The Nation April 15, 2015

Newspaper of the Year

Supreme Court affirms Fayose’s Page 8 victory

MORE •Jonathan rejects Constitution amendment •AND ON PAGES •Deputy sues Mimiko for stopping allowances 4,9&56 •Ladoja heads for tribunal to challenge Oyo results •Orekoya kids’ parents beg for cash to pay ransom

NEWS

•Nigeria’s widest circulating newspaper

VOL. 10, NO. 3185 WEDNESDAY, APRIL 15, 2015

•www.thenationonlineng.net

TR UTH IN DEFENCE OF FREEDOM TRUTH

N150.00

‘Oando’s 82% reserves increase good for shareholders’

T

HERE is good news for Oando Energy Resources (OER) shareholders.

OER, the exploration and production (E&P) arm of Oando Group, has shown outstanding performance despite the downturn in global oil and gas industry, posting 82 per cent increase in reserves — a development that will likely have a

By Emeka Ugwuanyi

positive impact on future revenue.

In a statement, OER stated that as a result of the slump in oil prices, 2014 ended on a sour note for the sector. The downward trend has continued, with speculations that as much as $1.6 trillion will be wiped out in earnings for producing companies and coun-

tries. But, despite the pessimism, Oando has remained strong by proactively acting on some initiatives to sustain its viability as an investment grade stock.

OER has significantly increased its Proved and Probable net reserves (2P) from 230.6 million barrels of oil equivalent (MMboe) to 420.3 MMboe. The new reserves figures are based on an annu-

al evaluation report of OER’s reserve and resources conducted by worldwide petroleum independent company DeGolyer and MacNaughton (D&M). It also indicated the economic value of the company’s 2P has increased from $545 million to $1.8 billion.

This reserves increase is further validation that Oando’s Continued on page 4

•INSIDE: ‘DIASPORA REMITTANCES’ GROWTH TO SLOW’ P53 REPS PASS N60B NCC BUDGET P53

Chibok parents to Buhari: you can rescue our girls Kids, others march on Education ministry in Abuja From Grace Obike, Abuja

I

T was a moving spectacle yesterday in Abuja.

Kids in red shirts, holding numbered placards on which the names of the Chibok schoolgirls are boldly written, marching on the Ministry of Education.

With them were some of the girls who escaped in the night of horror on April 14, last year when Boko Haram insurgents hussled the over 200 pupils off their dormitories into trucks and drove them away into captivity.

The world was horrified; it still is —one year after.

Parents of the Chibok Girls Secondary School, Borno State, girls yesterday said they were hoping President-elect Muhamadu Buhari would find their daughters.

Gen Buhari will take office on May 29 and one of the burning issues he will inherit from the outgoing Dr. Goodluck Jonathan administration is the abduction.

Yesterday, there were activities in Abuja, Lagos and in some other major capitals across the world to mark the anniversary of the abduction which attracted worldwide outrage, especially when Boko Haram claimed responsibility and showed a video of the girls in captivity with sect leader Abubakar Shekau saying he would sell them off.

Continued on page 4

INSIDE •Govt’ll rescue them, says NSA •Soyinka, others call for action •Saraki: we must be hopeful •Reps insist on girls’ rescue •UN remembers Chibok girls AND MORE ON PAGES 4, 10&11

•ALL FOR THE GIRLS: The kids on their way to the PHOTOS: AFP ministry…yesterday.

‘

It is true that the girls are the victims, the parents and guardians are suffering the agony, trauma and pains, but the embarrassment is that of the government and the people of Nigeria

’

•One of the escapee Chibok schoogirls (centre) being comforted during the march in Abuja…yesterday.

•LIFE P15 •SPORTS P24 •MONEY P26 •INVESTORS P28 •POLITICS P45 •FOREIGN P60

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, APRIL 15, 2015

2

NEWS GOVERNORSHIP ELECTIONS Eight-year struggle has paid off in Jigawa, says governor-elect

J

IGAWA State Governor-elect Badaru Abubakar yesterday attributed his victory to an eightyear struggle by the people.

The All Progressives Congress (APC) governor-elect described the dislodgement of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) through the ballot as the realisation of the dream and wish of the electorate.

He hailed the people for being steadfast and resolute in the struggle to effect change in the Nortwest state.

Pointing out that the time has come for the people to forge a common front devoid of acrimony for development, Abubakar promised to run an all-inclusive administration, irrespective of political or religious affiliation.

Speaking in Dutse, the state capital, after he was retuned as the governor-elect by Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Retuning Officer, Prof. James Ayatse, Abubakar said: “The good

The sham called Akwa Ibom elections

From Dele Anofi and Ahmed Rufai, Dutse

people of Jigawa State have spoken and I have heard you loud and clear.”

Describing his election as a call to service, Abubakar expressed gratitude to God for decreeing such a historic day in the political life of the state.

His words: “To those who voted for us and to those who didn’t vote for us, and even to those who didn’t vote at all, we pledge to govern you fairly. The campaigns are over, the elections are over, so, let us unite and forge ahead.

“As you are aware, the journey ahead is enormous and challenging, but not insurmountable. The path to change will not be easy but we will laugh and cry together. But overall, we will all succeed together by the grace of Allah and the support of the great people, young and old, male and female, urban and rural.

•Abubakar

“When we started this journey eight years ago, we moved from town to town, village to village, house to house and door to door, and we heard your cries, we saw the issues, and we felt your pains.

“Yesterday is gone, today is here and tomorrow is the beginning of a brighter future. So, be rest assured that we’ll remain steadfast and committed to building the Jigawa State of our dream”.

I’ll fight poverty in Cross River, says Ayade

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HE Governor-elect of Cross River State, Prof Ben Ayade has listed war against poverty as priority when he assumes office on May 29.

He spoke in Calabar, the state capital, where he attributed his victory to God and Providence, considering his poor background.

His words: “I am the child of a poor man. I know there is hunger and hardship in the land. I know there is unemployment. So, I promise that as God has allowed the child of a poor man to become a governor, that means I know the cry of the poor people and that is why God made it possible for me to be here today. The peo-

•Ayade

Fashola, Ambode seek workers’ support to transform Lagos

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AGOS State Governor Bababtunde Fashola and his successor-in-waiting Akinwunmi Ambode met yesterday with civil servants in the Centre of Excellence. They solicited for the support of the workforce to take the state to greater heights.

The forum was organised to say thank you to the workers for the renewal of the All Progressives Congress (APC) mandate on Saturday.

Fashola urged the workers to see themselves as the real builders of Lagos and should therefore extend the support they have given to him in the past eight years to Ambode.

His words: “I want you to reinforce and consolidate on what we have achieved so far. Sixteen years ago, only a few believed that government could work again.

“But today, with your determination and can-do spirit, you have proven that government can work and that the civil service is the driver of development in any part of the world.

“I want you to support Ambode so that together, we can have a better Lagos.” Fashola counselled the work-

•Ambode

By Miriam Ekene-Okoro

ers to maintain political neutrality and described as disturbing the way the public service was unnecessarily politicised ahead the governorship election.

In his remarks, Ambode described the civil service as the driver of development and said their partnership will help him achieve his vission of a more prosperous state.

Ambode, who said he saw his emergence as governor as a call to service, urged the workers to walk the journey with him through improved service delivery.

The governor-elect pledged to run an open government that will thrive

From Nicholas Kalu, Calabar

ple should not worry.

“The time has come for us to put heads and join hands together. We must take ourselves out of poverty.

We must rescue our generation. Tomorrow will be better. For the sake of our children, I put myself before the people to serve them in truth and in faith. At the fullness of time, when I am done with my four years, their situation would have changed for the better and forever.

“The time has come for the child of the poor man to rise. The time has come for the down-trodden. They should worry no more because we are here to serve them.” on the contributions of residents and groups of different background.

He added that he will not be averse to constructive criticisms of his policies and programmes in the best interest of the state.

Ambode said: “We know that the public service is the driver of any government. So, let us begin this journey of greater development together, I expect you to support me to take Lagos to loftier heights.

“Whatever it is that our administration will do for the betterment of residents, you should always walk with us and help us.

“When we make mistakes, or we are about to make wrong policies, you should be bold enough - as you have always been - to say that what we are doing is not in the best interest of the people.

“I just want to appreciate and encourage you to always stand up and tell us the truth for the prosperity of Lagos. I am passionate about that prosperity and I want you to work with me.”

Ambode, who was on government’s payroll for 27 years, said he understood everything about the system.

The governor-elect said he was a beneficiary of service’s long-standing culture of excellence.

He promised to do his best to make the service the best in Africa.

Anxiety in Imo over inconclusive governorship election • Okorocha vows to defend APC victory

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HERE was anxiety yesterday in Imo State over Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC’s) silence on a new date for the conduct of supplementary governorship election in the state.

This followed the declaration by INEC’s Returning Officer, Prof Oye Ibidapo-Obe, that the Saturday’s elections were inconclusive.

Supporters of incumbent Governor Rochas Okorocha and candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC)

From Okodili Ndidi, Owerri

and those of his challenger, House of Representatives Deputy Speaker, Emeka Ihedioha of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP, are worried that INEC secretariat has been abandoned.

Efforts by reporters to know the new date for the supplementary elections in some of the areas where the results were either rejected or where elections could not hold due to violence, proved abortive.

•Okorocha • Continued on page 9

•Govt, police: Allegations are false

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ORE facts emerged yesterday on how the governorship election in Akwa Ibom State was allegedly rigged.

According to eyewitnesses, there was no election because there were no electoral materials, including result sheets, in virtually all the local government areas.

Several polling units had either insufficient, or no electoral materials.

So, voting could not hold. The materials were either not brought to the units, or were snatched by thugs working for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the eyewitnesses alleged.

In some instances, Electoral Officers would ask the ad-hoc staff to sign for the materials, but moments later, the supplies would be snatched by rampaging armed thugs. Anyone who challenged them was either shot or attacked, it was learnt.

But the state government through its Information and Orientation Commissioner, Aniekan Umanah, said the All Progressives Congress (APC) was crying wolf where there was none.

The number of those killed remained unknown last night but a source said: “Those who tried to resist the thugs were shot instantly and killed.”

In Obot Akara Local Government Area, it was learnt that there were no result sheets. The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) ad-hoc staff allegedly connived with Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) agents to either have them snatched, or not supplied.

The source said there were no result sheets in virtually all the units in Ikot Ekpene, yet results were written and announced.

In Etinang, even before voting began, all electoral materials were allegedly taken away by thugs and PDP agents. Ballot papers were allegedly thumb-printed at a popular guest house in Uyo. The police were said to have done nothing when a report was made.

The Assistant Inspector-General of Police (AIG) deployed to Akwa Ibom was said to have “sounded like a man overwhelmed” as the people were left unprotected.

“This was very, very organised.

When we raised alarm, nobody took us seriously. We did not have elections in Akwa Ibom,” the source said.

It was learnt that the state government procured hundreds of buses for thugs, which they drove round the state, snatching electoral materials.

When they got to a unit, they would shoot into the air, disperse prospective voters, snatch the materials and flee unchallenged by security agencies.

One of the thugs was said to have shot and killed himself after mishandling an AK47 rifle. It was learnt that his colleagues left his body behind and drove off.

Apparently because more of the observers would be in Uyo, materials were released on time, and accreditation began, but between 13pm, the thugs were unleashed, moving from one location to another,

By Joseph Jibueze

seizing materials.

All Progressives Congress (APC) chiefs received hundreds of messages reporting lack of materials or their snatching by thugs from across the state.

Contrary to the Electoral Act, collation was never done either at the ward level or local government centres.

Every centre was said to be devoid of any activity when party chiefs visited. INEC’s office, usually full of activity on election days, was in darkness at about 9pm. The gate was shut.

It was also learnt that in the units where voting took place, ballot papers were far lower than the number of registered voters, sometimes as low as 300 out of 1000.

“What happened in Akwa Ibom goes beyond election. It was like a declaration of war against the people of the state,” APC governorship candidate in Akwa Ibom, Umana Okon Umana told reporters.

“We couldn’t find any location where collation had been done. There was no collation anywhere. We challenged the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) to take us to one place where collation was taking place, but he couldn’t.

“It was a coup against our people.

It’s almost like treason. What happened in Akwa Ibom is a crime against humanity. It was a conspiracy of all state agencies against the state.

The thugs operated unchallenged and anyone who dared them was shot and killed,” Umana alleged.

The former Secretary to the State Government (SSG) accused Governor Godswill Akpabio of entrenching impunity in the state.

“A man like Akpabio should be tried at the International Criminal Court (ICC). This was state terrorism, not election.

“I could not vote even as a governorship candidate. I don’t know why Akpabio was so desperate, or what he’s trying to cover,” Umana said.

He said he would have congratulated the “winner” had it been something close to an election in Akwa Ibom, vowing to challenge the “exercise” at the tribunal.

His party has called for the cancellation of governorship and House of Assembly election.

The APC chairman in Akwa Ibom, Dr Amadu Attai, petitioned INEC chairman Prof Attahiru Jega, listing massive violations of the law.

He said: “In areas where polling materials were received, hordes of deadly armed thugs, escorted by men in police and army uniforms, stormed the polling units and made away with the election materials mid-way into accreditation…

“In a meeting with APC governorship candidate Umana Okon Umana, the electoral officer of Nsit Ubium Local Government admitted that the election process in the area was marred by security failure which allowed PDP thugs to hijack election materials and take them to private homes for thumbprinting,” the party said.

APC painted a gory picture of killings and injuries from eyewitness ac-

PO THE NATION WEDNESDAY, APRIL 15, 2015

3

GOVERNORSHIP ELECTIONS

•The Governorship outlook

•APC man who was attacked on the head by thugs.

•Another APC supporter with machete cuts on the head and shoulder.

Ex-Oil Minister Etiebet accuses INEC of fraud

police cover to PDP thugs who invaded polling units and collation centres in the state to cart away ballot boxes and election materials” on March 28.

The group, in the April 6 petition, said: “The police were quick to arrest supporters of parties other than PDP and even ordinary citizens who dared to question the marauding PDP thugs and the high government officials who led them to polling units across the state.

“Over 100 people ended up behind barred in what was clearly wellochestrated exercise to intimidate the public and supporters of political parties other than PDP. “It is equally noteworthy that no PDP thug or sympathiser is in police custody despite the fact that many of them openly carried and used firearms and other dangerous weapons during the elections and in the presence of the police,” said the group.

It was learnt that a group of INEC workers, under the aegis of the Concerned Staff of INEC in Akwa Ibom State, sent a petition to Prof Jega, asking that the governorship and House of Assembly election be postponed on April 6, .

The workers alleged that electoral materials were “escorted” to the homes of PDP stalwarts instead of to the polling units.

They also alleged there were plans to reduce materials meant for areas known to be the strongholds of the APC, Labour and Accord parties.

The petitioners urged Jega to shift the April 11 election because “the indices on ground posits that there would be a serious clash between PDP and other opposition parties which may culminate in loss of many lives and bloodshed.”

Alleging that the original copies of result sheets were “handed over” to a top government official, they demanded for the redeployment of the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) and all the electoral officers.

“No one should be surprised if INEC’s office in Uyo is burnt down to cover their tracks,” a source said.

But the government denied the allegations, describing them as false.

Mr Umanah said: "Those things they are saying are false."

He directed our correspondent to seek more clarification from the Commissioner of Police, even as promised to forward a "report" on the polls to our correspondent.

But no mail was received from him as at the time of filing this report.

When our correspondent contacted the state police Command through the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Mrs Cordelia Nwawe, she said the police commissioner would speak on the issues "in due course."

"The commissioner of Police will address the issues in due course and at the appropriate time," she said.

•An APC agent battered in Etoi, Uyo Local Government Area

•Voters watching as thugs made away with election material...on Saturday.

•APC chieftain challenges commission on Assembly polls results

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ORMER Minister of Petroleum Resources and Akwa Ibom All Progressives Congress (APC) chieftain, Chief Don Etiebet, yesterday accused the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of electoral fraud.

Etiebet told reporters in his Abuja home that the governorship and House of Assembly elections never took place in Akwa Ibom on Saturday, but INEC announced results.

He buttressed his claim by challenging the electoral umpire on why the results of the House of Assembly elections have not been announced more than three days after the supposed conclusion of the polls.

The former minister, who gave graphic details of what transpired in the state during the governorship election, said he was not aware that the results for the House of Assembly elections had been released by the Commission.

His words: “As I am talking to you now, Tuesday, the 14th day of April, 2015 at about 4.30pm, there has been no announcement of any result of the state House of Assembly results.

“These ought to be the results to be announced first at the different state constituency headquarters, usually the local government areas INEC offices. But none took place there.

“I can prove this from the experience in my local government where the Returning Officer said he was recalled to INEC office and would not be the one to announce the results in my local government.

“The text of communication between him and I can attest to this and up till now, no result of the winner of the House of Assembly from my local government has been announced.

“If the results of the House of Assembly elections which were supposed to be released at the local government level have not been announced three days after the election, where did they get the figures they announced for the governorship?

“The fact that three days after the elections, results of the state House of Assembly elections have not been announced is an indication that election did not take place in the state. They just cooked up figures.

They are working from top to bottom and that is why it is taking them a long time to announce the results because they have to work out how to distribute the figures they cooked up to the various local government and counts of party agents and others. It said two of its members were killed in Ibiono Ibom when over 50 thugs invaded the area to cart away ballot materials.

“The PDP thugs similarly killed one of our members in Nsit Ubium.

Three APC supporters were also

‘

The fact that three days after the elections, results of the state House of Assembly elections have not been announced is an indication that elections did not take place in the state. They just cooked up figures

‘

•Etiebet

From Tony Akowe, Abuja

polling units.”

Calling for the cancellation of the governorship election, Etiebet said: “This election must be cancelled and I wonder what more information and activity INEC wants to prove that the elections of 11th April, 2015 were not conducted according to the approved guideline and regulations”.

He challenged the state chapter of the Commission Governor Godswill Akpabio to show the world the results of the various polling units and the House of Assembly results.

The former minister stated: “They should tell us where and when they carried out the collation of the governorship election results before the announcement.

“They should show the world any footage of television recordings of the exercise in INEC headquarters or any other approved place for the collation and to say why there was no voting, no counting of ballots, no announcement and the pasting of the results at the polling units.”

Expressing his anger about the role played by INEC officials in what he called the manipulation of the electoral process in his state, Etiebet also challenged the commission to explain why there was no collation of the polling units’ results at ward centres and at the local government INEC headquarters.

killed in Uyo. One death was recorded in Uruan. One APC member was killed in Ini Local Government Area…

“Given the widespread failure of INEC to supply election materials to most parts of the state, the rampant snatching of ballot boxes and the

He said about 10pm on April 11, he led the APC governorship candidate, Obong Umanah Okon Umanah, his state agents and other elders of the APC to INEC headquarters in the state and saw the gates locked. Etiebet wondered why the INEC office should be locked on an Election Day. He asked: “Where did INEC get the scores that made up the governorship results from?

The governorship score is supposed to be the summation of the 31 local government area results. But since these have not been announced till now, what is the efficacy of the governorship results announced?

“INEC should not allow itself to be sucked into this scam for their integrity sake and so should be honourable enough to cancel the announced governorship result because there is no basis for that result.”

Etiebet said he had alerted the security agents in the state that PDP agents planned to raze INEC office in Uyo to cover up the fraud of spurious results by destroying the ballot papers and pin it on the APC. The former minister urged the international community and local authorities to look into the deliberate and orchestrated human right violations of the Akpabio-led administration, which he said denied eligible voters their right to vote and in the killing of innocent voters.

bloodletting by PDP thugs that characterised the conduct of the elections, we as a party hereby call for an outright cancellation of the elections.

“The results cannot be allowed to stand because they can never reflect the wishes of Akwa Ibom people,” the party said.

Before the election, a group, the Concerned Akwa Ibom State Elders, petitioned the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Suleiman Abba, accusing the State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Gabriel Achong, of being partisan.

They accused him of “providing

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THE NATION WENESDAY, APRIL 15, 2015

NEWS ‘Oando’s 82% reserves increase good for shareholders’ Continued from page 1

•All Progressives Congress (APC) National Leader Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu (fifth left) surrounded by Lagos State White Cap Chiefs during a congratulatory visit.

$1.5 billion landmark acquisition of ConocoPhillips Nigeria’s assets in July 2014 was indeed a strategically important and timely move.

Commenting on the milestone, OER Chief Executive Officer, Pade Durotoye said: “We are very pleased with the new 2014 reserves numbers which confirms our thesis at the time we embarked on our transformative ConocoPhillips’ (COP) acquisition. This large reserves base gives us a substantial value driver, with the opportunity to further enhance production over the coming years, and pursue infield exploration prospects that will complement our Resource Base and ensure we are well Continued on page 59

Chibok parents to Buhari: you can rescue our girls Continued from page 1

In Abuja, there were news conferences. In Lagos, Nobel laureate Prof. Wole Soyinka attended an event, where foremost economist Prof. Pat Utomi spoke.

A representative of the girls’ parents, Rev. Mark Enoch, declared yesterday their faith in Gen. Buhari and his ability to rescue the 219 girls alive.

He said things would be better because Gen. Buhari has the ability to destroy the Boko Haram sect like he destroyed the Maitasine Movement in 1984.

Rev. Enoch spoke on behalf of Kibaku Area Development Association (KADA), the umbrella body of the Chibok community in Abuja. His address was titled: “One year commemoration of the abduction of #Chibokgirls: the unending agony of a community.”

He said: “I know that as General Buhari is now the president-elect, things will be better. He can rescue our daughters, he can bring our daughters back home. He can end all the atrocities of the Boko Haram sect like he addressed the Maitasine movement in

1984 and our girls will return, so we the Chibok girls’ parents are excited.

“I will like to appreciate Madam Oby Ezekwesilli and members of the #BringBackOurGirls advocacy. They are the Mandelas of our time.”

KADA, in a statement signed by its National Secretary Battah Ndirpaya; National Publicity Secretary Dr. Manasseh Allen and Chairman KADA Abuja, Tsambido Hosea, said despite the gloomy picture of what is happening in their community before and after the abduction, they are still hopeful that the girls will come back home alive.

They said: “After the abduction, Chibok area was attacked six times with resultant high causalities, including 11 of the parents and guardians of the abducted girls. The people of Chibok are today haunted, displaced, traumatised and living in agony as refugees or internally displaced persons all over Nigeria and refugees beyond. There is also a looming famine in the Chibok (Kibaku) community and environs as a result of the terrorism that has virtually crippled farming activities. Wanton destruction of

food stuff, granaries and livestock was perpetrated by the insurgents. There was also poisoning or destruction of water wells, the primary source of water for the community.

“Despite the gloomy picture of what is happening in the community, we are still hopeful that our girls will come back alive. We are hoping that Mr. President will keep his word by brining the girls back alive before leaving office on 29 May.. Even if he fails to achieve it, we are hopeful that the president-elect will bring back our girls alive.

“In the abduction saga, it is true that the girls are the victims, the parents and guardians are suffering the agony, trauma and pains, but the embarrassment is that of the government and the people of Nigeria, while the military suffered humiliation. We urge all to come together and find a lasting solution to this saga so as to save our face as a country.”

Members of the #BringBackOurGirls advocacy also said they appreciated Gen. Buhari for “his kind and soothing words” on the occasion of

the one year commemoration and his promise to do everything to bring back the girls.

The group demanded the safe return of the girls as a major engagement during the transition between the Jonathan and the Buhari administrations.

The #BBOG described the Chibok girls as global symbols for the defence of the dignity and sanctity of human life, of the girl child, women, for those oppressed, repressed, disadvantaged, hurting and unsafe persons everywhere and they will continue to advocate for their return until everyone of the girl is accounted for.

The group spoke at a news conference in Abuja to commemorate the one year anniversary of the abduction. The statement signed by Dr. Oby Ezekwesilli and Ms Hadiza Bala-Usman on behalf of the group, said: “Today, 14 April, 2015 is that dreadful day we never imagined will come without having back our missing precious 219 Chibok schoolgirls, abducted exactly one year ago today.

“Our #ChibokGirls are the Continued on page 59

Actionaid marches for Chibokgirls

A

CTIONAID Nigeria yesterday marched for the Chibok girls. The International Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) marched with 219 youths, who they said represented the 219 Chibok schoolgirls still in captivity.

Policy and Campaign Manager Tunde Aremu, said the organisation had always been involved in girl education and belief in the right to education and safe environment for girls.

Aremu spoke at the Unity Fountain in Abuja, where the

From Grace Obike, Abuja

group met with members of the #BringBackOurGirls advocacy who where commemorating the one year anniversary of the abduction.

He said: “We have always been involved in issues that involve girls education. We have always believed in the right to education and safe environment is not a negotiable right for girls, we have also been close to some of the communiContinued on page 59

UN: don’t forget Nigeria on Chibok girls’ abduction anniversary

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HE kidnapped Chibok girls must not be forgotten, United Nations SecretaryGeneral Ban Ki-moon said yesterday on the anniversary of the abduction of the girls.

He reiterated his call for their immediate release and safe return to their families.

“While some of the girls were fortunate to have escaped, the fate of many still remains unknown,” Mr. Ban said in a statement issued by his spokesperson.

The Secretary-General also voiced deep concern at Boko Haram’s “repeated and cowardly” attacks targeting schools.

According to a report released by the UN Children Fund (UNICEF), Missing Childhoods, more than 300 schools were damaged or destroyed and at least 196 teachers and 314 schoolchildren killed by the end of 2014 as a result of the conflict in northeast Nigeria Continued on page 59

Jonathan rejects Constitution amendments

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N what appeared a lastminute face-off, President Goodluck Jonathan has rejected amendments to the 1999 Constitution by the National Assembly.

He said he would not assent to the amendments because they do not satisfy the strict requirements of Section 9(3) of the 1999 Constitution.

He queried the decision of the National Assembly to whittle down some Executive powers of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

He also faulted some amendments which will give Executive powers and duties to the Legislature and the Judiciary.

Jonathan made his position known in a seven-page letter to Senate President David Mark and House of Representatives Speaker Aminu Waziri Tambuwal.

The return of the Constitution Amendment Bill jolted Senators and members of the House.

The President listed 12 errors in the amendments.

They are as follows: •Non-compliance with the threshold specified in Section

From Yusuf Alli, Abuja

9(3) of the 1999 Constitution on amendments; •Alteration to constitution cannot be valid with mere voice votes unless supported by the votes of not less than four-fifths majority all members of National Assembly and two-thirds of all the 36 State Houses of Assembly; •Right to free basic education and primary and maternal care services imposed on private institutions •Flagrant violation of the doctrine of separation of powers, •Unjustified whittling down of the Executive powers of the Federation vested in the President by virtue of Section 5(1) of the 1999 Constitution; •30 days allowed for assent of the President; and •Limiting expenditure in default of appropriation from 6months to three months The others are: •Creation of the Office of Accountant-General of the Federation distinct from the Accountant General of the Federal Government •Empowering National Eco-

nomic Council to appoint the Accountant-General of the Federation instead of the President; •Allowing NJC to now appoint the Attorney-General of the Federation rather than the President; •Unwittingly whittling down the discretionary powers of the Attorney-General of the Federation.

The President said he has no choice than to veto the amendments to the constitution as forwarded to him by the National Assembly.

He said: “In view of the foregoing and absence of credible evidence that the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (Fourth Alteration) Act 2015 satisfied the strict requirements of Section 9(3) of the 1999 Constitution, it will be unconstitutional for me to assent to it.

“I therefore withhold my assent and accordingly remit Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (Fourth Alteration) Act 2015 to the Senate /House of Representatives of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”

The letter reads: “May I draw Your Excellency’s esteemed attention to the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (Fourth Alteration) Act, 2015 that has been passed by the National Assembly and transmitted to me for assent.

“I have accordingly examined the substance of the provisions and the procedure adopted by the National Assembly to pass the Act and wish to observe as follows: “Section 4 of the Fourth Alteration Act, 2015 seeks to alter Section 9 of the 1999 Constitution by the insertion of a new subsection 3A, which dispenses with the assent of the President in the process of constitutional amendment.

“However, this alteration can only be valid if the proposal was supported by the votes of not less than four-fifth majority of all the members of each House of the National Assembly and approved by a resolution of the House of Assembly of not less than twothirds of all the States as provided by Section 9 (3) of the 1999 Constitution. “ This is a fundamental re-

quirement of the Constitution and in the absence of credible evidence that this requirement was met in the Votes of Proceedings of the National Assembly, it will be unconstitutional for me to assent to this Bill.

“In light of the above, I am of the respectful view that I should withhold assent until it can be shown that the National Assembly has complied with the threshold specified in Section 9 (3) of the 1999 Constitution.

“However, assuming without conceding that the necessary thresholds were met by the National Assembly, there are a number of provisions in the Act that altogether constitute flagrant violation of the doctrine of separation of powers enshrined in the 1999 Constitution and an unjustified whittling down of the executive powers of the federation vested in the President by virtue of Section 5(1) of the 1999 Constitution.

The said Section 45A of the Fourth Alteration Act 2015, which guarantees the right to free basic education is too open

•Dr. Jonathan

ended and should have been restricted to government schools.

He added: “This is because, a right unless qualified or restricted must be observed by all. It follows therefore that the right to free basic education under this provision if taken to its logical conclusion, will invariably apply to private schools, which could not have been the intendment of the legislature.

Continued on page 59

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THE NATION WEDNESDAY, APRIL 15, 2015

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NEWS

How we’ll tackle insurgency, by Buhari

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RESIDENT-ELECT Muhammadu Buhari has unveiled how his administration will tackle insurgency.

It will involve increased international collaborations, better use of the military and addressing the root causes of insurgency.

He chided the Federal Government over its handling of the kidnapping of more than 200 Chibok school girls on the night of last April 14.

“It took nearly two weeks before the government even commented on the crime.

“This lack of reaction was symptomatic of why the administration of President Goodluck Jonathan was swept aside last month, the first time an incumbent president has been successfully voted out of office in the history of our nation.

“For too long they ruled, not governed, and in doing so had become so focused on their own self-interest and embroiled in corruption that the duty to react to the anguish suffered by their citizens had become alien to them,” Buhari said.

He said his administration would

•President-elect chides Fed Govt over Chibok school girls

By Joseph Jibueze

act differently because, “it is the very reason we have been elected”.

The president-elect said: “This must begin with honesty as to whether the Chibok girls can be rescued. Currently their whereabouts remain unknown. We do not know the state of their health or welfare, or whether they are even still together or alive.

“As much as I wish to, I cannot promise that we can find them: to do so would be to offer unfounded hope, only to compound the grief if, later, we find we cannot match such expectation.

“But I say to every parent, family member and friend of the children that my government will do everything in its power to bring them home,” Buhari said.

According to him, the government would adopt new strategies in the fight against insurgency.

“What I can pledge, with absolute certainty, is that from the first day of

my administration, Boko Haram will know the strength of our collective will and commitment to rid this nation of terror, and bring back peace and normalcy to all the affected areas.

“Until now, Nigeria has been wanting in its response to their threat: With our neighbours fighting hard to push the terrorists South and out of their countries, our military was not sufficiently supported or equipped to push North.

“As a consequence, the outgoing government’s lack of determination was an accidental enabler of the group, allowing them to operate with impunity in Nigerian territory.

“That is why the answer to defeating Boko Haram begins and ends with Nigeria. That is not to say that allies cannot help us.

“My administration would welcome the resumption of a military training agreement with the United States (U.S.), which was halted during the previous administration.

“We must, of course, have better coordination with the military campaigns our African allies, like Chad and Niger, are waging in the struggle against Boko Haram. But, in the end, the answer to this threat must come from within Nigeria,” Buhari said in a statement.

He added that more troops would be deployed to the Northeast and away from civilian areas in central and southern Nigeria.

Buhari also vowed to address the underlying causes of Boko Haram.

“We must work closer with our neighbours in coordinating our military efforts so an offensive by one army does not see their country’s lands rid of Boko Haram only to push it across the border onto their neighbours’ territory.

“There are many reasons why vulnerable young people join militant groups, but among them are poverty and ignorance.

“Indeed Boko Haram, which translates in English, roughly, as ‘Western

•Osun State Governor Rauf Aregbesola (middle); his deputy, Mrs. Titi Laoye-Tomori (second left); Chairman, Judicial Commission of Inquiry on Ipetumodu and Ashipa Towns Communal Clash/Disturbance Justice Olajide Falola (second right); Secretary to the State Government Alhaji Moshood Adeoti (right) and Chief of Staff, Alhaji Gboyega Oyetola (left), during the commission’s submission of its report to the governor at Government House, Osogbo...yesterday.

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HE Senate resumed plenary yesterday for its final lap.

The resumption was, however, lacking in the usual backslapping and throwing of banters by senators.

Not only that, the cracking of jokes that characterised the return of senators was completely absent and so also was the teasing and flattering that the lawmakers lavishly employ to welcome themselves to the chamber.

Senate President, David Mark, managed some jokes apparently to liven up the chamber.

The inauguration of Senator David Umaru, who frustrated the senatorial bid of the Niger State Governor Babangida Aliyu, was the opportunity Mark needed to throw some joke.

Before administering the oath of allegiance on Umaru, Mark jokingly told him that he was only on loan to the All Progressives Congress (APC) for the time being.

While some senators were amused, others countered that it was a joke taken too far, especially with the broom revolution sweeping across the country.

Before the inauguration of Umaru, Mark had delivered what observers in the gallery described as a touchy welcome speech.

In the 15-paragraph speech, Mark welcomed his colleagues back from the Easter break and the 2015 general elections.

He was happy that Nigerians hearkened to their persistent appeals for a

•Gen. Buhari

education is sinful’ preys on the perverted belief that the opportunities that education brings are sinful.

“If you are starving and young, and in search of answers as to why your life is so difficult, fundamentalism can be alluring.

“We know this for a fact because former members of Boko Haram have admitted it: They offer impressionable young people money and the promise of food, while the group’s mentors twist their minds with fanaticism.

“So we must be ready to offer the parts of our country affected by this group an alternative. Boosting education will be a direct counterbalance to Boko Haram’s appeal.

“In particular, we must educate more young girls, ensuring they will grow up to be empowered through learning to play their full part as citizens of Nigeria and pull themselves up and out of poverty.

“Indeed, we owe it to the schoolgirls of Chibok to provide as best an education as possible for their fellow young citizens,” Buhari said.

According to him, Boko Haram feeds off despair and a lack of hope that things can improve.

“By attacking a site of learning, and kidnapping more than 200 schoolgirls, it sought to strike at the very place where hope for the future is nurtured and the promise of a better Nigeria. It is our intention to show Boko Haram that it will not succeed.

“My government will first act to defeat it militarily and then ensure that we provide the very education it despises to help our people help themselves.

“Boko Haram will soon learn that, as Nelson Mandela said, ‘Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world,’” Buhari added.

Dull moment as senators begin final lap From Onyedi Ojiabor, Assistant Editor and Sanni Onogu, Abuja

peaceful and violence-free election.

For him, the outcome of the elections had “greatly disappointed doomsday prophets, who predicted disaster and even a possible break up of our country.”

Mark lauded “the maturity and sportsmanship displayed by President Goodluck Jonathan, who willingly conceded defeat and immediately congratulated the PresidentElect, Gen Muhammadu Buhari, even before the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) announced the result.

That singular act, he noted, “saved us from a possible crisis and catastrophe.”

He added that Jonathan’s “action added value to the consolidation of democracy in our land, raised the benchmark of peaceful democratic transition and consequently, set a new democratic template in our continent notorious for her infamous sit-tight leaders.”

He also extended his warm felicitation to the president-elect, whom he praised for extending a hand of fellowship to Jonathan and his team.

Mark lauded Nigerians for their comportment before, during and after the elections.

He noted that by their action, Nigerians have proved to the world that the country has laid a solid foundation for democracy to thrive.

On elected senators and members of the House of Representatives, he said: “We are elected on different political platforms to represent our constituents. But in the National Assembly, we are united by the common goal to legislate for the good governance, peace and unity of Nigeria. I also felicitate with our other compatriots who will be coming to the National Assembly in the next dispensation.”

Mark congratulated his colleagues who won elections as governors.

The senate president added: “Also deserving of commendation are two of our colleagues, Senator Ibikunle Amosun and Senator Abiola Ajimobi, re-elected in Ogun and Oyo states. This is a clear demonstration of their hard work and diligence.”

Mark praised Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) boss, Prof. Attahiru Jega and his team for a job well done.

Mark ended his speech, appealing to his colleagues that they should all “utilise whatever time is left of our tenure to conclude what may be outstanding in our legislative calendar so that the incoming parliament will be given a solid foundation to build upon in the service of our country.”

Some of the senators, who captured the mood in the chamber, included Senators Chris Anyanwu, Zainab Kure, Gbenga Obadara, Ganiyu Solomon, Ita Enang and Abdul Ningi.

Anyanwu said: “This is one of those

times in history, where the most unexpected happened. A lot of change happened. I think the wind was very strong and being very strong, it pulled a lot of surprises such that some of the best people we had for instance in the National Assembly were affected by it.

Some people were just in the wrong party at the wrong time and got blown away because of that and not because they did not perform and all that.”

On her part, Kure, who lost her bid for re-election, said: “A situation whereby the electorates like in my own area are illiterates, they couldn’t differentiate what ballot paper was for whom. So, when they collected the three ballot papers and for them not to lose a particular election that they feel they should vote for the broom, they decided to just thumbprint the broom all through. But above all, I believe that is the will of the Almighty God.” The senator representing Niger East, David Umaru, said:”I want to let us know that we have come a long way.

We come a long and winding road to get here and that is why I am all the more grateful that God has made it happen. I want to thank the judiciary for upholding justice. Without them, I would not have been here. I consider myself lucky that I am being made to have a taste of the old wine while I wait to taste the new wine in June.”

Obadara noted: “We thank God that elections have held and there is peace.

As people have predicted that there will be problems and Nigeria will

break, it was peace and it is enough victory for our nation as a country. The Senate coming is a continuous progress, cohesion and advancing the cause of unity of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”

For Ganiyu Solomon, “Nigerians collectively have spoken and we have to obey their words and we have a lot of lesson to learn from the elections.

One, the electorates are becoming more enlightened and they are also becoming more interested in participating in the electoral system. We are also making some huge success in terms of responsibility of the umpire. Yes, there are some flaws here and there, but I think we are moving in the right direction. Giving another set of two elections, I think we would have crossed the Rubicon and be able to say that we have arrived.”

Ningi said: “I think for a person like me, who has been in the National Assembly for 16 years, having won four times, losing in this one should not be a problem. Generally, on the outcome of the elections, Nigerians have spoken. They have expressed their dismay with my party. They have shown that the party has not done well. They have shown that the government has not carried people along. We were like this in 1999.”

Enang submitted: “I want to congratulate Nigerians for the way they voted, that is those who were allowed to vote and in states where they were privileged to be allowed to vote.”

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, APRIL 15, 2015

6

NEWS Subsidy suit: Witness says Majope transaction in order

By Adebisi Onanuga

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LAGOS High Court sitting in Ikeja was yesterday told that the transaction on importation of petroleum products made in 2011 by an oil marketer, Opeyemi Ajuwah, and her company, Majope Investment Limited, was in order.

Mohammed Abubakar Ghidi, a prosecution witness in the ongoing subsidy fraud trial of the oil marketer and her company, said this at the resumed hearing of the suit before Justice Lateefa Okunnu.

Ghidi, who is a senior research officer with Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency (PPPRA), confirmed to the court that the computation made in 2011 based on the documents submitted for the transaction by the marketer was in order.

The witness, who is also a civil and water resources engineer, was under cross-examination by defence counsel, Mr. Lanrewaju Ajanaku and Mr. Remi Oguntoye.

Ajuyah and her company, Majope Investment Limited, are being prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over an alleged N1.1 billion subsidy fraud.

They are standing trial alongside Abdullahi Alao, son of the late Alhaji AbdulAzeez Arisekola Alao, his company, Axenergy Limited, and Olanrewaju Olalusi.

The witness told the court that he was not aware of the case until a letter of request from EFCC was sent to him in May 2013.

He said the PPPRA received a letter dated May 10, 2013 from the EFCC requesting them to re-compute the Majope Investment Limited transaction carried out in 2011.

According to him, the EFCC had asked his agency to re-compute the transaction based on a quoted figure to the tune of 5.7 million litres as against the initial total of 20.3 million litres for which the marketer claimed subsidy payment.

Ghidi also confirmed to the court that though EFCC quoted the 5.7 million litres to compute with, but that it failed to back up the figure with any documentation.

Justice Okunnu adjourned further hearing in the matter till May 22, 2015.

Appeal Court upholds dismissal of Assemblies of God’s leader

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HE Court of Appeal Court sitting in Enugu yesterday upheld the suspension and subsequent dismissal of former General Superintendent of Assemblies of God Church Rev. Paul Emeka.

It set aside a ruling by an Enugu High Court for the reinstatement of Emeka.

The three judges said the lower court lacked the “lacked jurisdiction to entertain the matter under Section 46 of the 1999 Constitution”.

They noted that Emeka’s suit, which was brought under enforcement of fundamental human right, was “inappropriate”.

Justice Akomaye Adim, who read the unanimous decision on behalf of the three judges,

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By Sunday Oguntola

declared that the award of N30 million as damages by the High Court against the Assemblies of God Church was a nullity.

Justice Adim said the crisis in the church was due to the former General Superintendent’s refusal to carry along other members of the Executive Council.

The court noted that Emeka was hostile to other council members because they challenged his personal views.

It said the church leader’s conduct was “a display of autocracy which is against the Majority Rule Principle.”

On the contention about chairmanship of the General

Committee, where Emeka’s suspension and dismissal were affirmed, the court said members of the committee had the right to choose any of them to preside over the meeting.

It ruled there was no evidence that Emeka’s predecessor, Dr. Charles Osueke, usurped his power by presiding over the meeting after election by members of the General Committee.

The post of General Superintendent, the court affirmed, was not the exclusive property of Emeka, but that of the members of church.

It said members of the church have the right to withdraw the mandate given to anyone to act as General Superintendent at any given time.

The Court ruled that the absence of Emeka from the March 6, 2014 meeting “excludes him from claiming that his right to fair hearing was infringed upon.”

The judges also granted the request barring Emeka from seeking further relief from any court, saying this was in tandem with the constitution of the church.

Speaking with reporters after the judgment, the church’s lead counsel, Chief D.C Denwigwe (SAN), thanked the court its positions, which he said will restore peace to the church.

Attempts to get the reactions of Emeka were unsuccessful as he did not pick calls when contacted.

Buhari urged to review national communication architecture

HE Association of Advertising Agencies of Nigeria (AAAN) has advised the President-elect, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari, to review the national communication architecture as part of his efforts to re-ignite the national spirit and positively project brand Nigeria.

The association’s president, Mr. Kelechi Nwosu, who said this, congratulated Gen. Buhari for winning the presidential election and praised President Goodluck Jonathan for honourably conceding defeat in a manner that doused tensions.

He noted that as a “neutral but patriotic body”, the AAAN had actively promoted a professional agenda for issuebased, ethical and smear-free campaigning among the political parties.

By Adedeji Ademigbuji

He said with the election over, it would be ideal for the incoming government to engage certified professionals in the task of projecting the immense potentials of the Nigerian brand.

Nwosu called on the president-elect to re-configure the national communication architecture “to give impetus to a robust economy, promote national re-orientation, inspire innovation, as well as enable entrepreneurship and create choice”.

The AAAN president recommended that the new government should also pursue local content, affirmation policy and allow experienced professionals to run government communication to avoid the lack of

public support and buy-in that trailed certain policies introduced during the current tenure as a result of poor communication and engagement.

Nwosu said: “The AAAN would wish to propose nationbuilding initiatives to the incoming government such as National Re-orientation Project. Nigeria needs a re-orientation project that will build civic pride, promote ethical values and get Nigerians believing in Nigeria and her assets.

“A corollary to this is to ensure that Nigerians begin to appreciate and support Made in Nigeria products and brands.”

The association suggested that the incoming government should create a plan to inspire

innovation, enable industry and reward productivity to make Nigeria a progressive and competitive economy.

“This will provide the opportunity to grow many dynamic and respected Nigerian brands. Advertising is a critical tool in this regard because we help create choices that fuel the economy and even the polity,” the association’s president stated.

On local content and affirmation policy, the AAAN president advised: “We will also strongly recommend a local content and affirmative policy that allows Nigerian professionals to do better business in Nigeria. We should moderate our consumerism, which drives importation and stop fueling other economies.”

Newspapers vendors greet Buhari From Vincent Ikuomola, Abuja

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EWSPAPER Vendors Association, Abuja (NVAA) has congratulated the President-elect, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari, saying his victory is for the masses.

NVAA, in a statement by Its Chairman, Mr. Samuel Jimoh, noted that Buhari’s victory at the March 28, 2015 poll was a demonstration of the confidence Nigerians reposed in him.

The group urged him not to let the people down by ensuring total transformation of the economy through people-oriented government.

•Federal Commissioner, Independent National Electoral Commission Mr. Lawrence Nwuruku (left) presenting Certificate of Return to Senate President David Mark as senator-elect for Benue South Senatorial District in Abuja...yesterday. With them are: Senators Barnabas Gemade (second left) and Andy Uba.

House members mark Tambuwal’s victory From Victor Oluwasegun and Dele Anofi, Abuja

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HE Speaker of the House of Representatives, Aminu Tambuwal, was yesterday met with singing and drumming by members and workers of the National Assembly, over his victory at the governorship election.

Tambuwal, who was not expecting the victory party, was accosted in his office in the White House section of the Complex by Deputy Speaker of the House, Emeka Ihedioha, the Majority Leader, Mulikat AkandeAdeola, her deputy, Leo Ogor, and others.

Members sang and danced while the workers drummed.

Shouts of “Sai Tambuwal, Sai Buhari! rent the air as the Speaker entered the office.

There was a general air of conviviality in the atmosphere as over 20 members cutting across party lines were present.

Tambuwal was declared the governor-elect of Sokoto State after the election.

Reps set to review EIA law From Victor Oluwasegun and Dele Anofi, Abuja

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HE House of Representatives is set to review the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) legislation for better implementation, the Chairman of the House Committee on Environment, Uche Ekwunife, has said.

The lawmaker spoke yesterday while announcing an international summit with the theme: “Enhancing legislations for the effective implementation of Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) in West Africa.”

According to Ekwunife, there is the need to review the EIA legislation to stem the impunity in different sectors that devastate the environment through their actions.

The lawmaker said the summit is focused “on reinforcing EIA implementation though effective legislation towards minimising environmental degradation and promoting sustainable development.

“This summit, scheduled to take place in Nigeria, will provide the opportunity for key stakeholders in the infrastructure, agricultural, oil and gas, power, transport, security sector to deliberate on approaches to improving the EIA administration in Nigeria and West Africa through operational legislations.

Aregbesola warns against illegal possession of arms

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SUN State Governor Rauf Aregbesola yesterday warned residents with illegal weapons to surrender them.

Receiving the report of the Judicial Commission of Inquiry set up by his government to look into the crises between Ipetumodu and Ashipa communities in IfeNorth Local Government at the Government House in

From Adesoji Adeniyi, Osogbo

Osogbo, he ordered that they should voluntarily surrender such arms to relevant authorities.

According to him, those concerned should hand them over before May 29 after which he said they would enjoy one week of grace.

Describing the one week

grace as a week of peace and disarmament, the governor said his government had set up a Standing Commission of Inquiry to regularly review all cases of abuse of power or status that might threaten peace and harmonious relationship in the state.

Aregbesola called on politicians and people with “Private Army” and guards to

immediately disband such structures, saying the state would be strict on the maintenance of rule of law, peace and order and the guarantee of the rights of the citizen.

The communities of Ipetumodu and Ashipa had engaged in an orgy of violence and were on the path of mutual destruction before the intervention of law enforcement agencies, the

government and other leaders.

He held that people should exhibit maturity in making claims to land so that the communities would not witness violence that would diminish human existence.

The governor advised that differences on land should not lead to violence, pleading for a matured way of resolving such issues.

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, APRIL 15, 2015

7

NEWS Ambode to get certificate of return tomorrow

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HE Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) will tomorrow present certificates of return to the Lagos State governor-elect, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode and his deputy. The three senators-elect and the 40 elected members of the House of Assembly will also receive theirs.

The venue is the Arch-

bishop Vining Memorial Hall, Oba Akinjobi Street, Ikeja.

Expected at the ceremony are traditional rulers, Civil Society Organisations, members of InterAgency Consultative Committee on Election Security.

Others are local and international observers, political parties, religious leaders.

Ladoja heads for tribunal

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HE Accord governorship candidate in Oyo State, Rashidi Ladoja, has told his supporters that he is going to the tribunal to seek redress and reclaim what he described as “his stolen mandate”.

Ladoja spoke yesterday at the Accord secretariat, Samonda, Ibadan.

According to him, there is much evidence to show that the elections were manipulated in favour of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

The Accord candidate

From Tayo Johnson, Ibadan

warned that if attacks on his supporters continue, he will tell them to defend themselves.

“I wonder why a party which claimed to have won the election will resort to assaulting opposition members because they did not vote for it,” he said The former governor said he will go to court to find the truth behind the election, adding that he will do whatever it takes to get justice and claim the mandate the people “gave” to him.

Ashafa congratulates Ambode

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HE lawmaker representing Lagos East Senatorial District, Senator Gbenga Ashafa, has congratulated the governor-elect, Mr Akinwunmi Ambode.

In a statement, Ashafa said: “Ambode’s victory can be attributed to an interplay of various factors: the commitment of the people, the political sagacity of the All Progressives Congress (APC) National Leader, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu and the vibrant APC campaign machinery.

“Lagosians were confronted with the opportunity to determine their future and they wholly took control.

“The vision of a better Lagos is here. Akinwunmi Ambode will embark on a new age of reform and prosperity in this state by building on Governor Babatunde Fashola’s legacy.”

Olubadan advises election losers

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HE Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Samuel Odugade , has urged losers in last Saturday’s governorship and state assembly elections in Oyo State to eschew bitterness and embrace peace and love.

He congratulated Governor Abiola Ajimobi on his re-election.

In a statement by his personal assistant, Chief Isiaka Akinpelu, the monarch urged the governor to be

From Tayo Johnson, Ibadan

magnanimous in victory by cooperating with his fellow contestants so that peace will continue to reign in the state.

“I am delighted that the elections were largely peaceful. This showed that the people are making impressive strides in our democratic journey. I commend the people for exercising their civic responsibilities in a peaceful and orderly manner,” he said.

Thunderbolt kills woman in Ondo

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RUN-AKOKO, a sleepy town in Ondo State was in shock, following the death of a 35year-old woman, simply identified as Bisi Ibidapo.

She was reportedly killed by thunderbolt.

Eyewitnesses said she was on her farm with an unidentified woman, when the thunderbolt struck. The victim was burnt beyond rec-

From Damisi Ojo, Akure

ognition; her companion was, however, unhurt.

The development was said to have thrown the community into mourning, as her body could not be buried without recourse to Sango, the god of thunder.

The regent of Irun-Akoko, Princess Bola Adeusi, could not be reached for comments.

Ajimobi, supporters in road show

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YO State Governor Abiola Ajimobi and supporters of the All Progressives Congress (APC) yesterday moved round major streets in Ibadan, the state capital, to thank the people for reelecting him.

Governor Ajimobi, who was accompanied by his wife and other members of the state executive council, waved to the crowds, who lined up the streets to see him.

Major streets were grounded by the jubilant supporters, students, market

From Bisi Oladele and Sikiru Akinola, Ibadan

women and artisans, who held brooms in their hands, the symbol of the APC. Moving in a convoy of vehicles, which included more than 10 long trucks, cars and bikes, they waved brooms as they reeled out songs of victory while the elated governor gave out souvenirs to people.

At Ojoo, Apata, Ring Road, Challenge, Mokola, Agodi, Bodija, Mokola, Oke Bola, Oke-Ado, Secretariat, Sango and Iwo Road, the crowd caused traffic jams.

•Lagos State Governor Babatunde Fashola (middle); his deputy, Mrs Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire (second left); Governor-elect Mr Akinwumi Ambode (second right); Deputy Governor-elect Dr Oluranti Adebule (right) and Head of Service Mrs Folasade Jaji at a thank you meeting with civil servants…yesterday.

PHOTO: NAN

Osun workers beat up colleagues, journalists

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IVIL servants and journalists in Osun State were attacked yesterday by a faction of civil servants, who were bent on going on strike over non-payment of their salaries.

A Channels TV cameraman, Oloyede Oyegbenle, was injured and his camera taken away by the workers, led by the state chairman of the Trade Union Congress (TUC), Mr. Francis Adetunji.

Workers, who reported to duty in defiance to the call by Adetunji, were assaulted; some reporters present at the secretariat on Gbongan Road were also beaten and chased away.

The crisis reached a crescendo few minutes after 9am when some workers in a branded TUC bus arrived at the secretariat and started attacking journalists and work-

•Govt calls for peace From Adesoji Adeniyi, Osogbo

ers with machetes, stones, rakes, pestles, planks and other weapons.

The Chairman of the Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria, Mr. Akinyemi Olatunji, described workers, who beat up their colleagues, as thugs not fit to be called civil servants.

Speaking with reporters yesterday, Olatunji, who said Adetunji’s call for strike was borne out of selfishness, alleged that he (Adetunji) resorted to industrial action when the government denied him funds for the May Day celebration.

“They decided to proceed on strike because of the inability of labour representatives

and government delegation to reach a compromise on workers’ demands at a meeting held at the Banquet Hall of the Governor’s Office on Monday.”

Later, a detachment of policemen was deployed to the secretariat to restore law and order.

But afterwards, many ministries, departments and agencies closed for the day as workers returned home for fear of further attacks.

Governor Rauf Aregbesola, in a statement by his media aide, Semiu Okanlawo, said the government had appealed to the aggrieved workers and labour leaders to maintain peace.

The statement said: “The government would soon

meet their demands, especially now that a new wind of change has blown at the federal level.

“The government wishes to state categorically that it recognises the rights of workers to embark on strikes.

“The government also believes that workers’ rights to express themselves, however, does not confer on them any opportunity to cause unrest and breach the peace.

“It is on record that the Rauf Aregbesola administration has instituted and implemented the most workersfriendly policies in the history of the state.

“And this government has left nothing hidden in its financial books to warrant any form of doubt on its sincerity and commitment to prompt payment of salaries and other allowances.”

Olanusi sues Mimiko for stopping allowances

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NDO State Deputy Governor Ali Olanusi yesterday sued Governor Olusegun Mimiko for alleged stopping his allowances and benefits.

Olanusi is seeking an order of the court restraining Mimiko from stopping his allowances and salary of his aides.

There has been friction between the two top public officers over the defection of the deputy governor from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Olanusi’s counsel Oluwole Kehinde argued that the deputy governor is still constitutionally empowered to enjoy all his allowances and benefits. The governor allegedly gave a directive to stop the salaries and allowances of all political aides of the deputy governor.

A source said Mimiko took

Boroffice: Mimiko plotting to impeach deputy

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HAIRMAN, Senate Committee on Science and Technology, Robert Boroffice, yesterday accused Ondo State Governor Olusegun Mimiko of plotting to impeach his deputy, Ali Olanusi, for defecting to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Boroffice, in a statement in Abuja, alleged that the governor was harassing his deputy with thugs, a development he added, was putting his life in danger.

He insisted that Olanusi has the right to defect to any party since Mimiko, who contested on the platform of the Labour Party alongside Olanusi, had also defected to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

From Damisi Ojo, Akure

the decision to witch-hunt all those who are loyal to Olanusi because of his defection.

It was learnt that the governor had given an order to the Commissioner of Police,

From Onyedi Ojiabor, Assistant Editor and Sanni Onogu, Abuja

Boroffice said: “As the Asiwaju of Akokoland, our people have mandated me to warn the governor against frustrating an industrious and highly prominent Akoko man simply because he joined another party.

“Alhaji Olanusi, who is our dear son, had helped to stabilise the Mimiko administration.

“We won’t fold our arms and watch the governor frustrate or disgrace him out of office, because he has not done anything wrong.

“Mimiko should leave our son alone to enjoy the joint ticket he won together with him. We are solidly behind him in Akoko-land.”

Isaac Eke, to withdraw all the deputy governor’s security aides and also prevent him from having access to his official vehicles.

Justice Sanmi Isaq ordered that the respondents should be put on notice.

He said all the respondents, including Mimiko, Eke and the State Director of the Department of State Security (DSS), should be served with the notice.

The case has been adjourned till April 23.

Lagos refutes outbreak of Ebola

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HE Lagos State government has assured residents that there is no new case of the Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) in the state.

The EVD outbreak rumour was generated from two websiteswww.mercyjblog.com/2015/04/breaking-ebola-returns-to-nigeria-after.html, which has been pulled down after the Ministry of Health wrote directly to the owner of the blog and on www.naijabadoo.com, which is still active.

The Commissioner of Health, Dr Jide Idris said: “The victims were said to be returnees from Liberia, and one of them

By Oyeyemi Gbenga-Mustapha

was reportedly taken to an undisclosed hospital in Lagos.

“The propagator of the rumour failed to give information on their date of arrival to the country, the ports of entry as well as the name of the health facility/laboratory, where the confirmatory diagnosis of EVD was made.

“We believe that the authors of these materials simply wanted to generate traffic to their websites, which would appear successfully achieved.”

The Commissioner for Information, Kayode Opeifa, said: “The second rumour

concerning two Chinese visitors from Sierra Leone claimed that they died at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH). LUTH has debunked the claim.”

The commissioners assured Lagosians that health workers in the state have continued to maintain a high index of suspicion for EVD and other Viral Haemorrhagic Fevers (VHFs).

“The operations and surveillance activities of the Ebola Emergency Operations Centre (EEOC) have continued, despite the containment of the EVD and the declaration of Nigeria as Ebola-free by the World Health Organisation (WHO) on October 20, last year.”

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, APRIL 15, 2015

8

NEWS FAYOSE’S SUPREME COURT JUDGMENT VICTORY

Supreme Court upholds Fayose’s election

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HE Supreme Court dismissed yesterday an appeal by the All Progressives Congress (APC) challenging the decision of the Court of Appeal, Ekiti State, which upheld the election of Governor Ayodele Fayose.

In a unanimous judgment by seven justices, the court resolved the four issues determined in favour of Fayose and his party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and dismissed the appeal for lack of merit.

Justice Sylvester Ngwuta, who read the lead judgment, held that Fayose was not legally impeached in 2006 as claimed by the appellant and as such, he could not be deemed unqualified to recontest election last year.

The court held that since an earlier panel set up by the former Chief Judge, Kayode Bamishile, found nothing against Fayose, it was wrong for the Acting Chief Judge, Jide Aladejana (appointed after Justice Bamishile was suspended) to set up another

Respect verdict, Omirin pleads with supporters

From Eric Ikhilae, Abuja

impeachment panel.

It further held that the panel, which found Fayose guilty was illegal because it was wrongly constituted by a judge, who was not properly appointed and hence his actions amounted to illegality.

“Contrary to the mandatory provision of Section 188(8) of the Constitution, the Ekiti Assembly, in apparent witchhunt, procured a judge in Ekiti State Judiciary to set up a second and unconstitutional panel to investigate the second respondent (Fayose).

“It is on record that the then chief justice of Nigeria (CJN) wrote to the judge to say that his purported appointment as acting chief judge of Ekiti State was unconstitutional and so null and void.

“It follows that the second impeachment panel was in violation of Section 188(8) of the Constitution; the acting chief judge, who set up the panel was not appointed in accordance with the relevant constitutional provisions.

The proceedings conducted by the panel were an exercise

in futility.

On the appellant’s claim that Fayose be disqualified for allegedly presenting forged Higher National Diploma (HND) certificate to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the court held that the APC failed to prove its allegation.

The court further held that the issue of whether or not Peter Ayodele Oluwayose and Peter Ayodele Fayose are one and the same (on which basis APC claimed the governor forged the HND certificate) had been effectively resolved in a 2004 case involving Alliance for Democracy (AD) and Fayose.

The court held that the issue of Fayose’s certificate, having been resolved by the Appeal Court in the case: AD vs Fayose 2004 AFLR part 222 at page 1719, the APC, having evolved from the AD, was prevented by the legal principle of estoppel from further raising it.

“The appellant cannot run away from the fact that not only was the HND certificate

made an issue in the earlier case, its authenticity was canvassed and decided upon by the ultimate court in an election petition relating to the governorship election at that time.

“As illustrated by the learned silk for the second respondent in his brief, the appellant then, AD, underwent a metamorphosis and became AC and finally, APC. “It was the appellant in the earlier case in which the authenticity of the certificate was settled to finality and it is bound by the decision, and is estopped from raising the issue in any other case.”

On the issue of an alleged illegal deployment of soldiers for the election, the court held that the findings on the issue by the Court of Appeal was not a finding based on facts. It added that the view of the Court of Appeal on the issue was mere opinion, which had no binding force.

“The issue of deployment of soldiers or whether or not such deployment is lawful was not a matter properly

before the tribunal or the court below as the person, who made the deployment was not named.

“At best what the appellant dubbed as crucial finding of the Court of Appeal is a comment, which amounts to obiter disctum. Obiter dicta cannot be the basis for raising a ground of appeal from which an issue can be framed. The comment is not a ratio decidendi of the decision appealed against.

It further held that the chief of Defence staff and inspector general of Police were not necessary parties in the case within the provision of the Electoral Act. “All the issues having been resolved against the appellant, the appeal is devoid of merit and it is my order that the same be, and is hereby dismissed in its entirety,” the court held.

Justices John Fabiyi, Suleiman Galadima, Bode RhodesVivour, Clara Ogunbiyi, Kumai Aka’ahs and John Okoro, who were members of the panel that heard the case, agreed with the lead judgment read by Justice Ngwuta.

From Odunayo Ogunmola, Ado-Ekiti

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KITI State House of Assembly, Speaker Adewale Omirin, has appealed to members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Ekiti people to accept the judgment of the Supreme Court on the Ekiti State governorship election appeal petition.

In a statement by his Special Adviser on Media, Wole Olujobi, the Speaker said the Supreme Court, as the last authority on the matter, had spoken and urged the people to respect the verdict.

Noting that the judges arer human beings who may have erred in the consideration of the petition, he said opportunities still exist to right the wrongs that may have been noticed in the judgment.

“This is an opportunity for Nigerians to ask questions whether it is morally right for a governor to be impeached this month and next month he is re-contesting the same position he lost over a breach of public trust.

“It is shocking that the judges could not take into account details of alleged fraud over which Fayose was indicted, particularly as the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) is in court trying the governor over the offence for which Fayose was indicted,” Omirin said, adding: “For ordinary Nigerians, it was believed that the judgment would consider the particulars of the governor’s alleged fraudulent acts as established by the EFCC that necessitated the setting up of the panel, which the Supreme Court is now saying was faulty.

“Isolating or discountenancing this important element of the case to now dwell on the legality of the panel to dismiss the entire case is nothing but a call to criminals to steal their society blind and in the process of establishing a reprimand against them, fault is now established against the probing authority in order to legalise the crime and wish the criminals good luck by allowing them to get away to enjoy their loot.”

•Fayose and his supporters in Ado-Ekiti...yesterday.

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PHOTO: NAN

APC: verdict leaves moral questions unanswered From Odunayo Ogunmola, Ado-Ekiti

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HE All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ekiti State has said the Supreme Court verdict left moral questions unanswered.

APC’s Publicity Secretary Taiwo Olatubosun, in a statement, said although the party had accepted the verdict, he said there were moral issues arising from the judgment.

He noted that what flew from that judgment was that citizens can lie with ease under oath and get away with it.

“As at the time Fayose filled his form at the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and lied he had never been indicted by any panel, no judgment had been delivered to reverse his impeachment until yesterday’s Supreme Court verdict.

“This implies that it is profitable to lie and cheat as the end will always justify the means,” Olatunbosun explained.

“We had expected that the judgment will serve as a deterrent to the like of Mr. Fayose, who believes in impunity and extra-judicial method of doing things. We are shocked that a man, who did not allow a case of eligibility against him to be heard till today at the State High Court after assaulting judges and desecrating the Judiciary would come out clean at the topmost temple of justice.

“We know the law is an ass but we had expected that those who trampled on it will have their comeuppance but this was not to be.

“We accept the judgment of the Supreme Court as a law abiding party although the moral questions it raised have refused to go.

“We call on our party members to be law abiding and not to despair. The present wind of change, which is blowing across the country, will soon be felt in Ekiti as there will be an end to impunity, brigandage and gangsterism.

“This is the time for our party members to come together and strengthen our resolve to rescue Ekiti from its present abyss under the iron grip of a dictator.”

Fayose stages roadshow in Ado-Ekiti

KITI State Governor Ayodele Fayose yesterday staged a massive roadshow with his supporters and members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to celebrate his victory at the Supreme Court.

The governor, government officials, senior party members and supporters moved in a convoy of vehicles round the city amid singing, dancing and trumpeting.

Before the governor came out to celebrate his victory, many of his supporters had converged on major bus stations and junctions, congratulating one another for yet another victory.

Others who could not hide their joy headed for the Government House where another victory party was going on.

Commercial drivers and motorcylists were ecstatic, driving dangerously and

•Governor begs opposition •PDP hails judgment From Odunayo Ogunmola, Ado-Ekiti

performing stunts with their vehicles and bikes.

There were band stands at junctions entertaining the people, who enjoyed themselves despite the searing heat.

The crowd grew as the motorcade snaked through traffic snarls in places, such as Ijigbo-Matthew Roundabout, Old Garage, Okeyinmi, Ojumose, Okesa before the victory party terminated at the Government House.

Addressing the crowd at Ijigbo-Matthew Roundabout, the governor, in white buba and sokoto, appealed to his political opponents to forgive him for whatever wrongs he had committed.

“I want our people to em-

brace peace, there is no need for tension in the state, whoever I might have offended, I want you to forgive me because Ekiti is one and we should join hands to make the state great,” Fayose said.

In a statement which he signed, the governor urged his opponents to sheathe their swords in the interest of the state.

The governor appealed to the opposition to allow peace reign in the state.

Fayose said: “I want to sincerely appreciate Ekiti people for their resilience and love for me. I am formally dedicating this victory to God and to them.

“Having voted for me 10 months ago, and confirming the victory by the subsequent elections in the last few weeks, they have shown that they are unequivocal

about their choice and their determination to protect and defend that mandate.

“To my opponents, I plead with you to sheathe your sword and join me in the development of Ekiti State.

“If truly our struggle is about service to our state, it is time to come together and channel our resources towards the development of the state.

“I am irrevocably committed to the protection of all, including the opposition in the state.

“Nobody is infallible, and I am not a perfect being. The only one that is perfect is God, but He, in His infinite mercy, has made me the governor of Ekiti State today.

“I have a term and tenure; there will be another opportunity for Ekiti people to decide who governs them.”

The PDP described the judgment as a triumph of democracy and the rule of law.

The party said the ruling was a testimony that the judiciary is still the last hope of the common man having sustained the wishes and aspirations of the people The National Publicity Secretary, Olisa Metuh, in a statement yesterday congratulated Fayose and the people for their doggedness.

The party urged the governor to be magnanimous in victory while using his mandate to deliver good governance in line with the PDP’s manifesto and vision of the founding fathers.

The PDP restated its resolve to continue to support the governor and the people and vowed to resist any form of political intimidation or blackmail aimed at destabilising the state.

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THE NATION WEDNESDAY, APRIL 15, 2015

NEWS

UI mourns ex-UI VC Tamuno

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HE Vice-Chancellor, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Oyo State, Prof. Isaac Folorunso Adewole, has expressed sadness on the death of the institution’s former Vice-Chancellor and emeritus professor of history, Tekena Nitonye Tamuno.

Tamuno died on Saturday. He was 83.

In a statement, Adewole said the news of the death of the foremost historian came to the institution, Nigerians and the whole world as a

By Seun Akioye

rude shock.

He said Nigerians would really miss him, especially his immediate constituency-the academic community.

The late Tamuno was also the first alumnus of the University of Ibadan to become its Vice-Chancellor.

Adewole said: “The man, Emeritus Prof. Tamuno would continue to live in the memories of the University communities, where they had the benefit of his services as

the Vice-Chancellor or ProChancellor, especially at the University of Ibadan where he stood out for his effective leadership.”

He also stressed that Prof. Tamuno made giant strides in infrastructure, staff development and academic empowerment during his tenure.

Adewole described Tamuno as “ a brilliant scholar, renowned academic, world-class Professor of history, university administrator par excellence, visionary na-

tional planner and overall, a Nigerian who had indeed outstandingly contributed to the development of Nigeria.”

Born on January 28, 1932, in Okrika, Rivers State, the late Prof. Tamuno studied History at the University of Ibadan from 1953 – 1958 before leaving the shores of Nigeria for further studies at the University of London and Columbia University. In 1963, he joined the Department of History at Ibadan where he rose to become a Professor in 1971.

Anxiety in Imo over inconclusive governorship election Continued from page 3

They were not allowed into the premises by armed security men.

The Commission was yet to release the result House of Assembly election, a development that has further the suspense.

Owerri, the state capital, has been rocked by sponsored protests.

The protesters, believed to have been sponsored by the PDP, have been calling for the cancellation of results of the local government areas won by the APC candidate.

Obe had in his announcement, explained that the election was inconclusive because the 144, 715 registered voters in the affected areas was more than the difference of 79, 529 votes with which Okorocha was leading Ihedioha, his closest rival.

The electoral umpire has released another voter regis-

ter in the affected areas, in which it put the number of eligible voters at 127, 000 as against the figure earlier announced.

It was learnt that the new figure has not reflected the actual number of voters who collected Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs).

But the APC is asking INEC to accept the result of the six wards that were rejected in Oru East Local Government Area during the collation as a result of the objection raised by the PDP State Agent and the confession of the Electoral Officer, Mrs. Emmanuela Opara that the results were written under duress.

At a news conference at the Government House, the APC standard bearer urged INEC to adopt the results and declare him the winner of the election, having won 20 out of the 27 council areas.

Okorocha, who recalled

that the 2011 governorship election which he won convincingly, was also declared inconclusive by INEC, vowed to defend his victory against any manipulation by any person or group of persons.

Besides, the huge votes Ihedioha polled in the three local government where he shares ancestral affinity, the PDP candidate was defeated,

by Okorocha in the keenly contested election.

The Director of Media for the Ihedioha Campaign Organisation, Enyinna Onuegbu, said the result as announced

by INEC was unacceptable to the PDP and the Imo people.

He accused the governor of rigging the election in all the council areas, where the APC won and urged INEC to upturn the results.

On the APC side, the Director of the Rochas Okorocha Campaign Organisation, Iheukwumere Alaribe, blamed INEC for the stalemate.

He accused the Commission of colluding with the PDP to declare the election inconclusive, despite the overwhelming evidence that the APC has won.

Alaribe said: “It is clear that the APC had the advantage of more than 79,000 votes over the PDP. We also had the advantage of geographical spread and we were able to secure 25 per cent of the votes in all the local government areas in the state.

“It is shocking that the INEC conspired with the PDP to prevent voters in some parts of the state from performing their civic responsibilities on the Election Day. “Although INEC has not officially communicated to us, we are prepared to submit ourselves for the run-off election. But, we want to be sure that it will be free and fair. If INEC had done the proper thing, the supplementary would have been avoided.”

In the University of Ibadan, his alma mater, Prof Tamuno served as Head of History Department, 1972 – 1975, Dean, Faculty of Arts, 1973 – 1975, Vice-Chancellor, 1975 – 1979.

The late Emeritus Professor Tamuno served as Chancellor, Redeemers University; Chairman of the Presidential Panel on National Security from October 2001 to December 2002 and Panel on Policing Nigeria Project from 2002 to 2003.

He was a recipient of the national honour of the Officer of the Federal Republic

•The late Tamuno

(OFR) and Fellow of the Nigerian Academy of Letters (FNAL).

Poll: Ex-NYSC DG’s trial stalled

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HE arraignment of former National Youth Service Corps Director-General, Major-Gen Edet Akpan (rtd), by the Independent Electoral Commission (INEC), for electoral offences was stalled yesterday in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State capital, as court was yet to resume sitting.

The arraignment of the ex-NYSC DG could not hold following the on-going Alternative Dispute Resolution MultiDoor Court function which is holding simultaneously in the three senatorial districts across the state.

Speaking with reporters, the INEC Legal Officer, Mr. Eze Emmanuel, who was in the registry to file the case, said that Akpan would be arraigned as soon as the court resumes from the three days ADR multi door court function.

Akpan was brought to the Uyo Chief Magistrate by men of Directorate of State Services (DSS) amid tight security.

The retired Major General was arrested in his home town in Nsit Atai Local Government Area for an alleged snatching of ballots and other electoral materials during April 11 governorship and state house of assembly elections in Akwa Ibom.

The ex-army general was also alleged to have abducted 10 corps members and made them thumb print and filled result sheets in favour of a political party before the men of the DSS trailed and arrested him in his house.

The former NYSC boss was taken back to the DSS custody by its official in Uyo command.

The Akwa Ibom State Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Austin Okojie on Saturday broke the news of the arrest of the ex-NYSC DG for alleged electoral offences during a news conference.

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, APRIL 15, 2015

10

NEWS CHIBOK GIRLS ... 365 DAYS AFTER

EU, Soyinka, Reps, others to govt: N •Chibok Girls Ambassadors marching in Abuja...yesterday.

•Chibok Girls Ambassadors marching in Abuja...yesterday.

•Children under the auspices of Chibok Girls Ambassadors

‘Rescue them now’

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LAWYER and human rights campaigner, Mrs Funmi Falana, has called for the rescue of the Chibok schoolgirls.

Mrs Falana's statement reads: "A year ago, the Boko Haram troops invaded Chibok secondary school and abducted over 200 girls.

Even though the illegal abduction was reported by the media the Federal Government dismissed the story. So soon thereafter, the army resorted to feeding the public with lies. Initially, the army claimed to have rescued the girls.

When the fluke was exposed, Nigerians were informed that the girls had been located but that the armed forces were being careful not to free them forcefully. Later, the Government claimed to have struck a deal with the terrorists which would lead to the release of the girls.

TheBringBackOurGirls campaigners were harassed by the Government.

They were physically molested by hired thugs. When they refused to be intimidated Mr.Joseph Mbu, the then Commissioner of Police, banned peaceful rallies at the Federal Capital Territory. The BringBackOurGirls

successfully challenged the illegal ban against rallies in Court. In view of the hostile attitude of the Federal Government to the BringBackOurGirls campaign it is indisputable that the efforts made to rescue the Chibok girls were not genuine. Since the Goodluck Jonathan Administration has categorically confirmed that the Chibok girls are being kept in the Sambisa forest in Borno State the armed forces should intensify efforts to rescue and bring back our girls, safe and alive."

OBEL Laureate Prof.

Wole Soyinka led hundreds of Nigerians yesterday to demand the release of the missing Chibok schoolgirls.

The European Union (EU), in a statement yesterday, also called for the girls’ release.

Soyinka spoke at a forum organised by Dr Joe OkeiOdumakin, the President of Women Arise, one year after the girls were taken away.

Actionaid Nigeria yesterday marched for the girls. It marched with 219 youths, to represent the girls still in captivity.

The EU statement reads: “A year has passed since 287 school girls from Chibok, in north-eastern Nigeria, were abducted by Boko Haram.

Though some girls escaped, others have since been taken and more than 300 girls are still missing. We express our solidarity with the plight of the families and with the 'Bring Back Our Girls' campaign.

"All efforts must continue to be made to rescue and reunite the girls with their families, and bring the perpetrators of this terrible act to account. The EU remains ready to assist the Government of Nigeria, including the newly elected President and local authorities, as well as others in the region in their fight against Boko Haram and all forms of terrorism and criminality.”

To Soyinka, Nigerians must join hands with the government to ensure that the children were found.

“We must make sure that such assault on our humanity doesn’t happen again.

“The survival of humanity and of the nation must remain paramount,” he said.

According to him, terrorism is not a Nigerian phenomenon alone and may not be going away soon.

“However, we must not get used to it. Our children are being dehumanised. I believe that our responsibility is to assist by becoming vigilant.

“We must become policemen/women; vigilante of our communities. We must encourage others to be protective members of their community,” Soyinka said.

Former presidential candidate Prof. Pat Utomi also called for the girls’ freedom.

He said humanity, the world over, was a shared one and anything that diminished any human and did not touch others was bad.

•From left: Ms Yeni Kuti, Mr. Naetochukwu Chikwe, Prof. Soyinka, Dr. Okei-Odumakin, Tejuosho at the lecture ... yesterday.

We’re making efforts to rescue the girls, says NSA

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ATIONAL Security Adviser NSA) Col. Sambo Dasuki has said efforts are being made to rescue the 219 Chibok schoolgirls and other girls, boys women and men abducted by Boko Haram insurgents.

He also said the military will liberate Sambisa Forest before May 29.

Dasuki, in an interview with PRNigeria in Abuja, said every movement of the terrorists is being monitored to wipe them out.

PRNigeria is a media agency that distributes statements on behalf of security agencies.

On the anniversary of the abduction of over 200 secondary school girls from the Government Girls Secondary School in Chibok Borno State, Col. Dasuki assured Nigerians that the Federal Government was making effort to rescue the girls and other Nigerians abducted by terrorists are rescued.

He added: “The government is concerned about the welfare of every single Nigerian including the girls. Aside the Chibok girls, other Nigerian girls, boys, men and women were abducted by the terrorists and all efforts are being made to rescue them all.”

Dasuki also pledged that the dreaded Sambisa Forest, the fortress of Boko Haram terrorists and one of their last remaining camps, would be stormed and liberated before May 29, 2015 presidential hand-over date.

He said: “Right now, all Boko Haram camps, except Sambisa Forest have been destroyed. The forest would have since been

From Victor Oluwasegun, Dele Anofi and Grace Obike, Abuja

“Terror is not something we should tolerate. We must confront terror and not sit in our homes complaining.

“We must stand up to enforce what we demand. The measure of the progress of any civilisation is how they hold the dignity of the hu-

liberated but for the unfavourable weather condition prevailing in the area as all needed reconnaissance activity and necessary deployment of troops have been made for the operation. ”Every movement of the terrorists is being monitored and every necessary detail is being taken care of to rid the country of the last bastion of terrorists’ infestation.

“Before elections were postponed in February, over 20 local governments were occupied by Boko Haram and that most Nigerians were pleasantly surprised that so much was achieved against insurgency within six weeks.”

On President Goodluck Jonathan’s decision to concede defeat to Gen. Muhhamdu Buhari, he said: “President Jonathan had already given his words to all the security and service chiefs before the election that he would abide by the decision of Nigerians. At the meeting, he also told them to perform their duties professionally during the polls. ”While we anticipated that he would congratulate his opponent if the result is announced in favour of opposition candidate, he gratuitously without prompting of anyone conceded defeat to the surprise of all. ”By that singular gesture he had saved the security agencies and the nation of unnecessary tension and stress in maintaining law and order and curtailing excesses of likely protesters.”

man person.

“It’s not just about rescuing the girls alone but about staying together and fighting for what is right.

“It is however important to recognise that nothing gets done without a strategy,” he said.

Utomi suggested that plans must be put in place that would help rehabilitate the

girls when they eventually return.

“Their psyche must have been so tampered with. The nation must ensure that they are re-oriented,” he said.

On the just concluded elections, Utomi said: “We can hope that we have started moving forward.

“We used to be a people that assumed nothing will

We won’t give up on Chibok girls, says Fed Govt

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HE Federal Government yesterday said it would not back off on its efforts at rescuing the Chibok schoolgirls.

It said it has employed a two-pronged approach: pursuing the release of the abducted girls as well as ensuring that the children at home are able to go back to schools that are safe and secure.

A statement by the Senior Assistant to the Minister of Finance Mr. Paul Nwabuikwu, said the Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Finance, Mrs Anastasia Daniel-Nwaobia,

From Nduka Chiejina (Assistant Editor) and Chioma Onyia, Abuja

representing the Coordinating Minister for the Economy and Minister of Finance, Dr Ngozi OkonjoIweala, yesterday met with representatives of the Chibok community to assure them of the government’s commitment to rescuing the abducted school girls and to also update them on the status of the safe school initiative.

Anastasia said “to fold hands and do nothing will approximate to accepting

defeat, which is exactly what Boko Haram whose agenda is to stop Nigerians from going to school wants.”

The Permanent Secretary told representatives of Chibok community that the architectural model of the Chibok Secondary was ready along with the budget and that the Nigerian Army Corps of Engineers have been mobilised to began construction.

She stated that this is but part of the overall strategy of government for restoring sanity to the community but that the rescue of the girls

remains the priority.

Also at the event was the Director-General of the National Orientation Agency (NOA), Mr Mike Omeri, who assured the Chibok representatives that the government has always considered the task of rescuing the girls a ‘top national priority’.

He added that the military’s recent efforts of the military has led to the routing of Boko Haram from most of the territories that they held. He appealed for more patience and support from the Chibok community because of the insurgents’ unconven-

tional method.

According to him, the government understands that ‘until we find the Chibok girls, we cannot say that we have done enough’.

The representatives of the Chibok community encouraged the government to do all within its powers to secure the release of the girls.

They appreciated the efforts of government to reconstruct the school. They expressed their dissatisfaction with the pace of progress and urged government to expedite action on the rescue of the girls.

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THE NATION WEDNESDAY, APRIL 15, 2015

NEWS CHIBOK GIRLS ... 365 DAYS AFTER

bring back the girls

Prof. Utomi, Mrs Foluke Daramola-Salako and Hon. Funmi

‘

Our children are being dehumanised. I believe that our responsibility is to assist by becoming vigilant. We must become policemen/women; vigilante of our communities. We must encourage others to be protective members of their community

’

change but we are beginning to realise that things can change, so, it is a new dawn for our country,” he said.

Speaking at the forum, a member of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Mrs Funmi Tejuosho, expressed concern over what the missing girls could be passing through.

“These children are lost and we don’t know what is happening to them. We must never relent until they are found,” she said.

Dr Okei-Odumakin, who is also the President of Campaign for Democracy (CD), said more should be done to enhance security of lives and property in Nigeria.

“The whole world stood in unison to call for the return of our girls since they were taken from the Chibok secondary school.

“We will continue to raise awareness and to insist that our military gets better welfare to boost their morale,” Dr Okei-Odumakin said.

Also yesterday, the House of Representatives urged President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration to do everything possible to reunite the remaining 219 Chibok girls kidnapped over a year ago in Borno state to their parents, before handing over to the new administration on May 29.

The resolution of the House was sequel to a motion sponsored by Hon. Abike DabiriErewa, APC, Lagos under matters of urgent national importance.

Mrs Dabiri-Erewa, moving the motion, said it is one year since Boko Haram stormed the school in Borno and abducted over 200 girls.

“It is exactly one year since Boko Haram terrorists stormed the premises of GSS

Chibok in Borno State and took away almost 300 students who were preparing to write their school certificate final examination.

“It is unfortunate that the innocent girls were captured virtually unchallenged and government was unresponsive for over two weeks and one year on, it deeply hurts that no concrete information is available as to the whereabouts of our missing girls from Chibok.”

Members who spoke in support of the motion include Friday Itulah, Nnena ElenduUkeje, Jumoke Okoya- Thomas, Nkoyo Toyo, Nkiruka Onyejeocha, Ife Arowosoge, Stella Odogwu.

Friday Itulah noted that the issue of the Chibok Girls “is a sore thorn in the flesh of this administration. The Jonathan administration should ensure that before the 29 of May we are celebrating the return of the girls.”

Hon. Stella Odogwu said the issues surrounding the missing girls is a mystery.

“It is a criminal act that should not be condoned.”

Hon. Jumoke Okoya-Thomas urged prayers for the girls. “We should not forget the girls in prayers. It is easy to forget. It is the duty of the government to protect the citizens. We hope Nigerian will never see this kind of situation again.They said 50 were found. If this is true then the others can come back.”

Hon. Nkiruka Onyejeocha expressed surprise that “they are not back” and admonished that the girls should not be forgotten. Her colleague, Ife Arowosoge, wanted definite answers over the issue.

“Are you sure they are in Nigeria and are alive? The chief of Army Staff must tell us,” he insisted.

Tambuwal in his ruling noted that the motion is an important one and that “it is dear to our hearts”. He further said “I wish to add that as a nation we must do everything humanly possible to bring the girls back.

“We pray that God in his infinite wisdom and mercy should guide our security agents on the recovery of the girls.”

He said it is sad that the girls have been missing for a whole year. “Even the claim by the Military that they know where the girls are have turned out not to be correct. I think we have to be serious about it.”

When he called for a vote on the motion, it was overwhelmingly supported by all members.

Members of the #BringBackOurGirls advocacy yesterday said they appreciated President-elect Muhammadu Buhari for “his kind and soothing words” on the occasion of the one year commemoration.

The group demanded that the safe return of the girls be made top agenda of the transition between the present and the incoming government.

In a statement by Dr Oby Ezekwesilli and Hadiza BalaUsman , they stated: "Today, 14 April, 2015 is that dreadful day we never imagined will come without having back our missing precious 219 Chibok schoolgirls, abducted exactly one year ago today.

"We thank Nigeria's president-elect for his kind and soothing words on the occasion of this one-year commemoration; wherein he promises among other things to do everything he can to #BringBackOurGirls when he becomes the president, if they are still alive.

However, this does not address our concerns. We demand that the safe return of our girls be the top agenda of the transition between the present and the incoming one.

"We have just concluded a march by #ChibokGirlsAmbassadors (part of the global schoolgirl march). We express our immense gratitude to our #ChibokGirlsAmbassadors for being the right voices to carry the message of their generational peers on a day like this.”

They urged the United Nations to "deploy relevant instruments in ensuring the prompt rescue of our Chibok girls and other abductees, as well as improve the security situation in the country”.

The Chibok girls ambassadors and members of the #BBOG advocacy staged a peaceful protest to the Ministry of Education to demand for the release of the girls and demand to know what the ministry was doing to assist with the rescue efforts.

Although the ministry locked them out for almost an hour without allowing the children into the premises, its Director, Human Resources Management, Mohammed Umar, later met with them and the girls gave him an ultimatum of May 29 for the Chibok girls’ rescue.

•Children under the auspices of Chibok Girls Ambassadors...yesterday.

•Protesters in front of the Eiffel tower in Paris...yesterday.

•Chibok Girls Ambassadors in Abuja...yesterday.

PHOTOS: AFP

Chibok girls: We must remain hopeful, says Saraki

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HAIRMAN, Senate Committee on Environment and Ecology, Senator Bukola Saraki, yesterday urged Nigerians to remain hopeful about the return of the kidnapped Chibok schoolgirls.

Saraki, in a statement by his Special Adviser on Media, Bamikole Omishore, urged Nigerians to continue to be mindful of the suffering of the girls in captivity.

The statement reads: “Today we pause to remember the kidnapping of the Chibok schoolgirls. Our

From Sanni Onogu, Abuja

thoughts and prayers are with their families, friends, and communities.

“A year may have passed since they were taken, but our sympathy and solidarity with their families, remain as strong as ever; and so does our revulsion at the acts of terror committed.

“I have been emboldened by the character and courage that the families of the girls have shown over the last year.

“I would like to take this opportunity to support the

comments made by President-elect Muhammadu Buhari earlier today.

“He is right to throw the full weight of the administration behind our efforts to find the missing girls.

“But he is right too, not to make naive claims about the ability of any government to commit to find the girls.

“We must remain hopeful of their return, and steadfast in our determination to find them, but not make the same mistakes of the previous administration in promising what we cannot guarantee to do.”

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THE NATION WEDNESDAY, APRIL 15, 2015

NEWS Japan’s N1.6b grant for Oyo primary schools

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HE Japanese government has approved an $8.5 million (N1,674,500,000) grant for additional classrooms for primary schools in Oyo State.

Project Manager, Japan International Cooperation System, Mr. Kazunori Ogaguchi, told reporters in Abuja yesterday that the project was under Japan’s grant-in-aid 2014.

From Gbenga Omokhunu, Abuja

He said the project involved building 225 classrooms in 30 primary schools in Oyo under the community empowerment programme of Japan International Corporation Agency (JICA).

Ogaguchi said the initiative would complement the Nigerian government’s effort

at providing access to primary education.

The project manager said the real cost would be determined after tenders had been evaluated and a tenderer selected.

He said JICA had undertaken similar projects in Kano State.

“The construction contract is for a 12-month period. We want to enhance access to school for children through

increasing the number of classrooms.”

The Project Coordinator, International Development Partner Projects in Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC), Mr. Iro Umar, explained that the commission approached the Japanese government on behalf of the Federal Government, to seek assistance for additional classrooms to increase access to primary education.

GOVERNORSHIP AND HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY ELECTIONS RESULTS Christians urge Buhari to tackle religious disharmony, corruption

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HE Christian Council of Nigeria (CCN) has called on President-elect Muhammadu Buhari to tackle corruption, electricity and religious disharmony.

President of the council Emmanuel Udofia made the call yesterday at a briefing on the 2015 elections.

Udofia said: “If you pick one of these and leave the other, Nigerians will still be in trouble. For instance, if Buhari wants to have a successful government, he ýmust make sure there is religious harmony to have peace nationwide.

“If corruption is not dealt with, I would not say Nigeria will not move forward but it won’t be the level we expected because corruption is not only in government but everywhere.

“In any nation where electricity is poorly supplied, there will

From Olugbenga Adanikin, Abuja

be under-development. With constant power, people at the grassroots can create work for themselves, which will prevent migration to the city centre.”

The clergy, who said that the council engaged about 2,000 election observers across the nation, placed voters’ turn out to be 42 per cent.

He said the elections were orderly and credible, but urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to intensify voter education.

Udofia identified the need for INEC to commence a fresh electoral process, such as voter registration, advocacy, among others ahead of 2019 poll.

He said it should no wait until a few months to the next elections.

Youths protest in Imo From Okodili Ndidi, Owerri

A •From left: Ozo Gab Agu, Mr Barry Chukwu, former Minister of Information Mr John Nwodo , Rep Julius Ofoma and Executive Chairman, Enugu Sports Club, Chief Obum Arum during the funeral rites of Lady Maria Agumiri at Obinagu, Udi Local Government Area of Enugu PHOTO: NAN State...yesterday

Ministry moves to curb poultry diseases

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HE Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, through the Department of Animal Production and Husbandry Services, has begun the training of stakeholders in the poultry industry to enhance disease prevention, detection and control.

Speaking at a workshop in Nasarawa State, yesterday, Departmental Director Dr. Ademola Raji said the training was a response to the attention given to animal health globally.

Raji, who was represented by the Deputy Director, Dr John Taiwo, said the work-

From Frank Ikpefan, Abuja

shop, titled: ‘Behaviour Change in Biosecurity in Poultry Production’, would arm stakeholders in disease prevention.

He said the workshop was also a response to the recent outbreak of Avian Influenza, saying that proper knowledge and application of biosecurity would help curb the ugly situation.

“The workshop has the objectives of developing an action plan in all aspects of disease detection, prevention and control, explain appropriate biosecurity for poultry farms

and live birds market in rural and urban areas.

“It would build capacity in technical, communication skills and advise poultry growers, sellers and live birds marketing administrators in developing a biosafety plan,” he said.

Registrar, Nigeria Institute of Animal Science (NAIS) Dr Oyedele Oyedeji said the workshop would address challenges facing the sector.

He said it would impact the standards used in crop and animal production, addng that “products are as good as the process used in producing

them.”

Oyedeji noted that the participating stakeholders were required to train farmers and other actors along the poultry value chain in their localities.

The registrar urged the Federal Department of Animal Production and Husbandry Services to convene a meeting of stakeholders to review the livestock policy for Nigeria.

This, he said, would give a proper direction to animal breeding and genetics, animal nutrition, marking, operating procedures and animal welfare to be disseminated to states through extension services.

Help on the way for girls, says Fayemi

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ORMER Ekiti State Governor Kayode Fayemi yesterday lamented the inability of the federal government to free the 219 Chibok schoolgirls abducted by Boko Haram more than one year ago.

Fayemi, who described the callous act of the insurgents as highly ignoble, said the experience of the pupils, their parents and family members is saddening and traumatising, made worse by the failure of the government to properly coordinate its effort at getting the girls back.

In a statement signed by his

Chief Press Secretary, Mr Olayinka Oyebode, Fayemi urged the incoming administration of President-elect Muhammadu Buhari to make the rescue of the Chibok girls a top priority.

“As a father, I can imagine the level of pains, trauma and devastation being experienced by the families of the abducted girls, unfortunately, the government’s attitude to the rescue has been at best uncoordinated, dismissive and lackadaisical “, said Fayemi, adding that the lives and future of the abducted girls are as important

Anambra PPA advocates Option A4 From Nwanosike Onu, Awka

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EADER of the Progressive Peoples Alliance (PPA) in Anambra State Mr. Godwin Ezeemo, has advocated the use of Option A4 to stop electoral fraud.

He praised the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for conducting a credible election, as rigging was not as open and massive as in previous ones.

Ezeemo, however, called on INEC to consider the Option A4 because of its many benefits.

He said Option A4 would reduce fraud and bring sanity into the electoral system, adding that it would encourage men with proven integrity to venture into politics.

as the lives of every Nigerian citizens and should be treated as such.”

Fayemi, who headed the directorate of Policy, Research and Strategy of the General Buhari Presidential Campaign Council, said the current air of hopelessness surrounding the girls’ whereabouts and the pall of silence from the government would soon give way when the Buhari government injects life into the efforts at rescuing them.

He urged the parents and families of the abducted girls not to lose hope, but continue to

pray for their successful release, assuring them of divine intervention as well as a strategic intervention by the incoming administration.

“And to you our girls, be assured help is on the way.

Remain strong and hopeful. I am convinced you will all live to tell the story of your release.

I am convinced that as the whole world mark the first anniversary of your abduction

by Boko Haram, soon the whole world would rise to celebrate your release from captivity”. He added.

Enugu APC rejects result

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HE All Progressives Congress (APC) in Enugu State has called on the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof Atahiru Jega, to cancel the result of the state’s April 11 elections, for alleged electoral malpractices.

A petition by the state Chairman of APC Dr. Ben Nwoye, complained that a protest letter, delivered to the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), was not acted upon.

It reads: “I write to bring to your attention our request to cancel the election of April 11 in Enugu State, which was delivered to the Enugu State REC and received by his secretary on April 12, 2015, at 1:10 am.

NOTHER round of protests rocked Owerri, the Imo State capital yesterday, as youths barricaded major roads, condemning INEC’s refusal to declare the winner of the governorship election.

Over 4,000 youths accused the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Dr. Gabriel Ada, of conniving with the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to undermine the people’s will.

They alleged that the REC accepted the results manipulated by the PDP but rejected others, though it was obvious the All Progressives Congress (APC) won convincingly.

One of the youths warned that the stalemate might snowball into a crisis if INEC failed to do the right thing.

PDP wins 16 Assembly seats in Ebonyi

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HE Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has won 16 of the 18 seats in Ebonyi State House of Assembly.

PDP won in Onicha West and East, Afikpo North West, Afikpo South East and West, Ohaozara East and West, Ivo, Ezza South, Ikwo North and South constituencies.

Others are Izzi West, Ishielu North, Ishielu South, Ebonyi North East and West.

From Ogochukwu Anioke, Abakaliki

Progressive Peoples Alliance (PPA) won Afikpo North East while Labour Party (LP) won Izzi East.

Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) Dr. Lawrence Azubuike said five constituencies were inconclusive. They are: Abakaliki South, Ohaukwu North and South, and Ezza North East and West.

APC actualises Awo, MKO dreams , says ex-aide Akerele

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ORMER political assistant to the late Bashorun MKO Abiola and veteran journalist, Lisa Olu Akerele, has described the victory of All Progressives Congress(APC) candidates across the nation as the actualization of the dreams of the late sage, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, and Abiola.

In a congratulatory message to the leadership of the APC, Akerele said the party’s victory was “the triumph of progressives over reactionary forces,” giving kudos to Asiwaju Bola Tinubu for leading a worthy battle on the side of history.

He noted that if the Peoples Democratic Party(PDP) had won in Lagos State, for instance, “the state would have been dragged down an inglorious path of infamy as the PDP lacked the depth to sustain the level of development the state had already attained under Tinubu and incumbent governor, Mr. Babatunde Fashola.”

He said that if Chief Jimi Agbaje of PDP had won Chief Akinwunmi Ambode of APC, it would have amounted to a dent on Tinubu’s progressive credentials in view of the desperate last moves by President Goodluck Jonathan to rubbish Tinubu in Lagos for leading the crusade to sack him from Aso

Rock.

He praised “Lagosians for shunning the lorry loads of Naira notes Jonathan delivered to Lagos a couple of days before the governorship elections, noting that their choice was the triumph of progress over evil.”

Akerele argued that it was Awolowo’s dream to forge a united progressive front for Nigeria, but this was truncated by reactionarists who had no plan for the growth of the country.

He said Abiola realised the Awolowo dream by winning the June 12, 1993 elections squarely across ethnic and religious divides all over the nation, “but he was prevented from assuming the mantle of leadership by those who never wished Nigeria well.”

Akerele said the push led

by Tinubu had galvanized the progressives across the country into a united front, which led to the emergence of Gen. Mohammadu Buhari as the president-elect of Nigeria.

He praised Tinubu’s tenacity of purpose in the struggle, maintaining that Ambode’s victory was a further vote of confidence in both Fashola and his predecessor.

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, APRIL 15, 2015

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THE NATION WEDNESDAY, APRIL 15, 2015

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, APRIL 15, 2015

Life

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Text only: 08023058761

•From Left: Mr Odugbemi receiving an award from Director-General, Nigeria Film and Video Censors Board (NFVCB), Mr Emeka Mba

iREP 2015: Film journey into Africa’s riches E -SE

Munchies, excursion frills for culture journalists – PAGE 17

16 AGE P ON RY O T S

Easter Spectacle at National Theatre – PAGE 17

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, APRIL 15, 2015

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The Midweek Magazine

E-mail:- ozoluauhakheme@yahoo.com

A

S the Full Frame Documentary Film Festival in the United States (US) came to a close recently and the world looks forward to Hot Docs in Canada, Visions de Reel in Switzerland and Encounters, a South African International Documentary Film Festival, the just-concluded iREPRESENT International Documentary Film Festival (iREP) at Freedom Park, Lagos, would not be forgotten in a hurry.

Building passionate growing audience for documentary films Half-a-decade ago, when Femi Odugbemi and his team set forth to host the first iREPRESENT Documentary Film Festival (iREP), they had thought to create a platform where the best documentary films from across the globe could be enjoyed. Little did they know that it would grow to become a major factor for growing the film genre across the continent.

Today, like other film festivals across the world, what began as a passionate idea has not only shown that documentary has the power to create conversations, and highlight issues, it can bring diverse experiences and travel around history and cultures. “Over the past five years the festival has screened over 350 (full length, mid-length and short) films of diverse styles, languages and themes from over 40 countries of the world,” iREP cofounder, Odugbemi, declared at this year opening.

He continued: “In the last four years, iREP has trained close to 200 young and upcoming filmmakers in the art of documentary film making and has built a passionate and growing audience for documentary films that are entertaining, impactful, penetrating and enlightening.

We have formed an army of young filmmakers, who understand the form and are focusing on documentary as a creative platform of expression and intervention, and constructed platforms for training and skill development in the art of documentary via our workshops and conferences, especially for young filmmakers.”

Reinventing documentary films in electronic age With the theme, reinventing documentary filmmaking in a digital space, it was apparent that the organisers had woken up to the fresh realities of the new age digital. In the bid to finding strategies to navigate the blurred lines criss-crossing and satisfying the ever changing mood of the digital world, these were the concerns explored by different films screened, presentations panel discussions and producers’ roundtable.

For Odugbemi, digital technology presents a challenge and an opportunity to documentary filmmaking, observing that documentaries are personal and too important to be left in the hands of institutions. Such challenge and opportunity, he said, should be creatively and positively harnessed, adding that: “the thrust for a post-modernist self-aware documentary film culture must find a space for itself in the digital agenda and marry creative storytelling with timelessness of issues that are yearning to be told”.

Speaking on New Values for Audience Development in a Digital Space, the Managing Director of Multichoice Nigeria Limited, Mr John Ugbe, said audience in the digital age is open to two screens that involve screen for watching content and giving feedback to the content provider on social media platforms. He observed that quality content was paramount in the digital space, stating that a bad story remains a bad story. He added that even with top-notch technical quality, if a story was not compelling, it would not make the desired impact.

Importance of Digital Documentary and Citizen Journalism, which are currently trending on the social media, formed discourse at the session chaired

by Prof Femi Shaka. The platform, the professor said, makes it possible for peo-

•From left: Prof Coker (jnr), Makinde Soyinka, Emeka Mba, Mwangi Eze-Uzoukwu, Regional Director of MNet West Africa, Odugbemi and Jahman Anikulapo cutting the festival cake

•Anikulapo (right) receiving an award

iREP 2015: Film journey into Africa’s richness It was art. It was culture and tourism. It was Africa and Africa in Diaspora in self-dialogue. Like its four previous editions, the just-concluded 2015 iREPRESENT International Documentary Film Festival (iREP) was a mega film feast of Africa’s richness. It sought to reinvent documentary filmmaking in the wake of digital media technology. EVELYN OSAGIE reports.

DOCUMENTARY ple to tell their version of stories in their society, saying Citizen Journalism is targeted at reforming the process of documenting events and history in a way that does not necessarily competes with professional journalists.

Screening screen

Africa

to

world

Screening over 40 films curated around themes and issues in Africa, the four-day festival featured films addressing diverse thematic pre-occupations from United States (US), South Africa, Uganda, United Kingdom (UK), Ghana, Cameroon, Kenya, Germany, Cuba, Canada, France, Nigeria, and more. This eclectic selection, the organiser said, was deliberate. “Our goal is to prepare the participants for the opportunities of digital filmmaking in a broad sense. We believe that Documentary filmmakers must become more flexible and invent new ways of telling stories across multiple platforms and immersive formats,” the organiser said.

The 40-minute documentary film, Olu

Amoda: A Mettalic Journey, which celebrates artist and academic Olu Amoda, gave iREP’s audience an audio-visual chronicle of his metallic mission in expounding the language of sculptural expression. Teaming up with a young filmmaker, Joel Benson, veteran filmmaker and photographer, Tam Fiofori, explores the creative and expansive journey of Nigeria’s award-winning artist, Olu Amoda, as principally a metal artist for more than three decades.

It also examined how he has chosen specific metal-materials for their shapes, textures and properties; and finds and uses objects to give them artistic relevance and infuses them with new meaning.

It was not the first time the duo would be celebrating and documenting the life and work of one of remarkable Nigerian artists.

Their 30-minute documentary, J. D. Okhai Ojeikere: Master Photographer was screened at iREP 2013. Both documentaries are akin to Annigoni: Portrait of an Artist (1995) Ai Weiwei Never Sorry (2012) and Beauty is Embarrassing (2012), three documentary films about the life and works of Italian portrait painter Pietro Annigoni, nonconforming Chinese artist Ai Weiwei and American experimental puppeteer, Wayne White.

‘The thrust for a postmodernist self-aware documentary film culture must find a space for itself in the digital agenda and marry creative storytelling with timelessness of issues that are yearning to be told...Over the past five years the festival has screened over 350 (full length, mid-length and short) films of diverse styles, languages and themes from over 40 countries of the world’ Katlehong (Life in Progress) by Irene Loebell tells the story of members of Taxido, a dancing group by dancer and choreographer Jerry Bongai Zwane. The 95-minute documentary zeros into the lives of three members of the group – Venter, Seipati and Tshidiso - spanning three years. The audience were drawn into the worlds of the trio full of dreams, hope, struggles and mistakes.

“Life doesn’t end with a HIV-positive diagnosis” is the focus of Positively Beautiful

by Diveena Cooppan screened during the festival. The documentary focuses on the lives of five South Africans – Ntuthu, Nomfundo, Thembi, Khaya and Zanana – living with HIV. It documents the determination to live their lives to fullest.

Using the Haitian earthquake of January 12, 2010 as a backdrop, the documentary, Poverty Inc. directed by Michael Matheson Miller, tells a captivating researched story of the consequences that follow donations in cash and kind often made to disaster victims by international NGOs, agencies and governments, especially when such aids are their only lifeline. It shows how such intervention cripples the costs of locallyproduced Haitian’s goods, while advocating advocates that people be empowered instead of giving them hand-outs.

The documentary travelogue, Badagry: A Journey Back in Time, transported the audience to the ancient town and its diverse historical sites. Directed by photographer and broadcaster, Wome Uyeye, the documentary trails a bus-load of Nigerian tourists on a daylong excursion to Badagry.

Rwandan-German filmmaker, Lukas Augustin’s Unforgiven questions man’s ability to forgive those who have harmed him. The 75-minute documentary spotlights the Rwandan genocide. It conveys the story of the aftermath of genocide, including efforts made to reconcile victims. The audience travels back through the eyes of witnesses, sharing their pains and emotions.

A Vote for A Goat by Jeroen Velzen, tells the story of three Kenyan students – Harry, Said and Magdalene – competing for Majaoni Secondary School’s top position. Each is convinced that getting the position would better his/her lot.

For Harry, getting the position will some way better his family’s lot. Said is convinced her triumph would boost his selfconfidence and ambition to go into the military and Magdalene feels winning would impact the female students’ population.

Night of awards The festival also featured awards presentation to Prof Niyi Coker; Prof Awam Amkpa;International partner from Germany, Barbel Mauch, Manager of Freedom Park, Iyabo Abaoba; Jahman Anikulapo; Charles Okolo of The Guardian newspaper; Lolu Durojaiye and Eustace Estaghara, among others. There were also training/ workshops, involving a two-tier documentary filmmaking course on “telling” and “distributing” your story in the digital space.

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, APRIL 15, 2015

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The Midweek Magazine

E-mail:- ozoluauhakheme@yahoo.com

Munchies, excursion frills for culture journalists With the proposed Greenfield Port and Free Zone capable of being catalyst for the country’s growth for the next 100 years, Badagry is becoming a major economic nerve centre. But its wealth goes deeper than the proposed project. The ancient town is also rich in history. It is a major tourism destination. These, journalists found out during a three-day workshop hosted by the British Council, Nigeria. EVELYN OSAGIE, a participant, writes.

I

T was a journey back in time to a sunny day in 2014. The destination was a famous Seaport in the export of slaves to the Americas, which has since become the United Nations Educational S cientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) designated Slave Trade Route.

The tour guide was the CNN award-winning travel journalist and author, Pelu Awofeso. He talked about ancient buildings and monuments that dated back to the 15th Century. He spoke of slave cells; of slavery chains and of other artifacts made and used during the trans-atlantic slave trade era of the 16th Century; of wells dug in the 17th Century and of journey to the “Point of no Return”.

You could call it a voyage to the famous tourist’s town. But Awofeso, the founder @TravelNextDoor, called it, Badagry: A Journey Back in Time, a documentary on a daytrip to the prehistoric town that first premiered at the just-concluded iREPRESENT International Documentary Film Festival (iREP) at Freedom Park, Lagos.

The casts were a busload of tourists. The audience was 30 culture journalists from across the country. The viewing centre was the Goethe Institut, Lagos.

Directed by photographer and broadcaster, Wome Uyeye, the documentary trails a busload of Nigerian tourists on a daylong excursion to Badagry.

Since the late 19th Century, virtual tourism or travel documentary, were used to provide the general public with means of observing different countries and cultures.

Awofeso has not only succeeded in resuscitating the genre through the display of cinematic apparatus, open narration, live and recorded voice-over narration, he highlighted the importance of travels alongside the evils of slavery.

It was a reception marking the end of the

•Awofeso

•Bim Adewumni addressing journalists at the workshop. Inset Awofeso.

TOURISM three-day British Council Workshop for culture journalists, hosted by the Institut. They had learnt and interacted with colleagues and facilitators for three days, it was time for them to unwind, the Director-General of the Institut, Marc-Andre Schmactel said.

Drinks and frills for journalists With drinks and snacks in hands, guests sat and journeyed to the land of Badagry, back to the Slave Trade era.

It was a week before the International Day of remembrance of victims of slavery and the trans-Atlantic slave trade. The mood was tense.

A walk through the town revealed a vivid reflection of the place the town occupies in the tragic history of that era. The commu-

PHOTO: ADERIMI ADEGBITE

nity prides itself of several slave trade museums, most of which are private, established by families whose forefathers were direct victims of slavery or collaborators of slave traders.

The town and a good number of its prehistoric architectures, he said, have remained preserved largely by the efforts of the natives who have long been aware of the worth of their heritage, observing that it is an “untapped goldmine” waiting to be well-harnessed. Historic and tourism sites as Badagry seen as yesterday’s history, Awofeso called, “catalysts of today’s economic growth”, saying it is unfortunate such wealth have remained under-explored by government, corporate bodies and Nigerians.

From Museum to Point of No Return From the Badagry Heritage Museum to the Brazillian Baracoon (slave-holding cells) lo-

cated in the compound of a former slave dealer, Chief Seriki Faremi William Abass, the audience followed the tourists with keen interest. Their eyes stayed glued to the large screen the tourist moved to Vlekete Slave Market, then to the Agia Tree monument and the palace of the Akran of Badagry, HRM Aholu Menu Toyi 1.

As the tourists went on a boat cruise across the Badagry lagoon to Gberefu Gberefu Island housing the “slaves spirit attenuation well”, known also as the “well of memory loss”, the audience sights did not waver. They journeyed with tourists on foot across the 2.5km distance of the original slave route, to the “Point of no Return”, passing the slaves spirit attenuation well believed to make slaves less aggressive and to lose their memories, then through the “Gate of No Return”, two arch-like polls signifying the slaves’ separation from their motherland that opens into the vast ocean.

One look at the ocean, gives s general relief that such hideous act has been abolished, but on a second, the whole experience rekindles the need to fight against all forms of modern slavery, it was said.

Just like the journalists’ three-day journey was ending with tourism cum film shindig, the excursion ended with a party where the tourist recounted their experiences of the day. It was observed that a trip to a prehistoric site as Badagry can not only be fun and cost-efficient, but highly educative and stimulating.

For the tourist their day had ended but for the audience, the night party continued to the Afropolitan Vibes at Freedom Park they were first refused entry until the Goethe Director cautioned the gatekeepers against such action. Organisers of such shows at Freedom Park need to ensure journalists are not constantly harassed at gate while attending events at the park, it was observed.

Easter Spectacle at National Theatre

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ALL it a truly rich musical folktheatre you are correct. But if you also describe it as total theatre that speaks to all, you are not wrong.

And true to its conceptual framework, National Troupe of Nigeria’s Spectacle offered Lagosians, especially fun-seekers another refreshing theatre performance that further promote unity among Nigerians fusing different artistic elements harmoniously to pass the timely message- unity and peace. From music to songs, dance, narratives, masks, chants and drama the Sunday bouquet witnessed seem less flow from one artistic element to another, thus offering a relaxed setting for the Easter celebration. Expectedly, the 90-minute four-part production attracted mostly teenagers, children, men and women including reverend fathers and sisters from the Catholic churches in Lagos. Venue was the Cinema Hall 2, National Theatre, Iganmu Lagos penultimate Sunday.

Despite starting one hour behind schedule, the production took off with the presentation of 20-minute folk songs drawn from the East and Southsouth regions of Nigeria.

Emmanuel Adejumo led 10-man musical ensemble was not only a thriller, but a flash back to old school music and dance steps.

His attire also brought back memories of his father’s dress code: giant bow tie, bogus frame eye glass and a tobacco pipe to match.

A slice of contemporary dance performance by couple dancers sent the audience into frenzy as the dancers thrilled everyone to a breathtaking aerobic show. In between performances such as contemporary music, duets and traditional music ensemble were rib-cracking jokes by Mallam Spencer.

•Performers on stage

PHOTO: SOIBIFAA DUKUBO

Remember Baba Sala (Moses Olaiya Adejumo) of the Orun Mooru fame? His large-size bow tie and bogus frame eye glasses? All this stood out last Sunday when his son, Emmanuel (Boy Sala), featured in a musical folk theatre performance Spectacle, reports Assistant Editor (Arts) OZOLUA UHAKHEME THEATRE But the final part- Ajodun, which was the main menu of Spectacle did not fall short of the essence- colourful celebration laced with drumming, singing and dancing. At the centre of the stage is a giant Sator drum from Badagry that serves as common instrument for the drummers.

Apart from the harmonious blend of diverse cultural heritage, Spectacle enjoys rich costumes and smooth rendition of the different songs.

Artistic Director National Troupe of Ni-

geria, Mr. Akin Adejuwon, who was reacting ostensibly to the political situation in the country, said government has no space for vacuum and that Nigeria must move forward. He noted that National Troupe of Nigeria would continually improve the content of its programme in order to serve Nigeria better. “We hope to take some iconic theater performances outside for presentation,” he added while commending the audience for their support over the years.

Spectacle is a musical folk-theatre in four parts. The thematic thrust is a national unity.

However, the conceptual framework does not

lie in the exposition of lyrics paying lip service to the unity of the people, but in the unification of dissimilar artistic backgrounds and materials into harmonious art form within real-time creative space.

The two-fold concept of the creative unity lies in the fusion of the different artistic elements in performance- the unity of the elements of the African performative stage on one hand and on the other hand, the wholesome representation of our diverse cultural heritage on the national stage through the use of music, songs, dance, narratives, masks, chants etc.

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, APRIL 15, 2015

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The Midweek Magazine

E-mail:- ozoluauhakheme@yahoo.com

•One of Wewe’s work

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HAT is your studio work schedule like? How many hours do you spend in the studio daily?

My day starts with a cup of coffee with some peanuts at about 7.30 am while I read some pages from a book or periodicals after which I move straight into my studio since I work from home.

Sometimes, the day’s works are predetermined; most of the time however, I submit to handling what appeals to the moods of the day since I usually have several pieces in progress at any given time.

I work long hours, the longest being 12 hours with about 1 hour break in between to have lunch and pray. Although I spend like 11 hours of physical work, I also commit some hours later at night to reading and other studio related activities.

I do not work beyond 7.00 pm because I work mostly with power tools and I hate to disturb my neighbours who would have gotten back from work around that time otherwise, I would have loved working late at night. On most days I spend at least 10 hrs painting.

What are you working on currently; exhibition or commission works?

I simply work. I rarely do commissioned works. Most of my works go for exhibitions.

•Wewe

‘Jega is a victim of circumstance’ Frontline artist and former Ondo State Commissioner for Culture and Tourism, Chief Tola Wewe shares with Assistant Editor Arts OZOLUA UHAKHEME on his studio life and why he rarely handles commissioned painting, among other issues.

STUDIO TALK A lot are also sold on completion by my clients.

How many works are you working on concurrently and why?

I am currently working on 4 paintings. I don’t have any special reason for that. I am just expressing myself.

Of all the media, which one do you find challenging to handle and why?

I haven’t thought of a special challenge I have with any medium. I simply use the ones I find convenient. I use mainly, oil, acrylic and at times pen/ink. I used to do a lot of commissioned portraits. I hardly do this these days. I am too busy with what I now do.

In your personal collections of your own

paintings, are there works you will never part with? If yes, what is the attachment to the work?

I have several works in my personal collection. I am not thinking of not partying with any of them. After all, I will die one day and leave them behind.

Some artists are looking outside the regular materials to achieve their dream work.

Are you in that frame of mind too?

I guess you are talking about using materials other than regular ones like paints and brushes. I am a bit conservative when talking about materials. I belong to the old school.

As a seasoned artist, what is the relevance of art movements or guilds to the growth of art practice?

Guilds and movements in art practice add more to creative industry. They do this in

Each Passing Day holds at Red Door Gallery

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SOLO photography exhibition tagged Each Passing Day by Akintunde Akinleye of Reuters will open on Sunday, April 19 by 6pm at the Red Door Art Gallery, 51 Bishop Oluwole Street, Victoria Island, Lagos.

The exhibition is sponsored by Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria with its joint venture partners and LagosPhoto Foundation Each Passing Day which will run till May 3rd is a careful selection from the hundreds of thousands of single images, extracted from different documentary projects and spot news events, which were inspired by the Nigerian space during the last decade and now. Showcasing Akintunde’s documentation of Nigeria, the exhibition brings together photographs categorised to reflect a series of unrelated events and activities in the

By Ozolua Uhakheme Assistant Editor (Arts)

PHOTOGRAPHY daily lives of ordinary citizens of Nigeria.

The pictures depict a truthful rendering of each passing day in the life of resilient Nigerians and show the political, social and physical landscape in which we ex-

ist.

Akinleye is the first Nigerian photographer to have been awarded a prize in the prestigious World Press Photo, which he won in Netherlands in 2007 with his iconic photograph of a man rinsing soot from his face at the scene of an oil pipeline explosion in Lagos, December 2006.

He is an award fellow of the National Geographic Society- All Roads photo project.

Children Art Club at Olumo

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HE next edition of the Children Art Club, Abeokuta Ogun State will hold on Saturday April 18 at the Cultural and Musical Heritage Centre, Olumo Rock, Ikija, Abeokuta Ogun State.

The Children Art Club which feature art workshop for children in the state is endorsed

by InSEA (www.insea.org), powered by the Teaching Visual Art. The programme is open to collaboration and partnership with other organisation to create an artistic engagement and resources to aid talent development for the Nigerian children.

terms of style. They also do in terms of techniques. They make pleasant contributions.

Considering the many debates on different national issues in politics and economy, how has the visual artists fared in contributing or adding his or her voice to the talk?

Artists generally make social comments with their works. How much impact these comments have made on our society, I don’t know. But no socio political issue goes untouched by artists. Poverty, corruption, decayed infrastructures, and very recently, Boko Haram are issues that are loudly expressed on canvases by our artists.

Until very recently, Jega was largely praised by our politicians. The atmosphere is now charged. The ruling party is scared.

The opposition party is getting confident.

Jega becomes a victim of the present circumstance. Jega is doing his best. And we should allow him. We have never had it this good.

POEM NO REGRETS

By Habib Akewusola

General promoted a step, Perseverance kills the Fastest bird, Freedom wrestler, knocked Thrice, neither did he Bleed nor Fear.

Call wisdom, open my ear, Catastrophe of million years Violently Piled on this desk.

My name is a child, Desperately forget the term ‘Tribe’.

Number one is the best Since I was alive, Coil broken web ambition Disorganised.

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, APRIL 15, 2015

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COMMENTARY EDITORIALS

LETTER

To what effect?

•BoI claims to have disbursed N800 billion to SMEs in 7 years

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HIS is a whale of a sum, to say it plainly. By any account and in any currency, N800 billion amounts to much and should leave a silhouette of monuments, if not monuments wherever it is deployed. But accountability is not the forte of Nigeria’s public officials and when they must give account, they trifle with it or give it to suit their own purposes.

This is why we are taken aback at the statement by the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Bank of Industry (BoI), Mr. Rasheed Olaoluwa. Speaking at a symposium in Lagos, Olaoluwa stated rather gleefully that BoI had disbursed about N800 billion to small and medium enterprises in the country in the last seven years.

Regaling his audience with what he presented as the success story of a public

‘It is not enough to tell Nigerians that so much large sum has been disbursed in the last seven years; that clearly amounts to playing pranks with figures. It is akin to telling us how many hectares of farmland a farmer has cultivated over seven years without reporting his harvest’

development finance institution under his watch, he said: “What we have seen in the case of the Bank of Industry is that we have a model that appears to be succeeding. For example, in our intervention in small and medium enterprises space, our cumulative disbursement of loans was less than N30 billion up till 2009. But 2009 till date, we are looking at about N800 billion.”

The natural question that follows Mr. Olaoluwa’s seeming favourable self-appraisal is: to what effect? Until 2001, BoI which was set up over 50 years ago as the Nigerian Industrial Development Bank (NIDB); was structured to be a foremost lender institution to catalyse the start-up and growth of small and medium scale industries in Nigeria. It was meant to afford small businesses long-term funds at below market rates. BoI was designed to harness funds from the Federal Government and international development institutions for onward lending.

However, for various reasons, the bank has been less than outstanding in achieving this noble objective. Taking the example of the last seven years’ total loan disbursements of N800 billion, this amounts to over N100 billion per annum injected into funding small and medium businesses. It would have been much salutary if we have seen a showcase of businesses availed this huge facility over these years.

It is not enough to tell Nigerians that so

much large sum has been disbursed in the last seven years; that clearly amounts to playing pranks with figures. It is akin to telling us how many hectares of farmland a farmer has cultivated over seven years without reporting his harvest. If BoI must give Nigerians any report, it is only apposite that it shows us verifiable examples of its success stories, category by category, sector by sector and year by year.

BoI was 50 last year; a comprehensive report of its activities over the last half century – the total disbursement since inception, its successes, failures and challenges should by now be in the public domain. Having disbursed funds in the range of a trillion naira, it would have been most salutary to see some flagship businesses and enterprises BoI had nurtured from scratch and some it has helped to revive.

Again, we insist that N800 billion of taxpayers’ money is too much of a hefty sum to be trifled with. So, we will expect Mr. Olaoluwa and his team at BoI to reassure Nigerians that this institution deserves its keep by availing them independently verifiable report of its activities, at least in the last seven years.

This is the only way BoI can dispel the general perception that it is but a drain pipe through which taxpayers’ money is siphoned. Finally, we ask: is there a chance that the Federal Government set up a similar development finance institution, Nigeria Development Bank, out of frustration with BoI?

Polls and investments •If only our politicians know what we lose to electoral tension ...

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N the build-up to the general elections, political parties had created so much tension that even the ordinary Nigerian was apprehensive about what could happen before, during and after the polls. The reasons for the general apprehension were the hate campaigns and killings of supporters of one political party or the other.

During the electioneering campaign, and especially the six weeks preceding the elections, domestic investments in the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) recorded a substantial decline, owing to fears about insecurity and uncertainties regarding the elections. For instance, the latest investment details from the NSE showed that local investments dropped

by N40.1bn at the end of February 2015, although as of January 2015, the total investments by domestic investors stood at N90.61bn while a document obtained from the NSE indicated that this later dropped by 44 percent to N50.24bn by the end of February.

On the other hand, foreign investments rose in this period; as a total of N133.95bn or 35 percent was attributed to foreign investors, representing an increase of N34.8bn compared to N99.11bn invested at the end of February. In summary, the NSE document reported: “Domestic investors conceded about 45.22 percent of trading to foreign investors as domestic transactions decreased from 47.76 percent to 27.39 percent, while FBI transaction increased from 52.24 percent to 72.61 percent over the same period”.

Some capital market experts have attributed the consistent reduction in local investments partly to “fears of the gen-

eral election, the increasing security concerns and the tight monetary policies of the Central Bank of Nigeria”. In addition, Mr. Johnson Chukwu, the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Cowry Asset Management Ltd, gave some factors leading to the decline in local investments as external and internal, pointing out that the trend is likely to continue until the second quarter of 2015.

According to him, “the factors driving the bear run seem to be declining oil prices; depleting reserves; termination of quantitative easing; likely further tightening of monetary liquidity by the Central Bank and a possible two-horse unpredictable presidential election in February 2015”.

We wonder why elections should have this much adverse effect on investment, foreign or domestic. Much as we agree that certain events could make calculations to change in countries at given periods, election, particularly electoral violence, should not be one of them. Elections should be a routine event without the restriction of movement that has a bad effect on the economy, as it prevents traders and even financial institutions from carrying out their businesses. The militarisation of the society at election periods also contributes to loss of transactions from legitimate businesses on election days.

Then, the kind of hate campaigns experienced at this year’s elections are more than enough to have negative impact on the society. It is obvious, therefore, that under the climate of uncertainties that exist during elections in Nigeria, no investor would like to invest where he cannot guarantee profitable returns on

his investment as a result of insecurity or policy inconsistencies of the government.

It is, therefore, extremely important that our politicians are made to realise the implications of their behaviours and utterances at electioneering campaigns so that badly needed investors are not discouraged from coming to invest in the country. The political leadership should not allow their supporters to turn election into a theatre of war or a do-or-die affair.

Although attempts have been made to curtail violence at elections by making the political parties sign peace accords, the accords have not worked because violent acts at elections have become a tradition in the country. We must put a stop to this if we want investors to come to the country. And one way to achieve this aim is to punish people who perpetrate electoral violence.

‘Much as we agree that certain events could make calculations to change in countries at given periods, election, particularly electoral violence, should not be one of them. Elections should be a routine event without the restriction of movement that has a bad effect on the economy, as it prevents traders and even financial institutions from carrying out their businesses’

M.D.Yusufu: A tribute IR: Alhaji Mohammed Dikko Yusufu, Nigeria’s third indigenous Inspector General of Police (IGP), former presidential aspirant and a blue blood from Kastina state passed away on Wednesday, April 1 2015 after a protracted illness. He was 85. Yusufu had aristocratic ancestry. By the time he grew into adulthood, after completing Arabic education in Kano, he had been infected with radical idealism, courtesy of Sa’adu Zungur and Mallam Aminu Kano who were both leading members of Northern Elements Progressive union (NEPU). He joined NEPU in earnest and rose through the ranks to become its secretary in Katsina provinces.

His radical disposition to guaranteed entrenched privilege was to define his early life. The urge to quell his further radicalism by the feudal establishment led to his being thrown into the Northern Nigerian civil service, where his unabated leftwing leaning still attracted official suspicion. Yusufu joined the police force in a dramatic manner; he eyed the foreign service of independent Nigeria but ended up in The Nigeria Police Force. He however distinguished himself in a career spanning 17 years (1962-1979); he was commissioner of police for the Northern Nigeria, head of special branch and eventually the Inspector General of police from 1975-1979. He retired honourably to his ancestral Katsina home, only to cause a stir by planting conspicuously the flag of the Peoples’ Redemption Party (PRP) in front of his house. PRP was the radical and progressive party formed by the late Mallam Aminu Kano with whom he shared a revolutionary spirit. He later served as the chairman, board of directors, Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG); Chairman, Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF); and founded a political party, Movement for Democracy and Justice. Perhaps, the most daring of his political activities was his presidential ambition, which amounted to challenging the late General Sani Abacha. The existing parties eventually sidelined him in the scandalous adoption of Abacha as a consensus candidate.

However, he gained tremendous goodwill from within and outside Nigeria for his doggedness against tyranny. In spite of his great attainment in life coupled with his aristocratic background, Yusufu remained humble, accessible and respectful. May almighty Allah grant him AlJanaat Firdaus. And give his family and friends the fortitude to bear this huge loss.

Adieu MD!

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• Adedeji Nurudeen Badejo, Surulere, Lagos State.

TRUTH IN DEFENCE OF FREEDOM Managing Director/Editor-in-Chief Victor Ifijeh • Editor Gbenga Omotoso •Chairman, Editorial Board Sam Omatseye •General Editor Adekunle Ade-Adeleye •Editor, Online Lekan Otufodunrin •Managing Editor Northern Operation Yusuf Alli •Managing Editor Waheed Odusile

• Executive Director (Finance & Administration) Ade Odunewu

•Deputy Editor Lawal Ogienagbon

•Advert Manager Robinson Osirike

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• Gen. Manager (Training and Development) Soji Omotunde •General Manager (Abuja Press) Kehinde Olowu •AGM (PH Press) Tunde Olasogba

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THE NATION WEDNESDAY, APRIL 15, 2015

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CARTOON & LETTERS

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IR: The article titled: ‘Who owns Lagos’ by Sam Omatseye last Monday 13th April, 2015 is one of the most illuminating and candid opinion ever propounded by a Nigerian intellectual. “Who owns Lagos’ is a reaction to the barrage of complaints and condemnation of the position of Lagos as espoused by their Oba, few days to the last general elections. With a huge dose of ignorance and perverted moral, these people have called the Oba of Lagos all sorts of names and some have promised brimstone at Iga Idunganran.

What are the facts? By action, by inference, by body language, some of our friends who are not indigenes of Lagos now pretend to be co-owners of that geographical space. It is true, some have settled down there in their droves for one or two generations; many are landlords of completed and vast areas of undeveloped property; some have intermarried and speak the ‘Lagos language’ fluently. But do all these attributes connote originality or cultural affinity or ancestral homeland?

We are unnecessarily refusing to accept the realities of the geo-cultural and ethnic diversities that make up the Nigerian nation. That Lagos ‘belongs’ to Lagosians is not a new claim. I first started work in Lagos in 1952 as a Railway Clerk. We were a couple of friends who had just passed out at Christ’s School Ado-Ekiti and took up jobs as Railway Clerks. In our tenement, we were the only strangers tagged ‘Ara Oke,’ that is, people from rural Nigeria. At that time, this was an appropriate term

EDITOR’S MAIL BAG SEND TYPEWRITTEN, DOUBLE SPACED AND SIGNED CONTRIBUTIONS, LETTERS AND REJOINDERS OF NOT MORE THAN 800 WORDS TO THE EDITOR, THE NATION, 27B, FATAI ATERE ROAD, MATORI, LAGOS. E-mail: views@thenationonlineng.net

Re: ‘Who owns Lagos’? since returnees from Freetown, Brazil and from the Caribbean Islands inhabited most of the Lagos lsland.

Many of these people were of Egba extraction whose forefathers were taken forcibly into slavery to work in the plantations of the West Indies.

Civilization and the acceptance of some educated into the public service, starting from the Lagos City Council to national corporate bodies like Nigerian Port Authority (NPA), Customs, Railways, etc, necessitated the enlargement of the concept of ‘Lagosian’.

Coming back to the Oba of Lagos’ alleged pronouncement, has the Oba not have right to go back memory lane by digging into the norms, beliefs and opportunities of the past?

The Oba probably spoke at a wrong time. He could have saved his breath till after the last general elections during which the configuration of votes cast could be identified. Speaking in typical Yoruba parable, the Oba would not wish any body including ‘strangers’ to go perish in the lagoon. If he said anything at all, it was figurative and could be excused for being hyperbolic.

I am sure some Nigerians would remember, as does Sam Omatseye,

the incidence in the Western Region particularly in the early 50’s in Ibadan, when it was alleged that Dr. Azikiwe, an untainted nationalist was denied his majority and hence his premiership position in the Western Region then encompassing the present Lagos State up to Delta State. He quickly went to Enugu and easily got what he wanted from ‘his people’. In the process, he and his people made the indigenes of what is now Cross-River and Rivers States, pay their dues. They were denied certain benefits, which were reserved for others in the then Eastern Region. This was why it was easy for Awolowo to cultivate successfully the elites of the COR areas notably Calabar, Rivers and Ogoja Provinces.

Similarly in the Northern Region where the Hausa/Fulani exercised power, it was easy for Awolowo and his co-travelers in the South to cultivate the people of what is now the Middle Belt who were at that time in a situation of day and night with their rulers.

That Nigeria had survived as a nation can be called modern day miracle. After all, contrary to the position of some people, Lugard

Military impunity in Ogbomoso IR: The attention of the military authorities is being drawn to the menace that some men of the Nigerian Army drafted to Ogbomoso for election purposes have constituted to the people of the town. Barely over a week now in the town, they have taken over the functions of Vehicles Inspection Officers, FRSC, police and forestry officers, all in a bid to extort money from members of the public. Not only that, un-cooperating ones are punished severely.

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I wept for this nation on my way to Igbeti on Tuesday, March 24, 2015, when I saw military men flogging hapless old men at express junction and a few kilometers after Ogbomoso along Ogbomoso-Igbeti road. The question that came to my mind was to querry the motive of the people that drafted those men to Ogbomoso. What came to my mind was to agree with those that opposed the drafting of the military for election purposes. It is disheartening that sixteen years into democratic rule, our government could

not conduct civil matters without involving the military.

The roles of military in safeguarding territorial integrity of this nation and maintenance of peace during election period are highly acknowledged. However, assaulting Nigerians they are paid to protect on flimsy excuses and forcing them to part with their hard earned money are condemnable and reproachable and should be stopped.

• Ruth A. Amole, Alekuwodo, Osogbo, Osun State.

was not a romantic but a prophet as his prophesies have resulted in the Nigerian federation staying together. Remember Awolowo’s struggle in the early 50’s during the ‘Gedegbe l’Ekowa’ days. The Nigerian Youth Movement and the struggle for supremacy between Oba Adele and Oba Oyekan;’ one, representing ‘Lagos belongs to the West’ and the other, ‘Gedegbe l’Ekowa’.

Lessons from the above are obvious. The first is that Nigeria is a collection of nationalities who in most part, have different cultural backgrounds. Several attempts have been made to synchronize and harmonize the Nigerian national state. That was why the Itsekiris, aided by Awolowo, refused to accept the little of their Oba to be changed from Olu of Warri to Olu of Itsekir. So also, nobody can reasonably call Obi of Onitsha as Obi of Igbos as no other Ni-

gerian tribe can lay claim to Onisha.

And this is why many states had been created with respect to ethnic nationalities in Nigeria.

As we struggle to maintain Nigeria’s hegemony, let us try to accommodate each other. Unlike other political space in our continent – Sudan, DR Congo, Angola, etc. we have no option than to continue to tolerate each other and forge ahead as a nation. But in so doing, we must understand, accept and respect each other’s sensitivities. If Lord Lugard was a gambler in forcing together different nationalities with different ethos and culture, let us accept that gamble and stick together.

We would therefore continue to be accorded the leadership of our continent that has been given to us on a platter of gold, so to say. The fact that some members of the opposition whose constituents are mainly non-Lagosians were elected to both the National and State Assemblies from Lagos is a healthy development. But let this positive development flow across the Niger, to the South/Eastern heartland, notably Onitsha, Enugu, Owerri, etc. Meanwhile let us accept the realities and sensitivities of today.

• Deji Fasuan MON, JP, Ekiti State.

The Boko Haram conundrum

IR: I congratulate General Muhammadu Buhari (GMB) on his emergence as Nigeria’s President-elect. Nigerians should congratulate themselves, seriously.

In 2011, they voted to truncate rotational presidency.

Who will fault Rev Fr. Ejike Mbaka that Nigerians voted for good luck but got ill luck? Mbaka is a Catholic priest; I am an ex-Catholic priest since September 2000. I saw that too many Nigerians lost their sense of judgment when they could not see the unfairness in the fact that by 2011, southern Nigeria had produced the President for 10 years, while the north had served for only two years, and that if we wanted unity and peace, it was not fair to support Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan (GEJ). GEJ congratulated GMB to avoid national and international disgrace.

In 2011, GEJ begged Nigerians for

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additional four years, but later reneged. Rotational presidency is in tandem with Nigeria’s Federal Character Commission Charter. GMB should not fight Boko Haram. The former President Olusegun Obasanjo, raised the Joint Task Force against the Niger Delta militants, but it was the late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua’s amnesty that brought peace.

GEJ’s ulterior motive negated seeking peace with Boko Haram. It allowed the group to grow wings. GMB should extend olive branch to Boko Haram, for Nigeria’s peace and progress. I hope GMB is listening.

He shouldn’t go to France or elsewhere now, but stay at home and strategise on how to move Nigeria forward.

• Pius Oyeniran Abioje, PhD, University of Ilorin.

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, APRIL 15, 2015

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COMMENTS

Re: Who owns Lagos ? – A reflection!

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WANT to first of all thank you for the column on the above in: “In Touch” in the April 13, 2015 edition of The Nation. I read through your write up and come to the conclusion that, Lagos State and indeed the entire Yoruba States in the south west should be commended for their spirit of assimilation, habitability and good neighbourliness spirit towards all and sundry.

Personally, I lived in Lagos for about 22 years before relocating to the South South. All my children were born in Lagos and even my wife was also born in Lagos. Lagos is home to all and sundry. If the sons and daughters of Lagos were not hospitable, I don’t think I could have spent such time in Lagos.

Given that the Lagoon jibe from his Royal Highness, Oba Rilwan Akiolu (1) has exceeded its limits, which we all condemn and himself graciously apologized promptly via his aides, my original opinion about Lagos and its people still remain intact. The Oba is a human being. I am not speaking for the Oba; but come to think of it, as a human being, there are occasions one speaks out of emotions at least once in a while as a result of happenings in his or her environment.

I hold the Oba of Lagos in high esteem no matter what mischief-makers would want to make out of it. Lagos is indeed home to all despite the neglect of the Federal Government especially from 1999 till date. I feel pained in my heart that despite the contributions of Lagos State to the centre, no meaningful assistance is received from the Federal Government to help Lagos in its development efforts.

Tell me, how many states in the Federation can the FGN be owing a whooping sum of over N51billion for maintaining Federal Government facilities in Lagos and can still survive in its operations; yet some enemies of progress would not give up. This must not continue. That is why I am particularly happy that Lagos state is now on the same page with the Federal Government of Nigeria and many other states under the present political architecture.

To this end, I will always thank God for the kind of leaders that Lagos is blessed with like Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu - a visionary, courageous and team playing personality. May God continue to bless this country with such leaders by way of granting them more fruitful

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IGERIA’s 2015 general elections have come and gone.

We are now confronted with the ripple effects or the smoldering aftermaths of the titanic battles. While the winners are jubilating and celebrating by popping champagnee all over the place, the losers are licking their wounds. One thing that will, for long, remain indelible in the minds of everybody is the unprecedented level of attention given to the elections in the social media by emergency reporters. It was a novel experience in many ways.

In Nigeria’s federal system, the federal government at the center holds sway over the state governments. As such, the ‘big vote’ in every election is the one for the top job in Abuja. This is true for other federal systems elsewhere around the world, but maybe more so in Nigeria. Not surprisingly, the election for the top seat generated wide interest, especially from the young generation and other Nigerians far and wide, gripping the whole world that watched on to see if the ruling Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP), could be unseated at the centre. The outcome of the presidential election held on March 28, could not have been better for the neutrals and the teeming hoard of enthusiasts on social media around the world.

On April 11, it was time for the gubernatorial elections and elections into the State Houses of Assembly. It proved to be a more ‘local’ affair (as it indeed is), with waned interest noticeable even at the polling units. On social media, where the presidential election was keenly followed step by step from the wee hours on election day, through the arduous process of collation in Abuja (including the ‘Orubebe interlude’), until final re-

By John Stephen Audu years on earth. I feel pain in my heart as I am writing this response to your column today.

From the results of the gubernatorial elections that God in His infinite mercies gave to the progressives in Lagos, it is evidently clear that attempts were made by enemies of progress to thwart the efforts of Lagosians from 1999 to 2015, especially in her developmental strides. I noticed protest votes from some inhabitants of Lagos who came from other states despite all that Lagos has done for them all these years because of the retracted Oba’s Lagoon jibe. What has the centre government under PDP done in Lagos for the past 16 years that PDP thinks they can now come to Lagos over night to produce the governor, no matter the conspiracies of the outgoing president, PDP and the security forces?

It is trite that one cannot eat his cake and have it back.

God cannot lie. You can only harvest or reap after you have sown. There is always a wide gap between the time of sowing and the time of harvest. Not that the outgoing president will just fly to Lagos overnight with dollars and Pound Sterling to commandeer vote for Jimi Agbaje just like that instead of him to quickly conclude on his handing over note to the peoples’ general - GMB. You can see that Jimi Agbaje plus running mate, Bode George, Obanikoro and the loquacious speaker – Femi FaniKayode, all lost their immediate polling units on March 28 and April 11, 2015. No success without pain. Money is not everything.

It is in Lagos State that you can have non-indigenes as members of the House of Representatives elected on the platform of an opposition party. Go to Anambra State from inception till date and tell me how many Northerners or South westerners have achieved that. Please, let no one provoke me to anger. Go to other non-Yoruba states in the whole Federation and tell me how many states have Yoruba as Members of Federal House of Reps, commissioners, etc in their cabinets.

It is not in question as to who owns Lagos? My piece of advise to all that care to listen is that, let no one take the hospitable nature of Lagos citizens for granted as some of us who are non indigenes of Lagos will not be happy

with such diversionary tendencies in an attempt to cause crises in Lagos.

The Yoruba owns Lagos and there is no question about that. It will amount to an insult for anyone to ask that question. Let the peace of Lagos be allowed to continue.

We have a very serious task at hand under the new political dispensation in Lagos State and indeed Nigeria at large.

Finally, my special congratulations to the Jagaban of Nigerian politics – Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu who allowed himself to be used by GOD Almighty as a political catalyst for progress and development in Nigeria.

More grease to his elbows.

Also, my special congratulations to Governor Raji Babatunde Fashola (SAN), who understood the dream of his predecessor and now passing the batten to Ambode Akinwunmi to continue to consolidate on the change brought to Lagos in the last 16 years. It is our prayers that the enemies of LAGOS STATE shall not distract him.

Above, all, my heart felt congratulations to the Presidentelect - the Peoples’ General - GMB over his well deserved victory, against all odds. To God belongs all the glory.

Long live Lagos; long live federal Republic of Nigeria.

• John Stephen Audu wrote in from Port-Harcourt, Nigeria.

‘I hold the Oba of Lagos in high esteem no matter what mischief-makers would want to make out of it. Lagos is indeed home to all despite the neglect of the Federal Government especially from 1999 till date. I feel pained in my heart that despite the contributions of Lagos State to the centre, no meaningful assistance is received from the Federal Government to help Lagos in its development efforts’

The New Information Highway sults were declared, the gubernatorial elections drew significantly less attention. The ‘online situation room’ was still operational, albeit with less force.

The posts on the different online platforms told pretty much the same story as was the case in the presidential election. One could discern a pattern consistent with the narrative in the presidential election. The Rivers State election again was a hot topic, with sporadic violence reported by residents beginning from the day before the election, quite unsurprisingly because of the precedence set on March 28. Lives were, again, lost in Rivers State, with gory pictures of victims spread across facebook and twitter.

The INEC twitter account was active, voters posted events from their polling units which showed thinner crowds but much of the same allegations. The INEC account dispelled claim after claim of malpractices and fake ballot papers reported in different states. One report that INEC account answered directly to was that of armed naval officers in Ikorodu LGA in Lagos distorting elections, stating that the Lagos State Resident Electoral Commission would “resolve” it. Fresh pictures of under-age voters around the north again emerged, with a good picture reportedly from Jos North Local government and another from Kofar Fada polling unit in Keffi, Nassarawa State, making the most sensation on social media.

INEC did not confirm the authenticity of these pictures; neither were they denied as many reports coming out of different states were de-

‘The political parties may have their agenda, but the people’s agenda should remain the same to make the officials work to get tangible results that will speak for themselves in the next elections’

nied.

A particularly popular post that went viral during the gubernatorial elections was a video of the son of Musiliu Obanikoro. The junior Obanikoro, who was a candidate for a seat in the Lagos State House of Assembly, allegedly involved in a fracas of sorts at a polling unit in Lagos. While some reported that he was confronted while dolling out cash at the polling unit, others suggested he was arrested for bribing voters at the polling unit. The video showed him engaged in heated argument with several people, including a woman who appeared enraged for unclear reasons, shoving the state house of assembly candidate at one point. The presence of policemen at the scene explained the reports of his arrest, but he is seen entering his vehicle at the end.

Even with the low turnout and the absence of many of the international observers who were themselves posting updates on social media during the presidential election, it is clear that elections in Nigeria have taken a new turn. The unprecedented use of social media in these elections is a welcome development. It succeeded in making the last minute scramble at polling units by political party affiliates a reduced feature in the elections. For whatever reason, Obanikoro Junior was engaged in that scene captured on video, future candidates will be wary of making costly mistakes at polling units going forward, if for nothing else, but to avoid embarrassment or undue insinuations and rumours. At last, Nigerians are catching up to the true power of their resolve and determination; using the tools they have control over.

It is now time to extend the practice to all aspects of national life.

All agencies of government should establish an online presence on so-

cial media for easy access, not just outdated websites that are never maintained. In more civilized countries, the police respond to threats posted on social media and multinational corporations make big announcements first on social media.

There is one glaring example of the part it played in the Arab spring – governments have been toppled via social media. The sooner Nigerians realise that power to force the hand of our historically unresponsive government and its agencies, the better it will be for the general well-being and development of the country.

If “my oga at the top” can go viral, and elections can be monitored from polling units to collation centres through eye witness pictures and videos, then people can attend public tenders, follow government projects in their communities, phase by phase, and make reports with pictures or video evidence. The change does not have to end with All Progressives Congress (APC), taking over from the PDP at the centre, it should also extend to the citizenry being more involved and informed using the resources at their disposal. One man cannot guarantee change, but with everyone on board, real change can be realised.

Anyone who has been following the rising cases of police brutality against black people in the United States of America, will know what role video evidence caught on smart devices has played in getting people’s attention. It has put recalcitrant policemen on their toes, because new videos emerge every day.

But then, political apathy in Nigeria is still very much a problem.

The presidential election roused a good number of the citizenry, due largely to the fact that indications were clear that it will be a close race and the debate was steered by pre-

Dele Agekameh vailing issues like insecurity among others. Still, after all the barroom talk and public debates, the turnout was less than ideal. The states with the highest numbers, like Lagos, Rivers and Kano, only had a fraction of their official population registered as voters and a fraction of those registered actually voted. The gubernatorial elections saw that number dip. However, to be fair to the people, there are probably more than a few reasons to stay safe in one’s home during elections in Nigeria. People on social media in Rivers State reported monitoring elections “safely in the house”, which is sound logic.

This is why Nigerians have to work together to make the state apparatus work for the citizens and show interest in government processes. The political parties may have their agenda, but the people’s agenda should remain the same to make the officials work to get tangible results that will speak for themselves in the next elections.

News travels faster than ever before, through easier channels and with greater reach. It is time Nigerians exploit this great avenue to create the change we crave.

22

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, APRIL 15, 2015

COMMENTS ‘Never in Yoruba land has anyone so uncouth and lacking finesse been thrown up to leadership position. I wonder if any decent Ekiti man/ woman with a sense of propriety can stand anywhere and say they are proud to have Fayose as governor. He has simply crossed every line of decency. The man who ridiculed his own mother in the name of politics is on the threshold of history. The first impeached governor to be reelected and from the look of things, he will be the first person to be impeached twice as governor. I hope to see an advert that carries “no apology” when all these is over. - From Simon Oladapo, Ogbomoso’ •Buhari For Segun Gbadegesin Oh God! Restore the 16 years that the cankerworm and caterpillar alias -People Democratic Party (PDP) - have destroyed. Give us great grace to sweep them out with our brooms. Anonymous Re: Closing argument. So, you have the temerity to blame the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) saying: ‘including sabotage by corrupted INEC officials colluding with the locusts’. That is not fair a comment from you on INEC which did a great job on March 28, 2015.

Secondly, are you aware that Osun State Governor Rauf Aregbesola, a progressive, is owing his workers about six months? Yet, the Federal Government is not owing him any monthly allocation! Be objective when you write and criticise. Remember, the horsewhip used for the elderly wife, is being kept for the brand new wife. It’s a matter of time by voters! You were highly elated in your article. I hope when your opponents win where it may pinch you, it won’t be called ‘rigging’. - From Lanre Oseni Closing argument: On the outcome of the presidential election, the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo must have turned in his grave because what he predicted many years before his demise has come to pass. Now my prediction is this, should the All Progressives Congress-led Federal Government performs in a such a way that Nigeria is removed from the comity of underdeveloped nations, the next generation of Nigerians will celebrate Bola Tinubu as the father of modern day Nigeria. From Ayena Olugbega Ph. D Despite low turnout of voters, the counsel of commonsense will prevail. Kudos to you Segun. - From F. K. Gbadamosi.

To Mr Anele of Sunday Vanguard: “A man of material poverty like you, who obviously, has been settled by a clearly below average intelligent man like Jonathan; a man of global ridicule for corruption and ineptitude, just can’t appreciate why the world is celebrating a new fresh air promised by the Buhari phenomenon.

A character like you defending a woman who blew billions of public resources on private junketing and who refused to appear before House Committee is a disgrace to the world of academics. You will live to see the difference in governance of Nigeria. - From a retired career Ambassador Jonathan’s phone call to Buhari: the dangers of hyperbole.” I think with you Nigerians can always learn something different and new from what they already knew in a given development in the country. At least from your own account, we are now able to understand better that Jonathan must have quickly conceded defeat or “anticipated the formal announcement of his defeat” in the hope that that was going to “atone for the enormous sins the man, his lieutenants and his PDP have committed against Nigerians in the past 16 years”. And this you won’t accept but have to remind Buhari that to allow him such “cleverness” would mean to encourage the likes of Jonathan and Company to repeat same in future.OBJ must be a happy man for his own years of civilian rule to be so carefully excluded from indictment by you, or better still, are not required to be accounted for too. Perhaps his exit from PDP and flirting with APC of late may have atoned for that. God have mercy.

From Emmanuel Egwu.

I have read through your article; it was clear and meaningful. Please advise the newly elected government to keep its promises to Nigerians. Anonymous For Olatunji Dare Whether Nigerians like it or not President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan is one in a million.

- Anonymous Thank you Prof. Dare, but you can see that marginalisation of Igbo has started. What is Saraki or Akume doing with Senate presidency? Is that position not ours, one PDP senator from Igbo will defect to APC and take the post. - Anonymous Dr Jonathan - a statesman, patriot and noble?

I would have agreed with you if he had made calls to relevant authorities when the court was desecrated at Ado Ekiti and souls were perishing in Port Hacourt. He capitulated because the ivory coast experience was still fresh in his memory. - Anonymous Ref: Verdict 2015. According to the usual collaborators, it was ‘wrong’ for Jonathan. Prof Attahiru Jega has delivered on his promise.

What some of you will be writing in the weeks ahead will determine the course of the peace accord. Can’t you be charitable enough to leave Jonathan alone? - Anonymous Prof., good day and quite a long time. I just read your Column of today. Don’t you think your view that Jonathan’s concession of defeat has “transformed him to a statesman of the first rank, non-pareil patriot, and one of the finest and noblest persons of this age” smacks of excessive exaggeration? - From Bisi Olawunmi.

Dr Jonathan is one of the best president that Nigeria would ever have in history. He has never been desperate for power; he is a statesman of the first rank; he is a noble man. The problem of Jonathan is the bad people that are around him. - From James Adison, Makurdi.

Dear Prof, I cannot agree less that President Goodluck Jonathan has written his name in gold.

I am not surprised, however, because he had repeatedly said that his ambition and the ambition of anyone for that matter was not worth the blood of any Nigeria. He actually saved Nigeria from the predicted and ominous doom.

Apparently, I wish this patriot and hero of our time, Jonathan, the best in his future endeavours.

I wish those desperate for governorship positions across the land will learn some lessons from the President’s act. God bless Nigeria. From Temitope Vincent, Akure Prof. Dare, what we are expecting President Jonathan to do? Refuse to accept the result of a free, fair and credible election? Stay put in Aso Rock Villa and risk the Laurent Gbagbo treatment? Mr. President has proven to us that he is truly a Doctor of Philosophy holder and not one of degrees awarded in a Hotel room. I salute our outgoing President and Commanderin-Chief and wish him well. - Ayo Olalere, Apete, Ibadan.

Re-verdict 2015: The weeks after. Now, all doubting Thomases believe that the president was not interested in clinging to power at all cost with his submission! What else, after all the journalistic criticisms? His fall! What else? Be objective in life. Worse people even shouted ‘ Haleluya’. - From Lanre Oseni.

While my congratulations must equally go to Gen Buhari; nevertheless, I am, particularly, happy with President Jonathan for accepting defeat. It was that exemplary act of superior patriotism that defused the highly tensed-up situation in the country, and consolidated the General’s victory in the minds of the people all over the country. Otherwise those who had voted for the president and had expected him to win landslide, wouldn’t have found it difficult converting the Buhari victory into a prelude to the disintegration of the nation by now, going by the already combustible situation in the country before, during and after the election.

Jonathan saved us all that and deserves our commendation, no matter what.

Though a galant loser, the president will be better remembered as a consummate, patriot, a man of peace, a courageous politician and, of course, the golden thread with which the modern Nigeria was woven together and kept as one. - From Emmanuel Egwu.

PDP has never been under the sun nor rain

before and the opposition has been there for 16 years. Now that APC has succeeded in throwing them out to the weather, they (APC) must be wary of many PDP members who now will want to rush back to the shade, instead of using their umbrella. For we the Igbo, APC’s leadership doesn’t need to be told that persons like Ngige, Okorocha and some very few trusted and committed others are the ones they should do business with on our behalf. - From Architect Eddie Ogbuefi, Lagos.

Please give credit to whom it’s due. Jonathan has done what all the Obasanjos, Babangidas, Abachas couldn’t do with all their donkey years in power and its corridors. He gave us free and fair elections, for me that surpass all the achievements in Obasanjo’s eight terrible years. Anonymous Citizens for Change: It is a year since over 200 girls - future leaders of our country were abducted from Chibok. Between then and now, President Goodluck has given two of his daughters out in marriage without visiting Chibok! I beg to ask: Is this right? Is it fair? Anonymous Much as Obasanjo has by virtue of being a former military head of state, and later, president, becoming an elder statesman and has also contributed to the development of the country (and the destruction of it), I don’t think it is in the interest of the nation for him to start meeting secretly with Gen Buhari at this incubation stage of his in-coming administration.

Obasanjo is a problem to the country than he is a solution to it. He is more interested in being considered relevant at all times and in deciding what should go on in the government by proxy, than he is concerned about good governance and the welfare of the people. That he pretended pitching his tent with the APC at the 11th hour of the presidential race shouldn’t deceive anybody. He would still be the one to cast the first stone against Buhari and his government if he isn’t favoured with whatever he is looking for in the government. So, the earlier Buhari is wary of him, the better for him and the nation. - From Emmanuel Egwu.

For Tunji Adegboyega “Fayose, for whom the bell tolls”, that was a masterpiece. The people of Ekiti State must realise that the beautiful colours of a snake do not make its venom harmless. Fayose should be taught how to rule within the ambit of the law. God bless Nigeria. - From Chris Ben, Shogunle, Lagos.

No hiding place for Ayo Fayose; the chief judge should constitute the panel to investigate his illegalities. He has chewed more than he can swallow. We should never condone the activities of never-do-well leaders again as we are expecting the dawn of a new era come May 29. - From Gordon Chika Nnorom, Nnorom, Umukabia.

If he (Fayose) likes, let him go to Okija Shrine or he should bathe himself with all the water in Osun Shrine, he will not escape. When he was boasting and blabbing as if he owns heaven and earth, he has forgotten that every day is for the thief and, definitely, a day is for the owner. The wages of sin is not death for him but punishment, to serve as a deterrent to others who might emulate him. Those who believe in illegalities to thrive should understand that no amount of justification can make it legal. - From Hamza Ozi Momoh, Apapa Lagos.

Every day, the discerning in Ekiti do feel ashamed that Fayose has alienated them from their Yoruba kinsmen. Please do not blame the Ekiti elite for inaction except the so-called ‘kabiyesis’ who are behaving like gluttons.

Why would any elite dare to face Fayose at great risk to his life? Fayose capitalised on the fact that Ekiti is homogenous and speaks only the same dialect unlike Ondo where we have the Ilajes, Owo Akoko, etc. Hence, there is no formidable area to boldly summon their

•Fayose arsenals to rise against him except via the law.

There is no known responsible person that worked with him at his first outing that is still with him now. He is popular because he is surrounded by frustrated artisans, people from broken homes, etc. that he brainwashed with chicken fee to harass, intimidate and incite against the law-abiding people of Ekiti State.

Fayose may only be important to outsiders; but those of us watching from the sidelines know that he is an irritant and highly disrespectful character.

He is surrounded by self-appointed local government caretaker committee members that he monthly dishes out stipend as he wishes from his heart. Certainly, his reign will soon eclipse like the proverbial tortoise who bade goodbye his wife that he was going out and when Yannibo (his wife) asked him when he would return; he said only after he had been thoroughly disgraced. - From Ch Tunji Ayena, IkereEkiti.

Never in Yoruba land has anyone so uncouth and lacking finesse been thrown up to leadership position. I wonder if any decent Ekiti man/ woman with a sense of propriety can stand anywhere and say they are proud to have Fayose as governor. He has simply crossed every line of decency. The man who ridiculed his own mother in the name of politics is on the threshold of history. The first impeached governor to be reelected and from the look of things, he will be the first person to be impeached twice as governor. I hope to see an advert that carries “no apology” when all these is over. - From Simon Oladapo, Ogbomoso.

I have never seen a newspaper like The Nation, so partisan. With The Nation’s management and reporters, the people in APC are saints.

From page one to the end, APC is a party from heaven. Friends, balance your stories; be just.

The same measure the creator measures unto men of injustice not only to those who ruleth over us. Change the name of your paper to APC, If Buhari probes Jonathan, what will Buhari do to Tinubu, Obasanjo? Have a good week ahead and write well. God surely looks into the affairs of men. - From Uwem Oku. Not even the traditional rulers at the Ibadan rally cautioned him. Today, Fayose has blasphemed against his creator, the Almighty God. He told the APC legislators to impeach God first if they want to impeach him. Fayose has stripped himself naked; he’s now running for cover. Not even Femi Fani-Kayode or Doyin Okupe could cloth him back; he is dancing in the market square and people are wriggling their heads. Fayose should repent before it is too late. - From Abubakar Musa, Abuja.

Fayose broke his political spinal cord on March 28 and is on his way to the wheel chair where it would dawnion him that the Most High ruleth in the kingdom of men. Until then, we dey kampe. - From Ayoola Debby.

For Dapo Fafowora “The Nation Decides” is vintage Dapo. How I wish at least 10 percent of normal readership read this piece. God bless you. Anonymous.

Thank God for true citizens in our country.

Truth must be told. Thanks for your masterpiece. From Chima, Enugu.

Hello, Dapo, bravo for all your patriotic writeups. May your ink never run dry (Amen). Keep writing and I am sure that one day, we the true patriots shall surely get to our Canaan land.

Wonderful job. Keep putting them on their toes.

- Anonymous.

I so much cherish your article. I wish all Nigerians can understand the kind of trouble PDP has put us through. God will not forgive them for the crime they committed against the nation. - Anonymous You are very objective in your submissions on the back page of The Nation. You are a true Nigerian who knows what Nigeria is today.

God bless you and bless our country Nigeria. Anonymous.

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, APRIL 15, 2015

23

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, APRIL 15, 2015

25

BUSINESS THE NATION

E-mail:- bussiness@thenationonlineng.net

NLNG is one of the biggest success stories in our country. From what I am told, the company has invested $13 billion so far since inception, and has become a pacesetter in terms of revenue generation for the government.

-Minister of Trade and Investment, Dr Olusegun Aganga

Ericsson takes video to cloud

Stockbrokers, others can’t hold more than 20% E S

TOCKBROKERS, who constitute the largest members of the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE), may have to sell down their shareholdings within five years under the demutualisation of the Exchange, according to the final rules on the matter by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

As against earlier ceiling of 40 per cent in the draft rules and regulations, the final rules approved by SEC, obtained by The Nation, indicated that the aggregate equity interests of members of any specific stakeholder group, such as stockbrokers and broker-dealer in the demutualised securities exchange, should not exceed 20 per cent.

The rules also retained the provision that no individual or entity must directly or indirectly own more than five per cent of the issued shares or voting rights in a demutualised securities exchange.

By Taofik Salako

The rules, according to Section 313 of the Investments and Securities Act (ISA) 2007, describe “related entities and persons” as a person or entity that is related to the entity or person that owns the equity or the voting rights.

They stipulate that the securities exchange should initiate a process for determining the accurate list of members of the Exchange prior to the commencement of demutualisation.

“The stakeholder groups who are shareholders of the Securities Exchange shall with effect from the date of demutualisation shall reduce their cumulative shareholding in the demutualised Securities Exchange to no more than 20 percent within five years,” according to the rules. The 20 per cent ceiling is however an improvement on the draft rules, which stipulated a ceiling of 10 per cent

within five years.

The demutualisation of the Securities Exchange should include an exchange of membership rights in the Securities Exchange for ownership of shares in the demutualised Securities Exchange.

The rules allow the Exchange to give equity interest to a strategic investor subject to establishment of the facts that the strategic investor has technical expertise through previous experience in managing other Exchanges and the aggregate number of shares to be offered to the strategic investors shall not be more than 30 per cent of issued and fully paid up capital of the securities exchange.

However, if the Exchange is in need of funds, it could issue a higher number of shares subject to approval of the Commission.

As part of preconditions for demutualisation, a securities exchange shall prior to demutualisation submit the

names and profiles of members of its committee on demutualisation, a valuation report, the draft Memorandum and Articles of Association of the Securities Exchange, the proposed rules of the demutualised Securities Exchange, the proposed allotment and the basis of the proposed allotment of shares to the initial shareholders of the Securities Exchange, a list of the directors proposed as the Board of the Securities Exchange, an implementation plan stating the process to be adopted for effecting the demutualisation of the Exchange, including but not limited to the treatment of the rights and liabilities of the existing members of the Exchange and the proposed plan for the independent management of the commercial and regulatory functions of the demutualised Securities Exchange and timelines for implementation of necessary structures to ensure the functional treatment of

• From left: Representative of Huawei, Jeff Wang; Director, Bitflux Communications, Abiodun Omoniyi; Managing Director, Huawei Nigeria (Carrier Business), James Lee, Director, Bitflux Communications, Tokunbo Talabi and an official of Huawei, Andy Du, during the roll-out contract signing ceremony between Biftflux Communications and Huawei Nigeria in Lagos.

‘NIMS ‘ll promote CBN’s financial inclusion’

T

HE Association of NonBank Micro Finance Insti tutions of Nigeria (ANMFIN) has said the National Identity Management System (NIMS) being implemented by the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) will provide additional fillip to the Central Bank of Nigeria’s (CBN’s) Financial Inclusion drive.

Its Executive Secretary, Mr. Godbless Safugha, who spoke after signing a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the agency in Abuja, on the enrolment of its members into the National Identity Database (NIDB), expressed gratitude to the NIMC for stretching its hands of collaboration and support towards its organisation, adding that NIMC’s role in driv-

By Lucas Ajanaku

ing financial inclusion at the grass root through the provision of reliable data cannot be over emphasised.

He said: “For us at ANMFIN, we see the National Identity Management System (NIMS) project as an antidote for identity crisis management in Nigeria which will improve financial services, social safety net programmes, healthcare services and others. So we chose to partner this platform for the clear transformation it will bring to the Nigerian people.”

Stressing the relevance of the grassroots to the success of financial inclusion in Nigeria, he said: “Today, the Central Bank of Nigeria is preaching Financial Inclusion. To successfully achieve this goal, we must be

CBN, NDIC adopt fresh banking supervision model - P 26

able to reach the common man at the grassroots. If those people at the grass root are not identified, it becomes difficult to make any progress in this direction.

“But with NIMC coming on board, I am optimistic that we will achieve financial inclusion in a very short time because we can quickly identify those at the grassroots.”

The Director-General, NIMC, Chris Onyemenam, assured ANMFIN of the agency’s support, adding that it will take advantage of the group to get to the grass root.

“We will do our utmost best to give you that support. I think you are closer to the bankers at the grass root. Am sure we can catch the rural bankers speedily through this collaboration,”

he said.

The NIMC chief reiterated the commission’s commitment to identifying Nigerians to boost economic development. “God willing, we will continue to support efforts to uniquely identify Nigerians in a bid to fast track the prospects in the NIMS project in terms of economic development.”

The Commission, established

by Act No. 23 of 2007, has the mandate to foster the development of an identity sector, register persons covered by the Act, assign a Unique National Identification Number (NIN) and issue General Multi-Purpose Cards (GMPC) to those registered individuals, and harmonise and integrate identification databases for verification and authentication.

Many sides of mobile money - P27

commercial and regulatory functions for a “No Objection” clearance by SEC. Any changes to the information provided under the preconditions must also be filed with the Commission for a “No Objection” clearance.

The demutualised Exchange is expected to implement its plan for the independent management of its commercial and regulatory functions within one year of approval by SEC. On corporate governance, demutualised Exchange shall have a board of sufficient size relative to the scale and complexity of its operations and the board must be composed in such a way as to ensure diversity of experience without compromising independence, compatibility, integrity and availability of members to attend meetings.

At least one third of the board shall be independent directors as provided for under the SEC Corporate Governance Code or any other applicable Corporate Governance Code while all appointments of directors and executive management shall require the prior written approval of the SEC. Besides, the demutualised Exchange shall be required to comply with the SEC Code of Corporate Governance for public companies and any other applicable corporate governance code.

Demutualisation is the changing of a memberowned stock exchange, otherwise known as mutual exchange, to a corporate entity owned by shareholders. In a mutual exchange, the three functions of ownership, management and trading are concentrated into a single group, hence the broker members of the exchange are both the owners and the traders on the exchange and they further manage the exchange as well.

In a demutualised exchange, the three functions of ownership, management and trading are clearly separated. The new rules by SEC simply defined demutualisation as “the process through which a member owned organisation becomes a shareholder owned company”.

The NSE has been locked in intense grip of demutualisation with divergent views on the necessity, procedures and timing and other details of the exercise. The release of the draft culminated a fouryear exercise to provide amenable template for the demutualisation.

RICSSON has launched its cloud DVR solution, applicable to all QAM and IP-based TV platforms.

This crucial consumer application is powered by the Ericsson Video Storage and Processing Platform, a high performance, software-based infrastructure.

Ericsson’s new platform offers a unique, proven infrastructure, which allows for seamless augmentation and replacement of legacy TV services with new cloud-based services. It integrates and virtualises the storage and processing capabilities of as many Commercial-Off-TheShelf (COTS) servers as needed, providing outstanding performance gains and allowing operators to avoid many of the complexities and costs associated with launching new services.

The firm’s Vice President/ Head, Solution Area Media, Ericsson, Ove Anebygd, said: “Today’s viewers are more prescriptive than ever. They want simplicity in discovery and immediacy of access to TV Anywhere services, and content delivered in the highest possible quality. “They require the flexibility and speed to connect to huge libraries of content, and the ability to record and watch live and linear content whenever they choose. Providing these features can be expensive and many legacy infrastructures simply do not have the functionality to do it. Our customers need the most advanced cloud-centric solutions to drive functions from the home into the cloud, and to enable service differentiation and new efficiencies. Our new cloud DVR solution places us at the forefront of technology capability and performance, with proven deployments at the most demanding customer sites, totaling over 150 petabytes of storage capacit.”

In addition to powering the most proven-at-scale cloud DVR deployments, the Ericsson Video Storage and Processing Platform also enables multiple video storage and video processing applications that include: Master video library – Scale-out storage providing the ability to ingest, process and ubiquitously stream master or “gold copies’ of licensed content; Long tail server –Allows operators to store and deliver less popular, or long tail, content directly from a large, central storage vault, eliminating the need to replicate entire libraries at the edge of the network; Dynamic origin server – High performance scale-out storage has integrated recording, storage, and delivery functions; CDN (content delivery network) assist.

Fabricating for success - P37

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, APRIL 15, 2015

26

THE NATION

BUSINESS MONEY

e-mail: money@thenationonlineng.net

CBN, NDIC adopt fresh banking T supervision model

HE Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC) have adopted a new banking supervision model.

Banking supervision will, henceforth, be risk-based, according to NDIC Managing Director Alhaji Umaru Ibrahim.

In a report obtained from the corporation’s website, Ibrahim said risk-based supervision would enable CBN and NDIC to evaluate banks’ areas of risks, focusing on critical areas while evaluating the risk management models deployed to achieve business plans.

He said the corporation has developed frameworks for Early Warning Signals (EWS), identified and measured Systemically Important Banks (SIBs), whose failure could trigger crisis in the economy.

NDIC, he noted, has been complementing CBN in many areas, particularly in banking supervision and distress resolution in the

Stories by Collins Nweze

last 26 years. Ibrahim said the banking supervision and failure resolution functions, which have been part of NDIC’s core functions, cannot be in doubt many years after.

The corporation, he said, is seeking amendment of its law to enhance its operational performance and ensuring that it has powers to pay depositors after a reasonable time between 30 and 90 days after the bank closes its premises, following revocation of its licence or because of the court case.

“A situation where depositors have their money trapped in failed banks without access to such funds should not be encouraged. That is the global best practice which must

be allowed in Nigeria. That is the power being sought by NDIC,” he said.

The NDIC boss said cases of failed institutions without succour for depositors abound in commercial banks, microfinance banks and primary mortgage institutions.

He said the amendment will enable the corporation to discharge its core mandate in line with best practices.

The corporation, he added, continues to seek consultation, collaboration, partnership and cooperation with the CBN as well as other members of financial stability groups.

He said the core mandate of the NDIC as explicit deposit insurance firm are deposit guarantee, bank-

ing supervision, failure resolution and bank liquidation.

“The NDIC serves as a lifeline to Depositors through the Deposit Guarantee scheme. The NDIC deposit guarantee payment to depositors up to the maximum insured limit in accordance with its statutory mandate in the event of failure of an insured financial institution. This distinct role allows the NDIC to continue to discharge its mandate and bolster the confidence of depositors in the banking system,” he said.

From its initial guarantee of N50,000 per depositor of Deposit Money Banks (DMBs) at inception, the maximum deposit insurance coverage was increased to N200,000 in 2006 and N500,000 in

Nigeria’s exports to ECOWAS hit $6b

N

•From right: Group Head, Agric Finance, Sterling Bank Plc, Mrs. Bukola Awosanya; Deputy Director-General, International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), Ibadan, Dr. Kenton Dashiell and Head, Agric Finance, Sterling Bank Plc, Mr. Ebenezer Boluwade at the Annual Conference of IITA in collaboration with the International Association of Research Scholars and Fellows in Ibadan.

Govt urged to implement Vision 2020 SMEs’ report T

HE Federal Government has been urged to ensure seamless implementation of the Vision 20: 2020 National Technical Working Group report on Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs).

Heritage Bank Managing Director, Mr. Ifie Sekibo said this would lead to an efficient strategy for curtailing unemployment.

He urged SMEs owners to join hands in sustaining an active SMEs revitalisation drive through the establishment of a framework supported by articulated government policy.

“The high rate of unemployment in the country requires all stakeholders to work together in ensuring the quick revitalisation of the SME sector as the primary source of creating jobs and fostering entrepreneurship among the youths. The Vision 2020 National Technical Working Group on SMEs has developed a blueprint for boosting SMEs and the government needs to do all within its power to bring up the fine ideas in the blueprint for implementation,” he said.

Sekibo noted that though SMEs are a vital national economic growth engine contributing to vi-

• Sekibo

tal economic indicators, such as Employment Generation and Gross Domestic Product (GDP) with about 70 per cent of the rural population being active in formal and informal SME sectors, a study of the sector has shown that growth possibilities are hampered as signifi-

2010.

“As for the MFBs and PMBs from N100,000 in 2006, the coverage level was increased to N200,000 in 2010.

At the moment, the Corporation provides deposit insurance cover to the all eligible CBN licensed 24 deposit money banks (DMBs), 880 microfinance banks (MFBs), 77 primary mortgage banks (PMBs) and one non-interest bank (NIB) operating in the country,” he said.

Ibrahim said the NDIC, as the third pillar of the financial safetynet, collaborates with the CBN to conduct risk based banking supervision in line with global best practice.

“It also protect depositors and assist to promote an effective and efficient payment system by encouraging healthy competition and innovation among the insured deposit taking financial institutions through off-site and on-site supervision,” he said.

cantly low number of start ups who apply for medium-longer term financing actually succeed.

He attributed the main challenge facing SMEs’ promoters to limited access to appropriate capacity building opportunities and education which, in turn, lead to other growth-limiting impediments such as inadequate financial record keeping, poor managerial skills, lack of access to international markets, inability to provide collateral and poor access to infrastructure.

He advised SMEs’ owners to focus more on restructuring and innovation to access the unfolding opportunities for growth and development of the economy.

According to him, “The Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) Development Fund which provides an exit window for the MSME schemes and programmes currently implemented by the Central Bank is one of the new opportunities for SMEs in the country to access wholesale funding requirements. It offers a relatively more sustainable approach to the provision of credit and guaranteed advisory services to the specialised needs of the MSME sector”.

IGERIA’S exports to Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) member-countries have been increasing yearly, according to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) Article IV Consultation Staff Report.

They increased from $1 billion in 1990 to about $6 billion in 2013, IMF said.

The report said the implementation in January 2015 of the Common External Tariffs (CET) for ECOWAS member-countries is expected to reduce incentives for informal trade and simplify customs procedures, potentially increasing recorded trade volumes.

“Moreover, the slowdown in Nigeria will adversely affect informal exports to Nigeria. Anecdotal evidence indicates that goods that are subject to import restrictions in Nigeria have become key export goods for neighboring countries.

Those informal exports to Nigeria are important sources of income for some neighboring countries and outward spillovers may be nontrivial,” it said.

It said growing cross-border activity of Nigerian-based banks has increased the scope for spillovers

through financial channels, along with regulatory and supervisory challenges.

It said the depreciation of the exchange rate would add to inflation, reflecting the pass-through of higher domestic prices for imports, but the effect is likely to be contained, in part due to lower food prices from increased local production of staple food crops.

The IMF said the outlook was compromised by low fiscal and external buffers, which have reduced the capacity to absorb shocks relative to the experience of the 2008-09 financial crisis.

The lender said the government expressed its determination to implement appropriate measures to manage risks.

“They agreed that the oil price shock is significant and, at least in part, permanent, but saw a smaller effect on economic activity than staff, owing to measures targeted at sectors critical for growth (agriculture, power, small enterprises) and the impact of remittances. They noted that rising food self-sufficiency would limit the passthrough to inflation and activity in housing construction would continue,” it said.

CBN disburses 20% of MSME fund

A

BOUT 20 per cent of the N220 billion Micro, Small, and Medium Scale Enterprises (MSMEs) fund has been disbursed to beneficiaries, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has said.

CBN Director, Banking Supervision, Mrs. Tokunbo Martins, said the supervisory bank was working on ways of ensuring that more funds get to the critical sectors of the economy.

Head, Relationship Management, MSME Development Finance Department, Tobin Jonathan, said CBN was jolted by low access to the fund by operators.

CBN, he said, is worried that since the fund was launched last August only insignificant portion has been disbursed to operators because of stringent conditions attached to accessing the funds.

MSME-operators, Ibrahim said, were complaining that the criteria were too difficult to meet, hence CBN Governor Godwin Emefiele relaxed them to make the funds

more accessible.

He added that the CBN also addressed other complaints by participating financial institutions, including the spread of profit to cover their cost of operations.

“So, they can collect the forms at two per cent and give it out at five per cent. So they have seven per cent spread which is good enough.

That has encouraged so many of them to begin to apply,” Jonathan said.

The Project Manager for Financial Infrastructure Project to the CBN, International Finance Corporation (IFC), Ubong Awah, said: “We are collaborating with the CBN to establish the National Collateral Registry which will be launched by June.”

He said it is important as part of efforts to stimulate financing to the MSME sector in Nigeria, stressing that collateral registry would provide part of the infrastructure for pushing the initiative ahead.

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, APRIL 15, 2015

27

MONEY Call it a marriage of convenience, you won’t be wrong. Telecoms technology and banking services are creating a wave in the financial services subsector via mobile money. This payment module has grown beyond its original concept and is expected to bridge the gaps between the banked and the unbanked, writes COLLINS NWEZE.

T

HE dream of getting financial services to all nooks and crannies of the country is now being pursued by both the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and Nigeria Communications Commission (NCC) via mobile money.

That vision, many analysts said, would be largely driven by mobile money, which refers to payment services operated under financial regulation and performed via a mobile device.

With mobile money, instead of paying with cash, cheque, or credit cards, a consumer can use a mobile phone to pay for various goods and services.

In 2008, the global market for all types of mobile payments was projected to reach over $600 billion by 2013. In developing countries, including Nigeria, mobile payment solutions are deployed as a means of extending financial services to the unbanked or under-banked.

This group constitutes about 50 per cent of the world’s population, according to Financial Access’ Report.

Analysts insist that financial exclusion persists because of the inaccessibility of the unbanked, mostly people in the lower strata of the economy, by the financial services providers.

The unbanked are often far removed from the centre of commerce, which tends to lower their participation in economic transactions.

A combination of low demand for financial services and prohibitive costs without commensurate returns dissuades financial services providers such as banks, insurance, and pension administrators from establishing physical presence in these locations.

However, mobile technology and innovations in the financial services industry, coupled with the phenomenal growth in telecoms’ subscriber numbers, have altered this situation.

Financial services providers continue to leverage the reach of telecoms networks to provide mobile money services to otherwise inaccessible locations.

The recent agreements on mobile money services between financial institutions and telecoms networks, MTN and Diamond Bank, UBA and Airtel, Stanbic IBTC Bank, First Bank, Ecobank and Globacom, will hopefully ramp up the synergy that should lead to further growth in mobile money.

The M-Pesa example The poster boy of the successful integration of the rural/informal populace into formal banking system via mobile money services is usually Kenya. And rightly so. MPESA, Kenya’s mobile money system, has been hugely popular and successful in that country. Today, M-PESA has over 40,000 agents and 17 million users (“equivalent to more than two-thirds of the country’s adult population, conducting more than two million transactions daily.

In 2010, Kenya had just 840 bank branches and 1,510 ATMs to serve a population of 47 million people. M-PESA, with its 40,000 agents, helped to plug the supply hole and provide access to financial services to ordinary Kenyans.

Micro finance institutions took advantage of M-PESA to penetrate remote areas very quickly without substantial increase in costs.

In other countries, many financial institutions seemed to have found the right mix to ensure successful deployment of mobile

Many sides of mobile money

• Fatokun

money. Standard Bank (parent bank of Nigeria’s Stanbic IBTC Bank), for instance, has been successful with mobile money in Uganda, Tanzania, and South Africa.

Bank-led model The bank-led mobile money model adopted by Nigeria may be slightly different from Kenya’s telecoms-driven model but the underlying peculiarities are broadly similar.

Access, costs, lower economic activities, and partnerships are common threads. The lessons of M-PESA are not lost though as mobile operators like MTN Nigeria is beginning to play more significant roles in mobile money.

CBN Vs Telco-led model The CBN said it avoided the implementation of the Telco-led model in the mobile money operation to have full control of monetary policy operations. The policy, it said will also enable it minimise risks and ensure that the offering of financial services are driven by organisations it licensed.

In its new guidelines, the CBN said the Telco-led model, where the lead initiator is Mobile Network Operator (MNO), shall not be operational in the country. The apex bank said the overriding vision of achieving a nationally utilised and internationally recog-

• Ikpoki

nised payments system necessitates strategies to bring informal payment transactions into the formal system.

This framework has identified two models for the implementation of mobile money services namely; Bank Led – Financial Institution(s) and/or its Consortium as Lead Initiator and NonBank Led- A corporate organisation duly licensed by the CBN as Lead Initiator.

“The CBN recognises the importance of MNOs in the operations of mobile money and appreciates the criticality of the infrastructure they provide,” it said.

The CBN said a robust payments system is vital for effective monetary policy implementation and the promotion of economic efficiency. “The introduction of mobile telephony in Nigeria, its rapid growth and adoption and the identification of person to person payments as a practical strategy for financial inclusion, has made it imperative to adopt the mobile channel as a means of driving financial inclusion of the unbanked,” it said.

CEO, MTN Nigeria, Michael Ikpoki, said the network will focus on meeting the significant market demand for financial services and mobile content with an expected positive impact on data revenue.

“The success of Diamond Y’ello Account and other basic mobile money services is expected to lead to the adoption of more so-

• Airtel CEO, Segun Ogunsanya

phisticated mobile payment solutions such as bulk mobile payment designed for corporate organisations. This service makes it easier for organisations to send money in bulk to their suppliers, employees or other business partners without the beneficiaries necessarily having to own a bank account,” he said.

Mobile money providers are also expected not be shy to adapt and replicate what works in other places but continue to innovate and develop products and services to excite consumers and boost conversion rate.

Benefits to consumers Some of the benefits to the consumer include security, convenience, accessibility, speed and ease of transaction, competitive charges, access to quality advisory services, and integrity of transactions; the customer literally carries his bank in his pocket or bag wherever he goes.

Other benefits which are nonetheless important are better cash flow management, enhanced financial planning, and inculcation of sustainable savings habit, which boost financial security and comfort in retirement.

“Mobile payments, which I perform on my phone, help to reduce my travelling costs,” a farmer in rural Nigeria who uses mobile payment services said.

Mobile money also has the potential to galvanise economic

‘With mobile money, instead of paying with cash, cheque, or credit cards, a consumer can use a mobile phone to pay for various goods and services.... Financial services providers continue to leverage the reach of telecoms networks to provide mobile money services to otherwise inaccessible locations’

activities, leading to higher socio-economic development, lower cost of transactions and reduction of cash handling costs, among other benefits.

Role of regulators

CBN Director, Payment Systems Unit, ‘Dipo Fatokun, said the apex bank believes that mobile money and agent framework is the frontier of cashless boom.

“Mobile money is the next thing expected to transform CBN’s cash-less policy. The apex bank believes that such initiative will aid both telecommunications and banking industries to further serve Nigerians better,” he said.

Nigeria’s telecoms subscriber base, put at 131 million as of September, last year by the NCC, should play a major role in bringing the unbanked into the formal banking system.

With over 50 per cent of Nigeria’s adult population unbanked, mobile banking could be the catalyst that will help quicken the adoption of banking services by this critical segment of the population.

Offshore portfolio managers appear to be similarly persuaded and they are already positioning to take advantage of the expected growth in mobile money.

For instance, Carlyle Group, a USbased global alternative asset manager with $203 billion of assets under management across 129 funds and 141 fund of funds vehicles, recently acquired a $147 million (about N27 billion) minority stake in Diamond Bank, partly on the strength that the bank’s new mobile banking service “will help rapidly boost the lender’s customers and profits.”

Also strengthening mobile money is the Nigerian Deposit Insurance Commission (NDIC’s) extension of deposit insurance cover of up to N500,000 to mobile money account holders.

28

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, APRIL 15, 2015

THE NATION INVESTORS

Financial charges depress Unilever Nigeria’s Q1 performance U NILEVER Nigeria Plc wit nessed considerable growth in its top-line and effectively curtailed its operating expenses but burgeoning financial expenses undermined the performance of the conglomerate in the first quarter.

Interim report and accounts of Unilever Nigeria for the threemonth period ended March 31, 2015 showed that while sales grew by eight per cent and the group reduced operating expenses by nine per cent, a double in financial charges within the three months overwhelmed the performance of the conglomerate.

Unilever Nigeria’s pre and post tax profits dropped by 21 per cent each, a situation that simultaneously cut basic earnings per share by four kobo from 20 kobo in first quarter 2014 to 16 kobo in first quarter 2015.

Key extracts of the unaudited report showed that sales rose to N14.91 billion in first quarter 2015 as against N13.83 billion recorded in comparable period of 2014. Financial charges jumped by 114 per cent from N381.6 million in first quarter 2014 to N817.91 million in first quarter 2015. With this, profit before tax dropped from N1.09 billion to N864.74 million while profit after tax slipped by same margin

By Taofik Salako Capital Market Editor

from N750.63 million to N590.45 million.

The latest earnings report further raised concerns about the return outlook for the conglomerate after it recent announcement of reduction in dividend payout from N4.73 billion to N378.3 million. Current dividend recommendation released by the board of directors of the conglomerate showed that shareholders would receive a dividend per share of 10 kobo for the 2014 business year as against N1.25 received for the 2013 business year. The reduction highlights the steep decline in the performance of the company last year.

Key extracts of the audited report and accounts of Unilever Nigeria for the year ended December 31, 2014 showed declines in the top-line and the bottomline. While sales were tepid, the bottom-line performance was however worsened by significant increase in finance charges.

Turnover dropped by seven per cent from N60 billion in 2103 to N55.75 billion in 2014. Interest expense, otherwise known as fi-

nance charges, however rose by 65 per cent from N1.16 billion to N1.91 billion. This further constrained the profitability of the conglomerate as pre-tax profit dropped by 58 per cent from N6.79 billion to N2.87 billion.

After a 78 per cent reduction in tax provisions, net profit after tax dropped by 49 per cent to N2.41 billion in 2014 as against N4.72 billion recorded in 2013.

Earnings per share consequently dropped from N1.25 in 2013 to 64 kobo in 2014. The contraction also affected the company’s balance sheet as shareholders’ funds dropped by 20 per cent from N9.35 billion to N7.48 billion.

Shareholders of the company are expected to meet in May to review its performance and consider the recommended payment.

The earnings reports came on the heels of the move by Unilever Overseas Holdings, the United Kingdom-based foreign core investor, to acquire additional equity stake in the Nigerian subsidiary in a transaction valued at about N43 billion or £144.5

million.

Unilever Overseas Holdings has already approached the Board of Directors of Unilever Nigeria Plc about its intention to make an offer to increase its equity stake in the Nigerian company from 50.04 per cent up to a maximum of 75 per cent. The foreign core investor promises to maintain Unilever Nigeria’s listing on the Nigerian Stock Exchange.

Unilever Overseas Holdings has appointed Citigroup Global Markets Limited and Chapel Hill Advisory Partners Limited as its financial advisers on the proposed transaction.

The Nation had reported that Unilever Overseas Holdings proposes to acquire about 944.47 million ordinary shares in Unilever Nigeria at an intended offer price of N45.50 per share in cash. Unilever Nigeria opened this week at the NSE at N34 per share.

The proposed offer price represents a premium of 33.8 per cent on the company’s opening price today and a premium of 33.2 per cent on the three-month volume weighted average share price. It

• From left: Directors, Afriland Properties Plc, Yinka Ogunsulire; Emmanuel Nnorom and Managing Director, Uzoamaka Oshogwe, during the company’s Annual General Meeting in Lagos.

Stakeholders canvass support for retail bond market

S

TAKEHOLDERS in the capital market have called for collaborative efforts aimed at further deepening and developing the bond market, especially the retail segment.

Capital market chiefs, including private operators and regulators, brainstormed on the strategies to harness the huge benefits from retail bonds at a workshop organised by Stanbic IBTC Stockbrokers Limited in collaboration with the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE).

The event also attracted key players in the capital market including stockbrokers, dealers, investors, economic analysts and the Central Securities Clearing System (CSCS) Plc. Stakeholders agreed that the development of the bond market,

like other segments of the capital market, requires contributions of the operators, governments and other interested parties.

Chief Executive Officer, Stanbic IBTC Stockbrokers Limited, Mr. Oladele Sotubo, said the positioning and transformation of the bond market into a vibrant investment window requires the collaboration of all stakeholders.

He reiterated his firm’s commitment to facilitating stability and growth of the capital market through confidence-building initiatives and leveraging investment opportunities in the market.

According to him, a major objective in organising the workshop was to enlighten investors

and stakeholders on the workings of the bond market and the numerous benefits in investing in retail bonds in particular.

He added that investors and stakeholders’ education would help in boosting retail investors’ participation in both the primary and secondary markets, and ultimately, help to deepen the bond market.

Sotubo said as Nigeria’s largest stockbroking firm in both volume and value of total transactions, and stockbroker to the Federal Government, Stanbic IBTC Stockbrokers Ltd will continuously put in the public domain initiatives and strategies that could help all stakeholders, especially investors, to be better informed about developments in the capital market,

which will help them in making the right decisions.

He assured that Stanbic IBTC Stockbrokers Ltd would organize more of training workshops for investors and stakeholders with a view to increasing domestic participation in the capital market.

Head, Product Management, Nigerian Stock Exchange, Mr. Dipo Omotoso, who represented NSE’s chief executive, outlined some of the measures that have been taken to strengthen the capital market, which includes its derivatives.

He described the investment opportunities in the capital market and Nigeria’s economy as huge, and urged investors to become more active in the retail bonds segment.

is intended that the proposal would be effected by way of a tender offer, by giving any shareholder who elects to sell some or all of their shares in Unilever Nigeria the opportunity to do so.

The proposed acquisition is however still subject to the prior approval of the Nigerian Stock Exchange and the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

While noting that it has not reached any definitive agreement to proceed with the proposal, Unilever Nigeria has indicated that the formal offer documentation will be posted to shareholders as soon as the approvals of all the regulators are obtained.

Unilever Overseas reserves the right not to proceed with the proposal or to vary the terms of the proposal in any way and no binding offer will be made in respect of any securities until Unilever Nigeria has announced its final results for the year ended December 31, 2014 to the public.

Diamond Bank, AfDB lift NSE with N63.3b listings

D

IAMOND Bank Plc and African Development Bank (AfDB) buoyed the market capitalisation of the capital market by more than N63 billion with the listing of two recent issues by the companies on the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE).

Diamond Bank’s supplementary rights issue worth N50.37 billion was admitted to the equity segment while AfDB’s N12.95 billion debt issue was admitted to the debt segment of the market.

Diamond Bank had undertaken a rights issue of about 8.69 billion ordinary shares of 50 kobo each at N5.80 per share. The rights issue recorded 100 per cent subscription, adding N50.37 billion to the capital base of the bank.

The addition of the supplementary shares boosted Diamond Bank’s share capital to 23.16 billion ordinary shares of 50 kobo each. Diamond Bank’s share price opened this week at N4.47 per share, indicating total market capitalisation of N103.53 billion.

AfDB listed the first tranche of N12.95 billion seven-year 11.25 per cent fixed rate senior unsecured notes due 2021 under its N160 billion debt issuance programme.

The AfDB listing came on the heels of the successful conclusion of the offer for subscription of the N12.95 billion seven-year 11.25 per cent fixed rate senior unsecured notes due 2021.

AfDB had in 2013 indicated interests in raising medium term note (MTN) bonds and subsequently filed application for naira-denominated bond issuance programme of about $1.5 billion.

The Diamond Bank and AfDB listings came on the heels of the April 8 listing of United Bank for Africa (UBA) Plc’s N30.5 billion bond issue on the NSE and the FMDQ OTC Plc. UBA, in December 2014, successfully raised N30.5 billion Tier-II capital through the issuance of seven-year fixed rate unsecured notes, maturing in 2021.

The listing on the NSE provides opportunity for retail investors to take advantage of the fixed return on the investment grade notes through the primary market while the FMDQ will provide a secondary market platform for institutional and foreign investors to trade the UBA bond. The UBA bond is the first corporate bond to be admitted on the FMDQ platform and the first of its kind on a fixed income OTC in Africa.

Newspaper of the Year

AN EIGHT-PAGE PULLOUT ON THE SOUTHWEST STATES

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 15, 2015

PAGE 29

•Mrs Olaya

An attempt to frame up a member of the Ekiti State House of Assembly in the killing of a 32-year-old man last week during a protest to stop the planned impeachment of Governor Ayodele Fayose has backfired. The woman who claimed to be the deceased’s mother and laid the allegation against Hon. Gabriel Folorunso Ogundele has been exposed as an impersonator. ODUNAYO OGUNMOLA reports.

Maternity scandal deepens Ekiti political killing E

INSIDE

KITI State was seized by an orgy of violence last week over the impeachment proceedings against Governor Ayodele Fayose.

Nineteen members of the House of Assembly who are members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) sent a notice of impeachment to Fayose and his deputy, Kolapo Olusola, accusing them of gross misconduct.

The lawmakers accused Fayose of eight impeachable offences.

An attempt by the APC lawmakers who had been in and out of the state since the Assembly crisis began last November to return to their legislative chambers was greeted with violent protests by Fayose’s supporters.

Thugs, hoodlums and other miscreants laid siege to all roads that lead to the state in a bid to prevent the legislators from sitting to firm up the impeachment.

Why Ajimobi got a return ticket to Govt House, Agodi PAGES 30,31 & 34

Federal highways and state roads were blocked with rods, logs of wood, drums, trailers and other heavy objects to prevent human and vehicular traffic.

One of the roads affected was the Ilesa-AramokoAdo Highway through which the lawmakers intended to enter the state capital.

At Efon-Itawure junction, scores of loyalists of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) blocked the major road, awaiting the legislators.

One of the protesting PDP supporters was a 32-year-old man, Modupe Taiwo, who joined other party members from Efon Alaaye to the Itawure junction, which hosts a checkpoint manned by soldiers.

Eyewitnesses told The Nation on a fact-finding mission

•Mrs Akinyemi (Real mother)

Continued on page 30

300 get gas stoves in Ifako-Ijaiye Sweet, sour taste of life of a kidnap queen PAGES 32

PAGE 35

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, APRIL 15, 2015

30

SOUTHWEST REPORT

Why Ajimobi got a return After an exact prediction of how the Oyo State governorship election would go on this page last week, BISI OLADELE, examines the factors and strategies that helped Ajimobi break the second term jinx to become a man of history WHEN Abiola Ajimobi threw his cap into the political ring in 2003 after a fulfilled career in the oil and

gas industry where he retired as the Managing Director of National Oil, little did the people of Oyo State know that the Ibadan-born Management expert was a man of history waiting to be unveiled.

After winning his first election as the senator representing Oyo South Senatorial District in 2003, Ajimobi gave the governorship contest a try in 2007. He fought a good fight but he did not make it, though he was adjudged to have won the election against the then candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Adebayo Alao-Akala. He tried again in 2011 and won convincingly.

His victory again in last Saturday’s governorship election produced a new man of history as he broke the second term jinx. The jinx had reigned for de-

cades in the state like a strong curse, weakening the hands of previous governors in their battle to win a second term.

Other Southwest states - Lagos, Ogun, Ondo, Osun and Ekiti - had experienced two-term governors but it never happened in Oyo State until last Saturday. It became so popular at a stage that it looked impossible for any governor to achieve even as residents sang it like a traditional song to let any governor aspiring for a second term realize the futility of his dream.

In a way, it was seen as a mark of polit-

•Ajimobi

Maternity scandal deepens Ekiti political killing say his name is Gabriel Ogundele.

“They said he was coming with some OPC members from Lagos and they made a detour in Osun, but they were coming to Ekiti through IjebuIjesha.

“What I learnt was that when the convoy in which Ogundele was travelling arrived at Fabo Junction, they opened fire there.

“He was said to have shot at the protesters at the junction who had mounted a roadblock, claiming that he knew that Efon people were heady and stubborn.

“He was said to have announced that he was going to resume duties at the Ekiti State House of Assembly, of which I knew nothing about.

“I was told that my son had hidden behind a car, when everyone else had scampered to safety. He had been shot at the back.

“The vehicle with which he was being taken to the hospital ran out of fuel on the way, they continued with a motorcycle, which also ran out of fuel at Adagba farm settlement.

“They eventually got another motorcycle with which they got him to Odufunke Hospital, where the doctor had to call the police to ascertain his identity, having been brought as a gunshot victim.

“While all these were going on, my son had started to foam from the mouth and while they were trying to give him transfusion, he gave up the ghost.

“His pregnant wife, Yinka has two children. I don’t know what to do now. He is my fourth child and has been the sponsor of the family”.

Mrs. Olaya’s theatrics which was watched by bewildered and stupefied relations is causing disquiet in Efon community where many people are wondering why she was claiming paternity of Modupe when the deceased’s mother is alive.

The maternity scandal is already causing ripples in both the Olaya and Akinyemi families and the entire Efon Community with relations, neighbours and sympathizers expressing disgust with the scandal.

Few days after, the true mother of the deceased, Mrs. Deborah Kehinde Akinyemi, has expressed shock on the alleged impersonation.

,

Continued from page 29

to Efon last Friday that Taiwo was allegedly killed by security agents while thugs armed with guns and other dangerous weapons massed at the Itawure military checkpoint violently protesting to block the route through which the APC lawmakers were coming to Ado-Ekiti.

Some residents of Efon confirmed that the incident occurred long before the lawmakers arrived the checkpoint, when the thugs became unruly shooting at the security men.

Eyewitnesses revealed that Modupe was killed in the exchange of gunfire and his body was conveyed to the mortuary.

Despite the fact that the Police are yet to conclude their investigation, PDP members are pointing fingers in the direction of the lawmaker representing Efon Constituency, Hon. Gabriel Folorunso Ogundele as being responsible for the killing, an allegation vehemently denied by the Assembly member who belongs to the APC. About twenty four hours later, a woman, Mrs. Apeke Olaya, appeared at the Government House, Ado-Ekiti posing as the mother of the deceased.

In a dramatic and theatrical manner, Mrs. Olaya at a news conference organized by the state government claimed that Modupe was killed by Ogundele giving a different account of circumstances leading to the death of the young man.

Mrs. Olaya told reporters at the Government House that he was ‘pained’ by the death of her ‘son’ at the military checkpoint incident.

She cried, yelled, shed tears and rolling on the ground saying in Yoruba “Ogundele ti pa mi o, Ogundele ti pa mi o”, which literally means “Ogundele has killed me, Ogundele has killed me”.

Giving account of how the incident happened, Mrs Olaya told the news conference that: “He (Modupe) was 32 years old. It happened at Fabo, at Efon Junction on the way to Ijebu-Ijesha.

“Ogundele that shot him is a member of the House of Assembly, he is an indigene of Efon. They

The woman that went to the Government House was just his aunt.

I’m his true mother. She (Mrs. Olaiya) went there without the knowledge of the family

,

Mrs. Akinyemi, in a chat with The Nation last Friday at her residence in Idagba Quarters of Efon Alaaye, said she was surprised that Mrs. Olaya could claim to be the mother of her son at a news conference held at the Government House, Ado-Ekiti in the wake of the killing.

But the authentic mother of Modupe, who was surrounded by mourners and sympathizers when reporters visited her that Friday evening, said Mrs. Olaya was an aunt to the deceased as she (Mrs. Olaya) is the younger sister of the deceased’s father.

Contrary to Mrs. Olaya’s claim, Mrs. Akinyemi said her son left behind a child.

She looked forlorn on the mat she sat clutching a copy of the Holy Bible which has become her indispensable daily companion since the unfortunate incident happened.

Yet to come to the reality of the unfortunate and untimely death of his beloved son, Mrs. Akinyemi still believes that Modupe is still alive and would come back home in a short while.

First to speak was her daughter, Eniola who was the first person to counter the claim of Mrs. Olaya that she was Modupe’s mother.

Eniola said Mrs. Olaya was an aunt to the deceased and not his mother as

the whole world was made to believe when the dust about circumstances surrounding his death was yet to settle.

The half-sister of the deceased said she was yet to see the corpse of Modupe since the unfortunate incident occurred.

She believed that the controversial claim of Mrs. Olaya was unfortunate and that her half-brother did not deserve to be so treated even in death.

The distraught mother, Mrs. Akinyemi, also queried the claim in government quarters that Ogundele, the lawmaker representing Efon Constituency, was responsible for the killing of her son.

Exonerating Ogundele of complicity in the killing of her son, Mrs. Akinyemi said she had accepted fate and leave justice to God to find the real killer of Modupe.

Mrs. Akinyemi explained that she gave birth to the deceased from her marriage to her first husband (Mr. Olaya) who, according to her, was killed in the violence that rocked the 1983 general elections before her last marriage to her current husband.

She explained that the state government had not sent a message to her on the killing of her son whom she said left behind a wife and one kid.

Mrs. Akinyemi said Mrs. Olaya did not obtain the permission of the family before going to the Government House to claim that she is the mother of the deceased saying she was embarrassed to hear the news from neighbours and family members who watched the ‘drama’ on the state television.

Mrs. Akinyemi said: “I don’t know who killed my son. I don’t know; I can’t say. They were saying it was one lawmaker that killed my son, how can that be?

“I last saw him (Modupe) two days before his death. He was born in May 1982 as the fourth child. His colleagues said he was among those who were protesting.

“The woman that went to the Government House was just his aunt. I’m his true mother. She (Mrs. Olaya) went there without the knowledge of the family.”

“I was shocked when the woman

said she had gone to claim she was the mother. She didn’t bring anything to me, but I know she is a member of the PDP. “I have not seen his corpse since then. My son is irreplaceable. There is nothing I can do as a poor widow but I have left vengeance for God.” When asked about what her late son did for a living, Mrs. Olaya revealed that Modupe operated a business at Ojuelegba in Lagos and also served as a commercial driver.

She said: “He used to sell goods at Ojuelegba in Lagos and was also a driver. When he came to Efon, he rented a room at Alabukun. He was born in 1982 and he was the fourth child.

“I hear that he was among the protesters, I asked the people to know whether he was with them.

“The woman that went to the Government House is his aunt and not his mother, I am his mother, I am the one that gave birth to him.

“We never sent her (Mrs. Olaya) to go there, I and other members of the family were not aware that she went there.

“She has not come since yesterday (Thursday) and she has not delivered any message to me after her appearance at the Government House.

“She did not tell me, the mother, when she was invited to come to the Government House. She is one of the PDP women leaders in Efon here.

“The state government has not sent any message to me, the mother, about the killing of my son if it ever happened.

“He left behind a wife and a son, if they give me money now, it cannot raise my son back to life.

“He didn’t use to be involved in political activities before but later he began to follow them. His father died in 1983".

As the corpse still lies in the mortuary, the dust raised by the false maternity claim of Mrs. Olaya is casting a thick pall of controversial on the death of the young man.

Only God knows whether the relationship between Mrs. Olaya and the rest of the family will remain the same.

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, APRIL 15, 2015

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ticket to Government House, Agodi ical awareness and sophistication of indigenes, sometimes giving them a sense of pride. But others saw it as a reason for the stunted growth the state has been experiencing since the return of democracy in 1999.

But Ajimobi broke the jinx at the weekend, defeating his two predecessors - Rashidi Ladoja and Adebayo Alao-Akala - who also fought tooth and nail to be the first to emerge the man of history.

He beat them for the second consecutive time to make history as the first governor to be re-elected back-

to-back, sending the two of them to retirement from the state’s political landscape. He had polled 420,852 votes to beat Alao-Akala who polled 387,132 and Ladoja who scored 275,773 in 2011.

This time, he scored 327,310 votes to beat his closest rival, Ladoja who polled 254,520 and his immediate predecessor, Alao-Akala, who scored 184,111 votes to clinch the third position. Ajimobi’s APC also won 18 seats at the House of Assembly to operate at a comfortable position as the party with the vast majority. The combination of Accord’s eight seats and Labour

Party (LP)’s six seats are less than half of the Assembly’s 32 seats.

The Assembly result was a clear departure from the 2011’s where the PDP and Accord secured a total of 19 seats, a development that forced Ajimobi to enter into an alliance with Accord to enjoy stability in the state legislature. This time, APC’s 18 seats totally leave the two other parties in the minority.

Interestingly, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) came fourth without winning any seat at the House of Assembly.

Ajimobi’s victory is particularly symbolic because all other political juggernauts in the state contested against him in the election. Unlike in other states, there were five major candidates for the governorship seat in Oyo State. The remaining four were top political influencers who are strong enough to swing the results.

They include two former governors who still have large number of followers across the state, a former Senate Leader and a top business man. But Ajimobi defeated them all to write his name in history.

The factors Ajimobi’s performance Ajimobi’s performance in the area of peace and security, particularly in Ibadan, a city that used to be known for violence, was a major factor. His accomplishments in urban renewal, infrastructural development and environmental management also spoke for him in the election. His administration constructed quality roads across the state, revived the abandoned Agodi Garden which has now become the only standard government resort centre in the state as well as beautified the environment.

These resulted in APC gaining more votes in Ladoja’s strongholds in Ibadan such as Egbeda, Akinyele, OnaAra, Lagelu and Ibadan North East local governments which ultimately reduced the latter’s chances of recording unusually high number of votes in the areas.

Consequently, unlike in 2011, Ajimobi gave Ladoja a close run in such councils. For instance, in Egbeda, while Ladoja scored 15,811 to defeat others, Ajimobi polled 13,495. In Akinyele where Ladoja polled 14,793 to lead others, Ajimobi polled 12,367. The results were similar in Ona-Ara, Ibadan South East and Lagelu where Ladoja won. The only different council was Ibadan North East where Ladoja led Ajimobi with about 10,000 votes.

With the performance, Ajimobi sustained his popularity in Ibadan and OkeOgun.

The Buhari factor The consummation of the APC, its highly successful presidential primary and eventual victory at the federal level earned more votes for the APC in Oyo State. It contributed to the party’s strength and further weakened the opposition.

For the first time, some voters saw wisdom in allowing the state to enjoy the reward of being in a progressives’ party that produced the president. Going to the opposition, some argued, was needless and would further hinder the rate at which the state should develop.

This factor also helped in a way to produce three senators and 12 members of House of Representatives who returned to their constituencies to campaign vigorously for Ajimobi’s victory.

Weak opposition One important factor that helped Ajimobi rewrite history is that the opposition is weak in Oyo State. But the weakness is not about lack of criticism or monitoring of government activities. It is in the popularity or otherwise of its candidates.

His closest rival, Rashidi Ladoja is only popular in Ibadan, the state capital. His party, Accord, won in only one local government outside Ibadan in the

just concluded governorship election.

Even at that, his popularity is restricted to Ibadan less cities and Ibadan North East Local Government.

As for Alao-Akala, his popularity is restricted to Ogbomoso and a part of Oke-Ogun where he eventually won a House of Assembly seat.

The PDP in the state broke down completely when Akala and Seyi Makinde defected to other parties to contest as candidates.

Hence, for voters who might not like Ajimobi, many of them had problem of finding a better candidate in his opponents who could match the person of the incumbent governor and the strength of the APC whose popularity is soaring across Nigeria.

These and other factors contributed to Ajimobi’s unprecedented success.

The strategies Against expectation, Ajimobi attracted so much criticism and condemnation from opposition parties and a section of the populace. His urban renewal policy was singled out for virulent criticism. So was his decision to award some contracts to non-politicians. His second term ambition also pitted him against some others who believed that such ambition would affect theirs or negatively affect their future political career.

Realizing this midway into his fouryear tenure, Ajimobi employed some strategies to beat his opponents.

Establishing direct relationship with traditional rulers, associations, groups and communities From the time the governor realized that he was losing some party supporters to the opposition due to the reasons stated above, he developed a personal relationship with opinion leaders including traditional rulers, associations and groups. He invited them for meetings regularly, listened to their criticism and advice and borrowed from their wealth of advice.

He also visited communities, observing his Jumat service at their central mosques. After the service, the governor held town hall meetings with them, offering opportunity for heartto-heart discussions on the needs of the communities. It also allowed locals to have a personal feel of their governor.

Ajimobi also visited popular markets, using the same technique to listen to market women, other traders and offered solution to their challenges where possible.

The meetings also offered him the opportunity to clear air on certain criticism and condemnation by the opposition.

Interest-free loans for traders and artisans Realizing that women and artisans vote more than the elite, the governor deliberately facilitated interest-free trading loans for traders and artisans across the state. He gave over N500 million.

They are to borrow a lump sum, use for some months and return to the coffer of the unions to enable others access it.

The loans rejuvenated the business of many of them and endeared them to Ajimobi.

Meeting specific needs of communities Ajimobi deliberately enhanced economic strength of many communities to earn their support. For instance, while he could not establish a tertiary institution in Oke-Ogun which is the people’s topmost desire, the governor granted full autonomy to the existing Saki campus of The Polytechnic, Ibadan, renaming it Oke-Ogun Polytechnic. He also established a school of nursing at Kisi in Irepo Local Government area of the zone.

The governor also completed the permanent orientation camp of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) located in Iseyin which he described as the best in the country and also constructed the first dual carriage way in Iseyin.

In Ibarapa Zone, he granted full

autonomy to the Eruwa campus of The Polytechnic, Ibadan as well as the Lanlate campus of the state’s college of education. He also repaired the abandoned water works in Ayete.

In Ogbomoso, Ajimobi dualized the main road into the town in addition to those he dualized around the Soun’s palace. He also renovated the town hall.

In Oyo Zone, aside dualization of two major roads, the governor established an FM radio station under the state’s broadcasting corporation, renovated the town hall and constructed a silo for agricultural produce.

Appointment of more politicians Ajimobi ranks first among governors who patronized politicians with appointments. Aside creating new ministries which gave room for more politicians to be commissioners, the governor appointed liaison officers for each local government in addition to the 33 local government chairmen and caretaker committee members. He appointed so many special assistants and senior special assistants who were drawn equally from the five zones across the state.

Ajimobi still gave appointments as late as January this year to those he considered important to his success.

Women mobilizing women His wife, Mrs Florence Ajimobi has been a strong mobilizer of the women folk since she became the First Lady in 2011. By starting off with programmes such as Ajumose Food Bank through which she distributes food to rural women and Educate a Rural Child with which she provides school uniform and books to rural school pupils, Mrs Ajimobi has had personal encounter with women and children across the 33 local governments. She also organizes regular Christian women prayer services for the state.

When election came, she found it so easy to have the ears of the women in large markets, local communities and across the two major religions. She devoted good time to mobilizing women all over the state for the cause of her husband.

She accomplishes this with the support of all appointed women in the government including wives of local government chairmen.

Scaling down the ladder Former leader of the party, the late Lam Adesina and business mogul, AbdulAzeez Arisekola Alao were strong pillars of support for the Ajimobi’s administration. They managed the political aspect of his leadership while he concentrated more on governance. But the two died before election came.

As soon as Arisekola died last year, Ajimobi threw his door open to all.

He entertained all manners of visitors who wanted one form of assistance or the other. He maintained a personal contact with people on individual level, a decision that helped him gain a better insight about perception of his leadership.

Within a short time, a once distant performing but misunderstood governor became one that bonded closely with even the common man on the street.

Teachers for their communities One strategy that worked for the governor was the employment of 5,300 teachers at once. The beauty of the move was that teachers were recruited from their localities and posted there. The decision was taken to redress a similar gesture by the Ladoja administration in 2005 which created a serious problem of huge application for transfer back to their localities.

Aside providing employment on a large scale, the teaching and nonteaching staff filled several vacancies in public primary and secondary schools to bring an end to such comContinued on page 32

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THE NATION WEDNESDAY, APRIL 15, 2015

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SOUTHWEST REPORT

How ‘stomach infrastructure’ won Assembly elections for PDP in Ondo The surprise strong showing of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP in the April 11 House of Assembly election in Ondo State in contrast to its failure at the presidential election held two weeks earlier, is being attributed by political observers in the sunshine state to alleged monetary inducement of the electorate by Governor Olusegun Mimiko. DAMISI OJO reports.

U •Olabisi with members of her ganga

PHOTOS: FEMI ILESANMI

Sweet, sour taste of life of a kidnap queen Cracking life through crime can be sweet for some time but it ultimately turns sour, bringing such a life of affluence and comfort to an abrupt end. Such was the case for a young mother-of-three whose leadership of an advance fee fraud and kidnapping gang came to a sorrowful end in Ibadan. BISI OLADELE reports

F

ROM Port-Harcourt to Yenagoa; Benin to Aawe, and then to Ibadan, the glamorous life of a young suspected female kidnap kingpin has come to a predictable sad end in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital.

Ms Olabisi Babatunde, 33, who lived like an empress in her empire of fraudsters and kidnappers, is now cooling her heels in a police cell in the ancient city of Oyo, awaiting her day in court.

Bold, beautiful, debonair, outspoken and assertive, Olabisi’s life as leader of a fraud and kidnap syndicate, revolved around men.

But unlike many of her ilk, she did not tremble before men or their wealth, neither did she run after them to get a slash of their possession by offering sexual pleasure. She simply recruited, groomed and commanded men who were out to make money through dubious means.

She gave orders and men carried them out. She was a boss in the art of fraud and kidnapping, according to her.

As the commander of a gang of men, Olabisi knew what to do at the right time. And she did so for many years until a little slack in the team landed them in the hands of policemen on March 11, 2015.

Her gang members were rounded up by heavily armed policemen who smashed their operation at their hideout in a remote location in Ajia Village, Ibadan.

They had brought a successful businessman, Chief Adebowale Omotoso, to the village two days earlier after kidnapping him from Aawe, a town that borders Oyo. Holed in a dilapidated mud building with a tattered roof, the gang kept its victim in perpetual fear in the building surrounded by three different shrines. From there, they networked with other members in various towns and cities through whom they extorted the victim’s family. That is their trade - and, they lived big!

On the fateful day, however, members of the eight-man gang engaged police in a gun duel from midnight till the wee hours before they were overpowered, according to the Oyo State Police

was living around Odo-Ona. That was where my father’s mother was living.

Commissioner, Mr Mohammed Katsina. The victim was rescued alive!

When paraded, most of the eight kidnap suspects, including the boss, Her husband got a job for me then at Zartech. But we were later sacked.”

With despair arising from the sack at Zartech, the young woman chose to Olabisi, looked robust with some looking beefy, confirming that they were seek greener pasture wherever she could find it. After much thought, not merely managing to eke out a good life but actually living she concluded to go to Port-Harcourt, Rivers State, a land of well. It was not their first operation, as they later confessed, opportunities. neither did they think it would be their last.

Her words: “Afterwards, I gave my children to my When encountered, Olabisi looked beautiful. She elder sister to look after. I told her I wanted to exuded confidence in her expression. Her debotravel. I did not know anywhere and anyone. I nair quality caught the attention of this reportjust took a bus to Port-Harcourt. When I got er who later engaged her in an exclusive chat. there, I saw a woman selling food and I exThe third child in a family of seven, Olabiplained that I needed a job and shelter. I si said she lost her mother when she was was there for a while. I left because she 11 years old. She said the incident later wanted to lure me into prostituting with forced her out of school. her customers, knowing the dilemma Expressing herself in Pidgin English I faced at home, I decided to quit. (roughly translated), she said: ”I am “Then I got a job where I worked from Aawe. I was born in Ibadan. My as a cleaner and receptionist and I mother is late. She died about 22 years was being paid N5,000 monthly. I ago. My dad was living in Ibadan also left the place and moved to and my mum in Aawe. My younger NTA. I worked as a cleaner there, brother and I lived with my mum in their canteen. It was while workbut when she died and her family ing there that I learnt hair styling neglected us, we moved to Ibadan vocation. I lived with a friend, a Calto join our dad who was living in abar girl, when I left the canteen job.

Olorunsogo area of the city. We After, I lived with a lady I met where used to hawk packaged (satchet) waI was learning the vocation. But after then. But because he could not ter graduating as a stylist, I did not take care of us well, we moved out have money to procure working of the house to start living under the equipment and also get a stylist job. bridge at Olorunsogo. My mother While working at NTA, I met a man was a tailor during her lifetime. One who had a tipper and was into supply day, I went out to hawk, but when I reof sand and building materials. He acturned I could not find my younger commodated me and taught me the trade. brother again. I searched for him and Later, I started the business. I got money to could not find him. While still living there, run the business from the gains I made from I met someone who impregnated me. Therebuying and supplying. after, I had to go and live with the man’s moth“While doing that, in 2007, I had this customer at Ilora. I was very young then, I was about 16 •Olabisi er who gave me N500,000 for supply of sand to a years old.” She explained that the young man was site. He said he decided to give me the huge sum to an apprentice mechanic. enable me make enough gain from the supply. I was so After having three children for the man who seldom happy and disclosed this to a friend. It was this friend that set visited her, Olabisi took her destiny in her hand and fled from Ilora to Ibadan where she located her elder sister who according to her, had me up with fraudsters who duped me of the money. Thereafter my business also been impregnated by another man. Her brother in-law got a job for her plummeted. I could not even refund the money completely. My customer gave me the money so I could supply him trucks of sand for the construction at a popular farm in Ibadan but was later sacked in a mass retrenchment.

Speaking about the father of her children, Olabisi explained that:”I met of his fish pond. He locked me up but after he was sure I was duped, he him while living in Olorunsogo. He was an apprentice in a mechanic work- released me and I was paying little by little. Later he released me completeshop. He took me to his mother’s place at Ilora. He did not come to check on ly.”

After the sad experience, Olabisi me till I gave birth. After some years recalled that she switched to vendand my child grew up a little, he came ing cooked food. In the course of around and I had the second pregfood vending, she said she met those nancy for him. It was after giving selling medicinal herbs (agbo). birth to three children for him, that I “They introduced me to how they was advised to find a way to eke out sell the herb as well as how they tell a living for myself. He only came false stories of ill-luck to make their around once in a while and that was customers come back and pay as how I had the three children I had for much money as demanded. So, I him. He and his parent did not treat joined the business. Their clients me well and I was suffering. The inwere rich men with ailments like digenes of that town had to ask if I had no relative as the suffering was so much. So, I ran away from the place. diabetes and arthritis and young people who suffer setback in getting marThen I located my elder sister. She also had been impregnated by someone. ried. We have a way of introducing another problem to them. First, we I cannot remember the year again. They have all been looking for me. She

They introduced me to how they sell the herb as well as how they tell false stories of ill-luck to make their customers come back and pay as much money as demanded.

settle the problem that they brought, then we defraud them by telling them about another problem. We have traditional herbalists who will tell us what to use to cure their first ailment or problem. We collect huge sums of money from the client and pay little to the herbalist. We use to travel all over the place to get herbalists that will help.

We travelled as far as Oke-Iho (a town in Oyo State) to get help.”

She said.

With two cars, herbs sale and thriving kidnap business, Olabisi lived big. She disclosed that she housed and fed 13 adults. She said her three children are living with her step mother in Ibadan.

She said: “Cousins and other relatives do come to look for me when I was in Port-Harcourt. My elder sister, her husband and family also lived with me. I was responsible for about 13 people then. I accommodated and fed them.”

But trouble started for her a few months ago, when her boyfriend, Lucky, was almost caught in a criminal act which led to the seizure of one of her cars that he used for the operation. Afraid of being linked to the crime through the car, Olabisi disclosed that she relocated out of Port-Harcourt to neigbhouring Bayelsa State, before eventually landing in Aawe, her place of origin. But she got another kidnap business in Aawe, which eventually led to her arrest in Ajia in Ibadan last month.

She said: “When I left Port-Harcourt, I still had money on me. I first settled down at Bayelsa. I lodged at our office there. But when I was running out of cash, I relocated to Aawe, here in Oyo State. I had to run because one guy had put me into trouble with my car. I called the guy and he said he was in Benin but he was going to be in Lagos. He said that some people would help him get to Lagos. He then located me. I was in Aawe when I did the last deal that took me here.”

When asked if her relations have been visiting her in the police custody, she said: “They do not know where I am.”

In Aawe, nobody was willing to be associated with Olabisi when The Nation visited to find out about her root.

NLIKE the March 28 Presidential election which was massively won agents.

At one of the polling units in Akure, one of the PDP cashiers after

by Gen Muhammadu Buhari of the All Progressives Congress (APC), last Saturday’s State Assembly Election was a rude shock to many disbursing half of the money in his possession running into millions of residents of Ondo State, particularly APC supporters.

Naira disappeared with the rest.

In fact, scores of people were seen in groups discussing the outcome of It became a mild drama as others pursued him, but he smartly evadthe election in hushed tones because the result fell below many people’s ed them and bolted away to enjoy his loot. expectations.

The All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state described the poll Workers in the state are aggrieved with the present Mimiko’s govern- as a contrived fraud aimed at providing soft landing for Governor ment for allegedly not putting their welfare on its priority list. Artisans, Olusegun Mimiko who has lost favour with the masses of the state. market women, pensioners and other professionals are not too comfortIn a statement issued in Akure by the secretary of APC media comable with the government of the day either, hence the manner they voted mittee, Charles Titiloye, the party noted that PDP deployed unconvenmassively for Buhari and APC during the March 28 poll. tional strategies to rig the Assembly poll in the state.

Mimiko, the Southwest Coordinator of the doomed Goodluck Jonathan It noted that the election was marred with electoral irregularities, second term bid nearly lost his Ondo township home base during that swapping of ballot papers to disenfranchise APC supporters in the election. party’s strongholds, “threats and intimidation of APC supporters, open With that earlier victory, APC supporters were jubilant and upbeat as ballot box snatching by agents of PDP and unprecedented monetary they prepared for the April 11 election with the hope that Mimiko and his inducement of voters.”

Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) would be trounced once According to the statement:”In Igbotako, Ijuodo, According to him, Odeaye again. ballot papers/electoral materials meant for A defeat for the PDP at the House of Assembly elec- “Mimiko understands other polling units were deployed to the units in tion is expected to hasten the departure of Mimiko from the area to ensure that election did not start as schedthe government house as many expects an APC con- Ondo electorate more uled. trolled legislature to commence impeachment proceed- than anybody else; he “The outcome of the election was a confirmation ings against him soon after inauguration, but the mediof the party earlier warning to INEC and security cal doctor turned politician was able to outwit the oppo- knows money is their agents of the plan by PDP to rig the election and use all sition, this time around, winning most of the seats for problem and he has that means to ensure victory for its candidate.

PDP. “Voters were openly harassed and forced not to vote An observer said Mimiko’s victory at the poll last money in excess to lavish for APC in Akure and PDP buses were stationed near the Saturday with 19 of his party candidates winning their on them especially as the polling unit to share money to electorate. seats as against five seats for APC and two seats declared “In Ondo town our party agents were driven away by inconclusive was an indication of the level of poverty in Southwest Coordinator armed thugs from the polling units. Police looked the the land. other way while all these electoral fraud were been perAccording to him, “Mimiko understands Ondo elec- of Jonathan’s campaign. petuated. torate more than anybody else; he knows money is their “In Ugbo, Ayetoro community, Uteh in Ose local Govproblem and he has that money in excess to lavish on them especially as ernment and part of Ondo East, armed thugs came after INEC staff and forcefully hijacked electoral materials. PDP desperation was at its extreme on Saturday the Southwest Coordinator of Jonathan’s campaign.

“With many people living in penury, the development forced many in Ondo state. Both INEC and Police failed to take pre-emptive steps even when electorate to succumb to the paltry N1,000 per head being distributed with APC alerted them of plans by PDP to use thugs to rig the election.”

The party said it was studying various reports of the electoral fraud, urging impunity as inducement in virtually all polling units across the state”.

Many observers hinted that distribution of money had started since last INEC to beef up security in areas where fresh elections would take place.

However, in a jiffy and without minding negative comments of many Wednesday to pauperised individuals, who allegedly thronged the state seat of power at Alagbaka, on daily basis to collect their own share of the people against him, Governor Mimiko immediately after the election organised a thanksgiving service at Government House Chapel, Alagcommon wealth.

It was also visible at every polling unit on Saturday how money rang- baka to praise God for his outstanding feat at the poll, describing it as ing from N1,000 to N5,000 exchanged hands between the voters and those democracy in action.

With this victory and PDP’s near total control of the next parliament assigned the responsibility of inducing them with the cash.

Our correspondent who monitored the election at most polling units in in the state, any plan of Mimiko being impeached before the end of his Akure and other neigbouring towns observed how the ruling party agents second term has no doubt been dealt a major blow, according to observ“settled” prospective electorate who showed them their ballot papers ers, who are however not ruling out a mass defection of the incoming indicating their thumb print on PDP logo even in the presence of security PDP lawmakers to swell the ranks of the APC.

•Waiting for the naira rain? Voters on the queue a polling unit in Ondo during last Saturday Assembly election

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, APRIL 15, 2015

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SOUTHWEST REPORT Why Ajimobi got a return ticket to Government House, Agodi Continued from page 31

plaints.

Appointees’ input All the appointees were last year given order to come up with strategies to mobilize support from their localities. By the time they finished their assignments after a few months local support grew tremendously for the administration.

The strategies created a sense of belonging for all stakeholders as the leaders became so close to the led, perhaps on a scale that is un-

precedented in the history of the state.

The outcome As predicted last Wednesday, the results in each zone is given below.

OYO ZONE Ajimobi won by polling 35,857 votes to beat Ladoja who scored 22,661 votes. Others came behind them.

IBADAN ZONE Ajimobi won by polling 162,207 as against Ladoja’s 159,350 votes. Others came behind them.

IBARAPA ZONE Ajimobi won. He scored 17,364 to

beat Ladoja who polled 15,813. Others scored less.

OKE-OGUN ZONE Ajimobi defeated others by polling 87,254 votes. Ladoja polled only 41,391 votes to come second.

OGBOMOSO ZONE Alao-Akala won by polling 73,553 votes to beat Ajimobi who scored 24,628 votes to come second.

The results confirmed this reporter’s prediction last Wednesday.

OYO ZONE APC: 35857

Accord: 22661 Labour Party: 17935 PDP: 5940 SDP: 2495 OGBOMOSO ZONE APC: 24628 Accord: 15305 Labour Party: 73553 PDP: 10493 SDP: 11611 OKE-OGUN ZONE APC: 87254 Accord: 41391 Labour Party: 38460

PDP: 26856 SDP: 10095 IBARAPA ZONE APC: 17364 Accord: 15813 Labour Party: 7767 PDP: 9071 SDP: 4659 IBADAN ZONE APC: 162207 Accord: 159350 Labour Party: 46396 PDP: 26639 SDP: 33070

Why PDP won in Ondo, by Adekanmbi A chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party [PDP] in Ondo State, Hon. Femi Adekanmbi, has given an insight into why the party bounced back quickly from its defeat in the presidential election by winning majority of the seats in the Assembly election. He spoke with LEKE AKEREDOLU.

•Adekanmbi

How will you assess the State Assembly poll recently conducted in Ondo State?

The victory that we recorded in Ondo State by winning 21 seats is very spiritual.

Spiritual in the sense that nobody has ever thought that PDP will bounce back like this considering what happened in the last Presidential election, where we lost woefully. Thanks to the governor, Olusegun Mimiko who sat down and critically analyzed where the fault came from. He discovered that we lost due to the unending crisis between the old and new PDP members. This was what we have been clamoring for that we need to resolve the issue. We thank God that some of the issues were settled before State Assembly election. Why did you reconcile with Mimiko despite denying you House of Representatives tickets twice?

My differences with the governor came just because of the issue of party primaries when we were in Labour Party in 2011, and also during last year PDP House of Representatives primaries and he denied me the ticket. After that, I sat with my family and critically looked at the issue that for the governor to deny me this ticket might be divine. Divine in the sense that when God says yes, nobody can say no, I believe destiny cannot be changed. If Mimiko wanted to give me, he would have done so but for not giving me the ticket, why should I be fighting him? He called me several times, though, I refused and eventually we met, we resolved our differences and he pleaded that I should forgive and forget.

Some of the old PDP worked against the party during the Presidential election, what is your take on this?

I sincerely believed that during the Presidential election, people had their differences against President Goodluck Jonathan, not particularly against Mimiko, because they expected Jonathan to have settled the issue.

They expected his Chief of Staff, Arogbofa, who is from the state to settle the crisis. We held about three to four meetings

with Mr. President and he never took any cogent decision on what he wanted to be done in Ondo State. That is why I don’t blame the governor because series of meetings were held, and agreement reached that the issue should be resolved. Our leaders in old PDP let us down, and that what why majority people worked against the party. We have corrected our mistakes now and that was why we got a resounding victory in the State assembly poll.

What was the magic behind the party victory in the State Assembly, particularly in the APC strongholds?

It is not longer news that my own northern senatorial district is the stronghold of APC but this time around, we got a victory there because we actually worked for it. In the last Presidential and National Assembly elections we did not win any seat there, but the magic was that we called some of the aggrieved candidates of old PDP together and we held series of meetings with the governor and we pleaded with everybody. At this time now, we can’t leave our party, we need to join hands together and build the party. The governor accepted his blames and he went around to apologise to the people in all the 18 local governments.

Are you saying the Crisis in Ondo PDP is over?

Yes, the crisis is over because those who refused to accept the pleas of the governor have left the party and that means those who are left behind are those who have resolved their differences with the governor. We believed that we should move ahead and work with the governor.

You were a leader of defunct ACN; did you regret leaving the progressive party?

I don’t regret leaving the party because every stages of your life you progress.

As a man, you must not regret everything you do in life provided that nobody can point to you and said I made you in life. I don’t take decisions without consulting my people. When I was in LP, I never intended to leave the party because the governor appealed to me when he denied me the ticket but, when I got to my house in Owo, thousands of my followers were already waiting for me and they said all us must go to ACN. I left Ondo State ACN due to the fact that 80 percent of them were not progressives. But the leaders of APC at the national level are excellent. I have worked with them before and they are doing great. Asiwaju Ahmed Tinubu is getting closer to the legend of late Obafemi Awolowo in Yorubaland. Governor Rauf Aregbesola is an excellent leader, I have worked with him for about six months and he trained me in politics. These people are doing great in the party but coming to the state level, the people there are very terrible and I said I can’t join them. I can assure you that PDP will start growing as from today and all our leaders who have defected will return back.

It was learnt that you were already contemplating joining APC before Mimiko appealed to you, how true is this?

EDC flags off Azuri Peninsula luxury apartments

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KO Development Company, (EDC) Limited has unveiled the construction of the first phase of prestigious Azuri Peninsula in the Marina District, Eko Atlantic City, Lagos, which comprise of 120 luxury apartments, 12 superluxury simplexes.

Chief Responsibility Officer, EDC, Ibiene Ogolo told journalists during a tour of the facility that the Azuri Peninsula offers residents in Nigeria the optimum place to live, work, play and invest, all in one city.

According to her, “The new Azuri Peninsula with architectural design done by the award winning, global design firm Gensler, has 120 luxury apartments, 12 super-luxury simplexes and two superb Villas as well as seven fine townhouse apartments, make up the first phase, with a three-year completion programme.

“Azuri Peninsula offers a unique and luxurious urban lifestyle by the delightful marina-front of the Marina District in vibrant new Eko Atlantic City.

“There will be a five star marina and yacht club with an attractive promenade, high-end shops, cafes and a wealth of amenities in a curated and sophisticated environment. The landmark scheme is also close to the Business District in the

By Miriam Ekene-Okoro

new city, which is destined to be the new financial centre of Lagos.

“The developers behind the most luxurious residential destination of 2015 in Lagos, have carefully chosen a brand name that resonates. “Azuri” combines the African word “Zuri” meaning beautiful, while Azure suggests a radiant sea.”

Ogono said the first phase of the marina-front project showcases exceptionally crafted two and four bedroom luxury apartments, six bedroom simplexes and seven bedroom villas which are arranged across marina townhouse apartments and three outstanding residential towers.

She added that the three outstanding towers will be christened “Zuna” “Orun” “Oban” (meaning abundance, heaven) and king respectively saying the “Orun” would be built to 26 floors.

“The podium towers are carefully positioned to maximise views of the marina and garden-piazzas. Located on the ground floor are retail spaces while ample underground car parking is to be found on the lower ground level.

“Gensler’s exceptional panel of interior designers are creating spacious and elegant apartments with a selection of design palettes.

“Fulfilling the highest standards of contemporary living, all apartments will be fully-fitted with the fin-

est materials, including state-of-theart kitchens and luxurious bathrooms, District Cooling air conditioning and broadband (which will also be provided throughout the city).

Each apartment will feature terraces and/or balconies.

“The ultra-exclusive Villa residences which crown “Orun” and “Oban” Towers, will offer the ultimate in luxurious living and include a private gym and swimming pool as well as stunning, panoramic views.”

She said residents of Azuri Peninsula will have access to a twenty-four hour concierge service, a gym, two squash courts, and a café.

“Further amenities include a relaxing sauna as well as games and screening rooms and a children’s playroom.

Outside, residents will have access to a private outdoor swimming pool, children’s playground, garden-piazzas and valet parking.

“In the Marina District itself, there will be high-end retail outlets, international standard restaurants and an abundant range of amenities, all of which will establish Azuri Peninsula as a premier residential destination”.

She added that the Eko Atlantic’s high-standard infrastructure, which includes managed and maintained utilities, will guarantee an exceptionally comfortable lifestyle.

“A well-planned road system, upto-date ferry service and helicopter

•Prototype of Azuri Peninsula

service linking the city to Lagos, will ensure that Eko Atlantic is the bestconnected city in West Africa.

She highlighted that the entire development would cover about 127,507 square metres, with the phase

one taking up 13,000 square metres, while the built up area would take as much a 130,000 square metres.

Ogolo said Azuri Peninsula was already 80 per cent subscribed, with 20 per cent still up for grabs.

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, APRIL 15, 2015

35

SOUTHWEST REPORT IPMAN pledges regular supply of fuel in Ondo

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HE newly elected Chairman of Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) Ore depot chapter, Mr. Bayo Olowokere, has said he would do everything possible to normalise fuel price in Ondo State as soon as possible.

Olowokere made the pledge during the inauguration of the new executives of the association held at the IPMAN building at Odigbo, Headquarters of the Odigbo Local Government.

I never made an attempt to leave PDP, though there were calls from the APC national leaders but I have said it before that I will not leave the party. I don’t want to turn to a political prostitute. Just because PDP lost Presidential election and I should not decamp to APC. I don’t think it is polite.

People will start seeing me as unserious politician. I don’t just take decision without proper consultation. I can tell you that if I jump to AA today, my people will follow me and we will develop it.

Do you think PDP will bounce back in South West?

How did Yobe survive; how did Borno survive; how did Lagos State survive when PDP was at the center?

We have to look at these things. If they can survive for 16 years that means Ondo and Ekiti can survive.

We are looking at what it takes to survive as an opposition. First we must carry our people along. We need to embark on grassroots policies and that is what it takes a state in opposition to survive in situation like. You must be open to the people in whatever you do so that if any election comes up they stick with you. Look at Lagos State, APC remain unshakable because Asiwaju Tinubu does not neglect them. He embarked on a lot of grassroots politics and it will be so difficult for any other party to take over the state and that is what we are going to do in Ondo State. I can tell you that it will be very hard for any party to take over Ondo state with people like us still in PDP.

Hon. Monsurat Sunmonu is the first woman member of the Oyo State House of Assembly to be elected Speaker of the parliament. TAYO JOHNSON writes that her sterling performance as Madam Speaker must have influenced the decision of her constitutents in Oyo Central Senatorial District to send her to the National Assembly as their senator in the next dispensation.

Madam Speaker: A rare breed in Oyo’s 7th Assembly

From Damisi Ojo,Akure

His words: “We have a lot of things we are lacking. We have problem of none availability of fuel at the depot, the marketers are not well coordinated, fuel scarcity is one of the important issues that I need to address as fast as possible. Since I assumed office, I have made every means possible to address this by meeting the Chief of Staff (CoS) to the President but a new administration is in the offing with the emergence of General Muhammudu Buhari.

However, I’m going to wax stronger and make sure that Ore depot receives fuel so that this issue of fuel scarcity can be put to an end.

“My advice to my members is to cooperate with us. I also use this opportunity to tell the public that the fuel being sold by marketers above the approved price was not their making. We are making arrangement towards solving this problem so that as soon as possible the price will go back to N87 per litre as approved by the government.

They should just bear with us, as soon as possible, I will try my possible best to bring the price back to N87” The other officers of the association include Oluayo Oguntuase, Vice Chairman;Kunle Adedokun, Secretary; Bayo Awodunni, Treasurer; Toyin Fasakin and Assistant General Secretary; Zubair Jimoh.

We have a lot of things we are lacking.

We have problem of none availability of fuel at the depot, the marketers are not well coordinated, fuel scarcity is one of the important issues that I need to address as fast as possible.

A

RISTOTLE said “Excellence is an art won by training and habituation; we do no act rightly because we have virtue or excellence, but we rather have those because we have repeatedly acted rightly. We are what we repeatedly do.”

Excellence, then, is not an act but habit. Same can be said of Rt. Hon. Monsurat Sunmonu, a woman of much virtue, enviable bravery and dogged vigour. Her strong drive for development makes her stand tall amidst intimidation and sectionalism against women, especially in politics. When politics was deserted by women, especially in Oyo town, Monsurat Sunmonu defied all odds and put herself into the ring to serve her people as the Honourable Member Oyo State House of Assembly, for Oyo East/West local governments.

Despite coming from two prominent families in Oyo town, she worked relentlessly, presenting herself as the best candidate for the job and she was victorious, later emerging as the first female Speaker of the Oyo State House of Assembly at the inauguration of the Assembly in 2011.

Madam Speaker did not forget her promises to her constituents dur•Mrs. Sunmonu ing politicking.

She campaigned vehemently that the condition of the 7 kilometer Owode-Sawmill road in Oyo Town prompted her involvement in Nigerian politics. She promised if elected she would facilitate the rehabilitation of the road which had turned into a death trap for many years.

The once dilapidated road which had suffered neglect by previous administration the state was top on her priority list and with her influence as the Speaker of the State House of Assembly, she used the machinery of her office to ensure that the once blood sucking road now wears a new look and put smiles on the faces of the people.

While in office, Madam Speaker demonstrated tactical nous by doing the extraordinary and sponsoring Bills on the floor of the House. Though this is rather unusual for a Speaker, it demonstrates the trust other members of the House have in her ability. As an advocate for gender equity and protection for women, she sponsored a Bill for the protection of women against incessant abuse they suffered in our society. She equally sponsored a Bill targeted at reducing child mortality in the State.

Hon. Sunmonu is a mother and a kind one at that, she has

used her seat of power to advocate and empower people in various capacities. One of such is the routine empowerment for vulnerable woman. While the Speaker has trained over 1500 women in various technical skills which will avail them be business owners, she also provided tools and a comfortable leverage for them to start business on their own after the training.

As the only female lawmaker in the Oyo State House of Assembly, the mind marvels at her managerial skills.

She was able to manage the affairs of the Assembly in an unprecedented way. Since the first republic, not only was there peace in the Oyo State House of Assembly, for the first time ever there wasn’t an impeachment of the Speaker. This is another feet recorded by this woman of great political and managerial acumen, even more astounding considering the near-equal composition of the House between the three dominant parties in the State. Under her leadership the House passed over 60 bills and made over 300 Resolutions- by far the most productive in Oyo State History. Her finesse in leadership is extraordinary as the peace sustained in the House chambers transcends to the entire State.

No doubt her enviable leadership skills earned her the trust of the people of Oyo Central Senatorial District as she offered herself again for a selfless service in the red chambers. Without hesitation the people’s voice made her the first senator from Oyo town, the first female senator from Oyo State and only the second female senator in the whole of south-west Nigeria, a feat which seemed unachievable in years past.

300 get gas stoves in Ifako-Ijaiye

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HE Executive Secretary of Ifako-Ijaiye Local Government Area Mr Olurotimi Adeleye has distributed 300 liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) stoves to residents of the council.

The move, Adeleye said, is aimed at promoting the use of cooking gas and stop the hazards associated with the use of kerosene stove, charcoal and firewood.

Speaking at the event which took place at the council’s Area Office at the weekend, the council chief said the initiative is to enable residents know the immense benefits of the liquefied gas thereby promoting their health and longevity.

Adeleye said the distribution of the free 3kg gas cylinders and burners is part of the poverty eradication initiative of the state government and it is being done because everyone must enjoy the dividends of democracy.

He said the interest of the government is not limited to the distribution of the free cylinders, but the promotion of a healthy and cleaner environment through the reduction in carbon emission.

He noted that the residents should not be left behind in the use of gas

Certain health challenges such as bronchitis, conjunctivitis, heart and lung diseases are on the increase and are suspected to be as a result of the use of kerosene, firewood and charcoal which emits dangerous fumes that are injurious to health

By Adeyinka Aderibigbe

which the nation has in abundance as other neighbouring countries have adopted the use of gas for domestic purposes.

He maintained that the distribution is part of the government’s commitment to ensuring that all homes embrace the use of gas because of its unlimited advantages.

On his part, Mr. Richard Davies who represented the Commissioner for Energy and Mineral Resources Taofeek Tijani said the government intro-

•One of the beneficiaries receiving a gas stove from the council boss

duced the Eko Gas Scheme (EGS), as a domestic fuel of choice for all Lagosians in order to fight carbon emissions and promote the wellbeing of her citizens.

He said gas which the nation has in abundance is cleaner and cheaper and promotes cleaner environment than kerosene or other traditional forms of cooking which the people hitherto uses.

“Certain health challenges such as bronchitis, conjunctivitis, heart and lung diseases are on the increase and are suspected to be as a result of the use of kerosene, firewood and char-

coal which emits dangerous fumes that are injurious to health,” Davies said.

He explained that beneficiaries should take good care of the cylinders and ensures that the control valves are properly shut down to prevent leakages that might expose them to danger.

The Head of Department (HOD) Agriculture Mrs Iyabo Solo, echoed the government and urged residents to migrate to the use of gas either for domestic or other uses which would stop the felling of trees thereby preserving the environment for future

generation and put an end to the use of kerosene stove.

Chairman of the Community Development Committee (CDC) in the local government Alhaji Adegoke Onifade, praised the council chief and the government for the war against carbon emission and putting the people’s wellbeing first in their policies and programme.

He pledged the support of the people to the government and assured that they would migrate to the use of gas as envisaged by the government.

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, APRIL 15, 2015

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SOUTHWEST REPORT

Ayangburen of Ikorodu: Court battle resumes tomorrow

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USTICE Akintunde Savage of a Lagos High Court sitting in Ikorodu will tomorrow rule whether or not to allow new persons to join the defendants in the suit contesting the nomination of the Odofin of Ikorodu, Chief Kabiru Shotobi by the kingmakers, as the next Ayangburen of the town.

The persons seeking to be joinders (defendants) are from another sub-royal family different from the Lambo and Adegorushen royal families of the Lasunwon Ruling House of Ikorodu.

Messrs Mathew Adetayo Shodipo, Omobo Sokelu, Shakiru Shodipo, Nurudeen Fakomaya and Albert Aina had, for themselves and on behalf of the Lambo Branch of the Lasunwon ruling house of Ikorodu challenged the nomination of the Odofin of Ikorodu, Chief Kabiru Shotobi for the stool of the Ayangburen.

The first to 12th respondents in the suit are Ezekiel Shodipo, Tajudeen Odofin for themselves and on behalf of the Adegorushen branch of Lasunwon ruling house. Other respondents include the Odofin, Chief Kabiru Shotobi; the Olisa and regent of Ikorodu, Chief Oludele Odusoga; Solomade of Ikorodu Chief Afolabi Adekayaoja; Apena of Ikorodu, Chief Karimu Ore; the Oponuwa, Chief Jacob Kolawole Adaraloye for themselves and the kingmakers of Ikorodu.

Other respondents are the Ikorodu Local Government; Ikorodu Division of Council of Obas and Chiefs; Secretary, Ikorodu Chieftaincy Committee; Lagos State Ministry Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs and Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice.

At the last hearing of the matter March 11, 2015, counsel to persons seeking to be joinders (defendants) in the suit, Sulaiman Talabi, was granted leave of the court to respond to the various affidavits filed by the different parties in the matter. None of the counsels to the different parties in the matter was opposed to the application for joinders.

The trial Judge, Justice Savage had however ordered parties in the Obaship tussle of the ancient town to refrain from doing anything towards the vacant stool of the Ayangburen of Ikorodu pending the determination of the substantive suit filed by the applicants.

In their originating summon, which was supported by a 22 point affidavit and filed through their lawyer, John Osighala, the claimants asked for six issues to be determined

By Adebisi Onanuga

by the court. They asked the court to determine “whether the consent judgment of a Lagos High Court, Ikorodu division in suit IKD/57/2007 (Mathew Adetayo Shodipo and others versus Ezekiel Shodipo and others) is subsisting and valid; whether parties and privies are bound by the aforesaid judgment until same is set aside on appeal; whether fourth to eighth respondents-kingmakers are bound by the aforesaid judgment being parties in suit no IKD/57/2007 and whether eighth and ninth respondents are not bound as well being parties/ privies thereon”.

They also prayed the court to determine “whether third defendant/respondent is not bound and stopped from being presented, nominated and selected as a candidate from Lasunwon Ruling House to any future chieftaincy title” and “whether indeed the Adegorushen Branch of the Lasunwon Royal Ruling House is not precluded by the decision in IKD/57/ 2007 from presenting a candidate for the now vacant title of Ayangburen of Ikorodu”.

The claimants also sought five reliefs which were hinged on the affirmation of the six issues raised before the court.

They sought a declaration that the consent judgment of the Lagos High Court dated April 1, 2009 in suit IKD/57/2007 is subsisting, binding and in force; a declaration that by clause 2 of the consent judgment, the first, second and third respondents conceded the right to the claimants in future to the next chieftaincy title that is due and available to the Lasunwon Ruling House.

They also sought a declaration that the kingmakers, fourth to seventh respondents were bound by the decision in suit IKD/57/2007 as the seventh to tenth defendants and that they cannot now consider any candidate from the Adegorushen branch of the Lasunwon ruling house and a further declaration that the third respondent, having by the aforesaid judgment, been installed as Odofin of Ikorodu cannot in defiance of the judgment, present himself as a candidate for the vacant Ayangburen Royal Chieftaincy title “and he is thereby stopped from contesting any other vacant Chieftaincy title available to the Lasunwon family.

They therefore prayed the court for an injunction restraining the fifth to 10th respondents by themselves, agents, privies, from considering the third respondent nor any candidate from the Adegorushen branch of the Lasunwon Chieftaincy family for the candidature of the vacant stool of Ayangburen

•Member of the Looking Forward Group presenting Souvenirs to the Oyo State Secretary to the State Government, Mr. Ismael Olalekan Alli in Ibadan recently.

•L-R: Director, Fisheries, Lagos State Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives, Mrs. Olatokunbo Emokpae; beneficiary of farm inputs, Oladepo Kelly of Choga farms; Commissioner, Prince Gbolahan Lawal and Director, Agricultural Services, Dr. Olayiwole Onasanya, during the presentation of inputs and support to farmers and vulnerable at the 2015 agric value chains empowerment, organized by Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives in Epe.

of Ikorodu.

But in their counter affidavit to the originating summon, the deponent Prince Odofin Adegboyega Aliu, averred that contrary to paragraph 17 of the affidavit in support of the originating summon, the first to the third respondents and all other defendants are not in breach of the judgment in exhibit A, paragraph 2, the first to fourth defendants conceded the right to the next chieftaincy title to that is due and available to Lasunwon ruling house to the claimants and listed the titles available as Otunba of Ikorodu.

He said that contrary to paragraph 18 of the affidavit in support of the originating summon, the defendants ought not to be restrained as they have not breached the order of the court.

He said counsel to third to seventh defendants informed him that judgment in suit IKD/57/2007 relates to chieftaincy title and not an Obaship stool or position; that a chieftaincy title is different from Obaship stool or position and that the nomination/selection of the third defendant by the family and kingmakers was not a breach of the judgment in suit IKD/57/2007.

Another three persons killed in Ife clash From: Adesoji Adeniyi, Osogbo

A

NOTHER three persons were monday killed by gun men suspected to be on a revenge mission in Ile-Ife, Osun State.

A source, preferring not to be mentioned, said the gun men were on rampage, shooting to kill? their targets on sight.

It was gathered that the violent fight, in which the unidentified people were killed, was between two rival gang groups believed to be working for some political parties.

On Saturday after the state House of Assembly election, three people were killed following a violent clash between the All Progressives Congress and the Peoples Democratic Party supporters in Ile-Ife. After a hull, fighting between supporters of both parties resumed on Monday at about 6 pm and lasted till 8.30 pm. It claimed another three lives in Iloro and Otutu areas of the ancient town.

Investigations revealed that apart from the three killed during the fight, several people’s were also injured.

While source disclosed that the fight was between the rival political parties while another claimed that it was a clash between members of rival cult groups in the town.

According to the source within the town, “The rampaging cultists numbering about 20, wielding rifles, opened fire in the direction of the another group, which had gathered few metres away in Otutu area and the latter group retaliated.

“Their fight caught us all unaware. People were just returning home when we started hearing gun shots from different directions. Infact, we had to relocate to another area of the town so as not to be attacked or fall victims of the attack.”

The Commissioner of Police in charge of election in the state, Mr. Valentine Ntomchukwu, confirmed the incident and said his men are on ground to maintain peace.

Meanwhile, the All Progressives Congress in the State has called on the national leadership of the People’s Democratic Party to prevail on its party’s Osun chapter to stop forthwith, the “killings going on in Ile Ife and Ilase in Obokun local government area of the state by people suspected to be PDP thugs.?”

In a statement by its spokesperson, Kunle Oyatomi, the APC also appealed to security forces to be more pro-active in combating violence in Ife. The APC condemned the PDP for resorting to “unprovoked violence and murder of Osun citizens simply because the PDP has been rejected by the people at last Saturday According to the APC: “If Osun PDP leadership and their supporters have any issue or objection to the outcome of last Saturday’s election, the lawful and civilised thing to do is to seek redress from the Election Tribunal.

“Resorting to the criminality of murder, arson, violence and destruction of property is not only unbecoming of a responsible party and civilised politics, it makes those associated with it unworthy of participating in the politics of this country any longer.”

The APC, therefore, called on its supporters in Ile Ife and Ilase in particular and citizens of the state in general, to exercise restraint and continue to be peaceful no matter the provocation from the violence-proned opposition in the state.

Their fight caught us all unaware.

People were just returning home when we started hearing gun shots from different directions. Infact, we had to relocate to another area of the town so as not to be attacked or fall victims of the attack

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, APRIL 15, 2015

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THE NATION INVESTORS

Osunkeye seeks review of rule on exclusion of majority shareholders B OARDROOM mogul and Chairman, Lafarge Africa Plc, Chief Olusegun Osunkeye, has called for a review of rules by the capital market authorities, which excludes majority core investor in a company from voting its shares in favour of any major corporate decision, warning that such rule will have serious unintended consequences on the growth and development of the capital market.

Osunkeye, who has served on the boards of not less than five quoted companies over three and a half decades and recently retired as chairman of Nestle Nigeria Plc and GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Nigeria (GSK) Plc, spoke at a workshop organised by the Independent Shareholders Association of Nigeria (ISAN) and PR Plus in Lagos.

According to him, the rules on exclusion of core investors from voting would be counterproductive to current efforts at wooing foreign and indigenous entrepreneurs to list their companies on the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) while the growth of existing listed companies may be stifled by minority consideration for immediate profit.

Rules by the NSE and the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) exclude the core investor, all related and interested parties, entities, associates

• Says rules can have damaging unintended consequences

By Taofik Salako Capital Market Editor

and proxies from exercising their voting rights, even where they hold fullypaid shares.

The rules by capital market regulators represent major paradigm shift from the previous practice where such excluded persons and entities are allowed to exercise their voting rights and runs contrary to the general principle of one share or unit, one vote.

“I think this rule could give rise to unintended consequences, because we should bear in mind the level of our socio-economic development as a country, the sophistication of the market structure and the players in that market,” Osunkeye said.

Citing that the stock market is dominated by foreign portfolio investors whose main investment objective could be short-term gains and the dispersal of minority shareholdings, he noted that foreign minority shareholders with intent on short-term gain could hide under such rules to thwart a long-term corporate development

plan with potential for several longterm benefits for the economy but immediate constraint to dividend distribution.

He said such rule that bars majority shareholder from voting its shares would expose entrepreneurs to undue influences of portfolio speculators and fund managers whose interests may not be in tandem with the long-term growth plan of the company.

“I do not believe that it is the intention of the rule-makers to emasculate corporate democracy, facilitate a tyranny of the minority against the majority. The rule could deter listing on the Exchange by businesses, particularly Nigerian entrepreneurs, who have concentrated ownership, for fear of losing the right to participate in the decision making process of the business enterprise they have laboured so hard to nurture with respect to such transactions. I am of the opinion that the unintended consequence of the rules would be to discourage listings by private companies who would otherwise thrive as publicly quoted com-

panies,” Osunkeye said.

According to him, while it is true that the interests of institutional investors may not always coincide, it is also true that the interests of foreign portfolio investors are not often the same as domestic institutional or retail investors.

He added that the retail domestic minority shareholders are widely dispersed, with some 100,000 shareholders holding as little as 6.5 per cent of a company, to have any meaningful restrain on speculative portfolio managers that are against long-term corporate and national interests.

He decried the situation where changes are made in legislation and policies without adequate consultation with the stakeholders, especially the operating companies which may be affected by such changes or punitive exercise of power by a regulatory body.

He urged shareholders’ associations to be advocates against laws and regulations that are inimical to business and investment growth noting that shareholders need to appreciate that operating environment usually affect the performance of the board and management.

According to him, shareholders through their associations should have the goal of improving their companies. Shareholders activism should be channeled towards ensuring the viability and sustainability of the public companies they own, and in the process, seek to influence

board and management through collaboration rather than antagonising board members.

“The interest of shareholders is also well served when they show consciousness and understanding for social and corporate responsibility towards other stakeholders, and the society at large. I also plead that regulatory bodies should reflect that rules and regulations may sometimes need to be adapted to suit the needs and stage of socio-economic and business development of our country,” Osunkeye concluded.

With such majority-shareholder barring rule, it means that foreign and Nigerian majority shareholders, such as Alhaji Aliko Dangote, who owns majority equity stakes in Dangote Cement and Dangote Sugar Refinery; and Nestle SA, which owns controlling equity stake in Nestle Nigeria Plc, will not be able to vote on major corporate decisions affecting their companies.

With the exception of GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Nigeria and Julius Berger Nigeria Plc, which hold less than majority shareholdings, other foreign investors hold more than 50 per cent controlling majority equity stakes. The foreign investors are spread across dominant sectors with large concentration in the fast moving consumer goods (FMCGs) sector.

These major multinationals include Unilever Plc, GlaxoSmithKline, United Kingdom (GSK UK) Plc, PZ Cussons, Nestle SA, Lafarge SA, Heineken NV, Mondelçz International, Berger Bilfinger, BOC Holdings, Standard Bank Group, Leventis, Total SA, Mobil Oil Corporation, Siat NV, Affelka SA, Greif International Holdings B.V., United States’ Exxon Mobil Oil Corporation and SAB Miller.

Other Nigerian individual and institutional investors that may be affected included UAC of Nigeria, Vitafoam Nigeria, Dr. Oba Otudeko and Mr. Femi Otedola.

Capital market stakeholders meet

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From left: Head, Legal and Regulation Division, Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE), Tinuade Awe; Managing Director, Wema Bank Plc, Segun Oloketuyi; Executive Director, Market Operations and Technology, NSE, Mr Adeolu Bajomo; Chairman, Wema Bank, Adeyinka Asekun, at the bank’s Facts-behind-the-Figures forum at the NSE in Lagos.

Our plan is on course, says Transcorp

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RANSNATIONAL Corporation of Nigeria (Transcorp) Plc has assured that the withdrawal of SacOil Holdings Limited from their joint oil prospecting venture will not affect the group’s developmental plan for its energy business.

SacOil had indicated to the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE) of South Africa, where it is listed, that it has withdrawn from participation in OPL 281 on April 1, 2015 as part of SacOil’s ongoing portfolio rationalisation. The OPL 281 is an onshore oil block situated in Delta State in Nigeria and within the portfolio of Transcorp’s businesses.

Transcorp had in May, last year signed the Production Sharing Contract (“PSC”) for OPL 281 with the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and received full regulatory approvals to commence oil and gas prospecting in OPL 281. Transcorp is the operator and developer under the contract.

President, Transnational Corporation of Nigeria (Transcorp) Plc, Mr. Emmanuel Nnorom, said the SacOil withdrawal would have no impact on the funding and development of the OPL 281.

According to him, OPL 281 is one of the most prolific remaining oil and gas exploration assets in the Niger Delta and the substantial reserves form part

of Transcorp’s integrated energy strategy, which combines power generation, downstream refining and petrochemicals.

“Sacoil’s withdrawal has no impact on the funding of the OPL or our development plans,” Nnorom said.

He noted that since the signing of the PSC with NNPC, Transcorp has pursued an aggressive work programme aimed at bringing OPL 281 into oil and gas production by the end of 2017 addig that the group has so far acquired and evaluated some 150 sq km of 3D seismic, with its first well planned for drilling by the end of this year.

Transcorp recorded a turnover of N41.3 billion for the year ended December 31, 2014, indicating an increase of 120 per cent over N18.8 billion recorded in 2013. Group gross profit also rose by 92 per cent to N27.6 billion as against N14.4 billion in 2013.Group operating profit rose by 33 per cent to N13.6 billion.

However, profit before tax declined by 14 per cent to N7.7 billion in 2014 from N9.0 billion in 2013. But total assets for the group grew by 14 per cent from N149.6 billion in 2013 to N170.8 billion in 2014. It has declared a dividend per share of six kobo.

Nnorom said the group expects better performance across all its businesses in the current business year.

According to him, the group’s new

hotels development in Lagos and Port Harcourt are progressing well and its Agribusiness division has commenced delivery of juice concentrates to international beverage manufacturers in Nigeria.

“With the signing of our Production Sharing Contract (PSC) by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), our oil and gas business is on course for the drilling of its first well this year,” Nnorom said.

LL major stakeholders in the capital market are expected to meet next week to review developments and outline the outlook for the market.

The meeting, under the aegis of the Capital Market Committee (CMC), is the first this year in the series of quarterly meetings by operators, regulators and other stakeholders.

The meeting is expected to review market performance, reports of some sub-committees, recent initiatives and take inputs from members on the strategic initiatives needed to further enhance the market, especially in the light of the election of a new government.

Expected at the event are chief executive officers of registered capital market firms, including broker dealer, capital market solicitors, custodians, fund managers, issuing houses, rating agencies, registrars, reporting accountants, trustees and consultants.

Also, chief executive officers of self regulatory organisations (SROs), including Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE), Nigeria Commodity Exchange (NCX), Afex, Central Securities Clearing System (CSCS), FMDQ, NASD and Chartered Institute of Stockbrokers (CIS) are expected to be part of the meeting.

Also expected are one member each from observer groups, including Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON), Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC), Debt Management Office (DMO), Federal Ministry of Finance, Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria, Federal Inland Revenue Service, Nigerian Deposit Insurance Corporation, Investment and Securities Tribunal, Nigerian Investment Promotion Council, National Insurance Commission, National Pension Commission and the Financial Services Regulation Coordinating Committee (FSRCC).

The chairmen of the Senate and House Committees on capital market are also expected at the meeting.

Resort Savings, Just Shelter team up on housing

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ESORT Savings and Loans Plc, a mortgage bank quoted on the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE), has entered into a business collaboration with Just Shelter & Allied Products Limited to provide mortgage facilities and marketing services widen the scope of housing provision to Nigerians through mortgages.

Just Shelter & Allied Products Limited has developed 14 blocks with six three-bedroom flats in each block at David’s Court Estate Arepo, Ogun State.

To facilitate the project, Resort Savings and Loans is granting the company the needed mortgage facilities to would-be purchasers. The NHF facilities through Federal

Mortgage Bank of Nigeria (FMBN) are also available for the subscribers.

Head, Estate Services Department, Resort Savings and Loans Plc, Mr. Alex Animasaun, said the project, which covers 1,578 hectares, is the first phase of various housing units they are developing in Lagos and Ogun states.

He noted that the project is located in the Arepo community and it’s about 10 minutes’ drive from Lagos State Secretariat, Alausa, Ikeja “A typical unit is made up of a large living room attached with visitor’s toilet, kitchen with all the

fittings attached with a sizable store, master bedroom with bath, standard wardrobe, and other two rooms’ ensuite with shower. Other services within the estate are; generator, industrial borehole and overhead tank and adequate parking space among others,” Animasaun said.

He assured that the estate is covered by global certificate of occupancy noting that selected subscribers are only expected to perfect their personal documents with the Ogun State Government.

Animasaun urged existing and prospective customers of the mortgage bank to take advantage of the new development, assuring that Resort Savings would help with the loans to access the flats.

38

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, APRIL15,

SMALL BUSINESS AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP

Essiet_daniel@yahoo.com 08180714151

Small scale machine fabricators are dominating the domestic market for machine spare parts production. They are gradually breathing fresh life into the once moribond sector of the economy, DANIEL ESSIET reports.

Fabricating for success W

HILE in secondary school, Anietie Nelson, Chief Executive, Emedion Technical, Industrial and Metal Fabrication Company, Owode-Onirin, on the outskirt of Lagos, took interest in creative arts. In everything he does one thing is common: an entrepreneurial spirit. Although his thoughts were tilted towards being self-employed, especially as a result of his creativity, but he was not primed for such at that time.

He, therefore, opted to work with private firms to enhance his knowledge and acquire more experience.

Although he holds a Diploma in Mechanical Engineering from the Yaba College of Technology, working with several firms has since proved very useful to him as it exposed him to challenges organisations face, especially with acquiring and maitaining equipment. This exposure was the motivation he needed to bring out the entreprenuerial spirit in him.

Consequently, he developed a business plan and sourced the initial fund that helped him to move his metal fabricating business into a rented facility.

Observing the trends in the market, he discovered that there was a boom in the popcorn making business. However, the cost of buying a popcorn making machine was too huge to bear for an average popcorn maker. And while the demand for popcoorn was on the rise, vendors of the snack still found it hard to make good profit from its sales.

Nelson took advantage of this and decided to fabricate locally affordable popcorn machines. This was to give popcorn makers, who couldn’t afford imported ma-

chines the opportunity to remain in business and increase their profit margin by a good proportion.

Apart from providing low cost pop corn machines, he also counseled prospective entrepreneurs on the financial criteria for creating a simple production business.

Many of his clients are individuals, couples and families, who now operate from both single and multiple locations.

To the vendors’ advantage, his products are compact and easy to operate. The machines comprise accessories such as removable ice pan and drain tube for easy cleaning.

Business for Nelson has been very good for the past 10 years.

He has produced more machines on yearly basis. And as a research strategy, once he sees complex engines and machine components, Nelson tries to strip them down for study. This has helped him to continually improve on his production. Today, he is able to fabricate everything from basic accessories to a complete machine set.

To make production easier, he divides the process into many parts like sheet-metal fabrication, structural fabrication, paint delivery, quality control and creative design. He does his own part and gives the rest to other specialists. For entrepreneurs, who like to set up agro and food based industries, his company provides machineries, technological assistance, servicing of the machineries and proper guidelines for better production for aspiring entrepreneurs. He assists farmers to fabricate milling machines to produce flours

•a fabrication shop

from maize, cassava and yam.

He has also developed smoked fish machines.

There are great business prospect in machine fabrication. This has been further buoyed by the surge in the agro-allied and food industry because there is an increasing influx of entrepreneurs in sectors like bakery, noodles, packaging, and processing among others. Operators in these areas are believed to place a high demand on locally fabricated machines to enhance thyeir productivity. Nelson’s goal is to become the most-sought after fabrication firm by entrepreneurs, enterprise community and food industry sectors.

With his daring spirit to act as a catalyst for a change and indus-

trial development, Nelson believes he has a lot to offer new comers in food processing in designing machineries to suit their business.

He also said many new projects are in the pipeline to assist those who want to produce products from corn, maize, beans, custard seed and soy beans .

With the boom in the agric sector, he is hopes to help farmers transform seasonal fruits and vegetables into a new zest of taste with locally fabricated machines.

But there are lots of challenges in making the business viable due to socio-economic and political situations.

Right now, the business is dependent mostly on power sup-

ply, transportation etc.

But, in spite of the huge prospects and seemingly high demand for his works, Nelson still has challenges. Some of these come in the form of a slow economic growth, and the rising cost of sourcing raw materials. Besides, as consumers grow more sophisticated and demanding, so are firm’s looking for perfectly made fabricated components.

Besides, consumers still see locally fabricated parts as lower in quality compared to imported ones.

With the government emphasising inward integration, the likes of Nelson, who have made efforts on their own, can further be assisted by government to develop the industrial base of the economy.

Hostel system: The new face of livestock farming An innovative livestock hostel system brings farming into the 21st Century and creates income for agro entrepreneurs. DANIEL ESSIET reports.

FRESH group of livestock entrepreneurs are emerging in Ogun State. They are supported by Sliden Africa, a nongovernmental organisation (NGO), to establish sustainable livestock enterprises.

Sliden Africa provides a support structure for those who want to get into livestock farming, but don’t have enough money to buy land and equipment.

Speaking with The Nation, the NGO’s Programme Officer, Olufunmi Olayimika, said her organisation provides technical and business development assistance to farmers who want to go into livestock businesses.

At its livelihood support and development centre, Olayimika said, the organisation assists livestock farmers with housing to keep their animals. Once the farmers are registered with the agency, she said they are free to bring their animals to the place. They keep the animals until they acquire land to relocate them.

According to her, aspiring entrepreneurs face a lot of challenges raising fund to start mini livestock businesses.

A major part of the expenses, she noted, is in the area of feeding the livestock.

Under an agreement, she explained that the organisation takes the burden from aspiring entrepreneurs, including providing feed, labour and veterinary aid.

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•Olayimika

•Kazeem at the goats’ shed

Presently, she said, the group has a thriving goat unit with a stock of 12 goats.

Apart from feeding them, she said the goats are offered free grazing.

Regular attention are provided, including periodic deworming of goats.

The arrangement, Olayimika explained, is benefitting start up farmers, who are getting into animal husbandry, but don’t have the time and resources to run the business efficiently.

In his contribution, a member of the supervising team, Mr Adebayo Kareem saidthe initiative is relief to poor farmers who want to get involved in cattle rearing but are constrained financially.

For abeginning farmer, he said housing isvital and that goats need a well-built shelter and some additional fence in the area to move around freely.

He said Sliden Africa is providing farmers with a large grassland to support variety of livestock.

To fortify the land, he said the

centre has provided concrete fencing to keep predators and other unwanted elements away from the goats.

For him, the project has come to help goat farmers, who started with a pair of goats without any preparedness, for a venture.

The goats are reared without much difficulty in arranging feeds and fodder and providing them shelter.

The environment provided the animals enables them to grow.

The goats also repay with re-

spect. A farm attendant, Mrs Florence Abolarin, demonstrated this.

She called and beckoned on the goats and they responded immediately running to her.

Apart from when they come to feed, Abolarin said the goats spend their days wandering on the farm and come home in the evenings on their own.

The relative success of the project has pointed the way forward for farmers who are ready to bring their goats and cows to the farm.

With this programme, Sliden Africa is creating a dynamic and thriving agricultural community of new and established farmers .

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, APRIL 15, 2015

39

BUSINESS INTERNATIONAL

Hiring of workers in UK remains at ‘sky-high’ levels

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MPLOYERS in the United Kingdom (UK) plan to keep hiring more staff, but concerns remain about the country’s failure to raise productivity, a new report has warned.

The latest Business Trends Report

by BDO gave an employment index reading of 113.0 for March.

That was almost the same as February’s figure and well above

the 100 level that indicates growth above the long-term trend.

The report indicated that companies were likely to keep creating jobs.

“The hiring intentions of UK firms are at ‘sky-high’ levels with figures stronger than the heady days of the mid-2000s boom,” BDO said.

UK unemployment fell by 102,000 to 1.86m in the three months to Janu-

ary, with the unemployment rate at 5.7per cent, according to official figures.

The report’s optimism index showed that business confidence remained well above the 100 mark.

However, it also highlighted the static level of British workers’ output per hour, a situation “unique amongst advanced economies”.

Recent Office for National Statis-

tics figures showed that productivity has not increased since 2007, which was unprecedented in the post-war period.

The weakness has perplexed economists and been described by the International Monetary Fund as a major risk to growth.

BDO partner Peter Hemington said the UK’s continuing poor labour productivity performance

was a significant concern.

“Although employment growth in recent years has been strong, much of this has been in part-time jobs,” he said.

“Productivity, ultimately, determines our prosperity so it is a crucial area that must be addressed.

Policy makers of all persuasions must take on this productivity puzzle.”

China’s export numbers miss expectations

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•Executive Secretary, Association of Non-Bank Micro Finance Institutions of Nigeria (ANMFIN), Mr. Godbless Safugha (left) and Director-General, National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), Chris Onyemenam during the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in Abuja.

Ricci heiress convicted of tax fraud

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HE heir to the Nina Ricci perfume and fashion for has been convicted of tax fraud by a Paris court after hiding millions in an offshore HSBC account.

Arlette Ricci, 73, was sentenced to a year in prison and ordered to pay a •1 million (£720,000;$1.1million) fine.

The court also confiscated two properties worth four million euros (£2.9million;$4.2million).

HSBC’s Swiss private banking arm is being investigated after a leak revealed large scale tax fraud.

Ms Ricci, who can appeal, was given a two-year suspended sentence on top of her one-year custodial sentence.

Her daughter, Margot Vignat, 51, was also convicted and given an eight-month suspended sen-

tence.

Ms Ricci was accused of hiding millions of euro from the French authorities to evade tax using an offshore HSBC account.

She was ordered by the court to pay millions in back taxes for the period of 2007-2009, with the amount to be set at a later date.

Ms Ricci was the first of around 50 French nationals to face trial over tax evasion in the HSBC case. Her prosecution was seen as a test case for the so-called “Swissleaks” scandal.

A list of thousands of HSBC’s clients was passed to the French government in 2009 by whistleblower Herve Falciani, a former employee of the bank’s private operation in Switzerland.

The bank’s tax-evasion practices were reported in February by the BBC’s Panorama

programme and a host of other international media outlets, leading to criminal investigations in the US, France, Belgium and Argentina but not in the UK, where HSBC is based.The UK’s HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) was given the leaked data in 2010 and identified 1,100 people from the list of 7,000 British clients who had not paid their taxes. But almost five years later, only one tax evader has been prosecuted.

In February, HSBC Group Chief Executive Stuart Gulliver admitted “unacceptable” practices had taken place at its Swiss arm.

Nina Ricci was born Maria Adelaide Nielli in Turin in 1883, before settling in France aged 12 and founded the Nina Ricci business with her son in 1932.

Researchers claim new Windows security weakness

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OMPUTER security researchers said they have uncovered a new variation on an old weakness in Microsoft Corp’s Windows operating system that could theoretically allow hackers to steal login credentials from hundreds of millions of PCs. The vulnerability, named ‘Redirect to SMB’ by security firm Cylance, is similar to one found in the late 1990s that took advantage of a weakness in Windows and Microsoft’s Internet Explorer browser which made it possible for attackers to trick Windows into signing on to a server controlled by hackers.

According to Cylance, if a hacker can get a Windows user to click on a bad link in an email or on a website, it can essentially hijack communications and steal sensitive information once the

user’s computer has logged on to the controlled sever.

In the latest variation of the technique, Cylance said users could be hacked without even clicking on a link, if attackers intercept automated requests to log on to a remote server issued by applications running in the background of a typical Windows machine, for example to check for software updates.

The attack takes advantage of features in Windows Server Message Block, commonly known as SMB. The new variation, discovered by Cylance researcher Brian Wallace, has so far only been recreated in the laboratory and has not been seen on computers in the outside world.

Microsoft said the threat posed by the purported weakness was not as great as Cylance sup-

posed.

“Several factors would need to converge for a ‘man-in-themiddle’ cyberattack to occur. Our guidance was updated in a Security Research and Defense blog in 2009, to help address potential threats of this nature,” said Microsoft in an emailed statement. “There are also features in Windows, such as Extended Protection for Authentication, which enhances existing defenses for handling network connection credentials.”

The CERT unit of the Software Engineering Institute at Carnegie Mellon University, a federally funded body which tracks computer bugs and internet security issues, issued a warning about the vulnerability on Monday.

It said it was unaware of a full solution to the problem, but suggested several ways of minimizing the vulnerability.

HINA’S monthly trade data shows exports fell in March from a year ago by 14.6per cent in yuan terms, compared to expectations for a rise of more than eight per cent.

Imports meanwhile fell 12.3per cent in yuan terms compared to forecasts for a fall of more than 11per cent.

The numbers mean the country’s monthly trade surplus has shrunk to its smallest in 13 months.

China’s economy grew by 7.4per cent in 2014, its weakest for almost 25 years.

Analysts said recent indicators showed further signs the slowdown is continuing.

In US dollar terms, China’s exports for the month fell 15 per cent, while imports fell 12.7 per cent.

Currency conversion factors based on US dollar and Chinese yuan movements over the last year mean some official numbers from the mainland are now reported in both currencies.

The official March data leaves the country with a monthly trade surplus of 18.16billion Chinese yuan ($2.92billion; £1.99billion).

In February, China’s monthly trade surplus hit a record $60.6billion, as exports grew and imports slid back.

In US dollar terms, China’s exports for the month fell 15 per cent while imports fell 12.7 per cent

Analysts said the export numbers for March were a surprise.

“We can understand the imports fell because of falling imports of commodities, but exports fell so much, it was very much unexpected,” said Shanghai-based analyst Nie Wen from Hwabao Trust.

However, he said one major reason for the falling exports was yuan appreciation.

Tony Nash, global vice president of Delta Economics, said the numbers took in the lunar new year period which was typically a bit volatile.

“We usually average February and March to get a true picture of what’s actually happening,” he told the BBC. “If we look at February’s 48percent rise in exports and March’s 15percent fall in exports, we get a moving average of 16.7 per cent, which is closer to where we’ve seen exports over the past two months.”

But Mr Nash said Delta Economics was expecting a further slowdown going forward.

“In the second quarter, we’ll look for an average of 9.9 per cent yearon-year export growth and 11.7 per cent import growth,” he said.

“Trade will fall towards the back half of the year and we will look for average export growth in 2015 at 8.7 per cent year-on-year, and import growth at 10.3 per cent year-on-year.

India’s inflation rate falls to three-month low

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NFLATION as measured by the Consumer Price Index (CPI) fell to 5.17per cent, down from February’s figure of 5.37per cent.

Better weather has meant agricultural harvests have been more controllable, stabilising the price of food.

The dip in global oil prices also helped lower the rate, which is in line with the government’s aim of keeping inflation below six per cent.

Analysts had forecast a rate of about 5.5percent for March. In February, unseasonal rains had pushed up food prices.

India’s central bank has cut interest rates twice this year with its key rate now at 7.5per cent. Analysts say the bank could act again.

Economist at Capital Economics Shilan Shah said: “This has raised the possibility of an interest rate cut outside the scheduled review cycle for the third time this year.”

Oil firms’ profits hit by crude price

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HE drop in big oil compa nies’ profits in the past eight months isn’t just a function of lower crude prices – it also reflects strategic choices.

A Reuters examination of corporate filings by some of the biggest players in the industry, including BP (BP.L), Shell (RDSa.L) and France’s Total (TOTF.PA), shows the sensitivity of these companies’ earnings to changes in oil prices has risen in recent years.

This means that for every dollar the oil price drops, their profits sink more than they might have done five years ago.

Of course, that wasn’t the plan.

Choices made by several oil majors that built more exposure to prices into their portfolio, mainly through the kinds of contracts they opted to sign, was aimed at enjoying prices that were historically high.

“In simple terms it (oil price sensitivity) has increased and that’s been a deliberate choice,” Simon Henry, Chief Financial Officer at Royal Dutch Shell Plc, Europe’s largest oil group by market value, told Reuters.

“We took a view that prices

were going to go up and that our portfolio was less exposed than it should be in that environment because of the types of contracts we had in place,” he said.

Shell made the decision in the early 2000s and it took around a decade for that to have a real impact on the company’s bottom line, Henry said.

In 2009, Shell’s then-CEO Peter Voser said a $1 move in the crude price would shift earnings up or down by around $200 million. In January, Henry estimated the impact of a dollar move on earnings was around $330 million and increasing.

Brent crude averaged $54 per barrel in the first quarter of 2015 – half of what it was in the same period last year. If the current price holds, the hit to Shell’s pretax earnings from the increased sensitivity alone could run to billions of dollars a year compared to what it would have been if the 2009 linkage between profits and oil prices had held steady.

Filings from Europe’s second and third largest oil groups, London-based BP and Parisbased Total, show a similar trend.

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, APRIL 15, 2015

40

BUSINESS AFRICA Abraaj raises $990m African fund

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HE Abraaj Group, a Dubaibased private equity com pany managing about $9 billion across emerging markets, raised $990 million for its third Sub-saharan Africa fund as it seeks to benefit from the region’s economic growth.

About 64 percent of the capital committed to the Abraaj Africa Fund III came from Europe and North America, with institutional investors, pension funds and sovereign wealth funds pledging 76 percent, the firm said Monday in an e-mailed statement. The fund will focus on mid-market companies including in consumer goods, services and finance in the core countries of Nigeria, Ghana, Ivory Coast, South Africa and Kenya.

Demand for the fund “reflects in-

creasing investor appreciation for the powerful growth story unfolding across Africa,” Arif Naqvi, Abraaj founder and chief executive officer, said in the statement. “It is a story driven by rapid urbanization and favorable demographics that are fueling consumption across multiple sectors from an expanding, young middle class.”

Abraaj has invested about $3 billion in Africa over more than a decade, it said in the statement. It has made 67 investments in SubSaharan Africa in nine sectors over that period and achieved 30 full and partial exits.

The firm has 27 investment and operating professionals based across its four offices in Nairobi, Lagos, Accra and Johannesburg.

Scatec wins renewable-energy contract in South Africa •From left: General Manager, Chemstar Paints Industries (Nig.) Ltd., Mr. Fola Laguda; Group Managing Director/ CEO, Mr. Remi Awode; Assistant General Manager, Finance, Mr. Tiwalade Adebiyi and Chief Executive Officer,Baylly Ventures (Nig)Ltd., Mr. Omotesho Adebayo at the painter’s sensitisation on Shield/ Fine Coat paints cover 4 cash painters rewards promo for the company’s 20th anniversary at Sango, Ogun State.

PHOTO: GODWIN IREKHE

Ban beverage, wine import, workers demand

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ORKERS in the food sector have called for a ban of the importation of beverage, wine and other foods.

The members of the National Union of Food, Beverage and Tobacco Employees (NUFBTE), spoke at the 55th birthday of its National President, Comrade Lateef Oyelekan.

They implored the incoming administration to save the sector from collapse.

The workers, who congratulated the president-elect, General Muhammadu Buhari on his victory at the poll, said the influx of sub-standard food products into the country have adversely affected the sector.

Oyelekan, also Vice President, Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), said manufacturers could meet up with the local demand.

He said: “Importation of beverages and other confectionery must be stopped, because it is Nigeria that is losing. By patronising foreign products, it the economy of those countries that we are boosting, creating jobs for the foreign economy, while unemployment

By Toba Agboola

continues to rise in the country.”

The Labour leader said besides addressing the primary problem in the food sector, the Presidentelect also should make it a top priority to provide stable electricity, adding thatit would be the main key to the economic advancement.

According to him, “when you look around the nation now, all our promising youths have all turned to okada riders, in order to make ends meet. Most of them have learned one trade or the other and could have been doing well, but when there is no electricity. There is no aspect of the economy that has not been affected, both the big manufacturing sector, the medium and small scale or the artisans. So, no doubt, if the issue of power is sorted out, even all our people that have left the country will return home. Because Nigeria will now become a new investment destination.”

He, however, enjoined Nigerians to support the new president

and sacrifice their quotas to bring about the new developmental changes desired by all.

The Chairman, Organising Committee of the event, Comrade Peter Onoja, however, charged the new leadership of NLC to bring positive transformation into the labour centre as it’s been witnessing by workers in the food sector.

“Our president here is an icon, and we celebrate him for his achievements, steadfastness, and doggedness in his pursuits of better welfare for the members of the union.

We equally believe that your wealth of experience will come to bear on the NLC, so that the entire Nigerian workers will once again appreciate, trust and rely on the leadership of the NLC,” he said.

Israel Ojo, an engineer, said: “It is not the money or the honour that makes a difference in the lives of a man, but the lives one can be able to impact upon. God is still looking for such a man, and Comrade Oyelekan is one of such. So, I enjoin you all to team up with the president to further move the union higher.’’

Shares in SA’s Naspers break key level as Tencent bet pays off

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HARES in Naspers Ltd, South Africa’s biggest firm by value, surged past 2,000 rand ($165) for the first time lifted by the rising fortunes of China’s Tencent Holdings in which it holds a minority stake.

Shares in the media and ecommerce firm jumped 3.3 percent to a record 2,029 rand, having gained about 90 percent over the last 12 months tracking gains in money-spinner Tencent whose stock has rocketed 52 percent so far this year.

Naspers holds a 34 percent stake in Tencent - one of China’s largest internet companies - that is worth nearly the entire 800 billion rand market value of the South African company.

“What you’re seeing in Naspers is, the majority of it, about what is happening to the Tencent stock,” said Owen Nkomo from Inkunzi Invest-

ments.

Some analysts said the share price could make the stock illiquid, locking out retail investors.

For its part, Tencent for the first time hit a market cap of more than $200 billion, rising 5.38 percent to close at HK$170.50 ($22) as Hong Kong stocks hit fresh seven-year highs as mutual funds piled into stocks.

Some investors said Naspers could lose steam because Tencent, which accounted for the bulk of its recent half-year earnings, was over valued.

“You’ll need a lot of growth from Tencent to justify Naspers valuation,” said Victor von Reiche, Senior Investment Analyst at Cannon Asset Managers.

“We don’t think there’s enough margin for safety, given that Tencent looks over valued itself.”

Tencent should drop by about 60 percent to what Thomson Reuters StarMine estimates as its intrinsic value or what StarMine believes the stock should trade at based on its most likely growth trajectory over the next five years.

On trailing price to earnings basis, Naspers is the most expensive stock on the Johannesburg bourse, trading at 68 times, well above an average of 20 times on the JSE Top40 index.

Naspers also has a highly lucrative pay-television business across South Africa and much of Africa, and stakes in newspapers and magazines in South Africa and other emerging markets.

Founded in 1915 as Nasionale Pers, or “National Press”, Naspers was widely seen as the mouthpiece for the white minority government of the time. It began its overseas push following the end of apartheid in 1994.

S

CATEC Solar ASA, a Norwe gian developer of renewableenergy facilities, is among preferred bidders for three solarpower projects in the fourth of five programme rounds to increase electricity from clean sources in South Africa.

The country’s Department of Energy awarded Scatec preferredbidder status for projects in the Northern Cape province with a combined capacity of 258 megawatts, the Oslo-based company said in a statement South Africa is expanding capacity as the state utility, which generates about 95 percent of the country’s power mostly using coal, has been forced to implement managed blackouts due to breakdowns at its aging fleet of plants and failure to invest in new facilities on time.

The country procured about 3,900 megawatts of capacity through the first three competitive rounds of

bids by clean-energy producers, with about $10 billion invested so far, the Department of Energy said in December. That already exceeded the 3,725 megawatts initially sought from five bid windows.

The department had planned to name the preferred providers in the program’s fourth round on Dec. 15.

Maduna Ngobeni, a spokesman for the department, didn’t immediately respond to an e-mail seeking comment.

Scatec has arranged financing for the projects that will be built near Upington, about 870 kilometers (540 miles) northeast of Cape Town, it said. Construction will start in early 2017, according to the company.

It will own 42 percent of the plants while the Norwegian Investment Fund for Developing Countries, or Norfund, will hold 18 percent and a trust for local South African communities will control the rest, it said.

South Africa banks lobbied for preference shares

A

SOUTH African money man ager is leading a drive to form blocks of investors holding preference shares in the country’s biggest banks to persuade the lenders to redeem the securities at the highest-possible prices.

About 22 billion rand ($1.8 billion) of the shares were issued a decade ago by banks including Standard Bank Group Ltd., Africa’s largest lender by assets, and FirstRand Ltd. mostly to expand share ownership in the country. Grouping the shareholders into voting pools will strengthen their bargaining power, said Greg Saffy, head of Johannesburg-based Cast Iron Capital, which has partnered with Exchange Sponsors Ltd. in the program.

A change in capital rules is prompting the banks to review the status of the preference shares, which typically have priority in the payment of dividends. The stocks, issued by the banks between 2004 and 2006, are known as non-cumulative, non-redeemable perpetual preference shares. Under Basel III regulations, they are no longer defined as core Tier-1 capital. As lenders try to boost their capital levels to meet the new benchmarks, they can buy back and cancel the shares or swap them for new instruments.

“Banks may have to do buybacks or replacements, but we’re going to lobby the banks for those shares,” Saffy said in an interview. By setting up the voting pool, Cast Iron Capital and Exchange Sponsors, an investment adviser, will form a market place where the shares can be traded, with the two firms earning performance fees for transactions, he said.

Framework Needed While FirstRand is waiting for the central bank to publish a final framework before discussing its stance on the preference shares, according to spokeswoman Sam Moss.

Nedbank Group Ltd. “will in principle offer a fair alternative,” said Mike Davis, the lender’s executive for balance-sheet management.

“At this stage in our capital planning we are considering various options as part of our current and ongoing capital plans,” Davis said.

Options include a buyback, or swapping into either a new pre or posttax instrument.

Investec Ltd. and Standard Bank weren’t immediately able to comment on the shares. Barclays Africa Group Ltd. declined to comment.

The South African Reserve Bank has been issuing capital framework guidelines for the lenders so as to ensure their compliance with Basel III rules.

Investors are able to start organizing themselves into the voting groups Monday, by visiting a website that Saffy and Exchange Sponsors have set up, or by calling the firms.

Six preference-share instruments from lenders including Investec, Nedbank and Barclays Africa are being targeted. Pooling the investors will enable them to negotiate with the banks for a cash payout at “an acceptable level,” Saffy said on the website.

“We’ve canvassed some of the institutional investors and there is keen interest and support for our initiative,” Saffy said. “We are in the process of collecting the votes from all holders and custodians of the instruments.”

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THE NATION WEDNESDAY, APRIL 15, 2015

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, APRIL 15, 2015

43

SHOWBIZ

Pirates dare filmmakers again, flood streets with fake October 1 movie •Group challenges next govt to action

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EW days after film distributor Gabriel Okoye lambasted traders in a section of Alaba International Market, Lagos, for being largely responsible for piracy in Nigeria, the pirates carried out their recent threat by releasing fake copies of Kunle Afolayan’s award-winning flick, October 1.

Okoye, popularly called Gabosky, is the distributor of top films such as Phone Swap, Onye Ozi and Tango with Me, with October 1, being the next in his repertoire.

Following reports that the film has been pirated and set for release, Gabosky, at a media conference last Thursday decried the impunity of the ‘Alaba boys’, urging government to step in, by strengthening the existing laws on piracy.

He expressed regrets that the perpetrators of this criminal act do so with so much liberty, and have often confronted law enforcement agents with all forms of dangerous weapons, each time attempts are made to raid the market.

A devastated Afolayan, on Monday, alerted his fans on the fake copies of his film in circulation. He begged them to show pity on his investment by refusing to buy from the pirates. “Pirated copies of October 1 film is now released by the pirates and it is everywhere on the street. We have been announcing and alerting the people and government for

By Victor Akande

years. Is this how we will fold our hands and look? It is my turn today, it may be yours tomorrow. I am devastated. It’s a hostile country. PLEASE DO NOT BUY,” he said.

The news of this fake October 1 movie soon occupied discourse on the social media.

A group of entertainers and their friends on naijahottestgist.com, decried the situation, saying it is a crime they all need to fight, irrespective of ethnic differences or political affiliations.

“It’s so pathetic on my way to Surulere last week I saw boys hawking October 1 and I told one of them that the movie he’s holding is yet to be released,” said Adebiyi. “His response was “oga why you no face where you dey go, this is a lawless country joor.” I was dumbfounded and wondered when government will wake up to save the movie industry and other industries. In Ibadan where I live, people sell pirated books and movies with impunity. I just hope the incoming administration will do everything possible to protect intellectual property so that creative people can be protected. God bless Nigeria.”

Many are of the opinion that, with the promise of zero-tolerance for corruption by the incoming General Muhammadu Buhari-led government, intellectual

property theft should be another major area of focus.

The same measure, they agreed, is expected of their colleague, Desmond Elliot, who has just been elected into the Lagos State House of Assembly, as well as the Governor-elect, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode.

Perhaps more important, is public sensitisation on how equally wrong it is to patronise unlawful products.

“It is very sad that someone will sweat and fund his movie for the purpose of making his life better and some hard-hearted people will now pirate the movie. It is wickedness of the highest order. Many people on the streets buying these movies don’t see anything wrong because that is what they can afford. It is now left for we that know what is right to begin the education,” said a contributor, Tayo Fadaka, who added that existing laws in this regard should be enforced appropriately. “It’s no longer a confrontational thing because if you say you want to be confrontational, you will kill someone. Our problem in this country is that laws are not really enforced. We have a new administration. Thank God some of you in the entertainment industry have been elected into the polity of this country.

Raise bills that will serve as deep punitive measures not only to the pirates but to those that patronise them.

Don Jazzy, Ice Prince congratulate Ambode

•Ambode and Ice Prince

S

INCE emerging victorious in the April 11 gubernatorial poll, Governor-elect of Lagos State, Akinwunmi Ambode, has been receiving congratulatory messages. One of those who sent their felicitation is Chocolate City rapper, Ice Prince.

The superstar who sent a congratulatory message to Ambode on his Instagram handle, said, “Congratulations to the newly elected governor of Lagos State, Nigeria! May God take the lead and wishing you a blessed and successful tenure.” Ice Prince sent the post, alongside a photograph of himself and Ambode.

Also joining the artiste in

By Mobisola Oladapo

expressing his felicitation is Mavin Record boss, Michael Collins, aka Don Jazzy.

He said: “Let me officially congratulate the Governorelect of Lagos State @AkinwunmiAmbode.”

Ambode contested for

governorship of Lagos State, the entertainment hub of Nigeria, under the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC). His closest rival, Jimi Agbaje, who contested under the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has since called to congratulate him on his victory.

Harrysong loses dad

F

IVE Star Music recording act, Harrysong, is currently bereaved, according to report. The music artiste is said to be presently mourning the loss of his father, barely two weeks after he celebrated his 34th birthday.

The old man is said to have passed on last Friday, April 10.

His publicist, Desmond Ike, who was said to have confirmed the sad news said; “Yes it’s true, the call just came in a few minutes ago and he is currently demoralized. We’ll put out an official statement soon.”

•A film store in Alaba. INSET: Man hawking October 1 in traffic

There should be zero-tolerance for piracy in this new dispensation. Our security operatives should be tasked.

The public also should be tasked to bring these people to book. There should be automatic imprisonment meted to offenders. Piracy is stealing and should be treated as such and with no option of fine. Anyone found selling them on the streets should be arrested. It starts with you and I; If we task ourselves to be both the police and the judge in our various enclaves and not close our eyes to what we see on our streets, we will all be better off for it. Legal actions seem better but I feel it should be the last resort.”

While this view is considered worthy, others blame increase of the crime on absence of proper distribution framework. “I agree that the laws need to be reviewed but I think the most important thing is the lack of a proper distribution process for movies. Practitioners need to come to the table about this and then get the laws to back up processes. There are no systems in the industry at the moment, in my opinion,” said Niran Adedokun.

For notable socialite, Kingsley James, filmmakers would be seen to take their business more seriously if they visit the National Assembly with bills, rather than their usual romance

with the presidency.

“Sad that Kunle’s movie is already pirated,” said James.

“Piracy is everywhere in the world. The difference is the angle of impunity it takes in Nigeria. What are the solutions? It depends on which school of thought you are from. Nu Metro and its likes die in their quest to kill the hydra-headed monster. The fact is, our distribution is a mess. 70% of the pirates are also distributors! Secondly, the creative art need to invest in the business of distribution. They must do that as a matter of urgency. Lastly, the associations should pay more visits to the National Assembly than to Aso Rock.

You know what I mean.”

Artistes remember Chibok girls

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ONDAY, April 14, marked one year since the abduction of about 270 school girls from their dormitory by the infamous sect, Boko Haram, in Chibok community, Borno State, and since then, Nigerians and the international community have not ceased to clamour for the release of the girls.

As Nigerians take cognizance of the anniversary of the sad occurrence, a couple of artistes have added their voices to the need to rescue the girls. One of them is award-winning singer, Waje, who expressed hope that someday, the girls would be released from captivity.

According to Waje, “One year on, we still hope and believe they will return home, we will never forget our girls. #hope #believe #bringbackourgirls #nevertobeforgotten #chibokgirls #chibok #wajesafehouse #waje #365dayson #nigeria #africa #girls,” she posted on her Instagram handle.

Also joining the call for the release of the school girls is on-air-personality, Toke Makinwa, who said, “365 days after without the girls - sad. May God deliver them from the hands of Boko Haram, may their families feel comfort in these times too. Unacceptable. Please say a prayer for

By Ovwe Medeme

the abducted Chibok girls today.”

For veteran actress, Joke Silva, it was all prayers for the missing girls. “Omnipotent Omnipresent Omniscient God...El Elyon.....hmmm.

Holy Spirit groan for us,” she wrote.

In a press statement to Nigerians, president-elect, Muhammadu Buhari said that as a matter of urgency, his administration, upon assuming office, will make the release of the abducted girls a priority.

“Today is a time to reflect on the pain and suffering of the victims, their friends and families. Our thoughts and prayers, and that of the whole Nigerian Nation, are with you today.

“I want to assure all of them, and particularly the parents, that when my new administration takes office at the end of May, we will do everything we can to defeat Boko Haram. We will act differently from the government we replace: we hear the anguish of our citizens and intend to respond accordingly.

“This new approach must also begin with honesty. We do not know if the Chibok girls can be rescued. Their whereabouts remain unknown. As much as I wish to, I cannot promise that we can find them. But I say to every parent, family member and friend of the children that my government will do everything in its power to bring them home,” he said.

•Nigerians protesting for the release of the Chibok Girls

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THE NATION WEDNESDAY, APRIL 15, 2015

45

WEDNESDAY APRIL 15, 2015

POLITICS THE NATION

E-mail:- politics@thenationonlineng.net

Former House of the Representatives Speaker Hon. Aminu Bello Masari is the Katsina State governorelect on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC). In this interview with reporters in Katsina, the state capital, he unfolds his plans for the state. TONY AKOWE was there.

Masari: I‘ll restore Katsina’s glory T

HIS is your second attempt at becoming governor of Katsina State and by the grace of God, you became the winner. We want you to share your experience with us.

It is really an experience for somebody to contest election in a party that is in the opposition, especially because of the way we see opposition in this country. I believe that opposition is also a partner in development in the democratic process of a country. Unfortunately, in some quarters, people in opposition party are seen as enemies and not as partners. So, my experience since I joined the opposition in 2009 is that for you to be in the opposition, you have to be very patient, persevere and also to be steadfast. Once you have an idea which you believe in, you should remain constant and consistent and, at the end, God will definitely be with you in terms of succeeding. So, my experience has really been mixed in the sense that the ordinary person want change all the time, but the powers that be always want to maintain the status quo. The worst situation is the lack of level-playing ground which has been lacking. Now, with the introduction of the card reader, it is almost impossible to inflate votes and this has made a little difference. Really, with the right leadership in right place at the right time, Nigeria will get it right.

What should the people expect from you when you are sworin in?

If you passed through our campaign office, we said our project is Restoration 2015 for Katsina. What are we restoring? Traditionally, Katsina is known for investment and producing highly educated and technically sound people. So, our main area, our first target, second target and third target is education, because the standard of education is poor in Katsina today. Public schools in the state could not even achieve three per cent success in last year’s WAEC. If you take the entire Katsina indigenes, whether they live in Lagos, Abuja or elsewhere in the country, 45,800 of them sat for WAEC and only 4,500 got five credits and above. This is a shame for a state where the first middle school in northern Nigeria was established.

First generation, second generation and third generation of students from that institution, including the President-elect, have made their mark in different fields of human endeavour. We were the first to open an education account in the United Kingdom for the training of our people. But, today, from 1999 to 2014, we have presented over 255,000 students for WAEC. What did we get out of that? Only 32,000 of them secured five credits and above. During my campaign, I was able to travel to all the 34 local government areas. I slept in 27 and in each local government I made sure that I did not follow the tarred road. This was to assess the state of infrastructure in the state. What did we see?

The roofs of about 60 per cent of our primary schools have their roofs blown off, windows and doors destroyed and no concrete flooring. On the average, one classroom houses about 97 children. What are we talking about? There is a particular district only one child successfully completed senior secondary school. The rest dropped out because there were no teachers and no classrooms.

It is a terrible situation. There was a time we presented over 17,000 students for WAEC and only 370 passed. We cannot continue like this. So, what we are bringing on the table is the issue of education. Secondly, Katsina is an agrarian state. Our economy was until the discovery of oil dependent on agriculture and livestock. Where are we today? We can’t feed ourselves. Forget about imported rice, imported macaroni, imported spaghetti, imported everything. If, for whatever reason, the import stopped, how do we feed ourselves? People said they are surprise that could not feed themselves at a time,

when they ran short of food. That exposed the weakness in the system they were operating. We cannot sit down here and depend on rice from China, rice from India, rice from Thailand when we have water and the land.

Before Katsina was created as a state, it was a province. This province was constructing roads, schools, hospitals, court, it had the police, prison services, the judiciary; they were paying salaries and carrying out development projects. Why can’t we replicate that today? The province was also making its contribution to the running of the Northern Regional government. Where are we today?

If this money coming from Abuja stops, the state cannot survive for one month.

How do you intend to attract funds to run the state?

The problem is that we have not always been open and honest with our people. It is not about resources alone. You think that development depends on money alone, but it is not so. Even the military were building roads, hospitals and others. Under the colonial administration, the emirate system was building everything. Democracy is about being open with the people. If you have money, let the people know that you have money and let them have a say on how this money is spent. Each time, we talk about lean resources. No, it is not about lean resources, but about good management of resources. If you allow the local councils to operate, if you allow a ward to produce a Councilor that represents the people and not himself, things will work out well. We don’t have councils now. The key word is not lack of resources, but involving people in decision making. That is the essence of democracy. This state under the Native Authority as a Province was doing well looking after itself. But, today, this is not so. We want to look at Katsina in the next 20 or 30 years.

There was a time when crude oil was less than 10 dollars and it can happen again tomorrow. We’re not in a position to determine the price. The world powers decide how much they will buy your oil, what quantity they need. So, we have no control over pricing, we have any control over the market. We have no control over even the imported products. How can we depend on something that has a life span? Let us depend on the land to give us food. No country is great when it cannot feed itself.

What is your plan for those you defeated at the APC primary?

We have already passed that stage. Nine of us contested the primary and all of us worked for the success of the APC in Katsina State. Everybody was also involved in the preparation for the presidential and National Assembly elections, as well as the governorship election. They all brought in materials and their physical presence into the project.

So, we don’t have problems in that regard; that’s why we say that we are going to do things differently. Even though the APC emerged as the winner of the election, the other parties are from Katsina and we will offer them a hand of fellowship too. We are going to be magnanimous; we are going to be leaders. We are going to provide leadership and not rulership. We have no problem in carrying along anybody who has the interest of the people of Katsina at heart. Our key word here is the people. It is not about skyscrapers. It is not about roads that will not go anywhere, but to develop the people and the people will develop the land.

‘

•Masari

In what ways would the emergence of Buhari at the centre help your administration?

We are not meeting with Buhari on the platform of political party alone. We have a long standing relationship and now, we have a political relationship. That Buhari is from Katsina State is a plus for us. But, it depends on how we manage it. We want Buhari to be a Nigerian leader. We don’t want Buhari to be a regional, zonal or provincial leader. We want him to be a Nigerian leader that will leave a legacy of positive contribution to this country and that is the basis on which people elected him. So, we will help him to maintain and improve on those qualities which the people of Nigeria see in him. We will never do anything that will tarnish his image, his reputation or his standing internationally and nationally. So, for us, the emergence of Buhari is a plus. When we go somewhere and say I am from Katsina, we want the doors to be open. So, for us, it is a plus.

Taking you back to the issue of education, are you going to follow your party’s policy on education or do you intend to initiate your own home-grown policy?

The first item on the agenda of the APC manifesto is human resource development.

How can you develop human resources without education. Fundamentally, the position of APC in education is known. In Katsina, the figures not produced by me, but in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Education gives Katsina about 20 per cent enrollment rate and some states have achieved 80 per cent enrollment rate. So, their approach and mine will be different, but the goal remains the same. Here in Katsina, we will design a road that will lead us to success on the basis of the basket provided by our political party in the area of

I am here because we believe that without executive power, you cannot make any meaningful contribution to development in this country at this point in time.

That is why I have decided to come back home and see how I can repay what the society has invested in me

’

education. We will take roads that will lead us, that will lead Katsina to salvage itself, restore the honour, dignity and integrity of the people of Katsina state. We cannot do that outside education. The road that other states will take to arrive at their destination may be different from ours, but the objective would remain the same.

You were Speaker of the House of Representatives for four years. What kind if leadership will you suggest for the 8th Assembly to assist Gen. Buhari in piloting the affairs of this nation?

Luckily, we are going to have a comfortable majority in the National Assembly.

What I have seen as a former member of the House of Representative is that because of patronage system by the governors, they have destroyed the institution. Patronage system in the sense that for you to become a senator, you must be in the right books of the governor. For you to be a member, you start lobbying the governor to make you a candidate for you to be a member of the National Assembly. Not because the governor believes that you have something to offer other than being attracted by the package and the limelight. Definitely, at the National Assembly, if you play your cards well, it is an opportunity to come into limelight.

Really, most people derail when they get to the National Assembly. If we go there, what interest do we represent? How do we subsume our local interest into national interest? If you are making an act, it is for the entire country. If you are participating in the budget, you have to find a way of subsuming your interest into national interest. As long as the interest you represent cannot be subsumed into the national development agenda, which is the budget, you are no longer providing representation. The reality of the situation is, let us allow the system to work. In determining the leadership, the leadership has to be focused on why we need the change. So, we must get leaders that understand why we need the change in Nigeria.

It is not about changing faces or names. It is about changing how we conduct businesses of government at any level, how do we as Nigerians do things. After all, South Africa said it is returning our money after Buhari is sworn in. Why? The international community is comfortable that somebody who will manage the resources well is coming. These are the kind people we need and it should be the vision of those coming to the National Assembly. I hope they are not attracted by the package, but also by the work.

Finally, how would you describe your emergence as the governor-elect?

If you know me well, I am a normal person. I don’t look at things in such a way that it will carry my mind off the direction. We have promised, we have pledged and we have prayed that God will give us the opportunity to restore the honour, dignity, prestige and integrity of the people of Katsina State and this is what we are going to work for. We see it as a challenge. I am not here not make a new name. As Speaker, I was the only person in the country and was given a presidential treatment anywhere I go in the country. I am here because we believe that without executive power, you cannot make any meaningful contribution to development in this country at this point in time.

That is why I have decided to come back home and see how I can repay what the society has invested in me. I am a product of public institution. So, I cannot be there and watch public institutions, where 99 per cent of our people started from, crumble. If you are having 20 per cent pass from Katsina State, where will Katsina be in 20 years time?

It means we will be nowhere in the scheme of things in Nigeria. There are some states in Nigeria that if they stop going to school, it will take us 30 years in Katsina to catch up with them.

THE NATION WEDNESDAY APRIL 15, 2015

46

also expect Ambode to support Dangote to complete ‘theWerefinery project. Once all these projects are completed, there would be a lot of rooms to create jobs for our youths ‘

The Lagos State governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode, an indigene of Epe, is the governor-elect. Deputy Political Editor RAYMOND MORDI, who monitored the governorship and House of Assembly elections in the coastal town, asked residents what they expect of Ambode.

Our expectations, by Epe monarch, residents T HE Lagos State Governorelect, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode of the All Progressives Congress (APC), has thanked the people of Lagos for coming out peacefully to cast their ballot last Saturday, saying he would deliver on his promises of a positive change and an improvement in the living standard of Lagosians.

Ambode, who spoke to reporters in his ancestral home in Epe after casting his ballot, said he was optimistic that he would win the election. He said now that his party would be controlling the government at the centre, his administration would be able to take advantage of the support from the Federal Government to make life better for Lagosians.

He said: “There are two things that government is expected to do: to guarantee the safety and the wellbeing of the citizenry. We are going to have safer Lagos; we are going to have a Lagos that would make more people more prosperous. That’s the essence of governance and that’s what the APC stands to give the people of Lagos.”

On what his reaction would be if he loses the contest, Ambode said what matters is the will of the people as expressed in the voting. Nevertheless, he expressed optimism that he would the win the election.

He said: “This is democracy; there is always a winner and a loser in a democratic election. What is important is to let our people speak and make their choice. We would respect their choice. Once we are able to do so, we’re on our way forward in the country.”

Ambode said the conduct of INEC in this governorship and House of Assembly elections is an improvement on what was witnessed two weeks ago. He said the turnout in his polling unit is higher than that of two weeks ago and that the report he is getting from other polling units suggests that the turnout is impressive elsewhere in the state.

The traditional ruler of Epe, Oba Kamorudeen Ishola Animashaun, said he expects the Governor-elect to complete the projects already started by the outgoing administration of Babatunde Fashola. “We know he has been part and parcel of the APC administration in the state and he knows what to do,” he said.

Oba Animashaun who spoke during last Saturday’s electiions enumerated the demands of the people of Epe as: “One, electricity; two, water; three, roads; and, four, creation of employment opportunities for youths. We also want Ambode to facilitate the completion of the development projects initiated by the outgoing administration in and around Epe. These include: the Lekki-Epe International Airport project, the Lekki Free Trade Zone and the Lekki Deep Seaport.

“We also expect Ambode to support Dangote to complete the refinery project. Once all these projects are completed, there would be a lot of rooms to create jobs for our youths.”

• Ambode (supported by his wife, Bolanle, on his left) speaking with reporters after casting his ballot

There are two ‘things that government is expected to do: to guarantee the safety and the wellbeing of the citizenry. We are going to have safer Lagos; we are going to have a Lagos that would make more people more prosperous. That’s the essence of governance and that’s what the APC stands to give the people of Lagos

’

Some residents of Epe equally urged the incoming governor to prioritise the development of infrastructure in the area if elected governor. Mr. Jamiu Agbaje, a community leader said the people of Epe deserved a special attention because of long neglects by the previous government.

According to Agbaje, Epe Local Government Area deserves such attention as one of the oldest council in the state, which would determine who becomes the next governor of the state. He urged the incoming governor to consolidate on the achievements of Governor Fashola.

• Oba Animashaun

• Rafiu

He said both Ambode and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate Jimi Agbaje are familiar with the developmental needs of Epe and so they should not shirk their responsibility to the people.

Indications are that the election was marred by low turnout in most polling units in Epe. From about 11am, most polling officers were idle, because prospective voters were coming for accreditation in trickles. A businessman, Mr. Otun Rafiu, attributed the low turnout to the tension associated with the mutual rivalry between the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) prior to the election.

But, he believes the APC will win at the end of the day. He said the

APC flag bearer Gen. Muhammadu Buhari’s victory two weeks ago will help the party to carry the day.

“Otherwise, the PDP could have gone ahead to win this governorship,” he said.

Rafiu, who is a card-carrying member of the APC, said there was a little acrimony within the ranks the party members in Epe during the presidential election, which affected the performance of the party in Epe. But, he said the loopholes had been plugged before the current election.

Meanwhile, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) performed better in the governorship and House of Assembly elections than it did two weeks ago.

It appeared to have sorted out the transport logistics problems that

nearly marred the presidential and National Assembly elections.

INEC officials were on ground before 8am in all the polling units visited in parts of the town by our correspondent. Accreditation started promptly in almost all the polling units. But, unlike two weeks ago when people turned up in large numbers as at 8am, prospective voters took their time last Saturday.

Besides, the tension that gripped the town two weeks ago appears to be absent. People sat in clusters in front of their houses, discussing.

Others, particularly women, were busy with household chores. As at 8.30am however activities were already in full swing in most polling units.

Ambode noted that the performance of INEC improved, compared to two weeks ago and that if it is sustained throughout the state, the election would be more credible.

His words: “The last time we came for the presidential election, even as at 9am, we had actually not started. But, today, as at 8.30am, about 40 persons had been accredited already and I have already been accredited myself. I give kudos to INEC, so far, so good.”

The Executive Chairman of Epe Local Government Hon. Ahmed Seriki alleged that there were reported cases of ballot boxes snatching at Ibeju Lekki. He said: “We received a report from Ibeju Lekki that ballot boxes were snatched from INEC officials. I’m trying to get in touch with the Area Commander, to ensure that police gets there to keep peace, because we learnt that PDP thugs snatched ballot boxes from INEC officials, to prevent them from going to their polling units. This can lead to chaos in that area; that’s why I’m alerting the police,” he said.

Against the background of the boat mishap on the day of the presidential and National Assembly elections, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) provided over 300 life jackets for its workers going to riverine communities.

The Electoral Officer of INEC in Epe, Mr. Okpighe Henry, said the commission also made provision for quality canoe and flying boats to convene workers outside the land to riverine.

According to him, it was imperative to keep improving the nation’s electoral process for the integrity of the governance process and for deepening democracy in the country. He said: “l pledge to all Epe indigenes that we will continuously do our best under all circumstances to ensure free, fair, credible and peaceful elections.

“We have done our best under all circumstances and we have realised that a large number of indigenes utilized the opportunity and came out to exercise their franchise,” he said Henry lauded the contributions of a number of stakeholders to the successful conduct of the presidential elections. He said INEC had made adequate transport arrangement to convey workers and electoral materials with the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW).

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, APRIL 15, 2015

47

The Midweek Magazine Lisabi Festival: A unifying feast

E-mail:- ozoluauhakheme@yahoo.com

T

HE guns boomed intermittently, shaking the whole environment and announcing that the Hunters had come to celebrate. Men and women gorgeously dressed danced and sang in excitement.

Banners hung on the walls. Stickers of various sizes graced the seats bearing diverse names of groups and titles of those who had come to mark the celebration. Some read: "the Baales, Ogbonis", "Market Women", "Chiefs", "Baloguns" and more.

It was the day the Egba people all trooped out to celebrate their most honoured festival- Lisabi and all roads led to the Alake’s Palace in Abeokuta, Ogun State capital.

For the Egba people, this year’s Lisabi festival, which was in its 29th edition, is one of the major festivals that unites them, irrespective of their party affiliations, religious convictions and political differences. They all gathered to celebrate their legend, Lisabi Agbongbo Akala.

The festival is a yearly event to honour their progenitor, Lisabi, a warrior, who fought and rescued them from oppression in the 18th Century.

During the festival, Egba indigenes at home and in the Diaspora, usually remember and celebrate his legacies.

And to celebrate him, hunters, in excitement, shot sporadically into the air. Their shooting added spice to the celebration. The occasion was interesting as it gave the opportunity to showcase various types of Yoruba woven clothes, styles, and caps as most of them were in white flowing agbada.

Juju maestro, Evangelist Ebenezer Obey Fabiyi, thrilled the crowd. As he sang the praise of 'Lisabi Agbongbo Akala', they danced, ate and drank assorted wines.

The weeklong festival started with the booming of guns at the legendary Olumo Rock to be followed by the cleaning of the palace by the youths. Football competition also formed part of the festival at the late MKO Abiola Stadium. Gifts and scholarships were distributed.

The festival was attended by the governor of the state, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, who doubled as the chief host, royal fathers such as the Osinle of Oke Ona, Oba Adedapo Tejuoso; Olowu of Owu Oba Adegboyega Dosunmu; Olubara of Ibara and herbalists, among others.

The Alake Palace in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, was agog with lots of cultural activities. This year's celebration of Lisabi Festival drew crowds from home and abroad, TAIWO ABIODUN reports.

The making of a hero

While celebrating the annual festival, each year a hero of the year is selected from a family in Egba as the "hero of the town for the year". This year's anniversary fell on the Agboketoyinbo's family in Ikija, Abeokuta. Balogun Ogunbona Mosunleka Agboketoyinbo was honoured because of his predecessor's contribution to Egbaland.

The Alake of Egbaland was there to honour the family. He praised the family for the roles their forefather played as a brave man, who confronted the whites in Egbaland. A giant picture of the monarch was presented to him by the family in appreciation of the Alake.

According to history, he was a prince-turned warlord with uncommon patriotism for his fatherland.

He was said to have died in active service of the Egba nation at Olokemeji on the 18th of June, 1861 during the Ibadan/Ijaiye War. He had 26 wives all blessed with children.

•Oba Tejuoso and other guests

Long list of obeisance

At the grand finale were over 20, 000 indigenes and spectators thronged the place from far and near to watch the great event. Gifts were offered, while market women brought all kinds of fruits, and raw foodstuff to honour the king.

Here the Baales came to pay homage irrespective to their age- they all prostrated Groups wer called upon to greet the monarch. As they all went up to the podium to prostrate for the king, one could see different Yoruba styles of caps, the Ogbonis with their paraphernalia, the Baales, Baloguns, among others.

Again, the hunters had a field day.

The whole place vibrated to its foundation and the sky went in smoke as they shot into the air.

Speaking at the occasion, the Globacom Chairman, Dr. Mike Adenuga said: "Today, Lisabi Festival is a vivid reminder of these heroic exploits, which over the years, have shaped Egba ethos and values.

These values, which include hard work, honesty, love, patriotism, selflessness, integrity and commitment are legacies being kept alive for posterity by the Egba. I heartily celebrate with all Egba sons and daughters on the occasion of this year's Lisabi Festival, which is the 29th edition and the fourth to be sponsored

by Globacom. Lisabi Festival has been used as a rallying point to articulate issues germane to the development of Egbaland and it's good people."

festival were planning the first edition, the idea of collective responsibility featured prominently. Every Egba forebears sung and unsung, held religiously to their collective responsibility to liberate Egbas from the shackles of the Oloyos and moved through thick and thin during which many lives were lost, up to the new settlement to Abeokuta we are proud of now. That period witnessed high level demonstration of sincere affection for the peaceful co- existence of the Egbas by those people who had to take decisions that left no room for any mistake , at the risk of their own lives" High Chief Kunle Shoyoye, the Aro of Ilawo of Egbaland, was highly elated and praised not only the indigenes but also the Alake of Egbaland, “who has been consistently marking the festival and remembering our heroes”. “This festival is interesting and we love it for it showcase our culture, not only this giving out awards and honoring people by the Egbas should be emulated and not only this one could see that unity is gradually coming to Yorubaland generally and this is best for the Alake of Egbaland," he said.

Pa Adebayo Sofolahan said he was so much interested in the festival more than anybody. " We always celebrate Hero of the year which shows how important a family is, how important an individual is in the town. It also shows that people are watching you and your contributions from youth. It showed what you have done so far and when they look at everything together then they pick you as a hero," he said.

Agboketoyinbo mini museum

•Children at the Lisabi festival

The Alake, who was highly elated, praised the people, urging them to love one another. Praying for the hero of the year's family members, Ogunbona, and for the community members, the Alake said: "The Egbas are always first in everything in Nigeria with very healthy rivalries. We

should honour our people, who contributed to our community. We honour those alive too, it is not until one dies or after the demise of a hero before he is honoured. “ The arrival of Senator Amosu added colour to the day's festival as he was hailed to high heavens while

prayers were rained on him and the place almost turned into a political campaign rally as his supporters went into frenzy.

The Agbaakin of Egbaland, who was the Chairman of Lisabi Committee said: "Twenty-nine years ago when the founding fathers of Lisabi

"Today, Lisabi Festival is a vivid reminder of these heroic exploits, which over the years, have shaped Egba ethos and values. These values, which include hard work, honesty, love, patriotism, selflessness, integrity and commitment are legacies being kept alive for posterity by the Egba. I heartily celebrate with all Egba sons and daughters on the occasion of this year's Lisabi Festival, which is the 29th edition and the fourth to be sponsored by Globacom. Lisabi Festival has been used as a rallying point to articulate issues germane to the development of Egbaland and it's good people."

On a visit to the family's compound, there is a mini museum. Kept in the museum are his costumes and instruments of war. Among them are his ' Special Hat', his Dane guns and fire arms. He reputed as the first to use such fire arms between 1821 and 1825. Also, placed in the museum are his bag (a gift from the whites), containing charms, his cap which he was fond of wearing. It was said the leather bag soon became his most precious property. He was accused of not appreciating the traditional Yoruba cap and other paraphernalia of office because his cap was also not locally made. A play was performed by some artistes in remembrance of the historical Agboketoyinbo.

The visit to Olumo Rock

The third day, the Oba Alake visited the Olumo Rock with some Obas and chiefs and selected people. They went to the top of the rock to offer prayers and rent the Egba anthem.

The grand finale saw the Alake going to the bush, which according to observers, only meant for very few and initiated people. According to an indigene, they went up there to pray to the gods, and this is compulsory.

48

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, APRIL 15, 2015

The Midweek Magazine Educating the public on socio-cultural socio-cultural,, religious tolerance E-mail:- ozoluauhakheme@yahoo.com

R

ECENT years have seen the emergence of best practices in every field of human endeavour and museology as a field has not been left out. Initiatives over the last three decades across the world have sought to reposition museums at the heart of their communities as agents of social inclusion and civil engagements, while still serving as cultural mediators to its visitors from various parts of the community.

The National Museums of Nigeria number about forty five with at least one museum situated in each of the 36 States in the country. Also, these museums are under a parent body known as the National Commission for Museums & Monuments (NCMM), Nigeria. The mission statement of the commission is hinged on the collection, documentation and preservation of Nigeria’s tangible and intangible heritage Nigeria being a multi ethnic nation with an extremely rich cultural heritage, these museums strive to ensure best practices with the following responsibilities: exploration,collection, care and preservation of antiquities and works of art from the country, regulations and issuance of export permits, prohibited transfers to check illegal exportation, museum educational and outreach programmes etc.

Icom’s definition of museum The International Council of Museum (ICOM) defines museum as a permanent institution in the service of society and of its development, open to the public, which acquires, conserves, researches, communicates and exhibits the tangible and intangible heritage of humanity and its environment for the purposes of education, study and enjoyment.

Many decades ago, 19th and 20th centuries, to be precise, museums were contended to serve a small, selected audience with their programmes focusing on collections, scholarly and professional activities. The primary responsibility of the old style museum, at that time, was to its collections, not its visitors. Museums were just about the material they contain, acquiring these objects (where they can) keeping them and making them available to whoever wants to see them.

However, over half a century now, there has been a shift in museum focus from these traditional roles to serving audiences. Today, museums are not only reaching out to a larger audience, they are also designing proactively the arrangements and services which will generate satisfaction and positive outcomes for their visitors.

This is the new museology and Nigerian museums cannot be left out of this very rewarding trend.

Museology in the 21st century.

The new museology and the Nigerian Museum Following the transformations sweeping over the museum world, the widening roles and expectations within cultural and heritage sectors have been a challenge to museum workers throughout Nigeria and beyond. Museum functions and roles have been reshaped from the old to new museology.

This new trend accentuates museums, their collections and exhibitions as both products and agents of social change presenting museums themselves as important social institutions. While literature and theory assume that a single mission should guide a museum’s role in society, national museums in Nigeria are operating as community service museums and by so doing,

•From left: Mrs Victoria Okoloagu, Tina Oforjekwu and Lanre Oloruntosin From Mary Aharanwa

HERITAGE they try to fulfill a number of different purposes useful and desired by the communities, even beyond the purpose stated in their missions.

Like their counterparts in other parts of the world, Nigerian museums presently are seeking ways to reach a broader public, forge community ties and compete effectively with other providers of leisure and educational activities.

This endeavour is aimed at promoting and encouraging the active participation and collaboration between the museums and the public.

Each year, several programmes are organised around themes that help these communities to diagnose their problems and offer solutions.

These programmes, which come in form of exhibition and other educational and outreach programmes tackle issues bordering on religious tolerance, security, health, poverty alleviation, skills acquisition, youth and women empowerment, curbing violence and terrorism, social injustice, crime and social exclusion etc.

Several temporary exhibitions are ongoing presently in museums across the 36 states of the country.

The exhibitions have various themes often accentuating on the oneness of the Nigerian people.

For instance, the NCMM has successfully commissioned two out of the four proposed ‘Unity Museums’ meant to showcase objects which preaches unity of the Nigerian nation after the civil war.

The theme of the main exhibition at the National Museum of Unity Enugu focuses on national unity, showcasing the similarities in the cultures of the diverse people of the country. Some of the objects on display have similar names, functions and embody the values and ideas of a group or a people, even though they were collected from different locations.

At the National Museum Lagos, the exhibition, “Nigerian Art in the Cycle of Life” is one of the five exhibitions currently running. This exhibition talks about the art of Nigeria as being functional and having a purpose in the life of the Ni-

•D-G NCMM, Abdallah Usman gerian from birth to death. Similarities in cultures, traditions, architecture, religion are also highlighted. In some cases, it is discovered that certain people migrated from the same place and that certain communities are only continuities of some other communities.

There are several other exhibitions which cannot be mentioned here due to space constraint but worthy of mention is that almost every National Museum in the country makes available its space for collaborations either with individuals or groups in order to promote local awareness and address issues which have become a challenge to the nation.

Community service through promoting national agendas, outreaches and involvement in educational activities have become the order of the day with these museums. For example, programmes have been designed to encourage the physically challenged. The Long holiday Progamme for school children has been a vibrant and continuous one in museums such as Abeokuta, Lagos, Kaduna, Minna, Owerri to mention a few. These programmes help to develop the talents of our young ones and also in empowering them as young adults. There are prison outreaches too designed to help the inmates in learning skills that could help them become useful in the society and giving them “another chance” in life. There are several other programmes which are positively en-

gaging especially for children, youth and women.

Each year, ICOM comes out with a theme for the IMD which holds May 18 of every year. In the past 10 years, these themes have been focusing on how museums can help fight intolerance, insecurity, violence and empower the people, etc.

The museums in Nigeria have been actively involved in making use of these themes to develop people oriented programmes that suit their communities, building inter ethnic relations.

In year 2000, ICOM came out with this theme for the International Museum Day-Museums for Peace & Harmony in Society, 2005-Museums bridging cultures, 2008-Museums.

Agents of social change & development, 2011 - Museums for Social Harmony, 2012 - Museums in a changing world. New challenges, New inspirations, 2014-Museum Collection Make connections. In 2015 ICOM has come up with another inspiring theme- Museums for a sustainable society. These themes point to the fact that stakeholders in the heritage sector, especially within the museum domain have seen the need for museums to be actively engaged in making the world a better place.

Nigerian Museums in communities within the context of the new museology The answer to this question is definitely a YES. Our national museums need to do more not only in theory, but also in practice. They need to strive to be all things to all people within their communities. But, they cannot do this alone. The boundaries which once separated the museums from the people should begin to blur or completely break down.

In practical terms, the new museology, first and foremost should be linked to the values held

by Museum workers themselves and then, how their values can be related to their activities at the ground level. After all, charity they say, begins at home. This is an essential task that will take a lot of commitment. However, reflecting the direction museums should be taking in the 21 st century, it can only be achieved if there is a change of culture across the profession.

Mainstreaming museums and its

‘These values of tolerance and the respect for human rights are so important, yet so endangered in these turbulent times. Our museums must now be at the fore front of inculcating what it is that we as a people really want to see develop in our country’

activities into school curriculum will go a long way in the effective implementation of the new museology. Presently, some states have already adopted this into their primary and secondary schools’ curriculum. Total adoption by the 36 states will be more effective.

Aside from mainstreaming, establishment of children’s museums by the commission is another strategy.

Such museums provide exhibits and programmes to stimulate informal learning experiences for children.

Unlike in traditional museums where objects are caged and kept away from visitors, children museums feature interactive exhibits that are designed to be manipulated by children. These exhibits will d activities that will be both educational and instructional, especially in early childhood.

The establishment of museums of tolerance in the country will be another added advantage. To start with, they could be built in the six geopolitical zones of the federation.

These museums will be helpful in promoting the ideals of universal tolerance and respect. It will give visitors a better understanding of the history of our people as well as an appreciation of the need to protect our shared values that are vital to our common future. Such museums will be an important contribution to the Unity of the Nigerian people.

With very well designed and articulated programmes, these museums, no doubt will help to promote tolerance, ease inter ethnic tensions , tolerance of religion, race, gender, ethnicity among others..The museums should utilize modalities such as organized exhibitions, concerts, literature publication and seminars, posters and videos etc.

Such programmes will teach both adults and children the cultures of the various peoples of the country, thereby becoming a model of understanding and coexistence among all religion.

For our children, visits to such centers will help them learn that words are powerful. That words can be used to build a better society and that their behaviours can have a strong impact on their communities and the world.

These values of tolerance and the respect for human rights are so important, yet so endangered in these turbulent times. Our museums must now be at the fore front of inculcating what it is that we as a people really want to see develop in our country.

We should begin to send messages of tolerance and patience to the Nigerian people through our programmes. Already such museums exist in Los Angeles, Jerusalem, Moscow, New York etc.

Having made the above observations, it will be a more difficult task, if museum workers and the government are left alone in the attainment of these remarkable endeavour. There is need for individuals, corporate and public participation.

Public/Private Partnership should be encouraged as a part of this initiative. The private sector can assist in financing such projects. Individuals and groups should come in as volunteers in carrying out museum programmes for the benefit of all. These are all the parts that make the New Museology. A museum is made up of 3 basic components, a building, the collection and the public, the new museology, however, preaches that the museum can actually be All things to All people. This is another in the series of wake up calls.

•Mrs Aharanwa works at National Museum, Abeokuta.

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, APRIL 15, 2015

49

The Midweek Magazine

E-mail:- ozoluauhakheme@yahoo.com

Overcoming challenges

BOOK REVIEW Title: Author: Reviewer: Pages:

M

OUNTAIN means so many things to many people. Understanding and the definition assigned to mountain by individual determines the perception they have towards it. Mountain in this sense is not the geographical feature as found in Kilimanjaro or Idanre, but rather a figurative expression that connotes life challenges.

In this short 60 pages book, Mr. Ayodeji Ayopo, takes a cursory look at challenges of life and how one can turn them to testimony.

Each chapter of the book is launched with a relevant scriptural reference that tallies with issue being addressed therein. Through this strategy, the author wants readers to draw inspiration from the person in the reference. Beyond readers drawing personal inspiration, the author equally went extra mile to give his own interpretation of what the lessons readers should take away. He closes each chapter with prayer points for readers to take to the throne of grace in order to secure heavenly relief. One cannot but conclude that the author is not interested in academic exercise but fruitful spiritual endeavour that would make readers to appropriate

prophetic messages of the chapter through prayers.

The book is divided into short 30 chapters. If subjected to critical analysis, it appears that some chapters were dedicated to what I term transformational prophetic declarations such as from ‘pain to joy’, ‘bondage to freedom’, ‘deformity to wholeness’

Confront your mountain Ayodeji Ayopo Femi Akinwande 60

etc. While there are other chapters that focus on direct proclamation as in ‘weep no more’, ‘be hopeful’, ‘you will be fruitful’, ‘God will locate you’. Both sides of the divides carry messages of comfort and hope, which if apply with the accompanying prayer points, would turn around the fortune of anybody.

The author’s penchant for prophetic declaration has to be seen in the light of call of God upon his life to expose believers to prophetic insights on how to live as God ordained people.

Written is simple sentences devoid of ambiguity and rhetoric, it will make a good reading for those who have come to situation of asking question such as ‘why me’, ‘I can’t understand’ due to complex issues surrounding their lives. The compact nature of the book makes it easy to read, particularly for those who are scared of volume. Its arrangement and choice of font in typesetting is catchy and eye friendly.

Through this small but powerful book, Ayodeji Ayopo, has provided enough arsenal for anyone who choose to really confront his or her mountain without much ado.

Want to attain greatness?...Attitude is the key

I

T is simply a triumph of a weary soul over adversaries! It is explosively motivational and comes handy to those willing to snap out of obscurity to prominence.

Using himself as a case study, Augustine Igbuku, author of The Pusuit of Sterling Attitude chronicles his life from his dismal performance at basic through to secondary school level, to becoming the best graduating student with Second Class Upper division from the University of Benin in 1980.

The Pursuit of Sterling Attitude, presents man with the harsh reality that life is neither partial, nor has favourites; yet it leaves him with two things- adversity and opportunity, with attitude being the chief determinant of man’s choice of the two.

Components of attitudes, according to the author comprise beliefs, feelings, values and dispositions. Man, the author argues, is though presented with a negative or positive attitude; yet the author pitches his tent with the former, because of its ability to infect others.

“A positive attitude is contagious like common cold,” says the ten-chapter book. “It is a priceless possession for personal fulfillment and career success. Working with or near a person with positive attitude is an energising experience; they change the atmosphere, the place of work and make others feel more upbeat.”

Chapter Two of the book urges readers to cultivate a new mentality particularly the ones capable of breaking existing norms, and enforcing the ‘i-can-do’ spirit. Readers are equally admonishes to work against ‘victim mentality’ that is, a failed individual who keeps pointing accusing fingers to those he believes are responsible for his predicament. The distinction between the aforementioned and the other who succeeds, the book argues, is because the latter picked up the pieces of his life from that point, determining to break the odds.

“The game changer is the mentality that ‘there is something and somewhere better than here, let me go after it’. The mentality is a huge part of the attitude of champions. Even if at the end they fall short of their original objective, they are no longer the same people.

They have left where they used to be, learn new things and forged new associations, all of which are very relevant in the quest for success,” the book sermonises.

God has bestowed in man the right to determine his attitude. Man’s anger with himself for not being where he supposed to be may not get him anywhere further. All he needs do therefore is to simply take responsibility for being while who he is, make a decision to change course, and navigate to a new realm.

Chapter Three espouses ‘hope’, describing it as the ‘important fuel’ in anyone’s ride. In addition, the book recommends a good company, saying it is instrumental to making hope function.

Once there is hope, the individual can shop for the best team that can challenge one and give one reasons to aspire higher. ...And then with hope come integrity, disciple and visuali-

BOOK REVIEW Title: The pursuit of sterling attitude Author: Augustine Igbuku Reviewer: Adegunle Olugbamila No. of Pages: 176 sation: three qualities to prod man on in his quest for the zenith.

“They (integrity, discipline and visualisation) are must haves,” the author argues.” “Life, at all levels, is full of tests; tests to see what stuff you are really made of. The named dynamics are what will determine how you fare with exams life will set for you.”

Further the author warns against fraternising with pessimists; people who are ready to burn off one’s ideas.

Chapter four contains warning against begging which the author feels could erode one’s integrity, making one become a nuisance to the society. To stave this off, the book advises individuals to acknowledge their strength and weakness see where errors have been made and how to tackle them, build self confidence, let go off feelings of victimisation and develop a ‘thank you’ culture as a means of appreciation.

Attaining success in life does not come on a platter of gold.

“Life will never hand you your desire on a plate,” warns the book adding, “you will have to rise and demand what you want and that which you feel is due. Sometimes, very vigorously! Few things come to those who passively sit and wait. Save with certain exception, anything that can pass you by, will! This means that you will not only need to be alert but that you will on occasion need to fight for what

you want.”

Even when it is still at a gestation stage, optimism already makes a business idea a success, says Chapter five of the book. Originality is another, as people naturally fall in love with non-pretenders despite their flaws.

However, in what seems a comic relief the book deviates into a rather light aspect of life.

So laughter can play a significant role in man’s expedition for success? The book responds in the affirmative.

The author explains benefits of laughter to include: relaxing the body, boosting immune system, triggering release of endorphins, insulating the heart, improving mood, aiding respiration, and increasing personal satisfaction, among others.

Chapter six captioned: ‘Negative energy banned’ educates individuals on conquering negative thoughts and creating pleasant future. Chapter seven speaks glowingly on gratitude as a sine qua non to building goodwill among men.

An extraordinary llfe comes with a vision, which is believable, and clearly spelt out so much that whoever comes across it easily subscribes to it.

Every successful leader is also armed with a mandate as well as the BEST (belief, effort, strategy and testing) acronym to aid man performing at the top of his game.

“Every remarkable leader has been someone who was in complete control of themselves,” the author posits.

He continued: “The absence of boundaries and barriers means that anything and everything goes. There is no faster way to corruption than compromising your moral. This requires that every persons that would ever lead they make up their mind before they get started; exactly what kind of legacy they want to leave behind. “ The proceeding chapter shows how man must not only exhibits traits like tolerance, expertise, honesty, self-discipline, forgiveness and courage, but must infect others with them.

The last chapter admonishes man to make hay while the sun shines.

For the sake of fulfillment, author recommends a tripod-education, enterprise and endlessness, saying they are constituents upon which man’s lifetime is anchored.

The book describes education (Age 0-30) as the phase where man’s foundation is laid, and attitudes formed. The second stage-enterprise (age 30-60) sees man becoming adventurous and indulging in habits learned at the first stage (be it good or bad). The third stage (60 upwards) however perfects man’s attitude to achieve results and leave a legacy.

“It is at this point in your evolution that you must become a visionary and see things as they can be, rather than as they appear to be.

You then give birth to something that extends beyond the boundaries of one’s lifetime. You reach within and bring out the reserves of strength, wisdom and foresight and set out to create something that will continue to grow and affect lives beyond your lifetime,” the author concludes.

Sweden to add gender-neutral pronoun to her dictionary

T

HE Swedish newest edition of the country’s official dictionary will feature a gender-neutral pronoun-hen to describe all children as alternative to the male pronoun han and the female hon. The Swedish Academy’s SAOL dictionary, which is updated every 10 years will be republished April 15 and will also include thousands of other new words, according to Washington Post.

According to linguistic expert Sofia Malmgård, the gender-neutral term can be used in two ways.

“First, if the gender is unknown or not relevant (as in: “If anyone needs to smoke, ‘hen’ may do so outside”). Second, it can be used as a pronoun for inter-gender people (as in: “Kim is neither boy or girl, ‘hen’ is inter-gender”),” she explained.

To many Swedes, the decision of the Swedish Academy reflects how quickly their society has embraced gender-neutral language. “Over the last few years, the word ‘hen’ has more and more found its way into the Swedish language,” Malmgård told The Washington Post.

Five years ago, barely anyone in Sweden was aware of the word. The decision to now include ‘hen’ in the authoritative SAOL dictionary is expected to facilitate an even more frequent use of it in everyday conversations. Set up in 1785, the academy was established with the aim to adapt the Swedish languages to changing cultural and societal influences – a role the institution still feels committed to.

According to experts, the hen-revolution in Sweden has two primary origins: LGBT groups have promoted the pronoun as a way to raise awareness for their cause. However, support for the idea has also come from a more unexpected side: Nurseries, kindergartens and preschools such as Egalia increasingly argue that the pronoun’s usage allows children to grow up without feeling the impact of gender biases. “The public debate over the pronoun actually only started after the publication of the country’s first gender-neutral children’s book”, Lann Hornscheidt, a professor of Scandinavian languages and gender studies at Berlin’s Humboldt University explained.

Gender-neutral education in Sweden goes far beyond linguistics. As the BBC already observed in 2011, toys and games in some nurseries are placed deliberately next to each other, in the hope that children will feel free to choose the items they feel most comfortable spending their time with.

To Hornscheidt, the popularity of hen has not come as a surprise. “The introduction of a pronoun which challenges binary gender norms has been an important step, following a more thorough debate over the construction of gender within the last 10 years,” he said.

The Berlin-based researcher nevertheless cautions that simply introducing a gender-neutral pronoun in other countries may not be sufficient to fight sexism or gender-biases. Turkey, for instance, also has a gender-neutral pronoun.

Nevertheless, the country was only ranked 125th in the 2014 gender equality report of the World Economic Forum. Sweden came fourth.

•Culled from Washington Post.

Kumuyi charges leaders to imbibe love

By Adeola Ogunlade

CELEBRATION

G

ENERAL Superintendent of the Deeper Life Bible Church, Pastor William Kumuyi has called on Nigerians to imbibe the virtue of love, care, patience as demonstrated by principal stakeholders in last presidential elections in the country. He spoke at the just concluded National Easter Retreat of the church held at Deeper Life Conference Centre, Km 42, on Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, Lagos.

He said Jesus is the essence of Easter because ‘He paid the prize and sacrifice so that mankind would experience salvation which comes with peace in the heart. He noted that as the nation celebrates the Easter in one part ‘we have seen the coincidence that Easter brings as we are enjoying peace as against the reign of violence as anticipated in some quarters after the election in Nigeria.’

Kumuyi, who was represented by the Church Secretary, Pastor Jerry Asemota said: ”We can experience peace internally, and in our nation when we embrace the sacrifice that Christ has made and key into the requirements of salvation, which include confessing our sin, forsaking them and asking God for grace to live for him”.

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The Midweek Magazine

E-mail:- ozoluauhakheme@yahoo.com

PHOTOS OF THE WEEK

SPECTACLE ON STAGE A scene from Spectacle a musical folk-theatre performance held at the National Theatre Lagos last Sunday PHOTO: SOIBIFAA DOKUBO

LBHF: Bringing theatre closer to the people

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HIS year’s Lagos Black Heritage Festival will open on April 18 at the Freedom Park, Old Broad Street Prison, Lagos Island featuring Vision of the Child— children/pupils competition and exhibition, Masquerade parade from Badagry, exhibitions – Children Art & Art fair/bazaar, Do Your own Thing – talent hunt programme for youths, drama & dance drama – six plays on showcase, poetry & music – Night of the Poets. Others events include Meet The Artiste showcase – The Stage & Screen Career of Olu Jacobs, film screenings – documentary & experimental Films, Music performances – Live from Emukay; Jimi Solanke and Eko Brass Band. This year’s festival which has as theme, drama, and dancedrama will run till April 25.

According to a statement by the organisers of the festival, the news of an impending visit by the historic Globe Theatre in England was a major factor in the festival’s decision to prolong its break from the geography based thematic series - The Black in the Mediterranean Blue - on which the Festival embarked in 2012. The visit of a famed professional theatre seemed too good an opportunity to miss for calling attention to the yet impoverished local status of theatre. Thus, for this year’s edition, it was decided to centre activities around– drama!

The organisers also noted that they never knew that the real-life drama of the Nigerian elections would be extended by a full

By Ozolua Uhakheme Assistant Editor (Arts)

FESTIVAL month, compelling the Festival’s shift of dates in turn. “Our expected collateral harvest of attention through immediacy is somewhat diminished. Nonetheless, we still hope that the passage of these professionals, will linger as the Festival picks up the gauntlet, even a month later. It should at least invigorate interest in the theatrical arts, underlining the practical challenges with which the home-grown version has to contend in virtually every aspect of dramatic presentation,” it added.

This year’s excursion into drama as central theme does however offer a special contribution to the artistic trail blazed by these visitors. Its format was inspired by an increasing awareness of the need to bring theatre closer to the people, not merely confine it to predictable, albeit efficiently structured venues. Directors were selected, then encouraged to scout for optional spaces that they find most appropriate to their choice of plays – bare spaces, night clubs, open pavilions etc. - thus weaning drama of domination by ‘congenial confinement.’

Freedom Park will therefore constitute only one of this year’s drama venues, though without abandoning its role as the hub of the Festival.

Other activities include the pilot edition

of the mentor/protégé project. Experienced hands in the sub-disciplines of the dramatic arts – playwriting, acting, directing, technical theatre, dance-drama etc. – have been invited to mentor one aspiring theatre practitioner each, in a learning collaboration lasting six weeks. At the end of this period, protégés will showcase their projects. “This, we hope, will become a regular feature, not only in drama but in other Arts disciplines.

Interested audiences will be permitted to observe some of this aspect of “passing the baton”, a condensed exercise in what is also known as apprenticeship, or passing on skills – in short, a mission is to preserve a continuity of experience in specialised skills,” the statement added.

This year also, the Festival will pay homage to one of the Nigerian theatre veterans with a wide experience of the stage both abroad and in Nigeria, and who has been a source of inspiration to a whole generation of theatre artistes. If even a small measure of professional discipline has succeeded in penetrating the glut of video drama in what is now known as ‘Nollywood’, it is only thanks to this artiste who will be our guest in the Meet The ArtistE series.

And then - a different kind of preservation – starring the veteran of veterans, the late Hubert Ogunde who will be the subject of an exhibition. New generation enthusiasts and those who simply wish to stroll down memory lane can look forward to browsing through the memorabilia of

the indisputable pioneer of Nigerian theatre.

The other partnering pillars that uphold the heritage week continue to surpass expectations. The Boat Regatta waits yet again to light up the lagoon that gave name to the City of Waters, while the Street Carnival constantly re-invents itself in the capacity to dazzle and inebriate with its cocktail of extravagant Costuming, Music and Design through the streets of Lagos. Not to be missed of course, is the now ritual opening - the Masquerade Parade. This year, we give pride of place to Masquerades exclusively from the partnering City — Badagry.

Ever mindful of the entitlement of the upcoming generation, and to remind the adult world of the brimful of talent that ensures artistic continuity and innovation, as well as imparting early understanding of Art as an expression of life itself with all its joys, anguish, triumphs and challenges - LBHF continues its quest of The Vision of the Child. This year, there is a small innovation. Instead of just one medium, painting, the Festival has invited the expression of that vision in a duo-fold encounter – Word, and - Image. Seeking to enhance the powers of observation and representation, children are being encouraged to express themselves annually on a chosen theme – drawn from the entire gamut of life and surrounding phenomena. For this year, the selected theme is: The Road to Sambisa – Wole Soyinka, Festival Consultant.

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THE NATION WEDNESDAY, APRIL 15, 2015

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, APRIL 15, 2015

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BUSINESS EXTRA

Nigeria’s, others’ economies gloomy, says World Bank T F

ALLING global oil prices and other com modities’ rates’ decline will leave Nigeria and other sub-Sahara African’s economies worse-off this year than last year, the World Bank has said.

It stated in its projections for the year just released at its headquarters in Washington DC ahead of its Spring meetings, that sub-Saharan Africa’s growth will slow in this year to 4.0 per cent from the 4.5 per cent recordrd last year. This year’s forecast is below the 4.4 per cent average annual growth rate of the past two decades, and well short of Africa’s peak growth rates of 6.4 per cent in 200208.

However, it said the harsh economic climate will start to rebound from next year, especially for countries such

• Brighter prospects 2016

Stories from Simeon Ebulu, Group Business Editor (Washington DC, U.S)

as Nigeria with a diversified economy and strong services orientation. “ In Nigeria, for example, although the economy will suffer this year, growth is expected to rebound in 2016 and beyond, driven by a relatively diversified economy, and a buoyant services sector,” it said.

The forecast, put together

by Africa’s Pulse - a Think Tank Group of the apex bank, said low oil prices will continue to weigh down on prospects of less diversified oil

exporters such as Angola and Equatorial Guinea. It added that in several oil-importing countries, such as Cote d’Ivoire, Kenya and Senegal, growth is expected to remain strong. It said in Ghana, high inflation and fiscal consolidation will weigh on growth, the same way that problems in the electricity sector will curtail growth in South Africa.

The body said Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) inflows were subdued last year, reflecting slower growth in emerging markets and declining commodity prices, pointing out that a good number of African countries

are turning to the international bond markets to finance infrastructure projects.

It however called for fiscal discipline and efficient deployment of government resource. Its Lead Economist for Africa and co-author of Africa’s Pulse, Punam Chuhan-Pole said: “Large fiscal deficits and inefficient government spending remain sources of vulnerability for many countries of the region. It is urgent that these countries strengthen their fiscal positions and fortify their resilience against external shocks.”

The World Bank Group’s 2015 Spring Meetings will draw the world’s finance and development ministers to Washington, DC, U.S for talks on the state of the global economy and international development.

Reps pass N60.2b NCC budget

HE House of Repre sentatives yesterday passed the N60.258 billion 2015 budget of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC).

Details provided in the report which was considered in the Committee of Supply showed that under expenditures, the total sum of N16, 242, 056 will cover sub heads such as “establishment cost, staff and other costs, travel cost, operational costs, administrative costs and bank charges”.

The report also showed that N100 million was approved for the planning, design and implementation of a world class e-crime and digital forensic project which was to be implemented by the NCC in last year but no details was provided.

In its projected N60.2 billion revenue, N2.4 billion is expected to come from licensing fees; N28.9 billion from annual operating levy; N5.2 billion from spectrum fees; N5 billion from numbering plan; N5 billion from investment income and N2.5 billion from sundry income.

Though the revenue of

From Victor Oluwasegun and Dele Anofi, Abuja

N51.2 billion was projected, a balance of N9 billion was brought forward from last year to put its available total revenue of N60.2billion for the 2015 fiscal year.

For recurrent expenditure, from the total sum of N16,242,056,000, N80 million is for establishment costs; N10.677 billion for staff and other costs; N823.927 million for travel costs, while operational costs is N3.151 billion and N1.508 billion is for administrative costs and N1 million is for bank charges.

Other details include N10 million for development/ acquisition of document management system; N10 million for electronic documents and archiving while additional N10 million was provided for same project; N10 million is for implementation of automated efiling and electronic document management system; N20 million is for procurement of new information communication technology (ICT) tools and accessories

Power supply peaks at 2,988.72Mw

P • From left: Managing Director, United Capital Trustees, Tokunbo Ajayi, Director, Service Charter, Princess Aderonke AdedoyinAjayi, Lagos State Head of Service, Mrs Folashade Jaji, Director-General, Office of Transformation, Toba Otusanya and Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Education, Mrs Omolara Erogbogbo, during the inauguration of front desk services and flagoff of 2015 Service Charter Week by the Office of Transformation, Governor Office, Alausa, Ikeja, Lagos.

PHOTO: DAYO ADEWUNMI

‘Diaspora remittances’ growth to slow’

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IASPORA remittances which have been de ployed largely by developing countries to build infrastructure, are expected to slow sharply this year, the World Bank has said.

The bank which made this known in Washington DC this week, is attributing the slow growth in global remittances, including those to developing countries, to weak economic growth in Europe, the deterioration of the Russian economy as well as their respective currencies - the euro and ruble.

Also,the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD), named Nigeria along with four others, among countries that would be affected by this development.

The bank said going by the

• Nigeria, four others top recipients data at its disposal, remittances to developing world are expected to reach $440 billion this year, representing an increase of 0.9 per cent over the previous year.

“Global remittances, including those to high income countries, are projected to grow by 0.4 per cent to $586 billion,” it said, adding that this year’s remittance growth rates are the slowest since the global financial crisis of 2008/09.

It said the slowdown in the growth of remittances this year will affect most developing regions, especially in Europe and Central Asia where flows are expected to decline by 12.7 per cent this year.

However, the global lender

said the impact of the economic recovery in the United States (U.S), will be partially offset by continued weakness in the Euro Area, the impact of lower oil prices on the Russian economy, the strengthening of the U.S dollar, and tighter immigration controls in many remittance source countries.

“In line with the expected global economic recovery next year, the global flows of remittances are expected to accelerate by 4.1 per cent in 2016, to reach an estimated $610 billion, rising to $636 billion in 2017,”the bank said, adding that remittance flows to developing countries are expected to recover next year to reach $459 billion, rising to $479 billion the

following year.

It named the U.S, Saudi Arabia, Germany, Russia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), as top five migrant destination countries, while Nigeria, along with India, China, The Philippines and Mexico have attained the reputation of being among the top five remittance recipient countries, in terms of the value of remittances.

Its Chief Economist and Senior Vice President, Kaushik Basu, said: “Total remittances in 2014 reached $583 billion. This is more than double the ODA in the world. India received $70 billion, China $64 billion, the Philippines $28 billion. With new thinking these mega flows can be leveraged to finance development and infrastructure projects.”

Jonathan seeks Senate’s approval of N299.5b NDDC budget P

RESIDENT Goodluck Jonathan, yesterday presented N299.5 billion as the 2015 budget of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) for consideration and approval.

The amount is N23.1billion lesser than that of last year which was N322.6billion.

Jonathan in the letter read at plenary by Senate President, David Mark, said he was acting, pursuant to Section 18 (1) of the NDDC Establishment Act. He said: “The Commission has submitted a budget pro-

From Onyedi Ojiabor, Asst Editor and Sanni Onogu, Abuja

posal of N299,526,463,156.12 for 2015 as against N322,600,000,000.00 only in 2014 representing a decline of 7.1 per cent over last year’s budget.”

The proposed budget according to the president, is made up of personnel expenditure of N16,133,370.00, recurrent

expenditure of N10,423,031,000, internal capital expenditure of N1,879,076,000.00 and capital projects development expenditure of N271,089,900,000.00 only.

The sources of revenue for the proposed budget, he added, are revenue brought forward of N10billion; Federal Government contribution of N70billion; unpaid arrears

by Federal Government of

N20billion; and oil companies contribution and others of N160billion.

Jonathan also explained that the budget would be funded with Ecological Fund of N40billion and other internally generated revenue (IGR) estimated at N100million, amounting to N300.1billion.

Meanwhile, the absence of the Chairman, Senate Committee on Appropriation, Senator Ahmed Maccido, stalled the formal presentation of its report on the 2015 budget.

OWER supply from the Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry (NESI) was 2,988.72 Megawatts (Mw) Sunday, it was learnt yesterday.

Although the Electrity Generation Companies (Gencos) produced 3,060.37Mw, the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) was unable to evacuate 71.58Mw being stranded energy, power statistcis of April 12 posted on the website of the Federal Ministry of Power, has shown.

The statistics also showed that on that date, the market attained a peak energy generation of 3,263.6Mw. Following this statistics, the ministry which targets 6,000Mw this year still needs 2939.7Mw to meet its target.

Minister of Power, Prof.

Chinedu Nebo had noted that the market has over 5,000Mw generation capacity and 5,500Mw transmission capacity but the TCN has never evacuated 4000Mw. There have been issues with low water level in the hydro based power plants of the

From John Ofikhenua, Abuja

market. Besides, gas issues have not been completely resolved in the NESI, which have culminated in the epileptic power supply.

A statement emdorsed by the TCN General Manager (Public Affairs) Seun Olagunju explained that there was failure of power equipment in Kaduna 330KV sub-station that resulted in a power outage.

The failure was caused by the tripping of Kaduna – Jos and Jos - Gombe 330kV transmission lines.

“As a result, customers of electricity on the Plateau, Gombe and Maiduguri transmission complexes are experiencing power outage.

“Failure of the yellow phase of the Current Transformer equipment (CT), resulted in the spewing of insulation oil and consequently tripping of the Kaduna – Jos 330kV transmission line, which supplies electricity to Plateau, Gombe, Maidugiri and environs.

‘Active telephone lines hit 142m’

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CTIVE telephone lines in Nigeria rose to 142,589,775 in February, the Monthly Subscribers Data, published on website of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) yesterday showed According to the data, the lines increased by 1,766,938 on the 140,275,599 numbers recorded in the month of January.

Of these active numbers, the Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) operators had 140,275,599 subscribers, as against the 138,530,830 customers recorded in January, marking an increase of 1,744,769.

The sick baby of the sector, the Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) that had 2,108,960 active users in January, added 21,946, to hit 2,130,906 in the month under

By Lucas Ajanaku

review.

For the Fixed Wired/Wireless networks, subscribers’ number went up to 183,270 in February with the addition of 223 to the 183,047 subscribers recorded the month before.

The data however showed that connected lines decreased from 192,107,641 in January to 190,575,684 in February, thereby decreasing by 1,531,957.

From the total connected lines, the GSM operators were able to connect 186,410,917 in February; decreasing connected numbers by 1,536,480 from the 187,947,397 numbers recorded in January.

The CDMA networks recorded an extra number of 2,260 to the 3,794,491 connected lines in January, leaving them with 3,796,751 connected phone numbers in February.

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THE NATION WEDNESDAY, APRIL 15, 2015

EQUITIES NIGERIAN STOCK EXCHANGE

DAILY SUMMARY AS AT 14-04-14

DAILY SUMMARY AS AT 14-04-14

Wema Bank to boost capital base with $100m

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EMA Bank Plc plans to raise $100 million within the next 12 weeks to further consolidate its capital base and support its growing business.

Addressing the investing public and other stakeholders at the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE), managing director, Wema Bank Plc, Mr. Segun Oloketuyi said the bank is set to complete a $100 million Tier II capital raising exercise by the second quarter of this year.

According to him, the new capital raising would enable the bank to consolidate its financial strength, having moved from negative capital position of N45 billion in 2009 to sufficient capital of N44 billion shareholders’ funds.

He added that the tier 2 funds will enable the bank to achieve its business targets noting that the bank has moved from a near-dis-

By Taofik Salako Capital Market Editor

tressed bank to a fully capitalised bank with capital adequacy ratio (CAR) of 18 per cent.

Oloketuyi said the bank will continue to implement it project LEAP in growing, low cost funding, efficiency, alternative platforms and performance.

He said bank would improve growth in the retail deposits segment to keep cost of funds low and leverage on mobile solutions and technology as its competitive edge.

He outlined the bank’s targets to include better operating margins, improved return on equities and growing foreign partnerships and syndications.

He however said the bank would not be able to pay dividend until its retained earnings move from nega-

tive to positive.

In his remarks, chief financial officer, Wema Bank Plc, Tunde Mabawonku noted that the new capital raising would increase the bank’s capital ratio to more than 25 per cent next year.

Audited report and accounts of Wema Bank for the year ended December 31, 2014 showed that gross earnings increased by 19.90 per cent. Profit before tax grew by 58.88 per cent to N3.1 billion in 2014 as against N1.9 billion in 2013.

Customers’ deposits rose by 17 per cent with deposits from retail and commercial segment dominating total deposit during the year under review. The bank further diversified its loan portfolio as the total loans as at 2014 was N149 billion, while non- performing loans was N3.79 billion as a result of aggressive loan recovery.

DAILY SUMMARY AS AT 14-04-15

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, APRIL 15, 2015

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MONEYLINK RenCap predicts 3.4% GDP growth for Nigeria

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ENAISSANCE Capital (RenCap) has said this year’s growth could fall to 3.4 per cent against 4.5 per cent previously targeted.

It cited the impact of low oil prices and effects of the just concluded elections on the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) as reasons for lowering the growth forecast.

Its sub-Saharan Africa Economist, Yvonne Mhango, said in a report titled Nigeria GDP: How low could growth go that the most common way of measuring GDP is the production approach, which usually shows industry composition of the growth.

Mhango said the expenditure approach is less common, because of problems with availability, timing, valuation and coverage of expenditure source data. “The business registry is an important source of ex-

Stories by Collins Nweze

penditure data as a large amount of retailing and consumer services output goes to household consumption, and a high share of building output goes to fixed investment. In Nigeria, a high share of businesses is in the informal sector and so is not covered by the business register,” it said.

She said Nigeria’s rebased GDP, measured via expenditure is only available over a short period, implying limited history to forecast from.

“However, when we consider the impact of lower oil and activity-stalling elections on expenditure, we think there is significant downside risk to our 2015 growth projection of 4.5 per cent. In particular, we see household consumption – which accounts for 70 per cent of GDP – slowing sharply in 2015, mainly due to

negative real wage growth,” she said.

Mhango said the proposed cut in this year’s budget oil price benchamrk to N53/ per barrel against N77.5/ per barrel in 2014, means government consumption, which accounts for eight per cent of GDP, could be slashed by one-third.

“We believe this implies a wagefreeze (at best) for government workers. That, coupled with rising inflation, signals that negative real wage growth could deepen. In addition to a fall in demand for imported consumer goods owing to naira weakness, the consumer may also be hit by a VAT hike to 10 per cent against five per cent.

“The 2015 budget presented to the National Assembly in December, proposed slashing capex by twothirds to N387 billion (0.4 per cent of GDP).“

AfDB to seek AIIB’s cooperation

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HE head of the African Develop ment Bank (AfDB), Donald Kaberuka, has said the China-led Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) would cooperate with AfDB to plug the funding gap for infrastructure in African countries.

But more than 50 countries, including the United States’ European allies Britain, France and Germany, have this year rushed to join China’s initiative, a $50 billion multilateral infrastructure bank that plans to start providing project loans to countries across Asia from the end of this year.

Kaberuka said he hoped the AIIB could also expand its mandate to Africa and help with the continent’s estimated $50-billion annual infrastructure funding gap.

“We’re hoping that this bank takes a broader view of funding infrastructure in Africa, in Asia, and even a few countries in Latin America, why not.

“I think we need to embrace it, and ensure that we work together to expand its mandate to other parts of the world,” Kaberuka told Reuters.

His comments come after World Bank President Jim Yong Kim last week also said he plans to work with

the China-led bank and seek to ensure it adheres to environment and social standards.

Member nations of the AIIB will meet in Washington this week to discuss the new bank’s shareholding structure, amid concerns China could have outsized influence on the initiative, sources said.

Most analysts believe the AIIB will have to work with established institutions for at least its initial investments, as it takes time to develop a pipeline of infrastructure projects.

Kaberuka said co-financing projects with the AIIB could ensure it follows the same rules for protecting people and the environment as existing development banks. The AIIB’s interim chief has also sought to play down concerns over its transparency and standards, saying it will be lean, clean and green. “I’m sure working together, we can all get it right in terms of the environment and governance,” Kaberuka said.

Worried about China’s growing diplomatic clout, the U.S has been urging countries to think twice about joining the recently formed AIIB, arguing that its projects may not adequately safeguard the environment and people.

FBN Holdings eyes benefit from bonds’ sale

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•From left: Presenter/Producer, Global Banking and Finance Review, London, Phillip Fothergill; Executive Director, Corporate Banking, Ecobank Nigeria, Ms Foluke Aboderin and Production Coordinator, Global Banking and Finance Review, London, Mr. Noel O'Leary during the presentation of Best Corporate Bank Nigeria 2015 Award to Ecobank Nigeria in London.

BN Holdings Plc has said it expects to benefit from a surge in sales of bonds by state governments to replace dwindling oil revenue after peaceful elections bolstered investor confidence.

“We expect a lot of the state governments to go to the market to issue bonds to be able to fund their projects,” Chief Executive Officer Bello Maccido said told Bloomberg adding that such presents an opportunity for the investment-

banking business.

He said the successful conclusion of the election will bring back local and foreign investors that are comfortable with the outlook of the economy.

Seven Nigerian states applied to the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) for approval to raise a total of N140.3 billion ($704 million) in January to September last year for projects including roads, schools and markets, according to figures from the Abuja-based SEC.

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CITYBEATS Orekoya kids: Family begs for fund online T HE Orekoya family has taken the campaign for the release of their kidnapped children to the social media.

The children - Ademola (6), Adedamola (4) and Aderomola (11 months) were kidnapped eight days ago by their housemaid.

On the Display Picture (DP) of their father, Mr Adeleke Orekoya on WhatsApp, there was hashtag “SAVE Orekoya Boys. RANSOM has been DEMANDED. Help Donate to: UBA/Adedamola Orekoya 2055934684.”

The Orekoyas have decided to go all out to look for the N13 million ransom demanded by the abductors after their pleas to release the children were ignored.

The housemaid, Mary Akinloye, a 23-year-old indigene of Ibadan, Oyo States, was hired through OLX, an online trading portal.

The agency, formerly known as Dealfish, deals in buying and selling; it is also a free classified advert website where one can easily post adverts including vacancies for free.

Akinloye was said to have told the kids’ eldest brother, Michael (10), that she was going to buy his siblings’ biscuits.

There have been reactions on the social media over the reluctance of the abductors to release the kids.

Some wondered why the security operatives have become ineffective in intelligence gathering.

One Segun on Facebook asked rhetorically: “How long will it take our policemen to find the kidnappers of the kids?”

Another one, Chinwe expressed sadness that the perpetrators are yet to be fished out.

Meanwhile, a non-governmental organisation, Al-Mu’minaat Social Advocacy Project (SAP), has lend its on the wakeup call to the security operatives to expedite action in securing the release of the Orekoya kids.

A statement by its coordinator, Mrs Sherifah Yusuf-Ajibade, expressed dismay that the three ab-

CITYBEATS LINE: 09091178827

By Tajudeen Adebanjo

ducted boys are still in captivity.

The group said the innocent children have a great future and must be protected.

“Parents,” they said, “must see this as a lesson on the need to be security-conscious and be watchful on whom they hand over their children to.

“Technology is a great innovation but it is still very important to be critical and security conscious in our interactions, especially when bringing unknown people into our homes.

“It is important to always keep in mind that children are a trust from God which we will be accountable for and it is important we keep this in mind in raising them.”

The SAP coordinator said Islam lays emphasis on the home and mandates parents to make the best decisions for the family by placing the interest of the children and the home above individual interests.

Likewise, the Muslim Students’ Society of Nigeria (MSSN), Lagos State Area Unit yesterday appealed to security agencies to ensure prompt rescue of the kids.

Its Amir (President), Kaamil Kalejaiye said this while speaking on the one-year anniversary of the abducted Chibok Girls.

He bemoaned the increasing rate of kidnapping cases.

Kalejaiye begged the kidnappers to release the children, saying that they were innocent and should not be made to go through unwarranted punishment.

He said: “The kids know nothing about live yet. It will do the kidnappers no good to keep the children in hostage. We can’t just imagine what the children would be going through at this moment.

“Also, we urge security agencies to intensify their effort in getting the children back because this will restore Nigerians’ trust in them for the safety of our lives.

We want them back alive. The situation has placed Nigerians in fear. The kidnappers should for

•Aderomola

•The Hashtag

God sake and humanity release the children so that they can fulfil their God assigned responsibilities.”

According to Kalejaiye, it is important that the Lagos State Government also take the issue as a state matter to hasten the rescue

Don’t remand me, suspect pleads

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FRAID of life as an awaiting trial suspect, a robbery suspect has pleaded with Lagos State Commissioner of Police Kayode Aderanti to save him from being remanded.

Emmanuel Okoli (20), who hails from Awka, the Anambra State capital, urged the commissioner to ensure that he is jailed rather than being kept in custody.

The suspect promised not to rob again if released, adding that if he is caught robbing again, he should be killed.

Okoli became a guest of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) for attempting to snatch a woman banker’s handbag in Lagos last week. Luck ran out against him when the Coaster bus the woman was waiting for came and her colleagues pounced on Okoli for harrassing her.

The suspect said: “I am an unlucky armed robber because I have been arrested by police, charged to court and remanded three times in Ikoyi prison. An awaiting-trial person lack enough space to move about. A

•Ademola (left) and Adedamola

process.

He explained that government intervention by arrest and punish the perpetrators would go a long way to stop kidnapping from being rampant in Lagos.

“Lagos State government should rise to assist the parents

My wife is violent, says husband

By Ebele Boniface

day is like 40 days in the wilderness without food or access to medical attention.”

Recalling his arrest, he said: “We were four - Karimu, Soji, Gito and I. We went to a club in Awoyaya in Ajah. As we were coming back in the morning, we saw a woman standing at a bus stop with a bag. Soji, Gito and Karimu told me to go and get the bag. When I got to her, I started asking her irrelevant questions.

As I was still talking, a bus came and she jumped into the bus and told other occupants her experience with me. They came down, gave me the beating of my life and handed me over to the police. Karim, Soji and Gito ran away. I was later transferred to SARS and that is why I am here now.

“I have been remanded in prison three times. The first one was in November 2012, for stealing a carton of beer, hence I was charged with breaking into a shop in Ajiwe in Ajah. I was remanded for three months. The

of these children. The government should wake up to its responsibilities and prove its proactive disposition in this case,” he added.

The students-based society leader also expressed worry over the prolonged kidnap of Chibok girls, lamenting that the children were staying unduly long in the hands of the kidnappers.

He wondered why government find it difficult to secure the children despite human and materials resources available at her disposal.

Kalejaiye said: “If the girls have not been rescued till this moment, we do not know what success the military has been claiming. What happened to the billions of Naira spent on security? Rescuing the Chibok girls is paramount and it’s one of the major things the President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration should strive to achieve before leaving office.

“Since the abduction, the government has voted huge amount of money on security to curb insurgency. As of today, the whole world remembers the abduction of the girls via peaceful demonstration, news reports and on various social media platforms.

“We hope and pray that the incoming administration will bring its knowledge of intelligence to bear to rescue the girls and put an end the carnage.”

•’He drinks a lot’

A

•Okoli

second one was in 2013 at Flash Club Ajah. The third operation was a street fight where we used the opportunity to rob and I was arrested and remanded in Ikoyi Prison.”

MIDDLE-aged man, Daniel Imeri, has sought the dissolution of his eight-year-old marriage at an Agege Customary Court in Lagos, accusing his wife, Margaret of being self-centered, violent and naughty.

Mrs Imeri is accusing her husband of beating her, smoking and drinking.

“There was a day he came home drunk in the middle of the night and messed up everywhere. I was the one who cleaned it afterwards.

He said I am naughty but I am not.

He beats me for hours on the ground. I don’t love him anymore; I have left his house over a year ago with our children,” she said.

But, Mr Imeri told the court: “We both take alcoholic drinks and in fact she drinks more than I do. I remember when she was carrying our daughter’s pregnancy, she took stout. I was the one cautioning her to stop it as it could

By Basirat Braimah

harm the baby.”

He added: “She once stabbed me in the chest with a scissors.

My wife is selfish and self-centered. For two-and-a-half years, she denied me sex. Whenever I requested for sex, she pretends not to be in the mood or to be tired. She lacks human feeling.”

Imeri denied beating his wife, accusing her of only informing him about their children’s upkeep and school fees without allowing him access to them.

He said: “She told people I once beat her for three hours in the middle of the night and I keep asking myself if I am that strong to do that. I just want our union dissolved and I also want to see our children when I wish to.”

The Court’s President, Pa Adekunle Williams, fixed a chamber discussion for the couple after the proceedings.

57

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, APRIL 15, 2015

CITYBEATS

CITYBEATS LINE: 09091178827

Two die, four injured in Lagos fire

•The burnt building... yesterday

T

WO persons were killed yesterday when fire razed House 57 on Authority Avenue in Ikotun, Lagos.

The remains of the victims - Mr Osezua, a sailor, and his sisterin-law Ngozi - have been deposited in a morgue.

Four were injured in the fire, which started at 1:30am.

Mrs Osezua and her three children escaped unhurt.

She reportedly destroyed her window net to secure a hiding place from where fire-fighters rescued them.

A neighbour, Mama Bolu,

PHOTOS: BASIRAT BRAIMAH

By Basirat Braimah and Precious Igbonwelundu

whose flat was also affected, said they were asleep when the incident happened.

“I live in the next flat. I really can’t say the cause of the fire because electrical power was on when the incident happened. I also can’t attribute it to fuel because it has been a while we put on generator due to regular power supply. As I speak, we still have power. Around 1.30am, I suddenly heard help! help!! and before I knew what was happen-

ing, smoke was all over. We all managed to come down from our flats but Osezua family were trapped in their flat because that was where the fire began.

“It was when Mrs Osezua came out we knew that her husband and sister were still trapped but efforts to rescue them were futile. I still saw Ngozi yesterday (Monday) when I returned from the office. I never knew that was the last time I will see her. As at last week, Mr Osezua said he needed to spend time with his family. I couldn’t recognise them after the fire was put out because they were burnt beyond recog-

•Some of the residents inspecting the damaged properties...yesterday

nition. It is a big tragedy. If not for God, I won’t be here speaking with you because I used sleeping pills last night,” she said.

She said the Osezua children were rescued after fire fighters broke the wall to their flat.

It was gathered that the late Mr Osezua just returned from a trip about two weeks; the late Ngozi was an SS1 pupil of Zodiac School in Ikotun.

Another neighbour, who declined to give her name, said she rushed out of her flat with her children when she heard the Osezuas’ cry for help.

Director, State Fire Service Rasaq Fadipe said firemen from Ikotun were deployed to contain the fire. He urged residents to inspect all electrical appliances before going to bed.

Fadipe described the incident as unfortunate, saying: “Yes! safety is paramount but we shouldn’t turn our homes into prison yard. Everywhere in the building had burglar-proof. We had to break into the wall to rescue them. Residents should always think of an exit in case of any fire. People should also learn to quickly send alert if there is an emergency.”

Fashola rewards policewoman for her 'gallantry'

By Tajudeen Adebanjo

F

OR her gallantry, a policewoman, Sergeant Mercy John, who disarmed two suspected robbers in Egbeda, Lagos, last February 10, was yesterday honoured by Governor Babatunde Fashola.

At a ceremony at the Lagos House, Ikeja, shortly before the Security Council meeting, Fashola told her not to relent on her oars. ''Let me say very clearly that I value the work that you do, people of Lagos value what you do and wherever you come from, this is your home and I think it is right to say that it was because you take this place as home, you did the right thing, you took two robbers out of commission so that the people of Lagos can sleep well," he said.

Sergeant Mercy, a native of Ikori Local Government Area of Cross River State, enlisted into the Police on July 1, 2000. She served in MOPOL 20, Force Ikeja from 2004 to 2012. She is currently attached to the Provost Department at the State Police Headquarters in Ikeja, Lagos.

On February 10 at Egbeda-Shasha

by Tawakalitu Close, Orisunmbare Road, Lagos, she disarmed two persons, who allegedly attempted to rob her of her bag and recovered a locally made pistol with two live cartridges from them.

Present at the event were Executive Secretary, Lagos State Security Trust Fund Fola Arthur-Worrey, Commissioner for Justice Ade Ipaye, Special Adviser to the Governor on Security Major Tunde Panox, Commissioner of Police Kayode Aderanti, Commander NNS Beecroft Olokun Apapa Navy Commodore Teikum Ikoli, Commander Air Force Base Ikeja Air Commodore Lere Osanyintolu, Commander 9 Mechanised Brigade Maj-Gen Ahmed Mohammed Sabo and Director, State Security Service Mr Ben Olayi, among others.

...this is your home and I think it is right to say that it was because you take this place as home, you did the right thing, you took two robbers out of commission so that the people of Lagos can sleep well

‘

’

•Okechukwu with the drugs

•Francis with the drugs

•Sobuzochukwu with the drugs

Four excrete 171 wraps of cocaine at airport

F

•John

OUR suspected traffickers have excreted 171 wraps of cocaine after being placed under observation by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).

The suspects, according to NDLEA, tested positive for cocaine ingestion and were placed under observation until the drugs were expelled.

NDLEA Lagos Airport commander Hamza Umar said the suspects swallowed 171 wraps of cocaine weighing 4.19kg.

Umar said: “One Ejiofor Eliezer (46) ingested 100 wraps of cocaine weighing 2.155kg. This is the highest single ingestion since January 2015. Obah Ifeanyi Francis (30) ingested 40 wraps weighing 740 grammes while Akpa Cornelus Sobuzochukwu (27) ingested 26 wraps weighing 445 grammes.

Another suspect, Ike Vincent Okechukwu (36) swallowed 5 wraps weighing 85 grammes.”

Umar said Eliezer and Francis were caught during screening of passengers on an Emirates flight;

By Kelvin Osa Okunbor

Sobuzochukwu and Okechukwu were nabbed during screening of passengers on a Qatar airline flight.

Ejiofor, who lived in Brazil for two years, attributed his involvement in drug trafficking to poverty.

He said: “I live in Brazil where I work in a supermarket and I am married with four children. Life in Brazil is tough because I live from hand to mouth. I have no savings, in fact it was poverty that made me to smuggle drugs. I took risk by swallowing 100 wraps of cocaine for N200, 000 because of poverty.”

Francis, also from Anambra State, said he wanted to make quick money from cocaine trafficking but his friend disappointed him.

“I have been working in Brazil for two years. At present, I work in a bakery and my salary is meagre.

My plan was to give the drug to a friend in Dubai but he did not come to collect the drug as planned. This was how I had to come to Nigeria

with the drug. I blame my friend for my arrest because I would have made 15,000 US dollars from the deal,” he said.

Sobuzochukwu, who holds a diploma in accounting, said he was frustrated working as a cleaner with poor salary.

“I hold a diploma in Accounting from the Institute of Management Technology, Enugu. I travelled to Brazil in search of better job but I ended up as a cleaner in a train station. My father is sick and I cannot afford return ticket to Nigeria let alone pay the hospital bill. I know I made a big mistake but I smuggled cocaine out of frustration. I would have been paid 1,500 US dollars,” he said.

Okechukwu said he was arrested because he made a mistake.

He said: “My arrest was a miscalculation. I thought that the five wraps of cocaine will not be detected. I regret my involvement in drug trafficking. I dropped out of school in Junior Secondary School class two and I work in a toy company in Brazil.”

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, APRIL 15, 2015

58

NEWS

Uneasy calm in Delta community after clash

U

NEASY calm returned yesterday to Escravos in Warri South West Local Government Area of Delta State, following Monday night’s reprisal attack by suspected Ijaw militias on Madangho, an Itsekiri community.

At least, two houses were razed when about 30 armed Ijaw youths stormed the community from Gbaramatu, the home of a former Ijaw warlord, Chief Government Ekpemupolo (aka Tompolo).

Two suspects were arrested after the initial attack, in which a 50-year-old security guard was attacked and left in a critical condition.

It was gathered that the reprisal followed “an unprovoked machete attack” on the Ijaw security guard at Kpokpo, the site of the $16 billion gas city project by three Itsekiri youths from Madang-

• Itsekiri, Ijaw leaders sue for peace

From Shola O’Neil, S’South Regional Editor, Port Harcourt

ho.

An Ugborodo indigene, who spoke in confidence with our correspondent, denounced the action of his Itsekiri kinsmen.

The source said: “The old man was guarding tractors and swamp bogey used to clear the land for the deep seaport when he was attacked by our brothers from Madangho.

“The Ijaw came back in anger and started shooting and burning. Two houses were razed before they left at midnight.

“They came back (yesterday) in the morning. I counted over 30 youths with sophisticated weapons. They shot

for several minutes until soldiers came and engaged them in a shootout. That forced them to flee.”

The Commanding Officer of the 3 Battalion, Lt.-Col Ekong Bassey, confirmed the incident.

But he said calm had been restored.

The military spokesman said the matter was being handled by leaders of both communities.

It was gathered that the incident heightened tension between the two ethnic groups, which had been locked in a cat-and-mouse relationship over the $16 billion Gas City and Deep Sea Port project.

Kpokpo, the site of the deep sea port, is a subject of contention between them.

Various sources told our

correspondent that the faceoff almost degenerated into a war yesterday, following a blockade on the waterways around Gbaramatu by Ijaw militias.

“Boats leaving Ugborodo and other Itsekiri villages for Warri and other upland communities were turned back by Ijaw youths. They also did not allow boats coming into their barricades to Ugborodo,” the Ugborodo indigene said.

Calm was gradually returning to the area yesterday, following the intervention of Tompolo and Itsekiri leaders.

They urged the warring parties to embrace peace.

It was learnt that the peace move led to the arrest of two of the three recalcitrant Itsekiri youths, who allegedly attacked the Ijaw security man.

‘APC set to unseat PDP in Bayelsa’

A

CHIEFTAIN of Bayelsa State All Progressives Congress (APC), Mr. Godwin Sidi, has said the party will unseat the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) administration in next year’s governorship election.

Sidi said APC would present an unbeatable candidate to defeat the PDP in Bayelsa State.

The APC chieftain hailed the party’s National Leader, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu; President-elect Gen. Muhammadu Buhari and the National Working Committee (NWC) for sending the PDP Presidency out of the Aso Rock Villa.

He said the party’s strength in Bayelsa State should not be judged by the outcome of the House of Assembly election results.

According to him, the polls

From Mike Odiegwu, Yenagoa

were marred by irregularities.

Sidi said next year’s governorship election would be different because it would be conducted under a new Nigerian order with the rule of law as a national etho.

The APC chieftain said the April 11 Assembly elections were manipulated by the PDP-led state government.

He alleged that the government used security operatives to intimidate and harass opposition candidates and their supporters.

Sidi said: “In 2016, the new Nigerian order must have taken place. The rule of law will reign supreme, unlike what is in vogue under the PDP, where all critical institutions, including the security agencies, have been compromised.

Peterside condoles with Douglas’ family, Jonathan

R

IVERS State All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate, Dr. Dakuku Peterside, has commiserated with the family of Oronto Douglas, the special adviser to President Goodluck Jonathan on Research, Documentation and Strategy, who died last Thursday.

Peterside described the death of Douglas, who is said to be one of the President’s most trusted aides, as heartrendering.

He also condoled with Dr Jonathan on the demise of his aide.

In a statement yesterday in

Port Harcourt, the state capital, by the director of his campaign organisation, Mrs. Ibim Semenitari, the APC chieftain said he was shocked by Douglas’ death.

He prayed God to grant the family and people of Bayelsa State the fortitude to bear the loss.

Peterside described Douglas as an articulate and analytical student of the late environmentalist and writer, Ken SaroWiwa.

The APC chieftain recalled that they fought for the environment and rights of the indigenes.

‘We’ll dislodge APC from Edo in 2016’ From Osagie Otabor, Benin

E •Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Kenneth Minimah (left) receiving the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) Corps Marshal, Boboye Oyeyemi when he visited the Defence Headquarters in Abuja...yesterday.

‘My ordeal in hands of Civil Defence officer’

A

MEDIA executive, Mr. Erasmus Ikhide has petitioned the Edo State Commissioner of Police over an alleged assault by an officer of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in Eruere, Owan West Local Government area.

In the petition, the incident occurred on April 11 as the victim was on a queue to vote in the last State House of Assembly election.

According to his lawyer, O. A Iguodala, Ikhide was without provocation severely beaten up and threatened with a gun by an officer of the NSCDC identified as Omueti Iregbeyen Chickson. He also alleged that Ikhide was beaten up on the instructions of a Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) agent identified as Wilson Ilevbaogun.

Iguodala said: “Our client with other voters were at Unit 2, Eruere between the hours of 3:30 and 5:pm, the above named civil defence officer came in company of four other officers. He started asking the polling station officer and the agents if there was any problem. They an-

By Seun Akioye

swered in the negative.”

Iguodala continued: “That as our client turned his back to look, without any provocation whatsoever, the said Mr. Omueti Iregbeyen Chickson descended on him.

He started flogging him with the horsewhip in his hand, and he fell on the ground. He again followed this up with gun butt beating until one of the senior officers came to his rescue,” he said.

The petitioner said the incident caused panic at the polling station with voters running for their lives, he however prayed the police to begin investigation into the matter.

Edo aids affected victims of construction at gully site

T

’

The incident caused panic at the polling station with voters running for their lives

‘

DO State Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has said it will, dislodge the All Progressives Congress (APC) from the state, next year The opposition said the outcome of the presidential and National Assembly elections showed that it remained a viable alternative for good governance ahead of the 2016 governorship election.

PDP State Chairman Dan Orbih told reporters yesterday in Benin, the state capital, that the actual race for a change in Edo Government House had begun.

Orbih noted that the election of two senators, five House of Representatives members and three House of Assembly lawmakers on the platform of the PDP was a reflection of the people’s confidence in the party to checkmate the ruling party.

The PDP chairman said the people expected a vibrant and focused legislature devoid of political sentiments.

He urged the lawmakers to think more about the interest of Edo residents instead of the party’s interest.

Orbih said: “This state belongs to all of us. We have a responsibility, as a political party, to be answerable to our people, to point out the ills of Adams Oshiomhole’s government. I promise Edo people that we are never going to relent in our effort in this regard.”

•Ikhide after the attack...yesterday.

HE Edo State government has begun the payment of compensation to persons affected by the construction at the gully erosion sites in the state.

Work is going on at gully erosion sites in Auchi, Estako West Local Government Area; Ekehuan, Oredo Local Government Area and Ogbeson in Ikpoba-Okha Local Government Area.

The payment of the compensation is in compliance with World Bank guidelines on such assisted projects, which require that compensation be borne by state governments through their counterpart funds.

Addressing residents at a ceremony in Auchi, Project Coordinator, Edo State Nige-

From Osagie Otabor, Benin

ria Erosion and Watershed Management Project (NEWMAP) John Adisa said the compensation was being paid to 121 Project-Affected Persons and not to those who lost their property before the reclamation work.

Adisa said the beneficiaries were those affected by the operations of the contractor.

He said more money was being expected from the World Bank for other residents affected by the gully.

The coordinator added that there were plans to involve other members of the community affected by the erosion through a remediation programme.

59

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, APRIL 15, 2015

NEWS Chibok parents to Buhari: you can rescue our girls Continued from page 4

global symbol for the defence of the dignity and sanctity of human life; of the girl a child, women, for all those oppressed, repressed, disadvantaged, hurting, unsafe persons everywhere. As long as they stay missing, it means nothing is as yet working. We must all prioritise their safe return.

“We thank Nigeria’s president-elect for his kind and soothing words on the occasion of this one-year commemoration; wherein he promises, among other things, to do everything he can to #BringBackOurGirls when he becomes the president, if they are still alive.

However, this does not address our concerns. We demand that the safe return of our girls be the top agenda of the transition between the present and the incoming one.

“We have just concluded a march by #ChibokGirlsAmbassadors (part of the global schoolgirl march). We express our immense gratitude to our #ChibokGirlsAmbassadors for being the right voices to carry the message of their generational peers on a day like this.

“We have been demanding for the last nearly one year but nothing is more remarkable than having peers of our missing schoolgirls carry out an exclusive activity for their cause.

This is a generation that will grow with a well-developed sense of humanity, of standing for others, and also demanding accountability from their leaders. We also thank their parents and guardians for not only allowing, but encouraging them to participate. Your efforts in raising kind, caring as well as responsible girls shall never be in vain.”

The group also reiterated and renewed their year-long demand to the United Nations, which states: “That the UN should, through its relevant agencies, deploy relevant instruments in ensuring the prompt rescue of our Chibok girls and other abductees, as well as improve the security situation in the country.

“Escalate and process the request of the Chibok nation for the help of independent private investigators. Call on world leaders and other members of the international community to reactivate their support for the #BringBackOurGirls cause and push it back as a prioritised discourse because the only logical closure to this issue would be when our girls have been brought back and insurgency becomes a thing of the past.

“We are a non-partisan civic movement and therefore shall continue to advocate and demand for justice for our 219 Chibok girls. Until our girls are rescued, our Movement will not stop. .”

Members of the Chibok girls ambassadors and members of the #BBOG advocacy staged a peaceful protest to the Ministry of Education to demand for the release of the girls and demand to know what the ministry was doing to assist with the rescue efforts.

Although the ministry locked them out for almost an hour, the children were later allowed into the premises. The ministry’s Director, Human Resources Management, Mohammed Umar, met with the group. The girls gave an ultimatum of May 29 to rescue the girls.

Jonathan rejects Constitution amendments Continued from page 4

“This same argument applies to Section 45B, which guarantees unqualified right to free primary and maternal care services. The implication of this is that private institutions will be obliged under Constitution to offer free medical services since it is a right and this is not only impracticable, but also could not have been the intention of the law giver. “ There is therefore the need for these provisions to be redrafted to restrict the enjoyment of these rights and place the obligation to provide the conditions necessary for the enjoyment of the rights on the government.”

Jonathan also queried the limitation of the power of the President to withhold assent to bills to 30 days.

He said 30 days might not be sufficient for a President to go through such bills.

He said: “The power vested in the President to withhold his assent to Bills passed by the National Assembly is part of the checks and balances contained in the Constitution.

“Withholding of assent therefore constitutes a check on the exercise of legislative powers in a constitutional democracy especially as the Executive Branch has the responsibility of enforcing laws passed by the National Assembly. However, some of the Acts of the National Assembly emanate from Private Members’ Bills, which in many cases, the Executive may not have had sufficient input. “ It is also instructive to note that in some cases, more than one Bill is transmitted to the President for assent and that the President requires the ad-

vice of relevant agencies of government before he can assent to the Bill.

“Against this background, the 30 days allowed for assent of the President may not be adequate in some cases for the President to make a decision as to whether or not to assent.”

The President disagreed with the lawmakers for restricting the President’s right to spend funds in default of appropriation to three months instead of six months.

He said the amendment by the lawmakers does not take into cognizance unforeseen circumstances the nation might go through any time.

He added: “This alteration seeks to limit the period when expenditure can be authorized in default of appropriation from the 6 months provided in the Constitution to 3 months.

“I am of the view that this provision has the potential of occasioning financial hardships and unintended shutdown of government business particularly where four unforeseen reasons and exigencies in the polity, the National Assembly is unable to pass the Appropriation Act do not justify the reduction of the sixmonth time limit in the Constitution. I am of the respectful view that the current position should have been maintained.”

He blamed the National Assembly for recommending that the National Economic Council(NEC) should henceforth appoint the AccountantGeneral of the Federation.

He said: “The provision of section 84A that creates the new Office of Account-General of the Federation distinct from Accountant- General of the Federal Government has

not addressed the funding requirement for the establishment of the office. “ It is necessary to clarify for instance, who staffs and funds the office of Accountant General of the Federation and from whose budget he will be paid since he serve the three tiers of Government. “ It is also important to state who will exercise oversight powers over the office. Furthermore, the National Economic Council, which is mainly an advisory body, is now charged with the responsibility of recommending those to be appointed to the Office of Accountant General of the Federation.”

Jonathan described the amendment on the separation the Office of Attorney General of the Federation from the Minister of Justice as ambiguous.

He said: “These alterations encapsulate wide-ranging provision that seek to separate the Office of Attorney General of the Federation from the Minister of Justice and the Attorney General from the Commissioner for Justice in the respective States of the federation.

They also provide for the independence of the Office of Attorney General by guaranteeing tenure and funding.

“However, as desirable as the separation is, there are some provisions that validate the doctrine of separation of powers and also negate the age-long independence and absolute discretion that the office has enjoyed for centuries since it creation in middles ages. The potential challenging provisions are discussed below: “The first noticeable set back is that the Fourth Alter-

ation Act 2015 is silent on who is the Chief Law Officer of the Federation/State. This is serious lacuna, which may create implementation challenges.

“It will be recalled that the Attorney- General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice and the Attorney General and Commissioners for Justice in the respective States of the federation are under sections 150 and 195 of the 1999 Constitution, the Chief Law Officers respectively.

“Apparently, it is the fact that the AGF is the Chief Law Officer has the power to guide the MDAs on legal issues by way of legal advice and represent the Government on other legal matters including civil litigations, contract, treaty obligations, legal drafting, etc., is derived.

“With this amendment, which limits the power of the AGF to criminal prosecution and silent on whom who is the Chief Law Officer, it appears to erode the constitutional and legal basis for the current structure and functions of the Ministry of Justice and the Law Officers employed therein, in the absence of a Statute that provides for the exercise of these powers and functions.

Consequently, if it is the intendment of the National Assembly to make the Minister of Justice, the Chief Law Officer, it should be expressly stated. This will enable these functions to continue to be traditionally performed by the Ministry under the supervision of the Minister of Justice while the Office of the AGF, which is to be independent and separated from the Ministry, concentrate on prosecutions.”

UN: don’t forget Nigeria on Chibok girls’ abduction anniversary Continued from page 4

between Boko Haram, military forces and civilian self-defence groups.

“Going to school should not have to be an act of bravery,” the Secretary-General’s statement continued. “The children of north-eastern

Nigeria and neighbouring countries must be allowed to live in peace and enjoy their right to a safe education.”

As the Government of Nigeria and regional powers ramp up their legitimate offensive against Boko Haram, Mr. Ban reminded all

those involved that their response to the extremist group’s attacks “must be fully consistent with international law and not create additional risks for the protection of children.”

“On this day, I reaffirm my support to the governments

and peoples of the region in the fight against Boko Haram,” the statement concluded. “I stand in solidarity with the families of all abductees, especially children, their communities and society at large.”

‘Oando’s 82% reserves increase good for shareholders’ Continued from page 4

positioned within the sector.”

In the last 10 months, Oando has evolved from an indigenous player producing circa 4,500 barrels of oil equivalent per day (boepd) from three producing assets to being ranked alongside the interna-

tional majors with a production of 53,000 boepd from seven producing assets.

More recently, the company reset its hedge from $95 to $65 per barrel, restructured its debt obligations by $238 million, thereby making savings of $65 million in interest payments

over the remaining term of the loan facilities. These actions have seen a considerable reduction in its debt, an eradication of significant interest payments and an improvement in its balance sheet.

Given its reserves, exploration drive and vision the com-

pany looks set to meet its medium term objective of producing 100,000 boepd and reserves of 500MMboe by 2017.

With the global downturn and energy firms declaring write downs Oando is still uniquely well-positioned and is clearly a sure bet investment.

Actionaid march for the Chibokgirls Continued from page 4

ties that have been affected, we work with the socially disadvantaged from which almost all of the Chibok girls come from and we identify with the pains, anxiety and agony of the family of these girls.

“What we have done coming out is to ask the government to act responsibly and see to the safety of these girls, that these girls are brought back, safe and alive it is not just that they are found, but that they are found safe and brought back to their families alive. This is one of the reasons why we are out and aligning with the larger movement of #BringBackOurGirls.

For us, the 219 girls symbolises for us, the number of girls whom are out of schools, the number of girls in danger in this country and the number of girls who are endangered by the failure of the Nigerian state to ensure safe environment, by the

failure of the Nigerian state to guarantee safety in schools.”

The European Union yesterday sent a press statement on the abduction of the girls.

In a statement signed it spokesperson, the EU expressed its solidarity with the plight of the families and with the #BringBackOurGirls campaign.

They stated: “A year has passed since 287 school girls from Chibok, in north-eastern Nigeria, were abducted by Boko Haram. Though some girls escaped, others have since been taken and more than 300 girls are still missing. We express our solidarity with the plight of the families and with the ‘Bring Back Our Girls’ campaign.

“All efforts must continue to be made to rescue and reunite the girls with their families, and bring the perpetrators of this terrible act to account. The EU remains ready to assist the Government of Nigeria, including the newly elected President and local authorities, as well as others in the region in their fight against Boko Haram and all forms of terrorism and criminality.”

60

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, APRIL 15, 2015

FOREIGN

Hamas consolidates its grip on Gaza as reconstruction stalls

E

IGHT months after a ruinous war with Israel, the reconstruction of Gaza has barely begun, and the Islamic militant group Hamas remains entrenched despite expectations that it cede some of its power to West Bank-based Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.The logic was that the Western-backed Abbas would be a more effective and credible conduit for aid.

In addition, with Abbas wielding some control in Gaza, including at border crossings, Israel and Egypt might have been more likely to ease their blockade of the territory, letting in more goods.

Instead, each side has protected its own turf - Hamas in Gaza and Abbas’ Fatah party in the West Bank - by clamping down on dissent.Aid agencies and analysts say that prospects for recovery have been hampered by the political wrangling from Hamas and Fatah, the continued embargo and a slow response from donor countries.

Conditions in Gaza, mean-

while, are deteriorating. The Association of International Development Agencies said in a report issued Monday that partially damaged apartments are being repaired, but none of more than 12,000 destroyed homes has been rebuilt. About 100,000 displaced Gaza residents still live in classrooms, tents or rented apartments.

The situation has heightened tensions and dissatisfaction among the 1.8 million Gazans, who have endured both the blockade and three wars with Israel since Hamas seized Gaza from Abbas in 2007.Politicians have delivered only slogans and not relief, said Sufian Wadiya, 36, who has been living with his wife and nine children in a U.N. school since his home was destroyed. “There are no signs of good solutions,” he said.A March poll by the independent Palestine Center for Policy and Survey Research showed that more than 60 percent of the respondents in the West Bank and Gaza are dissatisfied with the Abbas-led govern-

ment of independent experts which was formed under a Fatah-Hamas deal last year to administer both territories, but never took hold in Gaza.

Support for Hamas is also slipping slightly from a postwar high, although the group still received 39 percent backing to Fatah’s 36 percent, according to the survey of 1,260 people in the West Bank and Gaza, with an error margin of 3 percentage points. Sixty percent in Gaza said they are dissatisfied with the results of the war.

Hamas insists it won the war, even though the fighting killed more than 2,200 Palestinians, along with 72 people on the Israeli side, and it agreed to halt rocket fire on Israel even while failing to shake off the blockade.Border restrictions largely remain in place, with the vast majority in Gaza unable to travel or trade. Under a U.N.-brokered postwar arrangement, Israel allows the import of some cement and steel for reconstruction, easing restrictions im-

posed to prevent Hamas from diverting the materials for military use.

The new mechanism has made cement available to repair tens of thousands of homes, but many homeowners cannot afford it, said the aid agencies’ report. The groups urged the world to follow through on $3.5 billion for Gaza aid that was pledged six months ago, saying only $945 million was released so far.

Under the Fatah-Hamas unity deal reached a year ago before the Gaza war -the Abbas-led expert government was to take over from Hamas and prepare for elections in Gaza and the West Bank. This was to relieve Hamas - which has been shunned internationally as a terrorist group and strapped financially after Egypt’s dismantling of profitable Gaza smuggling tunnels - of the costly burden of governing.

Forming a “government of national consensus” assumed greater urgency after the summer war, in which Israel bom-

barded Gaza to halt years of intermittent rocket attacks, while militants fired thousands of rockets at Israel.Yet the new Cabinet was quickly paralyzed by power disputes.

Abbas sought complete control, while Hamas wanted to keep its security forces and civil servants in place.Fatah alleged that Hamas wanted Abbas to serve as a figurehead to attract foreign aid and help solve the group’s money woes. At the same time, Prime Minister Rami Hamdallah and West Bank-based members of the new Cabinet rarely visited Gaza, prompting complaints of neglect.With the unity deal faltering, Hamas and Fatah are silencing dissent, though watchdogs disagree whether rights violations - a problem in both the West Bank and Gaza since the 2007 split - have increased or remain steady.In Gaza, Fatah activists have been detained at Hamas security compounds for hours at a time and beaten or threatened, with 25 cases reported this year, human rights monitors said.

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•Iran’s outlawed artillery S-3100s now restored by Russia

PHOTO:AFP

Iraq retakes more IS-held territories

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SLAMIc State (IS) has lost more than a quarter of its territory in Iraq since the US-led coalition air campaign began in August, a Pentagon spokesman says.

Col Steve Warren said it was too early to say the tide was turning, but that air strikes and Iraqi ground forces had “unquestionably inflicted some damage”.

IS took over large swathes of northern and western Iraq last June.

The announcement came ahead of talks between Iraq’s prime minister and US President Barack Obama in Washington.

Iraqi PM Haider al-Abadi wants the coalition to step up its air campaign against IS. Col Warren told a news conference on Monday that IS had lost 25% to 30% of its territory in Iraq, equating to 12,950 to 15,540 sq km (5,000 to 6,000 sq miles).

The frontline had been pushed either west or south in the provinces of Irbil, Babil, Baghdad and Kirkuk, he said.

“Among other strategic infrastructure and sizeable towns where [IS] has lost territory are Mosul Dam, Zummar and the vicinity of Sinjar Mountain.”

There has been a huge contrast between the lightning

advances scored in Iraq by IS last summer, and the painfully slow process that has seen some of that ground recaptured.

IS militants have put up a fierce defensive struggle, and made advances a deadly affair. Because of that, each setback they have faced is significant even if some of lost territory is not as strategically important as Mosul Dam and Tikrit.

An international coalition has been bombing targets in Iraq since the middle of 2014 While coalition bombing has helped contain and damage IS, only troops can push it back. The Kurds, both in Iraq

and Syria, have proven by far the most cohesive forces in doing that.

The structural deficiencies in Iraq’s army, and the controversy over the use of Shia militia, may limit the extent and extend the timeframe - of further advances against IS in Iraq.

While it has lost its extraordinary momentum, IS is still far from finished.

The city of Tikrit was expected to be cleared of militants “relatively soon”, Col Warren said.

Mr Abadi announced last week an offensive to drive IS out of Iraq’s biggest province, Anbar.

Yemen: UN places arms embargo on Houthi rebels

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HE UN Security Council has imposed an arms embargo on Yemen’s Houthi rebels and allies including former President Ali Abdullah Saleh and his son.

A resolution demanded that the Houthis stop fighting and urged all sides to resume UNbrokered negotiations.

A Saudi-led coalition launched a military campaign two weeks ago to stop the rebels advancing and restore President Abdrabbuh Mansour Hadi.

Air strikes and fighting on the ground have pushed Yemen towards collapse.

The UN says at least 736 people have been killed and 2,700 injured since 26 March, but officials believe the actual death toll may be far higher.

The resolution approved on Tuesday imposed an arms embargo on Abdul Malik alHouthi and two other senior rebel leaders, Abd al-Khaliq al-Houthi and Abdullah Yahya al-Hakim, as well as Mr

Saleh and his eldest son Ahmed, a former commander of the elite Republican Guard force.

Ahmed Saleh is the former commander of Yemen’s elite Republican Guard The embargo also applies to “those acting on their behalf or at their direction in Yemen” - effectively all rebel fighters and Saleh loyalists in the security forces.

The Security Council also imposed a global asset freeze

and travel ban on Abdul Malik al-Houthi and Ahmed Saleh.

The other three men were blacklisted in November.

The resolution demanded that the Houthis withdraw from areas they have seized, including the capital Sanaa, and resume negotiations on the democratic transition begun in 2011 when Ali Abdullah Saleh was forced to hand over power to Mr Hadi following mass protests.

In the West Bank, Abbas’ security forces have arbitrarily arrested Hamas activists, including several dozen in recent weeks, the monitors said.

West Bank police spokesman Adnan Damiri said those detained were suspected of money laundering, weapons possessions and other crimes, and that all arrests were lawful.In Gaza, Ziyad Mattar, a Fatah organizer, said he was held for several hours by Hamas in January.

He said interrogators put a sack over his head, forced him to strip to his underwear in a cold room, and beat him with clubs. He said there were more blows whenever he refused to answer to a woman’s name his jailers had mockingly given him. Fifteen other Fatah activists were detained in the same sweep, rights monitors said. ”They (Hamas) don’t want the existence of opposition voices,” said Fatah activist Maamoun Sweidan. This month, Hamas security closed his office.

Fighting in eastern Ukraine rages despite talks

IGHTING raged overnight and in the early hours on Tuesday on the outskirts of the rebel stronghold of Donetsk in eastern Ukraine despite an agreement reached by the Ukrainian and Russian foreign ministers a day earlier.The yearlong military conflict between Russian-backed rebels and government forces has claimed more than 6,000 lives and left large parts of Ukraine’s once industrial heartland in ruins.Fighting in the east had largely subsided following a cease-fire deal signed in February but has rekindled in recent days.

Heavy shelling was heard in Donetsk late Monday evening and in the early hours yesterday. Ukrainian military spokesman Andriy Lysenko told a televised briefing that six troops were killed and 12 wounded in a 24-hour period, while rebels reported one fighter dead and five wounded in the overnight clashes.

The death toll is the highest since the February cease-fire was signed.Lysenko also reported civilian casualties, including two teenagers who were wounded in shelling in the Horlivka area, north of Donetsk.Russia and Ukraine agreed in Berlin on Monday to call for the pullback of smaller-caliber weapons from the front lines of the conflict that has claimed more than 6,000 lives.

On the ground, however, even the previous agreement that called for a cease-fire and a withdrawal of large-caliber weaponry appeared to be shaky.

A Russian journalist was injured yesterday morning when he stepped on a land mine in Shyrokyne during a visit to the village on the Azov Sea that has been the epicenter of recent fighting. Andrei Lunev, a videojournalist who works for the Zvezda television station, received first aid at the scene and was then whisked away to the nearest hospital. At one point during the visit the group had to lie on the ground because of an exchange of fire nearby.

UN warns Kenya not to close refugee camp

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ADAAB is Africa’s biggest refugee camp, home to at least 350,000 Somali refugees The United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) has warned Kenya not to expel Somali refugees in response to alShabab’s massacre of students.

Kenya has given UNHCR three months to close the the Dadaab refugee camp, which houses 350,000 Somali refugees.

The Kenyan government believes al-Shabab militants who killed 148 people at Garissa University hid in the camp.

The agency warned that the camp’s closure would have “extreme humanitarian consequences.”

Dadaab is just 100km (62 miles) from Garissa, where the killings earlier this month led to outrage and shock across the country.

The government has promised to crackdown on the Somali militant organisation, including those who it with provide support within Kenya.

Kenyan Deputy President William Ruto said on Saturday that unless UNHCR closed Dadaab within three months, Kenya would relocate the refugees.

As well as demanding the expulsion of hundred of thousands of Somalis within the camp, he also announced that Kenya had started building a 700km (440 mile) wall along the entire length of the border with Somalia.

Dadaab was set up in 1991 to house families fleeing conflict in Somalia, and some people have been living there for more than 20 years.

UNHCR says it is not possible for Dadaab residents to return home safely.

The al-Shabab attack on Garissa University killed 148 people, mostly students

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THE NATION WEDNESDAY APRIL 15, 2015

NEWS

Three feared dead in Kaduna fracas

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HREE persons were said to have died when a jubilation turned into a fracas at Angwan Dawa in Lere Local Government Area of Kaduna State.

The Caretaker Committee Chairman of Lere Local Government, Mr. Ibrahim Abdulkarim, confirmed the incident to reporters yesterday.

He said more than five people were receiving treatment in Saminaka General Hospital.

A resident, Abubakar Sani, said supporters of the All Progressives Congress (APC) took to the streets, cel-

•El-Rufai condemns incident From Abdulgafar Alabelewe, Kaduna

ebrating the party’s victory in the governorship election and for winning two House of Assembly seats in the council.

It was learnt that the jubilating youths went to Angwan Dawa, an area described as a Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP’s) stronghold, beating drums and singing.

“This did not go down well with youths in the area, as they attacked the group, resulting in a fight and the

death of one of the jubilating youths.”

The Nation gathered that the jubilating youths retreated and launched a reprisal, which resulted in the death of two people and burnt property.

Police spokesman Zubairu Abubakar confirmed the incident, saying two people were injured and receiving treatment in a hospital.

Abubakar said security agencies, comprising Army, Civil Defence and Police had restored peace and suspects arrested.

Kaduna State Governorelect Nasir El-Rufai has condemned the incident.

He said miscreants caused the violence, which led to the imposition of a curfew and the deployment of police and soldiers.

A statement by his spokesman, Samuel Aruwan, said: “El-Rufai condemns the violence. He appeals to the residents of Saminaka to unite for peace and urges the violence to stop. He enjoins security agencies to stop the violence.”

The governor-elect consoled the bereaved families and wished the injured a speedy recovery.

Ortom: I’ll reconcile people in 100 days

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ENUE State Governorelect Samuel Ortom has said he will focus on reconciling the people in his first 100 days.

He spoke when a group of five Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship aspirants visited him to congratulate him in his Makurdi home.

Dr. Ortom said if the people were united, they would achieve more.

The former Minister of State, Industry, Trade and Investment said he would tap people’s talents irrespective of ethnicity, political and religious affiliations, to enable him move the state forward.

He said the aspirants were experienced and patriotic indigenes, who sought to offer

From Uja Emmanuel, Makurdi

quality service to the people, assuring that he would rely on them to deliver on his mandate. Ortom pledged to promote excellence above sycophancy and mediocrity.

The governor-elect said his doors remained open to the PDP members, adding that they were free to offer suggestions on what could be done to develop the state.

“You should feel free to correct me if I make mistake.”

The group’s spokesman, Mr. Hingah Biem, congratulated Ortom and urged him to reconcile the indigenes and transform the state.

He pledged their support for the governor-elect.

APC hails Kwara voters •Saraki, Ahmed saluted

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HE All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kwara State has hailed the people for comporting themselves during the elections.

It congratulated Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed on his reelection.

APC’s spokesman Alhaji Sulyman Buhari said Ahmed’s victory was neither a fluke nor as a result of good luck, but was achieved through hard work, diligence and sterling performance.

His words: “We congratulate Governor Ahmed on his re-election.

“We salute his foresight and doggedness. The unfolding events have shown that his de-

From Adekunle Jimoh, Ilorin

cision to dump the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the APC was the best decision he could have taken, given the circumstances of those times.”

Offa Descendants Union (ODU) has praised the leadership qualities of Senator Bukola Saraki. It rejoiced with him on his feat at the polls.

The group also hailed the reelection of Governor Ahmed, saying his performance in the last four years won him the electorate’s support.

ODU’s Secretary Mrs. Wosilat Macarthy said Saraki’s people-oriented programmes in the 16 local governments proved him as an achiever.

I’ll ensure economic independence, says Niger governor-elect •Benue State Governor-elect Samuel Ortom (middle) flanked by his wife, Chief Eunice Erdoo Ortom, receiving his certificate of return from the Zonal Commissioner of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Sir Lawrence Nwuruku, in Makurdi...yesterday.

From Jide Orintunsin, Minna

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PDP demands Assembly poll’s cancellation

IGER State Governor-elect Abubakar Sani Bello pledged yesterday to ensure economic independence from the Federation Account allocation, by harnessing the state’s human and natural resources.

He urged the people to be realistic in their demand from the government, considering its economic position, following the global collapse of the price of crude oil.

Bello, who delivered his acceptance speech in Minna after he was declared the winner of last Saturday’s election by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), said: “Niger State cannot afford to continue to rely on allocation from the Federation Account and related sources for up to 80 per cent of its income.

“My administration’s priority is to pursue a strategic direction aimed at harnessing the abundant human and natural resources of the state, to ensure its independence from the Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) allocation. The indigenes will be part and parcel of our decision-making process.

“We pledge to begin doing our best without delay. We appeal to the people to appreciate the gravity of the national austerity occasioned by the global collapse in the price of crude oil. This is having an impact on the state’s revenue. We need to become realistic in our expectations. This is your government and it will soon be at your service.”

The governor-elect promised an all-inclusive administration, especially in decision-making, saying he would serve diligently and that his administration would be just and equitable.

He hailed the fighting spirit of his major opponent, the Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP’s) candidate, Umar Nasko and praised Governor Dr. Mu’azu Babangida Aliyu, saying he looked forward to meeting him to discuss how to put in place a transition programme.

The APC leader and Deputy Governor Ahmed Musa Ibeto attributed his party’s electoral success to God. Said he: “Without God, it would have been difficult to defeat a sitting party.”

•APC accuses ruling party of electoral malpractices, violence

Praise jam holds next week

Violence: PDP chief declared wanted in Kano

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X-Kano State Commissioner for Rural and Community Development in ex-Governor Ibrahim Shekarau’s administration, Alhaji Musa Illyasu Kwankwaso of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has been declared wanted by the police.

He is wanted for alleged involvement in the destruction of election materials at Kauran Mata Ward in Madobi Local Government during last Saturday’s elections.

Briefing reporters yesterday when parading the suspects arrested in connection with electoral violence, Police Commissioner Ibrahim Idris said Alhaji Kwankwaso scaled the fence when detectives from the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) stormed his home.

T

HE Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Kogi State yesterday called for the cancellation of election in five federal constituencies.

It claimed it won in Dekina I where the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared election inconclusive.

The party demanded the cancellation of poll in Ofu,

From Kolade Adeyemi, Kano

He said the top politician was implicated by 14 suspected thugs arrested by the police, who confessed that Alhaji Kwankwaso, a leader of a group called the PDP Vanguard, sent them to destroy election materials.

Idris added: “The suspects also fingered Kwankwaso as their sponsor. Detectives from the SCID stormed his home, but he jumped the fence, abandoned his regalia (jumper) and escaped into the bush. We are looking for him and four other suspects.”

Narrating the incident, he said: “On April 11, about 7 am when the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) supervisor was sharing materials at Kauran Mata Registration Area Cen-

From James Azania, Lokoja

Dekina II, Ajaokuta, Lokoja I and Koton-Karfe.

Addressing a news conference in Lokoja, PDP Chairman Hassan Salawu said the party would challenge the results of the election in two constituencies where the All Progressives Congress (APC) won - Okene I and

•76 arrested tre (RAC) in Madobi Local Government, before distributing to polling stations, Hussaini Ibrahim of Kauran Mata village, the chairman of the PDP Vanguard in the area, introduced himself to the INEC supervisor and demanded explanation on the sensitive materials.

“While being attended to, he snatched ballot papers and tore them. He and other 18 accomplices, all of the same address, snatched and set ablaze 4015 ballot papers for the Governorship and House of Assembly elections.

“The police arrived and rescued the INEC officials. They disarmed the thugs and retrieved the Card Readers. The materials were retrieved

Ankpa II. He accused the APC of masterminding violence.

The APC alleged that the PDP indulged in electoral malpractices and violence in parts of Kogi East during last Saturday’s House of Assembly election.

It accused the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Prof. Jacob Jatau, of conniving with the government to rig the election for the PDP.

about 10:30 am. Accreditation and voting were later done.”

The police boss said the exhibits recovered included two knives, a cutlass and a stick.

He said the police arrested 76 suspects in connection with electoral offences, adding that the exhibits recovered included 15 ballot boxes, ballot papers, four INEC bags, eight knives, two sticks, two swords, two cutlasses, three INEC stamps, three markers, two tap gums, two Card Readers, seven INEC reflective jackets, scissors, torn Governorship and House of Assembly result sheets and accreditation register.

Idris said the police and INEC were working to ensure the suspects’ prosecution.

The party, in a petition to INEC Chairman Prof.

Attahiru Jega accused the REC of hobnobbing with agents of the government before the election.

The Kogi PDP chairman, however, indicted the APC, saying electoral malpractices were traceable to the latter.

He urged INEC to conduct elections in the areas where polls were declared inconclusive.

A

PRAISE jam organised by the Christ Apostolic Church (Oke Ayo), Meiran District, Lagos, will hold next week.

The theme of the three-day praise and worship programme is: ‘Dispossess to take your possession through praise worship’.

The Planning Committee Chairman, Mr. Gbenga Daodu, said: “Salvation is free. I’ve been planning this programme for two years.”

He said the programme would be a blessing to many by giving miracles and healing to the poor and those who are ill.

Gospel artistes, including Lady Evangelist Tope Alabi, Segun Oluwayomi (Omo Arugbo Ojo) and Lady Evangelist Mary Arowomole are expected to perform.

62

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, APRIL 15, 2015

63

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, APRIL 15, 2015

SPORT EXTRA

UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE

Athletico, Real draw blank

RIO 2016

Water sports can rescue Team Nigeria — Giwa

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OMMODORE of Navy Sailing Club, Citizen Tunde Giwa Daramola has advised the President elect, General Mohammed Buhari (rtd) to take sports especially water sports seriously as it is an avenue to keep the restive youths busy, enhance and project the country's image as well as an avenue for national development.

He also said that though football is Nigeria's number one sport, water sports attracts more than 40 gold medals at the Olympic Games as against other sporting events.

He advised the incoming President to appoint capable hands as sports administrators both in the Sports Ministry and the National Sports Commission, noting that the sector should not be regarded as ‘job for the boys’.

"This is the time for all sporting federations to be reorganised

with a focus on getting the best hands to manage our athletes ahead of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games. All hands must be on deck to make it a glorious outing for Nigeria, expecially in water sports. The Club Commodore enjoined the private sector to join hands with government to achieve development in water sports."

He lauded the efforts of Nigeria Navy for giving the club the platform and enabling environment to operate. He asked sailors around the country to register for the Democracy Day race holding on 29 May at the Club's waterfront based in Navy Town, Ojo, Lagos.

The race according to the Club Commodore is billed to commence from the Naval Base Apapa and terminates at Navy Sailing Club Ojo.

Flying Eagles get Yahaya boost

N • Atletico's Arda Turan (centre) and Juan Fran (right) try to stop Real Madrid's Cristiano Ronaldo EAL Madrid and half progressed, it was still Real crossed the ball in for Arda Bale and Ronaldo.

Atletico Madrid have finthat looked the most likely goTuran, but the midfielder's Raul Garcia came off the ished goalless in the first ing forward as Ronaldo tried to header was well wide of the bench late on as Atletico chased set up Karim Benzema, but the post. a goal, but he was unable to leg of their Champions League Bale had to help out at the back reach a cross into the box from quarter-final at Vicente French striker was crowded as Atletico continued to push, Koke, leaving the ball to go out Calderon Tuesday night. out in the box. but the forward blocked a shot for a goal kick.

Gareth Bale had a chance to Oblak pulled of a few more from Guilherme Siqueira, leavLuka Modric provided some open the scoring inside the first saves before the interval, denying Ronaldo to push down the late pressure for the visitors, but five minutes when he forced his ing Bale and James Rodriguez other end looking for Benzema, his finish went well high, while way into the penalty area before with long range efforts after the but his first touch was lacking.

Fernando Torres wanted a penfiring towards the Atletico goal, half-hour mark.

The hosts continued to see the alty down the other end mobut Jan Oblak was ready to deny The visitors could have slipped majority of the possession as the ments later when he went the Welshman. behind just before the half-time final 20 minutes approached, but down under a challenge from The home side's keeper had to whistle though when Sergio Casillas remained relatively unRamos, but the referee did not remain alert early on as Cristiano Ramos gave the ball away, retested between the posts. think that there was enough Ronaldo lined up a free kick for sulting in a chance for Antoine Real were on the attack again contact. the defending European chamGriezmann, but his shot was in the 70th minute though, but Having had little to do all pions, but Oblak made a diving straight at Iker Casillas.

Benzema chose to pass rather night, Casillas made an error save to deny the forward.

Atletico made a bright start to than shoot while in space, givlate on, failing to punch a cross Although Atletico started to the second half as Juanfran ing the hosts time to crowd out clear to leave Torres. get more of the ball as the first

R

JUVENTUS 1-0 MONACO

Vidal’s penalty gives Juventus win

A

• Vidal

RESULTS Champions League Atletico 0 - 0 Real Madrid Juventus 1 - 0 Monaco England - Championship Birmingham 2 - 2 Blackburn Brighton 0 - 0 Huddersfield Derby 4 - 0 Blackpool Ipswich 2 - 1 Cardiff City Leeds Utd 0 - 1 Norwich M’brough 2 - 1 Wolves Millwall 1 - 0 Wigan Sheff. Wed. 1 - 0 Brentford Bolton 0 - 1 Charlton Reading 0 - 1 Bournemouth

SECOND-HALF penalty from Arturo Vidal has given Juventus a 1-0 win over AS Monaco in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final Tuesday night.

It looked like it would be a comfortable evening for Juventus in the opening five minutes as they dominated possession and created several early chances, but Alvaro Morata volleyed wide before Carlos Tevez has a shot saved.

Monaco's first chance came just a few minutes later though as Layvin Kurzawa came out from the back to unleash a powerful strike from 20 yards out, but it did not trouble Gianluigi Buffon.

The French side started to look the more likely, with Yannick Ferreira-Carrasco causing problems for the Juventus defence to create a couple of chances, while Kurzawa headed wide from a corner.

The hosts came back into

the match late in the first half, but Claudio Marchisio was forced to take on a couple of shots from range, neither of which required action from Danijel Subasic.

Monaco wanted a spot kick just before half time though as Giorgio Chiellini tangled with Antony Martial in the box, but the referee was not interested in awarding the penalty.

Juventus looked the sharper of the two sides at the start of the second period with Arturo Vidal going fr the spectacular from 30 yards out, but Subasic watched it all the way.

The visitors tried to catch the Italian champions out with a quick counter-attack a few minutes later, but Ferreira-Carrasco's ball in for Bernardo Silva was tipped behind by Buffon.

Juventus had a chance to open the scoring 10 minutes into the second half when Andrea Pirlo was clipped

by Ricardo Carvalho, resulting in the hosts being awarded a penalty, despite

the visitors insisted that the contact occurred outside the box.

Vidal stepped up to take the spot kick, and sent Subasic the wrong way as he picked out the top corner, giving Juventus the lead.

Monaco looked to get back on level terms as soon as possible, resulting in a chance for Geoffrey Kondogbia with just over an hour played, but Buffon came off his line to tip it over, before claiming the ball from the resulting corner.

Morata wanted to double Juventus's lead when he charged down the left before cutting inside and trying to blast the ball in from the edge of the box, but his low finish was just wide.

The visitors brought Dimitar Berbatov off the bench as they tried to get back on level terms, and the striker came close just moments after coming on, meeting a cross from Joao Moutinho before heading just over.

IGERIA’S Flying Eagles have received a major boost after injured forward Musa Yahaya revealed he has begun training again following a major knee injury.

The 17-year-old Tottenham Hotspurs winger missed last month’s African Youth Championship in Senegal after he suffered a knee injury in a test game against Ghana U20 team in Tema.

He was subsequently ruled out of the championship with doctors saying he could be out for as long as 8 weeks.

“I have started training again,” said a smiling Yahaya on arrival at the Flying Eagles training camp in Abuja on Monday.

“I am now ready to fight for a place on the World Cup squad.”

The Kaduna-born star, who has been dubbed 'Nigeria's Neymar' after Brazil World Cup star and won the 2013 FIFA U17

• Yahaya World Cup winners' medal, was accompanied into training camp by midfielder Abdullahi Alfa.

The Flying Eagles have begun preparations in earnest for the FIFA U20 World Cup in New Zealand, which kicks off on May 30. The African champions are drawn in a first round group that also has Brazil, Hungary and North Korea.

Ogude wrecks CSKA in Russian upset

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IGERIAN midfielder Fegor Ogude was the master mind of Amkar Perm's 1-0 shock win over Ahmed Musa's CSKA

• Ogude

Moscow on Monday in a Russian Premier League game.

CSKA Moscow are third on the league table with 43 points from 23 games, while Amkar Perm are rock bottom on the league table with 17 points from 22 games.

Ogude who stopped many attacking moves of CSKA Moscow provided the assist for the only goal of the game on the hour mark.

His well-taken free kick was controlled by Igor Kireev before he put it past the CSKA Moscow goalkeeper.

Ahmed Musa was in action for CSKA Moscow for the entire duration of the game.

Former Valeranga of Norway midfielder has scored a goal in 18 games this season.

Kwambe resumes training

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ORMER Plateau United defender Solomon Kwambe has told AfricanFootball.com he is excited to be back in training after he was out of action for over two months with an ankle injury.

The Warri Wolves defender is yet to kick a ball this season for the Warri-based side due to the injury he sustained while playing for Nigeria in a friendly against

Yemen in Dubai on January 17.

"I thank God that I am feeling better now, I am back in training as I am running right now. I am looking forward to be fully fit and start playing matches," the ex-Sunshine Stars player told AfricanFootball.com "I felt bad I have been out all this while, but I give God glory that I am back training."

TODAY IN THE NATION

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 15, 2015 TRUTH IN DEFENCE OF FREEDOM

VOL.10 NO.3185

‘The political parties may have their agenda, but the people’s agenda should remain the same to make the officials work to get tangible results that will speak for themselves in the next elections’

COMMENT & DEB ATE EBA

F

OR someone born with the proverbial silver spoon in his mouth, the man lived a lifestyle that was difficult, if not impossible, to beat for its simplicity and austerity. A plain, mostly white, three-piece babanriga with no embroidery and a simple cap to match, was his trademark wear. With a medium size carrier leather bag slung across his shoulders, probably containing just a few changes of clothes and his toiletries, he seemed permanently on the move within and outside Nigeria. And he seemed to prefer doing so unobtrusively.

An encounter in Ibadan in 1966 between him and the late Alhaji Magaji Dambatta, one of the North’s most prominent journalists and public servants, as told by Dambatta himself in his 2010 autobiography, Pull of Fate, provided some insight into the essential character of the man, Alhaji Muhammadu Dikko Yusufu, a former Inspector-General of Police, who died two Wednesdays ago, on April 1.

The encounter between the two was against the background of the events which led to the July 29, 1966 counter-coup in which the military Head of State, Major-General Aguiyi Ironsi, who had come to power following the country’s first military coup on January 15, 1966, and his host as Military Governor of Western Nigeria, Col Fajuyi, were kidnapped and eventually killed by Northern military officers.

Ironsi’s apparent reluctance to deal with the perpetrators of the January mutiny and his promulgation of the Unification Decree 34 caused widespread disaffection in the North, which in turn led to bloody riots in the region in May and July. This prompted Ironsi to embark on a nationwide tour, beginning from the North, to be followed by those in the West and East, to reassure Nigerians that he only acted in good faith.

During his tour of the North, there were fears that a counter-coup might be attempted

by Northern military officers. The fears turned out to have been unfounded.

A week after that the head of state embarked on the Western tour. During the tour, he was expected to address traditional rulers from all over the country, who had been invited to Ibadan for that purpose. At that time, however, rumours were rife of plans

by Southern military officers to kill Ironsi along with Northern Emirs because they had all allegedly failed to deal decisively with perpetrators of the May and July riots in which thousands of mostly Igbo lost their lives. There were also counter-rumours of plans by Northern military officers to get rid of Ironsi, now that he had finished his tour of their region.

Dambatta had arrived in Ibadan the day before Ironsi was to address the traditional rulers with directives from the Northern military governor, Lt. Col. Hassan Usman Katsina, “to observe and report on the meeting’s proceedings and other sideshows.” He was accommodated in the city’s

RIPPLES

People and Politics By

MOHAMMED H ARUNA ndajika@yahoo.com

Death of a quiet mystic

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He was born into the family on November 10, 1931. Virtually all his adult life, however, he shunned aristocracy, beginning from his youth when he joined the radical Northern Elements Progressive Union of Malam Aminu Kano, which opposed the ruling conservative Northern Peoples Congress in the North. And until he died he never took any aristocratic title

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Catering Rest House and soon discovered that MD Yusufu, then already in the top echelon of the police as an intelligence officer, was also a guest at the rest house.

Dambatta discussed all these rumours with MD Yusufu in an attempt to establish the truth of the matter. He drew a complete blank, he said: “Typical of M. D. Yusuf,” “he was not forthcoming at all. A short while later, I saw (him) walking to the Rest House reception with his carrier bag on his shoulder. I immediately followed him, wondering what he was up to. Was he checking out or relocating to another accommodation? He tried to dodge the question, but finally said he was going to Lagos to return later in the night. I discovered later that (he) relocated from the hotel to a friend’s house somewhere in Ibadan.”

Dambatta said from MD Yusufu’s dodgy reply to his enquiries and his hurried departure from the rest house, he put two and two together and came to the conclusion that there was indeed trouble ahead. He left Ibadan first thing the following day for Lagos and then on to Kaduna by flight. It turned out, as is now well known, that Magaji’s suspicions were borne out; Ironsi was killed on July 29,

HARDBALL

Rivers, Akwa Ibom Polls: INEC, POLICE AND THUGS COMBINED TO RIG FOR PDP, SaysAPC

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•••UNIFORMED THUGS!

along with his host, the day after MD Yusufu disappeared from the rest house.

Alhaji Muhammadu Dikko Yusufu (he spelt his own surname with a “u” at the end, and not Yusuf as is commonplace) was a great grandson of the legendary Emir Muhammadu Dikko, the founder of the ruling dynasty in Katsina. He was born into the family on November 10, 1931. Virtually all his adult life, however, he shunned aristocracy, beginning from his youth when he joined the radical Northern Elements Progressive Union of Malam Aminu Kano, which opposed the ruling conservative Northern Peoples Congress in the North. And until he died he never took any aristocratic title.

Perhaps helped by his royal background, his radicalism was no hindrance to his joining the Nigeria Police Force in 1962 as an assistant commissioner in its intelligence arm. It was as a senior intelligence officer that he got wind of plans in 1975 of a coup against General Yakubu Gowon, who had been in power since the July 1966 countercoup. As a loyal police officer, he alerted Gowon and, according to Professor J. Isawa Elaigwu, in his biography of Gowon, sought Gowon’s permission to confront Col. Joe Garba, the Commander of the Brigade of Guards and a spearhead of the plotters.

Gowon, Elaigwu said, preferred to do so himself, which he reportedly did on the eve of his departure to Uganda for an OAU summit, a summit from which he never returned as head of state.

One of the ironies of the coup against Gowon, which MD Yusufu was apparently against, was that he became one of the biggest beneficiaries of the General Murtala Muhammed regime that took over, as the country’s third indigenous Inspector-General of Police (IGP), after Louis Edet and Kam Salem. However, as IGP, not only did he preside over the affairs of the police, he also played a leading role in formulating what became the widely acclaimed “dynamic foreign policy” of the country, especially as it concerned black Africa’s liberation war against Portuguese colonialism in Angola, Mozambique and Guinea-Bissau and apartheid in South Africa in the 70s.

In his first coming as head of state in 1976, General Olusegun Obasanjo, who succeeded Murtala after his assassination in the unsuccessful coup of February 13 that year, was

SK the controversial Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIG) in charge of Zone 2, Joseph Mbu, what he was trying to do by boasting that his fang-baring method made peace possible during the Governorship and National Assembly polls in Lagos.

According to a report, Mbu said “the threat he issued to kill 10 people for every policeman killed made the Governorship and National Assembly elections to be peaceful in Lagos.” He was quoted as saying: “Generally, people are becoming more and more mature.” But he left no one in doubt about what he thought of the potency of his threat. He said: “Also, the statement I made, which people misconstrued, also helped the police because people say, ‘this man has come o, and whatever he says, he means it’, and that instilled fear in them.”

Mbu continued: “Go and check all the places where I served, how many people have died? We don’t kill anyhow. But you

Mbu’s ugly fangs have to instil fear so that people will have more respect for the police. Now we have succeeded as far as I am concerned.”

Considering Mbu’s status in the force, his idea of success achieved by terroristic means and his promotion of fear-based public respect for the police are thought-provoking.

If an AIG thinks and speaks in this manner, what is to be expected of those he is supposed to head and control? To say the least, it suggests crudity and backwardness, which may explain why the country’s police force continues to attract public thumbs-down for demonstrable unprofessionalism. What is advantageous and should be pursued is for the police to earn lasting public respect through professional conduct.

By his own account, Mbu is aware of his monstrous image; and he is perhaps haunted by his past actions in the line of duty, par-

DELE AGEKAMEH

universally acclaimed as the first military ruler in Africa to keep his regime’s promise of handing over power to a civilian regime. As head of state, the buck, of course, stopped on Obasanjo’s table, but the fact was that a four-some of the country’s service chiefs led by Lt-General T. Y. Danjuma as army chief, and MD Yusufu as IGP, gave Obasanjo no chance to have a change of mind as Gowon did in 1974.

In retirement as IGP the man continued with his commitment to public service in various ways, the most prominent of which was perhaps that as the Chairman of Arewa Consultative Forum, the non-partisan, nonreligious umbrella organisation of the North. He came to this position apparently recommended by, among others, the courageous role he played in establishing the Grassroots Democratic Movement as the sole credible opposition to the never declared plan by General Sani Abacha to succeed himself as civilian president in 1998 at the end of his five years as military head of state.

His media and poster campaigns that year stand out even today as among the most creative and issue-based in the country’s politics. One such memorable poster was titled RIGHT to CHOOSE! “They say 2 million Nigerians were on the march in Abuja.

Good for them!” This was in reference to what became the infamous 2 million-man march in Abuja in support of Abacha. The poster, however, went on to add that “our concern is the 98 million other Nigerians who were not in this Abuja march. We ask for their right to choose their right to decide who and what to march for. Their right to pick their leader.”

Another one urged people not to reject whatever those in authority gave them as bribes. “If they give you rice take it...If they offer you television sets, soaps, or even money...take. After all, it is your money.

But demand your right from them! Your right to terminate forced rule. Your right to determine who leads you. Your right to determine your own fate.”

Yet another one asked “Continuity! Continuity of what?” and then followed with a long list of the shortages Nigerians were afflicted with, including those of petrol, electricity, potable water, and a surfeit of those they could do without, including poverty, hunger and insecurity. “What we need,” the posters concluded, “is CHANGE!” Obviously MD Yusufu preceded President-elect Muhammadu Buhari by 17 years.

It is easy to take his courage for granted today but given the fate of several of those who opposed General Abacha’s self-succession plan in 1998, fates which included deaths and self-exile abroad, only someone with MD Yusufu’s deep commitment to public service at even the expense of his own life could have done what he did at the time he did it.

May Allah grant him aljanna firdaus.

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•Hardball is not the opinion of the columnist featured above ticularly in Rivers State and Abuja where he exhibited brazen contempt for the people by being an oppressive puppet of the politically-powerful. This time also, he has shown contempt for the collective intelligence by arguing that his threatening words were “misconstrued.”

To go by Mbu’s example, both then and now, it must make sense to suggest a planned re-education for police hierarchs, especially with the approach of a new federal administration to be led by Presidentelect Muhammadu Buhari of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

At the time he issued his threat, which was roundly condemned by right-thinking members of the public, it was evident that he had dark motives. Mbu’s new tune is certainly not exculpatory, no matter what he wants the public to believe. He needs to be reminded that his police uniform and station are no reasons for him to terrorise the public.

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