Tue 27 aug 2013 by The Guardian Newspaper

TheGuardian Conscience, Nurtured by Truth

Vol. 30, No. 12,661

Tuesday, August 27, 2013

www.ngrguardiannews.com

N150

How movies may’ve influenced stowaway’s behaviour • Mother says son always watches films • Faces interrogation by SSS From Alemma-Ozioruva Aliu, Benin City

SUSPECTED addiction to A movies may have influenced the behaviour of 13year-old Daniel (Ricky) Oikhena, who stowed away on an aircraft bound for Lagos. His mother, Mrs. Evelyn Oikhena, hinted at this yesterday when she said that her son was always watching movies. In fact, he had watched movies almost throughout the night shortly before embarking on his adventure. But the mother said she was shocked that her son could embark on such a life-threatening journey to where he had never been before. She spoke with journalists at her residence at No 7, Ehiegba Street, off Goodwill, off Ekenwan Road yesterday shortly before she went to the airport where she was President Goodluck Jonathan (third right), Vice President Namadi Sambo (right) and some Anioma traditional rulers and elders from Delta State, during their courtesy visit to the State House in Abuja… yesterday. PHOTO: PHILIP OJISUA

PDP expels 14 Rivers commissioners, others From Azimazi Momoh Jimoh, Adamu Abuh (Abuja), Kelvin Ebiri, Ann Godwin (Port Harcourt), Chuks Collins and Uzoma Nzeagwu (Awka) HEAD of this week’s People’s Democratic Party’s (PDP) mini-convention, it has expelled its former National Vice Chairman, Dr. Sam Sam Jaja, as well as 14 Rivers State commissioners and Tony Okocha, Chief of Staff to Governor Chubuike Amaechi. But Okocha described the expulsion as illegal and a deliberate ploy to prevent top government’s functionaries from attending the mini-convention this weekend in Abuja. The Rivers State PDP chair-

• Aide denies alleged Amaechi’s promotion of new political group • Jonathan, Tukur, Anenih meet over Anambra guber polls • Party chairman insists Nwoye, not Uba, is gov candidate man, Felix Obuah, said Jaja and others were expelled from the party for outright disdain for constituted authorities as well as for allegedly being involved in anti-party activities. Apart from Jaja, the names of those expelled from the party are Secretary to the State Government, Mr. George Feyii, Chief of Staff to Government House, Tony Okocha, and Administrator, Greater Port Har-

court City Development Authority, Aleruchi CookeyGam. Commissioners affected by the expulsion are Victor Giadom (Commissioner for Works), Augustine D. Wokocha (Commissioner for Power), Worgu Bom (Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice), Joe P. Poroma (Commissioner for Social Welfare & Rehabilitation), Ezemonye Ezekiel Ama-

di (Commissioner for Lands & Survey), Fred Igwe (Commissioner for Sports), Emmanuel Chinda (Commissioner for Agriculture), Mrs. Joeba West (Commissioner for Women Affairs), Mrs. Patricia Simon Hart (Commissioner for Water Resources and Rural Development), Okey Amadi (Commissioner for Energy), Mr. Charles Okaye (Commissioner for Chieftaincy Affairs), Dr. Nnabuihe N. Imegwu

(Commissioner for Culture & Tourism), Mrs. Ibim Semenitari (Commissioner for Information & Communication) and Mr. Samuel Eyiba (Commissioner for Local Government). Obuah, whose emergence as the state chairman of the PDP in April after an Abuja High Court ousted Godspower Ake, based the expulsion on the recommendations of state PDP evaluation and the party’s disciplinary committee report submitted to him yesterday. “It’s obvious we have 23 commissioners. Right now, 14

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Pressure on Suntai to disclose health status From Charles Akpeji (Jalingo), Joseph Wantu (Makurdi) and Gbenga Salau (Lagos) ESPITE efforts of family D and associates of Taraba State Governor Danbaba Suntai to present him as fit to face the challenges of governance, pressure is mounting on him to be completely honest about his health status. The Civil Society Network Against Corruption urged Suntai to address his people and the world, declaring his true state of health rather than continuing to depend

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• President sacks

Minister of Youth Development • Bank director, Obianor, wins Anambra APGA governorship ticket -Page 3

THE GUARDIAN, Tuesday, August 27, 2013

News President sacks Minister of Youth Development From Karls Tsokar, Abuja INISTER of Youth M Development, Inuwa Abdulkadir, has been relieved of his appointment with immediate effect. A statement from the office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Anyim Pius Anyim, signed by his Special Assistant on Media, Sam Nwaobasi, said that President Goodluck Jonathan has relieved Abdulkadir of his appointment with effect from August 26, 2013. Reasons for the sack of Abdulkadir were not yet known but a source at the ministry said “it is obvious that the performance of the sleeping minister is being appraised and his abysmal performance cannot be concealed.”

Bank director, Obianor, wins Anambra APGA governorship ticket From Chuks Collins, Awka DIRECTOR of the Fidelity Bank Plc, Chief Maduabuchi Willie Obianor, yesterday clinched the governorship ticket of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) for the November 16, 2013 election in Anambra State. Obianor, a late entrant, was said to have been well favoured by the outgoing Governor Peter Obi, being a known longtime pal and ally. Curiously, the National Chairman of the party, Chief Victor Umeh, was absent at the primary election which took place at the Women Development Centre in Awka. But the event which was chaired by a former running mate to Senator Chris Ngige, Chief Phil Agbasi, was witnessed by a member of the party’s Board of Trustees, Dr. Tim Menakaya, Nigeria’s Ambassador to Spain and wife of the late leader of the party, Mrs. Bianca Ojukwu. Also in attendance was a former Commissioner for Special Duties and son to Ojukwu, Emeka Ojukwu.

Obieri, others task govt on job creation By Chijioke Iremeka T was a harvest of accolades as captains of industries, men and women from all walks of life, yesterday gathered at the MUSON Centre, Onikan, Lagos for a book presentation and reception to mark the 70th birthday of former President, Nigerian Stock Exchange, Sir Raymond Chukwugozie Obieri. At the event, dignitaries tasked government on job creation to reduce the rate of criminal activities in the country, especially among the youth. They also craved determination, focus, honesty and purposeful leadership in governance in efforts to tackle many woes plaguing the country.

Registrar/Chief Executive of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN), Rotimi Omotoso (right); Council Member, Mrs. Peju Babatunde; immediate past President, Doyin Owolabi; Akintola Williams; President of the institute, Alhaji Kabir Muhammed, second Deputy Vice President, Deacon Titus Soetan; Director Communication and Marketing Directorate, Mrs. Claudia Binitie, on the occasion of the 94th birthday of Akintola Williams.

NLC alleges minister’s breach of pact with health workers From Yetunde Ebosele, Joseph Okoghenun (Lagos), Collins Olayinka and Emeka Anuforo (Abuja) HE Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has called on the Federal Government to caution the Minister of Health, Prof. Onyebuchi Chukwu, over what it described as breach of agreement with health workers that allegedly led to the ongoing industrial action in the sector. In a statement yesterday signed by its President, Abdulwahed Oma, the NLC alleged that Chukwu flagrantly breached some agreements, including the one with the Joint Health Sector Union (JOHESU), and

• Chukwu defends govt actions • NMA lauds delivery of services by doctors disregarded the ruling of the National Industrial Court (NIC) which led to the strike. According to him, the congress is dismayed that “the minister did not only violate, dishonour and abandon a ruling by a competent court as the NIC, but repudiated an earlier agreement with the unions that both parties will be bound by the outcome of the court ruling, and was at the forefront of taking the case to court through the Minister of Labour. “The minister is advised to stop playing politics with the health of Nigerian peo-

ple, especially poor working people who do not have the wherewithal or access to slush funds to patronize private hospitals and go for routine foreign check-ups.” But the minister has defended the action of government to appeal the National Industrial Court (NIC) judgment. Speaking yesterday at the opening of meeting aimed at ending the impasse, Chukwu submitted that the issue of salary scale skipping has been in dispute for about 10 years. He stated that the decision to skip or not is domiciled in the

National Income Wages and Salaries Commission and not the Ministry of Health. His words: “The issue in contention between JOHESU originated about 10 years ago. There was service-wide circular issued by the office of Head of Service of the Federation about Consolidated Tertiary Institutions Salary Structure (CONTISS) and no minister has any powers to ignore circular from the Head of Civil Service of the Federation that affected all federal public servants. The circular said there is nothing like skipping because Consolidated Health Salary Structure (CONHESS) is a special scheme that ends at Grade level 15 and CONHISS ends on

Grade Level 17. The only body charged with the responsibilities of speaking about salary is the National Salaries Income and Wages Commission, which has written severally to the Federal Ministry of Health that CONHESS 15 is equivalent to CONTISS 17 which in turns translate to Grade Level 15 of CONHESS and Grade Level 17 of CONTISS. If that is the case, a director on CONTISS is on Grade Level 17 but a director of CONHESS is on Grade level 15. But when you skip, a deputy director is on CONHESS 15 and there is no CONHESS 16. So, when you want to promote CONHESS Grade 15 there is no level to promote such a person to.”

Three injured as supporters of Fayemi, Bamidele clash in Ekiti From Muyiwa Adeyemi (Ado Ekiti) and Anietie Akpan (Calabar)

• C’River APC may sue SIEC over council polls

HE internal crisis among members of the Ekiti State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) assumed a freighting dimension yesterday as supporters of Governor Kayode Fayemi and those of a member of the House of Representatives, Opeyemi Bamidele, engaged in a bloody clash at Iyin Ekiti. And at the end of the free for all, no fewer than four people sustained various degree of injuries. Seven people have been arrested in connection with the incident. Meanwhile, the APC in Cross River State has flayed the State Independent Electoral Commission (CROSIEC) on its alleged decision to disqualify the party from contesting the September 21 local council polls.

The battle for supremacy between supporters of the two APC governorship aspirants in Ekiti began on Friday at the burial ceremony of the mother of an APC chieftain in Iyin Ekiti, Mr. Dipo Akinwumi. There were various accounts of the cause of the crisis that seems to have turned the peaceful Iyin Ekiti to ‘war theatre’. Trouble was said to have started yesterday when the Senior Special Assistant on Security to the governor, Mr. Deji Adesokan, allegedly led a detachment of mobile policemen to arrest Opeyemi’s supporters accused of causing the weekend mayhem. Some youths of the town were said to have protested against the move and the police had to deploy about 10 vehicle load of armed police-

men, while an armoured personnel carrier was also stationed close to the ward office of the APC in the town. Trouble started yesterday morning when some youths loyal to Bamidele, who represents Ekiti Central Constituency 1 in the House of Representatives, took to the streets to protest alleged intimidation by supporters of Fayemi, led by Adesokan and were resisted and attacked by some people. Bamidele’s loyalists were also protesting the arrest of two of their members over last Friday’s clash at a burial ceremony. Reacting to the allegation levelled against him, Adesokan said the policemen who went to Iyin-Ekiti were acting on the orders of the Commissioner of Police, Mr. Sotonye Wakama, that

those behind Friday’s trouble be fished out and brought to book. He denied being involved in the crisis. Confirming the development, the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Ekiti State Command, Mr. Victor Babayemi, said three people were injured and were taken to hospital for treatment. Asked to comment on the allegation that the injured persons were shot, Babayemi said he would not know what caused their injuries but that they were injured. But Bamidele, in a statement signed by his media aide, Mr. Ahmed Salami, pointed accusing fingers at the camp of Fayemi for causing the crisis. According to him, “It has just come to our notice that the Special Assistant on Internal Security to Governor Kayode Fayemi in the name of one Adesokan in collaboration with interim caretaker committee

Chairman of IrepodunIfelodun drafted policemen and thugs to invade Iyin-Ekiti this morning in continuation of their ‘war’ against the people in an attempt to break their unflinching solidarity and support for their son, Bamidele who is currently running for governorship in Ekiti come 2014. “Mr. Ola Fatokun was shot in the hand; Mr. Rasaki Bello was shot in the stomach while Ige Adeola was shot at the back at Iyin Ekiti today by a combined team of policemen and thugs led by Adesokan. It is unbelievable that such an act of terror can be happening in broad day light at a time that the nation is enforcing a state of emergency to stem the perpetration of terrorism and guarantee the security of lives and property in some other parts of the country,” the statement read.

THE GUARDIAN, Tuesday, August 27, 2013

4 NEWS

Pressure on Suntai to disclose health status CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 on his party and family to continue misinformation about his condition. It promised to organise a mass protest in conjunction with other civil societies and invoke the Freedom of Information (FoI) Act to ask for the true state of his health, if within seven days there is no official statement to that effect. The group, which spoke in Lagos yesterday, noted that it was important that the citizens and the Taraba State House of Assembly know the true state of the governor in order to decide on the next step to take. According to the Chairman of the forum, Mr. Olanrewaju Suraju, if Suntai is still mentally fit but not physically strong, the Assembly should allow him to carry on as governor but if he is not mentally fit even when he is physically okay, he should not be allowed to continue in office as the state cannot be governed by proxy. “The Taraba State House of Assembly should rise up to the political challenge by commencing the process of

ascertaining the health status of Mr. Suntai to determine his capacity to continue in office as a governor or otherwise. Political aides and jobbers in Taraba State should refrain from having a governor by proxy to precipitate crisis in the state,” he said. Suraju said that the national leadership of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) must save the country another international embarrassment by ensuring that the rule of law is strictly adhered to in resolving the Taraba issue. “Nigerians should rise in unison to condemn any attempt

by the ruling class at taking us through the familiar perilous path of governance by proxy,” he added. But the governor was said to have hosted his Adamawa State counterpart, Murtala Nyako, yesterday. Journalists were barred from entering the main room where the governor was. Only reporters from the television outfits of Taraba and Adamawa states were there. But video clips made available to reporters showed that Suntai spoke and gesticulated as he interacted with Nyako. Suntai expressed his appreci-

ation to Nyako and the people of the state who he said stood solidly with him during his predicament. Some members of the House of Assembly who spoke with The Guardian on the development said that they had been vindicated. According to the House Committee Chairman on Information, Daniel Ishaya Gani, “when we told the world that he (Suntai) would soon be back home, they took us for granted but thank God that we have been vindicated. “As you have witnessed today, you will agree with me

that the claim by some persons that he has lost his sense of speech, is false. Even though you people were not allowed to see him, with what you watched from the video that was filmed by your colleagues, you will now agree that all is well with him.” Former Deputy Speaker, Abel Peter Diah, told The Guardian that “my joy is that my colleagues have all been vindicated because we were in the past called all sorts of names. We appreciate God for His mercies upon us.” Plans to reinstate the acting governor as deputy governor

have been concluded. But former Commissioner of Police, Lagos State, Alhaji Abubakar Tsav, has doubted the possibility of Suntai governing his state considering the way he was aided out of the aircraft on his arrival at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport on Sunday. Tsav, who spoke with journalists in Makurdi yesterday, said a governor could only govern a state in sound health. He accused Suntai’s loyalists of playing politics and introducing religious sentiments into his health situation.

Mother says stowaway son always watches films CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 handed over to operatives of the State Security Service (SSS) for interrogation. Mrs. Oikhena said her son was at home with his elder sister, Tonia, his two younger brothers and grandmother while she was away to visit her elder sister who had put to bed. She said she was shocked when she came back on Sat-

urday morning and was told that Ricky had not been seen and that on enquiry, his elder sister said they had an altercation when the boy was watching movies late into the night. She said she had gone to report the incident at the Evbuotubu police station before she was called by her sister-in-law from Germany that the story of her stowaway son was on the Inter-

net. “I went to my elder sister’s place who put to bed and when I got home the next morning (Saturday), I couldn’t find him and my daughter told me that they quarrelled in the night because he woke up in the midnight to watch movies and she told him to go to bed and stop watching movies. She said he eventually slept in the parlour while she went

back to sleep in the room. “One of his younger brothers said he saw him remove all his school books from his bag. So, I asked my neighbours whether any of them saw him and they told me that around 5.00 a.m., they heard sounds indicating that somebody was opening the gate but never thought it was my son. He doesn’t go out. What I know is that he is always watching films in the

house but he doesn’t have friends. “I went to Oba Market police station. They referred me to Evbuotubu police station and when I got there, they said they would declare him missing after 24 hours and that I should come back the next day. I went to inform my pastor in the church and other members, my friends and other relations.”

Aide denies alleged Amaechi’s promotion of new political group CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 have been expelled. We based our decision today on the report we got from the evaluation committee and the disciplinary committee. We are not witch-hunting anybody. The party must move forward, we cannot entertain any form of indiscipline,” he said. Obuah told journalists that the expelled party members failed to appear before the evaluation committee despite their invitation and well-publicised public sitting of the committee. He explained that they did not also deem it necessary to excuse themselves or send in a written report. According to him, those who did not appear but sent in their written reports were accepted. He said the state PDP working committee members met immediately the report was presented to them and accepted the recommendations of the committee that the failure of

those expelled to appear before the evaluation committee bordered on outright contempt, insubordination, indiscipline and lack of respect for constituted authorities. Obuah, who had last week called for the expulsion of Amaechi from the party due to the appointment of the President, Rivers State Customary Court, Justice Peter N.C. Agumagu, as acting Chief Judge of the state, said the sanction for the 18 pro-Amaechi members would serve as a deterrent to other party members who would want to show disrespect to the party. Okocha told journalists in Port Harcourt that the party acted in contempt of court because there was already an injunction to restrain the party from expelling some officials of the state government. “If they were reasonable, they (PDP) should know that the matter is in court and as I speak to you, this morning, our

lawyers said they have got an order to serve PDP in the state and Abuja. I also heard that they expelled 14 commissioners and eight others were not touched. I challenge them to make public the names of the eight commissioners who appeared before them and they should also tell the world the yardstick used to expel 14 and leave others behind,” he said. He alleged that the primary motive for Obuah’s action was to prevent the state government officials from attending the PDP mini-convention. According to him, the state government has uncovered a plan by the Obuah-led PDP in the state to send other names to disguise as commissioners to represent the state at the convention. “I would like to assure you that we are not perturbed, there is nothing to worry about, the matter is in court and we are going to pursue it to a logical conclusion. I do not also know in

any PDP constitution where the party has the powers to set up a committee to begin to question the performance of elected representatives of the state. Do not forget that the people they are talking about were also elected by non-members of the PDP during the election,” he said. The chief of staff also denied an allegation that Amaechi and others were planning to float a new party. “Nothing good will come out of a man who hates you. Your enemy will not see any good about you. This rumour exists in the minds of those carrying it about. The governor has said it many times that he is a member of the PDP,” said Okocha. And to resolve the crisis rocking the PDP in Anambra State, President Goodluck Jonathan is leading a strong team of party leaders to another round of talks today. The party had on Saturday produced two separate candidates

for the Anambra State November 6, 2013 gubernatorial elections. While a one-time governor of the state, Senator Andy Ubah was declared winner of the primary election conducted by a faction of the party recognised by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) at Emmanus House in Awka, Tony Nwoye was declared winner of another primary election conducted by the Anambra PDP gubernatorial election panel headed by the Katsina State governor, Ibrahim Shema, at the Alex Ekwueme Square in Awka. The Jonathan-led meeting, according to sources within the PDP, would attract the presence of the party National Chairman, Bamanga Tukur; Chairman of the PDP Board of Trustees (BoT), Chief Tony Anenih, and key stakeholders in the Anambra PDP crisis. Yesterday, Tukur insisted that Nwoye remained the candidate of PDP for the Anambra guber-

natorial polls. Receiving the report of the Shema panel at the Wadata plaza national secretariat of the party, Tukur declared that the party leadership would never allow the mandate of the people to be compromised. Pointing to journalists present at the event, Tukur said: “Go and tell Nigerians that Tony Nwoye is our candidate and will remain our candidate. He is the person elected by the people who own the party.” Meanwhile, the National Chairman of the newly-registered Peoples Democratic Movement (PDM), Malam Bashir Yusuf Ibrahim, yesterday offered an insight into why he and other persons chose to opt out of PDP. He said that their move was born out of a resolve not to be part of a sinking ship. After receiving supporters of the party from the South-East geo-political zone in Abuja, he explained that the PDM was registered purely to satisfy the yearnings of Nigerians. Claiming that the PDM was the brain behind the formation of the PDP, Ibrahim who used the opportunity to once again distance former Vice President Atiku Abubakar from the PDM, said it was unfortunate that the PDP had drifted from the dreams of its founding fathers. Besides, top members of the PDP in Anambra State yesterday in Awka raised the alarm that the parallel congresses organised at the weekend in Awka by two factions of the party was a clear prelude to losing the governorship seat to a rival political party. Addressing a news conference in Awka yesterday, a top chieftain of the party who also identified himself as one of the founding fathers of PDP, Chief Godian Ezufoh, noted that irreconcilable internal differences and bickering in the party led to the loss of the governorship election on February 6, 2010 by Prof. Chukwuma Soludo to All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA.)

NEWS 5

THE GUARDIAN, Tuesday, August 27, 2013

Nigeria, U.S. meet next week over Lagos-Kano investment government offiSwill,ENIOR cials and business leaders next Thursday, meet in Abuja to design ways of expanding business opportunities along Nigeria’s LagosKano-Jibiya (LAKAJI) corridor during the first LAKAJI Agricultural Growth Corridor Investment Summit. The summit forms part of the Nigeria Expanded Trade and Transport Program (NEXTT) to improve trade policy, support trade capacity building and remove bottlenecks to the free-flow of goods, especially agricultural goods, in Nigeria. It will also build on trade and transport activities begun under the USAID MARKETS (Maximising Agriculture Revenue in Key Enterprise and Target Site) Project and on the export promotion activities of the Nigeria Expanded Exports Program (NEEP). “The corridor is rapidly developing and it’s exciting that expert analysis and support to make the investments real is being provided by NEXTT,” said Alhaji Tajuddeen Dantata, chairman, Dantata Foods and Allied Products

NAF, NIMASA sign MoU over maritime security From Karls Tsokar, Abuja S part of efforts to ensure maritime security and curtail the incidence of piracy, oil theft and other unwholesome practices in Nigerian coastal areas, the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) and the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to collaborate for effective operation. At the signing of the MoU on aerial surveillance, rescue operation and combat mobilisation, among others, yesterday in Abuja, the Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Alex Badeh, said the need for the two bodies to collaborate in order to reduce to the barest minimum unpleasant state of affairs within the Nigerian maritime space has become imperative.

Firm to hold hospitality workshop in Lagos Thursday OTAL Business Solution T (TBS), a popular brand in business development in Nigeria, has concluded arrangements to hold a oneday management workshop for stakeholders in the hospitality industry. Chief Executive Officer of TBS Consulting, Mr. Leke Olufade, who described the Thursday, August 29, 2013, event as a good development for the hospitality industry in Nigeria, urged stakeholders to use this auspicious time TBS is offering them to learn techniques in running their businesses for better profit. The one-day seminar, with the theme, “Exceptional Service Delivery and Profitability in Hospitality Industry”, is expected to draw key management staffers across various categories of hospitality organisations within and outside Lagos.

Brother alleges frame-up of Nigeria-born Gambia ex-CJ, Wowo From Alemma-Ozioruva Aliu (Benin City) and Wole Oyebade (Lagos) HE embattled Nigeriaborn former Chief Justice (CJ) of The Gambia, Justice Joseph Wowo, who was alleged to have demanded bribe from a German national, may have been framed by the country’s Bar Association and some influential citizens, who are opposed to the appointment of a foreigner as the nation’s CJ. In a statement in his defence, which was made available to newsmen in Benin City, Edo State capital yesterday, the ex-CJ’s elder brother, Godwin Wowo, alleged a gang-up, stating that on June 20, this year, when President Yaya Jameh appointed his brother as CJ, the country’s Bar Association met and resolved to ensure the appointment of their national as head of their judiciary, and tried to achieve that with the alleged bribe scandal. Meanwhile, Justice Moronkeji Onalaja yesterday denied ever working in

• Onalaja denies serving in country The Gambia, contrary to an earlier report. Onalaja had, in a report last week, been cited with the late Justice Akinola Aguda as two Nigerian jurists who had served meritoriously in The Gambia. In a letter to The Guardian, however, she denied ever serving as a judge at any time in that country. Wowo’s statement read: “Within 24 hours of his appointment, The Gambian Bar Association, under the presidency of Ms Loubna Farage, held an emergency meeting on June 21, 2013, to map out strategies for his removal. They wanted a Gambian as Chief Justice.” According to him, one of the measures was to write President Jameh not to swear in Justice Wowo, a letter Jameh ignored and swore him in. He maintained that Joseph was a victim of xenophobia and Nigeriaphobia, as “all these bizarre drama being played out in The Gambia right now are all about preventing Wowo from being CJ. It

is obvious that doctoring and falsifying and putting the tape on YOU Tube was propaganda to destroy his image worldwide.” Giving a background to the travails of CJ, who was two weeks ago granted bail by a Magistrate’s Court in criminal charges of giving false information to a public officer, Godwin explained that Joseph, who was also a judge of the country’s Court of Appeal, was invited by Gambia’s exAttorney-General and Minister of Justice, Lamin Jobarteh, to help resolve a dispute over land matter. As a High Court Judge then, Joseph had earlier given judgment in the matter in favour of a German plaintiff, Bernd George Diedrich, against 12 trespassers, including one Andre Sape Van Klaabergen, who Godwin claimed was the minister’s client before his appointment as Attorney-General. According to him, the said the meeting took place at the former minister’s

house and was attended by parties to the land suit and their counsel, alleging that the ex-minister had offered to compensate the German to the tune D500,000.00 for his client’s trespass, but the German, through his counsel, Christopher Mene, declined to accept anything less than D1.5 million for the portion of land occupied by Klaabergen, who was 12th defendant in the suit. While denying the bribe allegation against his brother, Godwin said the former CJ could not have been asking for bribe at such a meeting in the presence of all the parties, especially in a matter in which judgment had been given. He noted: “There is no doubt that Justice Wowo is innocent. “He is a Nigerian being persecuted in The Gambia on account of his nationality. He is being battered and bruised by those who have orchestrated the vicious and wicked falsehood against him.”

He regretted that though the country’s press knew the truth and published Justice Wowo’s innocence, the Nigerian press, without verifying their source, relied on a doctored version of a recorded meeting in the exminister’s house to scandalise and tarnish his image. Godwin insisted that the present charges false information to a public officer were the same the former Secretary General, Office of the President, Njogu Bah, exAttorney-General and Minister of Justice, Lamin Jobarteh, and SolicitorGeneral, Pa Henry Jammeh, conspired to bring against Justice Wowo in January but were dropped, and which forced him to leave the country in February. And following their actions, he explained, the three top government officials were dismissed and arraigned for abuse of office, while President Jameh, in May, invited Justice Wowo to return to the country to resume office in the Court of Appeal and subsequently appointed him Chief Justice of The Gambia on June 20.

At NBA conference, govt laments threats to security From Lemmy Ughegbe, Abuja HE Federal Government T yesterday raised concerns over the prevalent poverty and unemployment among Nigerians, just as it admitted that terrorism had become a challenge in the country. Government, however, said it was determined to address the palpable poverty in the country and put an end to terrorism and varying security challenges, which have accounted for several loss of lives in the country. The Attorney General of Federation (AGF) and Justice Minister, Mohammed Bello Adoke (SAN), expressed government’s view while speaking at the opening ceremony of the 2013 Annual General Conference of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) in Calabar. An electronic copy of the AGF’s speech made available to The Guardian through his office, noted: “In Nigeria, the challenges of nationhood are more pronounced in the areas of security, fostering of national unity and democratic consolidation.” Adoke regretted that “the threat of global terrorism hitherto considered an alien phenomenon has unfortunately found a place in our nation.” He added that “Media reports of terrorist attacks on innocent citizens, members of the Armed Forces and Police and our critical infrastructure have continued to weigh heavily on the cost of governance and the ability of the citizenry to carry out their social and economic activities with grave consequences for the nation.” The AGF said in demonstration of government’s determined effort to combat

insurgency, “government has had to impose a state of emergency in three states in the North-East geopolitical zone, (Adamawa, Borno and Yobe).” He added that democracy and liberalism “have also brought about its own challenges especially to the unity

and corporate existence of our nation.” He stated: “The freedom of expression, association and freedom of thought and conscience guaranteed by the Constitution, have unwittingly become tools in the hands of politicians and their associates to promote divi-

sion, hatred and discontentment in the polity. The quest for power and determination of certain persons and sections of the country to wrestle power from incumbent political office holders have led to the issuance of all manner of threats with grave implications for our national

unity.” “Another major challenge to our nationhood is how to improve on the living conditions of our people. Our constitution clearly provides that security and welfare of the people shall be the primary purpose of government”, Adoke pointed out.

6 | NEWS

THE GUARDIAN, Tuesday, August 27, 2013

Govt warns donors over physically challenged persons

NOA, four Plateau councils educate public on FoI rights

From Omotola Oloruntobi,Abuja

From Isa Abdulsalami Ahovi, Jos OUR local government councils in Plateau State and the National Orientation Agency (NOA) have embarked on an aggressive enlightenment campaign and sensitisation of the members of the public on the need to access information so that they may know their rights in line with the Freedom of Information Act 2011. The local governments so far covered are Mikang, Shendam, Langtang South and Langtang North. By carrying the campaigns to the rural areas, the councils believed that the grassroots would immensely benefit from the exercise especially when the disseminated message is properly understood in every nook and cranny of the country. In order to make a huge success of the exercise, the Chief Orientation and Mobilisation Officers (COMO) in the localities were divided into six communities to make the exercise effective. The COMOs from Mikang, Patri - Paw, Shendam, Helen Tobi, Langtang South, Moses Longsam and Pongwang I, Jonah – Rimpyen of Langtang North ensured that they involved the traditional rulers who are the custodians of people’s culture and tradition and revered by their subjects so that the central message of the enlightenment sinks down to the grassroots.

HE Federal Ministry of T Women Affairs and Social Development has urged inter-

Iyaloja General of Lagos State, Folashade Tinubu-Ojo (left); Olori Ramotu Adedayo Adeyemi; Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi; Olori Suliat Adeyemi and Olori Abibat Adeyemi during the ongoing world Sango day celebration at the Alaafin of Oyo Palace, Oyo State.

Health stakeholders score sector on MDGs target By Wole Oyebade TAKEHOLDERS in the health Snation’s sector yesterday scored the health system low as the 56th edition of the National Council on Health (NCH) opened in Lagos. Besides their concern that several of the resolutions of the 55th NCH have not been implemented by many states in the country, they observed that Nigeria still lags behind in achieving the Millennium

Development Goals (MDG) ahead of 2015 deadline. Opening the technical session of the meeting yesterday, Lagos Commissioner for Health, Dr Jide Idris said despite the pockets of achievements made in the health sector, the indices were still not flattering, and an indication “we are still far from where we need to be.” He said while every government in the country is working hard for improved healthcare access for the people, there are challenges peculiar to our environment and collectively facing different sectors. In his words: “We have huge population on our hands, high poverty among the people and the issue of available quality care. Our goal is to satisfy the people but once they complain, then it means we have more work to do. “In all these we need to catch up. We have the means, wherewithal and the determination and this is where we all sit down together to address these issues and collectively move on,” Idris said. The NCH is the meeting of all health policy makers in all lev-

els of government across the federation. Accessing the current state of the health sector, Executive Secretary of the Health Reform Foundation of Nigeria (HERFON), Dr Muhammed Lecky noted several contradictions in the health system, which, according to him, place a demand on new strategies like the passage of the National Health Bill and its implementation across the states; taking advantage of opportunities that abound in ehealth; public private partnership and long-term financing mechanism, for enviable health sector in the post MDG-2015 era. Lecky observed that Nigeria indeed has a vast abundance of health sector access, with over 34, 000 health facilities, but “the issue is their level of functionality, dilapidation, gross inadequacies, all leading to dire deficit and constraint to service delivery and confidence in the system.” Continuing, he said Nigeria also has human resources worth of 39, 210 doctors and 124, 629 nurses “that Nigeria should be proud of” but the issue of distribution still

plagued their effectiveness, while life expectancy (47 years) is comparatively low compared with developed countries of the world. On the MDG, with less than two years to go, reduction of child mortality, under MDG-4, has recorded some progress since 1990 till date, with some states actually below the current national average of 61.0 per every 1,000 live births. Under-five mortality has also dropped from 191 per 1,000 live births to 94 per 1,000. “We are making progress but the overall performance just falls short of the target. In these, there are disparities across the country. Southwest is actually on course to meeting MDG-4 & 5, but the general performance is not doing well. Most of the deficits are coming from the northwest and northeast. “States like Lagos, Ogun, Ondo, Edo, Anambra and Taraba States have attained the national infant mortality target for 2015. But the high proportion still comes from places like Yobe, Kaduna, Jigawa, Bauchi and Kastina states. In under-five mortality rate, 12 states have already achieved national target of 2015.

national donor agencies and partners dedicated to providing support for persons with disabilities in the country to be wary of some associations claiming to be representatives of persons with disabilities in the Diaspora without clearance from it. It has also alerted the country’s foreign missions to stop relating with any unrecognised group or association promoting itself as disability focused NGO or Disabled Persons Organisations (DPOs) operating outside the shores of the country. The ministry, in a statement, noted that its attention was drawn to the malicious activities of an individual, parading himself under the name, Joint Association of Persons with Disabilities in Diaspora (JONAPWDs in DIASPORA). According to the statement, “the group published in a section of the social media an article discrediting and castigating some of the international donor agencies of the Joint Association of Persons with Disabilities (JONAPWDs) in Nigeria and their staff, who have been assisting in addressing the plights of our brothers and sisters living with one disability or the other.”

Zamfara donates N10m to families of 19 killed by gunmen From Isah Ibrahim, Gusau UCCOUR has come to the Sgroup family of the 19 vigilante members that were killed by unknown gunmen in Zurmi Local Council of Zamfara State, as the government donated cash and food items worth over N10 million to the families of the deceased. Presenting the item to the deceased families yesterday at the palace of emir of Zurmi, the state acting Governor, Sanusi Garba Rikiji said each of the victims will receive the sum of N500, 000 and six bags of assorted grains. The acting governor while sympathising with Zurmi emirate over the killings of the vigilantes, expressed government commitment to re-strategise for the improvement of security situation in the state.

Ex-minister insists PDM must remain pressure group From Ezeocha Nzeh, Abuja OINING the Chairman of Jofthe Board of Trustees (BOT) the Peoples Democratic

Party (PDP) in opposing the registration of Peoples Democratic Movement as political party, former minister of state for Foreign Affairs, Hon.

Dubem Onyia has distanced himself from the registration of the movement as a political party, insisting that those behind the registration have acted contrary to the beliefs of the founding fathers of the PDM. Onyia, who addressed the media yesterday in Abuja, reaffirmed his loyalty to the ruling People’s Democratic Party, stressing that it was a mischievous move by the people behind the registration of the party to associate him with the new party as he never took part in any meeting where the decision to transform the movement into a political party was agreed. The former minister, who maintained that he still remains the general secretary of the PDM as a movement, which has its principles to work as a watch dog for good governance in the country with its members scattered in

all the political parties in Nigeria, noted that it was never the idea of the late founding father of the PDM to transmute it into a political party, while assuring that the ambitions of the section to secretly registered it as political party may crumble, as according to him, they will fail to get the blessings of many members of the group whom they did not consult before taking such decisions. He urged the supporters of PDM as a political party to have a rethink on their decision, stressing that the principles of the PDM as envisioned by its founder, late Shehu Musa Yar ‘Adua was to remain as a pressure group or movement, which he noted the majority of its block took to the PDP so as to ensure that the country gets good governance with the dividend of democracy.

THE GUARDIAN, Tuesday, August 27, 2013

PHOTONEWS

Vice Chairman, Rasak Oladosu (left); Chairman, Oladele Ogunlana; and Chairman Governing Board Ominira Yoruba Apapo (OYA), Yinka Odumakin during a press conference over the bloody fight which occurred between Hausa community and their Yoruba host at Bodija Market, Ibadan last weekend. PHOTO: NAJEEM RAHEEM

Corps Marshal, Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC), Osita Chidoika (left) presents wife of Vice President, Hajia Amina Namadi Sambo, her processed driver’s licence at the FRSC headquarters

Chairman, Governing Council, Industrial Training Fund (ITF), Musiliu Obanikoro; Director-General, ITF, Prof. Longmas Wapmuk; his wife, Elizabeth and Area Manager, ITF, Lagos Island, Dorothy Kayode during the ITF eighth interactive forum in Lagos... Executive Director, Human Resources, Sade Kilaso (left); Managing Director/CEO, Bola Adesola; Head Global Markets, David Adepoju; and Chief Information Officer Callistus Obetta (all of Standard Chartered Bank), during the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria Investiture Ceremony where Bola Adesola was conferred with honorary fellow by the institute.

Managing Director/Chief Operating Officer, Promasidor, Keith Richards (left); Head of Legal and Public Relations, Andrew Enahoro; and Strategy Director, Anders Einarsson during Promasidor Quill award press briefPHOTO: SUNing in Lagos

Permanent Secretary, Lagos State Ministry of Science and Technology, Nike Animashaun (right); Director, Policy and Programme of the Ministry, Ahmed Adeniji; and Consultant to the Governor on Software Testing, Tokunbo Fashola during the inspection of astronomy stethoscope for star gazing at the science and technology camp in Epe, Lagos

THE GUARDIAN, Tuesday, August 27, 2013

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WorldReport India parliament passes flagship food-for-poor scheme NDIA’S parliament has Idollar passed a flagship 18-billionprogramme to provide subsidised food to the poor that is intended to “wipe out” endemic hunger and malnutrition in the aspiring super power. The Food Security Bill – a key scheme seen as a vote-winner by the ruling Congress party ahead of national elections next year – was adopted in the lower house after a nine-hour debate. Meira Kumar, speaker of the lower house announced the passage of the bill, saying: “The ayes have it. The motion is adopted and the bill as amended is passed.” In a rare speech in parliament, Congress party chief, Sonia Gandhi, told MPs to send a message to the world that India was ready to eradicate malnutrition, which Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has described as a “national shame”.

EU urges rebels to lay down arms in eastern DR Congo UROPEAN Union yesterday E roundly condemned the outbreak of fresh fighting in the Democratic Republic of Congo and called on rebels behind the clashes to urgently lay down their arms. “We forcefully condemn the resumption of fighting that broke out August 21 near Goma after the shelling by the M23 movement of parts of Goma,” said a spokesman for EU foreign policy chief, Catherine Ashton. After a two-month lull, fighting between the army and the M23 has erupted sporadically since mid-July in North Kivu, a chronically unstable region with the mining hub of Goma as its capital. “Attacks against civilians and troops in MONUSCO (the UN peacekeeping mission) cannot be tolerated,” the EU spokesman, Sebastien Brabant, said in a statement. “We call on all sides for restraint.”

Italy rescues 200 asylum-seekers on dinghies TALIAN coast guards yesterIdinghies day intercepted two large carrying 204 asylum-seekers, who later landed south of the island of Lampedusa. Officials said the new asylum-seekers were mostly from sub-Saharan Africa and the vessels were on a crossMediterranean route taken by boats arriving from Libya. One dinghy was spotted some 70 nautical miles south of Lampedusa, Italy’s southernmost point and a major gateway for economic migrants and refugees entering the European Union. The second dinghy was drifting and was rescued 35 nautical miles south of the first one.

UN inspectors’ convoy hit by sniper fire in Syria, as West mulls action • U.S. hardens tone over chemical attack • Putin, Cameron discuss crisis on telephone ESPITE assurances from D combatants in Syria, United Nations (UN) inspec-

tors braved sniper fire yesterday to reach the site of a suspected deadly chemical weapons attack near Damascus, as the West weighed possible military action against President Bashar al-Assad ‘s regime. A UN spokesman said unidentified snipers shot at the UN team of experts looking into allegations of a poison gas attack in a Damascus suburb last week that the Syrian opposition claimed killed hundreds of civilians. But, after briefly pulling back, the investigators went to a field hospital in the town of Moadamiyet al-Sham where victims of the attack were still being treated, UN officials and activists said. They took samples and interviewed medical staff during a visit, which lasted almost three hours before returning to their hotel in Damascus. The Syrian authorities accused rebels fighting Assad’s forces of being behind the sniper fire, while the opposition said pro-regime militias were to blame, although both sides were said to have agreed to a temporary ceasefire. However, indications yesterday posited that President

An image grab taken from a video uploaded on YouTube allegedly showing United Nations’ inspectors (second and third right) during a visit to a hospital in the Damascus suburb of Moadamiyet al-Sham, Syria…yesterday. PHOTO: AFP/YOUTUBE Barack Obama – who is acutely aware of the cost of war, rarely seeks to wage it. But the sharpening of U.S. rhetoric on Syria might be fateful and significant, Agence France Presse (AFP) reported yesterday. For months, Obama, a Nobel peace laureate, resisted being sucked into the sectarian quagmire in Syria, despite the carnage unleashed on civilians in a war in which

around 100,000 people are said to have died. He resisted calls for no-fly zones and demands from within his own war council to arm the rebels fighting alAssad, fearing weapons could end up with jihadists. But America’s gray lines on Syria darkened on Sunday with a blunt statement by a senior White House official that there was “very little

doubt” that Assad’s forces had turned chemical arms on civilians last week. In another development, Russian President Vladimir Putin and British Prime Minister David Cameron discussed reports of chemical weapons use in Syria by telephone yesterday, Russian news agencies said. The conversation “focused mainly on the situation in

Syria against the backdrop of media reports on the possible use of chemical weapons near Damascus,” the Ria-Novosti agency said, quoting the Kremlin press office. But the defiant Syrian President declared that any strike by the U.S. and its allies would be doomed to failure and key ally, Moscow, warned of dangerous consequences for the entire region.

Multiple industrial strikes raise fears of fresh violence in South Africa Around 120,000 gold mine HOUSANDS of construction SAPA news agency. Africa’s platinum mines, with minor disruption, including T workers in South Africa The South African govern- 34 miners shot dead by police an arrival delay for the nation- workers on Saturday gave a reportedly downed tools yes- ment warned the strikers to in a crackdown on a single day. al rugby team returning from week’s notice to stage a strike terday, adding to strike chaos that has crippled output and disrupted air traffic while fanning fears of new violence. About 90,000 construction workers embarked on an indefinite strike demanding a 13 per cent pay increase against an offer of six percent made by their bosses. Two people were reportedly stabbed in an incident related to the construction strike in Johannesburg’s plush suburb of Sandton, police told the

stay “within the ambit of the law”, adding that “those that contravene the country’s laws will face the full might of the law.” It added: “It is unacceptable when people’s rights are violated by perpetrators of violent actions, such as inflicting injury or death to other persons, damage to property and the destruction of valuable public infrastructure.” Labour disputes last year claimed up to 50 lives at South

Also yesterday, 1,300 aircraft maintenance technicians launched a stay-away, demanding a 12 perc ent pay rise, Vincent Masoga, spokesman for the South African Transport and Allied Union, told AFP. The technicians repair and service aircraft for South African Airways and other domestic and international carriers, including British Airways and Qantas. The strike has so far caused

Argentina. But the Airports Company of South Africa denied that delays at Johannesburg’s OR Tambo airport were related to the strike. Meanwhile, as many as 30,000 auto workers have been on strike for a week, and more strikes are in the pipeline – in the gold mining and textile sectors – at a time of year when yearly wage negotiations take place in South Africa.

over salaries if no deal is reached with the mining firms this week. The government statement urged employers and workers to “engage in meaningful dialogue and to speedily reach an agreement”. It urged “government and the citizens of the country... to work together in a peaceful and stable manner to address the underlying challenges of poverty, unemployment and inequality.”

Palestinians cancel peace parley with Israel over killings ALESTIANS cancelled peace dawn. collapse of peace efforts. forces shot dead three age. The hospital officials said all P talks with Israel’s negotiaHe did not announce a new But the United States insisted Palestinians. tors yesterday after Jewish date for the meeting. yesterday that no meeting Meanwhile, medics reported the casualties had been hit by security forces shot dead three Palestinians in West Bank clashes. “The meeting that was to take place in Jericho ... today was cancelled because of the Israeli crime committed in Qalandiya today,” a Palestinian official told Agence France Presse (AFP), referring to the refugee camp where the clashes erupted before

“What happened today in Qalandiya shows the real intentions of the Israeli government,” Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas’s spokesman Nabil Abu Rudeina, told AFP as reports of the shooting started to emerge. He called on the U.S. administration to “take serious and quick steps” to prevent the

planned as part of the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian peace process had been cancelled, despite Palestinian claims to the contrary. “I can assure you that no meeting has been cancelled,” State Department spokeswoman, Marie Harf, told reporters, after Palestinian officials said a session had been cancelled after Israeli

that three Palestinians were shot dead and 19 wounded by Israeli security forces in Qalandiya camp, between Ramallah and Israeli-annexed east Jerusalem, very early yesterday. They named the dead as Rubeen Abed Fares, 30, and Yunis Jahjouh, 22, both shot in the chest, and Jihad Aslan, 20, who died of brain dam-

live ammunition. An Israeli police spokeswoman said that border police used “riot dispersal means” to disperse a stonethrowing crowd of 1,500 people. “In the early hours of the morning a border police team went into Qalandiya camp to arrest a hostile terrorist activist,” spokeswoman Luba

THE GUARDIAN, Tuesday, August 27, 2013

Politics How we convinced Obasanjo to support Jonathan’s 2015 bid, by Ogun PDP ‘Lamido knows the game is over’ Like in other parts of the South-West, the Ogun State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is factionalised, with different groups loyal to former President Olusegun Obasanjo, former Governor Gbenga Daniel and Buruji Kashamu, respectively. But the state secretary of the party, Mr. Semiu Sodipo, told ABIODUN FANORO that factions have been reconciled and fully back in the party while efforts are ongoing to lift the suspension clamped on Daniel. From the days of former Governor Daniel, Ogun State PDP has continued to swim in crisis. Today, it is in tatters. HAT is no longer true. Our great party, the PDP in Ogun State, is in a stable situation. We have gone very far with reconciliation, re-positioning and re-branding of the party, and they are all yielding good results. Now, our leaders have realised that none of them can do it alone. They are closing ranks; they have resolved to work together in the overall interest of the party at both the state and at the national level. This reconciliation has put the party in a stronger position for the 2015 General Elections. What manner of reconciliation is going on where you don’t have Daniel and his group, and where former President Obasanjo and his group are left in the dark? Who are you rebranding? I think, to an extent, your view on the Obasanjo group is not correct because the group, notwithstanding its point of disagreement, never left the PDP. The group has never left the party even when there were disagreements here and there. At the moment, we have resolved all the differences. To convince the general public that we have mended our fence, you would note that about a week ago, it was Obasanjo who played the peace-maker in efforts to reconcile some PDP governors with President Goodluck Jonathan. That is an indication that in Ogun PDP, every sword has been sheathed. Otunba Gbenga Daniel, too; we are working on him. What is remarkable about Ogun PDP is that it has many big names. All we can do is to reach as many of them that have some differences with the party, with a view to returning them to the fold. I can tell you that from the Daniel group, some of key elements have started to return to the fold. For instance, Elder Yemi Akinwonmi, who is the Chief Operation Officer of the group, attended our recent meeting at Ijebu-Igbo. From the reactions and feelers we are getting from members of his group, Otunba Daniel would not leave the PDP, he would surely return to the party. We may not be able to bring back every member of the Daniels group because of the fact that not all of them are politicians; very many of them simply worked with him when he was in government and have since returned to their various professional callings. That Obasanjo is helping Jonathan to seek peace, has that translated into the return of his group in Ogun to the PDP? The man, who called me on phone in the course of this interview, is called Mr. Wasiu Bakena; he is the strong man of the Obasanjo group; he wanted to know when a meeting of the party had been slated for. Everybody is returning to the fold. That is one thing about politics. Once the leader has said this is the way forward, the followers would follow suit. Obasanjo has been talking to them that he has no other place to go; that the PDP is his home. Where Obasanjo had issues is with

Sodipo the Presidency and he has resolved them with the Presidency, that is enough signal to his followers. Knowing that Obasanjo hardly forgives nor does he easily change his well taken stand, what gives you the confidence that he has fully returned to the fold? I don’t believe that Obasanjo hardly forgives. The problem is that most people often misunderstand the man. The man’s interest is Nigeria first, Nigeria second and Nigeria to the last. Obasanjo has been made to understand that without giving Jonathan a second term, it could spell doom for the country and for the PDP. He has been told that Nigeria could not afford those grave implications that may follow the denial of a second term. We told Baba (Obasanjo) that you may not like Jonathan, but for the love he has for Nigeria, he must avoid what could destabilise the country, which translates to mean that he must support Jonathan’s second term bid. What you are saying is that Sule Lamido, who many people believe Obasanjo is propping, should go and sleep? Of course, Sule Lamido knows that he has to bury his 2015 ambition. Lamido now knows that the game is over and that Obasanjo has shifted his support to where it ought to be, which is with Jonathan. Back to Daniel. His spokesperson, ‘Sina Kawonise, recently affirmed that Daniel is out of the PDP forever… I told you that some people came with Daniel when he was in government to work with him and they have since returned to base. They are not politicians; they are no longer relevant in the politics of the state. Sina Kawonise is one of them. He joined Otunba Daniel towards the tail end of his administration; he is out of circulation politically. He is neither a grassroots man nor a community leader. In his home town, Ago Iwoye, he is not even known. I can assure you that he is not speaking for Otunba Daniel; he is on his own. I learnt he is having a daylight dream to contest for the office of the state governor. He is free to dream, but he knows that he cannot realise that dream in the PDP. Today, the PDP is governed by the rule of law; so, in such an environment, he couldn’t have such a dream.

If Daniel goes to the Labour, is anything wrong now that the party is seen as the second leg of the PDP in the South-West, which Jonathan allegedly funded during the recent election in Ondo State? I don’t think it is really correct to say the President (Jonathan) supported the Labour Party candidate against the PDP (in Ondo). President Jonathan saw a performing governor in the person of Dr. Olusegun Mimiko (Ondo State governor), he admired and appreciated him in his (Jonathan) usual tradition of recognising excellence as the President of Nigeria, not for the PDP alone. It is true the President’s party (PDP) had a candidate for the election, but the people of Ondo State said the governor was doing well; the President also discovered he was doing well. So for that reason, the people voted for him (Mimiko); the President could not do otherwise. As part of reconciliation, is there any move to review Daniel’s suspension from the PDP? Of course, moves are on towards that. The suspension is from his ward; we have invited representatives from his ward to brief us and on the way forward. We are sure all these would lead to reviewing the suspension. We are only advising the former governor, as a leader, to play along with his people in his ward; he should not discriminate against anybody. He should not say because he is not the one that put those members of the ward executive there, he would not play along with them. He should remember that the era of imposition is over. The PDP at all levels now operate by the party’s constitution; it is no longer by individuals’ whims and caprices. Even at the federal level, the National Working Committee members had to resign to reformalise their elections because some people got a court judgment to the effect that the members were not elected according to the party’s constitution. That is why the PDP is organising a fresh National Convention. The practice in the past that being a governor, the president, a former governor, a former president, does not apply again; everybody must abide by the constitution. We have been appealing to him (Daniel) that the era has gone when the governors would sit down alone to take all decisions on who were to

be members of the executives at all levels, and which party candidates would be for elections. This has gone and gone forever in the PDP, particularly in Ogun State, the cradle of Western education. Ogun PDP has boasted to un-seat Governor Ibikunle Amosun in 2015. How realistic is this, especially for a performing governor? In the PDP, we have the experience of how to dislodge incumbent governors. We did it in 2003 when we defeated Chief Olusegun Osoba. We retained the position for eight years. We have been out just for two years. We know both the code and the password to defeat Governor Ibikunle Amosun. No APC (All Progressives Congress) can withstand the new power and energy we have got from the reconciliation, re-positioning and re-branding. I don’t know what you mean by performance. I wish you could go round the state to talk to the people about the performance of the Amosun administration, you would be shocked by the revelation you would get from the people. They are lamenting, they are suffering; they never had it so bad. The government is visiting poverty on the people. There is over taxation, multiple taxation, irregular payment of salaries and allowances. In short, Amosun has made everybody poor simply because he is building roads that are more for aesthetic purpose than for the economic benefit. By your logic, governance should not be about development? Governance should be about the people. Also, development should be about the people. Every development must have the people at the centre. In economy, there could be growth without development. What is the usefulness of a road when the people are hungry? What is the use of new roads when the people have no jobs? What is road when both the educational and health sectors are collapsing? Before a governor decides to build a six-lane road, he should ask himself, what is on the table for the people to eat? Because the government must please the people, illegalities should be condoned? Which illegalities? When you built a house with shops and you rented them out to traders, is that illegality? The houses had been there before the expansion of the roads; they (owners) have the relevant documents, including approved plan. If what the APC is doing in Ogun State is a crime, then how would you define what the PDP government is doing in Abuja where houses are being demolished everyday? The demolition in Abuja is not about road construction; it is about people who built in illegal places; it is about people who built houses on land where they don’t have the valid documents. Is the Ogun government not paying compensation? No reasonable compensation is paid. What kind of compensation is the government paying after it had demolished? Is it the demolition that should come first or an assessment of the value of the building before demolishing it? If justice is to be done properly, the government has to value the buildings before pulling them down. Some of these houses were built with mortgage credits. The government should have provision for resettlement of people whose houses or shops were demolished. Is this criticism not because the present government has said it is not business as usual, where government largesse was shared among politicians in the past? I stand by my earlier position that governance is about the people. It is the people first; they must be happy. Do you know how much Britain, for example, pays on social security? It is unquantifiable. It is not about sharing money; it is about designing programmes that would meet the needs of the people.

THE GUARDIAN, Tuesday August 27, 2013

TheMetroSection Day old baby corpse floats on Kaduna river Briefs From Bashir Bello, Kaduna HE lifeless body of a day-old-baby was yesterday found floating on a stream in Kurmi Mashi, a metropolis in Kaduna North local council of the state. An eyewitness who identified himself as Mallam Musa Ahmed said he saw the floating body of the baby at about 10: 00am when he went to ease himself beside the stream and immediately raised alarm which attracted the attention of neighbours and passers-by. Ahmed said the corpse of the baby was immediately taken and buried by the community. When asked whether the police was notified on the development, he said, “the dead body of the baby was buried without police knowledge in view of the condition in which the baby was found,” adding that, “the umbilical cord was still there.” Meanwhile, the Police Public Relation Officer (PPRO) Kaduna State

Nigerian navy hosts Africa maritime experts

• Gunmen kill NSRMEA staff in Malali Command, DSP Aminu Lawan said he has not been briefed about the matter by the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) of Kurmin Mashi Police Station as he gave assurance that the Command will make necessary enquiry into the matter after which necessary investigations will be carried out. Similarly, a staff of National Steel Raw Materials Exploration Agency, (NSRMEA), Malali, Kaduna, identified as Ibrahim Mohammed Tella was also gunned down by unidentified gunmen along Umaru Gwandu Road, Malali, Kaduna at the weekend. The incident happened when the deceased was on a bike from the Tipper Garage, Malali village, holding his sixyear-old boy when the gunmen approached him, shot him from the rear and zoomed off on their bike. According to an eyewitness, Ibrahim Saleh, the incident happened oppo-

site the popular Destiny College, situated in Malali GRA. It was also gathered that the late Tella spent the weekend working on his farm, which is across the River Kaduna along the new Yakowa Road. On the said day, he left with his son to the Tipper Garage where they had their lunch and he received a call from there that somebody was waiting for him on the farm. He immediately jumped on the next available motorbike to his farm, unaware that another bike was trailing them. The assailants on bike caught up with them opposite Destiny College and starting firing several shots at him. After confirming that he was dead, the three men on the bike zoomed off causing commotion and confusion. The Police Public Relation Officer, Kaduna State Command, DSP Aminu Lawan confirmed the incident and

Commissioner of Police, Kaduna State, Olufemi Adenaike said the police are after the killers as investigation has already begun into the case. He appealed to members of the public with useful information to assist the police track down the perpetrators.

Fayemi’s wife laments increasing rape of minors in Ekiti From Muyiwa Adeyemi, Ado Ekiti HE wife of Ekiti State Governor Mrs Bisi Fayemi has blamed the increasing rate of defiling of minors in the state to street hawking and exposure of female children to street life. She regretted that despite various laws put in place by the Governor Kayode Fayemi-led administration to protect gender rights in the state, the increasing rate of reported rape cases should concern all residents of the state. She, however, advised parents to desist from allowing their minors to roam the streets in the name of hawking and report any case of defilement to the police. Mrs. Fayemi spoke yesterday while flagging off the Market Outreach Programme where she intends to partner and empower market women for sustainable development. The programme, which is being financed by Ekiti Development Foundation (EDF), an initiative of Mrs Fayemi in collaboration with Ministry

Bisi Fayemi of Women Affairs, is expected to lead advocacy for better life for market women. Kick starting the programme at Ido-Ekiti Market in Ido-Osi Local Council, Mrs Fayemi hinted that the

By Odita Sunday HE Nigerian Navy will from August 27 to 28 host the international conference of all African navies and maritime experts at the Eko Hotel and Suites in Lagos. The conference, according to Nigerian Naval authorities, would proffer best ways to secure African waters and sea trade. Chairman of the Local Organizing Committee for the conference, Rear Admiral Ibok Ibas, Flag Officer Commanding, Western Naval Command, Lagos, said Nigerian Navy would collaborate with the navies of other African countries to tackle insecurity in the Gulf of Guinea. According to him, the theme of the conference is “Offshore Patrol Vessel Africa.’’ “The conference will also examine the unique maritime security challenges in many African countries in the 21st century as the continent is witnessing progressive surge in offshore activities,” he said. “Naval chiefs and stakeholders will also discuss issues such as anti-piracy, sea robberies as well as multilateral protective measures to safeguard offshore oil assets. “Other issues include exhibition of security and defencerelated equipment for protection of oil and gas assets, technology transfer and development of domestic ship building capacities,’’ Ibbas added.

gesture was to demonstrate the present administration’s concern in the state to market women. Some of the items donated included a brand new 18-seater bus, mini purses and cash support. The governor’s wife thanked the Iyalojas for their support for the Kayode Fayemi-led government, stressing that the programme was one way of showing appreciation. Another highlight of the event was a health talk by the officials of the state Ministry of Health where market women were taught the rudiments of personal hygiene and how to run a good marital home. The State Action Committee on Aids (SACA) team led by Dr Charles Doherty also gave HIV/AIDS awareness advocacy at the communities visited. A health officer, Mrs Kemi Akinleye urged the audience to always accord respect to their husbands saying it was one of surest ways of keeping a good home. She emphasized on the benefit of taking balance diet urging them to avoid too much intake of fatty and salt y food, as it could cause hypertension.

Church holds concert HE 2nd all-night Festival of T Voices Music Concert of Divine Salvation Bible church tagged: “Joy of the Lord”- Nehemiah 8: 10 will hold August 30, 2013 from 8pm to 6am at 5, Adewusi Street, Fadeyi off Ikorodu Road, Lagos.

Fulani community petitions Oyo Group calls for suspension of Hausa Okosi, 77, for burial governor over killing of its members traders from Bodija market From Iyabo Lawal, Ibadan ORRIED by the murder of its members in some parts of Oke Ogun area of Oyo state, the Fulani community in the state yesterday called on Governor Abiola Ajimobi to urgently intervene and stop the crisis. They alleged that natives in the towns and settlements have killed about 11 of its members in the last six weeks. The Fulani group known as Jamu Nati Fulbe Association of Nigeria, Oyo State Chapter in a petition to Governor Ajimobi, and made available to reporters in Ibadan gave the names of the victims as Sanni Musa, Saidu Abdulahi, Ibraheem Haruna, Umar Babuga, Saliu Rebo and Muhammad

Governor Ajimobi

Usman. The petition signed by Alhaji Salihu Kadiri and Mallam Muhammed Salihu Kisi, national chairman and general secretary respectively said: “Natives particularly farmers and youths kill our people at any slight provocation. The common excuses for such brutal killings are that our cattle are fond of grazing on their farmland or they disturb free flow of vehicular traffic on some major roads.” “In the last few weeks, these ethnic jingoists and blood-suckers have invaded many Fulani clans and settlements to commit their crime of serial murder with impunity. This has resulted in the cold-blooded murder of at least 11 of our brothers whose family have been left in eternal grief,“ the group stated. While calling on the state government to take steps to halt the killings, the group also accused the state Police Command of not taking prompt action each time cases of the killings in question was reported at any of its formation. “Since the police and other security agencies have never shown concern to any reports of brutality, harassment and killings of our members going by past experiences, we make a passionate appeal to Governor Ajimobi and other well meaning leaders in the state to save us from these serial killers,“ the petition read in part.

of beans had risen to N550 as against N280 before the Borno OLLOWING the violent clash bekilling. We are miffed that the tween Yoruba and Hausa beans Hausa traders could still muster the traders at the Bodija Market in guts to engage their Yoruba hosts in Ibadan last Friday, a Yoruba socio-cultural group, the Ominira Yoruba Apapo a bloody fight after the killing of 14 of them in Borno State. We know (OYA) yesterday called for indefinite what could have happened in the suspension of Hausa traders from the North if they were in our shoes.” market. He added further: “It is time to At least five people were injured in the clash. The group, while addressing show that we can take it no more. If reporters at the Nigeria Union of Jour- they are testing our will, Yorubas are not cowards. In practical rejecnalists (NUJ) press centre in Ibadan, tion of this audacity, OYA calls for indescribed the bloody fight as economic Jihad which started against the definite suspension of trading Yoruba traders on May 4 when four of activities by Hausa at Bodija market until the perpetrators of the dastheir colleagues who went to buy tardly act of murder of 14 traders are beans were murdered in Borno State brought to book.” while another set of 10 traders were killed on June 28 in the same state and over N40 million reportedly taken away from them. The group’s spokesperson, Oludare Ogunlana said “accounts of the killing did not suggest that the murdered traders were caught in any bomb blast or crossfire. This points to the fact that those who killed them must have trailed them to Borno to shift attention to Boko Haram. Ogunlana said since the second round of killings on June 28 stopped the Yoruba traders from going to Borno State, the beans has been coming into the hands of Hausa traders who have been selling at cut-throat prices to their Yoruba counterparts as retailers. “ Before last Friday’s clash, a measure A beans seller at Bodija market, Ibadan

From Iyabo Lawal, Ibadan

HE death has occurred of T Mrs Agatha Okosi (nee Okadigbo) on July 30, 2013. According to her nephew Mr Melvin Udo, CEO of Melvorich Nigeria Limited, she will be buried on August 30 at 8 Ibegbu Street, Inland Town Onitsha, Anambra State.

Odusote, 107, for burial HE death has occurred of T Madam Susanah Ajolade Odusote (nee Dina) who passed on July 25, 2013 at General Hospital, Lagos. Funeral arrangements begin on Friday August 30 at 5:00pm with a wake-keep at her residence, No 3, Oke Mosa Street, Oke-Agbo, Ijebu Igbo, Ogun State. Her remains will be interred at the Christian Cemetery, Oke-Agbo Ijebu Igbo after a funeral service on August 31 by 12noon at St. John’s African Church Oke-Agbo while the entertainment of guests will follow immediately at St. John’s African Church Primary School in Oke-Agbo.

THE GUARDIAN, Tuesday, August 27, 2013

TheGuardian

14 | THE GUARDIAN, Tuesday, August 27, 2013

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 Nigeria and its civil service HE crisis of governance in Nigeria today is certainly rooted in the absence of a honest, T capable and efficient civil service. Its soul ravaged by corruption, its structure weakened by incompetence occasioned by life-long, gradual erosion of professionalism, the rot in the Nigerian civil service requires urgent attention and immediate remedy. The civil service is the state, and the state, with all its endowment of territoriality, population, and government, is incomplete without an efficient bureaucracy. Indeed, the civil service is the hub of the machinery of government for implementing policy decisions. It is the real engine of governance. It is the veritable institutional memory of the state. The Nigerian civil service had its moments of glory. Even after independence, it was a full-bodied bureaucracy steeped in the best tradition of diligence and rigour. It was truly an efficient and functional institution in which many of the nation’s best and brightest wanted a career. To entrench this culture, government recruited from tertiary institutions the best graduating students into the civil service. There was efficient delivery of service, dispatches and correspondence were timely and dutifully handled. The civil servants, even at the lowest level, exuded a spirit of commitment and shunned avarice. Material accumulation through corruption was alien and civil servants looked forward to a full career and a fulfilling retirement. Today, the civil service has been invaded by rent-seeking and prebendal forces that have lowered standards and undermined the vitality, integrity and cohesion of the institution. Recruitment and promotion have become a racket where quality and competence are sacrificed on the altar of greed. Favouritism, bribery for promotion and sundry vices have crept into the system. What is common knowledge today is that Deputy Directors, Assistant Directors and others down the line often have to induce their ways to higher ranks. Civil servants who are supposed to protect the state hardly know, nowadays, the boundary between the state, a permanent entity, and the transient governments of the day. Indiscipline reigns. And corruption rules. Career civil servants turn their back on the sacredness of the state and collude with politicians to fleece the country of the much-needed resources for development. In the present dispensation, things have gone from bad to worse. Routine procedures are not followed. Political assistants to public office holders even handle correspondence and state assignments, which the civil servants ought to handle, while the latter merely watch as rules are breached with impunity and the pillar of state withers away. The moment ethnicity became the basis of recruitment, quality and competence were bound to plummet. This was further aggravated by the quota system written into the constitution, therefore, allowing all manners of persons, qualified or not, into the service. Also, the country seems stuck to the past, without attempting real creative innovations to better the system. If anything, the best of the Victorian tradition bequeathed to Nigeria has been corrupted. The consistent meddlesomeness of successive administrations, of course, put more nails on the coffin of the civil service. The Jerome Udoji-led Civil Service Reform Commission was to conduct a comprehensive review of the standards and compensation in the civil service and public corporations. The Commission recommended increase in wages and salaries, a unified and integrated administrative structure, the elimination of waste and removal of deadwoods, rationalization of inefficient departments and the introduction of management by objective for efficient service. The only aspect implemented was the salary component. Again, between 1985 and 1988, another set of reforms largely responsible for the scarcity of professionals and committed officers in the public service reforms was carried out. Notable was the Dotun Philip Report that was given legal teeth under Decree 43 of 1988. That legislation, many have argued, paved the way for all-comers into the civil service. It is also believed to have led to the incapacitation of the Federal Civil Service Commission, which had most of its functions eroded or transferred in the main to Ministries, extraMinisterial Departments and Agencies. In 2003, the Federal Government embarked on yet another reform of the public sector at the instance of the World Bank and International Monetary Fund (IMF), which led to the shoddy re-training of some civil servants and the monetization of salaries and allowances. The Olusegun Obasanjo administration also established SERVICOM, a service delivery watchdog, to restore efficiency in all government offices. Recently, there was the Stephen Oronsaye Committee, which recommended rationalization of departments and ministries. All of these efforts have either not been well implemented or have since gone into limbo. The result is a civil service that gives little service to Nigeria and does little good to its own image. It must be noted that the quality of the civil service is central to a nation’s development. Leadership is, however, important because only a leader who recognizes that without a good civil service there cannot be good governance, can tame the monster that the nation’s civil service has become. To reform the civil service today is akin to recreating the nation itself, and that is not for the faint-hearted. It should even be the sole agenda of a government, but one with a vision of a radically different and better Nigeria. Meanwhile, the nation can begin in earnest with a few steps such as a return to the culture of only the best and brightest being good enough for the civil service. Guaranteeing security of tenure for civil servants, doing away with party patronage in recruitment and mainstreaming of merit as the first criterion of recruitment will also be worthy steps towards a rebirth. Corruption must not find an abode in the service as it does now. Prosecution of bribe-takers in promotion exercises and sanctions against the minutest infractions will be good signals. The restoration of the autonomy of the Federal Civil Service Commission with a view to letting the ideal civil service evolve and ensuring return of professionalism to the offices of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation and Head of Service are paramount. Above all, a gradual implementation of past positive recommendations will spare Nigeria the embarrassment of an incompetent and corrupt civil service.

LETTERS

Power of U.S. local govts IR: Nigeria copied the must be enforced by the local the United States rests is the American Presidential and government. If a uniform sys- local government. It is the SFederal system of government. tem of public instruction is local government that exeBut we are finding it very diffi- enacted, every local government cutes the general laws of the cult to practice it or copy well. is bound to establish the state, not state ministries. The We cannot invent. That is the schools, which the laws ordain. local governments have comtragedy. Governors are not According to Alex Tocqueville in missioners and not the state. deterred by the fact that they his “Democracy in America” Compare New York City (local have sometimes argued on “The local government in government) with New York opposite sides of the issue of America possesses two advan- State at Albany. The state is centralization. In one breadth, tages which strongly excite the the weakest government in they have opposed federal interest of mankind: independ- America. Have you heard of encroachment or monopoly ence and authority. Its sphere is United States Olympics? No. on the state. They favoured limited, indeed; but within that Have you heard of California state assumption of local func- sphere its action is unrestrained. Olympics? No. But there was tions. State-local relations This independence alone gives it Los Angeles Olympics. Have have, indeed, produced real importance which its extent you heard of Georgia dynamic discord as have and population would not Olympics? No. But there was ensure”. Federal-State relations. Atlanta Olympics. That is The governor has no input in local government power in Local government independence in the United States is a the administration of the local America! natural consequence of the government. The general princi- • Omohakpor Enaye, very principle of the sovereign- ple on which administration in omohakpor.enaye@yahoo.com ty of the people. The local governments are generally subordinate to the State only in those interests, which are IR: August 6th and 9th mark ates life itself! I am thinking termed social, as they are comthe anniversaries of the atom- here of existing, enacted and mon to all the others. In ic bombing of Hiroshima and pending articles of legislation America, not a man is to be Nagasaki, which brought a sud- that legalize various drugs, found who would acknowl- den end to the long Second prostitution, contraception, edge that the State has any World War. We might have homosexuality, same-sex marright to interfere in local gov- expected that such expression riage, abortion, euthanasia, ernment affairs. The local gov- of man’s inhumanity to man and genetic manipulation. ernment in the U.S. buys and ultimately might have con- Today, the West cries for libersells, sues and can be sued, pre- ferred upon our societies the ation from the tyranny of pares budgets, and no admin- wisdom to truly value life and modernity being imposed by istrative authority opposes liberty. liberal governments as they these functions. The people are Unfortunately, in the years fol- seek new and ingenious ways always sovereign in the local lowing World War II, after the of undermining morality and government. collapse of Nazism, the West vol- embracing nihilism. Is this the In America, there are certain untarily succumbed to a new path western civilization wishsocial duties that local govern- dictatorship of relativism that is es to traverse? Are we to remain ments are bound to fulfill. If no less evil than the fascism that self-exiled victims of our own the state plans a road, the local preceded it. We have seen the life-repudiating self-absorpgovernment cannot refuse to contemporary results – the tion? let it cross its territory. If a reg- nihilistic yet impeccably demo- • Paul Kokoski, ulation is made by the state, it cratic legislation that repudi- Ontario, Canada.

The West still undermines morality

THE GUARDIAN, Tuesday, August 27, 2013

Business Appointments P27 Reward system as tool for national development

Retarding growth worries Northern governors From Saxon Ahhaine, Northern Bureau Chief HE governors of the 19 Northern state, have urged the New Nigeria Development Company (NNDC) to overhaul the economies of the states in the region, for meaningful and purposeful contribution to national development and growth. The Chairman of the Northern Governors’ Forum, Dr. Muazu Babangida Aliyu made the call on behalf of his colleagues in response to the strategic need to overhaul the region’s economy.

Aliyu, who is also the Governor of Niger State, lamented the dwindling fortunes of the North, saying that it was time to act and rescue the region from economic decay. The Governor, who spoke yesterday at the opening of a three-day retreat exercise for the management of the NNDC, stressed that “the wealth of the people is the collective productivity of those people; because we have abandoned that which is our comparative advantage and we have not commercialised agriculture. The North has

been relegated to the background in contributing to development and the wealth of the nation. “Yes, people would say we are not hungry, yet, we are. But, most importantly, it is not only to feed ourselves but to be able to contribute to the economy of our society. Many of us in our states may have taken NNDC for granted, because we don’t know what it is, or what it is supposed to be doing. NNDC’s real estate is suppose to be N15 billion, while in totality, can generate of N100 billion”. While urging the manage-

ment of the 19 northern states’ conglomerate company to put up strategy to ensure that the agricultural sector of northern economies was rejuvenated, Aliyu also added that the initiatives adopted to ensure the exploration of crude oil in areas where oil has been discovered should now begin to yield results. “This is so especially at this time when virtually all the industries, which used to be the commanding height of northern economy have disappeared, leaving in its wake, mass youth unemployment,

Acting Director, Enterprise and Partner Group, Microsoft Nigeria, Ade Famoti (Right); Head, Marketing at Ha-Shem Network Services Limited, Abiodun Ogunjobi; Acting Country Manager, Microsoft Nigeria, Awawu Olumide-Sojinrin; and Director, Solutions & Sales Datacenter Specialist at Microsoft Nigeria, Oluyomi Alarape; at a press conference to announce End of Support for Microsoft Windows XP and Office 2003 in Lagos

Insurers take insecurity crisis at seaports to NASS By Joshua Nse ORRIED by the loss of premium income estimated at over N46 billion yearly at the nation’s seaports to marine fraudsters, insurance operators have taken the issue to the door steps of the National Assembly, to expedite action on the Custom’s and Excise

.Allege loss of N46b yearly to fake documentations .Seek action on Customs and Excise Management bill Management bill to address the problem. Specifically, the Legal Committee (LC) – a technical arm of the Nigerian Insurers Association (NIA), in a review of the presentation to the Senate Committee on

Transport on the problems confronting marine insurance in Nigeria, said the committee should expedite action on the process of computerising the authentication of marine insurance certificates.

Besides, insurers pointed out that the insecurity problems and over 80 security check points at our ports had forced the Joint War Committee of Lloyds and London underwriters to include Nigeria as one of the most expensive countries/ trading zones, where vessels could only come on the payContinued on Page 16

World Bank, others partner Nigeria on GDP rebasing From Chuka Odittah,Abuja ORRIED that much of W Nigeria’s fiscal planning and economic policies at the Federal, states and local governments levels have been consistently hinged on an obsolete Gross Domestic Product (GDP) baseline carried out since 1990, the World Bank, International Monetary Funds (IMF), the Africa Development Bank, the United Nations Development Programme, among others development partners are to help the country in generating a current and accurate GDP figure. Statistician -General of the Federation (SGF), Dr. Yemi

Kale, gave this indication yesterday at a sensitisation workshop on Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP), where he also hinted that the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) planned to generate a base-year estimates which is to help in filling gaps on data needed for future estimates. Kale said that the current price and quantity structure used to compile and measure Nigeria’s GDP, will be replaced through a rebasing exercise which he said will help Nigeria plan and measure development better. “The process of replacing the present price and quantity structure of the base year used to compile real measures of

GDP with a new or more recent price structure is known as re-basing. It involves changing the price and quantity base for individual process and quantity relatives, updating weights used in aggregating individual quantity relatives into sub-indexes and aggregating these sub-indexes into more aggregated indexes. “We are trying to update the current farm price and quantity structures used in the calculation of our GDP estimates to come out with more up-todate figures,” he said. He noted that continued reliance on the 1990 generated GDP figures will not help the Federal Government in

effectively tackling development targets set by it, especially the Vision 20:2020 transformation agenda which hoped to place Nigeria among countries of the world with the most vibrant economies. Minister/Deputy Chairman of the National Planning Commission, Dr Shamsudeen Usman, described the intended rebasing exercise as essentially statistical in nature but called on stakeholders to ensure that the processes leading to outcome of the rebasing are transparent and open to members of the public. He maintained that the processes leading to arrival of a new GDP are as important as the outcome itself.

excruciating poverty, violence and general underdevelopment in the region. “We should use this opportunity to seriously appraise where we stand today in socioecominic and political equation of this country and to chart a purposeful course for the economic rejuvenation of our states”. “Believe me, sentiment is not enough. If for example, we take textiles industry, if somebody owes your neighbour, and produce a quality cloth for N5 and then you go and join the sentiment by saying that you must produce your own. And you end up producing it at N15. The consumer is not foolish”, he said. Aliyu argued that the threeday retreat exercise, was part of “ the preparation for a fiveyear strategic plan for the NNDC as the conglomerate was and is still considered as a major catalyst for economic and social development of the Northern Nigeria”.

The Kaduna State Governor, Alhaji Mukhtar Ramalan Yero, at the forum, said that a strategic planning for the Northern Company at this period when the region “is experiencing challenges in economic and security problem is quite timely and strategic”. The Group Managing Director of NNDC, Dr. Ahmed Muhammed, stated that “ the fact that this company has not had a corporate plan in the last 20 years suggests that we should endeavour to produce a vision-based document that will be used to drive the process of growth and development “ of the various northern institutions. Muhammed then urged the officials of the NNDC “to take the retreat as a personal challenge and put in your best by ensuring that we produce a document that will chart a new course for NNDC in line with the expectations of the entire citizens of Northern Nigeria”.

THE GUARDIAN, Tuesday, August 27, 2013

16 BUSINESS

Insurers seek action on Custom, Excise Management bill Continued from Page 16 ment of additional premium for war risk cover. Industry chieftains said the problem has led to diversion of many vessels destined for Nigeria to the neighbouring countries. The Chairman of the Legal Committee, Samuel Oduroye, in the review of the Customs and Excise Management Bill - June 2012 to May 2013, said “the process

of computerising the authentication of marine insurance certificates should be expedited as the estimated N46 billion beinglost through fake documents is substantial to warrant urgent action to prevent these leakages”. According to him, “provision should be made for electronic invoices that will be issued to customs, importers and insurers to reduce the

incidence of under declaration in the systems and allow for easy monitoring by concerned stakeholders.” Oduroye stressed that the country should also adopt the electronic tracking system for the vessels operating in our seaports for a more effective monitoring of their movements. A marine expert and chieftain of the old generation underwriting firms in the

industry, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told The Guardian, that “the high level of insecurity at our ports calls for concern, as the marine insurance market has lost a lot through pilferages, piracy, seizures, attacks, among others. Consequently, the market has lost considerable premium income due to the insecurity of lives and properties on our territorial waters”.

THE GUARDIAN, Tuesday, August 27, 2013

BUSINESS

Industrialists clamour for protectionist policy By Femi Adekoya

• Describe power sector reform meaningless without local content

OR Nigeria’s industries to protectionist is not growing. The revolu- has adopted a local content Fnation’s thrive and add value to the sustainable policies is undermining local tion in telecommunications policy that would give local Gross Domestic Product (GDP), the Federal Government may need to up its game, especially in the area of initiating and implementing protectionist policies for indigenous firms. This was the view of some stakeholders during the visit of the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Olusegun Aganga, to MOMAS Electricity Meters Manufacturing Company (MEMMCOL), Mowe, Ogun State at the weekend. Indeed, the stakeholders said that Nigeria’s power sector reforms would be meaningless if more considerations were not given to local manufacturers of electricity equipment. According to them, inadequate support to indigenous manufacturers in terms of

Digital broadcasting may yield N380b for Nigeria From Abosede Musari, Abuja ITH a plan to migrate to W digital broadcasting by January 2015, Nigeria stands a chance to earn $2 billion (N380 billion) revenue from that venture. Chairman of Fatora Consult Ltd, Engr. Edward Amana, said this last Thursday in Abuja, while speaking as a guest lecturer at the third anniversary of NTA/Startimes TV joint venture in Nigeria. It would be recalled that Nigeria had set a target to implement the digital platform ahead of the I n t e r n a t i o n a l Telecommunications Union (ITU) set date of June 17th 2015 when all Analogue Terrestrial Television Transmitters are to migrate to the digital platform. Amana who is a former director of Engineering at the NTA, said that getting such revenue would be possible from frequency sale in the spectrum that would have been freed up in digital broadcasting. “The digital dividend – the spectrum gain after the transition can be used for mobile broadband. This will enable broadband penetration into the rural areas, with its attendant benefits”. “Properly managed, the sale of this leftover spectrum by auction should yield over $2 billion, over N308 billion”, he said. He also said the digital dividend will generate thousands of jobs for the youth of Nigeria. “More channels of diverse programming, giving the viewer more choice, possibility of multi-lingual delivery of programmes and better quality pictures and sound.” The Acting Director General of the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) Musa B. Maiyaki, also informed that the authority expects to fully digitalise its services by June 2014 ahead of the international requirement for 2015. Mayaki, said so far NTA has digitalised in 32 states of the federation.

capacity utilisation and investments. Specifically, the company noted that with a gap of over three million unmetered consumers in the country, the ability of local manufacturers to fill the gap is being undermined through gross importation of meters and absence of policies to protect its investments. Chairman, MEMMCOL, Engr. Kola Balogun, decried the poor patronage of his products by government agencies and companies, adding that over N8 billion worth of investment is gradually becoming endangered. Balogun, noted that low patronage was stifling the growth of local industries, while placing a risk on funds sourced from Development Finance Institutions (DFIs) like the Bank of Industry (BoI). “Indigenous manufacturers do not get enough patronage from government ministries and that is why our economy

can be sustained in Nigeria through indigenous innovations. He added: “The story of poor patronage is still the same in meter manufacturing where foreign firms are better patronised and recognised by government agencies. “I can confidently say that we local manufacturers of meters can meet our supply needs.” Balogun said that employment opportunities would triple if local manufacturers got more support from government at all levels. He said that the local content policy of government would not succeed if homemade innovations were not adequately utilised. He said: “I can tell you that our company has 100 per cent local content in the manufacture of meters. “Even all our operations and the production processes are managed by Nigerians.” The Minister, however noted that the Federal Government

manufacturers preference and encourage local capacity utilisation. Aganga explained that the development of a National Industrial Revolution Plan (NIRP) would further enable government to holistically

address industrial growth and sustainability. General Manager, Operations, BoI, Joseph Babatunde, explained that the bank committed its resources to the firm as part of efforts to encourage firms with innovative enterprise. According to him, BoI was playing an advocacy role to ensure that indigenous players are supported to drive

Nigeria’s industrial growth agenda. “Advocating patronage of made-in-Nigeria goods is not aimed at compromising the quality of products but encourage the growth of investments. Balogun added: “In our company alone, we have a production capacity of 500,000 to one million meters a month.”

THE GUARDIAN, Tuesday, August 27, 2013

20 |

Focus New lease of life for amnesty beneficiaries It is true that the amnesty proclamation and the post amnesty programme have engendered relative peace in the Niger Delta, which in turn, has buoyed the nation’s economy. But I make bold to counsel that this peace and stability should not be taken for granted

Some of the commercial pilots trained by the Presidential Amnesty Programme during the 4th year anniversary of amnesty proclamation in Abuja…recently

From Abosede Musari, Abuja HE Presidential Amnesty Programme was T proclaimed in 2009 by late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, following deadly actions by the then Niger Delta insurgents or militants as they were called. Those were the days when their activities nearly crippled the economy of the country, which depended and still depends on crude oil production. When the insurgency was at its peak, oil production dropped to as low as 700,000 barrels per day (bpd) from 2.2 million bpd. This almost brought the country to its knee as it lost its enviable place in the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC). The dire security situation in the Niger Delta at the time, also forced many multinationals to leave their operational bases and Angola quickly overtook Nigeria as the leading producer and exporter of crude oil in Africa. When Yar’Adua, on June 25th, 2009 proclaimed unconditional amnesty for the insurgents, it was with the aim of improving the country’s dwindling economic fortunes as well as the security of lives and property. The actual implementation of the programme, however, began a year later in 2010, and as it stands, the decision has paid off in no small measure as the country now produces between 2.4 and 2.6 million bpd because of the peace that has returned to the region. Three years on, the amnesty programme is training over 30,000 beneficiaries in different professions and vocations. Among others, who are to be integrated into the different sectors of the economy either as Currently, some of the beneficiaries are receiving training as commercial pilots, electrical engineers, marine welders; automobile engineers crane operators, fish farmers among many others. Over 14,000 of the beneficiaries have been deployed to universities and vocational centres within and outside the country, to obtain the best training in their fields. However, the amnesty programme, though a success story, is equally beset with immense challenges, which include securing employment for the trained youths in order not to make nonsense of the whole training exercise as the affected youths may, once again resort to crime if not gainfully employed. Chairman of the amnesty programme, Kingsley Kuku, during a recent event held to mark the third anniversary of the programme’s implementation, had showcased some of the beneficiaries, who had obtained employment in different fields. They include 22 certified private

and commercial pilots trained at the Afrika Union Aviation Academy in Mafikeng, South Africa. Others showcased were 25 holders of Masters degree in various disciplines from institutions in the United Kingdom, five graduates, who specialize in drilling (who have already been employed) and 15 other graduates of various disciplines, who have been employed in the private sector. Still amongst the amnesty beneficiaries, 10 have been employed by the Nigerian Army, six by Nigeria Customs Services, 40 by Century Energy Group, 30 by Proclad Group in Dubai and 2,000 graduates of skill acquisition programme are being set up in businesses by the amnesty programme itself. However, the number of those gainfully employed is nothing compared to the total number of trained youths, who need either employment or empowerment. Kuku used the occasion of the anniversary to appeal to government to diversify the economy to be able to accommodate the millions of youths in the Niger Delta, including those who did not carry arms. He also appealed to multinational oil companies in the region to ensure that youths trained by the amnesty office were employed. “The amnesty office has trained over 11,000 Niger Delta youths in different skills and vocations, but many of them remain unemployed. The historical grievances that gave rise to the militancy must be addressed. These stakeholders must all play a part in finding empowerment and employment opportunities for thousands of youths in the Niger Delta, who have been offered skills or are currently being offered skills by the amnesty office”. “It is true that the amnesty proclamation and the post amnesty programme have engendered relative peace in the Niger Delta, which in turn, has buoyed the nation’s economy. But I make bold to counsel that this peace and stability should not be taken for granted. State and local governments in the Niger Delta, oil and gas multinationals and other stakeholders cannot continue with business as usual while we make strenuous attempts to integrate former agitators”, he said adding that their empowerment or employment would guarantee lasting peace in the region. Another issue that should concern the Amnesty Office as it prepares to wind down the five-year programme is the fate of the beneficiaries, who will still be in training by 2015 when the programme closes. However, Kuku assured that his office would complete the training of all enrolled delegates while those pursuing long term programmes

meant to outlast the 2015 exit date, will be handed over to existing ministries, departments and agencies (MDA’s), who are statutorily empowered by extant laws to oversee scholarships and training programmes for the federal government. That notwithstanding, one thing that remains unclear is whether the Amnesty Office intends to hand the erstwhile agitators over to the MDA’s with the financial liabilities of their

Jonathan

Kuku

training or if the training will be paid for upfront, before the handing over. Another thorny issue that needs to be sorted out, remains the issue of monthly stipends from government since according to Kuku, the N65, 000, which they are being paid monthly, is meant to be diverted into the provision of infrastructures in the region. On that Kuku had this to say, “Kindly note that we have been consulting very widely with stakeholders in the Niger Delta and they prefer that we exit the Demobilisation, Disarmament, and Reintegration (DDR) component of the amnesty programme in 2015 as planned so that the budgetary provision for training and monthly stipends of N65, 000 to 30,000 ex-agitators can be channeled to the provision of critical infrastructures in the zone.” This issue of the monthly stipends may raise some dust if it is actually stopped while the beneficiaries are still in training as it is not clear how they are expected to survive until they complete their training and get employed. Currently, the prevalent situation is that beneficiaries are paid N65, 000 monthly, while they are in training either home or abroad. This payment continues for three months after they have been employed. If those who are still in training after 2015 stop receiving their stipends, they may decide to raise dust. As such, the public needs to be informed properly as to how these issues would be resolved even before the end of the amnesty programme. The amnesty office should also be concerned with reconciling former militants to their communities. Kuku, who admitted that this was one of the challenges faced by his office, stated that some of them have been outlawed by their communities because of their involvement in militancy. Some of these individuals, Kuku said, currently reside in Lagos and other Nigerian towns since they cannot return to their communities because of their past activities. How the Amnesty Office intends to help reconcile them with their people before the programme closes, remains unclear. The 661 individuals repatriated due to alleged misbehaviour during their training abroad, adds to the list of puzzles that need to be resolved. Though the office is yet to make its stand on them known, stakeholders are of the opinion that it is important sort this out in order to ensure that they would not pose security challenges as time goes on. As the nation looks forward to massive infrastructural development of the Niger Delta region in the wake of the 2015 terminal date, it is important for the region not to return to the dark days of insecurity, when the nation lost so much in human resources and oil revenues. The region, with about 37 million people currently lacks sufficient infrastructure such as electricity, potable water, and good roads network among others. According to the newly launched Niger Delta Action Plan, which was published by the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs, the entire region currently uses below 1,000 megawatt of electricity, out of which only Rivers state consumes 440 megawatts. Delta State, it says needs about 1,010 megawatt of electricity but only 100 megawatt is available to it. With the potential of massive industrial and economic development for the people, one of the major projects that the region must invest in is energy. Also, water has been described as the greatest unmet challenge in the area with only 45 per cent of rural communities in the South South region having access to safe drinking water and 25 per cent enjoying improved sanitation. The region is riddled with dysfunctional water projects according to the publication. This makes water and sanitation another area of needed investment for handlers of the region’s development.

THE GUARDIAN, Tuesday, August 27, 2013

INTERNATIONAL ECONOMY 25

THE GUARDIAN,Tuesday, August 27, 2013

Pipeline-capacity squeeze reroutes crude oil ORE crude oil is moving the next few years, according M around the U.S. on trucks, to energy adviser Wood barges and trains than at any Mackenzie. point since the government began keeping records in 1981, as the energy industry devises ways to get around a pipelinecapacity shortage to take petroleum from new wells to refineries. The improvised approach is creating opportunities for transportation companies even as it strains roads and regulators. And it is a precursor to what may be a larger change: the construction of more than $40 billion in oil pipelines now under way or planned for

“We are in effect re-plumbing the country,” says Curt Anastasio, chief executive of NuStar Energy LP, a pipeline company in San Antonio. Oil is “flowing in different directions and from new places.” U.S. oil production has reached its highest level in two decades, while imports have fallen dramatically. A system built to import oil and deliver it to coastal refineries has become ill-equipped to handle rising production in Texas, North Dakota and Canada’s Alberta province.

Obama “All of the pipes are pointed in the wrong direction,” says Harold York, an oil researcher at Wood Mackenzie. “We are turning the last 70 years of oilindustry history in North America on its head, and we are turning it on its head in the next 10 to 15 years.” With oil prices persistently above $100 a barrel, compa-

nies drilling new wells don’t want to forgo revenue while they wait years for new pipelines. That leaves them with trucks, trains and barges to move an increasing amount of crude. Oil delivered to refineries by trucks grew 38 per cent from 2011 to 2012, according to the U.S. Energy Information

Administration, while crude on barges grew 53% and rail deliveries quadrupled. Although alternatives are growing rapidly, pipelines and oceangoing tankers remain the primary method for delivering crude to refineries. In the Eagle Ford, a large fouryear-old South Texas oil field, production has grown to more than 500,000 barrels a day, from less than 1,000 in 2009, according to state statistics. Getting that torrent out of the sparsely populated region has required modifications to the oil-delivery system. For example, last year NuStar reversed a 16-inch pipeline built to carry crude imported from Africa and Europe northward from the Port of Corpus Christi. Now, the pipeline flows south, taking delivery from hundreds of trucks that fill up at individ-

ual wells. Some of the 175,000 barrels a day moving through the pipe is loaded onto barges at Corpus Christi and towed toward refineries near Houston. Earlier this year, Phillips 66 began putting some of this crude on ships for a 2,200mile journey around Florida to its refinery in Linden, N.J. The heavy trucks moving Eagle Ford crude are causing headaches for residents and local officials, ripping up roads and causing traffic tieups. “These are rural roads built for 10 cars an hour, and now it’s 100 vehicles an hour, and 75 of them are 80,000-pound trucks,” says Tom Voelkel, president of Dupre Logistics LLC. The Lafayette, La., company started hauling crude in Eagle Ford in November 2011 and has more than 100 drivers full time in the region.

THE GUARDIAN, Tuesday, August 27, 2013

APPOINTMENTS 27

Appointments Reward system as tool for national development

Jonathan

From Collins Olayinka, Abuja DEALLY every business Itifully owner wants to reap bounfrom his investment with every worker contributing optimally to the overall efforts. Within the work arena, there are contributory factors that influence workers’ output. While increment in salary is one known way of motivating workers for optimal performance, reward system is fast becoming a strong tool business community and government use to boost workers output. It is a common thing to find companies introducing awards with a view to motivating workers to give their best for organisational growth. Indeed, it is now a common thing to see ‘worker of the month’ award placed in some banking halls and eatery centre. On close examination, the worker who is nominated and his or her picture strapped on the wall of such organisation are often seen more happy and have almost a permanent smile planted on his or her lips and move swiftly to attend to customer during the period. This also has a way of motivating other workers to wanting to do well to achieve such recognition. Reward system is also seen by government as a veritable way of mobilising the citizenries for meeting economic goals set by government aimed at speeding up development. Reflecting on how reward system has helped propel productivity consciousness among Nigerians, the Director General of the National Productivity Centre (NPC), Dr. Paul Bdliya said that the aim of the annual National Productivity Order of Merit Award, which was awarded to individuals and corporate bodies, was to encourage Nigerians to be productive.

Wogu The NPC boss explained that productivity consciousness helped entrepreneurs understand how to achieve optimal result from human and materials resource at their disposal. He added: “Productivity effectiveness is about how entrepreneurs are able to achieve result from little or nothing. It is about their ability to rise above the prevailing challenges and do well. The NPC is not just about giving award to big business enterprises but ordinary people such as traffic warden who does his job excellently well. People who come to work early, carry out their duties with diligence and dedication are also qualified to get the award. We believe that it is by observing these ‘little details’ that our economy can grow to enable us meet our national development targets.” It is, therefore, no gainsaying the fact that a properly situated reward system can drive up productivity for national development. The International Labour Organisation (ILO) office here in Nigeria underscored this during the celebration of the 2013 edition of the national productivity day in Abuja. The ILO Director for Nigeria, Ghana, Sierra Leone and The Gambia, Ms. Sina ChumaMkandawire, declared that for a country to achieve a developing economy, it must indeed adopt policies aimed at increasing the productivity level of its citizens. She said that productivity and competitiveness were key issues for private enterprise development in any country and employers’ organisations have an important role in underpinning this in their policy work and in providing services to their members. Chuma-Mkandawire argued that productive enterprise development meant that enterprises could create both new and additional jobs,

which in turn was one of the most concrete and important contributions to national efforts on poverty reduction. She explained: “Productivity is a measure of efficient and effective use of inputs such as labour, capital, materials, energy and information. Of particular interest to policy makers, economists, managers and the ILO is labour productivity, measured as output per worker or per hours worked. This directly relates to the returns on labour input such as wages and income. It, however, poses a challenge on how enterprise should share gains in productivity with employees. Productivity growth is an essential contributor to competitiveness at all levels. It is also an ultimate source of growth in living standards and offers a sustainable route out of poverty, making more goods and services available at affordable prices to more people.” She pointed out that there is no simple formula for improving competitiveness and productivity, saying: “It is a fact that many factors shape the outcomes of competitiveness and productivity. It is also a fact that previous strategies that worked in the past may not work today or in the future, just as strategies that work in a country may not work in another country.” The ILO sub-regional chief hinted that the international labour body had been helping countries that indicated interest with formulation of policy aimed at boosting productivity and competitiveness both at enterprise and national levels. She stressed that productivity strategies involved partnership, with each partner having important roles to play saying the potential for improving resource and energy efficiency in the production and consumption

Bdliya cycle should be exploited fully if Nigeria must accelerate productivity growth. Chuma-Mkandawire submitted that while it was important to put high premium on improving the skills and attitudes of workers, motivation should also be factored in when the overall scheme of improving pro-

ductivity was planned. She added: “The tripartite partners should contribute and invest their respective resources with the aim of making gains. Such productivity gains should be distributed in such a way that government, employers and workers benefit from the gains. This can be done

through the establishment of a strong institution or revamping an existing one to be able to establish a fair basis for sharing productivity gains, including through effective labour market institutions and social dialogue that generate a strong link between productivity and CONTINUED FROM PAGE 33

THE GUARDIAN, Tuesday, August 27, 2013

Peoples’Digest

Published in association with

Is your succession plan working? By Aruosa Osemwegie GPHR, SPHR In Brief HERE is an increased clamor for effective succession planning and this is understandably so. Organisations, people and nations have suffered from the ineffective handling of succession. With shareholder and stakeholder profits and funds sometimes eroded, regulatory bodies are now lending their voice to it as well. Certainly, with both public and private sector succession planning, it is ‘not yet uhuru’. This article series which is focused on private sector succession planning traces the evolution of succession planning, from being a focus on the CEO’s office to an organisation-wide scheme intended to build leadership continuity at all levels within the organization. It was found that “no matter how refined the process for selecting a CEO or how diligently the board works to choose the right one, the odds of success are far higher when it has a robust process and a substantial internal pool of leaders at all time to choose from.” From the pool of examples of firms that have been repeatedly successful at succession planning (CEO and beyond), the jury closes in favour of the majority having a process that extends beyond the board into the very design and nature of leadership development within that organisation. To increase its applicability within organisations, we tried to draw on examples and commentaries from organizational consultants, analysts and media watchers. The aim of this article series is to provide an analysis on private sector succession planning with a view to unveiling the issues, sieving through the quagmire and showcasing exemplary practices for business leaders and human resource practitioners to adapt. Steve Jobs to Tim Cook – a model or a fluke? When the CEO of the world’s Most Admired Company, Apple Inc., initially resigned and then eventually passed on, there were and still are people who felt that the world wouldn’t get the same level of leading edge innovation cum functionality that Apple represented. “With Steve Jobs bowing out as CEO, Apple Inc. must persuade investors and consumers that it doesn’t need the force behind the iMac, iPod, iPhone and iPad in charge to keep the technology hits coming. Tim Cook, his hand-picked successor, has handled the top job repeatedly in the absence of the ailing Jobs, who resigned as chief executive on Wednesday 24th August 2011, and was elected chairman of Apple’s board.” – Associated Press in 2011. An analyst with Global Equities Research, Trip Chowdhry put it this way “Apple is Steve Jobs, Steve Jobs is Apple, and Steve Jobs is innovation.” All that was about two years ago. It is beginning to seem like Steve Jobs got it right with Tim Cook. Or what do you think? But is this a winning formula for succession planning? One plane crash, a dozen company disasters A very unfortunate event occurred in 1996. And the script couldn’t have been written by anyone. A plane crashed that had on board the US Commerce Secretary Ron Brown. Also on board were: Donald Terner, President, Bridge Housing Corp.; Robert E. Donovan, President and Chief Executive Officer, Abb Inc.; Claudio Elia, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Air & Water Technologies Corp.; Stuart Tholan, President, Bechtel-Europe/Africa/Middle East/Southwest Asia; John A. Scoville, Chairman, Harza Engineering Co.; Leonard Pieroni, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Parsons Corp.; Barry L. Conrad, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Barrington Group; Paul Cushman III, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Riggs International Banking Corp.; Walter Murphy, Senior Vice President, AT&T Submarine Systems Inc.; Robert A. Whittaker, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Foster Wheeler Energy International; Frank Maier, President, Ensearch International Ltd.; David Ford, President and Chief Executive Officer, Interguard Corp. of Guardian International. About twelve CEOs/Chairmen of various corporations died in one fell swoop on April 3rd, 1996.

The bad, the worse and the ugly Since the ancient days of the monarchy system of governance, people and institutions have grappled with the idea and the consequences of succession planning. Forced by sudden circumstances, some have been forced to seek quick replacements while others had some time to plan for it. Either sudden or planned, the task of replacing executives has had more losers than winners. It has been the tale of the bad, the worse and the ugly. The world is replete with examples of organisational demise, near-demise or flounders, because of poor, ineffective or non-existent process for replacing CEOs and other executives. One would think that the challenge would be reduced by the fact that everything rises and falls on the quality of leadership of an organisation. Others would also expect the ills to exist within public institutions alone but the reality is that governments, parastatals and corporations have all been scarred, though in varying proportions. From a compilation of studies and commentaries, there is common agreement that succession planning is ineffective when the following happens or exists: • The absence of a leadership minting process; • The absence of a proactive succession process or plan; • When an ill-prepared staff is assigned the job; • When there is no successor in sight; • Shares plummet during the first six months of the arrival of a new CEO; • Organisational performance regresses within the first year of the new CEO and • New CEO quits or is asked to leave after a short stint. Wrong succession affects company fortunes It was Jack and Suzy Welch’s observation in 2007 that, “Citigroup and Merrill Lynch recently lost their CEOs, and it quickly became obvious that neither company had a successor in the wings. What was less obvious was how such a thing could happen. Certainly examples of outstanding succession planning exist: Just look at Johnson & Johnson, Goldman Sachs, Microsoft, and Caterpillar. Indeed, research shows that well over 50% of companies promote their CEOs from within. Such companies understand a central tenet of business—that a well-crafted succession plan vastly minimizes disruption when the CEO leaves, expected or not. Imagine what it felt like inside Citi and Merrill in recent weeks, with people, top to bottom, asking themselves, “What will happen to me in this mess?” and “What will the devil-we-don’t-know be like?” So long, productivity! A 2011 view by Chartered Management Institute was phrased in this manner: “Starbucks chief Howard Schultz did not properly prepare CEO Jim Donald to take over the helm. Shareholders paid the price, and Schultz had to retake the wheel. In the case of Michael Dell, he handed over control to COO Kevin Rollins, which was a disaster. The computer maker still has not recovered as its poor customer service continues to disappoint customers “Rollins’ departure comes after a terri ble year for the company, during which it lost its lead in PC market share to Hewlett-Packard and an investigation by the SEC for possible accounting improprieties began.” And in Nigeria for all manner of reasons, over the last five years, we have seen CEO changes in more than ten banks; in up to two telcos; in pharmaceuticals and other multinationals (a few days ago we witnessed the first Nigerian to become the CEO of MTN Nigeria). Since a large number of these changes (not all) were mandated by changes in regulation and shareholding, it is safe to say that whatever succession plans the companies had in place were jeopard-

Succession not only about the CEO ized. What is succession planning? Different definitions have been given to this process over time, such as: • Succession planning is the process of planning for the day a business owner decides to step down from their leadership role – Entrepreneur.com • A process by which one or more successors are identified for key posts (or groups of similar key posts), and career moves and/or development activities are planned for these successors - Institute for Employment Studies • Identification and development of potential successors for key positions in an organization, through a systematic evaluation process and training – businessdictionary.com • Succession planning is a process for identifying and developing internal people with the potential to fill key business leadership positions in the company. Succession planning increases the availability of experienced and capable employees that are prepared to assume these roles as they become available – Wikipedia • The process of identifying long-range needs and cultivating a supply of internal talent to meet those future needs. Used to anticipate the future needs of the organization and assist in finding, assessing and developing the human capital necessary to the strategy of the organization - humanresourcesiq.com The History and Trajectory of Succession Planning To get a sense of the succession planning journey, we need to analyze its outputs, who is responsible, and its other wider concerns.

Source: irishtaxnews.com

Much earlier, succession planning was basically about getting a suitable successor to the CEO, whenever he/she was ready to leave or retire. Subsequently, the circle broadened to include successors to the CEO and other key officers within executive management such as Executive Directors, the Chief Finance Officer, Chief Operating Officer, etc. Currently, the thinking is that succession should be about having a leadership development system that ensures that the organisation has the leaders it needs, with the skills and the experience required to assume larger responsibility either at a future date or through sudden happenstance. To be continued.

THE GUARDIAN, Tuesday, August 27, 2013

PEOPLES DIGEST

Men & women in HR – A balanced mix? there just aren’t enough men who think that

IGURES released by the Chartered Institute HR can create a fulfilling career for them. The Fregarding of Personnel and Development (CIPD) perception fuels the reality, and the proporits membership, often a reliable way to look at the HR industry as a whole, reveal a staggering fact. Almost three quarters (72%) of the total membership are women. It can be rare in established industry professions these days to have the figures so heavily skewed towards one sex or another and rarer still to find that women have the predominance over men. So what does this tell us about the HR industry, the core skills required, and the industry’s ability to attract skilled professionals from both sexes? It’s in the genes? On a broad, generic level, it has often been said that the skills and qualities required to be a successful Human Resources professional lend themselves more to those of the female skillset. Organisational abilities, an eye for detail, empathy, non-confrontational negotiation skills, listening and an overall desire to help have been cited as aspects of the profession that are cited as more feminine traits. HR’s female ancestors Historically, HR can trace its lineage to as far back as the late 19th century and the role of welfare workers. All welfare workers were women, and it was their role to ensure that the women and girls in the workforce were taken care of. As more women entered industry during the two world wars, the welfare worker’s role was expanded to include recruitment and training. The movement from welfare role to Personnel, and subsequently from Personnel to HR took place in a mainly female context, just as other industries – construction for example – relied on a mainly male workforce. Having examined the roots of the profession and found them to be predominantly female, it starts to become possible to see how HR has maintained its status as a female-oriented industry. This is not to suggest that men aren’t, or cannot be, successful in HR, but more that women have historically claimed the industry as their own. A modern issue of perception Even if the HR industry has sprung from a female dominated lineage, what has stopped men from entering the profession now that we inhabit a more modern age? A large part of the answer to this question lies in the commercial perception that HR is almost exclusively for women. Traditionally, the perception is that men generally opt for jobs where there are fixed results, measurable and competitive, whilst women have traditionally chosen less aggressive, softer, industry roles. This perception leads to a noticeable result at entry level –

tion of men to women within the profession stays roughly the same. Male at the top Unfortunately for women however, whilst the CIPD figures suggest overwhelmingly that HR is a female profession, the men still seem to feature highly within two of the most important aspects of any role: promotion and salary range. In middle management, the CIPD research suggests that an average salary for female HR’s is £41,000, whilst their male counterparts take home £49,000. And whilst the figures show an undeniable majority of women within the profession as a whole, CIPD research reveals that only 40% of HR Directors are women. It can therefore be argued that both men and women dominate the HR profession, albeit in different ways. If greater equality within the industry is desired, it requires a huge upswell of men to join the profession at entry level, whilst at the opposite end of the career spectrum; more women need to be given the tools and responsibility to break through the glass ceiling that clearly exists.

Regan and Dean Ltd are recruitment consultants specialized in catering to the creative, marketing and HR sectors. This article (an excerpt of the Chartered Institute of Personnel Development), was taken from their website at this link http://www.regananddean.com/articles/recruitment-news/men-women-in-hr-a-balanced-mix/

FEEDBACK COLUMN We believe these articles contain great information that policy makers, business leaders, human resources practitioners and the general public can use for quality decisions. Your own reaction, positive or critical, can shed more light, in practical ways, on the body of knowledge that we are sharing. As such, your feedback is important to us. Please mail us at peoplesdigest@peopleprime.net to respond or expand the body of knowledge on any of our treated topics, including past publications. We appreciate your feedback. Please include the topic, date of publication along with your observations, questions or comments plus your contact information in the email.

Men and women dominate HR in different ways

PUZZLE

Source: perfmanhr.com

THE GUARDIAN, Tuesday, August 27, 2013

Reward system as tool for national development CONTINUED FROM PAGE 27 wages.” She, therefore, called on ILO member states to address challenges that confronted competitiveness, productivity and creating new jobs as well as work towards including sustained improvements in their Decent Work Country Programme. Speaking at the award ceremony for the awardees at the 2013 National Productivity Order and Merit Award, President Goodluck Jonathan urged Nigerians to put in their best into whatever occupational activities they were engaged in, stressing that there were no short cuts to economic prosperity. The president, who spoke through Vice President Mohammed Namadi Sambo, noted: “No matter our calling, it is only through hard work, diligence and discipline that success can be achieved.” While acknowledging that improved productivity needed motivation and favourable working conditions, the president emphasized that his administration was working assiduously to re-engineer attitudinal outlook, which would “emphasize the dignity of labour, integrity, honesty, discipline and hard work in the workplace. We are also resolved to effect new service reward system that will promote productivity, efficiency and excellence.”

APPOINTMENTS 33

THE GUARDIAN, Tuesday, August 27, 2013

APPOINTMENT 43

Experts seek improved capacity development for retail industry By Wole Oyebade EADING experts in the retail industry and its management at the weekend in Lagos canvassed improved skills as part of measures to enhance capacity, make the market more competitive and mainstay of the nation’s economy. The experts, under the aegis of DMSRetail Inc., noted that capacity development was more imperative at a period when major retail companies in the world were competing

for Nigerian market due to opportunities that abound among its middle class. President, DMSRetail West Africa, Joseph Ebata, observed that the Nigeria retail sector was indeed expanding, with contribution to Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and drawing attention of international supermarket brands. He said besides new malls springing in Lagos, Cross River, Abuja and Enugu among others, there are also transformation of informal

FCT empowers trainees with starter packs From Terhemba Daka, Abuja ETERMINED to further D equip the beneficiaries, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Social Development Secretariat has provided financial incentives and starter packs to another set of 184 trainees who recently concluded vocational training at the women development centre located in Sabon Lugbe and the Kuchikwo rehabilitation centre in the Bwari Area Council of the territory. Specifically, the beneficiaries were recently provided with tools including sewing and fabric designing machines, hair dressing kits, wielding machines, computers and bead-making equipment among others during their graduation ceremony which held in Garki. Addressing the graduands, FCT Secretary for Social Development, Blessing Onuh, noted that establishment of the centres by the authorities was predicated on the need to adopt a new approach with emphasis on skill acquisition and empowerment. She said that it was also designed to address the men-

ace of street begging and the activities of commercial sex workers in Abuja. Onu noted that training started at the centres in July 2011 and disclosed that so far about 3,000 participants have already been trained and re-integrated into the larger society. “I make bold to say that this initiative is beginning to yield the desired results as witnessed in the drastic reduction in these illicit activities as well as equipping beneficiaries with useful skills that will help enhance socio-economic wellbeing,” she said. The secretary further expressed optimism that the beneficiaries will be able to imbibe more descent sources of livelihood and contribute their quota to the generality of the society. She described the efforts of providing the vocational training as being in tandem with the Federal Government transformation agenda, just as she used the event to commend the multi-purpose cooperative society of the head of civil service for the continued support to the secretariat.

French village gets acting DG trained over 45,000 persons

the complein French Language nationFfinalOLLOWING tion of the second and wide. This includes Students tenure of Prof. Samuel Olabanji Aje as the director general (DG) of the Nigeria French Language Village (NFLG) Ajara, Badagry on Wednesday July 31, 2013, and the village has an acting DG. He is Dr. Matthew Ibiyosi Alawode, a senior and pioneer worker of the Nigeria French Language Village. Until his appointment as the acting DG, Alawode had been the deputy DG, Nigeria French Language Village since July 2011. A press statement explained that in the over two decades of the NFLV, the institution has had two chief executives. Prof. Samuel Adeojo was the first DG/Chief Executive Officer (CEO) from 1991-2003. Prof. Samuel Olabanji Aje took over as the second DG/ CEO from 2003-2013. The statement said: “The primary assignment of the institution is to provide a domestic alternative to the mandatory year abroad programme undergone by undergraduates of French Language in Nigerian Universities and Colleges of Education. Over the years, the institution has

of French at all levels and other adult learners spanning different cadres of the society”. It added: “Dr. Matthew Ibiyosi Alawode the new acting director-general was born on June 8, 1955. He attended St. Kizito Catholic Minor Seminary, Ede from 1970-1974. He had his first degree in the University of Ife from 1976-1981 and the same university (now Obafemi Awolowo University) for his Masters in 1989. He followed up in DEA/M.phil in Université de Franche Comté Besançon and had his PhD from the same University in 2005 “Dr. Alawode started his career as an academic at the then Oyo State College of Education now Osun College of Education Ilesha from 1982-1989 and later at Adeyemi College of Education from 1989-1991. He joined the pioneer team at the Nigeria French Language Village in 1991. He had been Head of Department of Language and Communication between 2006 and 2007.

markets into more modern facilities. Ebata added that the expansion was just the beginning. “The sub-region offers an exciting opportunity for retail business and the right time for any well-meaning organisation to get involved.” Continuing, he said: “However, the success of the emerging modern retail trade businesses are largely a question of how well they are managed, provision of the right tools, systems, method and metrics and the availability of institutions especially that will specifically focus on this business group,” Ebata said. Speaking ahead of the DMSRetail training workshops slated for September 2 to 13 in Lagos, Ebata said local retailers would only be competitive with enhanced

capacity building that is skilled to handle attendant issues like “missed sales opportunities, stock outs, wage cost increases, employee turnover, lack of employee engagement, performance management issues among others.” “And while there are endless books, courses, and seminars you can take on general management, most are not designed specifically for you – the retail management professional. And, even if they are, they’re usually ‘lite’ on real strategies to achieve your goals and therefore a waste of your time and money. But this is the gap we are designed to bridge at DMSRetail Inc. and DMSRetail training workshops in the country,” he said. Executive Vice President, DMSRetail Inc, Matt Parmaks,

said further that the developing middle class population, among other factors were attracting international retailers to the country, and local retailers must aspire to be competitive to remain relevant. His words: “There is much demand to become very organised and modern in terms of retailing. Owners of the business are showing much potential but Nigeria is still far behind; shopping malls and retailing are expanding and that is just going to continue.” Continuing, he said: “What we are seeing here is great potential for Nigeria retailers, to improve and come up to the world standard level. “We have to do that very quickly because Nigeria is growing very fast and there is a lot of international attention to Nigerian market and

before you know it, all the international retailers will be here and local retailers have to be ready for steady competition that is coming in the nearest future. And that is one of the reasons why we are holding this workshop,” Parmaks said. A participant at an earlier retail training, and a worker of Polo Luxury Limited, Joyce Aluede, recounted that the training on retail operations was very impactful, “giving an insight into how retail is better managed, how to deal with customers and measuring success among others. “The training emphasises the importance of customer service, which is a culture lacking in this part of the world. If we can start getting it right here in terms of understanding the customer. I think we can get it right,” she said.

44 APPOINTMENT

THE GUARDIAN, Tuesday, August 27, 2013

Govt trains 400 unemployed youths in agric From Saxone Akhaine, Northern Bureau Chief S part of its effort to boost A agriculture and also facilitate its development agenda, the federal government has commenced the training of not less than 400 unemployed youths in the agricultural sector. The training programme, which is also an effort to meet up with the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), was titled, “Specialised Training on Agricultural Extension Service Delivery for Unemployed Youths in Nigeria” and organised by

the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development in collaboration with the Millennium Development Goals Office. The two weeks programme is scheduled to end August 31, 2013.The State Agricultural Development Projects (ADPs) drew the trainees, mostly unemployed graduates, from all the 36 states of the federation including the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Abuja. The first batch of 200 unemployed youths who began their training in Zaria, were the first set of the 400 youths to be trained by the National

Agricultural Extension and Research Liaison Services, Ahmadu Bello University (ABU) Zaria in extension skills. Besides, in his address, the Executive Director, National Agricultural Extension and Research Liaison Services (NAERLS), Dr. Ismaila Ilu urged the participants to see the training as a challenge to better their life and that of the entire nation. Ilu explained that the “theoretical understanding of development issues especially in agriculture is not enough to empower any individual without the prac-

ICAN to encourage local participation in project offering By Helen Oji NSTITUTE of Chartered I(ICAN) Accountants of Nigeria has expressed its resolve to work with relevant authorities to ensure professionalism and encourage indigenous participation in major projects in Nigeria. The President of the Institute, Kabir Mohammed, while speaking during a courtesy visit to SIAO in Lagos recently, said that no professional in any field could acquire the needed experience without participating in the activity. “Nigerians should be given opportunity to participate in

what they bid for. There is no way you can build capacity and reach the level you require without getting the relevant experience and you cannot get the level of experience you need without participating in that activity that you are going to do.” He added: “We would do that through the council. The council will consider this and will approach the relevant authorities and if they need us to present proposals, we would do that.” Mohammed, who reiterated its resolve to maintain the standard of the profession also added that the regime would do everything within

its powers to reach out to areas the institute, was not properly represented. “We intend to continue with the standard and actually to surpass the expectations of stakeholders. ICAN is a brand that is well known all over African countries. We want to build and expand on this. I have also tried to reach out to areas that we do not have proper representation. We have a student special programme in place whereby ICAN can reach areas where there is severe shortage of chartered accountants, particularly in the southeastern part of Nigeria, south-south and northern parts of Nigeria.

tical exposure which the training will fundamentally deliver through visitation to rural farmers. While commending the efforts of the Minister for Agriculture and Rural Development, Dr. Akinwumi Adesina for recognising the potential of NAERLS to train the youths, Ilu urged the participants to be more inquisitive in the course of the training by asking questions, saying, “the success of any extension work requires critical probing through genuine

interpersonal discussion and the exploitation of other communication channels by the extension agent.” Also speaking at the occasion, the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Mrs. Ibukun Odusote who was represented by the Regional Director, Mr. Nyam Yusuf Leo advised the participants to take advantage of the training and empower themselves to their full capacity. The permanent secretary

who declared the occasion opened argued, “government is not shying away from the need to rigorously develop the agricultural sector through the proper engagement of the youths,” adding, “ the future of agriculture in Nigeria is premised on the training and development of the young people to practice agriculture with modern skills, just as extension service is critical to the success and sustainability of such venture

Govt restates resolve to integrate youths in development process From Kanayo Umeh, Abuja HE Minister of Youth T Development, Inuwa Abdul-Kadir has reiterated the commitment of the federal government to intensify advocacy for the full involvement and participation of youths in every facets of human endeavour in national development. The minister who declared open the 4th International Youth Fellowship in Abuja recently explained that the process of integrating the youths entailed “reforming and re-strategising to ensure that projects and programmes actually respond to the needs and aspirations of the youths in their quest to become relevant in the society.” He also noted: “Government has initiated various develop-

ment strategies towards empowering and developing the potentials, creativity and skills of our young people as productive and dynamic members of their society.” He stated that the ministry under his watch had adopted the multi-stakeholders and cross-sectoral approach to youth development with a view to creating an enabling strategic framework for sustainable youth development objectives across the country.” Abdul-Kadir pointed out that as part of efforts to address the challenge of unemployment among youths, the ministry was already implementing the Youth Empowerment Programme where about 500,000 youths from the six geo-political zones

would benefit in the three month long training and internship programme. According to the minister, the trainees would be given take-off grants to establish their own enterprises. He, however, drew the attention of the youths to the need for peaceful co-existence, emphasising that peaceful co-existence remained an essential tool for attaining the transformation of the country. The minister commended the organisers of the World Youth Camp for bringing together youths from across the country noting that the theme of the camp programme was apt, as the world had started creating awareness on the need for moral and ethical re-orientation of youths as potential future leaders.

THE GUARDIAN, Tuesday, August 27, 2013

Labour PTDF targets top manpower development in oil sector From Collins Olayinka, Abuja HE Petroleum Technology Development Fund (PTDF) plans to tackle the low-level involvement of Nigerians in the offshore oil sector by embarking on aggressive development of top-level manpower for the sector. The new Executive Secretary of PTDF, Dr. Oluwole Oluleye, who stated this while receiving the members of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) in his office in Abuja, said that the focus of the fund would now be on human capacity development. This comes as respite comes the way of PTDF scholars who are studying abroad who had complained about non-payment of their allowances. The PTDF boss added: “Our focus at the PTDF is human capacity development. We are looking on the long run to have participation in the oil industry whether at the shop, middle manpower or at the top levels to have enough trained Nigerians to be in control. That is why we are in haste to have some people trained to man various strata of the industry so that we can drive up indigenous

participation in the oil and gas industry. It is mostly in the downstream that we have many indigenous Nigerians participating. The upstream and the midstream are largely reserved for foreign experts. In this way, we would be helping ourselves to create employment opportunities for the unemployed graduates and middle-level manpower people that are jobless. We are also teaching skill acquisition so that they can be useful in the oil and gas industry. We are training a lot of underground welders because welding is a very important vocation in the oil sector.” Oluleye who was prompted to travel to the United Kingdom and Canada to intervene in the protest over non-payment of allowances by PTDF-sponsored students, assured that the issue had been resolved while assuring that the paucity of fund responsible for the non-payment of the allowances would soon be over going by the steps taken so far by the Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke. The PTDF boss highlighted that there had also been a lot

of infrastructural upgrade in some universities because of the need to ensure that the lecturers were well trained to be able to impact knowledge on students. Going memory lane, Oluleye explained that the reason for empowering IPMAN while he was at the helm of affairs at the Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency (PPPRA) was to help stabilise petrole-

um supply chain. His words: “The reason we decided to empower IPMAN when I was the executive secretary of the PPPRA was anchored on the need to get them start off. We then started with 5,000 metric tonnes. We also told IPMAN to brand its petrol station and today when I drive around and see NIPCO petrol stations, I heave a sense of relieve and satisfaction that they have been able

to sustain the tempo all these years. It is no doubt that IPMAN has contributed immensely to the economic development of the country by making it easier for people to be able to buy petroleum products everywhere in the country. This has aided movement nationwide tremendously.” The PTDF boss called on IPMAN to ensure its members continued to offer quality

service to their customers just as he lauded the association for contributing to the employment generation efforts of government. In his remark, the President of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN), Aminu Abdulkadir, said that beside the federal government, IPMAN was the largest employer of labour in Nigeria.

Akisanmi tasks military officers on retirement By Tolulope Okunlola N preparation for eventual Ipersonnel retirement, serving military have been urged to use the knowledge and skills they acquire at the Armed Forces Resettlement Center(AFRC) Oshodi, Lagos to overcome some of the major sources of retirement anxiety, which are linked to inadequate funds, challenges in managing mental health, new and uncertain social status, mismanagement of retirement benefit and the business environ. The Commandant Nigerian

Armed Forces Resettlement Centre, Oshodi, Air Vice Marshal Moses Akiola Akisanmi who gave the advice at the graduation of senior military officers following a two-week Entrepreneurship and Management Training on Friday at the Centre, said: “In the course of this training, you were exposed to several presentations, lectures, discussions and exercises all which were intended to adequately equip you to handle the stress and strains that are likely to confront you in retirement. “It is expected that the train-

ing skills acquired would be used in adding values to your respective services.” The training is meant to provide the officers with skills and trades that would empower them to set up and properly manage their own businesses. The programme also provides relevant information that will enable them to make plans and makes decision towards their eventual disengagement from service in order to enjoy a productive life in retirement. “You must consider yourselves lucky to have been

selected to undergo this training at this stage of your career as it will enable you to commence early planning towards your eventual disengagement from service,” Akisanmi said. He told the officers to learn from mistakes of those who didn’t manage their retirement well. Certificates were later presented by Akisanmi to participants some of who expressed their appreciation for taking part as well as readiness to put into practice what they learnt whenever they quit the service.

THE GUARDIAN, Tuesday, August 27, 2013

INTERNATIONAL ECONOMY 61

China to invest $1 trillion globally, threatens U.S. trade HEN you think about U.S.- political control, government W China relations you prob- control,” says Schell, author of ably think about the $200 bil- many books on China includlion (and counting) worth of goods that the U.S. imports from China and the huge sums of U.S. Treasuries that China owns — $1.3 trillion at last count. Well things are about to change, dramatically. According to author Orville Schell—who has lived in China off and on for more than 40 years—China will invest more than $1 trillion globally over the next decade. That begs the question: Will the U.S. get its share? China invested $5 billion in the U.S. economy last year—far less than the $51 billion that the U.S. invested directly in China. It currently owns about $28 billion worth of American assets—in companies and real estate, according to the Rhodium Group. And that number is expected to grow. In recent weeks, Zhang Xin, chief executive of the largest commercial real estate developer in Beijing, partnered with the Safra family of Brazil to buy a chunk of the General Motors Building in New York City. And the Dalian Wanda Group, a Chinese developer, announced plans to build a luxury hotel in Manhattan. The Wall Street Journal reported that Chinese and Hong Kong investors have also become the secondlargest foreign buyers of United States homes, after the Canadians. “One of the great new interesting trends is investment from China to the U.S., which we are not really prepared for because of tremendous amounts of anxiety about what that means in terms of

... Internet hit by biggest cyberattack in its history ERE you trying to access a W .cn Internet address over the weekend? Are you still hitting refresh? Internet users in China were met with sluggish response times early Sunday as the country’s domain extension came under a “denial of service” attack. The attack was the largest of its kind ever in China, according to the China Internet Network Information Center, a state agency that manages the .cn country domain. The double-barreled attacks took place at around 2 a.m. Sunday, and then again at 4 a.m. The second attack was “long-lasting and large-scale,” according to state media, which said that service was slowly being restored. Official state media said the attack targeted websites with the .cn country domain, as well as the popular microblogging site Sina Weibo. Denial of service attacks aren’t technically “hacks,” since they can be done without breaking into any systems. Typically, DoS attacks overwhelm a website’s servers by flooding them with requests. That makes websites unreachable or unresponsive. To bring down bigger sites, attackers will sometimes organize large numbers of infected computers to send requests all at once.

ing “Wealth and Power: China’s Long March to the Twenty-first Century.” Fears about Chinese government control played a role in Congressional opposition to China National Offshore Oil Corporation’s (CNOOC) bid for U.S. oil company Unocal in 2005. CNOOC eventually withdrew the offer. Earlier this year China’s Shuanghui International Holdings reached a deal to acquire Smithfield Foods (SFD), the largest pork processor in the U.S. There has been some opposition from various groups and Congressional members but the deal still stands, awaiting regulatory review and a shareholder vote. The U.S. “will have to reckon with” China’s desire to invest here, says Schell, “And if we do it could be very much to our advantage.”

Li Keqiang, Chinese Premier

President Obama

THE GUARDIAN, Tuesday, August 27, 2013

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THE GUARDIAN, Tuesday, August 27, 2013

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Keystone Bank declares N2.8b gross profit By Helen Oji EysToNE Bank Limited has K posted profit before tax of N2.8billion for the year ended December 31, 2012, compared to a loss of N7.9billion recorded in five months ended 31 December 2011. similarly, total comprehensive income of the bank rose by 157 per cent, from a loss of N13.79billion to N7.81 billion, while customers’ deposits leapt from N282.75billion to N297.54billion during the review period. Gross earnings also rose by 105 per cent, from N23.9 billion to N49billion, while total assets grew by 7 per cent, from N361.48 billion to N388.23 billion. speaking on the bank’s performance, the Managing Director of the bank, Philip Ikeazor said the plan to grow Keystone Bank from August 2011 was based on three pri-

mary elements. “The first was to ensure a robust IT and EBanking platform is in place and upgraded for prime efficiency. The second was to focus our customer service. The third is to return the bank to profitability and grow market share.” The Keystone Bank boss also stated that the bank would continue to harness the skills of its human capital and cutting edge banking technology to provide premium banking services to corporate and retail customers. The management of the bank recently implemented a performance-based appraisal system that seeks to reward hardworking workers and disengages those whose performance falls below the satisfactory level. The performance model, according to a statement from the Head of Corporate

Communication, Mohammed Ciroma, has led to the promotion of 1000 workers. This initiative, he explained, has also culminated in the early retirement and disengagement of some of the workers. He reiterated that the bank remains focused on achieving credible business performance that will enhance the brand value whilst safeguarding the investment of shareholders, interests of the banking public and other stakeholders. The Keystone Bank spokesman said that the bank aims to achieve consistent performance that will guarantee the sustainability of the bank’s core business. “The imperative is to achieve the critical balance between economic consideration and responsibility. social

Keystone Bank aims to fulfill this trust with the utmost sense of responsibility and ethical commitment,” he explained. He reiterated that the management of Keystone Bank continues to objectively

reward and recognise performance whilst instituting best practices in human resources management that are globally acceptable for measuring underperforming staff. “The bank remains consistent

in implementing appropriate measures that will foster and build a highly engaged workforce to reposition Keystone Bank in the Nigeria financial sector; we aim to attract the best talents and professionals that will add value to our team” he added.

Managing Director, Wapic Insurance Plc, Segun Balogun (left); Chairman, Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede; Independent Director, Titi Osuntoki; Non–Executive Director, Adamu Atta; and Non-Executive Director, Victor Etuokwu, at company’s 54th yearly general meeting in Lagos, on Thursday

THE GUARDIAN, Tuesday, August 27, 2013

Opinion Kwankwaso: The fear of a reliable census figure By Luke Onyekakeyah HE hysteria being exhibited by the Kano T State Governor, Rabiu Kwankwaso, over the determination by the Chairman of the National Population Commission (NPC), Festus Odimegwu, to give the country a correct and reliable population figure in the forthcoming 2016 census is uncalled for. The governor is making people suspect that he is sitting on a cooked census figure, which he doesn’t want exposed, which is why he wants President Jonathan to reverse Odimegwu’s appointment. That would be very sad. It would be historic if Odimegwu could correct the vexed issue of population figure falsehood bedeviling Nigeria, which is the bedrock of corruption, faulty planning and underdevelopment. Any agent or person who could brace the population question challenge and correct it should be encouraged and supported by Nigerians. If the Jonathan administration is using Chief Odimegwu as the agent through which a century old sore on Nigeria could be healed, then he should forge ahead without fear or favour. If Odimegwu, for the first time, would lay the foundation for better governance in Nigeria through correct population figures, then every patriotic citizen should rally round and give him support and not disparage him. Insults and name-calling cannot help us. Nigeria has crawled for too long and should wake up. The jinx on Nigeria has to be broken by someone at appointed time. And it has to start from somewhere. One way to re-invent Nigeria and place her on the path of progress is to provide correct and reliable census data upon which planning and development depend. It smacks of a hidden agenda for anyone to be afraid of having a reliable census in Nigeria. It is common knowledge that Nigeria has been operating on falsified population figures from the colonial times to the present. We cannot make progress based on faulty data. If Kano is the most populous state in the country, it will remain so even if it is counted 10 times using a reliable census enumeration mechanism. There is no need for anyone to be afraid. But if it is not, if the state, like many other states, is operating with cooked population data as alleged, a reliable census will reveal the actual figure

and there is nothing anybody can do about it. That actual figure is what is needed for proper planning and development and not a bloated figure. The same thing applies to all the states of the federation. A reliable census will overhaul the entire questionable population figure of the country and come up with correct figures. That will put to rest all the bloated projections made based on incorrect census database. Nigeria would then know her actual population figure, which currently is overstated. Governor Kwankwaso’s panic over the move to dig out the truth and correct what constitutes one of Nigeria’s fundamental problems is regrettable. Is the governor comfortable with the ugly state of affairs in the country? Who does not know that we have been deceiving ourselves in many spheres of our national life of which defective population figure is one? Anyone who loves this country and who wants her to rise from the cesspit of corruption and underdevelopment should desire that we have reliable population census database, which is essential for objective planning and critical national development. But those who are comfortable with the anomie in the system; those who are benefitting from the falsehood and underdevelopment quagmire would not want things to change. Nigerians should rise to defend their collective right to have a good, vibrant and progressive country, where life is worth living. The current state of affairs is not something to be proud of. It would be recalled that since Chief Festus Odimegwu assumed office as the new helmsman of the NPC, he has taken exception to what everyone knows is Nigeria’s inaccurate population figures, which the country is operating with. Chief Odimegwu has not hidden his distrust of the faulty population figures and at the same time expressed his determination to correct the anomaly in the 2016 census. For instance, Odimegwu started by declaring that the 2006 census figures were mostly cooked up. He said, “Officials forged figures for states and local governments in the census, which held during the regime of President Olusegun Obasanjo”. He added, “mind you, population forgery was done everywhere, was done in every state, every locality, every region; it’s not restricted to any particular re-

gion. It’s done everywhere because politicians want to manipulate it because they want to use it during politics”. These manipulations, he reiterated, is “why we have so many cases in the tribunal”. Recall that the Lagos State Government released its own population figures of about 18 million as against the 9 million assigned to it by the NPC in 2006. Odimegwu was right when he declared recently that Nigeria has not had any credible census since 1816. This is the truth about Nigeria’s census experience. Chief Odimegwu is not discrediting the previous census as Governor Kwakwanso alluded but simply speaking the truth. These revelations are, however, not new. They are known to everyone. Patriotic Nigerians know that the country is deceiving herself as far as population issue is concerned. The figure of 160 million or more being bandied as Nigeria’s population is dubious. It is based on falsified census database. I have written severally in this column about Nigeria’s false population figure and maintained that Nigeria’s population today cannot be more than 100 million people. In fact, it should be between 80 and 90 million, just about the same figure with Egypt. In 1960, Egypt and Nigeria had similar population density concentrated in the Nile Delta region and Southern Nigeria respectively. How Nigeria’s population doubled that of Egypt with the bulk in the North is questionable. It has long been revealed that the British colonial masters had in 1960, prior to their leaving, deliberately falsified Nigeria’s population in favour of the North. Nigeria’s population was bloated to 42 million in 1960, with the North assigned 32 million, leaving the entire South with 10 million! That is the root of the anomaly that has bedeviled Nigeria’s population data. The political establishment doesn’t want this changed. Comparing Nigeria’s population with Egypt and South Africa, two countries with high population density in Africa, it could be seen that in 1960, the population of Egypt was 26 million. Egypt’s population today is 84.6 million. South Africa’s population in 1960 was 17 million. Today, South Africa’s population is 52.9 million. But over and above all that, Nigeria’s population jumped from 42 million in 1960 to 177 million, according to the 2013 projection! Ethiopia’s 86.6 million stands out as the coun-

try with the highest population next to Nigeria’s 177 million, which nearly doubles that of Ethiopia. There is no country in West or Central Africa that has a population figure close to Nigeria’s, not even the Democratic Republic of Congo, with 74.6 million, despite its rich expansive landmass. The question is what sociological and anthropological factors made Nigeria have this extraordinarily large population over and above the rest of African countries? And, why is this large population concentrated in a dry belt in Northern Nigeria, when across Africa, the same belt is thinly populated in other countries? This is the fundamental question that successive governments in Nigeria have refused to unravel; a thorny issue that shouldn’t be touched. Perhaps, Odimegwu is the first person in government to dare question this entrenched falsehood that has contributed in no small measure in truncating our national dreams and aspirations. The dire straits in which Nigeria has found herself requires fearless and patriotic individuals to tackle the fundamental issues confronting the country. Nigeria is a beleaguered country with faulty foundation, which needs to be corrected. Chief Odimegwu should continue in a more aggressive way to do what is right for the country and prove that he is serious. The task of giving Nigeria the first reliable census data ever should be seen as a duty that must be done. The time to break the jinx on Nigeria’s population is now. But I must warn Odimegwu from the outset that because he is fishing in troubled waters, as far as this issue of population is concerned, he should be wary and wise as a serpent. The entrenched political forces, particularly in the North, who use false population figures in elections, among others, will do everything to tackle him and push him off the ground. But he should be resolute and stand firm, remaining ever unshaken. The task at hand is crucial for Nigeria’s survival. If Nigerians see that he is honestly geared towards giving the country a reliable census data, they will rally round to support him. But if when the pressure is put on him he succumbs and is compromised, he would have made a mess of his reputation. The whopping N600 billion he is budgeting for the census will become the main issue, leaving the crux of the matter.

Women: Whence the difference? By Issa Aremu OMEHOW unwittingly, Nigerian women seemed to have reSof History” futed Francis Fakuyama’s outlandish proclamation of the “End (1992) following the deafening collapse of Soviet communism in the 80s. It is certainly not yet the end of history of Nigeria’s elitist women celebration of their increasing incorporation to the structures of Nigeria’s governance (or is it mis-governance?). It was an open knowledge that the entire socio-economic activities in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) were grounded as the First Lady, Mrs. Patience Jonathan, (in almost discredited unproductive Soviet/North Korean style) led some women groups, under the auspices of the Nigerian Council of Women Societies (NCWS), to march for peace and empowerment on Thursday, 15th of August in Abuja. But observers with memory would recollect that there was nothing original about the Thursday outing. Indeed it was a continuation of the very same state financed top-down Abuja gathering of largely wives of political office holders, political female appointees and their related allies dating back to OBJ era of political sycophancy and resource wastage. Indeed it was a re-enactment of exhibited culture of “First Ladysim” and “political Wifisim”. It is not yet the end of history. In 2007, Women in Government (WIG), so-called, rolled out the drum “in profound appreciation of President Obasanjo administration’s remarkable involvement of women in governance since 1999”. At the colourful televised dinner, President Goodluck Jonathan was conferred with a Life Time Icon award by the women. Similar generous awards were given to obviously over-awarded vice president and some governors. The President certainly boasts of awards overload too. Two months earlier, he was honoured with the Global Women Advancement Award. I cannot recollect what award in 2007, was conferred on the then President Olusegun Obasanjo whose bagful of awards would fill his presidential library. But the then or-

ganizers, Women in Government were smarter. They massaged OBJ’s ego and made sure the appreciation party coincided with Mr. Large ego’s birthday (President Obasanjo; the celebrant told those who cared then that his birthday was anybody’s guess). The appreciation party witnessed who-was-who in females in governance; from ministers to special advisers. The impression was that OBJ was the first and the last president to enhance quantitative participation of females in government in terms of affirmative action. The rally, tagged: “Celebration of Nigerian women for peace and empowerment,” created serious gridlock as security agents blocked and diverted motorists away from some of the major routes in Abuja. All roads from Berger Junction, Central Business Area and the Federal Secretariat complex were reportedly blocked for the special rally, which started around 7.am at the Old Parade Ground, Area 10, Garki, as participants marched through designated routes to the Eagle Square, venue of the gathering. And that is the issue! Are we saying that when women celebrate just like men in government, socio-economic activities of a country with 70 per cent below poverty income are grounded? Whence the difference in women in governance when on the National Productivity Award Day, the Federal Capital was shut down? Why celebration on a working day, and not on a Saturday? As a gender equality activist, I am excited that women are being integrated in national development process. I am even more impressed that millions of our women including my mother earn and deserve their achievements and accomplishment not necessarily through affirmative actions. Indeed it is the society that must apologise for the historic exclusion of women in the past, rather than women rolling out praises for leaders who are doing what they should have done in the first instance if Nigeria must have a sustainable development; women inclusion. However, as good as the feminization of governance, the difference is not yet as clear. As the celebration continued, universities remained closed; the education portfolio is under a woman who

among others signed agreements with the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) in 2009 but the implementation was breached. Why would the women not mount pressures to reopen the universities? Certainly Nigeria parades first female defence minister of state, first female foreign affairs minister, first female minister of finance, female ministers for Solid Minerals, Education, Petroleum, and a significant number of high profile female advisers on critical schemes like Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). But Nigeria is 153rd on the global United Nations Development index out of 163 countries. Women can and must effectively bring a different perspective into governance based on their experiences, rich heritage of struggles, competence, resistance to oppression and marginalization. In Nigeria, the expectation about the difference women could bring to bear is even high: the widening gap between great potentials and reality, mass unemployment amidst idle capacity, self-aggrandizement and corruption amidst dwindling commonwealth and grandiose promises and deepening poverty. Paradoxically women in government do not pose the question of their relevance in governance this way. They seem more contented being accorded unprecedented opportunity to be appointed to serve. They delight in personal awards and serial global appointments. The abysmal and scandalous shortage of basics like water and energy shows that we are far from meeting the MDGs. With trillions of naira expended on the power sector, Nigeria is still in darkness. Industrialization remains a tall order without electrification. A dispensation that throws many women up for national service has further pushed as many as 70 per cent below poverty. There are cynics who insist that women in governance have only legitimized bad governance and underdevelopment. The issue here is that female participation in governance comes to naught until Nigeria’s existing recurring failure factors, namely education, power, industry and health are transfigured into clear-cut success factors. • Aremu wrote from Lagos.

THE GUARDIAN, Tuesday, August 27, 2013

Opinion FAAN v. Edo internal revenue service By Chukwuemeka Eze HE televised skirmish between officials of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) T Benin Airport Station and Edo State Internal Revenue Service (EDSIRS) led by its chairman on Tuesday, 30th July, 2013 has thrown up once again the essence of re-examining the challenges before a tax authority that seals up the premises of a taxpayer for the purpose of recovering unpaid or unremitted taxes payable to that tax authority. It was reported in many newspapers on Thursday, 1st August, 2013 including Daily Sun that there is an ongoing rapprochement between FAAN and EDSIRS following the visit of FAAN delegation led by its managing director, George Uriesi, on 31st July, 2013 to the Edo State Governor, Adams Oshiomole. It has also been reported that Governor Oshiomhole met President Goodluck Jonathan on Thursday, 1st August to explain the circumstances that led to the closure of FAAN office at Benin Airport, nevertheless, the issue is worth debating. Although many commentators have analysed the legal and security implications of shutting down an airport by a tax authority for the purpose of tax recovery, I will constrain myself to those aspects of the debate that relate to taxation. The facts I intend to analyse are to the effect that FAAN Benin Airport Station allegedly refused to remit personal income tax payable by its employees to EDSIRS as required by the Personal Income Tax Act. FAAN has, in fact, admitted owing a backlog of PAYE in the sum of N15 million to EDSIRS. News has it that FAAN has eventually remitted the sum in question. What does the law say on this matter? Section 20 of the Personal Income Tax (Amendment) Act, 2011 (PITAM) created new subsections (2) and (3) to section 81 of the Personal Income Tax Act of 1993 (PITA). Section 81 subsection (2) PITA provides: Every employer shall be required to file a return with the relevant tax authority of all emoluments paid to its employees, not later than

31st January of every year in respect of all employees in its employment in the preceding year. On the other hand, section 81 (3) PITA provides that: Any employer who contravenes the provisions of this section shall be liable on conviction to a penalty of N500,000 in the case of a body corporate, and N50,000 in the case of an individual. It should be noted that the basis of payment of personal income tax is residency as provided for under section 2 (2) PITA: “In the case of an individual, other than an itinerant worker and persons covered under paragraph (b) of subsection (1) of this section, tax for any year of assessment may be imposed only by the State in which the individual is deemed to be resident for that year under the provisions of the First Schedule to this Act and in the case of persons referred to in subsection (1) (b) of this section, tax shall be imposed by the Federal Inland Revenue Service.” FAAN, being an employer, is therefore, required to deduct the PAYE of its employees resident in Edo State and remit the same to EDSIRS. Section 82 PITA specifically provides an employer is answerable to a tax authority for tax deducted from its employees thus: “An employer required under a provision of this Act to make deductions from emoluments or amounts on account of emoluments paid by him to an employee shall account to the relevant tax authority in such manner as the relevant tax authority may prescribe for the deductions so made, and in the event or failure by the employer to make the deduction, or properly to account therefor, the amount thereof together with a penalty or 10 per cent per annum of the amount plus interest at the prevailing commercial rate shall be recoverable as a debt due by the employer to the relevant tax authority.” Where an employer fails to comply with the relevant provisions requiring it to make remittance to a tax authority, the tax authority, after serving demand notice and reminder on the employer, may prosecute the employer under section 99 PITA or exercise its power to distrain for non-payment of tax under section 104 PITA

or both. In the case of FAAN (now under reference), EDSIRS invoked its power to distrain under section 104, under which new subsections (3) and (4) have been introduced by section 29 PITAM. For clarity, the new section 104 (3) provides: For the purpose of levying any distress under this section, an officer duly authorized by the relevant tax authority shall apply to a Judge of a High Court sitting in Chambers, under oath for the issue of a warrant under this section. The new section 104 (4) provides: The Judge may, on application made ex-parte, authorize such officer, referred to in subsection (3) of this section, in writing to execute any warrant of distress and, if necessary, break open any building or place in the daytime for the purpose of levying such distress and he may call to his assistance any police officer and it shall be the duty of any police officer when so required to aid and assist in the execution of any warrant of distress and in levying the distress. A combined reading of these provisions shows that EDSIRS approached a Benin High Court judge in chambers with an application in which FAAN was not notified. Based on this application, the judge authorized EDSIRS in writing to sealup the FAAN office. The controversy is that FAAN is a federal agency, which by section 251 (1) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) and some decided cases (e.g. NEPA v. Edegboro) stipulates that any suit against a federal agency should be instituted at the Federal High Court. Hence, FAAN expected that it should have been sued at the Federal High Court or that it should have been put on notice. FAAN has argued that the law establishing it excludes it from payment of taxes. EDSIRS did not demand that FAAN should pay tax but that FAAN should remit the tax, which it deducted from its staff as PAYE. The law assumes (as decided by the Court of Appeal in 7up Bottling Company PLC v. Lagos State Board of Internal Revenue) that FAAN in this circumstance is a collecting agent of EDSIRS. Is there no other means EDSIRS would have adopted to recover the said sum without closing

business at the airport? It seems to me that EDSIRS should have sent a request to the Accountant General of the Federation to deduct at source the sum allegedly owed by FAAN from FAAN’s budgetary allocation. The law permits this approach in the new section 74 (2) PITA, which provides that: “The Accountant-General of the Federation shall have power to deduct at source, from its budgetary allocation, un-remitted taxes due from any Ministry, Department or Government Agency and transfer such deduction to the relevant State upon request by such State”. If EDSIRS had adopted this approach, the passengers who were stranded at the airport and the general public would have been saved the ugly spectacle that saw government officials on both sides engaging in fisticuff in the full glare of cameras. There is clear danger that lies in every tax authority invoking its powers to levy warrant of distrain against public institutions as there is hardly any federal agency that is fully compliant in PAYE remittance. Tax authorities should find a more robust way of enforcing orders of this nature because of the hardship that lies ahead for the public if the trend continues. Even beyond public institutions, I have proposed in this column in the past that the National Assembly should further amend section 104 PITA to allow the taxpayer to be put on notice in the application to be presented before a judge for an order to levy warrant of distrain. The present manner in which the draftsman has couched the relevant provision on power to distrain is completely to the detriment of the taxpayer and wholly to the advantage of a tax authority. I am strengthened in my recommendation by a Yoruba proverb, which the late MKO Abiola popularised, that says (in English translation) that a man’s head should not be shaved behind him. I hope that the National Assembly will revisit the Personal Income Tax Act and amend this provision, among others, accordingly. • Eze is a legal practitioner and tax consultant in

The leadership question in Abia By Darlington Anyasa HE popular Igbo highlife musician, late Chief Osita Osadebe T once said that Nwa puru eze, aburozi obere nwa, meaning that a child who has grown tooth is no longer a small boy. Abia State is supposed to have come of age in various ramifications before now, if not for leadership failure that afflicted the state from creation, until it is about to clock 22. The creation of Abia on August 27, 1991 by General Ibrahim Babangida’s administration was expected to liberate the people of the state from the age-long dominance of the old Imo State bureaucrats that were virtually in control of everything, including the civil service in old Imo State at the detriment of the Abia indigenes who were in minority then. The name “Abia” is an abbreviation of four of the state’s densely populated regions namely Aba, Bende, Isikwuato and Afikpo. In 1996, Afikpo was ceded to Ebonyi State upon its creation by the late General Sani Abacha’s administration. There is no doubt that the creation of Abia ushered in a new dawn among the people of the state. Expectations were high. The people looked forward to good governance, human empowerment and rapid transformation of the state. The first military administrator of the state, Col. Frank Ajobena ruled the state from August 28, 1991 – January 1992, before he was replaced by the first democraticallyelected governor of the state and national chairman of the defunct All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP), Chief Ogbonnaya Onu during the Babangida ill-fated transition programme. Under Onu, the people of Abia were still relegated to background in the affairs of the state. They were at best ‘second fiddlers’ or ‘second class’ citizens in their own state. Onu’s administration refused to transfer Imo indigenous workers back to their state on transfer of service basis, as happened in Enugu and Delta states in 1991 when civil servants in those new states were transferred to their states of origin to pave way for the empowerment of the indigenes of the new states. Onu’s government never implemented the policy before the military coup of November 17, 1993 masterminded by General Sani Abacha, which brought to an abrupt end all the democratic structures in the country. Abia State moved back again into the hands of the military oligarchies, ruled variously by Col. Chinyere Ike Nwosu from December 9, 1993 – September 14, 1994; Col. Temi Ejoor from September 14, 1994 – August 22, 1996; Col. Moses Fasanya who was

in-charge till August 1998. It was Col. Anthony Obi who handed over power to Chief Orji Uzor Kalu on May 29, 1999 as the second democratically elected governor of the state. All this while, the state suffered from leadership direction and the expected developmental strides. The basic infrastructure that the successive governments inherited from the old Imo State upon creation were left in shambles. The commercial city of Aba was a no-go- area then, so also the state capital Umuahia except the makeshift primary school called Government House, Umuahia. Flood was a real threat. Aba was the haven for all sorts of miscreants and the slogan in the city then was “survival of the fittest” as government virtually abandoned the people and their needs. There was no accountability, transparency and openness in the leadership of the state. There was no rule of law or checks and balances. Schools were in bad shape and dilapidated. Those that were expected to question the wrongdoings in government circle then were the major beneficiaries of the malfeasance in the state. Apart from workers’ salaries and allowances, the monthly allocations that accrued to the state and the Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) were going into private pockets of the military cartel and their boys. With the return of democracy in the country in 1999, majority of Abians because of their previous experiences with successive governments in state were pessimistic of the success and sustainability of the democratic governance, especially because the accomplices of the corrupt military regimes that misruled the state for years hijacked the democratic structures in the state. Under Chief Orji Uzor Kalu as governor of the state on the platform of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in 1999, not much changed in government, apart from the name ‘democratic governance.’ Officials were always in the media, governing by publicity. The state was frequently associated with political crisis. If the governor is not fighting Chief Onyema Ugochukwu today, he is attacking Senator Adolphus Wabara tomorrow or Chief Vincent Ogbulafor and others. Things got worse with the establishment of security outfit called Bakassi Boys that were made up of political thugs. So many innocent citizens were innocently killed by the dreaded “Bakassi Boys.” Meanwhile, the people of the state suffered in abject poverty due to lack of basic amenities, power supply, employment and other infrastructures that make life meaningful.

Huge yearly budget figures were churned out, but there were no proper implementations. The military style of governance, “sharing public fund” without accountability continued. The government failed in all sectors of the economy, and the state appeared jinxed with bad leaders. The emergence of Chief Theodore Orji in 2007 as governor of the state was hailed, considering his travails with the EFCC. The government inherited huge debts with nothing on ground to justify such. At a time, many people, unaware of the governor’s predicament, ran out of patience with Orji’s government. But Orji managed to break the jinx of political godfatherism in the state. This he achieved before the 2011 general elections. Since then, the state has been stabled and is now breathing the fresh air of freedom with rapid development. In Umuahia, an ultra-modern Workers Secretariat is nearing completion, along with a modern Government House and International Conference Centre. Also on ground is a functional Diagnostic and Specialist Hospital, a first of its kind in the Southeast zone; and newly constructed access roads adorned with streetlights. Power supply is steady in Umuahia and its environs, made possible by the state government in collaboration with Federal Government sourced from Ohiya power station. The state is peaceful and many small scale industries and hotels are springing up. The ever-busy and congested Osisioma Ngwa junction has been cleared and new motor park has been constructed along Enugu/ Port Harcourt expressway. The refuse dumpsites that have always been an eyesore, especially Ariaria-Aba end of Enugu/Port Harcourt Expressway in Aba has been cleared. All the shanties that defaced the city and provided hideouts for criminals have been pulled down. Street sweepers daily keep the streets clean and water the flowers planted on the median of dualized roads in the city. Roads that constituted death traps before now have been reconstructed, while work is ongoing on other roads. The government has been managing the monthly allocation of N3.5 billion and the Internally Generated Revenue prudently to achieve a lot. It is not yet uhuru in the state due to the enormity of accumulated leadership challenges. But a foundation has been laid for the first time. If the past governments in the state had toed the path of the present government, Abia would have been a much different state at 22. • Anyasa, a youth corps member, wrote from Lafia, Nassarawa State.

THE GUARDIAN, Tuesday, August 27, 2013

70 LAW

THE GUARDIAN, Tuesday, August 27, 2013

Quote of the week

Law

“History will have to record that the greatest tragedy of this period of social transition was not the strident clamor of the bad people, but the appalling silence of the good people.” - Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. judicialeditor@yahoo.co.uk/ 08033151041 Desk Head: Ibe Uwaleke

‘Why NBA must confront anti-people’s policies now’ Interview By Bertram Nwannekanma

The 53rd yearly general conference of the Nigeria Bar Association (NBA) which kicked off on August 25, 2013 at the African’s largest business resort, Tinapa in Cross Rivers State is seen by many stakeholders as an opportunity for the national body of the principled, people-centered organization to engage government on issues relating to the promotion and protection of human rights, the rule of law and good governance in Nigeria. This view is based on the perception that the NBA for sometime now, has maintained undue silence on some pressing national issues. Thus, to this group of people, the event, which attracts the largest congregation of lawyers in SubSharan Africa, affords the NBA an opportunity to address some teething national issues. A Lagos-based lawyer from Ikeja branch, Mark Ibekwe, in this encounter, wants a critical look by the national body at the ongoing conference to deal with the issue of the recurring industrial disharmony at the nation’s university with a view to providing a permanent legal solution. Ibekwe N his expectations at the NBA’s funding of education but the emphaO conference, the commercial sis should not be to allow the public At the national level, there is a perception that the execulawyer said, he expects that the NBA at the national level take a very hard position on the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU’s) strike because of the role of education in the development of the country. According to him, education is paramount to the national development and if we allow our educational system to collapse, then we want Nigeria as a whole to collapse. “Most of us, who were products of public educational system cannot watch in our lifetime to see public educational system destroyed. “Today, the situation is so pitiable because there are some private schools that charge as much as N2million per session. Some State universities also charge as much as N350, 000. “The question to ask is, in a country with a minimum wage of N18, 000.00, how many people can afford to send their children even to state universities not to talk of private universities? So there appears to be a perception that public officers are deliberately slowing down the growth of public universities and encouraging the decay of the public universities so that the private university system will thrive. Most of the proprietors of these private universities are people in government or people who were in government. On the argument that government cannot shoulder the funding of university education alone He said: “I agree that there is need for private public partnership in the

university system to decay. I believe that with the resources and informa- tives are more conservatives. There are more of the tion available, the Federal pro–establishment men who, because of their pro-estabGovernment and indeed state governments can fund adequately our uni- lishment status and conservative leaning, do not take the versities if they really want to do so. same position championed by the progressives at the The point we should not forget is that the lecturers in the ASUU leadership branches. are very knowledgeable people, who have done their research well. They are one expects a high moral burden on and that is the danger of the estabpeople who have sources of informa- the government and for government to lishment of private universities. tion that we may not have. I believe discharge this moral burden by hon- “Really, the private universities are that a country that can spend N1 tril- ouring an agreement willingly entered competing with the state owned public universities over students or lion on its legislators in eight years as with such a very strong stakeholder. recently revealed by a former “ Incidentally, most people in govern- customers in a layman language. If Education Minister can afford to ment were university lecturers; the the state owned universities are run president was a university lecturer. So I properly, they would not have stuaccede to ASUU’s demand. dents or customers. So the more you Besides, there was an agreement support ASUU completely. between the government and ASUU. Asked whether an agreement can be collapse the public universities, the The question now is why will a govern- re–negotiated, the lawyer said more you are creating market for ment enter an agreement, they do not although, renegotiation of agreements them. “Furthermore, the people, who is allowed in industrial relations but run the private universities, are those intend to keep? On whether there was no law that there must be a charge in circum- who are to implement the governaddresses defaults in such agreement, stances that will necessitate a re- nego- ment policies. So there is a conflict of interest. We all know the proprietors Ibekwe said this kind of agreement tiation. between ASUU and the Federal “If the government is saying we don’t of these private universities”. Government is one with imperfect have the resources and ASUU is saying On how NBA’s intervention can assist your resources have increased. You in resolving the problem, he said obligations. “This kind of agreement in industrial have more coming in. Just close the NBA’s role in the issue is that of sensirelations, strictly speaking, is an agree- leakages, then, you will have enough to tization since it does not have the ment without perfect obligations. An implement this agreement. If this is the power to force anybody. NBA is like a industrial relation agreement is not situation, then there is no need for pressure group, which has to sensitize the people and put pressure on just like any other agreement. But hav- renegotiation. ing been entered by a government, “ASUU is saying that if government the government to do the right then there is a high moral duty placed wants to implement the agreement, it thing. NBA needs to talk to governon government to honour that agree- has the resources but government does ment, and they are bound to listen ment. Ordinarily, one would have not have the motivation to implement because they will like to win future called on ASUU to go to industrial the agreement. Maybe, those who elections. What NBA can do is to sencourt, if there was a breach of its agree- should implement these agreements sitize public opinion, change the ment. But that will not be fair because have stakes in these private universities public opinion and mould it. It will

be wrong for government not to listen to a body like the NBA. A government that is not in harmony with NBA and ASUU is in trouble. I pity for that government because the two groups are strong stakeholders in the system. On allegations that NBA leadership has unexpectedly remained silent in speaking against unpopular government decisions, Ibekwe responded that the problem is that there is an allegation that the politicians have infiltrated the NBA. But if you are observant, you will notice that the branches, which seem to be more progressive and radical have remained vocal. “At the national level, there is a perception that the executives are more conservative. There are more of the pro–establishment, who because of their pro-establishment status, political and conservative leaning, most of the time, do not take the same position championed by the branches. Asked to comment on ways to address these challenges, he said lawyers should ensure that more progressives’ people showed interest in who occupy national positions in the NBA. “This could be done by sensitizing the people on the need to be politically active, whether at the branch or at the national level, or else those who have the pro-establishment backing will continue to take the leadership. But if the progressives come together and align with the relevant stakeholders, we will put more progressive people in power.

THE GUARDIAN, Tuesday, August 27, 2013

LawPeople Profile By Joseph Onyekwere HE Independent National Electoral T Commission (INEC) recently de-registered some political parties it considered comatose and subsequently registered new ones. Some critics argue that the electoral body needed not to embark on fresh registration when it was deregistering those whose presence was not felt. But the Commission has an ally in Professor Yemi Akinseye-George, a legal scholar. He believes that non-performing political parties and charlatans should not be allowed to crowd the political arena. That scenario, he said may discourage the emergence of more serious parties. According to him, INEC is empowered to deregister any party, which fails to meet some minimum pre-conditions; parties, which exist only in name or in the imagination of their founders. “Some who were registered years ago still do not have any serious presence anywhere in the country. Why should such pretenders continue to lay claim to being political parties? I believe INEC is perfectly in order to weed out such phantom parties and register new ones, which show prospect. If however the new ones fall below the minimum conditions, they too should be de-registered. The process or registration and deregistration should be a continuous one”, he stressed. The revered lawyer however stated that there are some ambiguities in the law especially following the decision of the Supreme Court in INEC v. Musa, which many people appear to misunderstand. “That decision appears to say that the only condition for the functioning of a political party are those stipulated in the Constitution. However, the Constitution confers on INEC enormous powers with respect to whether a political party could be allowed to function or not. It also confers on the National Assembly the power to make law for the regulation of political parties. That invariably enables the establishment of Guidelines by INEC to govern the registration or functioning of political parties. As long as INEC acts within its Constitutional and statutory mandate, it could validly deregister any party which fails to meet such stipulated conditions. “To my mind, INEC has acted within its constitutional powers by deregistering some mushroom parties. Although that does not mean that the de-registered parties cannot continue to exist. They are however unknown to INEC. They cannot field candidates for elections. They cannot enjoy funding from the government. If however, they put their house in order, they may be allowed to function in future as political parties. We have de jure and de facto parties. Only those registered by INEC are de jure parties”, he declared, adding that INEC should be proactive in demanding compliance with campaign Guidelines while prosecuting electoral offenders so as to forestall electoral violence. He said: “They should blacklist politicians or parties who are known to be violent in their language and approach. They should monitor campaigns closely with the assistance of secret agents. INEC should show that it has the capacity to bite”. Interestingly Akinseye-George, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) and a professor of law became a lawyer while trying to run away from a particular course. This is how he recalled the issue jocularly: “I opted for law in order to avoid Mathematics as much as possible. Law provided an escape route from Maths, which I didn’t find easy even though I eventually had a credit

Do you know…

Enumeratio unios est exclusion alterius The enumeration of one is the exclusion of the other: See Dada v. Adeyeye [2005] 6 NWLR (Pt. 920) 1 @ 19, [C.A.]. See also Expressio unios est exclusio alterrius.

Akinseye-George SAN

Like Leibniz’s possible worlds, most men are only equally entitled pretenders to existence. There are few existences. - Karl Wilhelm Friedrich Schlegel

the Federal Government through the office of the Attorney-General. In addition, he was part of the team that produced the Legal Aid Reform Act 2011. He served as secretary to the National Working Group on Legal Aid Reform chaired by Late Chief Chimezie Ikeazor, SAN. He was also chairman of one of the Technical Committees that finalised the Evidence Act 2011. The incumbent Attorney-General of the Federation, Mohammed Adoke, SAN also appointed him a member of his Panel on Implementation of Justice Reform (PIJR). The Panel finalised the Administration of Criminal Justice Bill, which aims at modernising criminal procedure systems in the country. When passed by the National Assembly, the law would be one of the most significant legal reforms in Nigerian laws since Independence. It has provisions dealing specifically with most of the problems of Nigerian criminal justice system. His scholarly monographs are legion. Prof. has written several articles and books on different aspects of Nigerian law including ‘Legal System, Corruption and Governance’, ‘Improving Judicial Protection of Human Rights in Nigeria’, ‘Standard of Proof in Election Cases’, ‘The Role of the Legal Profession in National Development’, and Justice Kayode Eso: The Making of a Judge’, among many others. He has over seventy publications including technical reports and monographs, besides the development of several legislative Bills for Ministries. He equally served as consultant to several international development agencies where he had gathered international exposures. He belongs to several international organisations such as Law Professors Network, University of Pittsburgh, USA, the International Society for the Reform of Criminal Law, Network of University Legal Aid Institutions, International Legal and allied Research Network and Nigerian Society of International Law. He was part of the team that developed the Fiscal Responsibility Bill (now Act), the Public Finance Laws of Bauchi and Cross River States, Criminal Code Law of Lagos State, among others. He has also contributed to the training of lawyers and the capacity building of judges and magistrates. His mentors are Aare Afe Babalola, SAN, former Justices of the Supreme Court, late Justice Kayode Eso, Justice E. O Ayoola and former Chief Justice of Nigeria Hon. Justice Mohammed Uwais. Others include Alhaji Abdullahi Ibrahim, SAN, Chief Akin Olujinmi SAN, Goke Fakunle, SAN and A.T Kehinde, SAN. University, New Jersey, USA where he This is how he captured few of the cases he researched into “Corruption and handled in the past: “My client was the Managing Director of one Finance House. He Constitutionalism in Africa’ for one year. Akinseye-George had got the privilege of serv- was having difficulty paying his customers. ing under two Ministers of Justice and But the Business was still running. All of a sudAttorneys-General of the Federation from den one Local Government Chairman who 2003 to 2007. Prior to this, he was appointed had invested Local Government money in the the acting dean of faculty of law, University of firm and collected interest upfront decided to Ibadan in 2002. As a scholar, his application take the law into his hands. He used policefor appointment as a Professor was successful men and thugs to invade my client’s business and he was given a Professorial Chair in Law by premises. After securing the release of my the Adekunle Ajasin University (former Ondo client, we sued for damages for the unlawful State University) in December 2004 at the age invasion and detention. of 40. In fact, his contributions to the develop- “The invasion ultimately brought down the ment of law in Nigeria and beyond are monu- firm as all their customers who heard about mental. He had the honour of initiating and the invasion came for their money on the implementing various governance/reform same day. But we protected the client from furprojects for the development of the justice sec- ther harassment. We secured his fundamental tor under the direction of Ministers of Justice. rights from unlawful arrest. We also won damHe also provides high-quality legal advice to ages for him. Further, our firm equally won the Census case for my Local Government. The Tribunal voided the population figures ascribed to Idanre Local Government by the National Population Commission. We have defended the Nigeria Army against severTo my mind, INEC has acted within also al cases and protected them against numerous its constitutional powers by dereg- ‘gold diggers’.” resourceful and well traveled, Akinseyeistering some mushroom parties. Very George has no favourite colour or food but Although that does not mean that chooses a colour that matches the occasion and enjoys all foods except those that are salty the de-registered parties cannot or sugary. Water is his favourite drink. He continue to exit. They are however enjoys reading or watching documentaries. “I also enjoy playing Table Tennis (Ping Pong). I unknown to INEC. They cannot enjoy listening to gospel music as well. I’m field candidates for elections. They learning to swim too”, he added. His wife, also a lawyer is the Managing Partner cannot enjoy funding from the of their firm while two of their children are in government. the wig and gown profession.

Support for uprooting mushroom parties in it by divine help.” He was born in 1963 to late Chief Theophilus Balogun and Mrs. Matilda Akinseye. His father was popularly known as ‘Bam Tio’. He was a peasant farmer and cocoa trader who valued education greatly and therefore encouraged his children to go to school. The young Yemi graduated from the Law faculty of the University of Lagos in 1985. A year later, he earned his Barrister at Law, having graduated from the Nigerian Law School, Lagos. He was subsequently admitted to the Bar as a Barrister and Solicitor of the Supreme Court of Nigeria in 1986, at the age of 23. In 1987, he entered into legal practice, first as a Youth Corps State Counsel in the Lagos State Ministry of Justice. After serving in that capacity for one year, he returned to the University of Lagos for his Master’s Degree. In 1989, he joined the University of Ibadan as a lecturer grade 2 and rose to the position of Senior Lecturer in 1995. He worked briefly at the law firm of Wole Olufon and Co. at Ikeja, Lagos where he learnt how to run a proper Law Firm. “I interacted with several excellent practitioners in the firm. There, I also learnt two main principles: firstly, that Jesus is a Solicitor and Advocate- our perfect example of how to serve others. Secondly, I learnt that ‘service comes before money’. These principles have endeared us to our clients”, he stated. He later established his law firm, Yemi AkinseyeGeorge & Co, which currently employs 8 full time lawyers and 10 support staff. He said that the presence of those staff enabled him to combine legal practice with academic career. In 1997 he won the prestigious Fellowship of the Davis Centre, Princeton

THE GUARDIAN, Tuesday, August 27, 2013

72 LAW

LawReport Suit not initiated by one process is incurably bad and cannot be amended (2) In the Court of Appeal In the Lagos Judicial Division Holden at Lagos On Friday the 22nd March, 2013. Before their Lordships: Chima Centus Nweze Justice, Court of Appeal Rita Nosakhare Justice, Court of Appeal Fatima Omoro Akinbami Justice, Court of Appeal ca/l/02/2010 Between Asol Nigeria ltd. Appellant And The registered trustees of the Respondents Church of Jesus Christ of Later Days saint Respondent FTER the close of pleading, the matter was A set down for trial. Trial commenced on May 18, 2004. The plaintiff had called its only witness (PW1) who was examined-in-chief; cross examined and re-examined. At the close of the plaintiff’s case, the defendants (now respondents) opened their defence on December 2, 2004, by calling their first witness, (DW1). He canvassed the view that the issues of signing court processes in the name of a law firm goes beyond mere compliance with the rules of court. This is even more so as the court has an onerous duty to ensure that laws are, strictly, adhered to and religiously enforced, Okafor v Nweke (supra). He took the view that the appellant’s failure to, properly sign the court process was a clear violation of the Legal Practitioners’ Act (supra). As such, it was a clear breach that could not be regarded as a mere technicality. Counsel for the appellant, in reply to the submissions above, contended that the decision in Cole v Martins was applicable as it was on all fours with the instant case. We note, at the outset, that the building blocks

in the architecture of the appellant’s forensic edifice rest on a very weak foundation. Above all, the arguments of its counsel, although superficially attractive, are not only, tendentious, but are, in actual fact, sophistical. Against this background, we shall, in the process of dismantling the slender and tenuous logic, or rather illogic, of these fallacious contentions, deal with the two issues together. We shall return to this shortly. In our most respective view, they are disingenuous attempt aimed at goading this court into a most sacrilegious judicial exercise, namely, to make a finding that the decision of the apex court in Okafor v Nweke (supra) was decided per incuriam! Gracious God! We must take the liberty of our response to this submission to re-iterate that only the apex court has the undoubted prerogative to declare its own judgment as one reached per incuriam, Odi v Osafile (1985) 1 NSCC 14. Any subordinate court (and that included this court) that usurps that prerogative would, clearly, be embarking on a journey of self-immolation or what the Japanese called hara-kiri, that is suicide, see, Dalhatu v Turaki (2003) 15 NWLR (pt 843) 310, 350. We pledge the unalloyed loyalty of this court to the time- worn doctrine of precedent. So, we shall not accept counsel’s foolhardy invitation designed to railroad this court this court into a concussion against the impregnable views of the apex court. Now, the Latin noun, locus classicus, (plural, loci classici), which was first used in 1853, means a passage that has become a substandard for the education of a word or subject; a classic case or example; the passage regarded as the principal authority on a subject. What is more, from the consistent posture of the apex court in SLB Consortium Ltd v NNPC (supra); Ogundele v Agiri (supra); Oketade v Adewunmi (supra); first Bank of Nig Plc v Alhaji Maiwada (supra); Alawiye v Ogunsanya (supra); Braithwaite v Skye Bank (supra), it does seem, clearly, preposterous to contend, as

Justice Bulkachuwa Acting PCA the appellant’s counsel has done, that the position of the law on this point is different from the position in Okafor v Nweke (supra). With respect, the contention of the appellant’s counsel is, so to speak, against the weight binding authorities. As corollary to the above conclusion, we entertain no doubt that the second limb of counsel’ submission (supra) is unsustainable. What is more, under the doctrine of stare decisis, even the lower court finds that Supreme Court decisions on an issue are contradictory, it is under obligation to subordinate its misgivings to the ratione decidendi, it Is under obligation to subordinate its misgivings to the ratione decidendi of the latter decision. We now, turn to the crux of the appellant’s contention. In a nutshell, the principal proposition of the appellant’s cou nsel, with regard to the first issue, is that the processes that were signed in the name of “Alade Agbabiaka

& Co,” the law firm of Alade Agbabiaka, plaintiff/appellant’s counsel were competent before the lower court. We shall, most respectfully, employ the very words of Chukwuma-Eneh JSC in response to this contention: It is now settled that all court processes ….. must be signed in the manner as prescribed by the Act, that is to say, by a person qualified as a legal practitioner and enrolled in the Supreme Court of Nigeria. Any court processes signed in the business names of a firm’s name …… having been rendered incurably defective ab initio are liable to be struck out. Finally, counsel for the appellant canvassed the view that, on the authority of Nalsa & Team Associates v NNPC (supra), the lower court should have determined the appellant’s application for amendment first so as to breathe life to his defective processes. With respect, the prescription in Nalsa & Team Associates v NNPC (supra) cannot avail the appellant. We, entirely, endorse the submission of respondent’s counsel on this point. Learned contended, and rightly too, that the said processes did not come within the category of amendable processes as they were, incurably and fundamentally, bad. True, indeed, since the Originating Processes were, incurably, bad, the correct position is that the suit was not, eve,.initiated by due process, Madukolu v Nkemdilim (supra). The lower court was, therefore, right in its approach to the processes. In all, we find no merit in the entire gamut of complaints in the appellant’s brief and the reply brief. We believe that if the appellant’s counsel had read the, highly, illuminating, decision of the apex court in FBN Plc & Anor v Alhaji Salam Maiwada (supra), the wise step would have been to apply to withdraw this appeal. The court, extensively, dealt with all the issues which the appellant’s counsel canvassed in this appeal. In all, we find no merit in this appeal. We, hereby enter an order dismissing it with costs assessed and fixed at N30, 000 only.

It is within a state’s legislature to regulate hotels (4) In the Supreme Court of Nigeria, Holden at Abuja, On Friday, July 19, 2013, Before their Lordships: Mariam Aloma-Mukhtar, Chief Justice of Nigeria; Ibrahim Tanko Muhammad, Justice, Supreme Court; John Afolabi Fabiyi, Justice, Supreme Court; Suleiman Galadima, Justice, Supreme Court; Nwali Sylvester Ngwuta, Justice, Supreme Court; Musa Dattijo Muhammad, Justice, Supreme Court; Stanley Shenko Alagoa, Justice, Supreme Court SC. 340/2010 Between: Minister of Justice and Attorney-General of Federation…(plaintiff) and Attorney General of Lagos State…(defendant) N specific response to the depositions contained in paragraphs 8 to 11 of the affidavit in support, the public notice caused to be published by the defendant was in response to press advertisements published at the instance and at the behest of the plaintiff through the Corporation in its bid to engage consultants for the registration of hotels, motels, guest inn, apartment, travel

agencies, tour operating outfits, resorts, cafeterias, among others in Lagos State and throughout the country. Now shown to me and marked as Exhibit LASG 1 is a certified true copy of the said advertisement of the defendant as published in The Nation Newspaper of Friday, September 4, 2009; • Further to the depositions contained in the preceding paragraph, the public notice was to inform the operators of hotels and other tourism related establishments in the State of the unconstitutionality of the provisions of section 4(2) (d) of the Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation Act in the light of the provisions of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999; • In addition to the foregoing, the Honourable Commissioner for Tourism and Inter-Governmental Relations in the Defendant State caused to be written a letter dated October 15, 2009 to the Honourable Minister for Tourism Culture and National Orientation wherein the attention of the Minister was drawn to the fact that: “...after the enactment of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999, the power of the National Assembly to regulate tourism in Nigeria is now governed by item 60(d) of the Exclusive Legislative

List and limited to “the establishment and regulation of authorities for the Federation or any part thereof to regulate tourist traffic.” Now shown to me and marked Exhibit LASG2 is a copy of the said letter; • The letter referred to in the preceding paragraph (i.e. Exhibit LASG2) further requested the kind intervention of the Honourable Minister to prevent a situation whereby tourism operations are impeded by unnecessary exposure to multiple regulatory authorities, levies and charges; • The foregoing notwithstanding, the Defendant through the Corporation caused to be published in the Thisday newspapers of December 31, 2009, a public notice entitled: Re: Lagos State Registration of Hotels and Tourism Related Establishments and National Security wherein the Corporation ignored the clear constitutional provisions in that regard and reiterated its position that NTDC (i.e. the Corporation) was the only body with the mandate “to register, classify and grade all hospitality and tourism enterprises, travel agencies and tour operators in the country, which is without exception of any State of the Federation.” Now shown to me and marked Exhibit LASG3 is a certified true copy of the said publication;

• Contrary to depositions contained in paragraph 12 of the Affidavit in Support of the Originating Summons, the enactment of the Lagos State Hotel Licensing (Amendment) Law of July 2010 was to extend its application to tourism establishments and not to give the Lagos State Government the power to deal with the regulation of tourist traffic; • In answer to the depositions contained in paragraph 14 of the affidavit in support, the action of the Defendant was in consonance with the provisions of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 which expressly limits the regulatory power of the Plaintiff to tourist traffic; • In specific response to paragraph 15 of the Affidavit in Support, the Defendant’s actions have no negative implication for tourist safety or national security and in fact are in conformity with the principles of federalism, which is enshrined in the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and which envisages the devolution of power among the federating states and not uniformity except as otherwise stated; • I know for a fact that: The constitutional power of the Plaintiff qua the Federal Government is expressly limited to the regulation of tourism traffic in Nigeria;

Justice Mukhtar (CJN) ii. Only the movement of foreigners coming into Nigeria as tourists may be regulated by way of visas and limitation of periods that tourists may remain in the country.

To be Continued

THE GUARDIAN, Tuesday, August 27,

LAW

FamilyLaw

“Marriage: Love is the reason. Lifelong friendship is the gift. Kindness is the cause. Til’ death do us part is the length.” -Fawn Weaver

Choosing between marriage and cohabitation (4) By Declan Flanagan and E. S. Williams Marital status and sexual behaviour HE national survey of sexual behaviour, which collected data from a random sample of nearly 19,000 representatives of British society, is the largest survey of sexual behaviour conducted in the UK. Patterns of sexual behaviour in the last five years for men and women by marital status show that married people are far more likely to be monogamous than the other marital groups. Well over 90% of married women have been monogamous during the last five years, compared to 60% of women who were cohabiting. Among married men, around 90% have been monogamous, compared to 43% of cohabiting men. Moreover, the pattern of sexual behaviour of cohabiting men and women closely resembles that of divorced and single people. According to Sexual Attitudes and Lifestyle, ‘’The influence of living with a partner as a measure of commitment to a relationship is unclear, since those who are cohabiting show patterns that are more like those who are single, divorced or separated than those who are married.’ These findings indicate a major difference in commitment between married and cohabiting couples. Undeniably, the majority of cohabiting relationships are associated with a pattern of behaviour that lacks commitment to one sexual partner. The vast majority of married couples, on the other hand, have been faithful to their marriage partners - disproving the assertion often made that most married people are having affairs. 5. Cohabitation and abortion: It is not wellknown that cohabiting is associated with high rates of legal abortion. The proportion of women reporting an abortion in the last five years is least common among the widowed (1.2%) and married (2.6%); single women reported higher rates (7.3%), but the highest rates were among cohabiting women (10.2%). This finding is consistent with the less monogamous lifestyle of those people who cohabit. It appears that while they are prepared to live together in a sexual relationship, they are less committed to raising a family together. 6. Sexual transmitted disease: We have already seen that cohabiting is often associated with multiple sexual partners, and so are sexually transmitted diseases. It is usually accepted that attendance at special treatment disease clinics is a reliable indicator of sexually transmitted diseases. The national survey shows that 6.3% of cohabiting women have attended such a clinic in the last five years compared to 1.1% of married women, suggesting that cohabiting women have higher rates of sexually transmitted disease. 7. Neurotic disorder : A large national survey of mental illness was commissioned by the Department of Health. The aim was to provide

information about the prevalence of psychiatric problems among adults, aged between 16 and 64 in Great Britain. The level of neurotic symptoms in society was measured by a wellvalidated questionnaire called the Clinical Interview Schedule. The Schedule is made up of 14 sections, each covering a particular area of neurotic symptoms, such as worry, irritability, depression and anxiety. The overall threshold for significant psychiatric illness was a score of 12. Information for the survey was collected from a representative sample of 10,000 British household. The findings of the survey, published in 1995, showed large and significant differences in neurotic behaviour between married, cohabiting and single groups. The first point is that women, in general, have higher rates of neurotic illness than men. There is a large difference between the proportion of married (15%) and cohabiting (24%) women that have neurotic illness. Among the men, on the other hand, there is no difference between those who are married and those who cohabit. The rates of anxiety and depressive disorders are higher among cohabiting women (133 per 1000) than married women (86 per 1000), whereas cohabiting men (64 per 1000) have only slightly higher rates than their married counterparts (51 per 1000). The survey shows that more cohabiting women are irritable, worried and depressed than married women. There is, however, no difference between married and cohabiting men in these symptoms. A particularly significant finding is that among those in cohabiting relationships many more women (35%) are irritable than men (18%). It is significant that cohabiting women have a much worse neurotic profile than cohabiting men. The data suggest that the mental wellbeing of women is adversely affected by a

cohabiting arrangement, whereas the mental well-being of men is hardly affected at all. Many women feel unhappy about a sexual relationship that lacks permanence. It seems likely that women are worried by the possibility that they may become pregnant, and then face the consequences with a man who is not their husband and has made no life-long commitment to the relationship. Conclusion : So what conclusions can be drawn from the data? What advantages does cohabitation have over marriage? The idea that a cohabiting relationship is equivalent to marriage is clearly unfounded. The information already described suggests a large difference in commitment within the two types of relationship. Cohabiting is characterised by a greater incidence of sexual unfaithfulness, with all its consequences. The higher levels of smoking are probably an indication of the stress that pregnant women experience in a cohabiting relationship. The high level of abortion is further evidence that those who cohabit are less committed to the idea of having children and raising a family. It is probable that cohabiting women sense this lack of commitment and therefore become stressed when they are pregnant, for they fear, quite literally, that they will be left holding the baby. It is also significant that cohabiting women have higher levels of anxiety and depression, emphasising the unsatisfactory nature of the relationship from a woman’s point of view. Without doubt, cohabiting has serious consequences for the health and wellbeing of all concerned in the relationship. In particular, cohabiting is bad for the women and for any children that are born as a consequence. The evidence shows that marriage, as instituted by God, is better. The Church needs to warn society: We have seen that marriage has been designed by God for the good of men, women and children. Yet contemporary society has made cohabitation socially acceptable and there are few prepared to defend the Christian view of marriage. The message that widespread cohabitation can do great damage to society is seldom heard and it is unfashionable to point out that those who cohabit are harming themselves, for they have entered a relationship that is contrary to biblical truth and therefore not pleasing to God. We believe that society is in desperate need of the biblical view of marriage. The Christian church has a duty to reaffirm these truths and to warn society and individuals of the dangers of disobeying God’s law. Many people are ignorant of what the Bible teaches about marriage. The Church, as the light of the world, has a duty to point people in the right direction. Cohabitation is wrong: it is against God’s law, and is morally indefensible. The Church should not hesitate to say so - indeed, the Church has

an obligation to speak out. An invitation to a better way : We have seen that those who cohabit lose by not exchanging vows in accordance with the pattern God designed for us. Those who cohabit before marriage do themselves and their partner a disservice. They run the risk of losing their self-respect and becoming devalued as human beings. It is far better for a couple in love to wait until they have made their marriage vows before they live together. Real love is not selfish but is patient and will be prepared to wait. While recognising that some couples have lived in a stable cohabiting relationship for many years, we urge those involved to reexamine their relationship in the light of biblical truth. We know that the God who instituted marriage is also the God of grace who can forgive and restore all those who come to Him. The good news for those that cohabit : The essence of the Christian gospel is salvation. Christ came to seek and save those who are lost: For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners (Matthew 9: 13). This call includes all humankind, for all have sinned. So the Christian message is one of hope for sinful people. Christ, when dealing with the woman who was caught in adultery, asked those among her accusers who were without sin to cast the first stone. None could do so, for all had sinned. Jesus said to her, Neither do I condemn you. Go and sin no more (John 8: 1-11). So while Christ clearly disapproved of her action, he offered her forgiveness and salvation. This is the good news for those who find themselves in a cohabiting relationship. The Christian gospel welcomes them, offering forgiveness and hope of a better life. Christ can heal the broken-hearted, and repair imperfect human relationships. Marriage, not cohabitation, is the better way.

YOU AND THE LAW Coping with unemployment after graduation (2) Make Contacts LMOST every city around the A world has different opportunities for you to network and meet new people. Some of these people may work in your desired field, some may not. Either way, these networking opportunities are great ways to make connections and learn more about the job market and various industries. These new contacts could provide you with news of job openings, or you may find a mentor that is interested in your success and could provide a reference or letter of recommendation. How to pay your bills while unem-

ployed One of the trickiest and most difficult aspects of being unemployed is making sure you have money to pay your bills. If you do not have some sort of savings built up by this point, then you are really going to struggle with keeping your bills paid. Here are some ways you can save money and keep your bills under control. Move Back Home: The simplest and most cost effective way to keep your bills down is to move back home with your parents. If this is an option for you, and you are going to be unemployed for a while, moving back in with your parents is probably the best option. This may not be

your favorite solution, but if your parents are understanding and will let you live at home for free, you will not have to worry about bills. If you do move back home, pitch in with housework, cooking, and running errands. It is a small way of showing thanks to your parents. Take Out a New Loan: You can always try to take out a loan to cover your expenses while you are unemployed. Realize, though, that this loan will add to the debt you have already accumulated from your student loans. You will also probably have to deal with high interest rates, meaning you will owe even more money when you

can afford to start paying off the loan. However, if you are in good financial standing and have no other options, taking out a loan may be your best option. Defer Your Student Loan Payments: You can minimize your monthly bills by deferring your student loan payments. Usually, you must apply to do this by providing proof of your unemployment or underemployment. If you do not qualify for deferment, you may qualify for at least lowering your monthly payments. Investigate your options and find out what would work best for you. Culled from HCC Medical Insurance Services

THE GUARDIAN, Tuesday, August 27, 2013

Sports Celtic may lose 7.4 million pounds

PTF lied on Eagles’ bonus crisis, says Lulu From Ezeocha Nzeh, Abuja ORMER President of the F(NFF), Nigeria Football Federation Sani Lulu Abdullahi, yesterday accused the Presidential Task Force on the Super Eagles qualification for the South Africa 2010 World Cup (PTF) of acting in bad faith by claiming that it only supplemented the $5, 000 bonus, which the NFF was paying to the players before the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. Reacting to a statement credited to a member of the task force, Segun Adeniyi, that the PTF, which was primarily established to raise money and support the NFF to fully prosecute Nigeria’s qualification and preparation for the 2010 African Nations Cup and the World Cup, Lulu said the PTF rather than offering any help to the federation, decided to abandon that project and left the NFF to carter for itself. Insisting that the PTF never paid any money to supplement the NFF’s bonus to the Eagles, the former NFF president challenged Adeniyi to produce any evidence to prove that the PTF aided the federation in paying the Super Eagles’ bonus. Lulu insisted the federation singlehandedly paid the $10, 000 bonus without outside help. His words, “you will recall that when I was elected to serve in the NFF as its President in August 2006, we inherited an empty treasury and a highly demoralized and weakened national team, with prevailing demand for upward review of the existing $5,000 winning bonus. “My board worked so hard to sustain the situation, pacifying and appealing to the players to accept our settlement within available resources. “However, the Federal Government in its wisdom, graciously established a Presidential Task Force in 2009,

primarily to raise funds and support the inadequately funded NFF to fully prosecute its qualification, preparation and participation at the African Nations Cup and World Cup competitions in 2010 to give the desired platform for the historic celebration of our 50th Independence Anniversary in October, 2010. “Consequently, the NFF wrote the PTF reviewing its budget for the two main tournaments in 2010 (i.e. the African Nation Cup in Angola and FIFA world cup in South Africa) to a total sum of about N2.22 billion as against N1.51 billion as contained in the approved 2010 Budget i.e. an increase of a N710, 000, 000 resulting principally from the Bonus increment. “In fact, Governor Rotimi Amaechi had promised, as the PTF chairman, that funds would be made available before we got to financially critical quarterfinal stage of the Nation Cup. “Unfortunately, the NFF was fully represented at the tournament without financial support from the PTF, but the focused NFF had to sustain the payments of the increase bonuses up to winning the bronze Medal.” He added, “from the forgoing, I insist and challenge Segun Adeniyi to substantiate with proof of evidence the payment of PTF due of the 50 per cent winning bonus due to Super Eagles in 2010. “ It’s very clear from post tournament activities that PTF realised substantial sum from fund raising as supported by government, but the NFF was not supported in line with government aspirations and directive and we witnessed sadly as these funds were lately utilised for the construction of the new NFF headquarters, which plan was earlier initiated, designed and ready for construction with our available sum of $1,400,000 in FIFA account.”

ELTIC face losing a C £7.4million windfall if they fail to overturn

D’Tigers’ inspiration, Ike Diogu, dunks the ball during the game against Tunisia at the London 2012 Olympics. Diogu was the pivot of Nigeria’s defeat of Cameroun at the on-going Abidjan 2013 Afrobasketball Championship..

Afrobasket: Nigeria faces CAR hurdle A and so would not be easy quarter-final. FTER conquering group. The team will only be guarAfter today’s game against prey for Team Nigeria, while A Cameroun on Sunday in the final group game, the the CAR, whom they are most Rwanda, who almost shocked anteed a World Cup ticket if Nigerian national team, D’Tigers will take on Central African Republic (CAR) in one of the second round games at the ongoing FIBA Africa Championship for Men in Cote D’Ivoire. If the Nigerians had lost to Cameroun and finished second in the group, it would have landed them on the path of the host, Cote d’Ivoire, backed by a mammoth and vociferous home crowd, as well as, perennial rivals, Angola who also topped their

Toriola, Quadri begin quest for top prize N

Nigeria. Egypt’s Omar Assar and Congo Brazzaville’s Han Xing are the tournament’s top seeds, as the senior’s singles events serve off at Molade Okoya-Thomas Hall of Teslim Balogun Stadium. In the seeding released by the Main Organising Committee (MOC), Egypt’s Assar, who is rated 60 in the world has been drawn in Group One alongside Nigeria’s trio of Jide Ogidiolu, Mayowa Babatunde and Charles Isah. Italy’s Mihai Bobocica, who is seeded number two is in Group two while Team

likely to overcome, the team will battle either Senegal or Rwanda in the quarter-final. And to ensure success at the championship, Coach Ayo Bakare has charged his wards to improve in every match as Senegal or Rwanda is no pushover either. The Senegalese were among the favourites till they were beaten by Cote d’Ivoire, but they still came second ahead of Algeria and Egypt in Group

defending champions, Tunisia, in their last group match on Sunday, could prove spoilers for the Nigerian side. A passage into the World Cup ticket zone, the semi-finals will see Nigeria facing either Tunisia/Egypt or Cape Verde/Congo. Tunisia play Egypt in the second round, while Cape Verde also play Congo in the last second round and the winner of both matches will battle in the

they qualify for the final. A loss in the semi-final will, however, see them having the last chance of picking the third ticket if they win the third place match. So, the focus now is to first qualify for the final and secure a World Cup ticket after which they will now gun for the title and make history. This Coach Bakare has drummed into the ears of the players.

UEFA Champions League

Lagos International Table Tennis Classics By Adeyinka Adedipe IGERIA’S Segun Toriola will begin his quest for top price in Group four of the men’s single against Lartey Felix of Ghana, Yakuba Ibrahim and Oloruntade Adeola of Nigeria at the Lagos International Table Tennis Classics today. Toriola, who is the highest ranked Nigerian player, is expected to book the sole ticket to round of 16 in the group. His compatriot, Aruna Quadri, who plies his trade in Portugal, is drawn in Group three alongside Eric Addo of Ghana, Alabi Olufemi and Fagbamila Akinwale of

Shakhter Karagandy’s twogoal Champions League lead, but midfielder, Joe Ledley hopes the pressure situation will inspire the Hoops to another memorable success. Reaching the group stages promises a huge initial cash injection through prize money, but Neil Lennon’s side are perched on a knifeedge following their first-leg defeat in Kazakhstan. Ledley has already tasted the drama of several big European nights in Glasgow’s east end after playing a crucial part in Celtic’s run to the last 16 last term. Now he believes the makeor-break climax to this season’s qualifying bid will bring out the best in himself and his team-mates. He said, “this is one of the biggest games of my life - so much is at stake. So much depends on this game and there is so much pressure on myself and my team-mates. Hopefully we can thrive on it and go from there. “We want to play in the Champions League, it’s a fantastic competition. Last season was one of the best in our careers and hopefully we can qualify again.”

Nigeria stars, Segun Toriola and Aruna Quadri are seeded number three and four respectively. In the women’s seeding, current African Senior’s champion, Congo Brazzaville’s Xing is rated number one, while Nigeria’s Funke Oshonaike is number two. In the men’s singles, over 64 players have been drawn into 16 groups made up four players per group with the top players in each group proceeding to the round of 16. In the women’s event, the 32 players were drawn into eight groups with the top players in each group advancing to the

Don’t celebrate yet, injured Yobo tells Arsenal UPER Eagles Captain, people are thinking it will be. will triumph at the end of the SArsenal Joseph Yobo has warned Yes, we lost the first leg 3-0 at game. Fenerbahce are a big that tonight’s UEFA home, but who says we can- club with lots of internationChampions League second leg qualifying tie at the Emirates stadium won’t be a walk in the park tie. Arsenal won the first leg 3-0 last week in Istanbul and are bookmakers favourites to advance to the group stage of the money-spinning biggest club competition in the world. Yobo, however, thinks the Gunners can be paid back in their own coins tonight in London. “Never say never in football. The tie won’t be as easy as

not score three or four goals without reply in London,’’ argues Yobo, who will miss the tie due to injury. “I am out of the game because of a minor injury, but we have quality players, who can hold their own anywhere in the world. Don’t be surprised if Fenerbahce qualifies for the group stage of the competition,’’ Yobo added. He believes scoring early will put the Gunners under a lot of pressure, adding, “if that happens, I believe we

al players and I am confident we can deliver when the occasion is big like it will be tonight in London.’’ Yobo has been a consistent performer for Fenerbahce since his switch from Everton three years ago and was one of their top performers last season, especially in the UEFA Europa League. This season, he has also been a regular starter an penultimate weekend, scoring his first goal of the season for the club from his central defence position.

THE GUARDIAN, Tuesday, August 27, 2013

SPORTS 75

Nigeria National League

Week 30 matches hold simultaneously on Saturday From Ezeocha Nzeh, ABuja

O ensure equity and fairT ness to all teams, the management of the Nigeria National League (NNL) has decided that all the Week 30 matches will be played simultaneously across the country on Saturday. The decision to hold the matches at the same time on the same day is to fore-

stall match-fixing and avoid an undue advantage to any club in the league no matter the position in the league, the NNL said yesterday. NNL Chairman, Emeka Inyama told the press in Abuja yesterday that Nigeria Premiership League top referees will take charge of the matches, while independent assessors will be

deployed to match venues to monitor the performances of the officiating officials and conducts of the players, coaching crew and fans. According to him, “these measures are being put in place to avoid any kind of complain from clubs, especially those seeking for promotion to the premiership and others fighting relegation to the lower tier of the Nigeria league.” Inyama commended the

NNL and all the clubs for the huge successes recorded this season, boasting that never in the recent past had teams recorded higher number of away victories without any incident of crowd troubles to molest the away clubs. He, however, revealed that the NNL board would meet soon to announce the date for the commencement of the 2013/2014 league season.

Mauritius 2013

Nine junior athletes dropped over age falsification By Gowon Akpodonor O avoid international T embarrassment over ‘age cheat,’ the leadership of the

Okagbare

Moscow 2013:

Companies scramble to host Okagbare, Delta waits on Presidency • AFN scores self high By Gowon Akpodonor Blessing SmostPRINTER, Okagbare, has become the sought-after Nigerian athlete, as many companies are falling over themselves in their bid to organise a dinner party for her. The leadership of the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) also announced yesterday that Delta State government had concluded plans to stage a red carpet reception for Okagbare, Regina George and few other athletes of the state origin, who were part of Team Nigeria’s contingent to Moscow. But the planned reception by Delta State, according to Ogba, will have to wait until the Federal Government sets the ball rolling. Speaking with journalists in an interactive session in Lagos yesterday, an elated Ogba said he had received requests from three companies seeking to have dinner with Okagbare for winning two medals for Nigeria in Moscow. “It is good for athletics and I want to tell you that as at this morning (yesterday), I have received requests from three companies that they want to have dinner with Okagbare. The number will surely increase because this

is the first time in 14 years that the country will win a medal at the World Championship. “Delta State government is also planning to roll out the red carpet for Okagbare and Regina George, but they are waiting for the Federal Government to host the athletes first. The Sports Minister told me that he had already mentioned it during the Federal Executive Council meeting and they were very happy with our performance in Moscow,” Ogba said. The AFN boss carpeted those who tagged Team Nigeria a failure in Moscow, saying, “we have to praise ourselves even when the likes of Dan Ngerem does not see reason for celebration. Nigeria is now 26th in the world ahead of countries like Spain and we should celebrate it.” Ogba revealed that Okabare “was robbed’ of a medal in the 100m because of ‘politics’ of the game. “The Russians wanted their athlete to win in the long jump event at all cost and that was why they hurriedly did the jump as against the practice in the past. It affected Okagbare in the 100m final. If it were to be America, they would have protested it, but we have to take it in good faith because we don’t have anybody at the IAAF level to fight for us.”

Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) has dropped nine athletes from the team that will fly the nation’s flag in the 11th African Junior Athletics Championship holding in Mauritius. The team will depart today. President of the AFN, Solomon Ogba said yesterday in Lagos that though, the athletes had international passports carrying the age required for the championship, but the federation decided to stop them after carrying out its independent instigation, which revealed that them were no longer in the junior category. “We want to go to Mauritius with only those who are ‘true junior athletes.’ We won’t be part of age cheat in sports, so we have reduced the team from 35 to 26 because we discovered that some of the athletes are above the age they declared in their passports.” The 26 athletes and eight officials will depart today Lagos for Port Louis, Mauritius, venue of the championships today. The team could not leave yesterday as earlier reported because of difficulties in securing the required flight tickets. “We could not get seat for everybody on Monday, so they have to leave on Tuesday (today),” Ogba said yesterday. The 11th African Junior Athletics will begin on Thursday, August 29 and end

on September 1. Meanwhile, the AFN has advised the athletes to be good ambassadors and compete fairly in Mauritius. The team has been in Sapele camp since August 5 preparing for the competition.

Dolphins’ Hassan Hussan shields the ball from Enugu Rangers’ Christian Obiozor during their the Glo Nigeria Premier League game at the Liberation Stadium, Port Harcourt…at the weekend.

Glo Nigeria Premier League

Dolphins deny Rangers’ claims, as Harp sets Garden City aglow By Tony Nwanne HE Liberation Stadium, T Port Harcourt, on Sunday provided Garden City football buffs the opportunity to enjoy their cherished game in a carnival-like atmosphere. The occasion was the Nigeria Premier League game between Dolphins and Enugu Rangers, but Harp lager turned it into a show of colours with music and comedy spicing the show. Although officials of the Enugu side claimed hoodlums attacked them after their team’s 0-2 loss to Dolphins, an allegation

denied by the home team, fans and others, who passed through the Elekahia location of the stadium agreed that Sunday’s game provided an atmosphere hardly seen at league venues. Harp, official sponsor of the two opposing teams in addition to three others in the NPFL, threw the gates open to fans and provided an arena within the area, which provided such treats for fans as penalty shoot-out and ball juggling competitions, beer sampling, as well as, a raffle draw that saw lucky consumers walking away with prizes such as blackberries, generators and freezers. Marketing Manager, Harp

Lager, Paul Asemota said the beer saw an opportunity to connect with and also reward fans and consumers. “This reflects our commitment to enhance the experience of football fans across the country. Harp, the number one beer for friendship, is associated with vibrancy, fun and boldness, we definitely promise the fans more fun as they continue to support the Local League,” he added. Harp also made the game especially memorable for five fans, who won a special experience in a Facebook contest, as they got a chance to meet and interact with some of the players.

Uplift Academy arrives in Italy, begins training with Udinese’ coaches Club. LAYERS and officials of to a rousing reception by Football Speaking at a press conferP the Ogun State U-15 grass- their hosts, who will take roots football team, known them on an intensive train- ence to formally welcome as the UPLIFTing FC, arrived Udine, Italy at the weekend

ing using the most modern facilities offered by Udinese

Ogun State Governor’s Wife, Olufunso Amosun, Udinese FC’s Director of Sports, Cristiano Giaretta, Udinese FC’s Director of Youth, Angelo Trevisan during the press conference to formally welcome Uplift Football Team to Udine, Italy. The Ogun State U-15 team is on a training tour of Italy.

the team to Udinese FC, the club’s Sports Director, Cristiano Giaretta congratulated the players and commended the Wife of the Ogun State Governor, Olufunso Amosun, for organising the football competition to identify young talents at the grassroots level. According to him, “it is not very frequent young players like you get this kind of opportunity. This is a good initiative. I would encourage you to put in your maximum efforts to realise your dreams. . “We understood that you were selected from more than 3,000 players. This means you are very special and we look forward to seeing some of you playing for Udinese FC or any other club in Italian Serie A,” he said. .

THE GUARDIAN, Tuesday, August 27, 2013

TheGuardian

Tuesday, August 27, 2013

Conscience, Nurtured by Truth

By Goke Omolade VER the ages, nation-building has been an eclectic, interactive and generational process which conscientious leaders have had to hand on to their successors. In a way, such leaders on the line of this altruistic duty performance, usually key to the pervasive vision of a secure and better tomorrow. Since no individual actor is greater than his milieu, it therefore becomes imperative that no matter how powerful, well-meaning or visionary, a nation is the total sum of its citizenry’s shared values as well as communality of set goals. At the outset of its January 1914 amalgamation, Nigeria was clustered not mindful of the sharp differences in the creed, race, ingenuity and aspirations of the various people. If only Fredrick Lugard had taken cognisance of the fear and background realities of the people being coerced as a united nation. Just imagine the degree of mayhem that might have resulted if both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland had been forcefully welded with the United Kingdom (UK) before now. That the UK has not broken to warring pieces is the organic manner it has been able to balance its art of governance between its monarchic and democratic values. While the union of Britain, Scotland and Wales have trudged on their democratic process along with their monarchic conventions, the two Irelands have been republican in their democratic dispositions rather than by any monarchic ethos. With this hindsight, can Nigeria for all empirical purposes be described as a working or healthy federation? Commencing from a definitive point, a federal system obtains in which several states form a unity but remain independent in internal affairs which range from one’s pace of economic development, internal policing, and collection of taxes to educational pursuits. The instructive examples of the United States (balance federalism); Canada (loose federalism) and former Soviet Union (extreme federalism) are quite relevant here. In reality, where can Nigeria’s federal system be situated between these three given examples, especially with the overbearing might and one-sided dominance of Abuja over other component parts? Similarly, is Nigeria a functional republic? For instance, a republic is that state in which supreme power is exercised by the people and their elected representatives without any monarchic interference. If this is so, why then are the traditional rulerships of the Obas, Obis and Emirs still so sacrosanct? With these multiple distortions at its foundational outlay, is there any wonder why Nigeria has been held captive by all types of monsters since its conception (1914 amalgamation and 1960 flag independence)? Having been caught between the spiral intrigue of neither belonging to a nation that was allowed to nurture its own patriots nor truly identifying with the roots of one’s ethnic motherland, Nigerians have been rendered weary sojourners on an endless, rudderless voyage of disorientation and disappointment. Rather than rally together and destroy their common enemies of ignorance, illiteracy, poverty; pseudo-patriots and career criminals who disguise as leaders; the citizenry at large have been warped in thoughts and deeds to assail the nation at all costs. With absolutely nothing meaningful to offer, these tyrants and their ilk in power dwell in the vices of corrosive corruption, debauchery, needles wealth accumulation, power intrigues and their mainstay is covertly insti-

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Some hometruths

Jonathan tutionalised in the spoilage system vis-àvis power arena. Having enervated the nation’s oil boom for so long; they subsequently proceeded in integrating themselves in the party system with the advent of their craftily designed democracy. In an environment where healthy democracy operates freely, a party basically plays the unique role of a match-maker and once the couple come together, the match-maker retreats until there comes the need for one to make any desirous appearance. Not for them any such dignified honour of being called when needed. They prefer to parade themselves as imposing godfathers to those who are elected/selected on the people’s authority and rather than allow equity and fairness to hold in the distribution of the common wealth; they just personalise the power arena. However, in a viable political setting, the number of parties in operation is broadly determined by the type of voting system;

simple majority or proportional representation. In a place where there exist genuine reasons for people’s aspirations to be represented on a broader perspective, more parties might exist in coherence with the proportional representation. Israel is one case study. But in a very fluid nation-state like Nigeria where people’s earnest yearnings are yet to be properly channelled; having more than a two-party system is to further compound an already worse scenario. Even in advanced and refined democracies like the UK, United States and other emerging democracies, the two-party system is really the vague for people’s choice. One striking feature that stands out in an open minded and development-driven society is the free rein accorded interactive ideas. So eclectic and penetrating is the pivotal power of ideas in the market-place of human advancement that Victor Hugo was credited with the dictum that “no power or people can stop that idea which time has

In essence, one principal reason why the contemporary world of the western democracy, The YOUTHSPEAK Column which is published daily is an initiative of THE GUARDIAN, and powered by RISE NETWORKS, Nigeria’s Leading Youth Development Centre, as a substantial North America and Southeast advocacy platform available for ALL Nigerian Youth to engage Leadership at all levels, engage Society and contribute to National Discourse on diverse issues especially those that are pecuAsia is development-driven is liar to Nigeria. Regarding submission of articles, we welcome writers‘ contributions by way of well crafted, analytical and thought provoking opinion pieces that are concise, topical and because they readily embrace non-defamatory! All articles (which are not expected to be more than 2000 words) should be innovative/eclectic ideas. Their sent to editorial@risenetworks.org To read the online Version of this same article plus past and to find out more about Youth Speak, please visit educational system is so recep- publications www.risenetworks.org/youthspeak and join the ongoing National Conversations’’. tive and idea-hungry that what Also join our on-line conversation 21676F3E @risenetworks RISE GROUP their scientific discoveries dish Published by Guardian Newspapers Limited, Rutam House, Isolo, Lagos out; their technological prowess Tel: 4489600, 2798269, 2798270, 07098147948, 07098147951 Fax: 4489712; Advert Hotlines: Lagos 7736351, Abuja 07098513445; Circulation Hotline: 01 4489656 almost effortlessly process to All correspondence to Guardian Newspapers Limited, P.M.B. 1217, Oshodi, Lagos, Nigeria. E-mail letters@ngrguardiannews.com; www.ngrguardiannews.com breathtaking perfections Editor: MARTINS OLOJA

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On the whole, securing the Nigeria of our choice where good governance, equitable distribution of available resources, impartial justice system vis-à-vis constitutional adherence may require some degree of coercive action. This is because those who are the beneficiaries of the current iniquitous status quo may not easily let go of their reins of tyranny and debauchery come.” How then can ideas manifest? This can discernibly be located in the legendry Plato’s allegory of the cave. There were once a group of cave dwellers who lived on ignorance. While some were brought out into the limelight, they were said to have quickly retreated into the cave; for being too exposed to the limelight. Others were later brought out and these ones stayed awhile and gradually got used to the limelight and its after-effects. With time, their thinking and all else became forwardlooking, particularly on the suggestive ways they could improve their lot. In essence, one principal reason why the contemporary world of the western democracy, North America and Southeast Asia is developmentdriven is because they readily embrace innovative/eclectic ideas. Their educational system is so receptive and idea-hungry that what their scientific discoveries dish out; their technological prowess almost effortlessly process to breathtaking perfections. Yet their quest for newer ideas is so relentless and inspiring to the point of being summed to a simple ratio of used past + an innovative present = a secure future. Taking advantageous cues from these developed societies, Africa’s giant urgently needs to re-organise its educational and cultural orientation from mere certification to being really educated thoroughly in thinking and deeds. Similarly, the present siege mentality of money accumulation needs to be completely dismantled and in its place, there should be a newly charged collaborative socialisation process; actively involving parental, educational, neighbourhood/communal participation. As a temporary measure, all those with the necessary wherewithals should be compelled to engage in large scale/mechanised farming vis-à-vis establishing at least one standardised science and technology (S&T) park in each of the nation’s local council areas. With these in place, the issue of unending unemployment/underemployment would be adequately addressed. Just imagine how many Mohammed Modibbos, the panel-beater, who produced/exhibited Modibbo Wagon at the April 2010 Abuja Motor Show, are yearning to be pulled out of the abyss of helplessness that our present disoriented society has avoidably condemned to. On the whole, securing the Nigeria of our choice where good governance, equitable distribution of available resources, impartial justice system vis-à-vis constitutional adherence may require some degree of coercive action. This is because those who are the beneficiaries of the current iniquitous status quo may not easily let go of their reins of tyranny and debauchery. But history is replete with the examples of those victors who dared and conquered their oppressors. The United States got its hard-earned 1776 independence only after it withstood and defeated Britain while the same British colonial dinosaur only yielded ground for the emergence of the state of Israel in May 1948 after Menachem Begin’s Irgun’s bombing of the King David Hotel, Jerusalem (in July, 1946). In essence, there is hardly any human endeavour worthy of note that comes easy and long-lasting until the exacted price is supremely paid. By inference, no pain no gain; no coercion no cohesion! Omolade wrote from Goshen Haven Ifelodun Estate, Off FUTA North Gate, Akure. gokeomolade@hotmail. com