy the VIN of your voters’ card. Don’t oblige them. Anybody who is confident that he has the backing of the people will not engage in any dubious means to win election.

caused the crisis. “They did not only attack us, they went to APC secretariat in Ikere Ekiti and brought out all the furniture and burnt” them. The Police Public Relations Officer, Mr. Victor Babayemi, who confirmed the incident, said his men have recovered the vehicle that conveyed the thugs to the venue and the police are already on the trail of the occupants. Babayemi said, “We also recovered four expended car-

tridges at the scene of the incident. We are happy that some of the perpetrators were known and their names are already with us that will help our investigation.” LP chairman Nwanyanwu had, while speaking at the Ikere Ekiti described the Dr. Olusegun Mimiko led Labour Party government in Ondo state as the best example of good governance in the country urging Ekiti people to elect Bamidele to enable him record landmark achievements in Ekiti like what obtain in Ondo. Nwanyanwu said Mimiko has been able to make the best of his office as Ondo state helmsman because there is no godfather to breath down his neck. Imploring the people of Ekiti to vote the party’s candidate in the election because he will be free to implement the party’s manifesto to the later, the chairman said the people have the opportunity now to break away from the grip of godfathers who are remote controlling the state. Insisting that Labour Party is the only true progressive party in the country, the LP chairman said a vote for his party’s candidate is a vote for the landmark achievements of Dr. Mimiko in Ondo state to be replicated in Ekiti State. At the rally Mimiko and the party’s governorship candi-

date in Ekiti State, Opeyemi Bamidele described the leaders of Al Progressive Congress (APC) as bunch of ‘pretenders’, who are being hypocritical with progressive politicking. Mimiko said, “These APC people are pretenders, but not progressives. What is progressive in a party that executes urban renewal in the states under its control and made many jobless by pulling down their places of businesses without providing alternatives? “Progressive governance is about the people and only the LP has been doing that due to the fact that we can feel the pulses of the people, because we always identify with them and put them in focus in all our programmes. “I want to assure Ekiti electorate that should they vote for Bamidele in the June 21 election, he will serve them with good conscience by fighting poverty, hunger, hike in tuition fee in the University, illiteracy and make education affordable for all categories of Ekiti indigenes”, he promised. Bamidele, who officially presented his running mate, Alhaja Maryam Ogunlade to the national leaders of the party, led by its Chairman, Dan Nwanyanwu promised to make poverty history in Ekiti, if elected.

APC, LP members in bloody clash Nwanyanwu, Mimiko urge Ekiti people to vote for Bamidele

NE person was shot and several people sustained various degrees of injury as members of All Progressive Congress (APC) and Labour Party (LP) clashed in Ikere Ekiti at the weekend during a rally organised by the LP. Besides several cars damaged were damaged while APC alleged attacked its secretariat in the town where several people were wounded during a meeting. The incident where dangerous weapons were freely used occurred shortly after the rally of the LP governorship candidate, Mr. Opeyemi Bamidele in the town. As at yesterday several members of the two parties that sustained injuries are being treated in various hospitals in the state. Three of the crew of African Independent Television (AIT), who covered the event that was transmitted live, were wounded while three of their V-sat cameras were stolen out of which one has been recovered. It was also gathered that the AIT’s Outside Broadcast Van (OB Van) that covered the event was damaged by suspected party thugs. However, Bamidele’s media aide, Ahmed Salami accused the APC for the attacks on their members and the journalists. Salami said the event had al-

ready come to a close and the Governor of Ondo State, Dr. Olusegun Mimiko and the national leadership of the party, led by its Chairman, Dan Nwanyanwu had left for the palace of Ogoga of Ikere Ekiti, Oba Samuel Adegboye, when a bus loaded with thugs invaded Moshood road, the venue of the rally and started attacking the LP members. He said, “Dr. Mimiko and members of our party had already wrapped up the rally when thugs numbering 30 had invaded the venue. They knew that the police had left the venue and our people had no protection. “They shot into the air sporadically and many of our members had to run into the bush after many had been machete and beaten by APC thugs”. Salami accused the police of laxity during the attack, saying men attached to the Ikere Divisional Police Station were watching helplessly at the scene of the crime as thugs attacked their members. However, Director of Media, Kayode Fayemi Campaign organization, Mr. Dimeji Daniels, said it was LP members that launched attacks on their members, culminating in the violence. Daniels maintained that a member of APC is now in a critical situation at the Ekiti State Teaching Hospital, Ado

Nwanyanwu Ekiti as a result of the gunshot attack he sustained during the violence. He said the APC should not have been responsible for the attack because the party was holding a meeting when the incident happened. Daniels said, “I don’t think it is possible for APC to shoot another APC person, so the LP is responsible for the violence. What they did was that, they were attacking our members who were just going on the streets and that were what

THE GUARDIAN www.ngrguardiannews.com

Monday, May 26, 2014 83

INTERVIEW

‘Owerri zone should produce the next Imo gov based on the charter of equity’ Gubernatorial aspirant and former Minister of State for the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Chief Chuka Odom, is upbeat on his chances to emerge the Imo State standard bearer of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) at the poll in 2015. Speaking on a wide range of issues of national importance, he noted that it behooves on wellmeaning Nigerians to support President Goodluck Jonathan to tackle insecurity plaguing the polity. He also told Adamu Abuh why it would be equitable to consider Owerri zone for the plum job of the governorship of Imo State. Excerpt: HAT is your take on W the unholy alliance between the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA) in the South- East geo political zone? Unholy alliance? I can’t see any alliance. You are probably referring to what happened in Anambra State but I do not see it as an unholy alliance. In politics, there is room for strategic co-operation among parties especially where parties take time to recognise their individual strength and weaknesses. Outside Anambra, the PDP and APGA are pursuing parallel objectives. Just recently, the national chairman of APGA, Chief Victor Umeh, was quoted as saying that APGA will recapture Imo State in 2015. So, I think the parties are doing their own thing, but I must say that I am an apostle of alliance if there is need for that for the interest of stability and peaceful co-existence. Do you think President could still enjoy the overwhelming support of the south-east zone at the 2015 poll? President Jonathan will definitely enjoy the support of the people of the Southeast. And the reason is simply that there is no better alternative. Apart from that the President has performed creditably well and, therefore, deserves our support, what we are seeing from the so-called opposition parties does not offer a satisfactory alternative. More important, the Jonathan administration has made very good gestures to the zone. There are things he has done for the zone which were hitherto thought were impossible. Take the Second Niger Bridge which previous administrations kept as prevaricating over. Today, work has commenced there. The administration has obliterated some bit-

ter memories of the civil war such as the breaking of the ceiling on promotion for Igbo military officers and the full military and national burial given to Ojukwu. There are things to point at to justify support for Jonathan. If you read the letter written recently by Governor Murtala Nyako of Adamawa, he referred to President Jonathan as coming from the “Eastern Region” and blames the people of the area for whatever mistakes the administration is making. He said it is our administration. Nyako is not alone in that type of thinking. So what do we do? We have to own up to our administration. We have to support Jonathan to succeed in order to prove them wrong. If he seeks for reelection, we cannot be the first to say no to our own. The PDP appears to be at peace with itself, no more acrimony among its members. What is the secret of this new-found peace it is enjoying? No system is error-proof. The PDP cannot claim that there are no problems within it but what is important is that the party has demonstrated an uncommon capacity to always be on top of every problem that comes its way. It is not easy to preside over the affairs of a country like Nigeria for 15 unbroken years. This is the longest republic since independence. The PDP which formed the national government in 1999 has managed to hold the country together. I agree that there are problems but they are not insurmountable. But the media and other advertising outlets, including billboards are awash with calls on President Jonathan to seek re-election in 2015. Don’t you think it is so early in the day? It is normal in politics for blocs of interest to advo-

Odom cate their different interests at any point in time. For 2015, it is not too early for such interest to be canvassed. What is happening is strategic re-alignment and identification of interests. The president is already rallying supporters, receiving decampees across the 36 states of the federation. Don’t you think it runs contrary to the provision of the Electoral Act? I don’t think so. You have said it yourself. You said he is receiving decampees, not campaigning for votes. I have attended some of the rallies and there is nowhere anybody asks people to vote for the party. As I said earlier, what is happening now is identification of interest. I don’t think the president or the party is falling foul of any laws because we are not campaigning. Is your bid to govern Imo State still alive? Very much alive. Though you have a considerable experience on how to run the affairs of men, yet you are not known to have a godfather and a moneybag. How are you going to cope with the tussle for the plum job? The matter is not about godfathers. Nigerians have said in unmistaken terms that they will no longer tolerate godfatherism. I am happy you have admitted that I have no godfather. I don’t need one and I advise other contestants to perish the idea of godfatherism. Let’s go into the contest on our own individual merit and I can assure you that any aspirant or candidate who comes in flaunting a godfather will be rejected by the highly discerning people of Imo State. So, I am not bothered at all. What are the issues that would determine the outcome of the governorship poll in Imo State in 2015? The basic issue is the general consensus of opinion that the Charter of Equity should prevail so that the next governor of the state will come from Owerri

zone where I come from. I do not want to bother myself about the capability of individual aspirants from Owerri zone because we have capable hands. We will present ourselves to the people. Some people say what is needed is a mad man to be able to chase out another mad man. Apart from that I do not personally perceive the incumbent Governor in that light, Imo definitely does not need another mad man as governor assuming that there has ever been one. Once the Charter of Equity is respected, then we zero in on who amongst us contestants in Owerri zone has the required cognate experience to move the state forward. And that’s where people like us present ourselves and I believe that highly discerning people of Imo State will make the proper choice. Yes, we have aspirants from Owerri zone that can be trusted but some animals are more equal than others. Can the PDP triumph against Governor Rochas Okorocha when its house is believed to be in disarray? The PDP is not in any disarray. As I told you earlier, there are challenges no doubt but we are top of the situation. You are a witness to what has happened in the last couple of months. All our leaders and members who left for rival parties have all come back. Conversely, the APC, which is Okorocha’s party, is losing people every day. Let’s see how it goes but there can be no doubt that the PDP will recapture Imo State next year. Do you see anything worthwhile coming out of the ongoing confab? Yes, I am quite optimistic that the confab will bring something that will be adding value to our collective quest for a better Nigeria. Let’s give it chance. Among the delegates are some of the most patriotic and knowledgeable people in Nigeria. What is your take on calls for the entrenchment of fiscal federalism?

First, let me say that to talk about federalism, we have to first and foremost return to true federalism. True federalism means both political and fiscal autonomy to the federating units. It needs no emphasis any longer to say that for Nigeria to move forward, we have to return to true federalism. We have to get back to the type of arrangement that made the former Eastern region, for example, to be the fastest growing economy in Africa. We have to go back to the arrangement that made it possible for the people of the old Western region to build the Cocoa House with only proceeds from the sale of cocoa. We have to return to the arrangement that made the groundnut pyramids possible in the North. It should be clear to everybody that only true federalism can tackle the problem of unemployment successfully. Only true federalism can put back the economy at work because each of the federating units will become more creative as against the current practice were state commissioners for finance file out every month to be handed over cheques from the so-called federation account. So, my take is that fiscal federalism which can only come with true federalism is very much desirable. Do you believe such calls are aimed at side-lining the North from having a good bite on the national cake? That is a big fallacy. On the contrary, it will make every region more buoyant. We saw earlier that it was through true federalism that the North had groundnut pyramids. It has even been discovered that the area has some mineral resources which are either not being tapped at all or not being properly harnessed. This means that the other parts of the country which are not endowed with such resources will depend on the North. The converse is true. Of course, I do not believe the true leaders of the North most of who are very knowledgeable carry such notions in their minds. They know that it is high time they returned to the drawing board, like every other part of the country, to see how the issue of under development can be tackled. The responsibilities on the shoulder of the federal government are so big that even the oil resources cannot carry them. Even the national cake you are talking about, oil resources will one day finish. So, is it not better for each area to begin now to develop alternatives to national cake? Our leaders

should desist from talking about national cake. We should be talking about cake made in our different kitchens, so to speak. Looking at the dearth of infrastructure, insecurity, biting poverty and youth unemployment in the polity, do you believe that President Jonathan has done enough to deserve a second term? I am not one of those who bandy the talk that President Jonathan is not the cause of the current problems and as such he should be exonerated. No. That’s not fair to any leaders. Yes, the current problems did not begin with his regime but he has risen to the challenges. I can bet you that were it not for the approach adopted by the president, the situation would have been worse. The problems facing the country are fundamental and as such, solutions to them have to be fundamental. You do not decree solutions to problems that have been there for decades. And, of course, the more complex a country grows, the move complex its problems become. We should not be looking for a scapegoat in President Jonathan. He is doing quite well and if he seeks for a re-election, which he is entitled to, we should give him in order to allow him more time to carry out the transformation agenda which is very much on course. What is the way out of the menace of insecurity in the polity? The way out is cooperation from every Nigerian. The way out is not to see the matter from a partisan point of view. The socalled opposition believes that if the security problems linger till the next election, it translates into votes or victory for it; that Nigerians will automatically turn to them. That’s a big mistake because they need absolute peace and tranquility in the country to be able to defeat the PDP. So, everybody has to co-operate with federal government. Not being a military or security expert, I am not in a position to go into technical details on what could be done. All I know is that we should take it as a national challenge. If it is true that outsiders are involved, does it not mean that our sense of patriotism should make up sit up to confront this common enemy? The government’s approach may not be error-proof but if we take it as a national issue, we will become more constructive and objective in our appraisal of the situation. That for me is very crucial.

THE GUARDIAN www.ngrguardiannews.com

INTERVIEW Monday, May 26, 2014

INTERVIEW

‘APC doesn’t exist in Ebonyi’ Chief Ugoorji Amaoti is the Ebonyi State chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). The Edda-born politician came into political limelight in 1999 when he was voted by his people to represent them in the state House of Assembly on the platform of the defunct All Peoples Party (APP). He was reelected in 2003, this time on platform of the PDP. In this interview with NNAMDI AKPA in Abakaliki, he speaks on his party and believes that the All Progressives Congress (APC) does not exist in the state. is the political situation of your party PDP after WWeHAT the last election? don’t have APC in Ebonyi State, forget the fact that there is an office where the signboard is APC but the human beings are not there. Since the last election, which was 2011 as usual our party PDP is on ground, and we enjoy support, so no cause for alarm and the party is so confident that it will sweep all elections, whether conducted by INEC or EBIEC, we have done it before. The governor has zoned the governorship position to the southern part of the state. Do you share the same idea with the governor? Our party PDP generally believes in equity and justice, so bringing it down to Ebonyi State that is the statement of our leader the Governor Chief Martins Elechi. The governor is trying to remind us in Ebonyi State of that equity, justice and fairness which means that if there were three zones in the state and if two were to have the opportunity to occupy that position justice and fairness demand that next zone should have it, so that is what the government has just reminded us, just like I said earlier that is what the party stands for. Going by the word of the governor if any candidate from other zones indicated interest to run will the party give such candidate nomination form? Well not to my knowledge because nobody from any of the two zones has come to me or come to the party to tell any official of the party to indicate any interest. The former Chairman of the party, Chief Obinna Ogba, who hails from the same zone with the governor, has indicated interest in running for the governorship position. Will the party sell to him nomination form? I believe that he has been misquoted. Like I said earlier if somebody is a member of this party PDP and has an ambition, the first point of call to express his or her interest should be in this party unless that person is showing that interest in another party. So I think that what you have just said is not the true situation on ground. The ranks of its members believe the party will impose candidates on them during the forthcoming election. This party has a history in Ebonyi State, the history of nonimposition, so what makes everybody think that in this forthcoming election the party will deviate from our normal practice to practice imposition, we don’t do imposition of candidate, rather what we do is that we meet with the party stakeholders and discussion the way forward. We can recall in the time past people reconciled and agreed on a particular candidate, how can a person say it is imposition. Do you see the emergence of APC as a threat to your party especially now the general elections are drawing near? In a situation where our party PDP in Ebonyi State enjoys 99.9 per cent of those that are up to voting age, so what makes you think that APC is on ground and if they even exist, we are not threatened in Ebonyi State by any political party whether they are coming together or not. You said that APC does not exist in the state but the party just concluded both ward and local government congress in the state. That ward congress was announced by the party nationally and we monitored and we never saw any place any congress was held in any ward, any local government, so the congress was done on paper but not in the state. The party is boasting that having won one House of Representative seat and two state Assembly seats in the last election so in the coming election the party will win more seats. The same reason that made it to happen that way also was the same reason and of course it happened in one local government, Ezza North, it is very clear to everybody in Ebonyi State and even beyond that because of what our party PDP is made of, it is not violent, preaches peace, which understands that everybody in Ebonyi State is a human being and cannot be slaughtered in the name of election. During 2011 election you know that in Ezza North, it was almost like a war front. Many people were killed and properties worth millions destroyed, indeed, our party did not lose the election in that area, what really happened was that due to the violent nature of the ANPP then and we are in government we didn’t match violence with violence. What we did was to play down matching violence with violence. They manipulated whatever destroyed our members’ properties, killed some of them, manipulated the result and it was declared in their favour but for now the people of that area are wiser and today they cannot, never be deceived again, they can never allow anybody to perpetuate violence in the area again, they will insist that elections are done and people are allowed free hands to vote for candidates of their choice, that is what they have sworn to

Elechi do when 2015 comes and with that our party has no problem. The people of Ezza North claimed that why they did not vote your party PDP during the last election was that the government at center has done nothing in their area in terms of infrastructural development. Nobody has ever said that. What they have ever confessed was that they were misled and deceived by very few of which they thought they have trusted and they involved their youths into destruction and violence. It was not lack of attention by the government. The opposition has come out to say that this government has done nothing to improve the lives of the people. Well, nobody can ever say that. Remember that in first term of governor the opposition party so to speak were accusing the government that they pursued too many projects that they cannot finish. That was the allegation at of that time, but before their eyes these projects have been completed and before the end of this year every project embarked upon by the administration will be completed. So why will someone say that they do not embark on projects or things that will touch the lives of the people when the same opposition said the government have taken more than they can chew, that they can never complete those projects. So I don’t think anybody that is saying this has ever lived in Ebonyi State. Even last year two teams that visited, which included the minister of information, Mr. Labara Maku and other visitors who have been coming to the state on visit to projects sites were marveled and they cannot believe that the state with little resources can be able to take up such projects. So projects abound that touch the lives of our people directly. The roads, Unity Bridges, general hospitals are scattered everywhere, the two mega water schemes at Oferekpe and Ukawa, the international market, the Ochu Udo City. These are fortunes that directly touch the lives of people, so nobody with right senses will accuse this administration of having not done any project that directly touches the people. Due to Boko Haram insurgency in some parts of the country, there are concerns about the security of Nigeria. Aren’t you worried that there may be security breaches throughout the country? Well, I am much worried like any other patriotic Nigeria. The issue of the insurgency is an issue that should worry everybody and make someone not to have good sleep, but I believe that the Mr. President has the capacity with the security agencies to curtail the insurgents and bring it to a stop and I believe that the security agencies are not resting. They are not relenting until they bring peace and drive the insurgents away. Despite the emergency rule by the Federal Government

Ebonyi PDP Chairman, Amaoti can—-cuts in I disagree with you in this. There is no emergency rule. when you talk about true emergency rule that means the governor is not supposed to be, all the political structures are not supposed to be because if they are that makes it possible for the insurgents to do some few pockets of attacks here and there. That, notwithstanding, I know that the military and security personnel in those areas are not relenting. So our security agencies have failed in curtailing the menace of the insurgents? No, they cannot be said to have failed because it is not outright war and in fact I will even say that the civilians who are supposed to give information have failed to do so. When people from those areas are not coming forward to disclose or give information to security agency it makes their job very difficult but I believe that giving a second thought of these areas the security agencies are trying and they have tried and I have confidence in them that finally they will put a stop to it. The recent N15 billion bond the state borrowed from the capital market has generated disagreements among the political class and keen observers in the state and many believe that the governor has mortgaged the state. Anybody that said that has no information. You see you do not go to capital market to borrow money for nothing. If the capital market decides that those things you want to use the money are okay, that is when they allow it. So it is not possible and does not happen and is not correct that the same project that the other money was borrowed to execute is the same project that this one is being borrowed for and of course apart from the approval from the House to the Assembly that the governor should borrow. The governor in his wisdom some weeks ago had a town hall meeting and the issue of the bond came up and speaker after speaker threw their weights behind the bond; that means it is no longer the governor that wants to borrow, it is now the state persuading the governor to borrow in order to complete sure projects and of course I want to tell you that Ebonyi is still the lowest in the ladder of states that have borrowed. Most people especially the opposition parties say that the governor wants to use the money to finance the coming election. Anybody that alleges that does not know the man. The governor of this state is a selfless man, a man who passes sleepless nights thinking on what to do to improve the standard of living of the people. The governor cannot use public fund to finance election, of course which electio. The party is on ground and does not need to take a loan to finance election.

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PERSPECTIVES

Before Nigeria is torn apart (1) By Esanerovo Agbodo AM writing this piece because I am not tired of INigeria. Nigeria is my country and will continue to be my home. I may travel to other parts of the world and even stay there for a while but that does not stop me from seeing Nigeria as my first home. There is no place like home and situations have proved this saying “there is no place like home” true over and over again, so I stand by Nigeria because Nigeria is my home. Therefore, since Nigeria is my country and home and I have no other, it is pertinent that when critical issues arise, I should meditate, think deeply and propose solutions whether right or wrong. To hold my peace and say after all Nigeria is not my father’s property like some people say is most ungodly and unpatriotic. I therefore enjoin the readers of this piece and other articles I wish to churn out before and perhaps after the confab to meditate on the issues raised and possibly counter my propositions or improve on them by way of suggestions or adding new angles to it. Let’s keep discussing our country and make her the greatest nation on earth. This dream is possible for with God all things are possible.I love Nigeria and I hope you love Nigeria too. Nigeria is our only country, so we must love her, cherish her and build her up to favourably compete with the greatest nations on planet earth. God Bless Nigeria!!! Firstly, l want to share my views on some critical areas that may be discussed, or I feel should be sorted out at the national confab being put together by the federal government. And one of the sensitive areas which I believe every Nigerian should be concerned about is how Nigeria should run her kind of federalism. I have read about different positions taken by Nigerians from far and wide in the National Newspapers and have also listened to divergent views on Radio and Television stations on this subject, however, after careful dissection of the issues at stake, here are my submissions. To begin with, in response to the proposition by some people and ethnic nationalities calling for regional autonomy or a federal or a form of confederation to engender competition and in turn enhance development in Nigeria, my submission is that regionalism or any form of federal structure that recognizes regions as the federating units will divide Nigeria the more so should not be adopted. In fact the problem of Nigeria started from when it was divided into three regions. The regions produced three different characters that rarely had meeting points. Although there was a limited form of development in the Northern,Western and Eastern region then, there was no proper national integration of the different ethnic groups in Nigeria. The making of a nation is not just by driving the infrastructural development of different regions, but there must be a har-

Jonathan monious meeting point for all stakeholders. This can be achieved by effectively integrating the people together in love, in order for them to believe strongly in the ideals of the country and also to have a common national vision and goal. The regional structure could not integrate Nigeria into a nation but instead succeeded in bringing out three visions and goals without strong ideological convergence to make a Nigeria nation. Yes, the United States of America brand of federalism may be working for them and even uniting the people to be more committed to nation building, but that same model will not work in the Nigeria of today. Why? Unlike the United States which is a land of migrants except for the minority Red Indians who are the real natives, Nigeria is a country of native inhabitants, therefore have already different established cultures, traditions and beliefs that make it almost impossible for migrants from other ethnic groups within the state or from other states within Nigeria to be accorded the same recognition and acceptance like the native people. On the other hand, in the United States of America ethnic groups are so integrated and detached from traditional cultures, beliefs and primitive values that they voted Barrack Obama, the son of an African who sojourned in the country some years back as President. The question I want to ask here is , “in the present state of Nigeria,can an Isoko man from Delta State become the Governor of Taraba State even if the Isoko man was born in Taraba State and lived all his life there?” No, he cannot in the present state of Nigeria because most of us still cling to the primitive values of not considering the content of the character of individuals but consider ethnic,religious and selfish interests in taking decisions like electing leaders. This is the present state of Nigeria, so separating the people further through regional federalism should not be encouraged as it will divide the people the more and cause more chaos in the future. In fact, there is the urgent need to break down the thick walls of ethnic nationalities in Nigeria in order to pave the way for the building of a Nigerian nation. Currently,

the bitter truth is that Nigeria is a country of many nations (ethnic groups) having mutual suspicion among each other because of the colonial structures left behind and the lack of a strong and patriotic national leadership immediately after independence to chart a visionary national course. The military coups, counter coups and civil war did not help matters. But all that should make us stronger because there are countries that had worse setbacks yet are very great nations today. The past is past so let us chart a brighter future for ourselves. For Nigeria to become a developed country like other developed countries of the world, we must build Nigeria into a nation where Nigerians will truly share common goals and aspirations without ethnic sentiments, as well as motivate and support citizens to greater heights. In essence, we have to achieve the Nigeria nation first in the sense of the word before real development and patriotism can be achieved. Then, should we fold our hands and wait for Nigeria to become a true nation first before we practice federalism and engage in infrastructural development? No! We can still practice federalism while the country is metamorphosing into a nation, but let it be a brand of federalism that will integrate the ethnic groups into the Nigeria nation and not the form that will further strengthen ethnic groups against the country Nigeria. We must get to a level where Nigerians will see Nigeria first before their ethnic groups. Irrespective of any level of infrastructural development we may achieve If we don’t get to this level of citizens taking Nigeria first, the soul of Nigeria will be weak and once the soul is weak Nigerians will not bond with the Nigerian dream, and hence will not be willing to sacrifice for Nigeria the way the average citizen of the United states will sacrifice for his or her country. Therefore, instead of bringing the Ibos, Yorubas,Hausas, Fulanis and other ethnic groups together in different clusters to form different regions, let people from the same ethnic groups be divided on ideological grounds and also be in different states for the Nigeria nation to survive. Also, let the state of residence as being proposed by the constitutional reform at the National Assembly be adopted and let there be a strong law against discrimination against Nigerian citizens on ethnic basis and let the law be implemented without fear or favour. Let Nigerians feel free to contest elections anywhere in the country without succumbing to intimidation. Let objectivity and national interest drive our decision making processes and let us play down on ethnic divide. After all, we are all from the same ethnic group of Adam and Eve our first parents, so nobody should deceive people to tow selfish lines in the name of supporting one ethnic group against the other. If Nigeria must be called a developed nation one day,let us

take a cue from how the developed nations of today got to where they are. Acting otherwise will mean we are not still serious with achieving a first world Nigeria from its present distant third world position. The message is “Nigerians should say no the regional federalism” at the confab. It is better to strengthen States as federating units. FISCAL FEDERALISM AND USE OF CRUDE OIL PROCEEDS It is my conviction that before any form of resource control is adopted for States, let there be a defined transitional period (may be 5 to 10 years) for States to adjust and create revenues for themselves. Whether we like it or not, the welfare of every Nigerian is important and affects the entire country, so every proposition for fiscal federalism in Nigeria should have a human face and should not be done abruptly. Fiscal federalism is good for national development but the model to adopt should be well crafted not to compromise national unity. Also, I suggest that every state of the Nigeria federation should look inward and increase internal generated revenue to pay workers’ salaries at the state and local government levels while allocations from crude oil sales and sales of solid minerals in the future be used by the federal government solely for infrastructural development, national security,implement social security for the jobless and the elderly, and fund research and development as well as save for future generations. The dependence of states and local governments on crude oil revenue to pay salaries and meet basic needs is making them lazy.Even the federal government should pay workers’ salaries and fund most of its activities with internally generated revenues alone. Proceeds from crude oil or any natural resources will dry up some day, so Nigeria should focus more on building the right environment for the private sector to thrive with this money rather than spending majority of it on unwarranted recurrent expenditures every year. SCRAPPING THE FEDERAL CHARACTER PRINCIPLE Adopting the principle of federal character in employment at federal and states’ institutions, by my understanding is supposed to strengthen the unity of the country by carrying every part of the country along, but in the real sense, it is promoting mediocrity and down playing excellence in Nigeria. The business of managing government is supposed to be reserved for excellent and hard working citizens and not just people who see it as an avenue for whiling away their time. The level and quality of policies emanating from government is a function of the quality of personnel in government, so working for government should not be seen as a career for unserious and lazy people in the name of implementing the federal character principle. Nigeria is competing with the best nations in the world so we must always field our first eleven and not recourse to mediocrity in the name of promoting national unity.To be continued

NNPC and legislative inquisition agenda

Tambuwal

Deziani

By Alexander Ifeanyinchukwu

verifiable fact, however, is that the chief legislator himself has been hopping around the country with chartered jets for his extra-parliamentary political engagements since he came into office but has managed to block any probe into the murky matter of his refusal to utilise the presidential fleet as he is entitled to and instead blow billions of naira on chartered jets without appropriation. The National Assembly Staff Association has been gavelled into silence after repeated alerts about the denial of their due entitlements while legislators indulge themselves in an array of frivolous expenditure on their creature comforts. In the appalling aftermath of the legislators’ scandalous probe into the issue of fuel subsidy, no right thinking Nigerian will fail to see the probity-pursuing pranks of the House of Representatives as nothing but diversionary mischief. The real billion-dollar question the legislators should be answering is why has there been no tangible positive outcome of their probes, several of which have no reports to justify the effort? There can be no argument against instituting a culture of transparency and accountability in all aspects of governance. The NNPC has always attended to the incessant and often unnecessary summons from the House of Representatives, which, regrettably, have rarely been well-intentioned inquiries about addressing numerous formidable challenges facing the nation’s petroleum sector and the NNPC. The posture of the legislators in relating with the NNPC can only be compared with the prejudiced stance of a predator towards a prey! In this case it is a prey that is already at the mercy of the predator, because the legislature’s oversight functions are constitutionally backed. However, the tendency to adopt a hostile attitude of fault-finding, public ridicule and presumptuous guilt is contrary to the principle of fairness and due process, particularly involving two institutions of government, not friend and foe! • Ifeanyinchukwu is a journalist and analyst.

says a lot about the disIofTconnect between the House Representatives and the state of the nation that at a time of tense concern about threats to internal security and territorial integrity, it can only think of resuming the petty inquisition against the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) that has ridiculed the legislators’ sense of purpose. While delegates to the National Conference have been coming up with ground-breaking proposals on several unresolved issues of national interest, the lower chamber is pre-occupied with probing the rumoured hiring of a jet for the petroleum minister for N10bn, cost equivalent to the purchase price of a fleet of executive jets. No wonder, serious minded patriotic Nigerians have since switched off the legislators pedestrian proceedings to focus instead on the mature and meaningful discussions at the National Conference. From all indications therefore, the circus of legislative victimisation of ministers whose portfolios are of pecuniary interest will be far removed from public attention for glaring reason of irrelevance. The legislators’ reputation for vindictive vendetta will be highlighted only within their chambers as Nigerians are generally sick and tired of what is obviously a witchhunt disguised as oversight that has consistently fizzled out in a fiasco of falsified figures and discredited informants. It is too soon to forget how the legislators surrendered their onerous responsibilities to the ulterior motives of a former CBN Governor to fling mud at NNPC’s management, until it back-fired embarrassingly with the “whistle blower” apologising for dishing out misleading figures. Rather than redeeming their chambers by retrieving their oversight duties from charlatans, the legislators succumbed to renewed partisan manipulation to promote a ridiculous rumour of N10 billion bill on hired jet to the order paper for their attention. What is not a rumour but

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86 NEWS Monday, May 26, 2014

AREPO PIPELINE EXPLOSION

ANALYSIS

Appraising CBN’s ‘Know Your Customer’s’ Requirments Campaign By Anthony Otaru ODAY, nations all over the world are beginning to adopt variT ous measures aimed at protecting their economies against total collapse and stagnation which has in the past inflicted pains and anguish on humanity as a result of the global financial meltdown that swept across the universe some few years back. Nigeria, as one of the emerging economies in Sub-Sahara Africa was not left out of the global financial downturn. However, many financial analysts have in turn, believed that financial inclusion model will help to bridge the gaps that led to the meltdown if properly handled. Presently, financial inclusion has continued to assume increasing recognition across the globe among the policy makers, researchers and development oriented agencies. Its importance derives from the promise it holds as a tool for economic development, particularly in the areas of poverty reduction, employment generation, wealth creation, improving welfare and general standard of living. A survey conducted in Nigeria in 2008 by a development finance organization – the Enhancing Financial Innovation and Access, revealed that about 53.0percent of adults were excluded from financial services. The global pursuit of financial inclusion as a vehicle for economic development had a positive effect in Nigeria as the exclusion rate reduced from 53.0percent in 2008 to 463percent in 2010. Encouraged by the positive development, the Central Bank of Nigeria [CBN], in collaboration with stakeholders launched the National financial inclusion Strategy on 23rd October, 2012 aimed at further reducing the exclusion rate by 20percent in 2020. Specifically, the numbers of adult Nigerians with access to payment services is expected to increase from 21percent in 2010 to 70percent in 2020 while those with access to savings should in-

crease from 24percent to 60percent and credit from 2percent to 40percent.Insurance from 1percent to 40percent while Pensions from 5percent to 40percent within the same period. It is obvious that one of the major tools put in place by the Nigeria’s apex bank – CBN is the Tierred Know Your Customer [TKY], Requirements. Others however, includes,-Agent banking, Financial Literacy, Consumer Protection, Linkage banking, Implementation of the MSME development Fund and the Credit Enhancement Programme . The major objective of this proposed approach is to promote and deepen financial inclusion. The ‘’tierred’’ KYC requirement regime will also ensure application of flexible account opening requirements for Low-value and Medium value accounts . These are subjects to cap s and restrictions as the amounts of transactions increases .In other-words, the account opening requirements will increase progressively with less restriction on operations. In all, the target of this proposed approach is to promote and deepen financial inclusion in the country. The CBN website on financial inclusion stated that ‘’the structure ensures that the accounts remain attractive to customers of different socio-economic levels while close watch is kept on the risk involved’’ To successfully drive home the KYC approach, it is important to know that maximum deposits and balances are specified only for the low-value and medium-value categories of accounts. In compliance with and in the spirit of the CBN monetary policy and financial inclusion, there shall be no minimum opening amount for accounts in all the levels. In addition to the proposed limits and caps, the addition, safeguards to further reduce the risk of money laundering & financing of terrorism include account monitoring by the financial institutions for suspicious transactions. Again, financial institutions are required to have robust, effective

and efficient AML/CFT solutions with screening tools in place that will monitor the various thresholds. All accounts, no matter how low the transaction or risks, must be subjected to continuous suspicious transactions monitoring by financial institutions which will determine when incremental KYC requirements need to be provided by the customers. As a result of above, financial institutions are required to designate and dedicate monitoring officers in their Compliance Departments for consistent and regular monitoring of all transactions. In other words, to facilitate the effective implementation of the regime and achievement of the objective of financial inclusion, the Tierred KYC requirements regimes envisaged the use of banks agents and mobile banking portals to reach a wider segment of the society that otherwise have no access to financial services. This concept, has therefore, called for the introduction of agentbanking in Nigeria as the best practice The definition of a ‘’Banking agent’’ is as contained in the CBN Guideline for the Regulation of Agent Banking Relationship in Nigeria. Non-compliant financial institutions would, however, be sanctioned in line with the provision of extant laws and regulations. In financial circles, it is believed that if properly implemented, the policy will have positive impact in the financial market by making account opening and operation more attractive and appealing to the masses in view of the simpler and fewer requirements involved. It would also help to reduce administrative cost for banks as it will involve online account opening, few paper filling and reporting among others. As laudable as the policy appears to be, some financial experts have also argued that the high rate of illiteracy, poor electricity supply, lack of adequate sensitization as well as insecurity in the land should be seen as a big minus for the successful implementation of the policy in Nigeria.

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Clarion Chukwurah is best actress at AMAA, as Anyiam Osigwe bows out By Chuks Nwanne and Shaibu Husseini AVING contributed immensely to the development of the Nigerian film industry, otherwise known as Nollywood, fortune finally smiled on actress Clarion Chukwurah as she emerged best actress on the continent at the 2014 edition of the Africa Movie Academy Awards (AMMA), held at the weekend. More so, in an emotional valedictory speech, the founder and Chief Executive Officer of the awards, Peace Anyiam Osigwe, colourfully stepped down as Chief Executive Officer of AMAA after 10 years on the saddle. At the event, which held at the Gabriel Okara Cultural Centre in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, Chukwurah clinched

the award for her outstanding role in a movie, Apaye - The mother’s love, beating such other contenders as Uche Nnadili (B For Boy), Linda Sokhulu (Felix), Chioma Chukwuka-Akpotha (Accident), Joselyn Dumas (Northern Affair), and Uche Jombo, Monalisa Chinda and Daniella Okeke (Lagos Cougar). Also, popular Nollywood actress, Patience Ozokwo, emerged Best Actress In A Supporting Role for her performance in the movie, After The Proposal. Popularly known as Mama G, Mrs. Ozokwor, who picked the award alongside his son, dedicated her achievement to her late husband for his support and encouragement. Aside both actresses, Nigeria also registered presence at

the 10th anniversary edition, winning prizes for achievement in Best Documentary (Portraits of a Lone Farmer), Best Film In African Language (B For Boy), Achievement In Soundtrack (Onye Ozi), Achievement In Visual Effect (A Mile From Home) and award for Best Nigerian Film (Accident). Meanwhile, popular actor and aide to Governor Willie Obiano of Anambra State on Entertainment, Bob Manuel Udokwu, was presented with the AMAA Special Jury honour for his contribution to the African movie industry in general and Nigeria in particular. However, South Africa dominated the awards ceremony, winning 10 awards, including the biggest of the night, AMAA 2014 Award For Best Film (Of Good Report). The movie also

got the Rainbow Nation’s additional four crests in Achievement In Screen Play, Best Young/Promising Actor (Petronella Tshuma), Best Actor In A Leading Role (Mothusi Magano), and Best Director (Jamil X.T Quebeka). As expected, the country also won the awards for Best Animation (Khumba), Achievement In Make-Up (Once Upon A Road Trip), Achievement In Cinematography (The Forgotten Kingdom), Achievement In Sound (The Forgotten Kingdom), and Best Actor In A Supporting Role (Thapelo Mofekeng). Ghana’ Shirley Frimpong Manso’s film, Potomanto, won the award for Achievement in Editing, while Northern Affair, a Leila Djansi film, made it double for Ghana with the award

in the Achievement In Production Design category. In his welcome address, Governor of Bayelsa State, Seriake Dickson, represented by his deputy, Rear Admiral John Jonah (rtd), expressed joy for the role the state has played in the growth of AMAA over the years, adding that the relationship has truly benefited the state, especially in talent development and job creation. He commended the AMAA team for its efforts at building a brand that has succeeded in putting Africa on the international platforms, with international visitors and tourists participating every year. Also speaking at the event, Anyiam Osigwe paid tribute to the late Amaka Igwe, who was a member of AMAA Jury till her death. She described the late

filmmaker as a thoroughbread and a sister, who has left an indelible mark on the sands of time in the area of filmmaking. Describing the awards as a viable platform that projects the African film industry to Africa and the rest of the world, the filmmaker noted: “This is a celebration of African heritage and culture, and reaching our 10th anniversary is without doubt a testimony to resilience of human spirit and determination.” She added: “Over the years, I’ve been doing the show side of the industry. Now is the time to do the business. However, even as I step down as the CEO, I will always be involved in the AMAA project and also make my contributions.”

Former Chief of Staff to President Goodluck Jonathan, Chief Mike Oghiadomhe(left); Chairman of the occasion, Dr. Imo Itsueli; Minister of Works and representative of President Goodluck Jonathan, Mike Onolememen and Governor of Kogi State; Capt Wada Idris( rtd) during the thanksgiving ceremony of Oghiadomhe in Fugar, Edo State… at the weekend.

Clarion Chukwurah

Anatomy of selfless service (1) By Harrison Arubu ’m uncomplicated and loyal to my friends. I share with all, irrespective of whom we are or where we come from.” Sir Itiako Constantine Ikpokpo is one man whose story cannot be told without the teller passing for a sycophant in the twisted estimation of the ungrateful. But those privileged to have met and associated with Malik, as he is fondly called, will agree that he deserves a better representation than this. Malik is a case study in selflessness, an epitome of integrity, an embodiment of humility, a man of wise words, a Knight of faith, a charismatic leader and a strident advocate of good governance. Those who know him speak of an uncommonly generous man imbued with the passion for selfless service to humanity. Malik is an ardent apostle of the philosophy that the welfare of man is the beginning and end of human development desires. True to the opening self-descriptive extract from his Facebook profile page, he has positively touched the lives of many too numerous to mention. Testimonies

“I

abound that nothing gives Malik joy than putting smiles on faces around him. Beneficiaries of his generosity, many of whom are students, are legion, including total strangers. However, Malik has nothing tangible to show for his good deeds, be it documented reports or awards of recognition by individuals or groups. The reason for this is not far-fetched. Unlike the typical Nigerian that delights in media publicity and selfpraise, Malik would rather not make noise about his humanitarian activities. “I don’t think people should brag about what they have done. Let others speak for you,” he tells whoever cares to listen. Those around him are full of glowing tales about a man silent in selfpraise but loud in philanthropy. A native of Uro-Irri in Isoko South Local Government Area of Delta State, Malik is the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Dunamis-Icon Ltd, a thriving consultancy, event management and transportation company with offices in Lagos, Abuja, PortHarcourt, Asaba, Warri and Owerri. He is the second among six children born to Chief

Dominic Ikpokpo and Chief (Mrs) Rose Mamoke Ikpokpo nee Efeturi, both educationists. While his father retired as a Deputy Director from the Federal Ministry of Education, his mother is still in service as a teacher. Obviously, they are the source of his high moral discipline and passion for education. Malik had his secondary education at two prestigious Federal Government Colleges, one at Azare, Bauchi State, and the other at Idoani, Ondo State. He proceeded to the University of PortHarcourt (UNIPORT), Rivers State, where he bagged a Bachelor of Arts (Hons) in History. While at UNIPORT, his political and leadership skills came to the fore when he contested and won as President of the institution’s Student Union Government, thus making him one of the few non-indigenes to clinch the exalted office. Expectedly, Malik’s rise to the helm did not come cheap. He had to swim against a heavy tide of tribal and ethnic sentiments from the powers that be. But this was nothing compared to the brush he later had with management for firmly standing up in de-

fence of the students’ rights. His demands were simple: early release of results, stable water and electricity supply, decent accommodation and other normal basic needs of students. Yet, the system felt he was asking for too much. With this noble cause came a price: victimisation. But this was not enough to extinguish the positive Aluta fire in his bones. In the face of adversity, he remained courageous, focussed and committed to the task of redefining student unionism. Today, Malik is a subject of heroic folk tales among students of that institution. On completion of his youth service with the Nigeria Television Authority (NTA) in Uyo, the Akwa Ibom State capital, Malik, who had started life long before then, joined Red Sapphire Nigeria Limited, a consultancy firm based in Abuja as Business Development Manager. He resigned two years later to join the Federal Public Service and was attached to the National Assembly, Abuja, as Administrative Officer 1. However, public service did not give the entrepreneurial giant within him enough space to breathe. He broke out of prison; resignation

that is, to found DunamisIcon, which on its own, is a story of his uncommon managerial acumen. Malik is an excellent manager of men and time. To his employees, he is more of a father, brother, partner, friend and motivator than a boss. They speak of a highly principled employer whose watchwords are efficiency, hardwork and integrity. He shares in their pains and joys. Here lies the secret of DunamisIcon’s success story. Malik’s tentacles transcend the world of business management and consultancy. In the social and political spheres, his name rings a bell. He is a consummate politician and stalwart of the ruling People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in Delta State with a strong political base in Isoko South. He has served the PDP in various capacities, including as member of its primary election committees in several local government areas of the state. Malik is currently the Special Assistant to celebrated sports administrator and respected party leader in Delta State, Chief Solomon Ogba, who he describes as his political mentor and pillar of support. The trite notion that

Nigerian politicians are desperate for power does not hold true for Malik. To him, political power is an avenue not just to advance the cause of human development but also to enhance societal unity and cohesion. This philosophy, combined with an unwavering loyalty to his party, accounts for why he is yet to hold any appointive or elective political office. Twice (that is in 2007 and 2011) he vied for the PDP ticket to represent his constituency at the state House of Assembly, and on both occasions, he sacrificed his personal ambitions on the altar of party unity, equity, justice and fairness which are cardinal principles of the PDP. As a committed party faithful, it obviously did not matter much whether he got the ticket or not, but that whoever emerged at the end, the main issue was getting the job done. For him, politics is a critical avenue for enhancing the scope of communal service and good governance. “I am a political realist and progressive. What matters to me in politics is the amount of development one is able to attract to the people”, he says of his political philosophy. •Arubu is of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN)

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Sports Ethiopians, Kenyans register for Aba Marathon

Countdown To Brazil 2014 World Cup

Eagles off to England, meet Scotland on Wednesday By Christian Okpara HE Super Eagles will T begin their final preparation for the Brazil 2014 World Cup today in England, with their first training session scheduled for this morning in London. The coaches, led by Stephen Keshi and five home-based players in the provisional 30-man squad for the Mundial Coupe left Nigeria yesterday morning and arrive in London in the afternoon. They were expected to be joined by the rest of the squad in preparing for a friendly game against Scotland on Wednesday. The players in the trip to London include Ogenyi Onazi, Victor Obinna Nsofor, Ahmed Musa, Michael Uchebo, Godfrey Oboabona, Gabriel Reuben, Juwon Oshaniwa, Efe Ambrose, Sunday Mba, Daniel Akpeyi, Chigozie Agbim, Ejike Uzoenyi, Kunle Odunlami and Azubuike Egwuekwe. According to the team’s Media Officer, Ben Alaiya, the team will train in the outskirts of London today before relocating to Fulham Football Club’s ground for final preparation for the game. The international friendly with Scotland will hold at Fulham’s Craven Cottage ground.

Some members of the squad were already waiting for the home-based team at their London hotel camp, the latest arrival being Michael Babatunde, Ramon Azeez and Emmanuel Emenike. The other members of the team, according to Alaiya, were expected to arrive the hotel before dinner last night. According to Alaiya, “Camp mood is already gay with Lazio of Italy midfielder, Ogenyi Onazi keeping ribs cracking with jokes. It has always been his character to be jovial and even immigration officials in Abuja and London got a dose of Onazi’s jokes. “Turkey based defender, Godfrey Oboabona, also set the business mood in camp alive when he said the World Cup is a place to showcase true skills and he will do everything within his powers to be part of the final 23-man list for the Mundial Coupe in Brazil. Babatunde Michael, who was the first player to arrive camp, also spoke in a similar vein, assuring that he will give his all to be part of the Nigerian team to the World Cup. The team will have its first training session for the friendly on Monday evening, with all the 30 players invited for the World Cup preparation expected to take part. The team is putting up at the

HERE are strong indicaT tions that the second edition of the annual Aba Marathon Race will be attended by big names in the sports, as top stars from Ethiopia, Kenya, Cameroun and Ghana have indicated interest to join the fray. Disclosing this in a chat in Abuja, Consultant to the event, Seye Adebayo, however, said organizers are still working with sponsors to arrive at the number of foreign stars that will participate in the annual race. “Marathoners from many African countries have indicated interest to participate but we are yet to give them the green light. We want to streamline things after getting the sponsors, but we have received interest from Cameroon, Kenya, Ghana and Ethiopia. “Right now we are looking for sponsors because as you are all aware, this is a capital intensive project that needs huge amount of money to prosecute, and our organisation is a young company but we saw the need to organise this event.

The Super Eagles resumed camping for the Brazil 2014 World Cup…yesterday.

Westerhof, ex-Eagles for Bralex Football M Talent Hunt By Adeyinka Adedipe Super Eagles coach, FoneORMER Clemence Westerhof, is of the high profile coaches that would take part in the Bralex Reality Football talent hunt which is expected to hit the screen in July.

U.S, France, 13 others enter for Lagos International Badminton Classics NITED States, France and 13 others have confirmed U their participation in the Lagos International Badminton Classics scheduled to hold on June 4 to 7 at the Mobolaji Johnson Sports Centre, Rowe Park. The tournament sanctioned and listed by the world badminton ruling body Badminton Word Federation (BWF), has an International Challenge with prize money

$15,000. As the highest category of championship ever hosted by any African country, the Confederation of Africa Badminton has also backed the tournament, as its attendance is also the highest for any badminton international championship in Africa. Among the 15 nations already confirmed for the competition, five African nations made up of Botswana, South Africa,

Why we supported DAWN Games, by Honeywell

Uganda, Ghana and host – Nigeria will join teams from Europe and America. France will lead the teams from Europe, while others are Austria, Italy, Israel, Slovakia, and Czech Republic. The remaining countries are Canada, United States, India and New Zealand. Four events - men’s single, women’s single, men’s doubles, women’s doubles and mixed doubles will be competed for at the championship.

According to the orgaisers, Bralex Nigeria Limited, the first part of the programme, Bralex Football Scholars, involving student between the ages of 15 and 17 years, will see former Super Eagles stars coaching 32 teams that would be formed after registration. The registration begins on July 2 at Fidelity Bank branches allover the country. The second part, Bralex Football Trials, will involve the selection of 22 players, between the ages of 18 and 25 years. The players would have the opportunity to train for two weeks at Vitesse Arnhem in Holland and also in Germany and Belgium. Chief Executive Officer of the outfit, Emmanuel Okpe, said the programme would showcase the tactical and technical acumen of the former internationals who would be in charge of the scouting, training and selection of their

teams for the reality show, while exposing football talents to modern football technique. He said the programmes were designed to empower and help average Nigerian players get an opportunity to showcase their football talents by offering United Kingdom educational scholarship and a football career in UK football academies for the Bralex Football Scholars, while there is a three-nation tour of Netherland, Germany and Belgium for the Bralex Football Trials. Initiator of the programme, Samuel Bob-Manuel said the initiative was aimed at grooming a generation of aspiring and disciplined footballers, while stimulating both real and ideal realities in football academics in Europe, with the intention of adding value to the standard of Nigerian football.

ANAGING Director, Honeywell Flour Mills Plc, Lanre Jaiyeola, has described sports as a unifying national factor and a major developmental tool, saying the company will continue to support good cause in Nigeria through sponsorship of sporting events and other laudable programmes. The presence of the company was visibly felt during the grand finale of the maiden Development Agenda for Western Nigeria (DAWN) Games, held at the Teslim Balogun Stadium, Lagos, on Friday and where Lagos State top the medal table. Jaiyeola said sport has proved overtime to be a major unifier loved by everyone irrespective of race, creed and religious leanings. Honeywell, according to him, will continue to support sporting activities especially those that have bearing with educational development in the state and Nigeria in general.

World Relays: Jamaica break 4x200m world record men broke the dredths of a second with a Williams, Desiree Henry perJ20AMAICA’S 4x200m world record, set time of 1min 18.63sec, coming forming well in the heat. Bianca Williams replaced years ago by the USA, on

Director General, DAWN Games, Dipo Famakinwa (left), Lagos State Deputy Governor, Mrs. Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire, Governor of Lagos State, Raji Babatunde Fashola and Lagos State Team captains during the presentation of trophy to the winner of South-West secondary school games, which ended in Lagos…at the weekend.

the opening night of the inaugural IAAF World Relays in the Bahamas. Great Britain made a solid if unspectacular start to the championships, qualifying from each of their respective heats ahead of yesterday’s finals and finishing fifth in the women’s 4x100m final. Yohan Blake led Jamaica down the home straight to break the existing 4x200m world record by five hun-

off the back of previous legs by Nickel Ashmeade, Warren Weir and Jermaine Brown. There was another world record set on the night, Kenya’s 4x1500m women beat the previous time by more than 30 seconds, securing an emphatic victory in 16:33.58. For Britain, it was a reasonably positive night. Their 4x100m women clocked a steady time of 43.20 to qualify for the final as winners – Asha Philip, Anyika Onuora, Jodie

Onuora for the final, but some poor baton exchanges cost them. Christine Ohuruogu was not selected in the 4x400m women’s heat although she is expected to feature in the lineup for the final. The team of Eilidh Child, Shana Cox, Emily Diamond – in her debut senior run – and Margaret Adeoye clocked a time of 3:27.30, finishing behind USA and Jamaica.

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UEFA Champions League in Pictures

Real Madrid players celebrate their UEFA Champions League final win with fans at Cibeles Square in Madrid on Saturday after the match against Atletico Madrid held at the Luz Stadium in Lisbon, Portugal. Real Madrid won 4-1.

Real Madridâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s defender Pepe (left) forward Cristiano Ronaldo (centre), midfielder Nacho (second right), defender Fabio Coentrao (right) celebrate their UEFA Champions League final win with fans at Cibeles Square.

Real Madrid Fans cheer team their team after the win

Real Madridâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s assistant manager, Zinedine Zidane (left) and Argentine midfielder, Angel di Maria celebrate their victory at the end of the UEFA Champions League Final on Saturday

Atletico Madrid celebrate a team goal as they watch on a big screen at the Vicente Calderon Stadium in Madrid on Saturday PHOTOS: AFP

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DStv BL: Kano Pillars suffer first defeat to Mentors By Adeyinka Adedipe EFENDING Champions, D Kano Pillars, suffered their first defeat in the 11week old DStv Premier Basketball League when it succumbed to the superior firepower of Mark Mentors Basketball Club in Abuja. The game ended 76-74. Despite the defeat, Pillars still lead the Savannah Conference table with 10 wins from 11 games, while Mentors occupy the second position with nine wins from 11 games, same as third place, Gombe Bull, who also beat Bauchi Nets 58-46 in Bauchi. In other games played in the Savannah Conference, Plateau Peaks defeated Kada Stars 66-59, while Niger

Potters crushed Nigeria Immigration 60-54. Mentors coach, Peter Ahmedu, commended the team for the famous victory and said that the players would become better before the final eight play off in Lagos. He told The Guardian that his team led with 16 points going into the third quarter, but allowed Pillars to take the lead with five minutes to the end of the game. He, however, praised his players for regaining the initiative and winning the game. In the Atlantic Conference, Union Bank Basketball Club moved to the top of the table after beating Dodan Warriors 72-71 in a highly entertaining game.

Dodan Warriors are now second with seven wins from 11 games, while Oluyole Warriors, who dismissed Islanders 74-54 in Ibadan, occupy the third position with Islanders moving down to the fourth position after staying on top of the log for several weeks. Fifth-placed Nigeria Custom humbled Royal Hooper 73-66 in Port Harcourt to confine Hoopers to their ninth defeat in 11 games. Kwara Falcons also beat Police Baton at the sports hall of the National Stadium to stay sixth on the log, while Baton occupies the last position and are in relegation troubles with three games to the end of the regular season.

Keshi, Amokachi, Echiejile now Pepsi ambassadors UPER Eagles’ Head Coach, “When I am on national sion, Marketing Manager Sorchestrated Stephen Keshi, who duties, I always make sure I forPepsiCo, Mr. Shakeel Nigeria’s win put in my best and when Akram said, “Pepsi has had

Arnold Yacoubou of Union Bank going for a dunk against Dodan Warriors during the 2014 Nigeria DStv Premier Basketball League held at the Indoor Sports Hall of National Stadium, Surulere. Union Bank won by 72-71 points.

Six winners emerge in TAN’s World Cup draw IX winners have emerged SAmbassadors in the Transformation of Nigeria (TAN) World Cup draws, which took place at Nigeria Television of Nigeria (NTA) studios in Abuja yesterday. The winners are James Benjamin from Adamawa State with telephone number O8035238276, Sobaikibina Godswill Doubra from Bayelsa State with telephone number 07063200179, Ashiru Kehinde from Ogun State with telephone number 08035132185, Tsarba Pogu from Borno Sate with 08065702910, Obed Christopher from Plateau State with telephone number 07068239163 and Emeka

Odidika .E from Anambra with telephone number 08032449947. Coordinator of the event tagged, ‘Fly Me To Brazil, Waidi Akanni said the final draw to decide six other winners would take place at the same venue on Wednesday. He said that all the 12 winners are expected to converge in TAN’s office in Maitama in Abuja on Thursday. The winners will embark on an all expenses paid 12-day trip to Brazil to cheer the Eagles to victory. To qualify for the raffle draw, according to the former Super Eagles’ player, participants should log on to TAN’S facebook page,

MRS U-12 football tournament final holds tomorrow OMORROW at the tion is to discover young talT Campus Stadium in Lagos ented players who will repIsland, as the final of the 2nd resent the country in future MRS U-12 football championship holds. The competition with kicked on May 11 with 64 teams across Lagos. The champion of this year’s will be decided within 90minutes when Greater Tomorrow FC of Ebutte Metta, will be slogging it out with De-Grace FC of Lagos Island for the ultimate diadem. Speaking ahead of the final, Managing Director of MRS, Paul Bissohong, commended the efforts of the organisers - the National Youth Soccer Association (NYSA), adding that it is imperative for Nigeria to develop players from their young age. “The aim of the competi-

international competitions and enable them to kick start their dreams. The phrase for this year’s edition is ‘Kick Starting Dreams”,” he said. In his remarks, Chairman of NYSA, Samuel Omolola, commended the sponsors of the competition for making it a reality to host this year’s edition. “With this competition, many talented kids will have another opportunity to showcase their talents, at the same time building up their careers. So we at the association will continue to pitch our tents in making sure that we discover more stars and build them for the future”, he noted.

www.facebook.com/tannigeria, sign up and answer six simple questions. Also, participants can also visit TAN’s website, www.tan.org.ng/brazil to also answer questions and qualify for the draws. Akanni stated that TAN is offering Nigerians the chance to cheer the Super Eagles to victory without paying their way to Brazil.

at the African Cup of Nations last year, was at the weekend unveiled as a brand ambassador to one of the world’s leading beverage brand, Pepsi. Keshi alongside his assistant coach, Daniel Amokachi and full back, Elderson Echiejile, were unveiled amidst cheers from the audience at an event tagged the “Pepsi Samba Party”. The inclusion of these new stars to Pepsi’s existing lineup of football ambassadors, including Victor Moses and Peter Osaze Odemwingie, creates one of the most multi-talented and iconic line ups ever. In appreciation, the “big boss,” as Keshi is called, thanked Pepsi for being a major supporter of the beautiful game of soccer and sports in Nigeria.

Yobo pledges total support for Keshi Eagles captain, SchiefUPER Joseph Yobo, has hailed coach, Stephen Keshi, over the 30-man provisional list for the World Cup. Speaking from his base, Yobo was particularly appreciative that the coach showed utmost confidence in him. His words: “I want to thank Big Boss for believing in me. I have tried to be a bit silent

in recent times because I want to do my talking on the pitch. I will pay the coach back on the pitch,” he said. He thanked God for his playing career so far, adding, “I give God the glory for coming this far in my career. It wouldn’t have been possible coming this far without his favours shinning on me,” he concluded.

the going gets tough on the pitch, that’s when I dig deep and bring out something I never knew was there. We may be very few on the pitch of play but we realize that our team actually comprises of 160 million Nigerian fans, who always support and cheer us on. Pepsi is a great brand and I am happy and honoured to be associated with it.” Head of Marketing, Seven Up Bottling Company Plc, Mr. Norden Thurston, said, “Here in Nigeria, the passion for football knows no bounds. With Pepsi’s fantastic new line up this passion is set to rise higher than ever before as fans and consumers from across the country identify with Pepsi football stars they admire” He went on to add that “Keshi and our other brand ambassadors have always made us proud and it was now their moment to shine.” Commenting on the occa-

a tremendous relationship with football, going back nearly 15 years. Our most impressive Pepsi football roster yet comprising of these stars truly embody our brand spirit. With the exciting plans for Pepsi football we have lined up, we can’t wait to see fans live for now and enjoy the very best of this beautiful game”. Pepsi also presented coach Keshi and their football stars with a memento of one million goodwill messages signed by Nigerian football fans from across the country. The music industry was fully represented by Pepsi Music Ambassadors: Tiwa Savage, Wizkid and Lynxxx alongside Praize, who thrilled the audience with their sonorous tunes. The event was also graced by king of galala music, Daddy Showkey, Banky W, the “Kedike” crooner, Chidinma, Sean Tizzle and other celebrities.

Chukwumerije canvasses private sector support for taekwondo • Hails Zuma Energy for backing team to Tunis EIJING Olympics bronze B medalist, Chika Chukwumerije, has called on the private sector to

3. Uche Chukwumerije testing the Daedo Electronic Vest of his opponent at the start of the quarterfinals of the just-concluded Africa Senior Taekwondo Championships held in Tunis, Tunisia.

financially support taekwondo in discovering, engaging, encouraging and exposing upcoming athletes. Speaking on the backdrop of the three bronze medals won by the five-man team that represented Nigeria at the Africa Senior Taekwondo Championships, held in Tunis, Tunisia a fortnight ago, Chukwumerije lauded the support the team got from Abuja-based Zuma Energy Nigeria Limited for taking the initiative to throw its weight behind the team to the tournament. Members of the team included current African Games Gold Medallists, Uche Perez Chukwumerije and Jamilu Mohammed, three-time Olympian, Chika Chukwumerije, African medallists, Sunday Onofe and Joy Ekhator.

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Countdown To Brazil 2014 World Cup

Enyeama’s award a boost for Eagles’ image, says Shorunmu By Alex Monye Eagles’ goalkeeper ShasUPER trainer, Ike Shorunmu, heaped praises on Nigeria’s first choice goaltender, Vincent Enyeama, for winning the Mark Vivien Foe Africa’s best player based in France and also for being among the 11 players in the French league this season. Shorunmu said he believes the award has sent a strong signal to the other nations competing in the World Cup that the Eagles are coming to Brazil with quality players. He told The Guardian yesterday that Enyeama's per-

formance in the French league has also indicated to the Eagles’ opponents in the World Cup that they are in for a big challenge in the area of goal scoring. Shorunmu reassured Nigerians that Coach Stephen Keshi would not pick players that has nothing to offer at the Mundial Coupe, stressing that all the players, including goalkeepers, would be strictly monitored in training. “Enyeama has made Nigerians proud by winning this award. This award came at the right time when the team is preparing for the World Cup. “As African champions,

Enyeama’s award has shown the world that Nigeria is not coming to Brazil with players that are not fit to compete with the rest of the world. In fact, his award will play a key role in making our opponents understand that they will not find it easy in terms of goal scoring. “All the keepers invited are equally good enough to mount the sticks because of their performance in club engagements,” he said, adding, “in terms of team selection, Keshi is on top of the situation as he has tasked all the players to step up their game if they wished to be in his final squad. “At the end of the day, the technical crew will not disappoint Nigerians. All we pray is for the players not to have injury,'' he declared.

Enyeama.

15 months after, Delta yet to finish renovation on Stephen Keshi stadium From Hendrix Oliomogbe, Asaba IFTEEN months after Delta State Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan renamed the Asaba Township Stadium after Super Eagles Coach, Stephen Keshi, renovation on the arena has almost grounded.

At a reception organised for the victorious national football team on February 14 last year in Asaba shortly after Nigeria won the African Cup of Nations in South Africa, Uduaghan promised to finish works on the stadium, which he promptly named after

Glo hinges Eagles’ success in Brazil on discipline AJOR sponsor of Nigeria’s M national teams, Globacom says the Super

Deputy Chairman, Federal House of Representatives Committee on Finance, Abayomi Ogunnusi (right), with the coordinator of Ogunnusi Unity Cup, Surajudeen Alao, when the lawmaker handed over the trophy for this year’s tournament in Lagos… last weekend.

Lagos now Nigeria's sports hub, says Oshodi HE Lagos State Commissioner for Youth, Sports and Social Development, Wahid Enitan Oshodi, has said that the government of Governor Babatunde Raji Fashola has through sports turned the state a Nigeria sports fun and sports fair. Speaking at the press briefing of the third year anniversary of the second term of Governor Fashola in office in Alausa on Thursday, Oshodi said that a lot of thing is going on for good for sports in Lagos with policy direction that encourage public/private partnership initiative ever known of in the country's sports today. He said: "The government has through sports made Lagos a destination for sports fair in Nigeria.

Through its continued partnership with the private sector, the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Social Development has continued to organise, encourage and draw some sporting activities to the 'Centre of Excellence. We have over time made Lagos the hub for international tournaments." Such tournaments include the yearly Governor's Cup Lagos Tennis Championship and the Lagos Sports Classics where at least nine international sports events are being organised since last year. He said the list of partners continues to grow as the ministry now boasts of regular activities, most of which are partly sponsored by one organisation or the other as part of their corporate social responsibility.

Eagles can go far at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil if they imbibed discipline as a virtue. In a statement on Wednesday, the outfit said lack of discipline had in the past adversely affected the chances of teams or clubs at major tournaments and prevented them from winning trophies. The company called on Super Eagles’ coaches to enforce strict discipline in the team’s camp as they step up preparation for the World Cup. The team will begin camping on May 25 and will face the Scottish national team in a friendly match on May 28 in London.

All the invited players are expected in camp before the deadline of May 26 set by the coach, Stephen Keshi, while the match will take place at the Craven Cottage ground of English Championship side, Fulham. “Our confidence in the capability of the Super Eagles to fly the Nigerian national flag at the World Cup remains unequivocal. Our conviction that the national team will do well at the Mundial coupe is obviously reinforced by the fact that they are the reigning African soccer champions and many of the players are determined to succeed. With the collective support and prayers of all Nigerians, we believe the team will not disappoint the nation,” Globacom said.

Super Eagles coach. Apart from the renaming of the sport complex, Uduaghan also pledged to build for Keshi, an indigene of Illah, Oshimili North Local Council of the state, a duplex in Asaba for guiding the team to success. But that promise has also not been redeemed. He had declared: “In the past few days, we have been looking at the Asaba Stadium; we want to assure you that the stadium would be completed in six months and would be named Stephen Keshi Stadium.” However, on Wednesday, Uduaghan conceded that there had been hiccups in meeting the six months self imposed deadline, but

assured that works was ongoing as he was determined to still fulfill his promise. Uduaghan added that the stadium, located on the main street of Nnebisi in the Delta State capital, had not been abandoned by the state government and that works on the grassing of the main pitch was fully on. Apart from the main bowl, which has been partly finished, general work on the stadium seems to be crawling, as the edifice is still a shadow of its old self. He said: “Yes, we promised six months but sometimes when we promised…we are currently grassing the pitch.”

Centenary Unity Polo Tourney

Defending champions begin campaign on good note From Ezeocha Nzeh, Abuja HE defending champions of the Guards of Brigade Trophy, Trade Mark Polo Club on Wednesday began their campaign in this year's tournament on a bright note, defeating Makblo 3-1.

Managing Director, Coca-Cola Nigeria Limited, Adeola Olatunji, winners in the Hobie Class event, Carole Boissier, David Kruyt and National Commercial Director, Nigerian Bottling Company (NBC) Limited, Matthieu Seguin, at the NBC 2014 Coca-Cola Cup held at the Lagos Yacht Club, Lagos…last weekend. PHOTO: FEMI ADEBESIN-KUTI

The yearly competition, which is in its fifth edition, is tagged, ‘Centenary Unity Tournament’ in commemoration of Nigeria's centenary anniversary. The defending champions outpaced their opponents in a pulsating four-chukka encounter scoring two goals in the second chukka through their highly rated player, Hamisu Buba. Buba put things beyond doubt when he beat the horn to score his hat-trick in the third chukka. Aliyu Umar, who doubles as the captain of Trade Mark, as well as the tournament manager, enthused that this year's competition was living up to its billing as the strongest ever in the history of the competition. “You could see that our opponents really gave us a fight, taking the lead in the first chukka. “We played with a very good team who are very tactical and play with high speed.

Wednesday, May 26, 2014 SPORTS 93

My World Cup story…Keshi

‘The only thing I want to take away from Brazil is success’ By Mitchell Obi

T is almost like a memory Itently verse. He says it so consisand one wonders whether he would not get bored repeating a message that necessarily should inspire relief and breed great expectations. “We’re going there to make Nigerians happy and to make Africans happy by God’s grace,’’ Stephen Okechukwu Keshi repeated to a band of journalists waiting to hear from the Super Eagles’ coach, who came to Lagos last Thursday at the instance of Pepsi, for whom he is global ambassador along with his assistant coach, Dan “Da Bull” Amokachi. The journey to happiness for Nigerians anxious to see the national team in action once more finds a takeoff in London on Wednesday when Keshi’s boys confront Scotland’s Tartan Army in one of the friendlies penciled down to prepare the team for the big task of the World, just 16 days away. “It’s a friendly game for us to test ourselves on the tactical play, the condition and mentality of the players. It is a good game and it will allow us re-examine what we are doing if it is right or wrong. So it’s good,’’ he opened up on his mission to London where they have had two days together since leaving Abuja last Sunday. Many will want to see where he would place the emphasis in his tactical option. As a celebrated central defender, heavily influenced in the libero tradition of Germany’s “kaizer” Franz Beckenbaner and Nigeria’s “chairman” Christian Chukwu, Keshi, interestingly insists on offensive play. “I love offensive football because the people that come out there come to enjoy their money and see good football. Attack, defend at the same time, yeah, this is my style of football.” But have Keshi and his technical team got to the level of recreating the robust expansive and almost seductive football of

‘

’

It’s a friendly game for us to test ourselves on the tactical play, the condition and mentality of the players. It is a good game and it will allow us re-examine what we are doing if it is right or wrong. So it’s good.

the Super Eagles of the nineties, one that won the hearts of many for their sterling showing in the United States of America 1994 World Cup? That was the true “Jogo Bonito,” good football, which Nigerians admired and heaped plaudits on the initiator, Clemens Westerhof, the 74-year-old Dutchman, who has not hidden his deep wish to support and work with Keshi in this year’s World Cup. “We’re still on the verge of getting to the team of 1994. That team was built in five years. But this team is not even two years so we’re still working on it.” No doubt, the team that will take Scotland is still work in progress. Seven of them will not make it to Brazil when Keshi releases his 23-man list on June 2. But the African coach of the year is pleased with the improvement of the team since their Nations Cup triumph in South Africa early last year. “Since we’ve been back, the team has been working, real working. The boys are showing a different performance level. And the boys who were in the Nations Cup and Confederation Cup I think saw the high level of professionalism of the other teams that came in there. All in all, it has been good for us. The competitions gave me some tips, very valuable.” Only recently, when teased what he will be doing after the World Cup if not saddled with the task of leading the Super Eagles to defend their Nations Cup in Morocco 2015, unruffled and without hesitation, he revealed. “I’m still a coach. And I can tell you that in

this my phone I have offers from six different countries. I won’t tell you their names. Six requests. But Nigeria is where my heart is. I love to make them happy. Football brings Nigerians together and this is a nation that adores football. They worship football.” No doubt, nothing succeeds like success and Keshi has lived it. He may be quick to tell anyone who cares that he is not under pressure, but there is a fire in his belly burning to make an impact, perhaps leave a legacy that will summarize his life’s purpose. “The only thing I want to take away from Brazil is success.” For success to come there must be diligence and above all prayer, the customary battle cry for Nigerians in times of need and necessity. “They should pray for us. Pray for us and have patience,” he pleads, as he appreciates the support and spirit behind the team. “It’s good energy for them. We meet people in the streets everywhere we go and they are like saying “we have belief in you guys, just go out there and do your stuff, you can make it. So it’s more motivation and encouragement which is good.” To be sure, inside Craven Cottage on Wednesday night, Nigerians in London will be very patient with the Super Eagles. Results may not matter but definitely, the Nigerians who have paid their way to watch the friendly against Scotland will focus on the team play, team spirit, commitment, endeavour and all the little elements of the game that inspire; a spritely save, defence-split-

Keshi

ting dribble or pass, eyecatching tackle, a splendid shot on target and perhaps a winning mentality wrapped in a relaxed play that discourages injury. Of course, aficionados of the game sometimes think they too can coach, but we all realise that the simplicity of football makes it complex when the stakes are high. Even for a friendly that may be forgotten with time! At the end, it comes down to finding joy. And if there is one to give Nigerians joy in these dark

‘

Since we’ve been back, the team has been working, real working. The boys are showing a different performance level. And the boys who were in the Nations Cup and Confederation Cup I think saw the high level of professionalism of the other teams that came in there. All in all, it has been good for us. The competitions gave me some tips, very valuable.

times, he is Stephen Keshi. He knows it and feels it, just like sipping and sharing a

’

94 | Monday, May 26, 2014

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World Cup problems dampen the mood on Copacabana Beach outside the orange SupITTING tent where he rents standpaddleboards on Copacabana Beach, Jorge Soares was of two minds about Brazil’s World Cup, despite the extra money it is already bringing in as tourists arrive in town. “As a businessman, it’s a good thing,” he said. “But as a citizen, I see the World Cup works as futile for the population.” Like many Brazilians, the beachgoers and vendors on Rio’s famous Copacabana Beach have mixed feelings about the world’s biggest sporting event, which begins here in three weeks. Strikes, protests against the Cup and soaring costs of stadiums have dampened much of the country’s football fervor, and instead of the festive anticipation you might expect, the mood in Copacabana is one of doubt and insecurity. But slowly, flags and bunting have begun to appear, and the government is betting that the population will get on board once the national team starts shooting for a sixth title. “We want to see everyone get wild,” said Katie Cameron, 28, an American tourist from San Diego, who along with three friends had bought tickets for a domestic game, just to see the famous Maracanã stadium, where the World Cup final will be staged. Many visiting soccer fans will stop in the bustling beachside neighborhood of Copacabana, which combines the extremes of this continent-size, soccer-crazy country. If Rio has a Times Square, this is it. An estimated three million people watched Pope Francis celebrate Mass here last year. A huge arena is being erected at one end of the beach where fans can watch World Cup games on huge screens. Copacabana has wild nature and urban sophistication, luxury and sleaze, all in one bustling strip. Paddleboarders bounce waves not far from the world-famous Copacabana Palace, where Madonna stays when she is in town. Locals complain that a drug trade thrives in the shadows near multimillion-dollar apartments. At dusk, impromptu soccer games break out along the beach.

“Will people forget all these strikes with the trophy? If Brazil win?” asked Soares’s girlfriend, Thereza Santos, 25, who had arrived to help pack up his paddleboard business for the night. To her, the World Cup is a way for the government to distract Brazil from its bigger issues – such as health and education. “For years they have smothered the problems, with football, with samba, with beer,” she said of the government. “It is sad to criticize our country. But people have to wake up.” At a clothes shop on a nearby street, official World Cup Tshirts were already selling well, said salesman Luís Carlos, 37. “I am very excited,” he said. Carlos has tickets for the final and expected Brazil to triumph. “They have everything to win.” Not far away, the curbside Delírio Carioca Bar was decorated in Brazilian colors of green and gold. “The country of football. Football is happiness,” said bartender Pedro Bezerra, 35. “Brazil will win for sure.” When Brazil played in the 2010 World Cup, which was held in South Africa, the entire country was gripped with excitement. But unlike then, flags and bunting have yet to appear in the winding alleyways of the PavãoPavãozinho favela on a steep hillside above Copacabana. Protests exploded here recently after a man was killed in a shooting that residents blame on police. “Here for now, nobody is getting organized, putting up a banner or painting a street. Maybe the week before. Brazilians like to do everything last minute,” said Alexandre Salles, 38, from behind his desk in the cramped residents association offices. “I will watch, of course. I will support Brazil.” Down the favela’s narrow main alleyway, Albeci dos Santos, 46, had not yet decorated his small bar. “People are less excited than last time,” he said, referring to the last World Cup, when Brazil was widely expected to win but was knocked out by Holland in the quarterfinals. Online, Brazilians have argued that much of what is quintessentially Brazilian has been extracted from Brazil’s World Cup. FIFA banned from stadiums the samba drums that pulse and

Revelers at the Copacabana enjoying beach football. pound through soccer games. The official World Cup song features two American Latinos, Pitbull – who raps a line in Spanish, not Brazil’s Portuguese — and Jennifer Lopez, but just one Brazilian, pop singer Claudia Leite. Deliveryman Roque Luíz,

whose handcart was painted in the colors of his Rio team Vasco, said the shiny, revamped Maracanã stadium had alienated fans like him who used to watch matches there standing from crammed terraces. “The Maracanã used to be for the people. They made it like

Europe,” he said. At the Rio Sul shopping mall in neighboring Botafogo, an Ellus clothing store was selling black T-shirts with the slogan “Down with this backward Brazil.” They were selling well, said store manager Eberton Queiroz, 29. “People really don’t want” the Cup, he

said. Upstairs, a Levi’s store showcased its new World Cup collection of colorful T-shirts and jeans, inspired by Brazilian colors and designed by underprivileged students from a nonprofit organization called Spectaculu. “I really hope the

Brazil Coach, Filipe Scolari.

FIFA President, Sepp Blatter.

‘Brazil’s woes make us proud of 2010’ HE Fifa World Cup kicks off T in less than three weeks from now and the still incom-

Danny Jordaan midwifed the South Africa 2010 World Cup

plete venue for the opening game in São Paulo got its first test outing only last Sunday. Everyone expected the Brazilians would run it fine in terms of construction deadlines, but this is getting silly. The Brazilians are copping the routine doomsayer stuff, which accompanies every major sporting event – crime, riots, chaos and even a major water shortage caused by a serious drought around São Paulo will be the order of the day if you believe everything you read. Search on Google for “Brazil

World Cup problems” and you get over 41 million results. Many will remember the lurid fate predicted by the sordid London tabloids for anyone venturing here in 2010, but we forget that those same red top bottom-feeders boldly forecast al-Qaeda horror, transport nightmares and massive public disinterest for their own, ultimately spectacular, 2012 Olympics. I don’t have any serious doubts that the Samba World Cup eventually will be a rollicking spectacle, especially for those of us sitting comfortably in our sitting rooms and not paying a royal fortune for flights into

crowded airports and to sit in stadiums that aren’t finished, but the interesting truth is that we, as 2010 hosts, are looking better and better by the day. For all our angst and woes, the infrastructure was completed comfortably in time and the local organising committee, headed throughout by Danny Jordaan, delivered in a competent and confident manner with only one serious snafu – the flights chaos into Durban for the semi-final. We did make big and expensive mistakes, especially in using too many host cities (nine) and too many stadiums

(10) and in building too many new ones (five), but those are lessons which Fifa and Brazil chose to ignore for this year with 12 venues in 12 different cities and a ludicrous seven built from scratch. The Brazilian local organising committee was initially headed by Ricardo Teixeira until he was forced out by a monumental corruption scandal and replaced by politician Jose Maria Marin, who is under intense scrutiny by the Brazilian equivalent of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission for his alleged connections to torture during the decades of dictatorship from the mid-1960s.

Monday, May 26, 2014 Sports | 95

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UEFA Champions League Fallout We deserved victory over Atletico, Ronaldo declares EAL Madrid star, Cristiano R Ronaldo, says his team fully deserved their stunning comeback victory over rivals Atletico Madrid to win the Champions League for the first time since 2002. Madrid were within two minutes of going home emptyhanded but were saved by Sergio Ramos’ injury-time headed equaliser, a goal which took the game to extratime where goals from Gareth Bale, Marcelo and Ronaldo from the penalty spot - gave the Spanish giants their longawaited triumph. “It was an unbelievable night, to win La Demica (the club’s 10th European title) here in Portugal with a beautiful crowd,” Ronaldo told Sky Sports News. “It’s something we’ve been wanting for many, many years and I’m really pleased and happy. I think the team deserved it because we played better than Atletico Madrid. “I always believed, but we know that to score in 92 minutes is a lucky moment but when you force the game all the time and you believe, it’s always more easy. “I think we deserved to score

four goals - we created so many chances and we had the ball all the time.” Ronaldo, the reigning world footballer of the year, said the achievement may qualify as the best of his illustrious career. “Every year I try to do my best, I score goals and I help the team - but maybe because we won the Copa del Rey, we won the Champions League and I won the golden boot,” added Ronaldo, who scored 17 goals in 13 Champions League games this season. “Of course it’s a dream for me. “I’m really proud to win it here (in Lisbon, where he started his career with Sporting). We’ve worked all these years to win these kind of trophies so I’m happy with my team-mates and the fans they deserve that.” Ronaldo also paid tribute to manager, Carlo Ancelotti, who followed legendary Liverpool boss, Bob Paisley, into the record books as the only coaches to lift the trophy three times. “It’s just amazing, he’s a fantastic coach and a fantastic man so he deserves it,” he said.

Real Madrid’s defender Sergio Ramos (third right) scores in final match.

Trophy win, a dream come true, says Bale ARETH Bale described liftG ing the Champions League trophy with Real

Ronaldo

PHOTOS: AFP

Madrid as “a dream come true” after he scored the decisive goal in Lisbon. With a pulsating final between city rivals Real and Atletico Madrid finely poised at 1-1, Bale struck five minutes into the second period of extra time to break the hearts of the recently-crowned Primera Division champions. Having missed several chances throughout normal time, including a clear-cut opportunity when through on goal when the tie was still goalless, Bale held his nerve to steer a header into an empty net after Angel di Maria’s shot was saved by Atletico goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois. Marcelo’s strike and Cristiano Ronaldo’s penalty gave the scoreline a rather flattering look as Real claimed a 4-1 victory and finally sealed the dream of ‘La Decima’, their 10th European Cup triumph. When asked what it felt like

to lift the trophy, Bale told UEFA.com: “A dream come true, literally. When you’re a little boy you dream of lifting the Champions League, and to lift the 10th one for Real Madrid is special. It’s one that will go down in history. “It’s an amazing feeling to win the Champions League. And yes, it was a hard fought game, they made it very difficult for us, but yes, we showed our character that we’ve got in the team and eventually we were able to win. “We always were praying that we’d get a goal, and it was obviously great that we did. We left it late, but it made it that extra bit more special. “It was a difficult extra time, everybody was tired, but we showed our character again, and we were able to lift ourselves for the last 30 minutes. We got the momentum and got a few goals to win the trophy.” Real boss Carlo Ancelotti commended the attitude of Bale. His persistence impressed Ancelotti, who said: “It was very important because he

Real Madrid’s coach, Carlo Ancelotti, showing the UEFA Champions League trophy won by his team, Real Madrid against city rival, Atletico...yesterday

had tried before, but he was unlucky in front of goal. “But he turned up when he was needed.” It is the second time that Bale has scored the winner in a cup final in his first season with Real, with his solo goal against Barcelona in the Copa del Rey earning rave reviews. Bale’s strikes in showpiece encounters will go a long way to silencing the critics that doubted his ability to live up to his world record £85.3 million price tag, and Ancelotti is confident the former Southampton and Tottenham man is capable of improvement. “All season Gareth has been good and he will be better next year,” Ancelotti added. “We’re very proud of having won this for all Madrid fans. Happiness is giving happiness to those who always follow us. The fans are very happy and that makes us happy. “I have had a fantastic group of players who have always been professional and they showed that in this match too. Not only those who were

delighted to be playing, but also those who were not playing. “We’ve worked hard this season to achieve this.” Atletico had looked on course for a famous double as, having wrapped up the Primera Division title last week, they took a 36th-minute lead on Saturday night through Diego Godin’s header. Yet their failure to extend the lead ensured they were on the back foot for much of the final half hour and their defence was finally breached in the third minute of stoppage time when Sergio Ramos headed home from a corner. From then on, there was only going to be one winner, with several Atletico players showing visible signs of fatigue. Yet Atletico boss Diego Simeone, who was involved in an ugly on-field spat with Real defender Raphael Varane before the final whistle, was proud of his players. “This fixture doesn’t deserve one tear, when you give your life, there’s nothing to say,” Simeone said.

Atletico Madrid’s coach Diego Simeone reacts during the match.

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Monday, May 26, 2014

Conscience, Nurtured by Truth

By Dolapo Aina WANDAIR, which is the official airline of R Rwanda, organised a familiarisation tour of Rwanda (Kigali) and Kenya (Mombasa) with corporate bodies and some media practitioners. Due to the influx of unprecedented information; this writer decided that observations noticed would be infused into numerous articles. You can watch videos of the trips on my YouTube Channel. The flight from Lagos to Kigali was eventful. Kigali to Mombasa was splendid. The journey from Mombasa to another tourist destination called Leopard Beach Resort, the best resort on the African continent, was quite revealing. As I observed several things; like the cars in Kenya are right-handed, the buildings in Mombasa look colonial-like; making me think of Venice. Also, some of the roads that lead to the Mombasa Ferry station better known as Likoni Ferry Station seem not too wide. The team’s plane lifted off for Mombasa at 6.30 p.m. After going through my JJC (Jonny Just Come - meaning a new man in a new environment) experience during my first flight. This second one had no JJC moments. It appeared I had learnt really fast (rapido as my Spanish-speaking friends would say). On the flight, it occurred to me that Rwanda has a lot of young people who are in the aviation business. You would find a lot of people barely in their mid-20s as hostesses. The team arrived Mombasa at night. The plane descended into Mombasa at 7.44 p.m. and the plane touched down at 7.55 p.m. But it would appear my wristwatch was still on the Nigerian time as Kenya is two hours ahead of Nigeria. At the MOI International Airport, the filling of immigration forms was seamless amid Nigerian jokes and the airport was quite deserted at past 10 p.m.Kenyan time. To welcome the team at the airport was a representative of Southern Cross Safaris - a foremost tourism/safari operator in Mombasa. After much pleasantries and banters, we all walked with bags and luggage tailing behind to the car park where a Southern Cross Safaris Bus picked us for a long trip to a place called Diani Beach. What awaited the team cannot be vividly illustrated; you have to experience the paradise called Leopard Beach Resort. While onboard the bus, we were informed that the bus had free Wi-Fi. Free Wi-Fi on a bus? How is that possible? If some special buses in Mombasa can have this, why not the same scenario in Lagosso I thought. Once we were given the password, the social media savvy members on the team made use of the Wi-Fi. I couldn’t but compose some tweets on this uniqueness. The bus arrived at the Likoni Ferry Station (I had no idea of the name as at April 26, 2014) to view a very unique scenery. To get to Diani Beach from Mombasa is only possible via water or air. We were to board a ferry. And the bus had to wait for some minutes before a ferry arrived. Apparently, we weren’t the only ones waiting as several cars and hundreds of people going home from work were also waiting for the ferry. Suddenly, I noticed we were getting closer to the other side. How? When the ferry arrived, people and cars (the team’s bus included) moved to or rather unto the ferry. This very large ferry can move hundreds of human beings and cars simultaneously. When the ferry got to the other side - the dry land; the sheer movement of the number of people is akin to people leaving a just concluded religious crusade. The late night journey from MOI International Airport to Mombasa’s Likoni ferry station was an experience I would love to experience again. The trip to Leopard Beach Resort at past 10 p.m. reminded me of a typical Nigerian town. April 26, 2014, was a Saturday, and the team saw (I believe) two weddings after parties en-route to Leopard Beach Resort. One scene highlighted the effect of smartphones and the internet. A particular couple or rather the newly-wedded wife was seated and engrossed with her phone while her husband was busy dancing away. At about some minutes to midnight, we arrived at Leopard Beach Resort. In 2012, CNN Travel

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From Mombasa with much love

Sarova Whitesands Beach Resort & Spa, Mombasa in Kenya. named Diani Beach amongst the best 25 top beach destinations in Africa. If describing Diani Beach would be a bit difficult, describing Leopard Beach Resort which is on Diani Beach might just be mission impossible. After many pleasantries, we were advised to eat before we retired to our apartments (apartments which I still marvel at its intricately crafted designs - these apartments are aptly called The Residences. We were served and we fed well, listening to the soothing Indian Ocean waves. And while we ate, a cat came along and some ladies just couldn’t stand the sight of a cat. Alas, another cat came along and both of them watched and crisscrossed underneath the tables as we ate; obviously, wanting to get invited. Now, to food matter, I had to chat with Mr

Philip Osoro, who attended to our gastronomical needs. Osoro asked me if I knew Chinua Achebe and he got my attention. He hasn’t been to Nigeria and he read Things Fall Apart in 1976 or there about; but he remembered the book, the characters and even some dialogues. At this point, I was proud of my Nigerianness, my Nigerian passport. You need to travel to East Africa to appreciate how they love Nigeria, largely thanks to some of our great writers and Nollywood as Joan Ndung’u - the manager of The Residences attested to during an interview she granted me. We were pampered by the staff of Leopard Beach Resort (also known as The Chui) in person of Mr. Chris Modigell and his staff (Joan Ndung’u - The young lady manager of The Residences and Janine Shipra - the manager of

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the Uzuri Spa). The picture and videos which I took can not adequately convey my experiences on this resort and beach. How do I explain waking up early to watch the sunrise? How do I explain watching the sea waves and her soothing sounds singing oceanic symphonies? How do I explain watching monkeys run away like Usain Bolt; only to run to the back of the Uzuri Spa room; climb the tress and actually peep (not watch but peep like human beings) through the window blinds, to watch me change clothes? Fortunately, I took the initiative to take pictures of them peeping. How do I explain to you that the sun in Mombasa begins to smile as early as past 6 a.m.-Kenya time (two hours ahead of Nigeria). A tour of Leopard Beach Resort revealed to the Nigerian Team, how a country like Kenya has taken tourism as serious business. I must have exclaimed beautiful words innumerable times. A testimony from a Nigerian would be of value but I would recommend a personal trip with your family or office colleagues on official trips to Leopard Beach Resort. During my interview with Modigell, made a profound statement which still rings in my head; he asked, why can’t Africans discover Africa? I informed a friend of mine and he added; why do we pay for cable services and watch Europeans discover Africa for Africans on discovery channel? On Monday, April 28, 2014, a tour of the Marine National Park in Kisite en-route Wasini Island was undertaken. Malik Mwanyika and Mohammed of Charlie Claw’s were on board the ship to take us to sea. While some of the members of the team decided to partake in water sports; I decided to take pictures (probably conscious of the fact that I would be returning to experience this. My colleagues would rather say I was scared of the Indian Ocean). How do I describe been close to Tanzania (reminded of this fact with an Airtel Tanzania text message welcoming me to roam and make calls while in Tanzania). Seeing the hills of Tanzania while onboard a ship in the middle of Indian Ocean cannot be explained. It reminded me of Tom Hanks in Captain Philip. While some members of the team went snookering - a water sport; some decided to sail to another island. In the midst of this, we encountered a group of Westerners swimming in the Indian Ocean! Fifi, Mrs Olusegun, Sunday Moses and I arrived on a small island. Alas, it was an island for only 20-30 minutes after which it would be submerged by the ocean (but never knew, our other captain didn’t inform the four of us. Not until he told us to board the smaller ship, did we see what was happening). Apparently, they know when the tide begins to rise. How do I explain crystal-clear water in blue, white or green colours? Simply amazing. How do I explain the Wasini Island to you? An island which can only be accessed by boat or helicopter. An island which is a Muslim community with historical tales of slave trade activities. How do I explain forest trees over 500 years old? How do I explain that Wasini Island is a tourist site? How do I explain that I saw a cat lounging in a dead coral in the middle of a stream on Wasini Island? How do I explain to you that Charlie Claw’s restaurant (where the team devoured various sea foods) has internet access? It is unique because Wasini Island is an island on the Indian Ocean. And what about Satao Camp in Tsavo East, Kenya, where we undertook a Safari. Before this Safari, I had only seen a monkey on the streets of Lagos, but after two days in Satao Camp, I saw, filmed and took pictures of elephants, Zebras, Giraffes, Impalas, Hippos, foxes, ostriches, antelopes, vultures, monkeys (who hid behind large leaves so we couldn’t take pictures of them). Not forgetting the huge claw prints of lions (this experience is adrenaline pumping and definitely, I must go back to see a lion). Running elephants are moving armoured tanks. And can remember a face for 50 years! • Twitter-@DolapoAina www.dolapoaina.com