The Nation April 29, 2015

Newspaper of the Year

NNPC Page 4 auditors ‘got no bank statements’ NEWS

MORE •Tinubu to Bode George: I never begged you •AND ON PAGES 5,6,9&53 •Outrage over bombing of Kogi radio station •No vote for subsidy as Senate okays N4.493tr budget •Jonathan suspends perm sec over South Africa row

•Nigeria’s widest circulating newspaper

VOL. 10, NO. 3199 WEDNESDAY, APRIL 29, 2015

Dangote Group unveils massive gas supply plan

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LIKO Dangote, Africa’s richest man, plans to quadruple the supply of gas to Nigeria by building pipelines that may be backed by Carlyle Group LP and Blackstone Group LP, the world’s two biggest private-equity firms.

Dangote, who has a net worth of $15 billion, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, will invest $2.2 billion to $2.5 billion in two sub-sea 550-kilometer

(341-mile) pipelines running from the Niger Delta to the commercial hub of Lagos, Dangote, 58, said in an interview with Bloomberg.

The pipes will increase the amount of gas available in Africa’s biggest economy to four billion standard cubic feet per day from one billion, he said.

While Nigeria has gas reserves of about 180 trillion cubic feet, more than any other African country, most of

•www.thenationonlineng.net

TR UTH IN DEFENCE OF FREEDOM TRUTH

N150.00

•From left: Chairman, Triton Group, Ashvin Samtaru and Minister of Agriculture & Rural Development Dr Akinwumi Adesina during the introduction of the company and presentation of the Aquarium First Investment yield in Abuja...yesterday

Continued on page 4

•INSIDE: IMPEACHMENT DRAMA IN ONDO P2 FAYOSE, LAWMAKERS TO MEET P8

Chibok girls: Anxiety as army rescues 293 women Parents’ hope dashed From Yusuf Alli, Gbade Ogunwale, Abuja, Abdulgafar Alabelewe, Kaduna and Precious Igbomwelundu

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WAVE of excitement swept through the land last night when the military announced that they had rescued 200 girls and 93 women from the Sambisa Forest. The huge widely uncultivated forest is believed to be the last major stronghold of Boko Haram in Borno State.

The Defence Headquarters (DHQ) broke the news in three quick tweets on its tweeter handle.

The excitement was sparked by the feeling that the Chibok girls could be among the freed.

The DHQ said: “Troops this afternoon rescued 200 girls & 93 women from Sambisa Forest. We cannot confirm if the #ChibokGirls are in this group.

“Troops captured and destroyed 3 terrorists’ camps, including the notorious Tokumbere camp in the Sambisa Forest operation.

“The freed persons are now being screened and profiled; details later.”

The rescue of the girls and women raised the hope that they might be the 219 pupils of the Chibok Girls Secondary School, Borno State, whose kidnapping 379 days ago attracted worldwide outrage.

But the hope was dashed as the army, in a statement, said those rescued were not the Chibok girls.

Director of Defence Information Maj-Gen. Chris WILL THE Olukolade said: “I can only CHIBOK GIRLS confirm the rescue this afKIDNAPPED ON APRIL 15, LAST ternoon of 200 girls and 93 women in different camps YEAR EVER

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RETURN?

Continued on page 4

•D AMN DEA TH SENTENCE: Protesters light candles outside the Presidential Palace in Jakarta for those scheduled to be executed ...yesterday.

•DAMN DEATH

Indonesia executes four Nigerians, four others •PAGE 59

•LIFE P17 •SPORTS P23 •MONEY P26 •INVESTORS P27 •POLITICS P45 •FOREIGN P59

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, APRIL 29, 2015

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NEWS

Impeachment The ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) eased out a political irritant in Ondo State with Monday’s impeachment of former Deputy Governor Alhaji Ali Olanusi. Deputy Political Editor RAYMOND MORDI writes that the impeachment follows the pattern of removing deputies when they fell out of favour with their principals.

•From left: Group Managing Director/Chief Executive, Zenith Bank Plc, Peter Aamangbo; Country Manager, International Financial Corporation (IFC), Nigeria, Eme Essien Lore and the Corporation’s Investment Officer Akintunde Ogunmodede, at the signing of a $100 million loan facility for the bank in Lagos...yesterday.

•From left: MTN retailer, Morenikeji Agbaje; Sales and Distribution Executive, 'Tsola Barrow; General Manager, Business Development, Kolawole Oyeyemi and another retailer, Patrick Chukwuma at the unveiling of MTN TruTalk Win-a-Home Promo for retailers in Lagos...yesterday.

•Permanent Secretary, Rivers State Ministry of Education, Michael West (left) and Assistant Company Secretary, Nigerian Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG), Ikechukwu Eke holding the agreement on the N4.5 billion NLNG-funded construction of Bonny Model Secondary School, Port Harcourt after signing the document …on Monday. With them from left are: Rivers State Commissioner for Education, Dame Alice Lawrence-Nemi; General Manger, External Relations, NLGN, Kudo Eresia-Eke and Managing Director, Tianjin, Peter Lin.

•Vice President Namadi Sambo’s representative, Mr. Emmanuel Amadi, presenting the shares certificate to Chairman NATCOM Consortium, Dr. Olatunde Ayeni at the handover of NITEL/MTEL assets to NATCOM Consortium at NITEL Headquarters, Benue Plaza, Abuja...yesterday. With them are: NITEL/MTEL Liquidator, Otunba Olutola Senbore (left); National Council on Privatisation (NCP) Technical Committee member, Mr. Emmanuel Ijewere and Director-General , PHOTO AKIN OLADOKUN. Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE), Mr. Benjamin Dikki.

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HE fate that befell Alhaji Ali Olanusi was not unexpected to many observers. He has been kicked out of office as the Ondo State deputy governor. Olanusi was impeached on Monday by 22 of the 26 lawmakers in the House of Assembly.

He obviously paid the price for his defection from the PDP to the All Progressives Congress (APC), two days before the March 28 presidential and National Assembly elections. The Assembly, in its impeachment notice, accused the deputy governor of gross misconduct, including financial misappropriation, absenteeism from official duties and causing disaffection in the state executive council.

A pattern has been established since the advent of the current political dispensation in 1999; a deputy governor remains in office for as long as he is doing the bidding of his principal. The moment he tries to be independent, he is hounded out of office.

The plight of Olanusi has brought to the fore, once again, the issue of the powers and functions of a deputy governor. Going by the 1999 Constitution, a deputy governor is a mere appendage of the governor. He is the nominal second-in-command to the governor. But, to experts, a deputy governor can only be relevant when the principal is away or incapacitated.

That is, whenever the governor is not around. A deputy governor is permitted, according to the 1999 Constitution, to stand in for the governor.

Unlike commissioners and special advisers, the deputy governor is not assigned any constitutional role, except the one delegated by the principal.

That accounts for the description of the deputy governor as “a spare tyre”.

Olanusi has described his impeachment as a huge joke. Speaking through his lawyer, Oluwole Kayode, hours after the former Commissioner for Agriculture, Lasisi Oluboyo, was sworn in to replace him, Olanusi reminded the lawmakers of an April 23 court order that the status quo be maintained in respect of his office.

His statement reads: “Another action in respect of the same office and the impeachment process is pending in court and it will come up on May 7. I think public office holders and people who are put in positions to defend the constitution must be lawabiding. In the light of this disobedience to a court order and the impunity displayed in the course of the impeachment proceedings, the deputy governor is on solid ground. The action is illegal and a huge joke.”

The APC has also condemned Olanusi’s impeachment. The party noted that the process leading to his removal violated provisions of the impeachment clause in the 1999 Constitution. The party said the decision of the House of Assembly was a contempt of court that ordered all parties to maintain the status quo in a suit the deputy governor filed before he travelled out.

The National Vice Chairman of the APC in the Southwest, Chief Pius Akinyelure, faulted the impeachment in a statement he issued in Lagos. According to him, the decision of Assembly, which acted as Mimiko’s rubber stamp, will not stand. Akinyelure described the impeachment process as a mockery of constitutional order,

which he said Governor Olusegun Mimiko and the lawmakers all swore to uphold. He lamented that despite the decision of a High Court sitting in Akure that all parties should maintain the status quo until the determination of the substantive suit, the lawmakers went ahead to impeach the deputy governor.

With Olanusi’s impeachment, another political irritant has been removed from the Government House.

Analysts believe the series of impeachments that have been witnessed since the return to civil rule in 1999 have not reflected the intentions of the framers of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).

Since the advent of the current political dispensation, impeachment of state governors or their deputies has become a political weapon, used to either keep erring party members in check or to boot out those who defect to another political platform. This could be due to either personality clashes or the political ambition of the person concerned. According to constitutional experts, impeachment is hardly used because of an incumbent’s failure to adhere to party manifestoes in the formulation of and implementation of policies.

Enugu Former Deputy Governor of Enugu State Sunday Onyebuchi, was impeached on August 26, 2014, because he fell out of favour with his principal, Governor Sullivan Chime. His sin was alleged romance with the latter’s political enemies.

Onyebuchi was accused of operating a commercial poultry at his official residence and flouting the orders of the governor. Many observers maintained both allegations did not pass as impeachment offences.

But, the Enugu House of Assembly adopted the decision of the seven-man impeachment panel, that was set up by the Chief Judge, Justice Innocent Umezulike, to probe allegations of wrong-doings against the deputy governor.

On Monday, August 25, 2014, the impeachment panel submitted its report to the Speaker Eugene Odo. The report was prepared in three volumes based on the findings of the impeachment panel.

Onyebuchi, however, insists he never committed any offence that should have warranted his removal from office. He claims the poultry farm had been in Government House before he assumed office in 2007 and that the governor was also operating a piggery with the premises of the Government House.

Imo In Imo State, former Deputy Governor Jude Agbaso was impeached under questionable circumstances by the House of Assembly on Thursday, March 28, 2013. Agbaso was removed after 26 out of 27 lawmakers voted for his impeachment.

The deputy governor was impeached for allegedly taking N458 million bribe from a Lebanese firm, J-PROS. The company was handling the rehabilitation of the Sam Mbakwe Road in Owerri, the state capital.

His impeachment came shortly after a seven-man panel, headed by Jus-

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, APRIL 29, 2015

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t as weapon against ‘political irritants’

‘‘

•Olanusi

tice G.C Ihekire, had concluded its hearing on the investigation of financial fraud. The panel, which was inaugurated on Tuesday had its first sitting on Thursday, the day the deputy governor was impeached.

Before impeaching Agbaso, 26 of the 27 lawmakers at the sitting voted in affirmation. The other lawmaker, who voted by proxy, was disallowed by the Speaker, Benjamin Uwajumogu.

According to observers, Agbaso was removed following the collapse of the political alliance between the Agbaso family and Governor Rochas Okorochas. The bone of contention was the governorship election that was held on April 11.

Interestingly, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) later absolved the erstwhile deputy governor of any involvement in the N1.5 billion scandal.

Agbaso was indicted by 23 of the 27 lawmakers over his role in the contract scam. Agbaso tried to clear his name, but his voice was silenced with the “confessions” from those who testified against him.

But, he did not relent in his quest for justice. He challenged the EFCC to investigate the contractor, Joseph Dina of JPROS International Nigeria Ltd, who came out to testify under oath that he actually paid bribe in the amount of N458 million to him.

Nine months after Agbaso was kicked out of office, the EFCC absolved him of any wrongdoing.

He was replaced by a longtime Personal Assistant/Chief of Staff to Governor Okorocha, Prince Eze Madumere.

Taraba The case of the deputy governor to ailing Taraba State Governor Danbaba Suntai, Alhaji Sani Abubakar Danladi, was dramatic. He was impeached but reinstated on November 21, 2014. That he was reinstated two years after his ouster pointed to the fact that the impeachment deputy governors perceived to be troublesome do not usually follow due process.

•Agbaso

•Onyebuchi

• Danladi

•Ngilari

Another action in respect of the same office and the impeachment process is pending in court and it will come up on May 7. I think public office holders and people who are put in positions to defend the constitution must be lawabiding

Olanusi: Can his impeachment stand the test of time?

By Leke Salaudeen, Assistant Editor

ANALYSIS

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HE procedure for the impeachment of a public office holder is spelt out in the 1999 Constitution.

The constitution states that the process must be duly observed to ensure equity, fairness and justice.

Against the constitutional provisions, the process that led to the removal of Alhaji Ali Olanusi as the Deputy Governor of Ondo State negated the impeachment clause.

For instance, the State House of Assembly breached Section 188 (2) (b) of the constitution which stipulates that that Speaker “shall within seven days of the receipt of the notice of impeachment, cause a copy of the notice to be served on the holder of the office and on each member of the House of Assembly and shall also cause any statement made in reply to the allegation by the holder of the office”.

Olanusi had travelled out of the country for medical check-up at the time the impeachment process began; the House of Assembly did not serve the impeachment notice on him. It did not publish the notice in any national daily as required by the constitution. The Assembly only pasted the notice on Olanusi’s official quarters. The procedure was not backed by any court order. The lawmakers did not comply with the constitutional provision before they removed the deputy governor from office in the early hours of Monday.

The impeachment clause lays emphasis on fair hearing as Section188 (6) states that the holder of the office, whose conduct is being investigated shall have the right to defend himself in person or be represented before the panel of inquiry by a legal practitioner of his choice. Olanusi who was abroad, was not given the opportunity to defend himself. Despite the complaints by his counsel, Benson Enikuemehin that his client was not properly served by the lawmakers, the panel went ahead to try him.

The panel found Olanusi guilty of the seven-count allegations. The panel specifically stated that Olanusi abused his office by condoning his younger brother and Special Adviser, who committed forgery; collection of medical allowance and absence from office. All these, according to a lawyer, are trumped up charges that cannot stand the test of law.

The panel which was expected to sit for three months could not wait for Olanusi to return before it began its proceedings. It sat only for a day. The hasty trial portrayed the dramatis personae as impatient and intolerant. The notice of impeachment was served on April 22, the chief judge In a landmark judgment that changed the political dynamics of the state, the Supreme Court nullified the 2012 impeachment and ordered his immediate reinstatement as acting governor.

constituted the panel the next day and by Friday, the panel had submitted its findings. The deputy governor was removed from office on Monday, April 27. The whole process lasted four days.

The process of the impeachment showed that the panel played out a script prepared by Olanusi’s estranged principal, Governor Olusegun Mimiko. The mandate given to the panel was to ensure the removal of the deputy governor, no matter the defence put up.

Despite the decision of a High Court sitting in Akure that all parties involved in the impeachment process should maintain the status quo until the substantive suit is determined, the legislative arm went ahead to impeach the deputy governor.

Another proof that Dr. Mimiko was bent on sacking his deputy was that all the political aides of the former deputy governor were relieved of their duties before the panel submitted its report. It showed clearly that the governor had a pre-knowledge of the panel’s recommendation on Olanusi’s removal. That has put a suspicion on the integrity of the panel that investigate the sundry allegations against the former deputy governor.

The primary reason Olanusi was witch-hunted by Mimiko was his defection from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC). In the current political dispensation, Olanusi is not the only deputy governor who belongs to a party different from his principal. There are precedents of deputy governors who defected from the ruling parties in their states but allowed to remain in office. The Deputy Governor of Ogun State, Prince Segun Adesegun, defected from the APC to the Social Democratic Party (SDP). The Deputy Governor in Sokoto, Moukthar Shagari refused to renounce his PDP membership when Governor Aliyu Wamakko defected to the APC. In Nassarawa, Deputy Governor Dameshi Luka is in the PDP and his principal, Governor Tanko Al-Makura is in the APC. The impeachment of Olanusi was the height of political intolerance of Mimiko who also dumped the Labour Party (LP) for the PDP. To impeach a public officer, due process, fair hearing and the rule of law must take the centre stage. Hence, Olanusi’s impeachment has a semblance of a mockery of the constitution. Will the illegality and impunity perpetrated in Ondo State stand the test of time? Only time will tell.

The apex court also ordered the then acting governor, Alhaji Garba Umar, to quit office.

Danladi was impeached by the Taraba House of Assembly on October 4, 2012, on allegations of gross

misconduct and Umar was appointed and sworn in to replace him by Governor Suntai. A few weeks after, Suntai sustained serious injury in an air crash and Umar became the acting governor.

‘‘

In their unanimous verdict, all the seven justices at the Supreme Court ruled that Danladi’s impeachment was wrong. In the judgment delivered by Justice Sylvester Ngwuta, the apex court held that Danladi was denied fair hearing. Other justices in the panel were Samuel Onnoghen, Bode Rhodes-Vivour, Kumayi Aka’ahs, Kudirat Kekere-Ekun and John Okoro.

Justice Ngwuta said: “In effect, at all material times, the appellant, Alhaji Sani Abubakar Danladi remained and still remains the deputy governor of Taraba State and he is to resume his interrupted duties of his office forthwith.”

Adamawa Another history was recorded on Wednesday, October 8, 2014, as the Federal High Court, Abuja, sacked acting Governor Ahmadu Fintiri of Adamawa State. The court declared his government illegal and unconstitutional. James Bala Ngilari, was the deputy to impeached Governor Murtala Nyako, was sworn in.

Ngilari purportedly resigned his position as the deputy governor in the build up to the impeachment of Nyako, by the members of the House of Assembly. Though his office was declared vacant on July 15 by the lawmakers, following the impeachment of Nyako, Ngilari sued the House of Assembly, asking for the removal of the Fintiri as the Acting Governor and to make him the governor.

The drama became more interesting when the court claimed that Nyako had in his affidavit said that Ngilari did not tender any resignation letter to him and that Ngilari also denied serving the former governor any resignation letter.

The height of the ruling was an order by the court to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to suspend preparations for a by-election, scheduled for Saturday, October 11, 2014.

The court maintained that Ngilari’s initial resignation process was alien to the constitution.

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THE NATION WEDNESDAY, APRIL 29, 2015

NEWS Dangote unveils massive gas plan Continued from page 1

•President-elect Muhammadu Buhari receiving the French Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr Terence Wills in Abuja…yesterday.

•Gen. Buhari receiving the Canadian High Commissioner in Nigeria, Mr PHOTOS: NAN Perry Calderwood…yesterday.

what’s produced is flared or exported because of a lack of infrastructure to transport it to local companies and households. Boosting domestic supply will help increase electricity generation in a country where power cuts are common and about 70 per cent of electricity plants are fueled by gas, according to Dangote.

“Having an additional three billion scf will sort out all the gas issues we have today in Nigeria,” he said in the lounge of his house in the Victoria Island district of Lagos, overlooking a half moonshaped swimming pool. “It’s badly needed.”

Dangote, who has interests ranging from cement to sugar and oil refineries, plans to start laying the pipelines before the end of the year, he said. The Continued on page 60

Chibok girls: Anxiety as army rescues 293 women Continued from page 1

in the forest.

“We are yet to determine their origin as all the freed persons are now being screened and profiled. Please don’t misquote me on their origin. We will provide more details later.”

A top military source gave an insight into the operation that led to the rescue. He said: “This operation was mainly carried out by Nigerian troops; none of the multinational forces was involved.

“Those liberated from Sambisa Forest have been moved to a military camp established as a transit camp. Many of them are receiving medication as I am talking to you.

“One obvious thing we have discovered so far is that many of them had been traumatised and psychologically disturbed. We are already interacting with them.

Another source said: “Many Boko Haram members were killed in the encounters between troops and the insurgents in Sambisa Forest before the 293 women could be set free. We will release figures and appropriate photographs after preliminary mop up operation.

“Most of the Boko Haram commanders are also on the run but we will get them wherever they go.

Parents, #BBOG hopeful Chibok girls among rescued

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ARENTS of the Chibok girls are hopeful that the girls will be among the 293 rescued girls and women.

The parents and members of the #BringBackOurGirls of the Chibok girls confirmed that they were yet to receive any message from the military or the government and had learnt of freed women and girls on the major news networks.

Father of one of the girls Ayuba Alamson, in a telephone conversation from Maiduguri last night said: “I just heard of it on BBC, it is difficult to say if our daughters are among those rescued because they said they might not be among them. There are rumours that a lot of young girls were also in the forest but we may not know right now, it might take the government a while to confirm it.”

The mother of one of the girls, Mrs Esther Yakubu, also on the telephone simply said: “My hope is that I will see my baby someday, my hope is that my daughter will be one of those rescued.”

Chairman of the Abuja Chibok community, Mr. Hosea Tsambido, said: “Since where they rescued the girls was inside the Sambisa forest, then I believe that our girls will be among them.

“I believe that they must be among them but I have not heard anything, someone just called me now and gave me the news.”

“The operation in Sambisa Forest is ongoing because intelligence report indicated that there could be up to 50 camps in the area.”

PRNigeria, a military information strategist, said: “At least three major terrorists camps have been destroyed in the well-coordinated attacks that include the destruction of the notorious Tokumbere camp in the Sambisa Forest.”

A senior military source

From Grace Obike, Abuja and Tajudeen Adebanjo

Member of the #BringBackOurGirls advocacy, Aisha Yusufu, said: “We don’t have anything yet but we are just hopeful that it will be true and our girls are among them but even if they are not girls, at least they are our citizens,” she said.

The Convener of Bring Back Our Girls, Dr Oby Ezekwesili in an interview on Channels Television last night, said: “Our hearts are filled with hope.

“We are really holding up to hope. It gives us enormous hope; many other time, has been news of rescue. We are so hopeful that this news is for real and we are hoping that our girls will be among the rescued.”

“For me and for many Nigerians, I think that just knowing that 293 women and girls rescued today is agreat news at this particular time. Our hearts are filled with hope,” she said.

Dr Ezekwesili said one of the fathers of the girls promised to head back to Chibok tomorrow.

“He is not expecting to suffer the same difficulty of the past. He is hopeful that the news would turn out to be reality. We really do pray that there will be no one in captivity in our land. Not only the Chibok girls but others kidnapped by the militants,” she said.

said: “The Chibok girls are not among rescued hostages.

Those rescued are persons recently kidnapped from Damboa and Gwoza. They were all rescued in one of the four camps inside the Sambisa Forest.

The Military is hopeful that more hostages will be rescued alive from the remaining three camps.”

The army’s statement, signed by the acting Director

Army Public Relations, Col. Sani Kukasheka Usman, said: “This is to inform you that our gallant troops have been making progress in the desired aim of ridding the nation of terrorists and their sanctuaries.

“It is heartwarming to inform you that today; troops continued the offensive and cleared four key terrorists’ camps in Sambisa forest, Continued on page 60

G7 invites Buhari to Summit

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RESIDENT-ELECT Muhmmadu Buhari has been invited to Germany for next month’s G7 Summit.

The meeting of the Group of Seven (G7) industrialised countries will take place in Berlin, Germany between May 8 and 9.

The invitation from German Chancellor Angela Merkel, the Head of the G7, was yesterday delivered to Gen. Buhari by the German Ambassador to Nigeria, Michael Zenner, at the Defence House, Abuja.

Members of the G-7 are Canada, France, Germany, Great Britain, Italy, Japan, and the United States.

The Ambassador said apart from delivering the letter, he was there to “congratulate the president-elect on his election.

From Tony Akowe, Abuja

“We (Germans) have a very deep and intense relationship with Nigeria and there are lots of areas where we can deepen our relationship and develop them further, such as in the area of economy and energy, among others.

“We have a Bi-national Commission with Nigeria and we are one of the countries with which Nigeria has this Bi-national Commission and it covers the whole range of political, economic and security areas. There are many areas in which we can move further and deepen our very close cooperation.”

The French Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr. Denys Gauer, who was also at the Defence House, said the French govContinued on page 60

CORRECTIONS •One-time Inspector-General of Police Sunday Adewusi, the Asiwaju of Ogbomosoland, is alive and well, contrary to the impression conveyed in yesterday’s page 5 story on the Federal Government’s naming of streets after President Jonathan and others in Abuja.

•In his column yesterday (“Remembering Uche Chukwumerije”), Olatunji Dare referred to Dr Dokun Bojuwade, former Special Assitant to Chukwumerije in the Ministry of Information, as “since deceased.” Dr Bojuwade is alive and well.

We regret this error and take this opportunity to offer our remorseful apologies for the distress the publication must have caused Dr Bojuwade, whom the author and The Nation hold in high esteem.

Forensic Audit Report Prepared without Bank Statement, says PwC

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HE forensic audit report on Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) compiled by PricewaterHouseCoopers (PwC) was done without bank statements, the report said.

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), according to the report, shunned the auditors’ request for the bank statements.

PwC stated in the revenue section of the report that “up till the time of writing this report, our request for bank statements from CBN was not responded to,” PwC said in the revenue section of the report, which depicts the NNPC as an organization with chaotic procedure.

As a result of this “limitation”, PwC said it “relied on the account statements obtained from other stakeholders to carry out our independent check on the remittances

From Nduka Chiejina, Abuja

made”.

PwC was engaged to carry out the forensic audit with a letter dated 5 June, 2014 by the Ministry of Finance in the wake of the missing $20 billion allegation by the former governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Mallam Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, who is now the Emir of Kano.

The audit report, though called “forensic”, may not be considered a detailed financial audit of Nigeria’s carbon deposit industry activities because PwC was quick to state that it “examined crude oil production records only rather than crude oil and gas as per the signed contract”.

This review addressed three key areas, namely the outcome of the Senate Commit-

tee hearings, the total crude oil liftings by NNPC from all terminals in the period and the total revenue generated from crude oil from January 2012 to July 2013. The audit report disclosed that the activities of the NNPC led to the undervaluation of $32,909,590 relating to 13 liftings (equity and domestic crude) during the review period.

These differences, the report noted, resulted in value loss to the federation. One of such differences is the under-valuation of $1,503,540.

PwC stated that “of the $33 million, Crude Oil Marketing Division (COMD) of the NNPC agreed that for two liftings (with an under-valuation of $1,503,540), they had made valuation errors by computing the amounts due using a different pricing option in one case and a wrong

Official Selling Price (OSP) in the other”.

The auditors added that there was another under reporting to the Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) of $2,107,275. According to the report, ”for four other liftings with differences totaling $2,107,275, the unit prices on the schedule received did not agree with our recomputation. We checked the liftings to COMD’s valuation documents and observed that the prices agree with our recomputation but were just different on the schedule provided.

However, the different valuations on the schedule were also used in the monthly FAAC reports; as such, the errors resulted in lower remittances to FAAC”.

There were other accounting infractions discovered by

the auditors. According to PwC, “the total cash remitted into the Federation accounts from crude oil liftings for the period under review amounted to $50.81 billion”. “We were able to trace $49.33bn of this amount to the FGN bank accounts. The balance of $1.48billion was also traced to the FAAC report for subsequent months. $3.81billion is the difference between $50.81billion and the $47billion amount reported by the Senate Reconciliation Committee. This difference was as a result of the following: FIRS remittance – We verified additional $1 billion revenue generated by FIRS, which was not reported by the Reconciliation Committee.

We also traced the payment of this amount to the CBN/FIRS JP Morgan account.

Other third party financing

remittance – $1.37billion was received from the third party financing arrangements. The arrangement with TEPNL resulted in the payment of $211million to the Federation from the USAN Field TMP project which represents Royalty and Profit oil, while the sum of $1.16billion was received from MPNL from the Satellite Field and Reserve Development projects.

NPDC remittance – Cash payments of $1.7billion representing Petroleum Profit Tax and Royalties had been remitted.

Equity crude and DPR royalty oil remittance – The remittance received from Equity Continued on page 60

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5

NEWS

Outrage over bombing of Kogi radio station

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THE Federal Government and Kogi State yesterday led other eminent personalities in condemning the bombing of TAO FM radio station in Okene by unknown assailants.

The radio station was bombed at about 8p.m on Monday by unknown gunmen, who pretended to have come for commercial transaction.

Information Minister Senator Patricia Akwashiki described the attack as a criminal act of arson and an assault on democracy and the freedom of expression.

She called on security agencies to immediately launch an investigation into the attack, with a view to bringing perpetrators to justice.

The minister, in a statement by the ministry’s Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Joseph Mutah, stressed that for democracy to consolidate, citizens must imbibe the culture and temperament for the freedom of expression to flourish without any inhibition.

Mrs. Akwashiki urged the people to follow the part of peace, and where they feel ag-

•IG orders tight security around media houses From Vincent Ikuomola, Sanni Onogu, Abuja and James Azania, Lokoja

grieved, they should approach the law court for redress and claim damages instead of resorting to self-help through criminal enterprise.

The minister called on the Inspector-General of Police to provide adequate security for media houses and journalists to enable them to discharge their duties effectively.

She restated the commitment of the President Goodluck Jonathan administration to the freedom of expression, which she said, is cardinal in a democracy.

She commiserated with the relations of the victims of the bomb attack and prayed for the repose of the soul of the deceased.

Kogi State government yesterday said it would assist security agents to track down the perpetrators that claimed the lives of four workers.

The state government, in an

official reaction, said it would do all within its powers to help bring the perpetrators of the dastardly act to justice.

Deputy Governor Yomi Awoniyi, in a statement, decried the bombing.

He said the government has urged security agents not to leave any stone unturned in unraveling those behind the heinous and dastardly act, adding that they must not be allowed to go unpunished.

In a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Michael Abu, the deputy governor expressed shock over the action of the bombers, describing it as despicable and unimaginable.

He said the establishment of Tao FM by the renowned broadcaster and pioneer Director-General (DG) of the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC), Dr. Tom Adaba, was the best thing to have happened to the people of Ebiraland, wondering why anybody should think of bringing down the station.

He noted that the radio out-

fit played a significant role in the peaceful conduct of the just concluded general elections through constant sensitisation, and opened their doors to all candidates without bias.

Sympathising with the management and workers of the media organisation, Awoniyi prayed God to grant the family of the deceased the fortitude to bear the loss of their loved ones in the incident.

The Ohinoyi of Ebiraland, Dr. Ado Ibrahim, who was at the premises of the radio station, said hoodlums and assailants have been terrorising the land and going away free.

He vowed that the inhuman act would not be allowed to go unchecked.

“This radio has been serving the people, the workers have done what we did not expect in the area of sensitising the community on how best they can live together in harmony.

“As a traditional ruler, I will not allow this issue to be swept under the carpet. The perpetra-

tors of this heinous act must be uncovered,” the monarch said.

The state Commissioner of Police, Mr. Adeyemi Ogunjemilusi, assured the community that the command would go into intensive investigation to get to the root of the situation.

Appealing to the people to assist the police with useful information to aid it in its investigations, the police boss promised to beef up security around the radio station so that the workers can perform their legitimate duties.

The Senator representing Kogi Central Senatorial District, Nurudeen Abatemi-Usman, decried the bombing.

Abatemi-Usman, in a statement by Michael Jegede, his special assistant on Media and Publicity, expressed shock over the action of the bombers, describing it as despicable and unimaginable.

The senator said the establishment of Tao FM was the best thing to have happened to the people of Ebiraland, won-

dering why anybody could think of bringing it down.

He stated that the radio house has since its formation been known for its balanced reportage and presentation of programmes designed to promote peace and unity in the area.

The Acting Inspector-General of Police, Solomon Arase, has ordered tight security around the country’s media houses.

Arase, who gave the order in a statement yesterday in Abuja by the Force spokesman, Mr. Emmanuel Ojukwu, expressed concern over the recent attacks on media houses and journalists.

He said the order was in line with the mandate of the force to protect lives and property of the citizenry under the law.

Arase acknowledged the valuable roles of the media in the enthronement of democracy in the country and advised citizens to be more vigilant.

He also advised citizens to be proactive and report any suspicious movement or persons to the police promptly for appropriate action.

All accredited media free to cover Buhari, says APC

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•From left: Accountant-General of the Federation Mr. Jonah Otunla; Representative of the Vice President Ambassador Bashir Yuguda; Head of Civil Service of the Federation Mr. Danladi Kifasi; Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Land and Urban Development Mr. George Ossi and Auditor-General of the Federation Mr. Samuel Ukura, at the launch of Accrual Accounting Manual, International Public Sector Accounting Standards Compliant in Nigeria (IPSAS) in Abuja...on Monday. PHOTO: NAN

Fed Govt to Senate: let’s show understanding with South Africa T HE Federal Government yesterday pleaded with Nigerians to forgive South Africa over Xenophobic attacks on foreigners in their country.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Aminu Wali, made the plea when he appeared before the Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs in Abuja.

The Senate had summoned the minister to brief it over the recent xenophobic attacks in South Africa.

Wali was accompanied to the session by Minister of State for Foreign Affairs II, Senator Musiliu Obanikoro as well as the Nigerian envoys in South Africa, Uche Ajulu-Okeke and Martin Cobham.

Wali enjoined the Senate to reconsider its stand over its five-point resolution seeking severance of bilateral relationship with South Africa.

The Senate had last week, in a resolution, urged the Federal Government to recall its two envoys in Pretoria and Johannesburg as well as drag the Zulu king, Goodwill Zwelithini, before the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague.

The minister insisted that such drastic actions against the

• Nigerians ‘lost N84m to attacks’

From Onyedi Ojiabor, Assistant Editor and Sanni Onogu, Abuja

South Africa would adversely affect its economy and that Nigeria might attract negative publicity in the process.

Wali explained that what happened in South Africa was not targeted at Nigerians and that the incident had negatively affected few Nigerians.

He said: “As at now, the situation has not warranted such drastic actions like recalling our envoys in the South African country. We are big brothers of Africa. We cannot retaliate by recalling our envoys because it will send wrong signals, which could affect their economy.

“Even countries, whose citizens were killed and got their shops looted, have not taken such action.”

He added that the police in South Africa seemed to be overwhelmed, hence authorities of the country drafted the military, especially to the ghetto, to maintain law and order because security reports had indicted the police as being part

of the problem.

Wali insisted that law and order had been restored in the country since military personnel were deployed in the major towns that were mostly affected by the incident.

He added: “On the Zulu King, the South African Human Rights Commission is already investigating his roles.

Hence, we need to wait for the outcome of the investigation so that we don’t assume holier than thou status.

“What we need to do now is to make sure that there is support from our government to make sure that Nigerians affected are well taken care of.”

According to him, two Nigerians were wounded and hospitalised, five shops looted, two families comprising six women and eight children were also displaced.

He explained that N84 million being damages done to Nigerians had been calculated and being processed on behalf of the victims, as compensation.

He said: “We cannot rely on the xenophobic postings on the social media because they were

not authorised by the authorities.

“Already, certain sites were being blocked in order not to incite the citizenry against the foreigners.”

Wali added: “Any further negative actions taken against them will adversely affect them. We should not allow this particular incident to destroy our past efforts in South Africa, which Nigerians contributed immensely to assist in getting out of the apartheid.”

On his part, Obanikoro said King Zulu had addressed a news conference in Durban, where he invited envoys of the affected countries and refuted the allegation that he incited people against foreigners.

He also noted that “since kings in Africa don’t admit mistakes or offer apology publicly. For Zulu to have done this, means it is his own way of offering apology.”

“The issue of compensation is on the table. We have the list of affected Nigerians, the level of damages and how to adequately compensate the victims” Chairman, Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs, Senator Mathew Nwagu, said his committee would report details of their findings back to the Senate.

HE All Progressives Congress (APC) has said that all accredited media organizations, including the African Independent Television (AIT), are free to cover the activities of the President-elect, Muhammadu Buhari.

Its National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, in a statement in Abuja yesterday, said the incoming Buhari Administration would not discriminate against any media organisation, irrespective of its role during the electioneering campaign leading up to the recent polls.

The statement, however, enjoined all media organisations to observe the highest level of professional standards in carrying out their duties.

“There is a Code of Ethics guiding the practice of journalism in Nigeria, and this demands every journalist to ensure a strict adherence to the highest levels of ethics and professionalism in carrying out their duties.

“There must be repercussions, within the realms of the law, for media organisations which have wantonly breached the Code of Ethics of the journalism profession and turned themselves to partisans instead of professionals. But such repercussions will not include barring any accredited media organisation from covering the activities of the president-elect,” APC said.

Lawyers to support Buhari’s anti-graft fight

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AWYERS under the aegis of Progressives Lawyers Forum (PLF) have promised to assist the President-elect, Muhammadu Buhari, to combat corruption by providing free legal services to government agencies involved in anti-corruption prosecution.

The group, while congratulating the President –elect, called for the removal of immunity clause from the constitution.

It also called for the reorganisation of the various security agencies to enable the

From Eric Ikhilae, Abuja

next government succeed in its policies.

PLF’s National Coordinator, Silas Joseph Onu, who spoke in Abuja, said his group, made up of mainly lawyer members of the All Progressives Congress (APC), were willing to assist the in-coming government achieve its objection.

Onu cautioned the in-coming government against abandoning its pledge to effect actual changes in the life of the people.

Fed Govt declares Friday public holiday From Gbenga Omokhunu and Stella Ayom, Abuja

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HE Federal Government has declared Friday as public holiday to mark the 2015 Workers’ Day. Making the declaration on behalf of the Federal Government, the Minister of Interior, Comrade Abba Moro, congratulated the citizens for their resilience and commitment in the face of the challenges of daily living.

He enjoined them to sustain the support for President Goodluck Jonathan in his efforts to build a stable, peaceful and economic vibrant nation.

The Minister, according to a statement by the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Interior, Abubakar Magaji, wished all workers a joyous and peaceful celebration.

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, APRIL 29, 2015

6

NEWS Gbajabiamila: why I want to be House Speaker

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HE Minority Leader of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, said yesterday that a vibrant House capable of complementing an incoming accountable government is needed to move the nation forward.

Gbajabiamila, while formally declaring his intention to contest, said the legislative experience he garnered in eight years as leader of opposition has prepared him for the rigours of the office of the Speaker of the House.

The lawmaker, one of the few highest ranking members, has been in the House for 12 years with eight of those years as the minority leader.

Having worked with four Speakers, Gbajabiamila noted that with the support of other members of the House, he tried to build a vibrant and accountable legislature and legislative process, sometimes at the risk of his life.

In a letter of intent he sent to members-elect yesterday, he implored them to see him as a steadying hand, a custo-

From Victor Oluwasegun and Dele Anofi, Abuja

dian of institutional history and a strong bridge-builder between the House and the Executive.

He promised to deliver an accountable House, if elected by his colleagues.

The letter reads: “As we usher in a new era in Nigerian politics (an era of accountable governance), it is my hope that with my vast experience in the House, you will consider me worthy to serve as your Speaker.

“I have always put the interest of Nigeria in the forefront, leading the fight in the House against the 2007 third term agenda and filed several lawsuits challenging, for instance, the Executive on appropriation without the approval of the National Assembly and most recently, the unconstitutional deployment of the Nigerian military during elections.

“My pedigree, as a lawyer in two jurisdictions and over 30 years in legal practice, as well as my extensive network will be put to good use in ensuring we can keep our place

Tambuwal, ECOWAS Commission chief seek review of EIA laws

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HE Speaker of the House of Representatives, Aminu Tambuwal, and the President, Economic Community of West African States Commission (ECOWAS), Kadre Desire Oueraogo, have called for a review of the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) legislation in the West African region.

They spoke yesterday at the International Summit on Environment organised by the Uche Ekwunife-led House Committee on Environment.

Tambuwal expressed concern over the myriad of environmental challenges facing Nigeria and other countries within the sub-region, including oil pollution, flood and erosion, air pollution, water pollution, land degradation, noise pollution and solid waste.

He stressed the need to promote environmental justice by ensuring a minimum standard of environmental quality for all citizens.

“We are at the same time burdened with that of global warming and sea-level rise due to climate change. We also face the problems associated with transboundary movement of haz-

From Victor Oluwasegun and Dele Anofi, Abuja

ardous and polluting substances across our international boundaries. All these problems have direct or indirect link to our quest for industrial development.

“Consequently, environmental degradation arising from the depletion of our natural resources, due to our quest for industrialisation and urbanisation need to be checkmated, controlled and regulated.”

Oueraogo said there was need to review the EIA legislation across the region to enable its easy implementation.

According to him, the summit would contribute to bringing to reality Article 3 of the ECOWAS treaty, which states among other things that members should establish appropriate institutions to protect and preserve the environment.

Oueraogo was represented by Mr. Samuel Oladele, the adviser on Environment to the ECOWAS Commission.

The chairman of the House Committee on Environment called for enhanced legislation to effectively address emerging issues and current realities.

•Gbajabiamila speaking at the 8th National Assembly Induction Certificate Course in Abuja...yesterday. With him are Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Rules and Business Sam Sokwa (middle) and the former clerk, House of Representatives, Niyi Ajiboye.

PHOTO: ABAYOMI FAYOSE

in the hearts of Nigerians as the people’s House.

“My focus would be a conscious rebranding of the House as the symbol of our democracy.

“As Speaker, I promise that I, with you as colleagues and

partners, will maintain and strengthen the trust between the people and the House.

“Just as I have always tried to reflect the wishes and aspirations of my constituents, I intend to work tirelessly to ensure a House where your

wellbeing will be priority and where your capacity to meet the aspirations of all your constituents will be strengthened.

“As my brothers and sisters, I cannot do this without your full support and hope

that you will put aside all sentiments, examine my track record, my length of service in the House and rest on the understanding that your interest and our nation’s interest will be my focus.”

Jonathan suspends permanent secretary

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HE Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Danjuma Sheni, has been suspended for his alleged role in the controversy over the invitation of Nigeria’s envoys from South Africa.

Media reports at the weekend claimed that Nigeria had recalled its envoys from South Africa over the xenophobic attacks in the country.

The South African government has already reacted to the action, describing it as unnecessary.

The Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Dr. Reuben Abati, on Monday, maintained that there was no truth in the report.

Claiming that there was a mix up and misinformation on the matter, he said that Nigeria’s Charge d’Affaires to South Africa was invited for consultation.

But, a reliable source, who craved anonymity, said that a query has already been issued to Sheni by the Head of Service of the Federation, Danladi Kifasi, on the order of President Goodluck Jonathan.

The source said Sheni’s offence was that he did not get

•Zuma for Buhari’s inauguration From Augustine Ehikioya, Abuja

clearance from the president before inviting the country’s envoys for consultation.

The President, he said, was miffed that the ministry embarrassed him again, a few weeks after the diplomatic row between Nigeria and Morocco on issue of telephone conversation between Jonathan and King Mohammed VI. He said that Sheni would have been dismissed, if not for the civil service rule.

He said: “The Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has been suspended and queried for embarrassing the President by not clearing from him before inviting the Charge d’Affaires.

“The President on Monday directed the Head of Service to query him and he has 24 hours to respond to the query.

“You will recall that that was the second embarrassment, this one came shortly after the Morocco saga.

“The permanent secretary was to be dismissed immedi-

ately, but for the civil service rule. Even at that, there will still be further consequence.

“As at now, a new permanent secretary has been redeployed to the ministry to replace him.”

South Africa has, however, insisted that it still has cordial relations with the Nigeria despite the latter withdrawing its high commissioner in protest against xenophobic violence.

Minister in the Presidency Jeff Radebe yesterday led a media briefing of the interministerial committee that has been set up in the wake of attacks on foreign nationals during the past two weeks.

Radebe was careful to point out that President Jacob Zuma would attend the inauguration of President-elect Muhammadu Buhari, and that South Africa companies still enjoyed investment opportunities in the West African country.

Radebe mentioned MTN, Shoprite and Standard Bank.

He noted that Nigerian billionaire Aliko Dangote was building a cement factory in the country’s North West Province.

“SA still has very cordial relations with the Federal Republic of Nigeria,” Radebe repeated at least three times during the media briefing.

He emphasised that SA had amicable relations with all the members of the African Union (AU).

In the list of victims of the xenophobic violence provided

by Radebe, it showed that of the seven people killed, one was Ethiopian, one was Zimbabwean, one Mozambican, one from Bangladesh, and three were South Africans.

The list also showed that foreigners being repatriated were from Malawi, Mozambique, Zimbabwe and Tanzania.

The Office of International Criminal Court’s (ICC’s) Prosecutor has signified its intention to probe the xenophobic attacks against Nigerians and other African citizens in South Africa.

This followed a petition from Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) alleging hate speech by the Zulu King Goodwill Zwelithini.

SERAP’s Executive Director Adetokunbo Mumuni said this yesterday in a statement.

Adesina urges Buhari to continue with agric transformation

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HE Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Dr. Akinwumi Adesina, has urged the President-elect, Muhammadu Buhari, to carry on with the sector’s transformation.

Adesina said this would, among other things, ensure that the over $5.6 billion private sector investments attracted to the sector in the last four years are fully harnessed.

The minister spoke in Abuja yesterday when the board of Triton Group, a conglomerate comprising of companies with business interests in seafood distribution, trade, processing, aqua farming and poultry, visited him in his of-

From Frank Ikpefan, Abuja

fice.

The minister stated that agriculture was positioned to gain from the peaceful outcome of Nigeria’s political process, stressing that investors’ confidence in the industry was motivated by the policy reforms undertaken by the outgoing government.

Adesina, who is running for president of the African Development Bank (ADB), gave reasons why the incoming government should continue with the transformation in the sector, stressing that the “importance of a right policy direction for Nigeria and indeed

Africa cannot be over-emphasised”.

The minister said: “I have no doubt that the incoming government will continue on the path of transformation because this has been a smooth transition process. Investors’ confidence in Nigerian agriculture is at an all-time high, motivated by the bold policy reforms we have undertaken in the past four years.

“Our strategy, though initially unpopular, has remained unchanged throughout the period, with emphasis on local production, value addition and import substitution.

To my mind, the right policies are those that are primed

to move us away from importdependence.”

On the fisheries policy, Adesina told the visiting team that Nigeria would not continue to import what it could produce.

He said Nigeria was importing an estimated 1.9 million metric tons (MT) of fish valued at over N125 billion per annum.

“This is N125 billion that can be easily ploughed back into the economy to the benefit of all. With a national fish demand of about 2.1 million MT per annum and a domestic production estimated at about 800,000MT, Nigeria has a shortfall of about 1.3 million MT,” the minister said.

Adesina, however, noted that having good policies was not enough, rather they must be entrenched and adhered to tenaciously, even in the face of pessimism.

He said: “We insisted on following through with the reforms and the results keep vindicating us. Today, we gather because Triton Group, erstwhile wholly involved in fish importing business in Nigeria, has on account of our policy measures become converted and is now committed to investing in local aquaculture production.”

The Chairman, Triton Group, Mr. Ashvin Samtani, said the group was at the min-

•Adesina

istry to present its larger investment strategy and expansion plan, as well as present an aquarium of fish from stock earlier harvested at its Iwo Fish Farm.

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, APRIL 29, 2015

7

NEWS

Fuel scarcity looms as marketers run out of stock

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HE country is set to experience fuel scarcity, The Nation learnt last

night.

The Executive Secretary, Major Oil Marketers Association of Nigeria(MOMAN), Femi Olawore, said the stock in Apapa would last three and half days beginning from Friday to Monday.

He said it would be extremely difficult for his members to supply fuel to the public, once Apapa runs out of the product.

He said marketers are operating partially because they are unable get enough money to import fuel.

He said marketers have cut down on importation, following the refusal of the government to pay them huge arrears

By Akinola Ajibade

on subsidy.

He said: “ Aggregate subsidy arrears owed oil marketers by the Federal Government is N356.2,billion. Out of this amount, the Federal Government had made provision for N100billion in a Sovereign Debt Note (a postdated financial instrument) , which is expected to mature at the end of April 2015. However, the remaining N256.2 billion comprises actual subsidy arrears for part of 2014 (batch T and U) and 2015 (batch A and B) and the foreign exchange differentials cum bank interests.

The development is gradually grounding our operation to a halt.

He added that: “Strike

action, on the part of marketers is inevitable, in view of the on-goings in the petroleum sub- sector Can we open our outlets across the country. If we do not have fuel to sell. No. We supply 40 percent of fuel in the country. Before, it was 60 percent. But the inability of the government to pay us our arrears left us with no option than to reduce importation.

The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) supply smaller proportion of petroleum products in the country.”

According to him, marketers have resolved to go on strike because the government is not ready to meet its debt obligations, stressing that this is the time for marketers to get their money.

Olawore said since another government is coming and that it would not be wise to saddle the government with the responsibility of paying the debt it does not owe.

He said the fact that the strike was coming few weeks to the inauguration of a new government does not mean the strike action was politically motivated. ‘’Oil marketers would have embarked on strike before now. In fact, we wanted to go strike during the electioneering campaign but we have to shelve it to avoid a situation where by people would be reading political meanings to our actions. But now, there is nothing we can do,” he said.

NNPC, in a statement signed by its Spokesman, Ohi Alegbe, said it has enough stock of petrol to service the country for 27 days at a national consumption rate of 40milion litres per day. The National Oil Company said it has stepped up efforts to end the fuel problems.

Nigeria’s GDP to hit $1tr in 2030, says U.S. agency

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IGERIA’S Gross Domestic Product (GDP) will double in the next 15 years to more than $1 trillion, according to the latest projections by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). The forecast says Nigeria’s economy will grow at an annual rate of up to 7.92 percent in the next 15 years.

At the USDA’s projected rate, Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) would have surpassed the $1 trillion mark by 2030, making it the first African country with an economy larger than $1 trillion.

With a current annual GDP of about $500 billion, Africa’s largest economy – now ranked 27th in the world — is projected to rise to 19th, ahead of Belgium, Netherlands, Sweden, Norway and Austria by 2030. But at 19th position globally, Nigeria’s economy will still rank behind Russia, Turkey and Mexico.

According to Bloomberg, by 2030, Nigeria will rank among the top 20 largest economies in the world.

Nigeria’s economy has been growing at a breathtaking rate approaching 7 percent in the last few years. The economy grew 6.6 percent in 2012, hitting 7 percent in the fourth quarter of that year, and 6.8 percent in 2013, compared with the relatively sluggish growth rates of the U.S. economy — 2 to 2.5 percent — in the years after the global financial crisis of 2007-2008.

China remains the world’s

fastest growing economy, posting an impressive 7.3 percent growth in the fourth quarter of 2014. China is expected to slow to 7 percent in 2015, according to Bloomberg.

Although, much of the recent growth in Nigeria’s economy was due to favorable oil prices, many analysts see the recent slump in crude oil prices as providing impetus for a quickening of the pace of other sectors of the economy, such as the already fast growing telecommunications sector, the booming films (“Nollywood”) industry, as well as the light manufacturing sector — plastics, textiles and food processing industries — which has seen considerable growth recently.

Nigeria’s $56 billion agricultural sector remains the major source of employment for about 70 percent of the population and accounts for about 24 percent of GDP, second only to the oil sector.

Charles Robertson, global chief economist at Renaissance Capital, told CNN, “A lot of Nigeria’s growth will come from agriculture; and services are huge in Nigeria.”

While many, including this Digital Journal analyst, believe that the USDA projection of 7.92 percent GDP growth rate in the next 15 years is unduly optimistic, Robertson says the projection has likely underestimated the growth potentials of Nigeria’s

‘Tinubu is greatest Yoruba politician’

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FORMER Kwara State Sports commissioner, Prince Saheed Popoola, has said the All Progressives Congress (APC) National Leader, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, is the greatest Yoruba politician.

He said the frontline politician achieved the feat the late Premier of the Western Region and business mogul - Chief Obafemi Awolowo and Chief Moshood Abiola - could not achieve.

Popoola, who is also a former Chairman of Offa Local Government Area, spoke yesterday with our reporter, following insinuations that Asiwaju Tinubu would be teleguiding President-elect

From Adekunle Jimoh, Ilorin

Muhammadu Buhari.

The former commissioner, now a member of the House of Assembly said: “Asiwaju Tinubu is a very brilliant politician. Other politicians in the country should go and tap from his political sagacity. Either anybody likes it or not, today, Tinubu is the greatest Yoruba politician. There is no other Yoruba politician that has surpassed his record.

“The late Awolowo and the late Abiola started the race but they could not finish it. Asiwaju Tinubu has finished the job. It is not that he should become President but he did a good job for us in the Yoruba nation.

economy. He believes that the country’s GDP could easily surpass the $1 trillion mark before 2030, pointing to the “explosive” growth of “banking, retail, telecoms and Nollywood” in recent years.

Nigeria officially overtook South Africa as the continent’s largest economy after the government of President Goodluck Jonathan rebased the economy in 2014. The country’s annual GDP for 2013 was revalued at $509.9 billion, placing it ahead of South Africa — formerly ranked the Africa’s largest economy — with a GDP of $469 billion.

An economy of with a gross domestic output of $1 trillion would seem unimpressive by the standards of the world’s

•Jonathan

largest economies. The US economy, for instance, would have grown to $24.8 trillion by the time Nigeria hits $1 trillion in 2030, while China’s GDP, currently about $11.2 trillion, would have nearly doubled to $22.2 trillion.

By 2030, India’s annual GDP is expected to have reached $6.6 trillion, making the country the third largest economy in the world.

NLNG to build N4.5b model school in Bonny

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IGERIA Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG) Limited has signed to spend N4.5b to develop a model secondary school on Bonny Island, Rivers State.

The agreement, co-signed with the Rivers State government and Tianjin Energy Resources Limited, provides the guiding framework for building infrastructure necessary to deliver quality education at the school.

By the tripartite agreement, NLNG’s funding will be phased, based on construction milestones of building and equipping the new school.

Bonny Island is home to NLNG’s six train operations which has a nameplate capac-

ity to produce twenty-two million tonnes per annum (22mtpa) of liquefied natural gas that is shipped to buyers in markets across the world.

The company, in a statement yesterday, said its support is part of its corporate social responsibility in Bonny where, among other initiatives, it invests in capacity building programmes, provides health-care services and has built roads.

NLNG also supplies uninterrupted power to inhabitants and businesses through a rural electrification project such that Bonny is now often described as the only place in Nigeria enjoying aroundthe-clock power supply.

Church marks 5th anniversary

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HE Redeemed Christian Church of God, Glorious Cloud Parish in Ketu Zone, Lagos will on June 15 begin a 14-day programme to mark its fifth anniversary.

The church located at number 1, Samuel Street, off Sanni Jigide Street, Ogudu Bus Stop, Ogudu, will host an interdenominational prayer and deliverance programme tagged ‘Double restoration service’ with the theme: ‘Soaring like an eagle’.

In a statement by the host, Pastor Godwin Osademe, said: “Double Restoration Service’ ( DRS) started on May 15, 2010 when I was Pastor-incharge of The Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) Overcomers’ Chapel, and has enjoyed amazing support as a result of spiritual and physical transformation of lives in the RCCG Jehovah Shammah Parish and the RCCG Glorious Cloud Parish where I have been saddled

with the responsibility as Pastor-in-charge in the last five years.”

Pastor Osademe urged the people to attend the service for blessing, restoration, salvation of soul, and prophetic impartation.

He added that guest speakers would include Pastor Joshua Afolabi, Pastor Daniel Usie from Warri, Delta State, and Pastor Olaniyi Aniya.

Other guest speakers are Pastor Olayinka Adeniyi; Pastor Deji Adeniyi; Pastor George Oladipo; Pastor Emmanuel Kayode; Pastor Felix Abiodun; Pastor Martins Oyenekan and Pastor (Mrs) Funmi Balogun. Gospel singers, such as Benjamin Okom of Voice of Saints Singers, Owoeye Akin, Julius Olashile, Joshua Ayeni, Glorious Cloud Choir, Jehovah Shammah Choir, Overcomers’ Chapel Choir, Victory Chapel Choir, and other guest song ministers, will be present.

Nigeria, Egypt partner against corruption

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HE Egyptian government has offered to support Nigeria’s war against corruption.

Egyptian Ambassador to Nigeria Ashraf Abdel Kader Salama spoke in Abuja yesterday when he visited the Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Commission (ICPC),Mr Ekpo Nta at the commission’s headquarters.

The envoy said Egypt had long years of experience in fighting corruption.

The Ambassador said Nigeria and Egypt had enjoyed long years of diplomatic ties, recalling how Egypt stood by Nigeria during the civil war.

He said Nigeria and Egypt shared many things in common, adding that while Nigeria is the largest country in the black continent, Egypt ranks second.

According to the ambassador, the two countries should capitalise on the similarities between them to forge a synergy on trade and commerce as well as fight against corruption.

He said: “Nigerians should be proud of their country, not in terms of wealth, but in terms of human resources.

Nigeria is a rich country and that should be maintained.

•Salama receiving a plaque from Nta ... yesterday.

“Egypt and Nigeria have gone a long way in history.

Egypt is the only country that stood by Nigeria during the civil war. The two countries have since been sharing many things in common.

Many Nigerians live in Egypt and Egyptians have descendants in Nigeria.

“In terms of population, Nigeria is the biggest country in Africa, while Egypt is the second. There is need for the two countries to start discussing while striking a balance in relationship and to be a good example for other African countries.”

Nta expressed delight at the offer by the Egyptian government, adding that the ICPC

was willing to collaborate with Egypt to fight corruption.

He said the ICPC under his leadership has been blazing the trail in the fight against corruption, alluding to the setting up of the Anti-Corruption Academy as part of efforts by the commission to raise the bar on war against corruption.

He said to further strengthen the war against corruption in Nigeria, ICPC extended its outreach to the universities and other tertiary institutions and also launched ethics and civics studies into the primary schools’curricula.

He said ICPC in 2012 produced a “Teachers Guide” for

teaching anti-corruption precepts in schools with a view to inculcating the spirit of anti-corruption in Nigerian students.

He told the Egyptian Ambassador also that ICPC had extended its war on corruption to visa racketeers as a means of preventing the forging of traveling documents in Nigeria.

He urged the Embassy of Egypt in Nigeria to always “request for the intervention of ICPC each time you get forged traveling documents from Nigerians.”

He promised to assist the embassy in fishing out Nigerians using forged to procure visa.

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, APRIL 29, 2015

8

NEWS Storm destroys 50 houses in Ondo

‘Mimiko guilty of Olanusi’s ‘crimes’ GROUP, South West Progressives Youth Movement (SWPYM), has decried the impeachment of Ondo State Deputy Governor Ali Olanusi.

It accused Governor Olusegun Mimiko and the lawmakers of being guilty of the same offence for which Olanusi was impeached.

The Coordinator, Taiwo Ajayi, said: “Since Olanusi has been impeached for defecting from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC), members of the House of Assembly should be impeached for defecting from the Labour Party to the PDP with the governor.

“The group implored President Goodluck Jonathan to advise Mimiko to rescind the decision, to avert crisis.

“It urged former Oyo State Governor Rashidi Ladoja to accept the result of the governorship election.

“We enjoin the President, the National Assembly, police and Nigeria Bar Association to intervene in the faceoff between Ekiti State Governor Ayodele Fayose and the 19 APC lawmakers.”

From Damisi Ojo, Akure

F

IFTY houses have been destroyed in Ikare and Arigidi Akoko in Ondo State during a rainstorm.

School buildings, electric poles and commercial centres, including shops, were also d a m a g e d .

A community leader in Ikare-Akoko, Saliu Okoya, urged the state and Federal Government to assist the victims.

He noted that the incident affected power supply to the area and appealed to the Benin Electricity Distribution Company (BEDC) to restore power supply to the area.

The Olukare of Ikare-Akoko, Oba Akadri Momoh, said the incident would affect socio-economic activities in the town.

A

Amosun, Ikuforiji greet Adesina

By Oziegbe Okoeki

O

GUN State Governor Ibiukunle Amosun has congratulated the Editorin-Chief of The Sun, Mr. Femi Adesina, on his reelection as the president of the Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE).

In a statement by his Senior Special Assistant on Media, Mrs. Olufunmilayo Wakama, the governor said the reelection was a demonstration of Adesina’s exemplary leadership qualities and the confidence reposed in him by members of the Guild.

He urged the re-elected president to continue to ensure strict adherence to the Code of Ethics and maintain the high standards of the profession.

In a statement, the Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Adeyemi Ikuforiji, said: “The re-election of a veteran and highly cerebral practising journalist and editor has come to confirm to us that the future of the media is bright indeed.

“And it also goes to assure us that the media is on the right path to growth and development.”

•From left: Chairman, Governing Council of the University of Lagos, Prof. Jerry Gana; Vice-Chancellor Prof. Rahaam Bello; representative of the chairman of the occasion, Dr Sunny Kuku and guest lecturer Prof. Peter Okebukola at the convocation PHOTO: NAN lecture on Monday.

Why we’re offering our students jobs,

by UNILAG VC T

HE University of Lagos (UNILAG) has recorded its fourth FirstClass in the Department of English since inception at its 2013/2014 Convocation.

Oluwakayode Odumboni, the best graduating student in the department, is among 3,104 admitted to first degrees.

Vice-Chancellor Prof Rahaman Bello has explained why the university is offering two best graduating students from each department jobs.

Bello, who spoke on the first day of this year’s threeday Convocation, said the feat was to promote excellence in research by retain-

•School records fourth First-Class in English

By Oluwatoyin Adeleye

ing some of the “best brains” and fostering postgraduate training.

He said: “Let me acknowledge the support of the Governing Council for the promotion of excellence in research. It has approved that beginning from this year, the two best graduating students, with CGPAs not less than 4.00, in each of our programmes, be automatically employed as Graduate Assistants.”

Prof Bello advised the graduating students to engage their knowledge to achieve their heart’s desires.

“Please think of what you can do with what you have learnt at the university. Use what you know to achieve what you want in life.”

The Convocation began on Monday with a lecture by exExecutive Secretary, National Universities Commission (NUC) Prof Peter Okebukola.

In the first day, of 10,600 graduating students, 3,104 were admitted to first de-

grees from five faculties; Arts, Education, Environmental Sciences, Science and Social Sciences.

Forty-eight got First Class, including Oluwakayode Odumboni.

Award of certificates for the College of Medicine and faculties of Basic Medical Sciences, Dental Sciences, Clinical Sciences, Business Administration, Engineering, Law, Pharmacy and Distance Learning Institute (DLI) will hold today.

Tomorrow, higher degrees are to be awarded by the School of Postgraduate Studies as well as honorary doctorate degrees and emeriti professorship.

Fayose, APC, PDP lawmakers hold peace meeting tomorrow

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KITI State Governor Ayo Fayose, the 19 All Progressives Congress (APC) lawmakers and seven Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) lawmakers are to meet tomorrow to resolve the raging impeachment crisis rocking the state.

The meeting is at the instance of the state’s elders led by an eminent lawyer and founder of Afe Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti (ABUAD), Chief Afe Babalola.

The peace meeting is scheduled to hold at ABUAD and will bring the warring factions together in a face-toface interactive session for the first time since the crisis erupted last November.

Fayose, in a statement he signed on Tuesday in Ado-Ekiti, has pledged his readiness to be committed to peace

From Odunayo Ogunmola, Ado-Ekiti

moves.

The governor said he was committed to the peace move to end the crisis and restore the state to the path of peace, prosperity and development.

He said the peace of Ekiti State is far above all interests and therefore everyone should support the elders’ peace efforts.

His words: “Ekiti elders, under the leadership of our highly respected legal icon Aare Afe Babalola (SAN), called a meeting between the two factions of the House of Assembly to resolve political crisis and I have no objection because the peace of Ekiti is far and above all other interests.

“The meeting is scheduled to hold at

the Afe Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti at 11am tomorrow.

“I, therefore, call on everybody to support this peace move and no one should do anything to undermine it.

“Knowing how agitated and concern the people of Ekiti have been on this crisis, I wish to urge our people to give this peace effort a chance.

“I urge security agencies to see to it that adequate security is provided before, during and after the meeting.

“I thank Ekiti people for their unflinching support for the government and appeal to them to continue to maintain peace, bearing in mind that no society can progress in an atmosphere of rancour.”

Deputy governor pledges to work with Mimiko

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HE new Ondo State Deputy Governor, Lasisi Oluboyo, has pledged to work with Governor Olusegun Mimiko to develop the state.

Oluboyo assured Mimiko of loyalty to constituted authority.

The deputy governor was sworn in on Monday by the Chief Judge, Justice Olasehinde Kumuyi.

Ex-Deputy Governor Ali Olanusi was impeached by the House of Assembly on Monday.

“Although I am an Akoko man, I promise to be loyal to the governor and prove to him that there are men of integrity from Akoko land.

“I promise to discharge my duties with the fear of God and respect the wishes

From Damisi Ojo, Akure

of my boss.”

He assured the people of effective service, saying he would use his wisdom to serve the state.

Oluboyo, who hails from Ikare-Akoko in Akoko North East Local Government Area, thanked the gov-

ernor, the House of Assembly and the people of Akoko.

Mimiko said Olanusi’s impeachment was in order. He advised the new deputy governor to remain committed to developing the state.

Traditional rulers from Akoko have urged Oluboyo to be loyal to his boss.

The monarchs enjoined the deputy governor to work together with the governor to develop the state.

They spoke at the palace of the Olukare of Ikare-Akoko, Oba Akadri Momoh, when the deputy governor visited.

Momoh appealed to the people to support the Mimiko administration.

Two pipeline vandals arrested

T

WO suspected vandals were arrested yesterday at the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) pipelines at Mosinmi, Sagamu, Ogun State.

The suspects, according to the spokesman of a security outfit, New Age Security

By Kelvin Osa Okunbor

Limited, Lateef Lawal, were arrested when the company was carrying out surveillance activities.

He said the suspects loaded a Nissan cab, registered as KNN368XA, with seven 50-litre kegs of fuel.

The suspects and the vehi-

cle used for the illegal operations and the kegs of fuel were later handed over to the Chief Security Officer (CSO) of NNPC at Mosinmi.

They are presently in Sagamu Police Station for interrogation and would be transferred to State Police Command in Eleweran, Abeokuta.

‘Lagos built 10,000 homes’

By Miriam Ekene-Okoro

T

HE Lagos State government has built over 10,000 housing units to address the housing deficit, Commissioner for Housing Bosun Jeje said yesterday.

Speaking at a briefing, Jeje said the figure represents the number of houses the government had built since 2007.

The commissioner, who affirmed that the present administration had been determined to reduce the housing deficit, noted that the houses were handed over to residents through various strategies.

According to him, “one of the strategies is the Lagos Home Ownership Mortgage Scheme (Lagos HOMS) draw.

By next month, we will start the Rent to Own home ownership method.”

Jeje said the monthly draw had produced over 603 winners since the first draw in March 2014.

The commissioner said, however, that the housing deficit was still high, at one million housing units.

“The government isn’t expected to be the constructor of houses; it is expected to create conducive atmosphere that will allow private investors to thrive in the housing sector. In the absence of this, that was why the state government commenced the Lagos HOMS.”

‘APC‘ll provide social amenities’

By Oziegbe Okoeki

T

HE All Progressives Congress (APC) governments will provide social amenities, a commissioner in the Lagos State Civil Service Commission, Pastor Isreal Alagbe, has said.

He said it is not necessary to demand for water and roads from the APC governments “because they are fundamental things to be provided by government”.

Alagbe, an APC chieftain in Olorunda Local Council Development Area, congratulated the Governorelect, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode and his Deputy, Dr. Oluranti Adebule for their victory.

He thanked party leaders in Badagry Local Government for bringing Badagry into the lime light and making it “one of the local governments that we are proud of in the state and being part of the change train”.

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, APRIL 29, 2015

9

NEWS

I sought no forgiveness from you, Tinubu replies George

F

ORMER Lagos State Governor and All Progressives Congress (APC) National Leader Asiwaju Bola Tinubu yesterday denied ever begging a Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chieftain, Bode George, for forgiveness.

Tinubu’s statement followed George’s claims in an interview that the former governor apologised to him at a social gathering, where they also shook hands.

Denying the claim, the APC chieftain said he never sought forgiveness because he has never wronged the former Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) boss.

He said the handshake George referred to was extended because some personalities told him that he did not greet the PDP chieftain properly at the funeral of Chief Abdulazeez Arisekola-Alao ‘‘I don’t know when and

By Precious Igbonwelundu

how I ever offended Mr. George. I have never wronged the man or even thought of it. I sought no forgiveness because no forgiveness was needed.

“Mr. George claimed that the ‘apology’ was made at the funeral of Chief ArisekolaAlao.

On that date, Oyo State Governor Abiola Ajimobi and frontline businessman Oba Otudeko told me that I did not greet Mr. George.

“They pleaded that, in Arisekola-Alao’s memory, I should greet Mr. George.

“At their request, I turned back and came to greet him by saying ‘Good afternoon egbon’.

That was all.

“If Mr. George wishes to interpret that as an apology, he has the right to do so. I also have the right to state categorically that no apology was made or even intended.”

I don’t know when and how I ever offended Mr. George. I have never wronged the man or even thought of it. I sought no forgiveness because no forgiveness was needed The former governor wondered why George was trying to finger him as the instigator of the criminal case that landed him in jail , adding that he had no such powers.

His words: “Mr. George was convicted of ‘Invoice Splitting’ by a competent court and it is an insult on the judiciary to imply that his conviction was wrongly derived.

“I think somehow he is still trying to implicate me as instigating the criminal proceed-

ings against him.

“Mr. George was found guilty by a court of competent jurisdiction based on convincing evidence of wrongdoing.

“He insults the judiciary by implying that his conviction was wrongly derived.

“Mr. George seeks to imbue me with more power than I could possibly have. I am flattered but in all humility I must protest the false assessment. If he can remember, the government of the day was that of the PDP. “I have never had nor sought much influence in those circles.

“He was charged by the government ruled by his own party for an offence concerning financial irregularities at the NPA, an appointment he received from that same government.

“It is an incredible tale to state that somehow I could direct a party that tried to dis-

mantle my party ‘s progressive structure.

“The more plausible explanation for his legal tribulation was that a member of his own cabal blew the whistle on Mr. George’s antics for reasons that only he and that person truly know. The rest is now history.

“I believe he was convicted of ‘Invoice Splitting’. This malpractice is a deliberate circumvention of the law in which the culprit may approve expenditures above his mandated authority.

“In the end, it was Mr. George’s own hand and actions that led to his incarceration more than anything I could ever have done.

“I think he is trying to find a way to walk back from his election hyperbole that he would go on exile, if the APC won the Lagos State governorship election.

“He realises that Lagos, under the APC, is a very good

•Asiwaju Tinubu

place to live afterall.

“If he wants to remain in Lagos, he does not have to manufacture an excuse or explain away his bad words.

“Neither the APC nor I have anything against him. In the election, the people rejected his party and his brand of politics.

“That is enough for us. We move on to greater progress.

We have no time or inclination to trouble ourselves by troubling Bode George. Any trouble he is experiencing is a product of his own mind.”

PDP candidate to inspect poll materials From Adesoji Adeniyi, Osogbo

T

•President-elect, Muhammadu Buhari (middle), President-General, Igbo Delegates Assembly (North), Chief Damian Inyamah (fourth left) and members when they visited Buhari in Abuja…yesterday.

400 new BRT buses to hit Lagos roads soon

T

HE Lagos State government yesterday said an additional 400 buses will be added to the 154 running on the existing Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) corridors.

Commissioner for Transportation Kayode Opeifa broke the news at the annual ministerial press briefing in Lagos.

On the existing corridors, the BRT buses move about 180,000 people daily.

He said when fully expanded, it is expected that about 400, 000 people will be moved daily.

Opeifa said: “In 2007, we inherited the introduction of the BRT system from the administration of former Governor Bola Tinubu.

By Miriam Ekene-Okoro

“We completed the construction of Africa’s first BRT Lite corridor, which is today one of the world’s most affordable BRT system.

It runs from Mile 12-CMS through Ikorodu Road, Funsho Williams Avenue and Eko Bridge, measuring a total of 22 kilometres.

“We have since extended the corridor to Ikorodu town by an additional 13.5 kilometres. We are set to inject about 400 buses to the 154 currently running.

“On the existing corridor, we move about 180,000 daily and when fully expanded, we hope to move about 400,000 people daily on the average.

We have since extended the corridor to Ikorodu town by an additional 13.5 kilometres. We are set to inject about 400 buses to the 154 currently running “We recently injected 100 air-conditioned buses and hope to increase them to 250 before December.

“We are proud to say that the 100 air-conditioned buses

are locally assembled.”

The commissioner said about 289, 371 erring vehicles were impounded in the last four years.

A breakdown of the figure shows that 81, 694 vehicles were impounded by the Lagos Vehicle Inspection Service (VIS); the remaining 207,677 vehicles were impounded by the State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA).

“We have saved about 465 lives since October 2012. We have also prevented an average of 476 motorcycle related accidents monthly and 5,712 yearly.

“By implication, we have prevented 14,220 motorcycle accident related accidents

since 2012,” he said.

“This is largely due to the resurgence of motorcycles as public transportation, most especially in the following local areas: Ikeja, Isolo, Apapa, Agege, Epe, Ijede, Shomolu/ Bariga, Ifako, Ijaiye/ Ojokoro, Ikorodu, Mushin, Badagry, Lagos Mainland, Ojodu, Ketu and Ojota,” he said.

He said motor vehicle related accidents have also reduced since 2012, adding that in 2013, it was reduced by 28-31 per cent and last year by 31-37 per cent.

“The accident prone areas are Ikorodu, Epe, Badagry, Agbara, Surulere, Apapa, Mainland, Ijede, Ojodu and Lagos-Ibadan Expressway.”

Ekiti workers lambast NLC chief over comment on crisis

S

OME workers in Ekiti State have criticised a senior Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) official, Babatunde Liadi, for his comments that the crisis in the state was being blown out of proportion.

Liadi made the statement last Thursday when he supervised the State Delegate Congress on behalf of NLC Pres-

From Odunayo Ogunmola, Ado-Ekiti

ident Ayuba Wabba.

The congress produced Raymond Adesanmi as the new state NLC Chairman.

The group, Enlightened Workers Forum, in a statement by its Coordinator, Mike Bamidele, lambasted Liadi for derailing from his

official assignment and making political comments he knew nothing about.

The aggrieved workers wondered why Liadi was dabbling into local politics.

The Forum urged the NLC national leadership to investigate Liadi’s activities in Ekiti and apply the necessary sanctions.

The statement reads:

“Comrade Babatunde Liadi threw caution and decorum to the wind by making volatile statement that the political situation in Ekiti State was blown out of proportion.

“One wonders how he managed to know this within the few hours he had for his assignment in the state.

“The national leadership

should please, as a matter of urgency, call Liadi and the Labour in Ekiti State to order as innocent workers have suffered enough.

“No pressure has been mounted on the government for the payment of last year’s leave bonus, 2013 and 2014 promotions as well as outstanding salaries, pensions and gratuities.”

HE Election Petition Tribunal in Osun State has granted an application by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate for Osun East Senatorial District, Prince Francis Adenigba Fadahunsi, to inspect materials used for the March 28 National Assembly poll.

His counsel, Nathaniel Oke, who moved the motion before Justice H. Kanyip-led tribunal, also applied for a substituted service.

Oke said his client was forced to approach the tribunal for order for substituted service on the winner of the election, Senator Jide Omoworare, because efforts to serve him in person were futile.

He added that both the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the All Progressives Congress (APC) have been served.

The counsel urged the court to grant the relief being sought to serve Omoworare by pasting the notice on his house.

The tribunal granted the applications.

Okesina now AFCC President From Adesoji Adeniyi, Osogbo

A

R E N O W N E D Professor of Chemical Pathology in the Osun State University, Osogbo, Adekunle Bashiru Okesina, has been appointed the 2014-2015 President of the African Federation of Clinical Chemistry (AFCC) AFCC is an organisation of clinical chemistry societies in Africa and a regional society of the International Federation of Clinical Chemistry (IFCC) Its members comprise 15 countries: Botswana, Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Morocco, Nigeria, Rwanda, South Africa, Sudan, Tunisia, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

Okesina is the only African in the 120-member International Scientific Advisory Board of International Federation of IFCC.

10

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, APRIL 29, 2015

NEWS

Police rescue seven-month-old baby from buyers

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HE Akwa Ibom State Police Command has rescued a sevenmonth-old baby, David, from buyers.

David was reportedly sold away three days after his birth to a buyer in Abuja through a quack doctor in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital, for N300,000.

At the return of the baby to his mother, Esther Johnny, who hails from Oboyo Ikot Eta, Nsit Ibom Local Government Area, the Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) of State Criminal Investigations Department (CID), Mike Okoli, said the quack doctor had been arrested.

The quack doctor, whose name was not given, is said to be the owner of Joe Ann

Cross River tribunal gets 13 petitions From Nicholas Kalu, Calabar

THE Cross River State Election Petitions Tribunal has received 13 petitions on this year’s elections.

But the cases are on the National Assembly elections.

Tribunal’s Secretary John Tsok told reporters yesterday that of the 13 cases, four are on the senatorial election and nine others are on the House of Representatives election.

Tsok said the tribunal was expecting the judges to arrive the state before it would be formally inaugurated to begin sittings.

A breakdown of the cases showed that the Labour Party (LP) candidates have the three senatorial positions on Cross River South, Central and North senatorial districts.

It is challenging the victory of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)

Edo election tribunal gets two petitions From Osagie Otabor, Benin

THE Secretary to the Edo State Elections Petitions Tribunal, Muktar Bello, has said two candidates have filed petitions before the tribunal.

The tribunal moved its sitting to the premises of the Court of Appeal on Aduwawa Road, following the closure of its usual venue by striking members of the Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria (JUSUN).

Candidates who have filed petitions are Chief Francis Inegbeneki of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for Edo Central and Balogun Bankole of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for Akoko-Edo. Muktar said the tribunal would sit for 180 days and that aggrieved candidates have 21 days from when election results were announced.

From Kazeem Ibrahym, Uyo

Clinic at Afam in Oyigbo Local Government Area of Rivers State.

Okoli said Esther Johnny sold her child because she could not afford to take care of him.

He said: “Gentlemen, you would recall that in my previous briefing, I highlighted and listed the people arrested in a case of child theft.

I did mention how a threeday-old baby boy, David, was taken away and handed over to a quack doctor in Port Harcourt. Thereafter, the baby was sold to one woman for N300,000. She later took him (David) to Abuja.

“When a team of detectives from the state police headquarters in Uyo swung

into action, the quack doctor was nabbed and detained. The fleeing buyer, when he realised the pressure from the police to recover David, quietly took the child back to the doctor’s clinic in Port Harcourt, where our detectives recovered him.

“The shocking aspect of the story is that the biological mother sold the child, claiming she had three other children and that she cannot train the child. My men also divulged that Esther, who is yet to be married, has taken in again and may put her child for sale.”

Esther, who claimed to be 18, admitted she sold David but promised not to do so again.

From Eric Ikhilae, Abuja

J

•Esther with David after the police rescued him from buyers

Barber, others killed in Edo ‘cult’ face-off

A

27-year old barber, simply identified as Patrick, was shot dead yesterday at his shop on the New Lagos Road in Benin, the Edo State capital, in a suspected cult clash.

His killing, it was learnt, was witnessed by a 65-year old wood seller, Philomena Evbuomwan.

Over 12 persons have been killed in Benin and its environs since last Friday

From Osagie Otabor, Benin

in a renewed cult war.

It was learnt the cult war followed a disagreement at a polling centre in Benin during the March 28 presidential and National Assembly elections.

A suspected cult member was reportedly beaten to death during the face-off.

The barber was reportedly killed at 7am at the 2nd

East Circular.

Philomena said Patrick was killed by three gunmen, who ensured that he died before they left.

She said: “I was selling wood when Patrick greeted me. I later sat with him.

Suddenly, three boys walked up towards us. One pointed a gun at my head and later dropped it. He shot Patrick. The other one also fired a shot. The third

person took his gun and tapped Patrick. When he saw that he was dead, they ran away. After that, I fainted.”

Patrick was still lying on his pool of blood when our reporter visited the scene.

Police spokesman Stephen Onwochei, a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), could not be reached for comments.

N25b: Again, judge defers ruling on Igbinedion, others

A

JUDGE of the Federal High Court in Benin, the Edo State capital, Justice Mohammend Liman, yesterday failed to deliver judgment in the N25 billion money laundering suit filed against former Governor Lucky Igbinedion and six others by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

The accused were arraigned on an 81-count charge of money laundering, misappropriation of funds, conspiracy and abuse of office.

From Osagie Otabor, Benin

Others accused in the case included Michael, the younger brother to the governor, Patrick Eboigbodin and their four companies.

The crime was allegedly committed when Igbinedion was governor between 1999 and 2007.

The former governor was earlier freed by the court but an appeal court ruling reverted the case to the lower court, insisting that Igbinedion has a case to answer.

Michael was Igbinedion’s personal assistant and Eboigbodin was the accountant-general under Igbinedion.

The four companies are: Gava Corporation Limited, Romrig Nigeria Limited, PMI Securities Company Limited and PML (Nigeria) Limited.

The dates for delivering judgment on the matter had been shifted severally.

Judgment was fixed for January 30 but it was not delivered because the judge was ill.

It was again fixed for

April 17 but it was also postponed to April 20 because the judge was on vacation.

On April 20, Justice Liman informed counsel that the ruling was not ready and was shifted till April 27.

Reporters and counsel waited for seven hours on Monday for the verdict.

They were informed that the ruling would be given yesterday.

After waiting for another six hours yesterday, word came again that judgment would be delivered today.

Lawmakers ask Ughelli North council chair to render account

L

AWMAKERS in Ughelli South Local Government Area of Delta State have given the Chairman, Paul Etaga, two weeks to render income and expenditure accounts of the council.

The Legislature also ordered the indefinite suspension of five supervisory councillors.

The decision followed a motion sponsored by Ken-

From Bolaji Ogundele, Warri

neth Fovie and seconded by Sunday Appah at a sitting of 18 of the council’s 20 lawmakers.

Moving the motion, Fovie noted that Section 23 (c) and (d) empowers the lawmakers to summon the chairman to render monthly statements of income and expenditure and annual re-

ports to the Legislature.

The lawmaker said this would enable the Legislature to consider and debate the council’s finances to ensure accountability and enforce performance.

Apah regretted that since the lawmakers’ swearing-in last October 27, the chairman, being the chief accounting officer, had not rendered the income and expenditure status of the local government

to the lawmakers.

The lawmaker noted that this negates the Section 23 (c) and (d) of the Delta State Local Government Law. He added: “We exercised one of our constitutional duties as lawmakers to checkmate the Executive arm. It is not to witch-hunt members of the Executive but to ensure that accountability exists among political office holders and civil servants.”

Akwa Ibom CJ swears in 94 Customary Courts chairmen

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HE Akwa Ibom State Chief Judge, Justice Idongesit Ntem Isua, has sworn in the 94 lawyers recently appointed by the Judicial Service Commission (JSC), as chairmen of Customary Courts.

Also sworn in were other members of the Customary Court, who will work with the chairmen.

At the ceremony yesterday in Uyo, the state capital, the Justice Isua said the action was in line with the promise she made on July 1, 2011, and

From Uyoatta Eshiet, Uyo

the efforts of the Godswill Akpabio administration to elevate the Customary Courts.

She thanked the governor for upgrading the District Courts, adding that by having lawyers as chairmen of Customary Courts, the scope of employing lawyers had been expanded.

The judge told the other members, who would be sitting with lawyers as chairmen, that their status had

Court defers ruling on Sylva

been enhanced.

Justice Isua urged them to adhere to their oaths.

She said: “Cases before you must be decided according to the evidence before the court, and there should be no resort to external helps.”

Justice Isua said lawyers could appear before Customary Courts with the new development.

She said: “You must live above board, shun corruption and misconduct, failing which the Judicial Service Commission will revoke

your appointment.”

On behalf of the chairmen, Usen Abia said history had been made with the appointment of lawyers as Customary Courts’ chairmen.

He hailed Justice Isua for taking the step that would enhance courts’ decongestion.

Abia urged his colleagues to remember that “to whom much is given, much is also expected”.

He urged the government to give cars to the chairmen to enhance their work.

USTICE Ahmed Mohammed of the Federal High Court, Abuja, has deferred a ruling scheduled for yesterday in the criminal case involving former Bayelsa State Governor Timipreye Sylva and three others, till May 14.

Sylva was charged with Francis Okokwo, Gbenga Balogun and Samuel Ogbuku by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for allegedly using three companies - Marlin Maritime Limited, Eat Catering Services Limited, and Haloween-Blue Construction and Logistics Limited - to move about N19.2 billion from the state coffers between 2009 and 2012 under false pretence.

The accused were said to have used the withdrawn money to augment the salaries of the state workers.

Justice Mohammed was to rule yesterday on an application filed by Balogun, praying the court to first determine the legal standing of the lead prosecution lawyer, Rotimi Jacobs (SAN), to handle the matter, and to determine his motion challenging the competence of the 42-count brought against them.

Bayelsa tribunal begins sitting •Gets six petitions From Mike Odiegwu, Yenagoa

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HE Bayelsa State Election Petitions Tribunal yesterday held its inaugural sitting in Yenagoa, the state capital.

It received six petitions from aggrieved candidates, who participated in the March 28 and April 11 National Assembly and House of Assembly elections.

The three-man tribunal, headed by Justice Ononeze Madu, warned politicians and their lawyers against wasting the time of the panel with applications for adjournments.

Justice Madu said the tribunal would resist any attempt by anyone to intimidate or influence its members during hearing and ruling.

Lawyers, including the Commissioner for Justice and Attorney-General Kemesuode Wodu as well as the Chairman of the state Nigeria Bar Association (NBA), Dr. Anthony Okorodas, attended the inaugural sitting.

Justice Madu said the tribunal would approach its business “with a view of determining the petitions on merit and will not entertain anything that will distract us from the target”.

He added: “We encourage the counsel representing parties, petitioners and respondents, the INEC to familiarise themselves with the enabling status and the constitution and to put extra time as frivolous applications for adjournments may not be entertained.”

“We wish to emphasise that interlocutory objections, including objections as to admissibility of evidence would be considered after the conclusion of evidence and final addresses in the judgment.”

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NEWS

•From left: National Coordinator and leader of Oodua Peoples Congress (OPC), Otunba Gani Adams; his wife, Moji; the author, Segun Akanni; his wife, Folashade; General Manager, Sales and Marketing, Publisher Express Limited, Olugbenga Onasanya; Chief Presenter, Capt Tokunbo Adesina and the book reviewer, Akogun Gani Kayode Balogun, at the presentation of The Volunteer of the Savannah, a book on Adams at Etal Hall & Hotels, Oregun, Lagos...yesterday.

PHOTO: RAHMAN SANUSI.

‘6000 die daily in work-related accidents’

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IX thousand workers die daily from work-related accidents and diseases, the International Labour Organisation (ILO) has said.

Addressing reporters at the World Health and Safety Day, factional President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Comrade Joe Ajaero, said statistics from ILO showed that ‘one worker dies every 15 seconds worldwide, 6,000 die daily and more than two million die annually from work-related accidents and diseases’.

“From the ILO statistics, more people die at work than at wars and even natural disasters.

“Beyond job-related deaths each year, there are some 268 million non-fatal workplace accidents as well as 160 mil-

From Abdulgafar Alabelewe, Kaduna

lion new cases of work-related illnesses.

“The ILO estimates that occupational accidents and diseases result in annual four per cent loss in global Gross Domestic Product (GDP) or about $2.8 trillion in direct and indirect cost of injuries and diseases.

“There are several cases of body injuries, some reported to the union and several others happening in nonunionised workplaces, with little support and compensation for affected workers. The memories of workers consumed in a midnight inferno at an Ikorodu factory in Lagos are still fresh in our minds.

“Not less than 500 workers have died in terror-related

violence in Maiduguri, Kano and Abuja.”

Ajaero added that workplace accidents were not applicable to industries alone, but also workers in the informal sector, stressing that ‘the death and injury rate at the workplace is unacceptable, given the impact on the family, society and the country’.

“We identify with workers, who have been rendered permanently or partially incapacitated through injuries at work. We remember workers who have lost their lives to workplace accidents and health hazards.

“We call on the incoming administration of Muhammadu Buhari to reposition the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF) for effective discharge of its mandate.

“The ECA should be strengthened to cover workers, who lost their lives in terror-related violence.

“There must be increased synergy between the NSITF and the Federal Ministry of Labour and Productivity, particularly the factories Inspectorate Division and the relevant departments in the Ministry of health, trade unions and employers in promoting health and safety education, as well as safe work practices.

“We demand strong international health and safety standards in workplaces in Nigeria.

“On this occasion we restate our collective commitment to strengthen workplace action in promoting and fighting for health and safety issues,” Ajaero said.

Go to court, Okorocha tells Ihedioha

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MO State Governor Rochas Okorocha has urged Deputy Speaker, House of Representatives, who ran on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Emeka Ihedioha to go to court if he is not satisfied with the outcome of the April 25 rerun.

Ihedioha has refused to congratulate Okorocha, who won re-election on the plat-

From Okodili Ndidi, Owerri

form of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

The deputy Speaker said the result was unacceptable to his party and threatened to go to the tribunal.

A statement by Okorocha’s Senior Special Assistant on Media Sam Onwuemeodo said: “We encourage Ihedioha to go to the tribunal and we shall

‘Zone Reps’ Speaker to Southeast’

A

POLITICAL pressure group, The League of Young African Leaders (LOYAL), has reiterated its stand that the Speaker, House of Representatives, be zoned to the Southeast.

President of the group Francis Ndimkoha, in a statement, yesterday, said: “Our attention has been drawn to the argument that Speaker, House of Representatives be zoned to another part other than the Southeast due to the limited number of members from the zone.

“The proponents of this argument failed to acknowledge the fact that the Southeast resisted the rigging machinery of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), thereby making it impossible for

From Okodili Ndidi, Owerri

them to cook-up results.

“The Southeast, which used to be a PDP stronghold, deserves to be rewarded with the No. 4 position, in appreciation of its resistance to the plot of the PDP”.

“In 2011, Akande-Adeola Mulikat, the House Leader, was slated to be the Speaker when Dimeji Bankole did not return to the House.

“Mulikat was chosen because PDP zoned the Speaker to the Southwest, despite its defeat in the zone.

“Therefore, APC should prove itself an agent of change by giving more to the Southeast, as it will be a mockery if the zone is not accommodated in the top positions in the emerging dispensation”.

meet him there. He shall make his claims and we shall respond, and Nigerians will know how he got more than 55,000 votes in his Aboh Mbaise council, and how he got two-thirds of his overall votes from the three local governments in his Mbaise area.

“It is curious that since the elections began, and until the result was announced, Ihedioha didn’t complain of any irregularity. It was the APC that complained of Ihedioha and the PDP using security agents and thugs to snatch ballot papers and falsify results; he never reacted to any of these claims.

“Ihedioha should know he will be asked to produce the booth results from Aboh Mbaise, Ahiazu Mbaise and Ezinihitte Mbaise. In fact, the April 25 rerun showed that if the April 11 election had been properly managed, Ihedioha would not have won in any local government.

“His refusal to congratulate Governor Okorocha shows his desperation. Of the 27 local governments, he won just three in his Mbaise area, after adding votes from the rerun.

“We are waiting to be served his court summons”.

Firm holds seminar on kidnapping ACKGROUND Check International (BCI), Nigeria’s foremost background screening company, holds a national sensitisation seminar, with the theme: “Averting the Rising Spate of Child Kidnapping in Nigeria”.

The seminar holds on Friday, at the Lagos Chamber of Commerce (LCCI) Conference and Exhibition Hall, at 11 am.

Firm’s Managing Director Mr. Kola Olugbodi said the seminar would sensitise Nigerians and educate them on the need to avert dangers.

Deputy Governor of Lagos State Mrs. Adejoke OrelopeAdefulure, Mrs. Yetunde Williams, chief executive officer of Lagos Working Moms and Mrs. Bisi Orekoya are special guests.

Former Deputy Director, Directorate of State Security (DSS) Mr. John Aderoju will deliver a keynote address.

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‘We won’t challenge your victory ‘

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HREE governorship candidates in Abia State have said they will not challenge Governor-elect, Victor Ikpeazu’s victory at the tribunal.

The candidates - Dan Onyeonagu (KOWA), Gilbert Chikezie (Independent Democrat (ID), and Ijeoma Okpara (Citizens Popular Party (CPP), said their decision followed the need to move the state forward.

In a statement, the candidates said they believed Abians spoke in unity by electing Ikpeazu.

“In the spirit of sportsmanship, and putting Abia above any personal ambition, we

From Ugochukwu Ugoji-Eke, Umuahia

accept that the elections were peaceful and credible. We accept the results as announced by INEC. “It is not about an individual; it is about the state.

“We wish to emphasise that Aba needs infrastructural development and we are confident that Ikpeazu will deliver the dividends of democracy to the people.

“We have confidence that he will govern with the fear of God; irrespective of religious or tribal affiliation,” the candidates said.

PDP wins Ebonyi rerun

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HE Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has won all five constituencies in the Ebonyi State House of Assembly rerun.

The constituencies are: Ezza North-East, Ezza North-West, Ohaukwu North, Ohaukwu South and Abakaliki South.

Resident Electoral Commission (REC) Dr Lawrence Azubike confirmed the result.

“We have completed elections in five constituencies and have full roll of members into the 24-member

From Ogochukwu Anioke, Abakaliki

House.

“Elections did not hold in five units in the registration areas but this did not affect the result in those areas,” Azubike said.

The successful candidates are: Chief Christian Oselebe (Ohaukwu South), Mr Frank Onwe (Ohaukwu North), Mr Luke Nkwegu (Abakaliki South), Mr Joseph Nwaobashi (Ezza NorthEast) and Mr Victor Nwite (Ezza North-West).

Ikpeazu gets Certificate of Return

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HE Abia State Governor-elect, Dr Okezie Ikpeazu, has received his Certificate of Return.

National Commissioner Lawrence Nwuruku, while giving out the certificate, urged him to be magnanimous in victory and carry ev-

From Ugochukwu Ugoji-Eke, Umuahia

erybody along, irrespective of party and religious affiliations.

Ikpeazu pledged to work for the people and urged them to go about their businesses without fear of intimidation.

Buhari gets advice on national govt

By Musa Odoshimokhe

A

PAN Igbo group, Igboekulie, has urged the President-elect, Muhammadu Buhari, to constitute a national government of disciplined Nigerians.

President of the group Ben Onuora said Buhari should justify the confidence reposed in him by ensuring that his administration tackles insecurity and inequality.

“Igboekulie hopes that Buhari will justify the confidence and trust reposed in him and his vice-elect, Prof. Osinbajo by forming a disciplined National Government.

“We alert our brothers and sisters from the Southeast and Southsouth to the need to embrace the emergent tendency and help create the egalitarian society we crave for.

“The time for that handshake across the Niger is now,” Onuora said.

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NEWS

APC spokesmen to Nigerians: Buhari won’t fail you

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HE All Progressives Congress (APC) has pledged to rise to the responsibility placed on its shoulder by Nigerians who voted for its candidates in the last general elections.

It spoke in a statement though its publicity secretaries under the auspices of the Conference of APC State Publicity Secretaries (CAPS) from the six geo-political zones. The statement was signed by Joe Igbokwe, who doubles as Lagos APC spokesman and CAPS Chairman, Okelo Madukaife, who is the party’s spokesman in the Southeast and Secretary of CPAS. Others are: Mr Sola Lawal (Southwest); Rev Phineas Pabio (Northeast); Fortune Panebi (Southsouth); Mr. Jonathan Vasta (Northcentral) and Alhaji Yahaya Bashir (Northwest).

The party described the victory of Gen. Muhammadu Buhari as the return of honesty and discipline in the conduct of governance.

They reaffirmed their belief in the capacity of the President-elect to take Nigerians to loftier heights by raising the bar in the conduct of government business.

The statement reads: “We firmly trust in his capability to once again instill honesty in the conduct of the governance in Nigeria and we affirm that Gen. Buhari will never ever fail Nigerians as President.

“The victory places a great responsibility on our great party and we believe we will not fail this responsibility.

The spectacular victory of the President-elect and other categories of APC candidates in the general elections is a grand victory for the forces of change in the country.

“Gen. Buhari’s emergence is a vindication of perseverance, integrity, honesty, discipline and hard work, which are attributes difficult to find in Nigerian politicians today.

“We salute Gen. Buhari, an exemplary Leader who set a standard in integrity which has so far, not been beaten by any Nigerian leader. We salute his doggedness in the country’s political sphere which has seen him become Nigerian Abraham Lincoln with a solid history of steadfastness in contesting the country’s presidential election and eventually emerging victorious in the very fourth try.

We see this as a just reward for his proven honesty and integrity and a great lesson to every Nigerian both young and old. We express our confidence in the ability of President-elect Buhari to attend to the clarion demands of Nigerians to arrest the drift of the Nigerian state and steer it again to prosperity after the disastrous voyage of the past 16 years.

“We firmly trust in his capability to once again instill honesty in the conduct of the

governance in Nigeria and we affirm that Gen. Buhari will never ever fail Nigerians as president.”

The CAPS congratulated the president-elect, the governors’-elect and other elected officers for their victories in the elections.

They said: “We view their victories and that of our great party as an implicit vote of confidence on our great party and we urge that all our elected candidates work diligently to justify the huge expectations placed on our shoulders by Nigerians.

“We also salute the doggedness of the national, state, local government, ward officers of our party, our teeming members and supporters nationwide for the hard work that wrought this comprehensive victory. We salute their courage and determination that brought this resounding victory.

“We salute Nigerians for the confidence and trust reposed on our great party in this last election and we pledge that we will not fail their expectations on us in this just concluded election.

We pledge that our party will work very hard to meet the expectations of Nigerians and we appeal to all Nigerians to work together with our elected candidates so that we can collectively realise the dream of all Nigerians for a well governed and responsible country.”

Airtel boss for Businessday’s CEO Forum

M

ANAGING Director and Chief Executive Officer, Airtel Nigeria, Segun Ogunsanya, has been listed among eminent personalities that will lead discourse at this year’s edition of the prestigious Businessday CEO Forum, a foremost platform for CEOs of large corporate entities, investors and decision makers.

Ogunsanya, who has been penciled down to offer key perspectives and insight on the Nigerian telecoms industry will provide a snapshot of major trends that will dominate the industry in the next five years while charting a

pathway to unlocking the potentials of the Nigerian telecoms industry.

The Airtel boss will headline a segment of the forum tagged: CEOs in Conversation: Five years Ahead – Telecoms Industry while speaking to the overall theme of the conference, Managing in Nigeria’s Post Election Economy.

According to the organisers of the forum, the event, which will hold today at the exclusive Wheatbaker Hotel, Ikoyi, Lagos, will attract other eminent international and local personalities including Prof. Paul Collier, renowned Economist at the University of Oxford, Richard Ingleton, Global CEO of

TNS and Christian Wessels, Deputy Managing Director, TGI & Advisory, Bain & Company.

Other discussants at the event include Group CEO Oando, Wale Tinubu, CEO UBA, Phillip Oduoza, CEO LAFARGE, Peju Adebajo, among other industry leaders who will be sharing views on their respective industries. Also expected to grace the event are Lagos State Governor Babatunde Fashola, Kaduna State Governor-elect Nasir El Rufai, Governor-elect and CEOs of leading banks and other multinationals.

NNPC blames fuel scarcity on NARTO, PTD strike

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HE Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) yesterday blamed the ongoing scarcity of petrol on the strike by the National Association of Road Transport Owners (NARTO) and the Petroleum Tanker Drivers (PTD). The corporate said the union, who have refused to lift petroleum products from the coastal depots in protest of the huge amounts they are being owed by the major marketers.

NNPC’s Group General Manager, Group

•Vows to end queues From John Ofikhenua, Abuja

Public Affairs Division, Mr. Ohi Alegbe spoke in a statement.

He said: “We are, however, working towards a speedy resolution of the issues to ensure a hitch-free distribution of products across the country.”

The corporation appealed to NARTO and PTD to call off the strike in the interest of the country and not unleash unnecessary hardship on Nigerians.

According to NNPC, it has enough stock of petrol to service the country for 27 days at a national consumption rate of 40 million litres per day even as it has stepped up efforts to end the distribution challenges in the fuel supply system.

Alegbe said it has sufficient stock of petrol at its coastal depots in Port Harcourt, Warri, and Calabar besides the stock it holds in the national strategic reserves.

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THE NATION WEDNESDAY, APRIL 29, 2015

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Life

The Midweek Magazine E-mail:- ozoluauhakheme@yahoo.com

Text only: 08023058761

• Mrs Ladipo during accreditation.

PHOTO: EVELYN OSAGIE

2015 elections:

How women became change agents

– SEE STORY ON PAGE 16

Timely snap, police arrest

Road to Sambisa is here – PAGE 18

•

– PAGE 47

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The Midweek Magazine

E-mail:- ozoluauhakheme@yahoo.com

If the just-concluded elections could be likened to a drama crafted by an invincible wordsmith, then the participants would be actors interpreting the ‘2015 election script’. In the many tales characterising the period, the role of womenfolk was grossly underreported. EVELYN OSAGIE writes on the inputs of some women in Lagos in the making of the ‘2015 elections script’.

2015 elections: How women became change agents The spectacle

Before the elections there were fears of violence because of provocative statements and hate messages by some politicians. This trend, Mrs Busola Ladipo said, affected her business negatively. "I am happy the elections went well.

Before the elections, people were afraid because of past experiences of violence during elections. But in my area, a day before, people went about their businesses. However, market was dull because lots of people were uncertain and didn't want to spend much," she said.

Speaking to Mrs Ladipo after the elections, she said, she was elated that some of those she voted for emerged winners. "I think the card reader made the election more credible. We hope they will not disappoint us," she remarked.

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HILDREN with toys in hand scampered everywhere as movement and business activities were halted. The middle of streets/roads became makeshift playgrounds for football and other sports. The pin-drop silence in certain areas was torn to shreds by the sirens of police vans driving pass at intervals. It was holiday like no other. It was the 2015 election.

The curtain may have fallen on yet another electoral process, but the many spectacles and side shows it paraded would be remembered by all.

As men thronged out to vote, the women were also prepared for the occasion. They came decked in different attires. There was no room for merrymaking. It was a day Nigerian women chose who became leaders in the next political dispensation. And so, to the polling centres, each and everyone marched to cast their votes. And loud on the streets was "Change".

Voting percentage of women The percentage of women participating in election whether as voters or as politicians are usually relatively small compared to the men, according to the Gender In Nigeria (GIN) Report by the British Council, Lagos.

This year's was no different, but women rights activist Dr. Joe Okei-Odumakin decried this trend, adding that: "In recent times the roles of women have been reduced drastically to just voting in elections."

She said: "Although during the last elections, women voted massively in both the presidential and gubernatorial elections, generally, women’s participation in politics and electoral processes is still very poor in Nigeria. Although there are few increases here and there, compared to what we had in 1999, 2003 and 2007, there was a drop in 2011. And 2015 wasn't that good too either."

Odumakin, who is the President Women Arise for Change Initiative,named maginalisation as a key factor behind the drop.

"Unfortunately women seemed not prepared enough for the 2015 elections, although there might be slight victories compared to the representations in 2011. The reasons for this forecast is simple, women are still faced with the numerous challenges that have contributed to their being marginalised from mainstream politics. Though there is a growing awareness and resolve by women to influence the decisions that affect their lives and their families, the political, economy, social environment and the structure of the nation still define women’s political participation and representation," she said.

Centre where women received special treatment

• Mrs Ladipo after called to the front of the queue

• Crowd rejoicing after their candidates won.

ELECTION votes count in 2015 elections. But what could have made her and other women leave their homes and children very early on a sitat-home holiday morning to queue up at a voting centre?

"Change is the reason we, women, vote," said Mrs Ayeni, a self-acclaimed women's right advocate, who wanted her first name off the prints.

"The election," she said, "gave us the power to choose our next leaders and call them to accountability. We want leaders, who can understand our needs as women and make laws that would help us harness our potentials. We are very talented and need leaders to brush us up and use our talents to the fullest."

For Mrs Busola Ladipo, a businesswoman, 2015 election meant hope for her and her family.

PHOTOS: EVELYN OSAGIE

"Electing the right person would bring about change that would affect me and my family positively," she said, adding: "We need a lot of changes in Nigeria. Election is not only a time to decide who would pilot the country, but the future of my children. That is why I have come out today to vote."

Fears before elections and effects on business

Why women vote In the just-concluded elections, some women in Ifako, a Lagos suburb, were undaunted by the challenges they face and their small population. They were determined to make their votes count.

Mrs Ayeni was part of that percentage of women, who registered and were determined to make their

‘Change is the reason we, women, vote...The election gave us the power to choose our next leaders and call them to accountability. We want leaders, who can understand our needs as women and make laws that would help us harness our potentials. We are very talented and need leaders to brush us up and use our talents to the fullest’

Women's participation in political processes, gender experts say, is of strategic importance, “not only for women's empowerment, but because it has wider benefits and impacts”.

Dr Odumakin said: "Women in Nigeria played significant roles in the making of Nigeria's democracy. During the pro-democracy struggle a good number of women, most especially, those in various higher institutions as at that time played active roles; they later graduated and worked closely with notable activists to achieve Nigeria's democracy.

They marched, protested and deployed their God-given talents and education to achieve what we have today."

In a joint agreement and to increase the participation of women in the area, the men and INEC officials of Ward 004 on Mojisola Street in Ifako-Ijaye Lagos, allowed women to be accredited and vote without having to join the long queue during the elections.

Describing the gesture as "strategic", Mrs Badmus, who also did not want her first name in print, observed: "I did not spend more than 10 minutes during my accreditation. Our men understood the importance of women in an election process and nation-building. Our role doesn't only stop in making sure our families are properly taken care of, we must join hands to make our country better for our children's sake."

On Mrs Ayeni's part, the move showed that "Nigeria is moving forward". She said: "The work of women, mothers, is never done.

The centre made it very easy for us. They eased our work a lot. As I came to the centre, I was told to go to the front that women have been given special privilege today to do their accreditation and vote.

We are grateful to the men in this area for such initiative; the gesture encouraged lots of women to come out as you can see today. We were able to quickly return to children, and prepare food for our husbands, who may not be returning home until after the election in the evening. Others should learn from this example," .

Business twist to civic duty Big Show, as she is popularly •Continued from Page 17

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The Midweek Magazine

E-mail:- ozoluauhakheme@yahoo.com

Akalaka:: A refreshing menu from East Akalaka

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OR the first time in a long while, a joint exhibition of works that dwell on the rich heritage of Igbo culture especially the Uli, is being held in Lagos as a post-elections menu for Lagos arts connoisseurs. Interestingly, the two renowned artists-Tayo Adenaike and Obiora Anidi, are no strangers to Lagos exhibition circuit, but it is a home-coming of a sort for the duo. In fact, for over 20 years neither of the two has held any art exhibition in Lagos. So, it was ‘destined’ for the duo to be in Lagos this season in tandem with the title of the exhibition, Akalaka: Lines of destiny.

Last Monday, Akalaka…opened at the Wheatbaker Hotel, Ikoyi Lagos featuring 20 works from each artists, who are Enugu-based. Expectedly, the two artists are presenting works in their area of strength-water colour and sculpture, to express their minds among others on issues of national interest and humanity in general.

While Adenaike presented water colour paintings Anidi presented black and white sculptural mix of metal, cement and marble.

The exhibition, which will run till July 15, is co-sponsored by Global Energy Company Ltd and Ruinart.

Adenaike and Anidi are part of the Uli art movement, which originated at the famous Nsukka Art School of the 1970s and 1980s, spearheaded by internationally acclaimed Prof Uche Okeke of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka. Akalaka, literally means ‘the lines on the palm of your hand” connoting destiny in Igbo, is showing works, which draw inspiration from ‘a repertoire of Uli motifs found largely in Igbo land, which is a dying art form; it was solely the preserve of women, who either used it for body adornment or wall decorations of sacred shrines,’ Adenaike explained.

The duo, who last held a joint show at the Italian Cultural Centre, Lagos over 30 years ago, have created an unforgettable, powerful visual language

•Down, Not Out, Marble, concrete and metal by Amadi

By Ozolua Uhakheme Assistant Editor (Arts)

VISUALARTS that though expressed in different media, shared a deep congruity even in messages.

Anidi expressed himself through the sculptures with which he deftly intertwined with thin strips of metal to create unusual and powerful sculptures reminiscent of the ancient Egyptian renaissance while clearly drawing on important Uli and Nsibidi traditions. He literarily used these motifs as carriers of his conceptual thinking in his works. Similarly, Adenaike’s water colour paintings have over the years transformed into a commune of Uli, Nsibidi motifs and Yoruba oral traditions though with-

out concern for their spiritual or cult interpretations.

In Ekwu Ito…trinity of the extended family, a three-legged sculpture, Anidi demonstrated his profound simplicity. The work clearly showed a strong external family structure harbouring deft internal politics and alignment.

Also, in Our Hope Lies in the Begotten Son, there was an incredible, beautiful interplay of thoughts and expressions across starkly different media, but showed the poetry and symbolic significance of Adenaike’s layered visual echoes.

In fact, his layered human forms with their intense expressions reminded viewers of the complex tension between emotion and the spirit, which coud be seen in perfect alignment with Anidi’s concave spaces and

solid marble planes representing symbiotic relationships, beautifully intertwined with metal accents; both artists echoed the interplay between existential perceptions vis-a-vis physical form and energy, and the traditions as well as the restrictions of culture and society.

Adenaike who runs a successful advertising business in Enugu, said he paints mostly at night and on weekends as he does not live on his paintings. “I paint for the joy of painting, just like a dancer would dance for the joy of dancing. If in the process of painting I have enough work to display for public viewing and I get applauded or chastised, neither response would make me to stop painting.

Painting to me is like writing, you keep writing because of the joy you

derive from writing,” he said.

On what he paints, he said: “I will be a happier person if my paintings are actually not titled. I do not like the idea of people thinking along with me. I want people to feel free and think for themselves. I want people to see themselves and judge themselves in my work.”

Sandra Mbanefo Obiago, who curated the show, noted that it was important that ‘we celebrate the works of artists who have had a major influence on Nigerian art, and don’t enjoy the same local exposure as Lagos or Abuja based artists.

Akalaka presents two master artists, amongst the best of contemporary Nigerian art, to a new generation of local art enthusiasts and collectors,’ she said at a preview session last week.

Adenaike has lived in Eastern Nigeria for over 41 years and speaks Igbo fluently. He presented intricate works which reflected his dual ethnic heritage. He has taken part in over 62 exhibitions, mostly in the United States (US) and Germany, and his works are in the permanent collection of the Smithsonian Institute’s National Museum of African Art as well as in the “Museum der Weltkulturen” in Frankfurt Germany.

Anidi, who is currently a Chief Lecturer at the Art Department, Enugu State College of Education (ESUT), graduated from the Institute of Management & Technology (IMT) Enugu in 1982, before pursuing graduate and post-graduate degrees in Educational Technology at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka and Enugu State University of Technology, respectively.

Apart from showing in numerous exhibitions in the United States, Jamaica, Germany and Italy, Anidi cofounded the famous AKA Circle of Exhibiting Artists, along with Adenaike and other great artists from the Nsukka Art movement.

2015 elections: How women became change agents •Continued from Page 16

known in the area, perhaps, because of her size, had a different story. Located in front of a light brown three-storey building, Big Show's open-air eatery spot, Temmy's Corner, served as relief spot for voters, who arrived early to perform their civic duties.

Queuing up to vote under the scourging sun can be dehydrating and energy-sapping. Temmy's Corner, specialist in boiled noodles, was a big relief from hunger and thirst.

Although that was not her usual spot on normal days, she took advantage of the long wait involved in the process to make some quick money, saying: "I was moved by their plights and felt I should save the situation by providing them food."

Her real name is Temilade Olasunkanmi.

She has a dream of owning one of the biggest eateries in the country someday.

Temilade was one of many business-savvy folks, especially women, who used the period to make some quick money. So, while the country gained a new government, she also joined others like her to exploit the situation.

Depending on each customer's needs and for the right price, she provided quick noodle snack garnished with fried egg or boiled one.

But providing food for customers was not the only item on Big Show's list that morning. "I have my PVC. I am also here to vote.

I have already been accredited and would vote later. This is not my usual spot, I just felt that if nothing is done to help the situation, our people would be very hungry today. Some have left their homes - from far away Lekki - early to come here to vote and would not be returning until evening.

That is why I chose to provide food," she

said.

One of her customers, Mr Yemi Fashiku, in his 30s, came from Lekki that morning to vote. He said: "Thank God for her O. I had registered here, but relocated to Lekki. So, by 6am I left Lekki to come here to vote.

The men in this area believe women have a great role to play in election. I praise INEC for the card readers. It is better, safer, easier and gives no room for rigging. But in the future INEC should ensure that no matter where we register, we can vote anywhere in the country as long as we have our PVCs." "Big Show is helping to provide for the community. My sister, where would we have gone to find food today? And a lot of us came from very far away. I have come from Obawole far away since morning.

Now, it is about noon. In fact, she should be praised for helping the election process go smoothly," Sunday Anibire said.

This reporter was unable to engage women from other polling centres in the area because her election monitoring programme was cut short due to a police arrest.

Gender friendly environment needed The elections have ended with a record of progresses made since 2011. However, experts say, more needs to be done by INEC and the government to increase the percentage of women registering to vote. They advised that the newly elected administration should pay attention to the assertions of the GIN report. Although published in 2012, they say, it remains apt and valid to achieving gender parity in all spheres of the nationhood.

With 49 per cent of Nigeria's population

‘The men in this area believe women have a great role to play in election...But in the future INEC should ensure that no matter where we register, we can vote anywhere in the country as long as we have our PVCs’

•Dr Odumakin

as female (about 80.2 million girls and women), Dr Odumakin argued that any discussion about Nigeria's future must entail consideration of girls and women, the role they play and the barriers they face. While the GIN report suggests that "a rethink is required with a two-pronged approach, which should combine building the capacity of women's candidates and reform of the general political environment (violence, corruption, registration conditions", Odumakin insisted that "the National Gender Policy remains the only persuasive document that can translate into a good negotiating instrument for concession for women".

Odumakin added: "Women in political parties must negotiate gender parity through the party system as a temporary measure. Women activists in Nigeria can mobilise around the policy, create awareness particularly, regarding the provisions relating to 35 per cent affirmative action and through this demand electoral accountability from political parties. Women activists and women politicians should explore the opportunities created by some gender friendly provisions in political parties' manifestoes and constitutions to demand accountability for women.

"There is need for a proactive identification and recruitment of women members with political potential for future elections.

Another door of opportunity is for women activists to engage INEC. Besides campaigns for balanced gender representation in political decision-making positions, an integral part of the core of strategies for women's political participation is building women's agenda for change."

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, APRIL 29, 2015

18

The Midweek Magazine

E-mail:- ozoluauhakheme@yahoo.com

LAGOS BLACK HERITAGE FESTIVAL 2015

Road to Sambisa is here

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NTIL a year ago, the name Sambisa was relatively unknown among Nigerians, especially the youths of the Southern extraction.

Today, Sambisa is as popular as a telephone handset in and outside Nigeria, no thanks to the unfortunate kidnap of 276 students of Government Secondary School, Chibok, near Maiduguri in Borno State by Islamic terrorist group, Boko Haram, and were taken to Sambisa forest.

In spite of the outcry from local and international human rights activists, the hope of rescuing the kidnapped Chibok girls dwindles by the day as the joint military operation in the troubled zone of Northeast is not giving enough convincing message on the recovery of the girls. Even the President-Elect Gen Muhammadu Buhari said last week that he could not promise finding the girls. “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,” he said.

But in Lagos, 33 children from some schools in Lagos State under The Vision of the Child segment at the on-going Lagos Black Heritage Festival are expressing themselves in words and visuals what they understand by the phrase The Road to Sambisa.

Mindful of the entitlement of the young generation and to remind the adult world of the brimful of talent that ensures artistic continuity and innovation, the festival brought in an innovation-to allow the children to capture their thoughts about Sambisa in words and in images.

Last Saturday, 33 paintings and drawings by these children were displayed at an exhibition titled: The Road to Sambisa opened by Governor Babatunde Fashola represented by La-

• Prof. Soyinka at the opening of the exhibition

By Ozolua Uhakheme, Assistant Editor (Arts)

gos State Commissioner for Tourism and Inter-Government Relations, Mr. Disun Holloway. Venue was the Kongi’s Harvest Art Gallery, Freedom Park, Lagos.

In all the selected exhibits, the children capture the reality of the kidnapped girls by depicting the agony, pain, torture, loneliness and trauma the girls could be going through in the hands of the Islamic sect in Sambisa forest.

The children use effective colours and imageries to reflect how they feel about their

fellow students as well as imagine the intimidating and scaring masks of the armed militants. Others such as dark cloud, birds, chains, forest arms and ammunitions are what the children play on to form the content of their works.

Commentaries such as the followings speak volume of the outpouring of the 33 exhibiting children. In painting 27, the child artist says: “I have drawn a picture of a child dying in his mother’s hands. Boko Haram has killed many children. Poisoned the child when he was sleeping, but his mother woke up and Boko

• One of the exhibits

Akinleye preserves each passing day

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HOTOGRAPHY is life and you cannot do without life” said iconic photojournalist, Akintunde Akinleye, at the opening reception of his second solo photo exhibition which opened over the weekend at Red Door Gallery in Victoria Island, Lagos.

In this ongoing show, Akinleye captured the daily activities of a common Nigerian

By Udemma Chukwuma

PHOTOGRAPHY man including some unpleasant events such as petrol pipeline explosion in 2006 at AbuleEgba, which killed many people; titled Hell from Heaven. This very piece got him a World Press Photo award in 2007. The images Akinleye took at the scene of crashed Arik

plane sight in Iju Ishaga, 2012, were also presented to the viewer in large frames. You could see the firemen trying to put out the fire from the crashed plane. The exhibition runs till May 3.

He went further to document the people who work so hard for their daily bread but are unnoticed; this he titled: Lagos Sand Merchants; focusing Jonas James who scoops sand from Lagos Lagoon on daily bases. “I

Haram was out of sight. It was the deadliest night ever.”

In painting 9, the child uses trees to represent the girls, who he feels may not be found. The red paint rushing out of the trees represent the agony and pains of the missing girls. On the foreground are skulls that represent the dead among the girls.

But painting 13 is very instructive. The painting depicts a lost girl sitting and crying in the forest though escaped from Boko Haram. Sitting lonely the girl recalls all the bad things she went through in the hands of Boko Haram- a pitiable sight, indeed. began documenting this set of Nigerian residents in 2007 but would not go deeper than the on-shore for obvious reasons. At a ripe-time, in September, 2011, I sailed deep into the Lagoon with the Lagos sand merchants to satisfy my curiosity,” he said.

The exhibition covered important aspect of life: youth, women empowerment, educational, street economics and rapidly transforming landscape.

Each Passing Day he said “is a selected work.

It is not like a full story of a particular theme.

It comes from many documentary projects, a selection of few works I have done in the past. This is something I am showcasing in this exhibition, instead of showing one straight jacket story; I want to show something, more stories. The titled was also inspired by a man passing through a bridge.”

Akinleye ability to recorded decisive moments, frame within frame, patterns, high and low angle shots, shades and colours, is very impressive. “I work like a hunter. A hunter has to be at alert all the time. You have to be very observant.

Decisive moment is also part of the story each passing day, as time passes you cannot recover it. So you have to be at alert for that moment, to capture them so that people can relate with them because everybody cannot go to the field to get it, but I can go to the field to get the story, then share it with people, with my society, about what is going on, what has cured and what needs to be put in place.”

The exhibition hall witnessed ocean of people who came to view the interesting images which took Akinleye fifteen years of hard work to gather. Entitled: Each Passing Day. “There are all sorts of activities going on in each passing day. That is the reason I titled the exhibition Each Passing Day, so that people can relate with virtually some of the works,” he explained.

However, he said he never planned to be a photojournalist. “I had loved broadcasting, and nurtured dreams since childhood of being a radio or TV correspondent, but by some unpleasant arrangements, I started learning the rudiment of photography at the age of 11,” he revealed.

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, APRIL 29, 2015

19

COMMENTARY EDITORIALS

LETTER

Pot calling the kettle black •Ondo deputy governor’s impeachment is a conclave of defectors ganging up to remove another, in wilful contempt of the Constitution

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HE impeachment of the Ondo Deputy Governor, Alhaji Alli Olanusi, from office by the state House of Assembly, is another indication that impunity and disregard for the due process still reign in different parts of the country. It is unfortunate that those elected to make laws for order and good governance could be so contemptuous of the spirit and letters of the constitution they swore to uphold at all times.

Section 188 clearly spells out the procedure to be adopted in impeaching and removing a President, Vice President, Governor or Deputy Governor from office. It is deliberately made stiff to ensure that pettiness does not override the general interest.

Our concern here is not as much about Alhaji Olanusi, his defection to the All Progressives Congress (APC), which seems to have motivated his removal and the power play in the state. We are rather at a loss over the haste with which the process was handled and the violence done to the underlying principles behind the impeachment procedure outlined in the supreme law of the country. Indeed, we are particularly concerned about whether the law makers who impeached Alhaji Olanusi themselves have the locus

‘Mimiko who masterminded the impeachment is a serial defector, the majority of the PDP members who acted the play joined Labour Party only last year and Labour was absolutely in no crisis then’

standi to do so, given the Supreme Court judgment that said a law maker can only defect if the political party that he belongs to is in crisis at the national level.

What are the facts? Alhaji Olanusi was a member of the PDP, indeed the state chairman of the party, during the reign of the late Dr. Olusegun Agagu. When Dr. Olusegun Mimiko who had defected from the Ade Adefarati administration that he served as health commissioner in 2003, it was Olanusi, who received him into the PDP. Mimiko thereafter served as Secretary to the State Government under Dr. Agagu, before moving to the centre to join the Obasanjo administration.

Again, he chose to quit the PDP just before the 2007 election when, as was the case in the AD, he could not secure the governorship ticket. He joined the Labour Party with a horde of PDP leaders who were equally disaffected with Governor Agagu. Alhaji Olanusi was one of those who shifted base with Mimiko. He was Dr. Mimiko’s running mate in that election and they won. The governor did not find fulfilment in the Labour Party and, again, decided to relocate to the PDP. Olanusi joined him.

But, the music changed on March 26 when the deputy governor felt he had had enough of the PDP and switched camp to the APC. And that was the beginning of trouble for the removed deputy governor.

No sooner did the governor consolidate his hold on the House of Assembly after the state elections of April 11 than he chose to effect a change of his deputy.

It is bad enough that pettiness is the cause of impeachments in the country, but it is worse that we have seen state after state how systems, processes and mechanisms are subverted for cheap personal gains at the expense of the governed. The impeachment notice was moved and passed, allegedly served; motion to set up

panel moved and passed, the Chief Judge mandated to constitute the seven-member panel to investigate the seven grounds of impeachment, report submitted and removal effected -- all within two weeks.

In the undue haste, the fundamental principle of fair hearing was disregarded as Alhaji Olanusi had to travel for medical check-up. Until he left the country, he denied being duly served the impeachment notice. The panel had up to three months to investigate the grounds of impeachment but chose to do so in days even without hearing for the accused. It submitted its report to the Speaker on Monday and the motion for removal was passed same day, a new deputy governor nominated, screened and sworn in same day.

It is interesting that this drama was playing out in Ondo State where a House of Representatives member had just lost his seat by the decision of the Supreme Court over defection without compliance with the constitution. Dr. Mimiko who masterminded the impeachment is a serial defector, the majority of the PDP members who acted the play joined Labour Party only last year and Labour was absolutely in no crisis then. It was rather Mimiko’s sole decision to shift political allegiance – a case of an individual collapsing a party into another!

Where then is the moral right for the indignation at Olanusi’s act?

It is also worrisome that an Akure High Court ruling last week that the status quo ante be maintained, until the disposal of a case filed to forestall the removal, was disregarded by those who should be protecting the sanctity of state institutions.

Alhaji Olanusi should approach the courts for nullification of the apparently vexatious act of the lawmakers. All lovers of democracy have a duty to insist that the due process be followed always. And that officials of state act in good faith.

Expensive polls •The spigot of insane spending marred, rather than made, Election 2015

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E are appalled by the stupendous amount of money that was spent on the 2015 general elections which has made many people say it was the costliest in Nigeria’s political history. Perhaps Professor Wole Soyinka, the nation’s foremost literary icon and Nobel laureate, in his expression of utmost disgust aptly captures the election campaign spending to wit: “Most expensive, most prodigal, wasteful, senseless, I mean really insensitive in terms of what people live on in this country. This was the real naira-dollar extravaganza, spent on just subverting, shall we say, the natural choices of people. Just money instead of argument, instead of position statements.”

A graphic picture of the grisly election campaign spending shows, through a recent report, that President Goodluck Jonathan disbursed for the presidential election alone N2trillion. This awesome amount, he reportedly shared out to his campaign coordinators, ministers, special advisers, close aides, friends, support groups and traditional rulers for onward transmission to voters. At this critical point of financial crunch in the land, some powerful ministers and special advisers purportedly got scandalous amounts each to prosecute the campaign in their states.

The men of God were not spared of this spending jamboree as some of them were reportedly bribed to canvass for votes for the president. Although President Jonathan has debunked the claim that he

spent N2trn on the elections, he did not tell us how much specifically went into the project.

Of course, the abhorrent campaign spending could not be limited to the ruling People’s Democratic Party (PDP); other political parties must have spent quite a lot of money on the elections. It is just that the scandalous spending was more rampant and daring in the PDP; perhaps because it had the largest stakes in the polls. The president and his friends launched an odious campaign funds event where N21.27billion was raised contrary to provision of the constitution.

The 1999 Constitution in Section 221 provides: “No association, other than a political party, shall canvass for votes for any candidate at any election or contribute to the funds of any political party or to the election expenses of any candidate at an election.”

What could be gleaned from the way and manner money was spent during the last election is lack of respect by the political parties for the rule of law. For example, the amended Electoral Act, 2010 under Section 91 provides for maximum election expenses to be incurred by a candidate in a presidential election which must not exceed N1 billion. For governorship election, the ceiling is N200 million; Senate and the House of Representatives’ polls expenses are pegged at N40 million and N20 million, respectively. No individual donation, according to the law, should exceed N1 million.

The need for adherence to the law on campaign funds limit could only be meaningful if only the political parties embrace a less mercantilist approach towards elections. The current trend shows that from the stage of expression of interest to final nomination, till the last day of election, a lot of money is involved. This has to stop; otherwise, candidates would continue to see electioneering as a business venture, which is detrimental to transparency and good governance. The truth; costly electioneering would not do the nation any good and this must be addressed in future elections!

And, it is not as if there are no sanctions for campaign fund breaches, the problem, sadly, is that they are never enforced. For a presidential campaign limit breach, the law stipulates 12-month jail term or N1billion in fines, or both. For governorship campaign breaches - N800 million or nine months in jail, or both. Yet, candidates of political parties still spend campaign money exceeding these limits. To worsen the situation, the system has not held anyone accountable for such glaring legal infractions. This, indeed, is the crux of the matter.

‘Wole Soyinka: Most expensive, most prodigal, wasteful, senseless, I mean really insensitive in terms of what people live on in this country’

Lee Kuan Yew: Lessons for African leaders

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IR: “ What will your contribution be? How will history remember you?’’ were the questions posed by Kevin Kline – who played professor William Hundert in the 2003 American drama film dubbed “ The Emperor’s club” – to his students in classic 101. Before these rhetorical cum thought-provoking questions, he rode them off on the rollercoaster of Shutruk Nahunte’s historical riffraff adventurism.

Concluding, he averred uncompromisingly that ‘’great conquest without contribution is meaningless. ‘’ Alas! Lee Kuan Yew is no more – he died on March 23 at 91. He was not just a statesman extraordinaire but also a myth to the Western World. Blending autocracy with patriotism, Yew shattered the Western convention – modernization theory exemplified by W.W. Rostow – by leapfrogging Singapore from a backward colonial entrepot into a glittering high tech economy. ‘’ Going it alone’’ and building virtually everything from scratch, Lee Kuan Yew did buttress his logic that the Western model of liberal democracy lacks applicability in Asian countries hence he evolved what is called in some quarters ‘’authoritarian democracy.’’ ‘’Lee Kuan Yew’’ Kissinger wrote ‘’would not be true to himself were he less frank about his analysis of difference between the individualism of the West and the priority for social cohesion in countries such as his and in much of the rest of Asia. He does not ask us to change our patterns, only to refrain from imposing them on societies with different histories and necessities.’’

With these principles and quest for personal example ,Yew engineered the world’s first miracle of development. toaday, Singapore – according to World Bank report – boast one of the highest GDP percapitals in the world Yes these were his contributions and history will forever remember him for that.

Now, who among African leaders can be compared to Lee Kuan Yew? How will history remember the contemporary African leaders? The problem with African politics and government is not just lack of strong institution as Obama observed but lack of patriotic leaders. Parasitic leadership is Africa ‘s greatest bane to development – it is on this hub that other problem revolves.

It is this problem that separates some contemporary highhanded African leaders from Mr. Yew. What can Zimbabweans pride of Mugabe’s 34 year rule?

What can Cameroonians pride of Biya’s 32 year rule?

What can Ugandans pride of Museveni’s 32 year rule?

Will I ask of Teodoro Obiang of Equitorial Guinea , Deby of Chad, Al Bashir of Sudan, Jammeh of Gambia, Afwerki of Eritrea? Or will I talk about Hasting Banda and Omar Bongo of (un)blessed memories?

Nothing! Absolutely nothing! All they can show for remain : abject poverty, self aggrandizement cum morbid exposition of primitive acquisition tendencies, poverty of leadership and nepotism. And this is why Africa is underdeveloping.

Coming home to Nigeria, what we see is complete failure of leadership – where lootocracy reign!

When dissenting voices talked about Yew ‘s authoritarian history, they forget that liberal democracy lacks universal application. The essence of government is its purpose and this essence Abraham Lincoln told us is ‘to do for the people what they can’t do for themselves – and this is what Yew did for Singaporeans.

What Africans are asking from their leaders is simple: give us water, electricity, shelter, good healthcare, societal order and security and good roads!

• Asikason Jonathan, Lapai, Niger 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

•Deputy Editor (News) Adeniyi Adesina

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

•IT Manager Bolarinwa Meekness •Deputy Editor (Nation’s Capital) •Press Manager Yomi Odunuga Udensi Chikaodi •Group Political Editor Emmanuel Oladesu •Legal Counsel John Unachukwu •Group Business Editor Simeon Ebulu • Manager (Admin) Folake Adeoye •Group Sports Editor Ade Ojeikere •Acting Manager (sales) •Editorial Page Editor Olaribigbe Bello Sanya Oni

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, APRIL 29, 2015

20

CARTOON & LETTERS

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IR: Your Excellency, many people in my generation were either not born or too tender when you ruled the country in the 80’s. Our parents told us and we equally read for ourselves of the different violations of Human Rights that took place when you superintended over the affairs of our dear nation. During one of your campaigns for the just concluded presidential election, you acknowledged that by telling us that we should not judge you by what transpired during the era of military junta.

My generation never witnessed the controversial decrees number two and four. Many writers opined that they are better imagined than experienced. We heard and read that the decree number four empowered your government to arrest any journalist that published any article/news against your government whether the contents of the news/article were true or not.

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

GMB: Time to right the old wrongs As a result, many innocent journalists were jailed.

The recent order on African Independent Television (AIT) not to cover your events sends a wrong signal to the public. My grandmother tells me that somebody that was once bitten by a snake always fears the earthworm. The people that experienced your decree number four are currently smelling a rat . They are at the verge of concluding that though a snake may change its colour, but the character remains intrinsic.

Meanwhile, your aides have tried

to justify that under the guise of ‘ethics and standards’. My beloved grandmother always tells me that lies are better told in English language because telling lies is alien to our culture. No matter the grammar used to justify your recent action of barring AIT from covering your events, every Nigerian is aware that it is not unconnected with the hate campaign aired in their different stations.

I want to remind you of the life of Nelson Mandela, the whole world celebrated him when he died not because he spent 27 years

Nigeria’s leadership nightmare IR: Nigeria is filled with individuals in positions of authority and yet there are no leaders. There is a scarcity of individuals who crave immortality by reason of the legacy they leave behind.

Many people run for political offices without being able to answer a simple and basic question of why they want the job. These so-called leaders run inefficient and unproductive institutions with no atom of ignominy or discontent. Only middle-aged men and elderly citizens far above the nation’s life expectancy, who have no genuine prospect of the future contest in major elections in Nigeria. Novelty does not exist in the political system since the political arena is occupied by people who are constantly being recycled year in year

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out. These pathetic situations described above exist because there are no leaders with vision and there is a scarcity of inspiring leadership. Every memorable leader with a vision started by questioning the status quo. A vision is typically born out of a discontent for the prevailing situation. It was on December 17, 2010 that Mohamed Bouazizi set himself on fire in protest against the Tunisian government and decades since a Buddhist monk burnt himself to death in the streets of Saigon in South Vietnam in protest against an indigenous government policy. Yet a lot of things are obviously wrong in the society and no one dares to speak or act in protest.

Talking about the problems that confront us as a people is now a

cliché. The ideal that should be taken to be the norm is generally perceived as bizarre. This is the set time to arise from our deep and long slumber and take the charge.

The future depends on the youths of the country who are bold and have the right mentality to take up the responsibility of moving the country forward and become visionary and inspiring leaders. In the words of U.S President Theodore Roosevelt, we need leaders of inspired idealism, leaders to whom are granted great visions, who dream greatly and strive to make their dreams come true; who can kindle the people with the fire from their own burning souls.

•Aderibigbe Gbenga, MD gbengazz7@gmail.com

in prison or that he was determined in his struggle to liberate his people from the shackles of apartheid government but because when he finally became the president of his country, he never pursued any political vendetta. As a father he forgave everybody.

Your Excellency, don’t you think that many Nigerians will love you the more when you ignore those people and organisations that were involved in hate campaign against your candidacy during the just con-

cluded presidential campaign? I want to quickly remind you that no past leader in our country who did not mean well for the country but the problems for each administration were mainly caused by those around the leaders. This made General Ibrahim Babangida once to complain that those that caused the annulment of the June 23,1993 presidential election are still in the government of the day.

The youths that voted you in did not do so for you to start pursuing vendetta; they want your administration to provide jobs for them, construct new roads for them while rehabilitating the ones in deplorable states, fight the current insurgency and to eradicate all forms of corruption in the ministry of power and other aspects of our civil service.

• Dr Paul John Port Harcourt, Rivers state.

Audu should forget about Lugard House IR: When Prince Abubakar Audu governed Kogi State between the years 1991 and 2003, he left an enduring legacy in all facet of human endeavour and other critical infrastructure which is seen in the entire Kogi State, especially Lokoja the state capital.

When Audu came back for second term in 2003, it was glaring to the people of Kogi State that the magic wand he displayed in his first tenure which benefited the entire people was lacking. Presently he has been a guest of EFCC. The people of Kogi State look up to a vibrant, youthful and energetic candidate that would ensure that the state realize all its full potentials .

Kogi has been ruled by a section of the state hence the clamour that power should be moved to another section of the state. The last election which was conducted in a trans-

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parent and credible way has rekindled the hope of other parts of the state to occupy the Lugard House in the governorship election later in the year.

The people of Kogi State are yearning for change, to ensure their state that has not seen physical, economic and social development in the past eight years see a new dawn.

This time, the people will use their PVC with the aid of card reader to ensure that a transparent leader assumes the leadership of the state in the next political dispensation.

We call on Prince Abubakar Audu to remain a stateman, a leader that would groom young and visionary candidates that would be sources of pride to the him and the state in general.

• Bala Nayashi, Lokoja, Kogi State

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, APRIL 29, 2015

21

COMMENTS

Our Girls; FMB; Politics-Nigeria’s disaster; Xenophobia; INEC vs anarchy; Nigeria-teach history

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UR Girls still missing since April 15, 2014.

What hope for them to escape their evil captors?

Ten to 32 farmers were Tony killed by herdsmen in the Marinho ongoing FULANI HERDSMEN/FARMERS WAR which has claimed over 5000 lives, second to Boko Haram. What can and will Buhari do when he takes over?

The Kotangora House, Marina, Lagos fire reveals the building is owned by Federal Mortgage Bank which has seriously failed the housing loan industry. FMB should sell Kotangora House and use the billions for its unfulfilled role.

The earthquake and Mount Everest avalanche in Nepal killing 3,000+ are warnings to Nigeria’s leadership to take governance seriously. Bad governance also kills thousands, for example THE OKADA MOTORCYCLE EPIDEMIC. Daily I see deadly disease and death in potholed Nigeria. The ONLY NATURAL DISASTER IN NIGERIA IS POLITICS losing trillions to theft and incompetence. Even in ‘working’ states, the costs in corruption and taxes are too high on the few paying.

Tax Consultants take too much. Taxation must follow the democracy axiom - BETTER TO TAX MANY A LITTLE, THAN A FEW A LOT. Taxes in overtaxed states must be reviewed downward.

The Gallipoli Campaign 100 years ago, claiming 130,000+ lives, was marked on 25-4-2015. The Armenian Deportation or Genocide claiming 600,000-1.5million lives was marked on 24-4-2015. These are history, win or lose. Countries which ignore history, cannot survive. Nigeria abandoned teaching history.

The Xenophobic attacks in South Africa are partly because the complete history of the anti-apartheid struggle is not taught but summarised as ‘Let us forget the past except for a few heroes’. Most young South Africans are angry at their poverty and joblessness caused by failures of their own government which spends millions on the President’s home. The migrant African worker is easier prey who would not be in South Africa if not for the failures of African governments back home!

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AST Tuesday’s sudden removal of the Inspector General of Police, IGP, Suleiman Abba, came as a shock. It was like a thunderbolt from the blue. Perhaps, except for those who delivered the killer-punch, nobody expected it.

All of a sudden, the journey ended for Abba via an announcement on the twitter handle of Reuben Abati, the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity. At the time the news broke at about 1:24p.m, Abba was busy working in his office.

I was in my office on that day putting finishing touches to a crucial assignment when I got a call from Abuja. Sola, the person on the other end, brushed aside protocol or banters and simply said: “Egbon won ti yo Abba,” meaning, Sir, they have removed Abba.” I was momentarily startled, but I quickly put myself together and asked: What happened?

Sola replied: “Well, the news is all over the place and Solomon Arase, the Deputy Inspector General in charge of Intelligence, has been named as acting IG with immediate effect.” At that point, I could not proceed any further. I just hung up.

Time was 2:30pm.

Barely an hour later, specifically at about 3:30pm, I put a call through to Abba. We exchanged greetings and I said: “What is this news that I have just heard?” Abba replied: “Well, I am in my office and nobody has told me anything.” What this means is that though he was the subject of the news or the man at the centre of the news or even the news itself, he had only heard the news of his removal, perhaps, through

Films, plays, books, songs, stories must tell of those who stood against apartheid and for freedom in Angola, Mozambique, and Congo. How many African salaries, jobs, scholarships, medical services and lives helped South Africans? Africans collected pocket money for South Africans.

South African and Africans schools should teach history from the old anti-apartheid diplomats to correct the ‘shortage of history’ or ‘history deficit’. Nigeria sent Nigerian volunteer doctors including Dr Wole Ogunseyinde to Angola and Mozambique in 1970s. Ignorance is an African denied his history, fed 100% rubbish politics! And Burundi President wants a third term!

America is taught history in Hollywood blockbusters, even failures like the Bay of Pigs. Our Nollywood should too.

Where in Nigeria is the Commemorative Plaque/Memorial for Nigerians who helped kill apartheid? We remember historians Professors Tekena Tamuno-TNT, and JFA Ajayi. Let the new government TEACH HISTORY ‘Lest We Also Forget’ our past. Xenophobia spreads faster than Ebola. HISTORY IS A VACCINE AGAINST XENOPHOBIA. Any reprisal attacks on South African business in the countries of victims of xenophobia in South Africa, is also xenophobia and must not happen. Two ‘human rights’ wrongs do not make it alright.

We expect a lot of INEC - A good honest election to triumph over entrenched political anarchy. We expect INEC to deliver a MORAL AND MATERIAL MIRACLE in a country where political corruption and vicious violence are stepping stones to ‘respectable’ political glory. The Nigerian political system has ‘legalised the illegality’ of exorbitant Salaries and Perks, SAP, salaries for life, and pauperised Nigeria by budget self-allocations and 30-70% contract kickbacks.

The average Nigerian says there are no ‘clean politicians’.

If a past ‘clean’ governor has a huge election war-chest of billions, would those stolen billions have not paid for enough roads, text books and medicines, water, filled potholes to guarantee re-election? Our politicians must TURN FROM STEALING TO SERVICE or Nigeria is doomed! Are our politicians morally capable of STOPPING STEALING FOR FOUR YEARS, voluntarily or from fear?

Why do we expect INEC officials to overcome a dangerous tested political evil monster? They mostly would do a good

job if other Nigerians did not participate in dirty politics. Is it INEC officials who bribe, intimidate, ransom, threaten GBHGrievous Bodily Harm, shoot, bomb, bury in coffins, stab and spread murder and mayhem? No, it is politicians who ‘use any means necessary’ to outwit INEC officials. The politicians are never caught, fined, barred from re-run elections, prosecuted or jailed. So ‘brawn’ claims a violent victory over ‘brain’. We are mostly ‘volunteer voters’ offering time and presence at polling booths to help democracy. A volunteer voter votes for democratic principles and the manifesto inducement of future ‘good governance’.

This is different from voters voting only under direction for short term profit like stomach infrastructure, bribery, the coerced voter who is ‘selling’ the vote for inducement, bribes or beatings. Who is wiser - the voter who takes immediate returns or the one who votes for political reasons? INEC, how did under-aged and Chadian foreigners register? Who used those PVCs? How many PVCs did not match the voters but the INEC officials said ‘Yes’ from fear?

It is not INEC which needs education or must educate Nigerians. Nigeria must teach ‘POLITICAL NATIONAL MORAL DEMOCRACY EDUCATION’ to 14+ year olds who will be 18+ in 2019 in schools and the family through teaching Civics and History. The problems include that the Northern feudal system fears that real democracy with free education will take away an obedient multitude and cheap labour –like cattle herdsmen and almajari youth. The price of democratic progress.

‘It is not INEC which needs education or must educate Nigerians. Nigeria must teach ‘POLITICAL NATIONAL MORAL DEMOCRACY EDUCATION’ to 14+ year olds who will be 18+ in 2019 in schools and the family through teaching Civics and History’

Abba as sacrificial lamb some whispers or gossips around him. That was probably why upon my inquiry, he did not ask me what I had heard and simply said he was still at his desk working.

By the time I finished talking with Abba, I became more confused. It never crossed my mind that the news may not be true after all. Of course, I knew it could be true judging from the clout of the person who broke the news to me. But here was the man, the subject of the news, still in the dark over the whole episode.

I remember the procedure that eventually culminated in his appointment as IG about nine months ago.

Some two or three days to the expiration of the tenure of his predecessor, Mohammed Dahiru Abubakar, on July 31, 2014, he was invited to the Villa and briefed. From then on, things started happening until the announcement of his appointment was finally made public and the handing over and taking over was done on Friday, August 1, 2014. That appointment followed a normal pattern.

Regrettably, the removal of Abba from the exalted office of the IG, just nine months after he assumed office, has been carried out in a manner reminiscent of the days of yore under the jackboots when good reason was jettisoned for kangaroo ways of life. Abba was removed via a message on twitter, followed by a terse statement while the victim was kept in the dark. He was neither

‘Regrettably, the removal of Abba from the exalted office of the IG, just nine months after he assumed office, has been carried out in a manner reminiscent of the days of yore under the jackboots when good reason was jettisoned for kangaroo ways of life’

queried, nor invited for debriefing or even given any letter to that effect. His masters or traducers, simply went on air and shuffled him into the ever-lengthening casualty list of discredited and disgraced government appointees.

By 11:30pm on that Tuesday when I put another call to Abba, he was just having his dinner at home amidst several people who had thronged his residence to sympathise with him. When I asked him whether he had been served a letter at last, he told me that up till that time, there has been no official communication with him to the effect that he had been removed. To me, that looks like “man’s inhumanity to man.” It is tantamount to a sort of mental torture as his mind will be wandering all over the place trying to hazard a guess on what could have happened.

The office of the IG is a very important and sensitive office that should be treated as such. At least, courtesy demands that the decision of the president, whether good or bad, should be communicated to the occupant of that office whether he has fallen out of favour or not. The IG’s office is not a motor park and the IG is not a motor tout who could be dumped and abandoned by the roadside at anytime. The right procedure and protocol should be applied. I mean you don’t treat people shabbily for whatever reason. It is high time this form of jackboot mentality in governance is consigned to the dustbin. Whatever must have happened, the way and manner we react to pressing issues go a long way to depict the type of persons we are.

During the Aminu Tambuwal saga at the National Assembly, last year, I was blunt with Abba when I told him that he should always be guided by the law in whatever he

does as IG. That he should not stick out his neck for anybody because when the chips are down, the same people he is trying to protect will not hesitate to sacrifice him. It was as if I had a premonition of what could happen much later. Now, the chips are down and Abba has been made a sacrificial lamb. Therefore, he may have to carry or bear the scar of that inglorious encounter with Tambuwal like an albatross, all alone. Such is life. Today, it is Abba’s turn, who knows the next victim?

But why are our police officers always treated so shabbily? Unlike the army, over the years, the police have not been able to insulate themselves from politics or political interference. Many of the officers either get involved in politics because of greed or because they are constantly dragged into it by powerseeking politicians. Some police officers also believe that their survival in their chosen career is solely dependent on the amount of political influence they can wield or throw around. Some of them also join cult groups and all the rest of them to keep their jobs or attain rapid promotion. This is because many of their superiors, godfathers or those who determine their fate, are high-ranking, bonafide members of these secret cults. In that case, since the politicians now determine their fate, they have no option than to genuflect before them for personal aggrandizement. But trust politicians, they are masters in the act of using and dumping people.

Right from Abba’s first day in office, his detractors had been going about peddling all sorts of falsehood at the Presidency, all designed to put spanners in the wheel of progress. I once asked him about this and he told me that it has assumed a permanent feature of life

Dele Agekameh in the police for people to concoct stories and peddle them around.

Even if you had to be picked among some potential IGs, those who are not so lucky instantly turn themselves into the opposition to your tenure. It must be pointed out that by doing this, it is the police force that is being systematically decimated and ridiculed, not the occupant of the office. There is no doubt that this trend will continue as the struggle for power in the police is something that is very intense and almost everybody is involved.

Even in police stations, policemen struggle to be posted to ‘juicy’ beats.

It is an overwhelming anomaly.

Abba meant well for the police.

He was interested in building a new image entirely for the organisation.

His major focus was re-orientation through attitudinal change but all that has now become history. Soon, a whole generation of police officers may be wiped out again, the second within one year. This will surely impact negatively on the morale of the members and accentuate their desire for corrupt enrichment in order to secure their future.

Now, an acting IGP has been appointed in the person of Solomon Ehigiator Arase. I have my reservations!

22

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, APRIL 29, 2015

COMMENTS ‘If by now the PDP chiefs and the hawks around the party have still not realised the damage they have done to the country for 16 years, I think they need to examine themselves.

They should understand that those who always have their way will one day find themselves where they do not expect. If taken someone for granted is good, let the PDP accept its defeat honourably and stop making noise; they should remain as opposition. And the APC should stop those PDP people defecting to its fold because it will be very hard for a leopard to change its spot. From Hamza Ozi Momoh, Apapa, Lagos’ • Jonathan For Olatunji Dare You piece on the “Perils of columnism” was so apt and refreshing. Just to comment that you have to situate Shaka Momodu, a Thisday columnist, within the same context. - Anonymous I read you every week. Indeed, I look forward to reading you every Tuesday. Not so with Aribisala. Any article by him I skip, knowing he will be spewing rubbish. It is a shame he calls himself a pastor and I pity those who endure his sermons. As a columnist too, a disgrace. - From Vihive.

I have just finished reading your column ‘At home abroad’ of Tuesday, April 21, 2015.

I agree with you. The Aribisala aspect was even more agreeable to me because you were, again, absolutely right. Hmm. Well done, sir.

Henceforth, I will be on the lookout for your column. I may take my opinions from you and call you out when you miss the mark.

Again, well done, sir. - From Ifeanyi Your article about acclaimed Pastor Aribisala is of great. Such persons the Bible has qualified them thus:- Jer.5:30-31 Jer,14:14 Ezek.13:6-8. Let Aribisala note that he has spoken of himself not of God.- From T. Didan.

Good day, sir. How are you today? You are one of the columnists I respect in Nigeria. I am always happy after reading your essay.

But I was disappointed that you failed to write an article condemning the threat from the Oba of Lagos to Igbo. Unless you want to tell me that you are in support of what the Oba did. I am now reading your essay titled ‘the perils of columnism; - Anonymous Your assessment of Femi Aribisala on Tuesday was just too accurate to be controverted.

I am taken aback that a priest could harbour and express such level of hatred for others without any qualms. Someone should please appeal to him to apologise for some of his utterances now that elections are over and to serve as an example of a true priest. From Sola Akinwande Good day sir, I want to thank God for saving us from killing ourselves. Let’s give Gen. Buhari a chance to do what God called him to do. He should not say I am a Muslim, but we need to pray together, and he should be very careful about rats and cats. God bless Nigeria. From Comrade Ogunsina Yinka David Before the elections some priests were marketing their churches by predicting things that will attract PDP to give them money and PDP was the highest bidder. - From Hon S.A Hande Makurdi Urgently, educate and sensitise the Yoruba to wake up from their slumber or else our sons and daughters will have no place in Lagos. With the sinister plan of the Igbo, they will, if care is not taken, dish out jobs to our children. - From Dare Aribisala is a disgrace to Journalism. I sometimes feel so ashamed to be a journalist whenever I read from him. May we learn from his stupidity. - From Kaltume A Shall, Bauchi A man can pass through the university system without it passing through him. That is the case of that paid agent of ‘pee - dee - pee’ called Femi Aribisala. He is a disgrace to his church and the newspaper house he writes for. With his level of education, I expected him to be more civil in his writings rather than throwing all caution to the wind, attacking Tinubu and GMB. He deserves pity anyway. From Samuel Olorunmbe Re: ‘’The perils of columnism’’. Only God’s prediction can be hitch-free. There seems to be nothing wrong in Femi Aribisala making predictions that went wrong. Only a few would have given it to General Buhari. Ironically, he won landslide!

You have never written against your loved ones like Asiwaju Tinubu, Fashola and Rauf Aregbesola in your column. Yet, Aregbesola is owing Osun workers, about six months’ salary. Oftentimes, one’s love for somebody makes him overpraise or overlook his faults.

Do not see only Aribisala’s faults. Every job, nevertheless, has it’s own hazards. - From Lanre Oseni.

Just lapped up your erudite piece on ‘columnism’, prof; with this strange priest, there is a greater sin: he is all over the place, baleful articles, malicious interviews articulating with oracular finality how ‘Jega rigged the election for Buhari’. Surely, hatred addles the brain!

I have been reading your columns for decades. Sometimes you are right, other times you are not. Same with Femi Aribisala. You are both great. The ability to say something different is creativity. We cannot all sleep facing the same direction. You have condemned him, but God has not. Never! He should do more to put Gen Buhari on his toes. God bless Nigeria. - From Mell Teliva, Benin City.

For Segun Gbadegesin Conspiracy Theories:The next one will be Jonathan’s consipiracy with Buhari.- Anonymous This conspiracy theory column of today has made me happy. I had no plan to go out to work today but I feel like moving out after reading your column. Baba, may the almighty God continue to bless you with this unique kind of reasoning and wisdom. Thank you. From Ishaq Nasarawa State.

Hope those sick with PDPmania would read your sincere article. - From Geoff, Makurdi, Benue State.

Re: Conspiracy theories.’A drowning man would desperately look for means to stay afloat. The PDP teeming defectors to APC is worrisome. APC may be next in screening conspiracy theory. - From Bola Adeniyi.

Re: Conspiracy theories. Sir, your analysis is very accurate and precise. I absolutely concur with you. They should stop whining and better hurry back to the basics of attitudinal change and organisational restructuring. From Doo Timbir, Maitama, Abuja.

Thank you. My father told me if you continually see others as the cause of your problems, you may never move forward. Leave PDP, they will remain there for ever. - Anonymous Prof Gbadegesin’s piece on conspiracy theories was an incisive analysis of the position taken by the PDP and its apologists on the political trend in Nigeria. I hereby award Prof grade A1 for that crystal-clear presentation. From Ropo Ibikunle, Osogbo, Osun State.

Also ask them, who conspired? Is it the four zones who used card readers or the whole of southeast who conspired not to use card reader but go manual? - From Adudu sunday, Nasarawa State.

PDP failed because Jonathan was a failure, his wife an aberration and their rigging machinery failed in other zones except the Southsouth and Southeast. How did they spend their $21.5billion if not for corrupting the system? PDP is dead and buried. - Anonymous Re: Conspiracy Theories. Thanks; your pen will never dry. God save Nigeria; the voting pattern actually revealed that the conspirators are from Southeast and Southsouth zones.

Thank God for his intervention. - From Ayo Ajayi, Ikare Akoko Ondo State.

Re: Conspiracy theories. You have spoken well and your questions addressed the issues succinctly. But to me, it appears you do not know the personalties in PDP. Let me tell you. Members of PDP are liars and their fathers are liars. They are wicked and their fathers are wicked. What do you expect from liars and

wicked people? Ignore them and their supporters.They are birds of same feathers and they are fleeing together and wind of change will always get rid of them as it has gotten rid of them for good. Peace! - From Elder Bola Adeoye.

The PDP will not hear, heed or listen. They are the hunters’dog. The gang up of the Southeast and Southsouth will not last. It is the Southeast machination. They want to align and be first always hence their new romance with the oil southsouth. The southeast have not forgotten or forgiven the civil war. But do they forgot the abandonned properties in the Southsouth to the conspiracy theorist. Tinubu is not to be learnt from the politics of the Southwest. Time will tell. What Nigerians want is good governance from any leader be it Buhari, Akpabio, Okorocha, Fashola. - From Moyo Idris, Lagos.

What a piece Segun! Conspiracy theory; please leave PDP to continue licking her inflicted wounds. I foresee a third force rising up to provide a strong opposition. Well done, Nigerians! - From Olusesan Akinyemi, P.H. Congratulations on your excellence; our country is delivered. Please do your best to put Nigeria right. Wishing you good health and long life - Anonymous I am your ardent reader and an enthusiastic supporter of APC. Pls, reach out to them and tell them not to embarrass us with the squabbling for spoils. Some of us vowed that what happened in PDP will not happen in APC. Prof, please this is a passionate appeal.

May God keep you. - From Mrs Pet Mmonu, Port Harcourt.

“Conspiracy theories.” You have said it all. The best that can happen to Nigeria is the evolution of two strong national political parties are the coming on board of the APC and joining the PDP. Sir, with your article,you have exhibited your vigour and intellectualism. Kudos to you for your effort. Your opinion on the two parties is the best I have seen so far.

PDP should stop blaming APC or anybody for their Waterloo and woeful failure at the last presidential and gubernatorial elections.

If truly they meant business, they should gird their loins and double their efforts to bounce back in 2019 instead of bragging, and yelling on the pages of newspapers. I pray God to spare your life for this your readers. - From Amidu Saheed Olowo, Ifo. For Tunji Adegboyega Re: An unrepentant PDP. The above captioned/well crafted piece refers. PDP should know that with the programmed second missionary journey of GEJ for the presidency, the party has reached the end of the road.

Why the blame on Muazu when our abracadabra Bode George and his cohorts were flexing muscles with the hope that their rigging Tsunami would work perfectly? Have they forgotten the various massive looting of our treasury on daily basis? Were their ministers not scandals to their various offices? Can people forget the nauseating, ignoble roles of ‘Mama Peace’ crisscrossing the country in a notorious manner with her ‘dedicated’ grammar? What about the teeming unemployed youth who are restless without any plan for them? Can the PDP beat its chest to have in one day considered the issue of security? Now that PDP leaders are shedding their well deserved crocodile tears, they should know that all and several other factors - debilitating, unprogressive factors led to their appropriate extinction at the polls because their fruits which were ripe enough were eventually plucked by the Nigerian voters via the card reader. The locusts called PDP should note the axiomatic saying that ‘one thing is certain about every mortal; the judgment of God and that of posterity’. Chikena!

•Buhari And bye bye to Otuoke, GEJ. From Ch. Soji Oloketuyi, Ijabo Street, Igbemo-Ekiti.

What Nigerians needed was change; it would not have mattered who the national chairman of the party was or is. The PDP does not have a message for a credible messenger. We tolerated them this long because there was no structure to fight them as the one APC provided.

From Okunbor Odaro, Benin.

Healing of wounds has come after 16 years of Nigerians in pains over non-performance.

PDP has chewed more than it could swallow with its impunities in governance. It was God who decided to put paid to the suffering of Nigerians and deliver them from the shackles of the PDP, by throwing a righteous man like GMB forward. When someone like him takes over, Nigerians will rejoice because of his antecedent which spoke for him in the last presidential election. Let us pray for him to deliver.

From Gordon Chika Nnorom, Umukabia, Abia State.

That the PDP could not resurrect to its prefall shell would amount to giving the new Aso Rock power- APC - a delicate over-confidence that even in an under-performance, the APC will continue to rule. The logo should be, Perform! Perform!! Perform!!! Even many supporters of the PDP saw near-defeat at the point the party could not get the five governors who defected to APC back before the elections.

Muazu had nothing to do with the misfortune of the PDP. When a community of politicians has individual ambition rather than people’s interest, the pack must collapse. It is always good to be hopeful of good things. After all, when the German football team thrashed Brazil up to 5-0, the Brazillians, being hopeful of the final result, ended at 7-1 in 2014. PDP needs not repent if APC underperforms. From Lanre Oseni.

Vincent Ogbulafor, one time chairman of the PDP must be a prophet with a twisted tongue when he said the party was going to rule Nigeria for “60 years” ; he probably meant 16 years but the twisted tongue brought out “60”.

When the APC was busy campaigning, telling Nigerians what they intend to do, the PDP was busy looking for Buhari’s certificate. I congratulate them. Why then are they bickering after Nigerians have handed them the result of their assessment of the campaign? Do they actually think Nigerians are so daft that they cannot differentiate between a good and a bad product? From Simon Oladapo, Ogbomoso.

If by now the PDP chiefs and the hawks around the party have still not realised the damage they have done to the country for 16 years, I think they need to examine themselves.

They should understand that those who always have their way will one day find themselves where they do not expect. If taken someone for granted is good, let the PDP accept its defeat honourably and stop making noise; they should remain as opposition. And the APC should stop those PDP people defecting to its fold because it will be very hard for a leopard to change its spot. From Hamza Ozi Momoh, Apapa, Lagos.

As an ardent reader of your articles, kindly appeal to the president-elect and APC to faithfully implement their programmes, to cushion the effect of the suffering Nigerians. Remember, 2019 will soon be here. Thanks for your inspiring and educative articles. From Elder Adedini.

You said it all; but, must I add, anybody that deserves to be in jail should not be spared and must be made to do that in Nigeria. From Emman Ugbo.

You know APC too is not doing the right thing by taking in all manner of defectors, including those who graduated from the school ol of fraud. Wait and see the harm they will do in a short time. Anonymous

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, APRIL 29, 2015

25

BUSINESS THE NATION

E-mail:- bussiness@thenationonlineng.net

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Commercial banks are not manufacturing-friendly as their interest rates are usually very high; therefore, commercial banks remain a major challenge to the sector. Even the Bank of Industry’s (BoI) framework, which pegs interest rate at nine per cent, only finances machinery acquisition; it does not cater for working capital.

-MAN President, Dr Frank Jacobs

91% of workers out of pension scheme

BOUT 91 per cent of workers are yet to key into the contributory Pension Scheme (CPS), Managing Director, Premium Pensions Limited, Wilson Ideva, has said.

Ideva, who spoke with reporters in Lagos, said out of about 80million workers, the scheme has only enrolled a subscriber base of 6.5 million.

He noted that though the achievements are significant considering that it is a new scheme, there was need for more persuasion and en-

‘Investors ready for Akwa Ibom’

By Omobola Tolu-Kusimo

forcement by the regulator.

He said: “I believe that as an industry and as individual PFA (Pension Fund Administrator) , we need to do more on public awareness. If you look at 6.5 million, as against 70 million, that is about nine per cent penetration. This means that we still have 91 per cent untapped. You also look at the fact that it is a new scheme, so compliance level is low, which is expected. We in the industry are also worried about that.

“You also consider that people are still worried and contending about what happened to the investment in

the past, such as National Provident Fund (NPF) and other social security schemes which all failed.

“When you look at the figure, it looks like the industry is still at a scratch; but we know that by the nature of Nigerians which has a lot of what you call family businesses, it will take a lot of persuasion and enforcement to get people to key into the scheme. We believe that much of that untapped potential lie within this highly informal sector and that is where the industry is going.”

The Premium chief, however, said the regulators are worried about this and are fashioning ways

to address the huge market that is yet to be tapped.

He said the pension operators were expecting the regulator to release a guideline that would help to address the informal sector.

He said this is important because there is no one that will not get old whether as fish seller in the market or a labourer, adding that when people get old, the only way they will be maintained is through some form of pension.

According to him, the telcos are the most profitable anywhere in the world, stressing that people who are really spending money on telephony are not the upper

Vodacom wins awards

From Uyoatta Eshiet,Uyo

A

KWA Ibom State Governor-elect Mr. Udom Gabriel Emmanuel has said his friends and associates abroad have expressed their readiness to invest in the state.

Emmanuel, who thanked people of the state for voting for him, reiterated his pledge to eradicate unemployment in the state.

The governor-elect, who spoke to reporters at his hometown, Awa Iman in Onna Local Government Area, said he would not renege in his promise to build industries and create jobs for youths in the state.

He pledged to work for the well-being of the common man and to run a government whose dividends and achievements will be seen and felt by all.

Emmanuel assured the people of the state that he would bring developments to all nooks and crannies of the state and that he was would serve as governor to the about five million Akwa Ibom people irrespective of party affiliations.

“The political party is only a vehicle to attain political authority and once election is over, the entire people become the elected officer’s priority,” he said, adding that the administration would not discriminate in the policy of creating wealth for the state.

DATA STREAM COMMODITY PRICES Oil $58/barrel Cocoa $2,686.35/metric tonCoffee ¢132.70/pound Cotton ¢95.17pound Gold $1,396.9/troy Sugar $163/lb RATES Inflation 8% Treasury Bills 10.58%(91d) Maximum lending 30% Prime lending 15.87% Savings rate 3% 91-day NTB 15% Time Deposit 5.49% MPR 13% Foreign Reserve $34.5b

class but people who are down the ladder.

“If the regulator is able to programme their mind, and say you can drop N1, 000 every month for your pension, I believe that people will key into the scheme. Our return on investment is quite high and they would not get such rate of return if they were doing normal savings. The huge gap we are experiencing today between 70 million working population and 6.5 million enrolment is the difference between the people in the formal and informal sector,” he said.

ODACOM has won the Cloud Services Provider of the Year and ICT Infrastructure Provider of the Year (Data Centre) at the BoICT Awards in Lagos.

Its Director, Legal Services, Nkechi Newton-Denila, who received the awards at an event that brought together leaders in the industry to celebrate their achievements in the past year.

She said the recognition was a call to do more, adding that the firm would keep working hard to grow businesses in the country with its cutting-edge technology.

She said: “We are happy to have received the Cloud Services Provider of the Year and ICT Infrastructure Provider of the Year (Data Centre) Awards. This is testament to our commitment to provide world-class and innovative services leveraging on our local expertise and global track record to support business growth in Nigeria. Our gratitude goes to our customers whose businesses are driving the Nigerian economy and the men and women at Vodacom who work round the clock to enable these businesses.”

This is the fifth BoICT award the company has won in three years, winning Enterprise Solutions Provider of the Year in 2013 and last year and Cloud Service provider of the Year last year and 2015 consecutively.

ICT Infrastructure Provider of the Year (Data Centre) is the newest addition to the company’s list of accolades.

Early last year, Vodacom Business Nigeria’s Software as a Service solution (SaaS) was awarded Enterprise Solution of the Year, a prestigious award at the Cyber Africa Innovation Awards last year.

The awards follows the company’s Enterprise Voice Solution launch event where the company introduced Business Express, a Cloud–based Hosted IPBX solution which enables businesses to save as much as 30 per cent on cost of voice calls to local and international destinations.

V

•From left: Marketing Manager, Vodacom Business Nigeria, Anne Ihugba; Mrs. Newton-Denila; Senior Manager, Network Engineering, Olunide Idowu; and Marketing Officer (Digital), Obianuju Okafor, displaying their awards at the event.

NLNG meets 80% of Nigeria’s domestic LPG “We buy gas at the same price HE Nigeria Liquefied Naturequirement asdon’t marketers from countries that ral Gas Limited (NLNG) have gas, this made the

T

supplies 80 per cent of the Liquefied Natural Gas (LPG) or cooking gas consumed in the country, while the balance is from other sources, it was learnt.

The company’s Deputy Managing Director, Mr. Isa Inuwa, said NLNG’s supply for domestic use has helped to crash the price of the product, making it affordable.

He noted that contrary to reports that NLNG’s cooking gas supply to domestic market is 250,000 metric tonnes (MT), the supply level is 148,000MT. He said the 250,000MT is the company’s production capacity for domestic use.

However, local LPG marketers have been complaining that NLNG has been selling the product to them at international price.

Inuwa said that the company sells to Nigerian market at reduced price but noted that other expenses incurred by off-takers to transport the product as well as the cost of storage, may be responsible for the high price at the endusers’ point

Why bank owners like to stay put, by FRC - P 26

By Emeka Ugwuanyi

A 12.5kg cylinder of cooking gas sells for between N3,000 and N3,500, depending on the area. The LPG marketers said the product is supposed to sell at a much cheaper rate than its sells art the monent. According to them, other countries that have gas and produce LPG, the product sells at cheap rate. In Nigeria, there is abundant gas resource; therefore, cooking gas should sell at very affordable rate and not at the price in the international market.

The marketers said: “Apart from the fact that cooking gas is processed from natural gas that is abundant in Nigeria, it is sold to us at international price as crude oil, which we consider as an abnormal approach. It is seen as abnormal step especially when the government purportedly tends to be promoting increased use of LPG in-country because it is clean and environmentally friendly when compared to other sources of energy.

price to be high over the years.

Even with the slump in the price of gas at the international market, marketers in Nigeria have not reviewed their price downwards. The price of LPG in Nigeria has remained as high as when the price of gas was at a record level despite about 50 per cent drop in price in the past six months at least.”

Nigeria has the least percentage consumption of LPG in subSaharan despite having the largest gas reserves, therefore, if the government and the NLNG want to encourage increased consumption of the product, there is need to make it very affordable, the marketers added.

NLNG’s shareholders are the Federal Government represented by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) with 49 per cent, Shell Gas BV (SGBV) 25.6 per cent, Total LNG Nigeria Limited 15 per cent, and Eni International N. V. S. a. r. l 10.4 per cent.

Top three banks’ assets hit N11tr - P37

The road to success - P40

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, APRIL 29, 2015

26

THE NATION

BUSINESS MONEY

e-mail: money@thenationonlineng.net

Why bank owners like to stay put, by FRC F

INANCIAL Reporting Council of Nigeria (FRC), the watchdog of banks and other financial institutions, has revealed why bank owners do not like to hands off their outfits.

The owners, especially Chairmen and Chief Executive Officers (CEO), are reluctant to quit after the expiration of their tenure because of “the mistrust in the industry”, FRC Chief Executive Officer Jim Obazee, has said.

Speaking at the ongoing review of the National Code of Corporate Governance (NCCG), he attributed the attitude of such owners to weak regulation in the financial sector.

He said the NCCG is expected to correct such anomaly.

Obazee noted that many of the owners have as little as 15 per cent equity in their banks and still control what happens in the organisation while the shareholders with over 85 per cent are left in the dark

Stories by Collins Nweze

in decision taking.

He said: “It is an ethical weakness for a bank chairman to stay too close to the bank. When you see a bank CEO or Chairman coming back years after his tenure elapsed, know that corporate governance is weak.”

He faulted the practice where few individuals appoint external auditors, only to end up controlling them. To check this practice, Obazee said no external auditor should spend more than five years in a company to avoid over familiarity.

“The NCCG code contains a fiveyear mandatory rotation for external auditors. This is because we discovered that after five years as an external auditor to a company, many of the auditors become part of the company and may not achieve the desired result,” he said.

Obazee said Nigeria boasts of six

persuasive codes issued by six regulators to meet the needs of the entities they regulate.

The codes were issued and are being applied by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC), the National Insurance Commission (NAICOM), National Pension Commission (PenCom), Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) and Nigerian Communication Commission (NCC).

Modern society, he said, believes that the era of weak and persuasive corporate governance codes is gone because of the stiff competition for foreign direct investment.

Provisions, Obazee said, have been made for the development and enforcement of a NCCG in the Financial Reporting Council of Nigeria Act No. 6, 2011.

He said Section 50 of the law provides that the objectives of the Di-

rectorate of Corporate Governance shall be to develop principles and practices of corporate governance; promote the highest standards of corporate governance; promote public awareness about corporate governance principles and practices; on behalf of Council, act as the national coordinating body responsible for all matters pertaining to corporate governance and promote sound financial reporting and accountability based on true and fair financial statements duly audited by competent independent auditors.

Head of the Steering Committee on NCCG, Victor Odiase, said the NCCG was developed on January 17, 2013, adding that the Federal Government is aware that the issuance of a national Code of Corporate Governance is a very important deliverable that can be used to enhance national competitive-

Adopt new approach to money laundering, transaction monitoring. It IGERIAN Export-Import says NEXIM enhanced also follows that in instances where Bank (NEXIM) Chief Risk risks are low, simplified or reduced

N

Officer (CRO) Dr. Emmanuel Abolo has said banks and other financial institutions need to adopt a risk-based approach in tackling money laundering and terrorist financing.

Speaking during the anti-money laundering seminar organised by the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (CIBN) in Lagos, he said such approach would allow resources to be allocated in the most efficient ways in accordance with priorities so that the greatest risks receive the highest attention.

He said the alternative approaches are that resources are either applied evenly, so that all financial institutions, customers, products, among others receive equal attention, or that resources are targeted, but on the basis of factors other than the risk assessed.

He said adopting a risk-based approach implies the adoption of a risk management process for dealing with money laundering and terrorist financing, he said.

“This process encompasses recognising the existence of the risk(s), undertaking an assessment of the risk(s) and developing strategies to manage and mitigate the identified

risks,” he said.

Abolo said a risk analysis must be performed to determine where the money laundering and terrorist financing risks are the greatest.

“Countries will need to identify the main vulnerabilities and address them accordingly. Institutions will need to identify higher risk customers, products and services, including delivery channels, and geographical locations. These are not static assessments. They will change over time, depending on how circumstances develop, and how threats evolve,” he said.

He said the strategies to manage and mitigate the identified money laundering and terrorist financing risks in financial institutions are typically aimed at preventing the activity from occurring through a mixture of deterrence, detection, and record-keeping so as to facilitate investigations.

“Proportionate procedures should be designed based on assessed risk.

Higher risk areas should be subject to enhanced procedures: for the financial services sector, this would include measures such as enhanced customer due diligence checks and

controls may be applied.

“There are no universally accepted methodologies that prescribe the nature and extent of a risk-based approach. However, an effective risk-based approach does involve identifying and categorising money laundering risks and establishing reasonable controls based on risks identified,” he said.

He said a risk-based approach is not necessarily an easy option, and there may be barriers to overcome when implementing the necessary measures.

“Some challenges may be inherent to the use of the risk-based approach. Others may stem from the difficulties in making the transition to a risk-based system. A number of challenges, however, can also be seen as offering opportunities to implement a more effective system. The risk-based approach is challenging to both public and private sector entities. Such an approach requires resources and expertise to gather and interpret information on risks, both at the country and institutional levels, to develop procedures and systems and to train personnel,” he said.

ness.

He said the code will also address socio-economic, including corruption and lack of corporate independence.

Stanbic IBTC posts N130.6b gross earnings

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• From left: Private Sector Development Adviser, Department for International Development (DfID), Ms. Alessandra Lustrati; Consultant, Digital Financial Services, Ms. Susie Lonie; Chairman, Board of Enhancing Financial Innovation Access (EFInA), Mr. Yemi Cardosa; Consultant, Digital Financial Services, Ms. LesleyAnn Vaughan and Chief Executive Officer, EFInA, Ms. Modupe Ladipo, during the launch of EFInA ‘Request for Proposal Six’ in Lagos.

• Obazee

TANBIC IBTC Holdings Plc has announced its audited results for the year ended December 31, 2014, with gross earnings growing by 17 per cent to N130.6 billion.

The figure stood at N111.2 billion in the corresponding period of 2013. Profit after tax grew by 54 per cent to N32.1 billion, as against the prior year’s N20.8 billion. Similarly, profit before tax recorded an increase of 63 per cent to N40.1 billion in the 2014 financial year, up from N24.6 billion recorded in 2013.

The Group also made other significant gains during the period under review. Total assets increased to N944.5 billion last year, a 24 percent increase compared to the N763 billion recorded in December 2013. The growth in the balance sheet size was driven by significant increases in loans and advances to customers and other financial investments. Gross loans and advances grew by 36 percent to N413.4 billion, compared to N303.3 billion recorded in December 2013, while customer deposits rose to N494.9 billion from N416.4 billion in the corresponding period of 2013, representing an increase of 19 percent.

Chief Executive Officer, Stanbic IBTC Holdings Plc, Mrs. Sola David-Borha, said the strong performance, despite the effect of de-

clining crude oil prices on the operating environment, is evidence of the positive outcome of the group’s strategy of growing the client base across target and key market segments while maintaining a principled credit process.

“Our financial performance maintained its growth trajectory from our 2013 performance, as operating income and profit after tax increased by 23 per cent and 54 per cent. We managed our loan book and deposit liabilities efficiently leading to higher net interest margins. Increase in client transaction volumes and product adoption impacted positively on our noninterest revenue, while a disciplined approach to cost saw our cost-to-income ratio improve to 58.6 per cent from 68 per cent recorded in 2013.”

She said the future holds great promise for stakeholders as the Stanbic IBTC Group continues to seek opportunities in high growth sectors of the economy to grow its business, while sticking with its robust business model anchored on the prudent management of resources.

“We remain positive in 2015, despite the envisaged volatility in economic conditions, to deliver best-in-class services to our customers and provide value for our shareholders,” she said.

Sterling Bank boosts online micro credit

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TERLING Bank Plc has repackaged its Social Lender Scheme by increasing the minimum online micro credit from N3,000 to N10,000.

The scheme was launched in July, last year and the bank disbursed over N6 million to over 2000 online customers. To date, over 90 per cent of the loans have been paid back by the beneficiaries.

Social Lender, the first in Nigeria, is a modified peer to peer lending solution using the Social Media Platforms through which micro-credit is offered to members of these communities. The scheme provides a platform for online fans and followers who are customers of Sterling Bank to obtain these money via social media channels such as Facebook and Twitter.

The bank, in a statement, explained that the scheme was repackaged with added benefits because of its success story for the bank, the quality of feedback from members of the on-line community and the impressive pay back

attitude of the beneficiaries.

He explained that the bank took the decision to increase the available amount because “our target market has kept to the terms and agreements reached during the launch stage, they have been faithful with repayment and this has inspired confidence”.

The scheme, according to the bank, has integrated with existing financial structures of the Bank such that users of the online platform now access small loans by normal methods of withdrawing cash without collateral. These funds, according to him, are easy to access and are delivered via a convenient platform.

The bank explains how it works: “Our friends on Facebook or Twitter can apply for Micro-credit by visiting our facebook page, Twitter handle or corporate website.

Users who request for the loans on the Social Lender platform are rated by the algorithm that calculates their social reputation using various criteria. Based on this, the loan is either granted or rejected.’’

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, APRIL 29, 2015

27

MONEY

Will CBN scuttle NDIC Act review bid?

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) is against the planned amendment of the Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC) Act 2006, claiming that it will hurt the financial system stability. CBN has accused NDIC of seeking the power to license banks and liquidate them without recourse to it. But NDIC says CBN is crying wolf where there is none, writes COLLINS NWEZE.

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HE stability of the banking system should be of primary concern to every regulator. It is for this reason that the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) is worried that the proposed bill to repeal the Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC) Act 2006 and enact NDIC Act 2014 will hamper the stability of the financial system and put depositors’ funds at risk.

Speaking at a public hearing on the bill organised by the Senate Committee on Banking, Insurance and Other Financial Institutions, CBN Deputy Governor, Operations, Alhaji Suleiman Barau said several clauses in the proposed Act, sought to confer coordinate functions and powers of the apex bank on the NDIC. Insisting there cannot be two captains in a ship, he faulted plans to make the NDIC a parallel/coordinate regulator for banks as CBN; confer conflicting supervisory functions and powers on NDIC over banks; and create overlapping regulatory responsibilities for the corporation.

The powers that the corporation sought to assume and exercise include the authority to licence banks, supervise banks without reference to CBN, determine the licences of banks, and appoint itself as liquidator.

The apex bank explained that it wasn’t selfish to have thought it wise to request for the establishment of NDIC, adding that the bulk of the older staff of the corporation were from CBN and had been working harmoniously together.

NDIC’s requests According to the apex bank, the corporation’s plan to license banks was evident in its position that applicants for banking licences should simultaneously submit to the CBN and the NDIC, their applications for licences. This, the corporation said, would enable it determine whether or not it would; grant Deposit Insurance status to the bank, if and when licensed.

“This position, which the corporation claims to have dropped, following our engagement with it, appears to still form the bedrock of some of its proposals on the amendments and is the basis for some of the powers that it seeks to exercise. In this regard, it is the corporation’s position that since it is not involved in the licensing of the banks but is compelled to insure them, it should be bestowed with the power to determine their deposit insurance status with a mere notification in writing to the CBN,” the apex bank said.

The CBN also said the corporation’s determination to supervise banks without reference to the apex bank is evidenced by its written request to the CBN that banks in the financial system be equally shared between both organisations with each party able to exercise regulatory and supervisory powers over its “share” without reference to the other.

“It is in this regard that the corporation proposed to examine banks and issue reports thereon without reference to the CBN. Also, the corporation seeks to remove board and management based on the report of its examinations on these banks. Furthermore, the corporation has sought powers to carry out the consolidated supervision of banks subsidiaries, associates and affiliates without due regard for the sector regulators of such entities,” the apex bank added.

The CBN also accused the corporation of wanting to also determine the licences of banks. This, it based on the proposed amendment to NDIC Act which will empower the corporation to terminate the Deposit Insurance Status of a bank with a mere notification in writing to the CBN. “The corporation also seeks the power to appoint itself as liquidator meaning that should its proposal receive a favourable consideration, it would licence, supervise, insure and resolve a bank,” the CBN told the Senate.

Continuing, the apex bank told the senators that all the above powers, which the NDIC seeks to assume and exercise, are ostensibly to ensure that it carries out its function as a risk minimiser and that depositors

ing for an amendment to the existing laws “to ensure that all such suits abate pending resolution of the winding up petition” among other requests.

Global best practices

• CBN Governor Godwin Emefiele

• Ibrahim

of distressed banks and other deposit taking financial institutions are paid in good time to avoid delays.

The CBN, however, said while it supports the desire to pay depositors of distressed institutions in good time, the proposal to make NDIC “the judge and juror” in cases involving banks is fraught with dangers and is a recipe for financial instability.

“It is indeed the ingredient for chaos and anarchy and is not practised in any financial system in the world. There is also the moral hazard of the NDIC as a deposit insurer that charges premium on the basis of the riskiness of an institution which it supervises without recourse to the CBN to rate such institutions as riskier than they actually are in order to enhance the premium charged to bolster the deposit insurance fund. Consequently, it is essential that the NDIC must flow from its primary function, which is the basis for its establishment, that is, Deposit Insurance. Then and only then, will its role in the financial system as it relates to banks and other deposit taking financial institutions be properly defined,” it said.

According to the apex bank, the NDIC’s responsibilities were aptly couched under Section 2 (1) of its enabling Act as insuring all deposits liabilities of licensed banks and such other deposit taking financial institutions operating in Nigeria within the meaning of sections 16 and 20 of this Act so as to engender confidence in the Nigerian banking system. The corporation is also meant to give assistance to insured institutions in the interest of depositors, in case of imminent or actual financial difficulties particularly where suspension of payments is threatened to avoid damage to public confidence in the banking system among other functions.

and implementation.

He explained that banks have become conglomerates, having established a number of subsidiaries. Therefore, to prevent such subsidiaries being used as vehicles to circumvent banking laws, rules and regulations or as avenue through which depositors’ funds are dissipated, the NDIC argued that “it is imperative that the Corporation through the auspices of the Financial Services Regulation Coordinating Committee (FSRCC) have access to the books and affairs of all the subsidiaries of insured banks to enable it assess on-going transactions between them.

The proposal, he added, would ensure that consolidated supervision of banking groups is carried out effectively but the piece of proposed amendment does not sit pretty with the CBN. Secondly, following the bank consolidation in Nigeria, the asset base of Deposit Money Banks (DMB) have grown so large that failure of any one of them could pose a serious threat to the Deposit Insurance Fund (DIF). Consequently, the NDIC is concerned that “there is the need for a statutory contingency plan to address open bank resolution to prevent failure as much as possible. There is the need to set up an Insured Institution Resolution fund that would be used to address distress on a going concern basis. We therefore propose the establishment of such a fund in a new Subsection (3) of the extant section 37,” said the NDIC boss.

Equally, the Banking and Other Financial Institutions Act (BOFIA) has a provision empowering the Corporation to assume control of certain category of failing banks but the NDIC Act has no provision stipulating the status of the corporation in such circumstances. Based on this disparity, the NDIC wants its status to be linked to that of a conservator.

Speaking further, Ibrahim said that whenever the revocation of the license of a bank and the corporation’s status as provisional liquidator is being challenged in court, several other suits are also instituted by landlords, judgment creditors, and other claimants against the failed bank and the NDIC. The suits invariably drag the corporation to defend the failed bank even when it’s status is tenuous. As a result of this, NDIC is seek-

NDIC reacts NDIC Managing Director, Alhaji Umaru Ibrahim said the corporation wants to promote transparency, accountability and probity. He said the proposed NDIC Act wants the representatives of the CBN and the Ministry of Finance on its Board to be amended from directors to Deputy Governor and Permanent Secretary, to achieve a higher level co-ordination in banking policy formulation

‘The apex bank told the Senate that the amendments being sought by the NDIC are the very ingredient for chaos and anarchy, and will threaten the fabric of our financial stability, which, ironically, the corporation claims, it is seeking to ensure. Rather, in the interest of financial stability, we propose that this opportunity be used to review the corporation’s enabling Act to focus it on its essence, which is deposit insurance, in line with best practices’

While the CBN agreed that in the United States of America (USA), the Federal Reserve shares supervisory and regulatory responsibilities for domestic banking institutions with the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC), the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), and the Office of Thrift Supervision (OTS).

But at the federal level, and with the banking departments of the various states, the primary supervisor of a domestic banking institution is determined by the type of institution that it is and the governmental authority that granted it permission to commence business (commonly referred to as a charter).

The CBN said banks that are chartered by a state government are referred to as state banks, while banks that are chartered by the OCC, which is a bureau of the Department of the Treasury, are referred to as national banks.

Also, the Federal Reserve has primary supervisory authority for state banks that elect to become members of the Federal Reserve System (state member banks). State banks that are not members of the Federal Reserve System (state non member banks) are supervised by the FDIC. In addition to being supervised by the Federal Reserve or FDIC, all state banks are supervised by their chartering state. The OCC supervises national banks. All national banks must become members of the Federal Reserve System.

The FDIC, which insures the deposits of banks and savings associations up to certain limits established by law and as the insurer, has special examination authority to determine the condition of an insured bank or savings association, for insurance purpose.

“It is also important to note that, the USA banking system can hardly be used as an example of best practice as the dual federalstate banking system evolved partly out of the complexity of the U.S Financial system, with its many kinds of depository institutions and numerous chartering authorities,” the CBN argued.

The CBN said the corporation by this proposed provision arrogated to itself the power to withdraw the Deposit Insured Status of any Financial Institution under certain circumstances, a position that is inconsistent with the statutory requirement for providing insurance.

The apex bank told the Senate that the amendments being sought by the NDIC are the very ingredient for chaos and anarchy, and will threaten the fabric of our financial stability, which, ironically, the corporation claims, it is seeking to ensure. Rather, in the interest of financial stability, we propose that this opportunity be used to review the corporation’s enabling Act to focus it on its essence, which is deposit insurance, in line with best practices.

Other stakeholders speak At the end of arguments by both sides, Managing Director, Financial Derivatives Company Limited, Bismark Rewane, cautioned them to bear in mind that delays in settling depositors’ claims on time means that the amount involved for every individual would have lost its value as well as being eroded by inflation. He opted for a speedy payment of the claims of depositors of failed banks and financial institutions so the victims do not suffer unnecessarily.

The Chairman, Senate Committee on Banking, Insurance and Other Financial Institutions, Senator Bassey Edet Otu, said the position of the CBN as the prime regulator in the financial system cannot be disputed.

According to him, the committee was committed to ensuring the safety of financial deposits of Nigerians and as such would not support a Bill capable of compromising the powers of both the CBN and the NDIC.

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THE NATION WEDNESDAY, APRIL 29, 2015

BUSINESS EXTRA

Capital market chiefs hail emergence of Gwarzo DG SEC

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apital market operators have described Gwarzo as a round peg in a round hole and a perfect fit that should be able to impact the market positively.

On-the-spot opinion survey supported the choice of Gwarzo as director-general. Gwarzo was on Monday appointed as the director-general of SEC by President Goodluck Jonathan.

Market operators described Gwarzo as experienced and diligent, noting that his market-wide experience should provide a new verve of energy and initiatives that should drive the market to higher level.

The erstwhile executive commissioner, Operations, SEC, Gwarzo took over as the acting director-general of the apex capital market regulator on Monday, January 12, this year. He succeeded Ms Arunma Oteh, who completed her five-year tenure on Wednesday, January 7, this year. His confirmation on Monday is, however, still subject to the confirmation of the Senate.

By Taofik Salako Capital Market Editor

Section 5, Subsection 1 of the Investments and Securities Act (ISA), the main body of laws regulating the capital market, stipulates that the Director-General and the three full time Commissioners shall be appointed by the President upon the recommendation of the Minister and confirmation by the Senate.

Managing Director, Capital Assets Limited, Mr. Ariyo Olushekun, said the director-general had worked in nearly all segments of the capital market as a stockbroker and regulator at both the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) and Securities and Exchange Commission.

“He is an experienced person; I believe he knows the market sufficiently well having worked in various capacities. He should be able to add significant value, he is a good choice,” Olushekun, the immediate past president of the Chartered Institute of Stockbrokers (CIS) said.

Chief executive officer, Finawell Capital Limited, Mr. Tunde Oyekunle, said Gwarzo should be able to bring his experience to bear

on the market.

According to him, the acting director general is familiar with the operations of the market, which should give him the necessary background needed to succeed in his new position.

Gwarzo, 50, attended Bayero University, Kano and graduated with a Bachelors in Economics in 1987. In 1991, he proceeded to the University of Birmingham in the United Kingdom where he obtained a PostGraduate Degree (PGD) in Development Finance.

He is a fellow of the Chartered Institute of Stockbrokers (CIS).

For 25 years, he has played roles in capital market as an operator and as regulator. He had worked at Ministry of Trade, Kano State; Nigerian Stock Exchange, Century Merchant Bank Limited, Empire Securities Limited, Securities and Exchange Commission, Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria and MTL Global Investment Limited.

Gwarzo was recently elected the chairman of the Africa and Middle East Regional Committee (AMERC) of the International

Organisation of Securities Commissions (IOSCO).

IOSCO is the global body of securities regulators and its membership regulates more than 95 per cent of the world’s securities markets in over 100 jurisdictions. AMERC represents a major bloc in IOSCO. Gwarzo’s election took place at the on-going yearly meeting and conference of the regional body in Muscat, Oman. His term will run for two years. With the election, Gwarzo is to serve on the Executive Committee of IOSCO, the highest decision making organ of the global securities regulatory organisation for the next two years.

In his acceptance speech, Gwarzo appreciated AMERC members for the vote of confidence on him and stated that his election was a further commitment of AMERC to build on the foundations laid in advancing IOSCO and AMERC. He called on members to continue to promote mutual support and cooperation for the benefit of investors, markets and the world economy noting that there is still

a lot of work to be done despite the progress made so far by IOSCO. He stressed the need for improved participation in IOSCO work streams and other relevant activities to enhance visibility of AMERC members within the organisation.

“The essence of our membership of this important organisation is not limited to setting standards only. As critical as standard setting may be to the IOSCO objectives, we also have a responsibility to build the required capacity and be able to deploy these standards for optimum result. We shall also find ways to take full advantage of the numerous opportunities which abound within IOSCO, either in the area of capacity building, enforcement cooperation and information sharing,” Gwarzo said.

He noted that the Committee will continue to deepen discussions and debates on topical issues, including but not limited to long term financing, financial inclusion and literacy, risk based supervision, corporate bonds market and regional integration.

MTN donates car to UI don

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URPRISE took the centre stage at the University of Ibadan (UI) when MTN Nigeria donated a brand new KIA Cereno to Prof Anthony Durojaiye Ologhobo of the Department of Animal Science of the institution.

This, according to the telecoms giant, is in appreciation of the don’s diligence, moral rectitude and the fatherly role to his students.

Earlier in the year, MTN called on undergraduates, to participate in its ‘Surprise Your Professor’ campaign, an off-shoot of the company’s ‘Season of Surprises’, by nominating any of their lecturers who has influenced them in positively.

Last Thursday, MTN’s team, led by its General Manager, Regional Operations, Lagos/Southwest, Mrs Fehintola Mustapha in company of hip-hop artiste, Dr Sid, stormed the UI campus for the donation.

Some of the students, who nomi-

nated Ologhobo, also got iPhones from MTN. A Postgraduate student, Femi Taiwo and Okunhoya Bishop received iPhone 6 from MTN. An elated Ologhobo said: “This is a gift from the Almighty God. I was not expecting anything from MTN. I was only told to come and present some gifts to my students. I don’t know how to explain this. This is a great surprise and I am eternally grateful to MTN for this gesture. I equally use this opportunity to call on other corporate bodies to promote academic excellence, and reward the moral rectitude of deserving dons.

This is an encouragement for all of us at the University of Ibadan, to put our best into whatever we are doing.”

General Manager, Consumer Marketing, MTN, Richard Iweanoge, said: “A professor, within an educational structure represents an icon; they touch lives in meaningful ways.’’

African airlines, others record growth in cargo, passenger traffic

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HE global air transport report has revealed that African airlines have recorded a growth of 4.9 per cent, which reversed the yearly contraction experienced in June, according to the International Air Transport Association (IATA).

IATA Director-General/Chief Executive Officer, Mr Tony Tyler, stated this at the weekend.

He said passenger capacity rose up to 4.5 per cent, with load factor improving to 70.2 per cent.

Currently, the biggest factor impacting international traffic demand in July , according to Tyler is the slowdown of the South African economy, coupled with the Ebola outbreak in West Africa, which intensified towards the end of July, the impact of which was affected the industry since last month.

Also, with the released data for global airfreight markets have showed a strong increase in air cargo in July. Compared to July 2013, freight tonne kilometers (FTKs) that rose to 5.8 per cent.

To IATA, it was acceleration in growth from June when cargo demand grew at less than half that rate of 2.4 per cent.

Global air cargo volumes have now surpassed their previous July peak, in 2010, and look set to continue to increase.

“In particular, the 7.1 per cent growth reported by airlines in AsiaPacific is encouraging as it demonstrates a recovery in trade and a positive response to China’s economic stimulus measures,” Tyler

said .

He continued: “Airlines reported growth in July, which is a positive story for the global economy.

Robust economic conditions support the expansion of travel. In turn connectivity stimulates economic growth and creates jobs. It’s a tried and tested virtuous circle. And the expectation is for continued solid growth over the remainder of 2014.

“We cannot ignore, however, the risks that could de-rail this trajectory. The Ebola outbreak in West Africa, weakness in the Eurozone, hostilities in Eastern Ukraine and instability in the Middle East loom large. Airlines are on track to record a profit of some $18 billion this year. But that is a net profit margin of just 2.4 per cent, which does not provide much of a buffer. So it is critical that governments shore-up connectivity with business friendly policies based on reasonable taxation, costefficient infrastructure and smart regulation.’’

Tyler added: “July was another strong month of growth for air travel. People are connecting by air in ever-greater numbers. That’s true across all regions. Despite the various economic challenges, the outlook for passenger travel remains broadly positive. The overall sluggishness at the beginning of the year appears to be behind us with growth in China and other emerging economies offsetting recent deterioration in the Eurozone.”

•From left: Mrs. Bunmi Kuku, General Manager, Business Development, Nigerian Airspace Management Agency; Mr. Ademola Sanya, Trade sales Manager, British Airways Nigeria; Mrs. Theresa Ananyi,Vice President, Nigerian British Chamber of Commerce; Mr. Kolawole Olayinka, Regional Commercial Manager British Airways, West Africa; Prince Adeyemi Adefulu, President, Nigerian-British Chamber of Commerce (NBCC); Mrs. Joyce Akpata, Director-General NBCC and Mr. Ray Atele, Vice President, NBCC at the Chamber’s Breakfast Meeting in Lagos.

•From left: Managing Director, SKG Pharma Ltd, Mr. Okey Akpa; Manager, Jonaco Pharmacy, Mr. Chizoba Oleuku holding the grand trophy; and General Manager, Sales and Customer Care, SKG, Mrs. Patricia Iloba, at the SKG Pharma Trade Partners conference and awards in Lagos.

British Airways to revamp 747s

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RITISH Airways is rolling out cabin upgrades across 18 of its Boeing 747s, which will be equipped with improved inflight entertainment and modern interiors.

The cabin refresh, which will be performed by British Airways’ engineers in Cardiff, will bring the

aircraft more in line with its Airbus A380s and 787s.

“Our customers love our new aircraft and we wanted to refresh the 747s in line with them,” British Airways aircraft cabin interiors manager Kathryn Doyle said.

“These improvements will be really noticeable to our frequent flyers.”

Universal power sockets and USB points will be installed throughout the World Traveller Plus cabin, and the curtains and carpets will be replaced in both World Traveller and World Traveller Plus The aircraft will be installed with Panasonic’s next generation eX3 entertainment system.

Newspaper of the Year

AN EIGHT-PAGE PULLOUT ON THE SOUTHWEST STATES

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 29, 2015

Day of rage against APC members in Oyo Though the general elections are over, the scar left on the body and the mind of some people caught up in the violence that attended the exercise in some parts of Oyo town, Oyo State will remain forever. BODE DUROJAIYE and TAYO JOHNSON report on the bitter experience of some supporters of the All Progressives Congress (APC) on April 11, the day of Gubernatorial and House of Assembly polls in the hands of some alleged supporters of a rival party

A

PRIL 11, 2015, the day the electorate in the ancient town of Oyo joined other voters in Oyo State to elect members of the state House of Assembly would remain indelible in the minds of residents of Isale-Oyo in the Atiba Local Government Area of the state.

Shortly after the election and

while voting materials were being taken to the collation centres at Ward 3, some youths believed to be members of the Labour party, gathered at major roads in the area and started hurling stones at members of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

They were also reported to have fired several shots with locally made

weapons and pounded the windows and doors of some APC chieftains. Notable among them were the State Chairman, Local Government Service Commission, Chief Lasisi Ayankojo, and former member, House of Representatives, Akinrogun Segun Taiwo.

Scores of party members also sustained varied degrees of injuContinued on page 31

Nworgu

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INSIDE

•Hon Taiwo

Life returns to Ibadan community as fleeing residents return PAGES 36

Undergraduate needs N1m to treat life threatening disease

Pay my husband’s entitlements, cries widow of Rep

PAGES 32 & 33

PAGES 32 & 33

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THE NATION WEDNESDAY, APRIL 29, 2015

30

SOUTHWEST REPORT

Day of rage against APC members in Oyo into a pit where they got hold of me and hit me with a charm, in addition to injuries already sustained. While they were looking for a tyre which they will use to burn me, one of them said they should leave me because I will not survive because of the potency of the charm they had hit me with. Thereafter, I managed to crawl like a baby to a nearby fence which I climbed to the other side of the road where sympathisers came to my rescue and took me to the hospital.’’

Taiwo who is an indigene of Isale- Oyo community, identified one Yemi Oke alias ‘’ewe’’ as the person who wanted to set him ablaze. He added that some minutes before the attack, his wife had been trailing him with her telephone to inform about plans by some people to assassinate him, hence the need to leave the town and seek protection at a neighbouring community. ‘’Early in the month, one Hezekiah Ojo had called me on the telephone in the presence of a newly elected member of the House of Representatives, Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi and incumbent member, House of Assembly, Waliu Alagbon,

,

•Continued from page 29

ries from the violent attacks.

Narrating the show of shame on the ill-fated day, Akinrogun Taiwo said ‘’I was in my vehicle heading to the collation centre located at L.A. Primary School, Sabo, after the conclusion of House of Assembly election. On getting to Oloko-nla area at Isale-Oyo, I saw some youths who were members of the Labour Party, gathered together and were shouting, thief, thief on me. I decided to stay rather than run away since I neither did any harm to anyone nor meant evil. Before I alighted from the vehicle, they started hurling stones at me. I had no option than to take to my heels so as to save my life.’’

He said while running away, his attackers increased in numbers carrying dangerous weapons such as guns, cutlasses, bottles, and axes. ‘’They were cursing both the State Governor, Abiola Ajimobi, leader of the community, Alhaji Lasisi Ayankojo and the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi 111, saying any indigene of Isale- Oyo who support the duo is a bastard. I later ran

I saw some youths who were members of the Labour Party, gathered together and were shouting, thief, thief on me. I decided to stay rather than run away since I neither did any harm to anyone nor meant evil.

Before I alighted from the vehicle, they started hurling stones at me. I had no option than to take to my heels so as to save my life.’’

,

threatening to set ablaze my hotel and filling station. This had been reported to the police. Substantial amount of money, wedding ring, two handsets, shoe, hand and neck chains were items carted away by the attackers. My vehicle was also damaged’’.

He revealed that even though the police have made some arrest totaling

about nine, many of the alleged political thugs who assaulted him were still at large, “the case is now before the state Commissioner of Police, some arrests have been made. They have made nine arrests. I can identify some and those who rescued me can identify others. They are between 15 and 20, in number.

“All I am saying is that the security agencies should allow justice to prevail and I am using this medium to appeal to National Human Rights Commission to come to my aid because I was seriously beaten like a guinea pig to the extent that I lost consciousness, I was in a state of coma for 30 minutes.”

The victim also opined, “the only justice we can get is for them to cancel the Ward election and deduct the result from the whole result for the constituency and declare Honourable Waliu Adekunle Alagbon, the incumbent Honourable member of the House of Assembly as the Honourable member-elect of the Atiba State constituency.”

Speaking on the incident, the State Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Deputy Superintendent of

Police, Adekunle Ajisebutu, confirmed that nine suspects had been arrested over the issue. The suspects, he said would be charged to court shortly after investigation.

Also commenting on the incident Honourable Waliu Adekunle Alagbon, described the attack as ‘’ unfortunate and barbaric’’.

Waliu called for a thorough and unbiased investigation of the attack by both the Independent National Electoral Commission and security agencies, in order to fish out and prosecute perpetrators, as well as determine the validity of results collated in the absence of representatives of a major contender, who were chased away with dangerous weapons by the opposition.

Political violence is part and parcel of a broader epidemic of violence that has devastated the lives of tens of thousands of Nigerians since the country’s return to civilian rule in 1999.

Since 1999, Nigeria has also seen hundreds of inter-communal clashes that were not overtly political in nature dividing Nigerians against one another along ethnic, religious, or other inter-communal lines.

R

ESIDENTS of FESTAC, Lagos State have called on the newly elected leaders from the area to immediately get to work upon assumption of office to see how they can tackle infrastructural gaps in the community.

At the quarterly meeting of the Festival Town Residents Association (FTRA) its President, Mr Shola Fakorede, lamented the pitiable state of the fire service, saying that fire fighters cannot respond to emergency situations. He said that the fire station in the area has been in a derelict state for years, and has now been turned into to a drinking joint.

The meeting held at 512 Road, offered residents the opportunity to also discuss poor road networks.

Fakorede, admonished newly elected leaders to walk their talk as the perennial neglect suffered by the area is enough and can no longer be tolerated.

He assured that FESTAC community would not relent in attracting more of government’s presence in especially in the improvement of facilities and employment opportunities for youths. The recent fire outbreak at 22 Road Fakorede explained, resulted in untold havoc because fire fighters could not respond promptly.

When the fire station at FESTAC was alerted, the vehicle had no water, while the second vehicle that had did not have battery, Fakorede explained, adding that by the time fire fighters from Badagry and Ikeja stations arrived the scene, three buildings had already been torched.

He said the FTRA would soon embark on a self-help initiative to

FESTAC residents ask new leaders to walk their talk •From right: Mr Robert Tella, DPO Owo, Dr Alex Edoh, Mr Fakorede and others during the meeting Adegunle Olugbamila

revive the ailing fire station, so as to forestall future occurrences. The association, Fakorede stressed, would parley with kind-hearted individuals, companies and corporate bodies within FESTAC to discuss plans towards pumping life back into the fire station.

“We should take our destiny in our hands. We will no longer leave town hall meetings for politicians to organise. It must not be party affairs either. It should be people’s affairs and we must get involved.

It is our duty to make elected rep-

resentative accountable to us.”

Fakorede thanked residents for the peaceful presidential and gubernatorial elections, attributing the development to series of peace-meetings FTRA had with the key political actors in the area. According to him some of the events witnessed during the last elections point to the fact that power now resides with electorate.

The Chairman of 512 Road, Tunde Ajayi, called for the construction of 512 Road by the next executive chairman of the Amuwo- Odofin council.

“From its inception, 512 Road residents levy themselves to repair and

maintain the road annually. But when the opportunity came for such three-digit roads to be reconstructed, residents of 512 were shocked when their roads were left out despite a promise by the former council chairman,” he said.

Like Fakorede, Ajayi also urged elected leaders to justify the confidence reposed in them and work for the people. He commended the leadership of the association for the vociferous demand for the installation of free pre-paid metres in FESTAC by the Eko Electricity Distribution Com-

pany (EEDC).

The Divisional Police Officer, FESTAC, Ifeanyi Owo, praised residents for the exemplary conduct exhibited during the last election.

Owo also expressed joy on the effective policing of FESTAC environs, a situation which has now restored peace in FESTAC. “This is the day of human rights.

We follow due process, not battering or intimidation. I am a human rights police officer. We allow the law to take its course. I don’t believe in jungle justice. The synergy between the police and FESTAC community has been so cordial.”

APC chieftain greets Buhari, Ambode

A

•Oyedele

LAGOS-based chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Mrs Sola Oyedele has congratulated the President-elect, Gen Muhammadu Buhari, his vice, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, Lagos State Governor-elect, Mr Akinwunmi Ambode, his deputy, Mrs Risikat Adebule and other APC elected candidates on their victories in the just concluded general elections.

Their victory, she said, is a plus for democracy and the beginning of new things to come for Nigerians.

According to Mrs Oyedele, the newly elected APC members across the country will definitely bring back the lost glory of the country.

She urged the leaders to lead well to ensure that dividend of democracy for all.

According to Oyedele, the opposition party Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) was defeated because of its corruption, non-transparent mode of administration, lack of focus, selfishness, greed, arrogance and lack of control.

She advised the party to embrace unity and avoid ethnicity and tribal-

ism in the ongoing zoning of crucial national positions, for it not to disrupt the peace, harmony and love in the party.

Mrs Oyedele appealed to the party leaders to avoid wrong selection and imposition in the forthcoming local government election.

She urged Lagos State Governor-elect, Ambode to continue to build on the legacy of the National Leader, Asiwaju Ahmed Bola Tinubu, which was sustained by His Excellency Babatunde Raji Fashola.

Oyedele also urged him and his deputy to work harder and increase the APC followership in the state.

She appealed to the President-Elect, Gen Muhammadu Buhari to tackle corruption which has become endemic in the country and has drawn Nigeria back among the comity of nations.

According to her, Buhari looks like the needed messiah that will redeem the country from the current hopelessness and drift.

She therefore urged Gen Buhari to appoint credible people into his cabinet so that governance can again have focus and Nigerians can again gain from selfless service of true patriots.

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, APRIL 29, 2015

31

SOUTHWEST REPORT Roundabouts, parks, road and road medians in Ibadan and Osogbo, capitals of Oyo and Osun states are wearing new looks, thanks to the urban renewal initiatives of Governors Abiola Ajimobi and Rauf Aregbesola. The company behind the beautification projects is Ershaw, an indigenous firm. It’s Chairman, an Architect Olumide Eso, spoke with BISI OLADELE and gave an insight into the company’s world.

‘Our projects don’t just beautify, they help local economy’ T

HE Nelson Mandela Freedom Park in Osogbo is a state-of-the art facility. What’s the idea behind the project?

The Nelson Mandela Freedom Park primarily serves as a facility for the recreation and relaxation of the dwellers of the Osogbo city, the state capital as well as people from the State of Osun in general. The park would naturally provide the necessary and hitherto non-existent past-time recreational or entertainment opportunity which is required after the daily activities of the dwellers. On the other hand, the park is conceptualized to be a hub for such activities as tourism, hospitality and pleasure, art, visual art performances and so on.

But isn’t it an example of what one could regard as a white-elephant project?

I disagree with the view that the Freedom Park could be regarded by anyone as a white-elephant project. A white elephant project is

The Nelson Mandela Freedom Park is a revenuegenerating project.

There is no way anyone can say that a project that can generate funds for a state has contributed to poverty. On the contrary, it is contributing to wealth

one that is of no tangible value to the people but the Freedom Park has changed the story and face of Osogbo for good. Let us even not talk about the name, which makes it a memorial for someone that Africans and people from the world over should emulate, the late Nelson Mandela, that project helped in formalizing an otherwise disorderly and informal relaxation and recreational life of the Osogbo city dwellers. Apart from that, it has remarkably reduced and curtailed the inevitable spread of squalor, filth and slums noticeable in Nigerian major cities, which usually result from lack of plans for urban growth and disorganised living.

The Freedom Park project is a bold and robust attempt by the Governor Rauf Aregbesola’s administration to ensure urban regeneration and renewal and you can see that it occupies a strategic point in his agenda and the evidences are there in the many number of roads and other urban renewal projects he is carrying out in the state. You will also agree with me that with the Nelson Mandela Park, the re-engineering of the total well-being of the state’s citizens through the remodeling of the environment has been carried out. This has been precipitated in the provision of visual, atmospheric, recreational and pleasure-enhancing structures and components in the park.

With the Nelson Mandela Park, the status of Osogbo city has been repositioned and strengthened as a world-class art and culture destination. And, for your information, the park is designed to be a revenue-

generating project; it has helped in creating revenue through the attraction of exhibitions, performances, culinary and visual art & cultural activities as well as hospitality & pleasure, trade, commerce and investments.

Usually, at the beginning of projects like that, some people would have been affected either through displacement or other means. How did the people react at inception and what is their reaction after its completion?

Well, the people’s reaction at the beginning of the project was mixed; while some were hostile, others were just indifferent. Yet, there were a few of them who saw sense in what was being done and encouraged us.

However, when we completed the project and it was put to use, the reaction has been quite exciting and appreciative and you could see the joy and pride on the faces of anyone who has been to that place. It is world-class, and a project like this can only bring happiness to the people of Osogbo, which is why I disagree with you that some people will call it a white-elephant project.

Maybe the people that see the park as needless considered the level of poverty in the land and the fact that a project such as this could only have contributed more to it through capital flight. Don’t you think so?

As I said earlier, the Nelson Mandela Freedom Park is a revenuegenerating project. There is no way anyone can say that a project that can generate funds for a state has contributed to poverty. On the contrary, it is contributing to wealth. Secondly, there is no such thing as capital flight with Ershaw; we are not only indigenous, we have been able to make other interventions through steady increase in the contribution to and participation in the city’s growing economy in the area of real estate, employment generation, commerce and so on. For example, Ershaw Nigeria Limited has a staff strength of about 250 in the State of Osun alone and 175 of that number are indigenes of the state. As a matter of fact, the government of Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola deserves to be commended for using home-grown quality contractors in his urban renewal drive in the state and this government has, with fear of being immodest, reduced poverty greatly through different interventions across all sectors. The Freedom Park is one of such interventions.

Your company is also handling the beautification projects in Ibadan.

How has it been able to maintain the historical ambience in the projects carried out so far?

A landscaper that knows his onions will tell you that Ibadan is a delight because it has great potentials. The hilly and undulating terrains and

•Baba Oja, Ladipo Auto-Spare parts International Market, Alhaji Abibu Oki Oladokun (left); Monday Lawrence; Executive Secretary Mushin Local Government, Hon. Jide Bello; President-General, Ladipo Auto-Spare parts International Market, Mr Kingsley Ogonor and Divisional Police Officer, Olosan Police Station Mr Babatola Afolabi at a reconciliation meeting.

the natural embankments are good for the creation of an attractive sight but the deep historical connections and cultural heritage could be lost in such creations unless one makes a conscious effort to retain them. That is why you see our modern designs of roundabouts with symbols of talking drums and so on.

But you have to give credit to the Oyo State Government under the leadership of Senator Abiola Ajimobi, a man who pays attention to aesthetics, for his urban renewal programme, which enabled us to carry out the beautification projects.

And we have a robust, continuous and extensive maintenance of the various sites under our supervision to make sure that the ambience and beauty already created are not sabotaged.

•House of Assembly Member-elect, Obokun State Constituency, Olatunbosun Oyintiloye (second right) exchanging pleasantries with an old woman, Mrs Cecilia Oladokun during his Thank You Visit to Ibokun Market. With them are, Obokun All Progressive Congress (APC) Chieftain, Mr Jide Agbaje (second left) and others.

32

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, APRIL 29, 2015

33

SOUTHWEST REPORT

Alaafin slams foreign scholars on African traditions A

T

HE Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Olayiwola Adeyemi 111, has described as affront, impression by some foreign scholars that traditional Africans were incapable of rational thinking, but possessed ‘primitive mentality which was characterised by mystical participation.

Oba Adeyemi stated this at the installation of Barrister Wale Adeoye, as the Bobagunwa of Akinmorin in the Afijio Local Government area of Oyo State.

The paramount ruler said the idea and structure of human society for traditional Africans, are essentially part of a world-view that is fundamentally holistic, sacred and highly integrated. ‘’Human community, therefore, has its full meaning and significance within the transcendental centre of ultimate meaning. Hence, the belief in ancestors and the supernatural order, in addition to its inherent religious import, provides traditional African groups a useful over-arching system that helps people organise reality and impose divine authority and sanction to their life.’’

According to him, traditional Africans, like their counterparts in other parts of the world, are acutely aware of the distinction between the physically living (men and women of flesh and blood who constitute the actual visible community), and ancestral spirits and other supersensible beings who belong to the invisible order. It would be wrong therefore, to conclude from the foregoing explanation of the myth, ‘’The sense of community and humane living are highly cherished values of traditional African life.

This statement remains true in spite of the apparent disarray in the experience of modern politics and brutal internecine wars in many parts of the Continent. For traditional Africans, the community is basically sacred, rather than secular, and surrounded by several religious forms

•Alaafin of Oyo with Barrister Wale Adeoye, Bobagunwa of Akinmorin From Bode Durojaiye, Oyo

and symbols.’’

It is an essential article of belief in African traditional religions, Alaafin asserted that a fundamental delicate balance and equilibrium exist in the universe, between the visible world and the invisible one. ‘’The Creator, Olodumare among the Yoruba or Chukwu among the Igbo, created everything that exists and set everything in its place. Traditional Africans basically view the universe as comprising basically two realms; the visible and the invisible realms. They grasp the cosmos as a three-tiered structure, consisting of the heaven above, the physical world and the world beneath. Each of these is inhabited by different categories of beings. The Creator and a host of spirit beings, includ-

ing arch divinities inhabit the heaven above, other divinities, ancestors, and myriads of unnamed spirits dwell in the world beneath, while human beings occupy the physical earth. Human beings may be less powerful, but their world is the centre and the focus of attention. It belongs to human beings as sensible beings to maintain the delicate balance in the universe. This is what assures the happiness and prosperity of individuals and the community.’’ The monarch said.

Harmonious living, Oba Adeyemi argued, is clearly a pivotal value, adding that African traditional religions, which have been rightly referred to as the womb of the people’s culture, plays a key role in the realisation of this allimportant value among every traditional African group.

‘’Traditional Africans hold the ancestors as the closest link the physically living have with the spirit world. “The living-dead are bilingual; they speak the language of men, with whom they lived until ‘recently’, and they speak the language of the spirits and of God...They are the ‘spirits’ with which African peoples are most concerned: it is through the living-dead that the spirit world becomes personal to men.

They are still part of their human families, and people have personal memories of them. From early childhood through adolescence to full adulthood, the traditional African is formed to hold tenaciously to the belief in the ancestors, to reverence them as powerful and benevolent members of the community, although not in a physical but rather mystical sense. Ancestors are

held up as models to be copied in the effort to strictly adhere, preserve and transmit the traditions and norms of the community. The African is psychologically, fully equipped and motivated to promote the delicate balance and equilibrium believed to exist in the universe through ensuring harmony in his relationship with the invisible world and among members of the community’’ Extolling the virtues of Barrister Adeoye, Alaafin described him as an ‘’epitome of trust, diligence and dedication to justice, whose contributions imparts impressively in the society.’’

He said the legal practitioner has not only proven to be erudite, but his passion for the down-trodden and zerotolerance for deception remains source of inspiration

Pay my husband’s entitlements, cries widow of Rep More than one year after the death of Hon. Raphael Nomiye, a member of the House of Representatives representing Ilaje/Ese-Odo Federal Constituency on November 22, 2013, his widow, Oneabire, has cried out over the non-payment of his entitlement. She spoke with DAMISI OJO.

H

OW has life been after the untimely death of your husband? says that “whosoever deprives the widow of their rights will It has not been easy at all. I feel incomplete, dejected and deserted never see mercy”. My husband’s salary for the month of Nowithout my husband. I am now more committed to God because He vember, 2013 was between thirty to forty million naira while is my hope and nobody else. I have a lot of challenges because everything my the severance allowance will be determined by the years he husband left for me is a liability. spent in the House before his death. Though, I appreciate the Liability in what sense? efforts of some of my husband’s colleagues in the House, like You know my husband was a man of valour. So he left good legaHon. Debo Ologunagba and Hon. Akinleye. They are not cies behind which are too expensive for me to maintain. The relenting in helping us to get the money paid.

House, cars, companies, all these are too expensive for me as Your husband was from the oil producing area a woman to maintain. My husband had 10 children includof Ondo State and his community, Molutehin ing the ones he had from other women. Today, they are all is a major beneficiary of oil derivation fund. under my care and nobody knows how they feed except Why are your children not enlisted in the members of my husband’s family. All his friends, pocommunity scholarship programme? litical associates have turned their backs at us includThey are not enlisted. What the oil ing the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. producing communities in the state did Aminu Tambuwal and his colleagues in the National in compensation and honour of my late Assembly. Whenever I call them, they won’t pick my husband was that they asked me to nomcalls. I have even met with Governor Mimiko and his inate the chairman of the representatives wife on the need for government to pay my husof the oil producing communities in the band’s salary and entitlements but nothing was done. coastal area of Ondo state. I nominated My brother, life has been hellish and unbearable for my brother-in-law but the Olugbo of me.

Ugbo land HRH Oba Akinrutan Obateru But the Speaker of the House of Representatives didn’t allow the arrangement to work. We Aminu Tambuwal and Governor Mimiko personally have taken the case to the Governor but noth•The late attended your husband’s burial and publicly announced ing has been done. My late husband was the Nomiye that they will stand by you and the children pioneer chairman of representative of oil proSo they said but nothing has come from them. It is by the ducing communities in Ondo State and he used the grace of God and the support of my husband’s family that we live position to develop his people in the communities. His today. During the burial, they all promised the heavens and earth but they impact was felt throughout the nooks and crannies of the coasthave reneged on their pledges. On several occasions, I went to Abuja to press al area of Ondo State. It is as a result of that that the committee for the payment of my husband’s salary for the month of November, 2013 again asked me to bring somebody who will in turn take care of but the security guards didn’t allow me to see Hon. Tambuwal. You know he me and my children. died November 22, 2013 but as I am talking to you now, his entitlements and You said you met with Governor Mimiko concerning your salary for the month of November, 2013 have not been paid. I am calling on predicaments and payment of your late husband’s salaries.

Nigerians to help me ask the Speaker of the House of Representatives to Yes I did. But nothing has been heard. I also met his wife explain why he is avoiding me and why he doesn’t want to pay my husband’s who also promised to assist but nothing has been done with entitlements. regards to that. I am trying to sustain the standard of education Do you suspect any foul play? my husband gave to his children when he was alive. This is a lot Only God knows what is actually happening. Remember what the Bible of responsibility. I am surprised that those who wined and dined

•Mrs. Nomiye

On several occasions, I went to Abuja to press for the payment of my husband’s salary for the month of November, 2013 but the security guards didn’t allow me to see Hon. Tambuwal with my husband, those who cried and wailed during his burial, those who came here with big promises have all deserted us.

PPARENTLY disturbed by the unending incidences of abandonment of babies in Ekiti State, wife of the Governor, Mrs. Feyisetan Fayose, has called for an end to the act.

Mrs. Fayose said rather than throwing away babies she described as gifts from God, mothers in such positions should approach relevant institutions for the safe upkeep of such babies.

The Ekiti First Lady made the remarks during her visit to Erelu Angela Adebayo Children’s Home in Iyin-Ekiti where she spent time with the children and staff.

She used the opportunity to donate food items, beverages and toiletries to the Home.

The First Lady noted that it was a sin against God for a woman to abandon her child under whatever guise.

She said: “It is a sin against God for a woman who carried a pregnancy for nine months and after delivering the baby decide to dump it.

“If you know you cannot take care of such a baby, you can openly sign off with children home or hospital so that they can help you to take care of such a baby.

Mrs. Fayose said she had promised during her last visit to the Home in January this year when she was marking her 51st birthday anniversary that she would not distance herself from the Home.

She commended the members of staff of the Home for their selfless care for the children.

In his remarks, the Acting Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Women Affairs, who doubles the Director, Social Welfare, Mr. Ayo Ibikunle, expressed appreciation to the governor’s wife for her benevolence, describing her as a blessing to the state.

Also speaking at the occasion, the Director, Child Development, Mrs. Boluwatife urged well-to-do individuals and organisations to

A

LABA Oloye, a 30-year-old 400 level student at the Department of Sociology, Adekunle Ajasin University Akungba, Ondo State is facing a serious health challenge that could claim his life.

He is suffering from what his doctors called Ameloblastic carcinoma, a disease which could lead to heart problem and probably death if not properly managed.

An indigent student managing to pay his fees in schools,Alaba has been placed on a N5,000 daily drugs to ameliorate his health condition, a situation that has virtually drained him monetarily. Several times, he contemplated leaving school and abandoning his unversity-education altogether because of the pain from his worsening health conditions.

He needs just N1million to get the corrective surgery that could restore him to good health. His case is critical and demands urgent attention.

According to Alaba, his terrible health condition which began in 2007 when he noticed a smallboil on his chicks has affected both his health status, his academic standard along with social stigma associated with the disease.

A consultant of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon at the Obafemi Awolowo University Ile-Ife, Doctor I.O Ojo who diagonised him said Alaba is being planned for jaw resection and reconstruction using titamin reconstruction plate and screws with lilac bone graft under general anaesthesia.

Doctor Ojo noted that if the disease is not properly managed, it could result to heart problem which is dangerous to his health.

Since the demise of his father several years ago, Alaba has been paying school fees and fend for himself all alone a development which almost made him withdrawn from school when the disease surfaced.

Wife of Ekiti State Governor, Mrs. Feyisetan Fayose (second right) presenting beverages and food item to the Matron of Erelu Adebayo Children Home, Iyin-Ekiti, Mrs. Josephine Abiodun (third left) during the governor’s wife visit to the Children Home...recently.With them are Wife of the Deputy Governor, Mrs. Janet Olusola (second left), Wife of the Head of Service, Mrs. Tola Faseluka (left) and the Director of Child Development in the Ministry of Women Affairs, Mrs. Boluwatife (right).

Fayose’s wife to women: don’t abandon babies “It is a sin against God for a woman who carried a pregnancy for nine months and after delivering the baby decide to dump it.

From Odunayo Ogunmola, Ado-Ekiti

support the home with educational materials for the children.

She called on well spirited peo-

ple in the society to develop the habit of taking the children to their personal homes during holidays.

•Wife of Ekiti State Governor, Mrs. Feyisetan Fayose (left) receiving a baby from the Matron of Erelu Adebayo Children Home, Iyin-Ekiti, Mrs. Josephine Abiodun during the governor’s wife visit to the children Home...recently.

Undergraduate needs N1m to treat life threatening disease From By Jeremiah Oke, Ibadan

Speaking with The Nation in Ibadan, Alaba said he was going through a lot of pains and agony. He said he was has been going from pillar to post, seeking for help from well-meaning Nigerians.

Narrating how it started, he said he noticed he was having pains in his tooth which he thought it was a toothache. “ I noticed pains in my tooth and I thought it was a toothache. I visited a general hospital in Ikare area of Ondo State where they refered me to the Specialist hospital in Akure. The Doctor said they did not have equipment to operate it and als refereed me to Obafemi Awolowo University teaching hospital, Ile-Ife. “When I got to OAU teaching hospital, Doctor Ojo diagonised me for Ameloblastic Carcinoma and asked me to operate it within a shortwhile because it could later affect my heart and result to death. I hustle to pay school fees and buy 5,000 Naira drugs every week. Nigerians should help me.”

“I don’t want to die of this disease. Please help me. I am going through serious pains now. My dad is late and my mum is a bean-cake seller. Many students avoid to talk to me as a result of this disease. I have approached Ondo State government severally, but nobody was ready to help.

“The State House of Assembly promised severally but could not

When I got to OAU Teaching Hospital, Dr Ojo diagonised me for Ameloblastic Carcinoma and asked me to operate it within a shortwhile because it could later affect my heart and result to death. I hustle to pay school fees and buy N5,000 drugs every week. Nigerians should help me fulfil their promises. It is only my school that donated a sum of 100,000 for me. I want Nigerians to help me!”

Alaba said he decided to reach out to and well-meaning Nigerians through this newspaper so that he can live again. “I hope that Nigerians would come to my rescue.” Alaba cries out.

Help could be given to Alaba through his bank account and details.

Account Name: Oloye Alaba Amos Account Number: 0060047638 Bank: Access Bank Branch: Akungba Branch Mobile Number: 08109635982

• Alaba

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, APRIL 29, 2015

34

SOUTHWEST REPORT

Eyinni old students back at alma mater, 44 years after •Govt urged to change school’s name

W

HEN they left Eyinni High School, Ibadan 44 years ago, none could tell what life had in stock for them as they set out to chart a course for themselves, drawing from the education they had just received at their alma mater.

Between then and now, many others had taken a similar step after graduating from the school located at Orita Challenge area of the Oyo State capital.

But 44 years down the line many of them had cause to thank God, their teachers and late Chief Jonathan Odebiyi who founded Eyinni High School 49 years ago, for the quality of education and moral they received while at the school.

The occasion was a grand reunion of old students of Eyinni High School and the venue was the school Assembly Hall that had played host to many important events in the history of the school and the students including numerous Valedictory service.

The old students all occupying highly-acclaimed positions, having acquired professional accom-

•L-R: National President, Old Student Association of Eyinni High School Surv.

Adekunle Adedeji, Mrs. Abigael Abioye (rtd. Teacher) and National Legal Advicer of the Association, Otunba Kunle Kalejaiye (SAN) at a he re-union meeting.

plishments in different fields of endeavour, turned out in large numbers, looking their best at the reunion, the first in the history of the school, to talk about the good old days, share experiences of life and deliberate on ways to move the school forward.

They reminisced on their time at their alma mater, and renewed their call on government to rename the school, Jonathan Odebiyi High School.

The president of old student association, , Mr Kunle Adedeji took the gathering down memory lane with jokes, anecdotes and tales of events that happened years ago.

He stated that nothing brings

more joy than reconnecting with old friends and acquaintances at a time that is least expected.

“Some of us have not seen in the last 44 years when the first set of students graduated. Today such people are meeting face to face to reenact those old days of seriousness in academics and fun chanting; hope you have not forgotten those nicknames of yesteryears. It is worthy to note that the association tried in so many ways to bring this august occasion into being many years ago which resulted into little success due to difficulty in communicating with our members but today, the story has changed tremendously as the world has become a global vil-

•Rehabilitation of a class room embarked upon by the old students

lage where it is possible now to communicate with anyone through social media platform” he said On the impact made so far by the association on their Alma mater, Adedeji said:” we have been involved in physical development of the school through building of new structures, repair and maintenance of old ones, such as the block of building housing the principal’s office and computer room, donated by Pastor Bayo Olugbemi on his 40th birthday 11 years ago; repair of dilapidated buildings, re-roofing of blocks of building used as classrooms and building of a standard hall”

The president of the association further disclosed that the old students have given out materials and prizes to the best teachers of the school recently in order to encourage them.

According to him, “we have instituted various prizes on some subjects annually to encourage our students academically, which were made possible through some of us like my good self, Barr. Kunle Kalejaiye (SAN), Bayo Olugbemi among others.”

Lamenting on the school’s land being encroached upon, Adedeji said some people are claiming to have purchased the school land from some landowners, stressing

Cleric advises Buhari on good governance

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ROM the pulpit came an advice to the President-elect, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari to pilot the affairs of the country with the fear of God. The Archbishop of Ondo Ecclesiastical Province of the Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion), Most Revd. George Lasebikan urged the former head of state to ensure that his administration entrench good governance in order to put smiles on the faces of the people who voted for him.

The cleric gave the advice during the third session of the 21st Synod of the Diocese of Ondo held at Saint Andrew’s Anglican Church Idimoge, Ondo, Ondo state.

While congratulating Buhari for his success at the poll, he urged him to abide by the election promises made to the people, so that the confidence reposed in him as a disciplined and incorruptible person would be justified.

He lamented what he described as the inability of past leadership to address the problems bedeviling the nation.

This development he said has brought the nation’s growth to the lowest level, resulting in abject poverty, unemployment and devaluation of the country’s currency.

The religious leader, explained that the decision by the people to have a change of leadership at the top, may have been influenced by their wish to produce a leader, who they believe would be able to change the trend.

While charging the Presidentelect to redouble his effort in ensuring that people’s expectations are met, Most Revd Lasebikan explained that his victory should not

From Damisi Ojo, Akure

be regarded only as the manifestation of the cry for change which he said was the slogan before the election, but should provide the basis for him to produce the answer to the change needed in the nation.

He advised Buhari to be wary of people of shady characters, who may want to come into his government to achieve their selfish ambitions.

His words “elections have come and gone, now and the cry for change has manifested in the results that voted out a party and voted in another. That is just the beginning.

It does not provide the answer to the needed change in the nation.

“This becomes more evident because the party voted in does not consist of innocent and holy men. Rather, it is a conglomerate of men of different characters whose description can best be described as shady also”.

While congratulating Nigerians for participating in the election, Rev Lasebikan urged the people not to be silent on their expectations from the new administration, by ensuring that they keep them on their toes.

He also urged the people to continue to pray for the new government, so that they would be able to pilot the affairs of the country with wisdom and creativity, so as to enable Nigeria to achieve the needed growth among the comity of nations.

The cleric admonished the political class to refrain from violence in their quest to acquire political power, stating that it is only God that gives power and put somebody in any position and not mortals.

Sustaining the tempo of road The Lagos State Public Works Corporation has stepped up its road maintenance activities across the state, making roads better. MIRIAM EKENE OKORO reports.

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HE administration of Governor Babatunde Fashola (SAN) has scored high in its effort at improving the infrastructural development especially in the area of construction and rehabilitation of roads network in Lagos State.

But inadequate maintenance of this infrastructure in the past has left some roads in deplorable condition.

Considering the situation, the Lagos State Public Works Corporation in 2010 intensified effort in its road maintenance work a situation that has improved the harrowing experience residents go through daily plying the roads.

Taking off with just two tractors and a pay loader, the agency has gradually increased its equipment fleet to more than 60 heavy duty and medium equipment, with the objective of delivering better road facilities for Lagosians.

Executive Chairman of the Corporation, Mr. Gbenga Akintola, explained that the Lagos State Government strengthened its approach to road maintenance and rehabilitation in order to make impact on almost all parts of the state, either in the urban centres or suburbs.

He said the state government had built required capacity for road maintenance, adding that interlocking paving stone was incor-

porated into the road maintenance approaches employed by the corporation as a way of making roads constructed in water-prone areas or places with severe drainage challenges last longer.

He added that the establishment of two additional asphalt production plants was geared towards expanding its maintenance activities to efficiently cover the nooks and crannies of Lagos.

These two asphalt plants located in Imota (Ikorodu Axis) and Ajido (Badagry Axis) of the state have production capacity of 160 tons of Asphalt per hour.

The Chairman noted that while Imota plant has already been commissioned by the Governor in February 2014,that of Badagry is presently waiting commissioning, even though it has started full operation since December 2014.

The Imota plant is expected to

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, APRIL 29, 2015

35

SOUTHWEST REPORT

•Some of the old students

that the association stood up to defend the school by writing the state governor to intervene in the matter to halt the invaders.

He went on to say that:”kudos must be given to Barr. Kunle Kalejaiye, Pastor Bayo Olugbemi, Alhaji Saka Adepoju, Alhaji Waheed Odusile, Pastor Raphael Okpaire, Dipo Durojaiye, Lara Akintoye and Kunle Adedeji on this issue” Leading the call for the renaming of the school to Jonathan Odebiyi High School was a legal luminary, Barr. Kunle Kalejaiye who stated that Late Chief Jonathan Odebiyi, the founder of the school, was the principal from 17th January 1969 and contributed immense-

ly to the development of the school.

“Chief Odebiyi believes that every citizen must not only pass through a school system but also must be tailored to be productive, skillful, patriotic, politically aware and courageous. When I was here Chief Odebiyi handled the Monday morning assembly in his academic robes. The Fourah Bay College, Sierra Leone’s academic gown with its hairy hood was fixed in my mind. He spent less than 90 days here to put up the laboratory building, the technical workshop, a well equipped library and a school farm. Chief Odebiyi wore the school uniform and ate from the same pot as the students.

PHOTOS: FEMI ILESANMI

“Do we have an all round education (today) as we had in our days and bequeathed to us by this school? Can you proudly beat your chest and say that this is the same Eyinni High School of Mrs Abigail Olabisi Abioye, Mr Adesina and Baba Okposo. ýIf you look around you, our school land had been stolen by land speculators and dare devil land grabbers. The government cannot be bothered. I wrote to the government on 30th of April, 2013 but no response. I wrote again on the 23rd of January, 2015, threatened to take them to court, before they replied on 25th of February, 2015 for the first time”, he said According to him, “I am using

this occasion to appeal to the state government to change the name of this school from Eyinni to Jonathan Odebiyi High School.

“By and large, our journey for the past 49 years has justified the hope expressed 49 years ago by Chief Odebiyi. It is now beyond argument that Eyinni High School named after one who became deified in Iboro, Yewa, has become a colossus, a giant and a proud parent of us all” Kalejaiye said Also the general secretary of the association, Pastor Bayo Olugbemi disclosed that for the rehabilitation of the school structures, the old students had spent over N20 million in the past two years.

“The old students of this school

are ýcontributing immensely to give our Alma mater a face lift.

There are rehabilitations of classrooms, halls, laboratory, staff rooms going on now. We also solicit assistance from cooperate bodies for all this projects. Most of the structures of this school are dilapidated and we can’t fold our hands and watch” Olugbemi said Another old student of the school, Colonel Ojo Olusegun from the Defence headquarters expressed his joy for reuniting with his friends after over 30 years. He said nothing makes him feel happier than seeing his old school mates in good health and making progress after many years.

•Officials of the Lagos State Public Works, working on some roads

maintenance in Lagos take care of no fewer than 420 roads located in Ikorodu, Epe, Ibeju-Lekki, Ikorodu and part of Eti-Osa Local government areas, while that of Badagry is to cater for over 400 roads in Ojo, Amuwo-Odofin, Ajeromi-Ifelodun and part of Alimosho Local Government areas.

He explained the benefits of the new asphalt plant, saying it was situated in Imota for strategic reasons. “Asphalt has a lot of heat.

When the heat is lost or brought to a particular level, the asphalt will no longer be useful. It cakes up and becomes useless, thereby leading to loss of resources in term of cash and time.”

On fixing and replacement of manhole cover, Akintola said “LSPWC was not involved in fixing of manhole covers and gratings.

However, due to public outcry on the danger posed by removal and vandalisation of the steel-made

manhole covers and gratings by some unscrupulous persons, the corporation researched into and introduced a new type made of recycled plastic which would be of zero market value and thereby dissuade those who usually remove them to sell at the steel market from doing so.”

He explained that so far, the corporation has fixed 591 manhole covers and grating adding that replacement of 492 others is currently ongoing in the third phase.

One unique features that has helped the corporation achieve its objective is the fact that it was reengineered and equipped to carry out its functions day and night, at weekends and even during public holidays.

“This new orientation helps it maximize the dry season when road maintenance work can be easily carried out without inhibitions from

rain. It also allows for emergency operations on road defects that pose serious threat to life. Especially with night operations, traffic jam that usually characterize roads that are being worked on during the busy hours of the day can be easily avoided, thereby reducing the pain on Lagosians” he said He also informed that from sometime in 2012, the government, having beefed up the capacity of LSPWC, began to assign certain roads to the Corporation for full scale construction, involving drainage work, road surfacing, culverts as well as installation of street lighting facilities and lane marking.

“This has been of huge benefit to tax payers as such works are done via direct labour approach,

•Akintola

thereby helping government to cut cost significantly.”

He listed some of the roads done under such arrangement to include Emmanuel Kolawole Street (Somolu), Soluyi Street ( Kosofe), Ladipo Kuku, Allen (Ikeja), Oba Adeboyega (Epe), Oshundairo Street (Agege), Oluodo Road ( Ikorodu) and Jamiu Alli Balogun (Apapa) amongst others.

To sustain what has been achieved, Akintola added that the corporation in the last five years increased the awareness of members of the public on habits that lead to avoidable damage to roads.

“The programme is three-faced,

featuring media campaign on radio, television and newspapers, the roadstar comics and cartoons focusing on school children and the monitoring and enforcement activities.

“Those efforts have helped to achieve to an extent, behavioural change as regards how Lagosians use the road, thereby making the corporation’s maintenance work to last longer. The high point of this is that over 30 persons were brought before the magistrate in 2014 and made to pay fines for various offences on activities that can lead to road damage” he said.

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, APRIL 29, 2015

36

SOUTHWEST REPORT

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IFE is gradually returning to normal at Adekile, Orita Aperin area of Ibadan, the Oyo State capital where hoodlums killed a senior police officer who was trying to quell a riot on April 1, 2015. The incident led to an indiscriminate arrest of suspects by the police forcing many residents to flee the area.

Both economic and social activities were paralysed as a result as the police combed the area for the killers of the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) attached to Agugu police station, Chief Superintendent of Police (CSP) Ike Nworgu.

But after the series of arrests including that of the principal suspects, the police seem to have relaxed their actions allowing the residents to resume normal life even as investigations continue.

Spokesman for the O y o

State Police Command, Mr. Adekunle Ajisebutu said until investigation into the murder case is concluded, the principal suspects would remain in custody and would not be charged to court.

It was in the evening of Wednesday April 1, 2015 when a mob attacked and shot dead the DPO on the suspicion that the police were shielding a suspected owner of kidnappers’ den.

More women embrace family planning in Ibadan Family Planning clinics in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital are receiving more patronage thanks to renewed awareness among women.

TAYO JOHNSON reports.

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UNDREDS of women in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, are now embracing different types of family planning techniques to delay pregnancies, to enjoy social and economic input, as well as have good healthcare.

And credit for this goes to the Nigerian Urban Reproductive Health Initiative (NURHI), which has in thelast four years been sensitising people in five local government areas in the city about the benefit of the health initiative.

At one of the primary healthcare centre at Basorun, Ibadan where the women have been receiving family planning tips, the

Life returns to Ibadan community as fleeing residents return After the bloody violence that unsettled residents of Adekile, Orita Aperin in Ibadan North East Local Government Area of Oyo State earlier this month, peace has returned to the community where a senior police officer was murdered by hoodlums. OSEHEYE OKWUOFU reports.

The state Commissioner of Police, Mr Katsina Mohammed, visibly disturbed by the incident vowed to ensure that all those involved in the dastardly act would face the full wrath of the law.

According to the state police boss, the slain police officer had gone to Adekile in response to a distress call by one of the residents who alleged that her baby was kidnapped and kept inside a particular building in the area.

He said CSP Nworgu had visited the area and inspected the building in question but could not find anything related to the lodged complaint, but while he was explaining to the angry youths who had gathered to storm the building to remain calm as further investigation would be carried out, the DPO was attacked and shot in the head.

Mr Katsina further explained that Nworgu, being a gallant officer before he fell to the miscreant’s bullets, also managed to fire at his attacker who also died on the way to the hospital.

Though relative calm has returned to Adekile when The Nation visited the area, arrest of suspected culprits was still going •The late Nworgu on albeit in a subtle form to allay the fears of the residents even as there was tension in the air.

Residents have started to return to their deserted homes, while commercial activity is gradually picking up in the area. Police Checkpoints mounted on major roads leading to the area have been dismantled. Only few policemen are still keeping watch in some of the hotspots in the community ostensibly to check any breach of the peace.

Traders have opened their shops for business and life has returned to the community. However, fear of a possible raid by plain cloth security officers is still with the people.

It was gathered that random raid of some strategic areas where youth usually hide to smoke hemp and drink local gin popularly called paraga remained a regular routine by the police.

•The Chief Nursing Officer, Mrs Christian Solademi

•A client, Mrs Risikat Adigun

former Chief Nursing Officer of the clinic and Mrs Christian Solagbemi, disclosed that over 200 women are registering for family planning monthly at the centre.

She told The Nation that :”We record about close to 125 to 200 new clients every month because NURHI gave us everything for free and the client doesn’t have to pay for anything.

They also provided a conducive environment. They made things to be comfortable for the clients and the provider, and this attracted the clients.

“In the last few years, women in Ibadan communities are embracing family planning due to much awareness on it and it’s safer and better for a healthy lifestyle for women and single ladies.It has reduced unwanted pregnancy among married women and youths.

“Although we have a lot of misconception about it but with public awareness, people have started recog-

nising it’s benefit. Some women believe that having family planning will make their tummy to be swollen, cease or change their menstral cycle, while others think that it will not allow them to be able to bear a child again.

“Also some husbands are of the belief that with family planning their wives will be cheating on them” she said To address all this misconceptions Solagbemi said the first step is to tutor the client on the importance of family planning after which they will be allowed to choose the method they desire. However, she said the Clinic at times choose a family planning method for a client but on few occassions.”

She said Explaining how it works, Solagbemi said:” Before we used to have IntraUrine Device (IUCD) method, it use to be giving to our client who probably has hard enough clinic and given might decide she doesn’t want children

A check on one of such spots by The Nation saw some young boys running and disappearing into the thin air on sighting this reporter.

Other residents also stylishly avoided this reporter as they looked the other way in fear of arrest, while some who were approached for interview still refused to grant audience.

Some concerned landlords in the area, it was learnt, had in the past raised alarm over the suspicious activities of the boys who hide under the cover of darkness to commit atrocities.

Adekile, where many jobless youths abound, is a notorious area mainly populated by the locals. It is a place densely populated by low income earners and extremely poor dwellers.

So, it is not by accident that security has become a major challenge in the community.

Even before the killing of the DPO, the people admitted that there had been regular security patrol and arrest by policemen acting on pieces of information.

When The Nation visited the scene where the DPO was attacked and shot penultimate Thursday, the suspected kidnappers’ den, which is an uncompleted building with an underground section, had been looted and razed by the mob.

Also, two structures by the side of the uncompleted building were also burnt as youths alleged that the occupants of the buildings were accomplices.

A cab operator in the area who

pleaded anonymity, ýsaid:” Our business has gone down and people are not patronising us like they used to again. We are now living in fear each day, of either the hoodlums or policemen who have been arresting the residents indiscriminately since the incident broke out.

“This is a very social area where everybody goes out and comes back safely without any harm or problem until this evil incident happened.”

Also, a landlord in the area, who simply identified himself as Baba Onile ýlamented that some of his tenants have been arrested unjustly by the police during one of their several raids in the area. He appealed to the Commissioner of Police to call his officers to order.

“Most of us now live in fear of the unknown and no one could say what may happen to him or her the next day in this neighbourhood, due to the ritual den that was discovered few weeks ago.

Meanwhile, ýanother trader, who gave her name simply as Iya Alata said the mayhem escalated because some hoodlums hijacked the search of the building by residents and insisted on burning it.

“What I heard was that a little girl, who was missing for days, was seen with an old man. When people started asking questions, the owner of the house was said to have invited the police to stop the mob action.ý This issue has caused us, shop owners, more pain and harm because so many people have run away from this place,” she said.

•Waiting room at the family planning clinic

again. It last for 12 years. But in case she wants children again it can be removed and we also have the shortest one which is the use of pills and implants. Test will first be conducted on the client to know if she is not pregnant and which method will be more suitable for them.

“The effect of this has given our clients more confidence, and it enables them to space their children, take care of their children and family. Before they were worried about the finances involved in family planning, bearing in mind that poverty is very high in the country and some women cannot even afford to pay N300 for it, but since it is free, more women are embracing embrace the family planning technique. Some of them are even bringing in more of thier firends and they now have happy homes with their husband” She further stated that in the past, some women were ignorant of family

planning, but with the assistance of NURHI and Ministry of Health, more awareness has been created.

Sharing her experience on family planning, 33-year-old Omowumi Kehinde, a mother of three, said the injection method of family planning has been of great assistance to her health since she started three years ago.

Although she stated that she was scared to go into it in the first place, but after she eventually delved into the family planningmethod, it has been effective and there is no side effect attached to it as it was being speculated in some quarters.

“My husband was aware when I wanted to start the family planning method and , he encouraged me and it has helped my home to grow. I will urge other women in the country to embrace family planning technique” She said

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, APRIL 29, 2015

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THE NATION INVESTORS

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Nigerian top three banks’ assets hit N11.6tr

IGERIA's three most capitalised banks now have more than N11.6 trillion in total assets, according to latest earnings released by the financial services authorities.

Interim report and accounts of the trio of Guaranty Trust Bank (GTBank) Plc, FBN Holdings Plc and Zenith Bank Plc for the first quarter ended March 31, 2015 showed that the balance sheet size of the three banks rose to N11.601 trillion by the end of the first quarter. The total assets of the three banks almost equal the entire market capitalization of all quoted companies on the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE), which opened yesterday at N11.663 trillion.

FBN Holdings remained the largest bank, in terms of assets, with total balance sheet size of N4.51 trillion. Zenith Bank followed with total assets of N3.94 trillion while GTBank has total assets of N3.15 trillion.

The earnings reports indicated that FBN Holdings held its fundamentals against the headwinds with appreciable growths in all key indices within the three-month period. Total assets had closed December 2014 at N4.34 trillion. FBN Holdings' net assets also rose from N522.89 billion in December 2014 to N542.53 billion by March 2015.

Profit before tax meanwhile rose to N26.944 billion in 2015 as against N24.78 billion recorded in comparable period of 2014. Profit after tax also rose from N21.55 billion in first quarter 2014 to N22.60 billion in first quarter 2015.

The first quarter report of GTBank showed that the bank recorded double-digit growths in the top-line and bottom-line in the first quarter.

Key extracts of the unaudited report showed that gross earnings and pretax profit rose by 17 per cent each.

After tax, net profit rose by 15 per

Stories by Taofik Salako Capital Market Editor

cent.

Gross earnings rose to N79.02 billion in first quarter 2015 as against N67.58 billion recorded in comparable period of 2014. The top-line performance was driven by strong growth in interest income and effective management of operating expenses and cost of risk. Profit before tax rose from N28.01 billion to N32.65 billion. After taxes, net profit increased to N26.56 billion in first quarter 2015 compared with N23.11 billion recorded in first quarter 2014.

Earnings per share improved from 81 kobo in first quarter 2014 to 94 kobo in first quarter 2015.

The balance sheet remained strong with total assets of N3.15 trillion.

Customer deposits rose to N1.69 trillion in March 2015 as against N1.65 trillion by the year ended December 31, 2014. Shareholders' funds however slipped marginally from N374.33 billion in December 2014 to N357.59 billion in March 2015.The bank continued to improve on its credit asset management. The proportion of gross loans and advances to non-performing loans improved to 3.06 per cent as against 3.40 per cent in the comparative period of 2014. Loan book grew by 28 per cent to N1.30 trillion in 2015 as against N1.02 trillion in corresponding period of 2014.

GTBank recently distributed N44.15 billion as final dividend, representing a dividend per share of N1.50 kobo. Total dividend per share for 2014 stood at N1.75 as against N1.70 paid for the 2013 business year. It had paid interim dividend per share of 25 kobo. This brought total payout to N51.5 billion for the 2014 business year as against N50.03 billion in 2013.

Key extracts of the audited report and accounts for the year ended De-

cember 31, 2014 showed that GTBank grew its top-line by 15 per cent with gross earnings of N278.52 billion in 2014 compared with N242.67 billion in 2013. Profit before tax rose by nine per cent from N107.09 billion to N116.39 billion. Profit after tax grew by 10 per cent from N90.02 billion to N98.69 billion. Earnings per share consequently rose by 10 per cent to N3.47 in 2014 as against N3.17 in 2013.

Balance sheet analysis showed that deposits base expanded by 14 per cent to N1.65 trillion in 2014 compared with N1.44 trillion in 2013.

Shareholders' funds also rose by 13 per cent from N332.35 billion to N374.33 billion. Total balance sheet size rose by 12.4 per cent from N2.10 trillion in 2013 to N2.36 trillion in 2014.

GTBank also continued to maintain disciplined and prudent approach to loan growth as the proportion of non-performing loans to total loans dropped from 3.58 per cent in 2013 to 3.15 per cent in 2014.

Also, Zenith Bank Plc started this year on a good footing with considerable growths in overall earnings and profitability. Interim report of Zenith Bank for the first quarter indicated that while gross earnings grew by 14 per cent, pre and post tax profits rose by 15 per cent and 17 per cent respectively. Earnings per share thus improved to 88 kobo within the three months, in contrast with 75 kobo recorded in corresponding period of 2014.

Gross earnings rose to N113.32 billion by March 2015 compared with N94.32 billion by March 2014. Interest income for the period rose to N81 billion compared with N71 billion posted in the similar period of 2014 translating to 14 per cent increase.

Similarly, non-interest income appreciated by 39.5 per cent N31.9 billion up from N22.9 billion in 2014.

Operating income rose to N72 billion as against N66 billion in the similar period of 2014 translating to 9 per cent growth while operating expenses of N39 billion was recorded amounting to 4.8 per cent increase from N37.6 billion reported in the corresponding period of 2014.Profit before tax also rose from N28.92 billion to N33.13 billion while profit after tax increased from N23.68 billion to N27.68 billion.

Total assets rose to N3.94 trillion in first quarter 2015 compared with N3.19 trillion recorded in comparable period of 2014. Gross loans and advances rose to N1.9 trillion, implying 9.9 per cent appreciation when compared with N1.7 trillion posted in the similar period of 2014. Similarly, customers' deposit and total assets increased by 5.7 per cent and 4.9 per cent to N2.6 trillion and N3.9 trillion respectively during the period.

The latest earnings report is broadly in line with the performance of the bank in the previous financial year. The board of Zenith Bank has earmarked N54.94 billion as cash dividends to shareholders for the immediate past business year ended December 31, 2014. Shareholders will receive a dividend per share of N1.75, the same rate paid for the 2013 business year.

The audited report and accounts for the 2014 business year showed that Zenith Bank recorded gross earnings of N403.34 billion in 2014, 14.8 per cent above N351.47 billion. Profit before tax rose by 8.3 per cent from N110.6 billion in 2013 to N119.8 billion in 2014. After taxes, net profit rose by 4.3 per cent to N99.46 billion in 2014 compared with N95.32

Vitafoam gets new acting CEO

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• From left: Charles Osezua, Promoter/Chairman, Owel-Linkso Group; Emeka Okonkwo, Executive Director, Corporate Banking, Union Bank of Nigeria; Emmanuel Konyebagu, Chairman, PNG Gas Ltd and Gabriel Ilenreh, Managing Director, PNG Gas Ltd at the signing agreement ceremony of facility for PNG Gas Ltd at Union Bank head office.

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HE International FINANCE Magazine (IFM) has named Proshare Nigeria Limited the ”Most Innovative CAPITAL Market Service Team, Nigeria 2015".

The award was confirmed, following the shortlisting of Proshare Nigeria Limited, among other websites. It has since been featured on the IFM website along with other award winners.

The award recognises the impact of new initiatives that companies develop and deploy to en-

Proshare wins award gage and make a difference in the capital market, and Proshare has proven to not just be a thought leader in the market but remain a service that reaches out to the public.

Mr. Sunil Bhat, director, International Finance Magazine, said: “IFM would like to congratulate Proshare Nigeria for their achievement of winning the award for Most I n n o v a t i v e C a p i t a l Market Service Team. Innovation

is the best way to stand out in a fast-growing market where competition is tough. We hope that this award motivates Proshare Nigeria to work harder to maintain their leadership position.”

Recall that the IFM last year was awarded First Bank Plc as the Most Innovative Bank, Nigeria 2014, while Dunn Loren Merrifield, First Bank and Jaiz Bank were awarded the Best Investment, Retail and Islamic Bank.

billion in 2013. Earnings per share thus stood at N3.16 in 2014 as against N3.01 in 2013.

Zenith Bank continued to show impressive credit risk management and loan efficiency as the proportion of non-performing loans to gross loans and advances dropped from 3.0 per cent in 2013 to 1.8 per cent in 2104.

Shareholders' funds also increased by 8.5 per cent from N509.25 billion in 2013 to N552.64 billion in 2014.

Analysts at FBN Capital said the performance in the first quarter was positive, implying likely increase in their forecast on the bank. Analysts noted that the net profit growth was faster than profit before tax growth of 15 per cent because of a significant positive result of N1.1 billion on the other comprehensive income line.

Managing Birector, Guaranty Trust Bank (GTBank) Plc, Segun Agbaje, said the major focus for the bank going forward is to strengthen market positions with distinctive customer propositions in chosen segments in order to deliver long-term sustainable and efficient growth as well as strong shareholder returns.

He noted that as a financial institution with a bias for industry leadership, exceptional service delivery and innovation, GTBank has experienced tremendous growth since its inception in Nigeria in 1990. Now, the bank presently employs over 10,000 peoples in Cote d'Ivoire, Kenya, Gambia, Ghana, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Rwanda, Uganda and the United Kingdom.

Group managing director, Zenith Bank, Mr. Peter Amangbo, has assured stakeholders of a prosperous 2015 financial year.

"The year 2015 has high prospects of increased economic growth and development, following the successful conduct of general elections in the country.

HE Board of Directors of Vitafoam Foam Plc has announced the appointment of Mr. Taiwo Adeniyi as the acting managing director/chief executive officer of the company, following the approval of the board of the retirement of Mr. Joel Ajiga who is set to exit as the group managing director of the company from October, this year.

According to a notification sent to the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE), the board said it met and approved the retirement of Ajiga.

However, he is said to have commenced his pre-retirement leave with effect last week.

Similarly, Mr. Brabindoh Ogun is set to retire from the company as the Group Financial from October.

According to the company Mr. Adeniyi holds a BSc (Chemistry) and MSc (Pharmaceutical Chemistry) from the University of Lagos and MSc (Engineering and Logistics) from the University of Warwick, United Kingdom.

He joined the Vitafoam Group in 2007 and was appointed to the Board in July 2012. Prior to his appointment, he was Acting Group Managing Director/CEO, Mr. Adeniyi was the Group Technical

& Development Director.

Meanwhile, the stock gained N0.04 representing 0.91 per cent to close at N4.44 yesterday.

Vitafoam explained that the release of its audited report and dividend recommendation was delayed by the change in the company’s accounting software.

The public has been awaiting the release of Vitafoam’s earnings report for the year ended September 30, last year.

The board of directors had earlier indicated that it would consider the accounts and report and make dividend recommendation at its meeting in December, last year.

However, the board yesterday said there would be a delay in the release of the company’s audited financial statements for the year ended September 30, 2014 and the unaudited accounts for the first quarter ended December 31, last year.

According to the company, the delay is as a result of challenges associated with its ongoing migration from Sage Line 500 accounting software to the newly acquired Sage ERP X3 Package.

Vitafoam noted that the implementation of the new software has impacted the timelines previously set for the preparation and audit of the year end accounts. It expressed optimism that the accounting issues would be resolved satisfactorily soon.

Custodian and Allied grows profit by 40%

C

USTODIAN and Allied Insurance has announced profit before tax of N1.87 billion for the three months ended March 31, 2015, an increase of 40 per cent when compared to the amount recorded in the same period of 2014.

The company’s group’s asset rose to N50.6 billion from N48.9 Billion recorded as at December 31, 2014.

A statement from the company said the result demonstrates the diversity of its revenue base and its

resilience in a challenging operating environment.

It explained that the trend would be maintained for the remaining period of the financial year, as the company continues to maintain its leadership position in the other financial services sector while its subsidiaries lead in their respective subsectors.

The Custodian Group consists of Custodian and Allied Plc (the holding company), Custodian and Allied Insurance Limited, Custodian Life Assurance Limited, Custodian Trustees Limited and Crusader Sterling Pensions Limited.

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, APRIL 29, 2015

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BUSINESS AFRICA

Oil price hovers at four month high FCMB rewards customers

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HE price of oil is hovering at a four and a half month high amid concerns over disruption to supplies from the Middle East.

Brent crude oil is at $65.37 per barrel and has gained around $9 since March.

A slowdown in US shale oil production and the conflict in Yemen have been cited as the main reasons for the rise in the oil price in recent weeks.

It comes as BP, Shell and Exxon Mobil are expected to report sharp falls in first quarter earnings this week.

Michael Hewson, chief market analyst at CMC Markets, said: “Overall we are in an upwards trend and we do appear to have found a short-term base. There’s a good chance we could see $70 a barrel [for Brent] over the course of the next month or so.”

While Yemen itself is not among the biggest oil producers in the Middle East, Gulf producers ship oil along the Gulf of Aden on Yemen’s southern coast and

through the narrow straits of Bab el-Mandeb, between Yemen and Djibouti.

As a result fighting in the region could create log jams in delivery.

Over the next few days the oil majors BP, Shell and Exxon are set to report results and city analysts are forecasting falls of more than 60 per cent in profits, compared with the same three month period a year earlier.

That comes as a direct result of falling oil prices, which were more than 50 per cent lower in the first three months of 2015 compared with the same time last year.

All seven major global oil firms are forecast to report a year-on-year decline in income of around 57 per cent, according to analysts at Jefferies.

Analysts at Barclays bank cautioned against undue optimism over oil prices, which are still $50 per barrel below their previous high of $115 per barrel last August.

“Sustaining the recent oil price rally requires firmer demand and a tangible supply response,” they

said in a note.

“The cart is moving ahead of the horse, and we take a cautious view on further price appreciation over the near term.”

Separately, UK government officials warned off any potential suitor for BP ahead of the release of its first quarter results on Tuesday.

A senior City source was quoted by the Financial Times newspaper as saying the government “would make their opposition so clear that any foreign bidder would be deterred from actually making a bid.”

A poor set of results might make BP vulnerable to a takeover from one of its rivals. But the final bill for the Gulf of Mexico oil spill off the US coast in 2010 and the firm’s exposure to Russia through its Rosneft business could deter would-be suitors.

Earlier this month Royal Dutch Shell and BG Group announced a £4.7bn merger. Should it receive regulatory approval the deal would be one of the biggest of 2015 and could produce a company with a value of more than £200bn.

T

HE first draws of the First City Monument Bank (FCMB) Limited promo tagged, ‘’FCMB Millionaire Promo’’ has held across the three regions and 25 zones of the bank in the country.

Three customers of the bank were rewarded with N1million each at the regional draws in Lagos, Enugu and Abuja; a total of 640 others smiled home with LED televisions, generating sets, decoders, tablets, smart phones and other consolation prizes at the zonal draws in different parts of the country.

The exercise was conducted through electronic selection.

At the Lagos/Southwest Regional draw in Lagos, Mr. Emeka Eze got N1million, while at the Abuja/ North Regional draw in Abuja, Mr. Chinedu Okpara, received the same amount; Mrs. Rita Okoye won N1million at the Southeast/ Southsouth Regional draw in Enugu.

The FCMB Millionaire Promo, which started in February, will run till July. It is targeted the bank’s savings account customers. The eligible products/accounts for the promo include FCMB basic savings, kids account, Nairawise, e-savings, premium savings and third party

at promo

accounts.

The Senior Vice President/Divisional Head of Retail of FCMB, Mr. Olu Akanmu, said customer of the bank needs to do is to save N10,000 in a savings account for 30 days to qualify for the selection. To be won, is the star prize of N1million and others. Multiple savings of N10,000 will increase chances.

To qualify for the grand finale in August, where three customers will each receive N5million, customers are to save N50,000 in a savings accounts for 30 days. Multiple savings of N50,000 increases their chances.

Akanmu said: “We are excited to once again reward our customers for their patronage and loyalty.

Our customers are the reason FCMB exists and as a bank that is committed to continually satisfy their needs. The Millionaire Promo is to further show appreciation to existing and potentials customers by expanding the reward opportunities that the promo offers them. We are happy that the first sets of winners have emerged.”

He added: “We encourage all our customers to partake in this exercise, because it is an avenue for economic empowerment’’.

Agya Appiah Bitters unveiled

A

GYA Appiah Bitters Limited has announced its entry into the market.

Its Acting Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Andrews Akolaa, said the product would reinvigorate and fill the gap in the market by providing it with the purest and most natural blend of alcoholic bitters which is being enjoyed in the sub-region and other parts of the world.

He explained that the firm has always been driven by a need to do things differently and better.

He said: “We make bold to say that we are truly a bitters brand that is all natural in composition; no artificial colour and no artificial flavour, evidenced by a smooth running taste down the throat.”

On what makes the product unique, Akolaa said it is noted

• From left: General Electric (GE) Africa President and CEO Mr. Jay Ireland; Chairman, Heirs Holdings Mr Tony Elumelu; and GE Nigeria President/CEO, Dr Lazarus Angbazo, at a dinner to celebrate GE's partnership with Transcorp/Heirs Holdings.

Atlas plans $22.5m investment in Rwanda

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OBERT Diamond’s Atlas Mara Ltd. said it’s in talks to invest about $22.5 million in Banque Populaire du Rwanda and merge it with BRD Commercial Bank Ltd., creating one of the central African country’s largest lenders.

Atlas, which will own 45 percent of BPR if the deal is concluded, also plans to buy stock from other shareholders to bring its holding in the merged bank to more than

70 percent, Atlas said in an emailed statement on Monday.

Atlas Mara, co-founded by Diamond, and Ugandan entrepreneur Ashish Thakkar, is expanding in Africa by buying financial services companies. The company acquired ABC Holdings Ltd. and ADC African Development Corp. last year and bought a stake in Union Bank of Nigeria Plc. in September.

The merger of BPR and BRD

Commercial Bank Ltd. would create Rwanda’s largest bank by branch locations and second largest lender by assets, with combined assets of about $305 million, Atlas said in the statement.

Atlas reported a $63 million loss in March after its first full year. The company said it would have posted a $7.2 million profit if transactions made in 2014 had been completed at the start of the year and one-time costs were excluded.

Glo sweeps medals at Beacon of ICT Awards

N

ATIONAL telecoms operator, Globacom, has bagged three awards at this year’s Beacon of ICT Awards which was held at the Eko Hotel & Suites, Victoria Island, Lagos.

The telco won Best Telecoms Company of the Year, Most Innovative Mobile Player of the Year and Undersea Cable Company of the Year which were keenly contested by several other telecommunications companies.

The organisers of the event, publishers of CommunicationsWeek, explained that an online poll conducted between December, last year and March 30, this year in which about 900,000 respondents participated showed that Globacom

surpassed other nominees to emerge tops.

Globacom’s revolutionary role in the telecoms industry earned it the Best Telecoms Company award.

The company’s continued investment in novel technology for boosting service delivery also contributed to the award.

Presenting the award to Globacom, Mr Gbenga Adebayo, Chairman of Association of Licensed Telecom Operators of Nigeria, noted that the company had remained the pride of the country in the industry ever since its per second billing innovation.

Globacom earned the Most Innovative Mobile Player award for pioneering most innovations in the

telecoms industry. The organisers lauded Globacom for introducing innovative voice and data services distinguishing itself as industry leader.

Ken Nwogbo, publisher of CommunicationsWeek, said the online respondents considered the emergence of Glo 1 as a major bandwidth provider in West Africa before voting Globacom the Undersea Cable Company of the Year.

“Glo 1 has become the preferred bandwidth service provider for several companies in telecoms, oil and gas, construction, banking, and manufacturing and other critical sectors in Nigeria and in the West African sub region” Nwogbo said.

for improving the well-being of both the young and old. Appiah prepares bitters from acclaimed herbs.These herbs have been used as a result of years of research into the useful properties of various medicinal plants.”

He noted that the founder, a foremost practitioner and former President of the Ghana Federation of Traditional Medicinal Practitioners Association, developed these choice herbs from the magnificent forests of Ghana into a high quality alcoholic beverage.

He added: “As a former president of the Ghana Federation of Traditional medicinal Practitioners Association and foremost practitioner, our founder has ensured that the product meets the best standards and is committed to quality excellence.”

Institute inducts 200

T

HE Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply Management of Nigeria (CIPSMN) has inducted 200 graduates into its fold. The event held at the weekend at Excellence Hotel, Ogba, Ikeja, Lagos.

The institute’s President, Alhaji Diekola Oyewo, congratulated the new professionals on their achievements, saying they got the membership as a result of their performance at the qualifying exams.

Speaking on the topic: Reducing corruption through ethical conduct, he warned the new members against corruption. He noted that there are two conditions which water corruption. He listed these as greed and low ethical standards.

Oyewo said as professionals, the new graduands would be entrusted with huge cash and pressure would be mounted on them to be partial in their purchases. He advised: “You have the responsibility of spending your organisation’s money only taking careful decisions, based on the best judgment.

Ethical conduct requires that judgment exercised by you should be fair, impartial and prudent, unbiased and in the best interest of the organisation to which you belong.’’

Also, the institute’s Registrar Alhaji Mohammed Aliyu, urged the new members to contribute to the growth of the institute. He asked them to bear with the institute in case it is unable to immediately meet their needs, saying this

By Joseph Eshanokpe

could be as a result of the economic hardship in the country.

Aliyu canvassed the proper implementation of the Public Procurement Act 14 and Acces Disposal of 2007. He said: “Also, the prevailing culture in the country that recognises chains of certificates at the expense of technical ability and professionalism culture has discouraged Nigerian procurement experts to migrate to other countries where the environment is more conducive. Therefore, if we are to make headway in our procurement best practices, development efforts, professionalism, among others, strategies must be developed to eliminate the sources of drawbacks highlighted.’’

He said one problem facing the development of procurement is neglect by government and organisations. He attributed the cause to lack of political will and professional ineptitude.

He said: “Low priority is accorded to procurement management activities and this has been the main reason for our low level of social caring, technological, environmental and political development. For sustainable development therefore, procurement and supply chain management should be given a remarkable pride of place through positive attitude towards procurement professionalism and best practices.’’

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, APRIL29, 2015

40

SMALL BUSINESS AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP

Essiet_daniel@yahoo.com 08180714151

Coaching for a living More Nigerians are turning to business coaching for a living. One of them is Steve Harris. DANIEL ESSIET reports.

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IGH demand for services to improve business performance has opened the gateway to business coaches and entrepreneurs providing guidance on lifestyle management.

One of them is Steve Harris, chief executive officer, EdgeEcution, who aspires to take business coaching to important markets and in the process, encourage young entrepreneurs to explore the opportunity.

He started his coaching business in 2011 with N17,000, but today, Harris has become a household name in several organisations, including West African Portland Cement (WAPCO), Guaranty Trust Bank, FinBank, Access Bank, Skye Bank, Diamond Bank, Intercontinental Bank, Zenith Bank, and Shell PetroleumDevelopment Company.

In most of these places, Harri said he has managed streams of customer service management, leadership,passion infusion and workforce activation training programmes and retreats.

Addressing a conference in

Lagos, a small and medium enterprises enterprises (SMEs) Development Conference for chief executives officers and business executives of start-up companies, Harris said, it was an unstoppable mindset that drove him to business coaching. He realised that motivating people to bring out the best in people and this came naturally and he did it best.

His business involves helping others to make the transition that they have: living the lifestyle they want to lead.

Lifestyle, he said, has been awesome since he chose to go into coaching.

While business coaching may not be the only way to make money, Harris said there are a lot of opportunities for would be entrepreneurs as long as they can offer products and services that can solve their problems.

His advice, however, is that they must be willing to do the work and learn the skill set to provide solutions. In fact, from training to seminars, books and coaches, Harris said he has spent a lot of money on professional development

•Participants during the conference

coaching.

The firm specialises in: one-onone coaching, a group coaching and seminars. His challenges at the beginning were lack of funds and not being able to sell himself to reach out to people who do not know him but may be looking for support.

He has had amazing clients who have given him good referrals. He has tried out some ideas and

questions which have worked brilliantly.

He has spoken in front of many different groups and have created a specific coaching programmes, that takeclients step by step to build the confidence, belief, motivation and mindset to make more money in record time, every time.

For every entrepreneur who want to succeed, Harris said a positive mindset will help to acceler-

ate results. According to him, it’s not about the type of business one is in but combining the belief, mindset and marketing to bring about the results one is e looking for.

The Founder, Watermark Academy Miss Victoria Adewunmi said the conference was aimed at developing individuals and build their capacities through entrepreneurship as a tool for societal advantage.

Starting a small business can be rewarding, but challenging. DANIEL ESSIET writes.

•Anigbate

W

HAT made Emmanuel Anigbate to start his firm - AC Topnotch Communications Limited, Lagos - was that

T

he wanted to be on his own boss.

To him, life is about creating things. A long time ago, he had the vision to establish an ad agency. His problem was that he had small capital. He had only N60,000.

Anigbata, who had cofounded another company with a colleague, left because of some unresolved differences.

He didn’t make a profit from it, he said.

His words: “I had invested all my savings in the business and did not get any dime when I left it. It was not that easy, however, for me as the income was scarcely enough to take care of the home needs and at a point, I started doing freelance printing jobs whenever I was lucky to get any to argument my small income.

The road to success It was by so doing that I was able to start up with very little amount I had saved.”

So, he started afresh. With the little money, he registered the business and printed letterheads and business cards.

His background in human resources and advertising put him in good stead for when he set up the business.

People really liked his work and he realised there was a gap in the market.

As a young agency, Anigbate set out to recruit staff that were as passionate as he was working towards making the business a success. He assembled staff with varied backgrounds. For him, communications is one industry that one needs a margin, to succeed because the players are really hard and hypercompetitive.

In an industry dominated by big players, the success of small

He has had its own financial struggles, which stymied big growth. Funding is a major issue as banks wouldn’t take small players seriously.

But slowly, the company is going to take on larger media campaigns and clients. He has worked hard at networking and making contacts, doing small jobs at first, but doing them well. As for what lies ahead, he hopes to develop new services while expanding beyond their core market. He wants to be known for being able to create a certain set of deliverables.

As the industry is driven by revolutionary approaches to marketing, Anigbata is determined to provide guidance that is counter to that of their competitors.

On the whole, his success secrets are people are interactions, cama-

agencies depends on the ability to develop fresh ideas. To meet the challenge within his team, each member is an expert at his or her job and they deploy specialist skills, depending upon the project.

Because of challenges at the market place, the company is exploring a broad array of tactics and learning when to use each tool to solve a range of client challenges. Besides, flexibility is the key strategy at every touch point.

Facing a lot of challenges, he had to brave the unbearable conditions while keeping his entrepreneurial dream alive.

His hard work and drive coupled with his ability to see beyond the circumstances and do whatever necessary to get the job done – has helped his company survive the tight marketing business market place.

According to him, financing is a challenge because the industry is really competitive and one have to be really significant in terms of scale to break even or be profitable.

Group wants SMEs’ministry

O ensure a better level playing field for small scale industries, the President, Association of Micro Entrepreneurs of Nigeria (AMEN), Prince Saviour Iche, has called on the President-elect, General Muhammadu Buhari(rtd), to create a special ministry for small and medium enterprises (SMEs).

In an interview with The Nation, Iche said the establishment of a special ministry for SMEs would help the government to address the problems of the entrepreneurs in a better way and provide more facilities to the sector to ensure better growth.

He expressed concern that the sector has not been able to record growth in terms of expansion and jobs creation, attributing this to high cost of managing

the power crisis, which has led to the use of generators to power businesses, coupled with its attendant high cost on business overheads.

He however said that improvements in the economy could soon be negated if SMEs’ competitiveness levels continued to decrease.

While expressing dissatisfaction with access to finance, a long-standing issue in the sector, Iche noted that the issue of high business costs remained the key concern, adding that small businesses are rapidly losing competitive edge and has called on the government to review of all business costs.

Iche said the SME sector needs an effective financial support scheme and a taxation system to stimulate long-term growth, adding that though the outgoing ad-

ministration has set the foundation, there is need to implement SMEs friendly policies as this will provide the backbone for the country’s economy.

He urged the in-coming government to put in place import restrictions on certain products to protect local industries. This ban policy, he explained, should be on items like soaps, cosmetics and other products that can be made locally. This will help to boost domestic manufacturing.

According to the AMEN boss, cheap and sub-standard imports from the Asian continent have continued to hurt many companies. He advised that drastci and urgent measures should be taken to curtail this situation before the entire country become a dumping ground for sub standard, finished products from other coun-

•Adebayo Wed Save in Mac 27 in Small business folder as Small Biz -29-4-2015

tries.

Though the world has become a global village, characterised by a breakdown of trading barriers, he noted there was a need for the Government to protect the local industry from inferior goods as small businesses face the challenge of competing with imported products in the domestic market.

He said the local textile industry has the capacity to compete with their foreign counterparts • Iche but were being market.

To this end, he said local companies were affected by the smuggling of cheap making efforts to improve on production products into the local efficiency and quality to be competitive.

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, APRIL 29, 2015

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THE NATION WEDNESDAY, APRIL 29, 2015

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WEDNESDAY APRIL 29, 2015

POLITICS THE NATION

E-mail:- politics@thenationonlineng.net

As it happened in 2006, the people of Ekiti State are being treated to another drama of impeachment as Governor Ayo Fayose is locked in a bitter power struggle with 19 opposition members of the House of Assembly. ODUNAYO OGUNMOLA reports

I

T started like a child’s play. But, it has assumed an alarming dimension which is threatening governance, peace, progress and development of Ekiti State, the acclaimed Fountain of Knowledge and Land of Honour.

Governor Ayo Fayose is fighting a battle of his life to keep his seat. It is a battle of wits with the All Progressives Congress (APC) members of the House, who accuse him of gross misconduct in the discharge of his official functions.

Also on the firing line is the Deputy Governor, Dr. Kolapo Olusola, who is facing a charge of gross misconduct.

The impeachment scare commenced on Saturday, April 4 when the news of the impeachment hit the airwaves.

But, Fayose who described the opposition legislators as “comedians”, claimed that he had not been served any impeachment notice describing the action as politically motivated.

The foundation of the latest crisis was laid by the mutual suspicion that existed between Fayose and the APC legislators, shortly after his inauguration as governor on October 16, last year.

The governor was not happy that the Speaker, Dr. Adewale Omirin, did not attend his inauguration, fuelling suspicion that the number one legislator was not favourably disposed to the new regime.

The relationship between Fayose and the Omirin-led APC legislators was further strained when the governor alleged that the lawmakers have received N350 million from their godfather to impeach him from office. The allegation was denied by the lawmakers.

With the seven Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) members, compared to APC’s 19, pushing Fayose’s agenda through might be difficult. Hence the need to empower his party’s legislators.

On November 17, a legislative coup was staged when the seven PDP legislators stormed the House in a dramatic manner and appointed Dele Olugbemi as the protem Speaker to screen and ratify Fayose’s commissioner -- nominees and the list of local government caretaker appointees.

Encouraged by the “exploit,” the seven PDP members staged another dramatic return on November 20 to “finish” the work they had started when they “impeached” Omirin and “elect” Olugbemi as “Speaker.”

Fayose has since been working with the seven PDP legislators, who scrutinized and passed the 2015 Appropriation Bill into Law. The APC legislators described all actions carried out by Fayose in conjunction with the seven PDP legislators as “crass illegalities”, which would not be allowed to go unchallenged.

The 26-member House needs, at least, 18 members to remove a governor, who is found guilty of allegation of misconduct in line with Section 188 of the Constitution, which stipulates a twothird majority to effect a removal of erring state chief executive.

Section 188 Sub-section 1-5 of the Constitution outlines the procedure for the impeachment of the Governor and the Deputy Governor.

It states: “The Governor and the Deputy Governor may be removed from office in accordance with the provisions of this Section.

“Whenever a notice of any allegation in writing signed by not less than one-third members of the Assembly of the State stating that the holder of such office is guilty of gross misconduct in the performance of the functions of his office, detailed particulars of which shall be specified, the Speaker of the House, shall within seven days of receipt of the notice cause a copy to be served on the holders of the office and on each member of the House, and shall also cause any statement made in reply to the allegation by the holder of that office, to be served on each member of the House.

“Within 14 days of presentation of the notice to the Speaker of the House of Assembly (whether or not the statement was made by the holder of the office in reply to the allegation contained in the notice), the House of Assembly shall resolve the motion without any debate whether or not the allegation shall be investigated.

“A motion of the House that the allegation be investigated shall not be declared as having been passed unless it is supported by the votes of not less than two-third majority of all members of the House.

“Within seven days of passing the motion under the foregoing provisions of this action, the

Impeachment drama in Ekiti

• Fayose

•Olusola

•Omirin

•Olugbemi

Governor Ayo Fayose is fighting a battle of his life to keep his seat. It is a battle of wits with the All Progressives Congress (APC) members of the House, who accuse him of gross misconduct in the discharge of his official functions Chief Judge of the State shall, at the request of the Speaker, appoint a panel of seven persons who, in his opinion, are of unquestionable integrity not being members of any public service, legislative house, or political party to investigate the allegation as provided in this Section.”

The move to impeach Fayose has heightened tension.

The notice reads in part: “We the undersigned members of the Ekiti State House of Assembly hereby wish to bring to your attention acts and actions of Mr. Peter Ayodele Fayose, the Executive Governor of Ekiti State in performance of the functions of the office which are in violation of the Constitution amount to gross misconduct.

“The said acts and actions are as follows: .Invasion of the House of Assembly with thugs and miscreants . Instigating an unconstitutional takeover of the House by seven legislators to sit in contravention of Section 96 (2) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria . Prevention of 19 APC Legislative members

from performing legislative duties with the use of security agents and armed thugs . Sponsoring an unlawful impeachment process in House . Spending Ekiti State funds without requisite constitutional approval in contravention of the Constitution . Running the government of Ekiti State without legally constituted Executive Council in contravention of Section 192 (2) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria . Operating an illegal 2015 Budget . Instigating illegal sitting of the House “You are hereby informed that you are at liberty to respond to the allegations within seven (7) days hereof.”

The raging fire of the impeachment crisis was further stoked with a “special sitting” held by the APC legislators on April 8 at Mary Hills Boys High School, Oke Ila, Ado-Ekiti where they passed a resolution directing the Chief Judge, Justice Ayodeji Daramola, to set up a seven-man panel to investigate the allegations

of gross misconduct against Fayose.

The Majority Leader and lawmaker representing Irepodun/Ifelodun 1, churchill Adedipe, in his lead debate, said the Constitution and the Standing Order empowered them to sit in a public building in the state capital, if the prevailing situation does not allow them to sit in the hallowed chambers of the House.

The seven PDP legislators led by factional Speaker Dele Olugbemi also wrote a counterletter to the CJ, urging him to discountenance any letter coming from the APC legislators.

Olugbemi claimed that he was the legitimate head of the legislature and any letter coming from anyone claiming to be Speaker amount to impersonation.

As expected in any power struggle, tension has gripped the state, since the impeachment crisis erupted.

The supporters of Fayose, apparently mobilized for the purpose, seized the streets on three occasions, protesting against moves by the majority legislators to impeach him from office.

The first anti-impeachment protest on April 7 was the most violent since the latest crisis started.

On that day, the protesters, including drivers’ union members and suspected party thugs, had trooped out as early as 6.30 am, laying siege to all entrances and exits of Ado-Ekiti and other major towns.

They blocked the roads with logs of wood, bonfires, tyres, stones, trailers and other heavy objects.

A PDP supporter, Modupe Olaya was killed during violence that broke out at Itawure, on the outskirts of Efon Alaaye.

Olaya was shot at a military checkpoint at Itawure where the PDP supporters had massed to stop the APC legislators from gaining access to Ado-Ekiti.

Hoodlums wielding machetes, knives, cudgels and other dangerous weapons terrorised innocent citizens in Ado and Ikere and stopped commercial and private vehicles carrying commuters to various destinations.

On April 7, leaders of labour unions, road transport workers and party supporters blocked roads in Ado-Ekiti, following a rumor that the APC legislators were coming to hold a sitting.

The unions The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Trade Union Congress (TUC) and the Joint Negotiating Council (JNC)-had at a Peace Rally held a day earlier (April 6) and directed civil servants to stay away from work and pray for peace.

The labour unions also directed that commercial vehicles and motorcycles should stay off the streets between 6.00 am and 12 noon.

But, hoodlums molested innocent residents going about their normal activities.

They had moved to the streets of Ado-Ekiti to enforce the ‘order’ as early as 6.30, am erecting barricades on major highways that lead to Ado-Ekiti, the state capital.

Travellers from neighbouring states -- Kwara, Kogi, Osun, Ondo -- passing through Ekiti suffered untold hardship in transit as their vehicles were delayed for many hours.

Policemen and traffic wardens were nowhere to be found, as some drivers who dared to go out were held up in a huge traffic gridlock in Okesa area.

Some residents of Ado-Ekiti, who had got to their various bus stops, returned home frustrated on learning that the city was “boiling” as news of the incident spread.

Others who were caught in the web of the crisis could neither go to their places of work nor move their vehicles.

On April 20, Fayose’s supporters moved from the 16 local government areas and stormed the House of Assembly following another rumor of the coming of the APC legislators.

Fayose had in a broadcast alleged that the APC members were planning to storm the House complex, urging his supporters to go to the place and frustrate the plot to remove him from office.

The governor said his party members, drivers, okada riders, market women and other interest groups must defend the mandate they gave to him at last year’s governorship election.

The PDP loyalists chanted party slogan and rained curses on the APC legislators.

Members of the drivers’ unions and commercial motorcyclists did not participate in the • Continued on page 46

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THE NATION WEDNESDAY APRIL 29, 2015

‘

The most important thing is that elections have been conducted and won and like I said earlier, if the election was conducted 10 times, every week, the PDP will win 10 times in Akwa Ibom because there is a foundation of performances, there is foundation of inclusiveness

Impeachment drama in Ekiti • Continued from page 45 protest as it was mainly a PDP affair.

The House complex was under lock and key, while stern-looking heavily armed policemen blocked all the major roads linking to the complex. Few vehicles that were allowed passage were thoroughly checked and passersby frisked by security agencies.

The PDP loyalists clustered around the vicinity of the Assembly, they were not allowed near the parliament building by armed security men drafted to the complex.

They defied the scorching sun for the greater part of the day and sang abusive songs. They said they had come to occupy the House and keep vigil to frustrate any impeachment of Fayose.

The House complex was like a marketplace when reporters visited at about 11.00 am but the situation was kept under watch by security men made up of regular and riot policemen who were on hand to prevent any act of violence.

The buses that brought the PDP members to the area lined the streets adjoining the Assembly complex.

They were still there at the time of filing this report.

Many civil servants working in ministries, departments and agencies with offices at the State Secretariat stayed away from work.

Unlike the previous protests, major roads of Ado-Ekiti were not blocked.

Shops and markets were opened for business and residents were not molested as only the vicinity of the House complex was the “action spot.”

Fayose’s supporters’ march to the House disrupted the resumption of schools for the third term as majority of pupils and students were sent back home in Ado and Ikere.

Many parents kept their wards at home to prevent them from being caught in the crossfire of political gladiators.

The situation affected both public and private schools in the city, with many of them closing their gates while those without gates had their officials turning back few pupils and students who ventured to go out to resume from holidays.

The few ones that opened for the third term resumption had to politely send back parents and their wards, on the excuse that the coast was not yet clear.

The decision of commercial drivers and motorcyclists not to participate in the third street protest against plan to impeach Fayose excited the state chapter of the APC. The APC Publicity Secretary, Taiwo Olatubosun, commended the drivers and many okada riders for refusing to join the protest so as not be used as cannon fodder “while the governor’s children were kept in safety and luxury abroad”.

The Secretary of the PDP, Dr. Tope Aluko, described the impeachment crisis as a contrived plan by the APC to throw the state into chaos after losing the governorship seat.

Aluko accused the APC of desperation and an attempt to gain power through the backdoor.

Elders and traditional rulers have deplored the long-running crisis resulting from the impeachment proceedings.

A legal web has been woven around the Ekiti impeachment crisis as the two factions in the Ekiti Assembly have filed suits in the courts and the determination of the suits will determine how direction of the crisis

The Ekiti Council of Elders called on the warring factions to embrace peace and allow the interest of Ekiti to supersede personal ambitions.

Addressing reporters in AdoEkiti, the Chairman, Standing Committee of Ekiti Council of Elders, Chief Deji Fasuan, said the crisis could still be resolve, if the parties could make concessions.

Fasuan said: We are appealing to our sons and daughters, actors in the political process to admit that this world with all its benefits and travails is transient; that what matters ultimately is how many people, or how much of the population we put smile on, when we are on this side of the divide.

But, the State Council of Traditional Rulers has voiced its opposition to any plan to impeach Fayose from office, accusing the opposition legislators of frustrating peace moves by the Obas to resolve the crisis.

Its Chairman, Oba Adamo Babalola, the Onitaji of Itaji-Ekiti, maintained that Fayose should be allowed to exercise the mandate given to him at the 2014 governorship poll.

He said: “We appeal to Governor Ayodele Fayose to graciously consider giving palliative measures to alleviate the sufferings of the agitating legislators”.

But the APC slammed the Obas for allegedly taking sides in the crisis accusing them of keeping quiet when the governor was allegedly committing illegalities.

The APC Chairman, Chief Olajide Awe, in a statement deplored what it called “the partisan intervention of the traditional rulers in the crisis” adding that the party’s not surprised by by the roles of the Obas.

Taking sides with Fayose and his government, according to Awe, is akin to supporting illegalities, brigandage, attacks on the constitution and the rule of law allegedly witnessed in the state.

Awe said: “When we read in the media that the Obas agreed to keep quiet when Fayose unleashes violence on the opposition, we did not believe until events began to unfold.

“We ask: where were the obas when Fayose stormed the court to desecrate the temple of justice? They kept quiet.

Where were they when the 19 lawmakers were being hunted in their homes?

“What did they say or do when seven members of PDP held illegal sitting to purportedly impeach Omirin?

“The seven PDP lawmakers sat to approve the budget, Fayose’s cabinet nominees and pass certain laws that required public hearings but they refused to hold public hearings on these laws, what did the obas say about these illegal acts and what did they say or do as the fathers of all to correct the anomalies?

A legal web has been woven around the Ekiti impeachment crisis as the two factions in the Ekiti Assembly have filed suits in the courts and the determination of the suits will determine how direction of the crisis.

But, the Ekiti impeachment crisis is generating questions everyday but no answer seems to be coming.

Some of the questions include: can the impeachment plan of the APC legislators see the light of the day?

Will it be legal if it succeeds and can it stand the test of time in the court of law? Did Fayose breach the Constitution he swore to defend? Can anything done by seven legislators in a House of 26 members be legal?

What happens if the CJ refuses to set up the panel till the tenure of the lawmakers expire? What can be done about the withheld salaries and allowances of the APC legislators? Can a political solution be found to the logjam?

Time will tell.

’

Akwa Ibom State Commssioner for Information Aniekan Umana told reporters in Lagos that the call for the cancellation of the governorship poll was unwanted because it was not marred by violence.

‘Why INEC can’t cancel Akwa Ibom poll, by governor’s aide

W

HAT is your take on the alleged violence and ballot box snatching during the Akwa Ibom State governorship election?

The noise about Akwa Ibom election is based on falsehood. The position of the African Union (AU) monitoring team is not correct. The domestic observers were the ones who actually went round the villages. They went to every unit and they are Nigerians accredited from every part of the country by INEC. They are not from Akwa Ibom. We didn’t know who they were, but they were seen at the polling units because I remember they were moving round and most of them were moving with the NUJ in their buses, moving with media in most places they visited. But, also, I think the AU team talks of reported cases of violence, so maybe people have filed petitions because it may not be as a result of what was witnessed by them. Clearly that does not hold water and I think nobody should run with that impression. The most important thing is that elections have been conducted and won and like I said earlier, if the election was conducted 10 times, every week, the PDP will win 10 times in Akwa Ibom because there is a foundation of performance; there is foundation of inclusiveness. Forget about one or two people who are saying they are elders and are making noise, addressing press conferences here and there. If you see those undertakers, these are people who worked with the same government; these are people who earned very big contracts they did not execute.

Is the governor-elect capable of steering Akwa Ibom State out of trouble waters after Akpabio?

He has the qualities. You must also understand that even in cooperate governance, for you to rise to an executive director of an organization like Zenith Bank and be on the board of IFC, and on the board of Zenith UK, Gambia, Sierra-Leone and all of that, you must understand that the quality is not small. It may not be as big as the politics of the state, but you see, it is essentially the same thing; it is power game. Power is power, no matter the colouration; power is power, even in church. So, even in the family, the struggle for

•Umana

‘

The position of the AU monitoring team is not correct. The correct position is that of the domestic observers because those were the people who actually went to the villages

’

the control of resources and the allocation of resources, that is power.

So, that is why it is concentric conspiracy for the control of the means of livelihood and distribution of resources. So, Udom has that capacity in his corporate endeavour and when he came in as Secretary to Government, he also showed capacity and ability to run the government. In fact, it was one of the reasons why the decisions to support him was not difficult. You could see that he is firm and fair-minded, that I can say from stand-point of knowledge. He set in a process when he was Secretary to Government that changed a lot of things. And when we left for primary, it was not difficult to get support no matter what anybody says. Over 1,300 delegates went for the primary election, about 500 were statutory delegates. Even if you say the other ones were adhoc delegates, the statutory delegates are delegates who anyone could have worked on to get support. If you now get over 1,200 of the total votes,

it just shows that you have support no matter how you want to look at it.

The former governor, Obong Victor Attah, told journalists that, when he went to his polling unit to vote, the NYSC member told him that there were no voting materials.

That is his opinion. At his level and position, he should be able to call INEC and ask them that question because the materials belong to the INEC. If assuming you get to a place and there is no voting, it is not even a matter for the pres. The first thing is to pull your phone and call the Electoral Officer and ask him that question and based on the answer he or she gives you know what to say. And then the electoral officer should be able to tell you whether he has released materials for the unit and should tell you the supervising presiding officer. So it is neither here nor there because anybody could say that, because he was part of the conspiracy for disruption. They say they are members of board of trustees of the PDP, but then, they were supporting Umana and they were working for APC along with Don Etiebet, General Akpan.

Now, the APC is calling for the cancellation of the election, what it means is that they will go to the Tribunal, do you expect any threat?

I said it earlier, it is poverty of knowledge, and it is display of illiteracy because how can you call for cancellation, cancellation of what? If election has been held, you cannot call for cancellation of election. If you have any issue, you go and petition at the Tribunal. As for that, we are not bothered about the Tribunal, it is a known process, it is a rule that we know it is constitutional. So everybody knows that from the beginning. If there are complaints, people will go to the Tribunal. Afterall, there was a particular one who never came for the primary, he didn’t contest election, but he stayed in court for four years up to Supreme Court, what is this man’s name? Frank Okon. He didn’t even come to the primaries. If you read the judgment, the Supreme Court said he must have been a spirit for him not to be in primaries and he scored the highest number of votes. The court said you must be a spirit.

•Lagos State Commissioner for Housing Mr. Bosun Jeje (left), his Information and Strategy counterpart, Mr. Lateef Ibirogba (middle) and the Special Adviser on Housing, Mr. Jimoh Ajao (right) during the 2015 ministerial press briefing by the Ministry of Housing in commemoration of the 4th year of the second term in office of Governor Babatunde Fashola, SAN at the Bagauda Kaltho Press Centre, the Secretariat, Alausa, Ikeja…yesterday.

PHOTO: OMOSEHIN MOSES

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, APRIL 29, 2015

47

The Midweek Magazine

E-mail:- ozoluauhakheme@yahoo.com

A REPORTER'S ELECTION DIARY Wednesday, April 15, 2015

I

sit behind my desk for the umpteenth time this month with worrying thoughts. Each of those times, I would urge myself before sitting down, "write Evelyn, write". Most of those times, I would walk to my desk with a renewed eagerness to write, sit down, begin the first paragraph and end up staring into space with a cold shiver running deep down my spine, which leaves me with a feeling of déjà vu.

"Na by force to write, the thing don pass, forget am," a friend, who was tired of seeing me "punish myself" as she puts it, would often taunt me to drop the subject and try my hands on something else. "Go to Zungeru or any of those mountains you go to for exclusives and leave the matter alone. God don save you, wetin again. Police people terrible O! No try them. What if they had maimed you."

It was not that I was having trouble writing down my experience the day I got into trouble taking the picture of a police officer, who was harassing a lawyer, after being caught in a very compromising position while on election duty. Ironically, my crime, he said, was poking my nose into what did not concern me. I had still not gone past the fact that I got caught making extra effort to hear all sides out. "I wanted his side of the story...for objectivity sake," I'd said. It was a gesture editors, who heard, termed: "foolish". "You got an exclusive and wasted it," they all said.

The fears and horrifying thoughts, the dry throat and hunger pangs that bedevilled me those six hours spent at the police station still haunted me. After being made to delete the photographs and sign an undertaking not to attempt such an act again in the future, one wonders how free is the freedom of the press.

I've learnt in a hard way how harsh the price people pay for justice.

It is happening again. This is what happens each time I tried pencilling down my experience, I would drift into these thoughts, exhale as if choking and end with the rhetoric question, "What are you afraid of?"

As I put pen to paper behind my desk for another try at writing, I am drifting again.

But, surprisingly, I have gone beyond the first, and I'm now in the sixth paragraph. It could be likened to the story of the fight between a mythical lion and leopard over a certain issue, and how the leopard, an onlooker, who was attempting to intercede, got caught in the middle.

Saturday, March 28, 2015 The presidential election may have come and gone. But I remember that Saturday morning too well. I remember having two things on my mind at the crack of dawn. I was going to vote and cover the elections.

As I left my home after listening to Asa's song, I made a list of centres to visit, outline women's involvement in the process and sample the thoughts of businesswomen. Beforehand, I was going to get accredited, and then, go get my story. But the day's experience taught me to respect the wise saying: "Don't judge the day by the early morning weather".

I got to the centre around 11am and made for the queue to get accredited, but was told that women were given special privilege to get accredited and vote without joining the long queue. "That was good," I said as my journalistic instinct screamed, "a good story too".

A sampled opinion through calls from family and friends revealed the privilege was unique to my centre. Before coming there I'd visited another close by, but found nothing interesting in the place so I left for mine.

The lady Traffic Warden was "on point"; ensuring people were not jumping the queue.

Within minutes, I was through with accreditation. I was "Number 797" on the queue and was ready to hit the streets before the voting started. I decided to start from that centre.

I did some interviews and was on my last when a man, who introduced himself as a lawyer, came, complaining bitterly. "Journalist, please come, there is a police officer who is supposed to be on duty, but is drinking beer with some people close by. People are jumping the queue and the woman officer cannot handle it alone," he said.

I told him I was on my last interview and would join him shortly. But that was not to be. Before I could say jack, pandemonium broke out and that was how I was disenfranchised. And my preferred candidate lost one vote.

The police officer had caught and waylaid the lawyer with his drinking fellows, demanding his phone. Before long, the lawyer was slapped and accused of disturbing pub-

Timely snap, police arrest What is it about taking pictures? What price can you pay for taking a policeman's picture when he is in a compromising situation? Are you willing to take the risk? Ask Senior Correspondent, EVELYN OSAGIE, who recounts her ordeal in the hands of an overzealous policeman during the elections.

lic peace.

He was caught in the act; and I got the officer in camera. But instead of leaving the scene with the six "exclusive shots", I decided to investigate the issue thoroughly by speaking to the parties involved. This was around 11 O’clock I spoke to the Traffic Warden, the policeman's drinking fellows and onlookers. Each had different versions of the story. I then waited to talk to the officer in question. That was my undoing.

As I approached him with a smile to ask what really happened, one of his "bedfellows" screamed, "she also took your picture". That was what the officer, whose mouth reeked of alcohol, needed to hear. "Why do you come here and take my picture; who authorised you?" he screamed, dragged and tore my camera from my hand.

"I am a journalist with The Nation and I am here to ask you questions with regards…"

Nothing I said mattered.

"Where is your ID card?" All efforts to explain, that I had lost my purse with my ID and ATM card inside some days before at Oshodi and had even requested my bank to block my ATM card, and that my complimentary card was somewhere in my bag, proved abortive.

He was busy searching through the pictures on my camera; on seeing the picture where he was grabbing the lawyer's trousers, all hell broke loose. He threatened fire and brimstone, and promised to arrest and send me to court for this embarrassment. Some people suggested to him that the pictures should be deleted and the matter rested. Next thing I knew he radioed his office and three sternlooking policemen arrived on tricycle. I was to be arrested along with the lawyer.

But before leaving I asked what my crime was. "You will find out when you get to the station," they answered.

As they drove to Pen Cinema Police Station, I reached for my phone and found it was gone; I scattered my bag in search of my complimentary cards and found none. That was when I became agitated. "How do I reach the office, my family and friends now?" Many scenes of police brutality on films flashed through my mind. I uttered a silent prayer, but put up a strong face.

As we arrived it was as if the station was waiting for us. "I think una say una no go leave

police alone! We go show you wetin e mean to take police picture without permission." The officers were angry and ready to make scapegoats of us. I made another prayer to God and tried to keep a straight face.

We were met by a female DPO on special assignment to that station, who said she studied Mass Communication. "As you got to centre did you take snapshots of the police officers when they were doing their duties." I said I did. The furious-looking DPO then asked that the case be handled by the DCO, Mrs Margaret Yinka-Akingbade.

During the DCO's interview of the said officer, who I later found was called Mr Tawose Sola, he explained that he had sat with the men to forestall any unrest and had spent N5, 000 from his purse on drinks, following an information he received. I wondered why it took him until he got to the station before he explaining himself.

She asked for my IDs and I told her what happened and ask that they place a call to my office to verify my statement.

We were told write our statement. I was booked; feeling sad I spent over 30 minutes crafting a statement. While waiting to receiving our statements, IPO Akin, who was asked to book us, reiterated his colleagues' words, while asking that be fast with as they had other pressing issues to handle. I kept asking what crime I committed and asked to call my office. To my surprise, he offered his phone and I called my Desk Head, who, in turn, got across to the PPRO and Deputy Commissioner of Police (Operations). By then, I was dying of thirst and asked to get water.

After a long and uncertain wait, I asked for water again, and as we were being transferred to Area G Command in Ogba, a SUPOL, who later became very friendly, gave me water.

On getting to the Area Commander, after listening to us, asked the DCO to caution and let us go.

We were, then, taken back to Pen Cinema Police Station where we were made to sign an undertaking, not to do that again, before we were let off the hook. This was after I was made to delete the “incriminating” photographs showing Mr Sola harassing the lawyer.

I remember laughing as I wrote. But “not to do it again, hmm” I shook my head but felt too dizzy to think and “biting” hunger pangs; it was past close to Six O’clock. The SUPOL

insisted that I ate with her. Fear gripped me at first, but I was too hungry to care.

I was then asked to leave. As I walked back to check for my phone at the centre, I met a crowd rejoicing that their candidates won the centre. “This would make good shot I thought”, I thought. The police officer was there again, this time, he was threatening to send me back to jail for taking pictures of people. I ran off to avoid a repeat of the earlier incident.

Interestingly, while on my way home I met my female neighbours, who said they were coming for my rescue. It came as a surprise that their husbands had informed them and they took the initiative to come in search of me - “talk about Jesus and the women at the tomb”.

Saturday, April 11, 2015 Two weeks after, I remember standing in the shower on the morning of the governorship election and drifting to that 'thought' place again. One of my editors, Mr Lekan Otufodurin had asked me, "Given the same situation, Evelyn, would you take the same action?"

The answer left me shivering, but not from the cold splashing water, caressing my face.

"I was jinxed like Sisi Calabar had said", I thought, "I had to break it." What perfect day to break free than another Election Day. "Hopefully, the day would go differently."

I figured since the incident happened during the presidential election, a fresh experience would help wash away bad memories. But I could only go beyond my door before my stomach turned out of fear and I ran inside to take a leak. By the time I was done and ready to go out, it was way past noon and my friends/neighbours insisted on going with me "to keep you safe," as they put it.

We still joke over the way they marched towards the station, like ancient amazons of war, as if they were ready to take on an entire battalion. But whether they succeed or not in keeping me out of trouble was another day's tale.

And every time I am asked "Given the same situation, Evelyn, would you take the same action?" The answer still leaves me shivering, but not from splashing raindrops, and I'd answer: "You know the rest."

48

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, APRIL 29, 2015

The Midweek Magazine

E-mail:- ozoluauhakheme@yahoo.com

Evolution of Ichi in Igboland

T

ITLE taking is not traditional to Igboland alone. It is a practice that is common in other parts of Nigeria and by extension black Africa. Traditionally, Africans seem t o place a lot of value on title taking, chieftaincy affairs and other things such as peer groups, age grades, etc that enhances the reputation of an individual in his community or among his people.

Naturally, human beings generally get to a certain stage in life that they began to seek for honor and recognition in their society.

That explains why people tend to invest their time, energy and resources on title taking. In fact the joy, eagerness, preparedness and the paraphernalia that accompany such celebration would amaze an ordinary onlooker. As mentioned earlier, such ceremonies are not unique to Igboland alone as it is also widely practiced by other prominent ethnic groups in the country such as the Yorubas, Hausas, Igalas, Efiks etc. However, the distinguishing factor may be the way and manner such ceremonies are conducted by the various groups and the titles that are taken. But be that as it may, the practice is highly respected by the people as it confers on the holder certain social responsibilities and recognition.

Adazi Nnukwu is a town in Anaocha Local Government Area of Anambra State, Nigeria.

It is made up of nineteen villages with three major clans. It has a population of about 50,000 people. The town is surrounded by four towns –Nimo, Neni, Agulu and Orakwu, in the north, south, east and west respectively. Ichi is a title taking by some communities in Anambra State. It is similar to title taking by other ethnic groups in the country.

Findings revealed that most communities in eastern Nigeria take Ichi title. Only the holders of Ichi title may become candidate for Ozo title in Adazi Nnukwu. There are different methods in which Ichi title can be taken by different towns in Anambra State.

Ichi Title Ichi title is an association known as Nze Ichi, while the Ozo titled men are called Nze Agbala.

The association of Nze Ichi and Nze Agbala is called Ndi nze na ozo. This association meets three times in a year. In ancient time, candidates for Ichi title are subjected to painful scarification of the whole face with sharp knife that leaves indelible marks on the face.

The Umudioka people from Neni town are the carvers. They are invited to come and perform the scarification on the face. The old system of Ichi initiation in Adazi Nnukwu was characterized by the use of knife, Unyi (charcoal), water, plantain leaf, azu asa (dry fish). However in 1955 Arch Bishop Charles Heery modified the initiation process and introduce the use of red cap and hand fan as against facial scarification. The use of red

From Ofojekwu Nkem Augustina

HERITAGE cap and hand fan now identifies an Ichie.

Again only an Ichi title holder can aspire to take Ozo title.

The title is taking by responsible elites of Adazi nnukwu who placed premium on the revival of social cultural and traditional heritage. His Royal Highness the “Adama of Adazi Nnukwu” is the chairman of Ndi Nze na ozo. Each clan in Adazi Nnukwu has its own association of Nze na ozo which is headed by the oldest ozo titled man in that clan. The person taking the title is called Ichie. The Ichie members command great respect in the community and that are highly revered. They have authority to speak in any special gathering.

The intending Ichie will have to do (Ifejioku) which is the 1st stage into the noble class. This is one of the qualifications into Ichi title. The Ifejioku is only done for the “Umunna’’ (Kinsmen) and well wishers. The candidate would be required to produce recommendation letter stating his patriotism, membership status, eligibility and fitness for joining Ichi prestigious association from these bodies:• Family members / kindred.

• Adazi Town Development Union (ATDU) (Branch) • Adazi Town Development Union (ATDU) (General) • Age Grade • Proof of Ifejioku.

Failure to obtain recommendation letter from any one of the above is tantamount to failure in the interview.

The candidate will require an interview which is as rigorous as that of Ozo interview.

This is to ensure that only responsible and patriotic men are enlisted because of the saying that “Onye ajo omume ama echi chapaya na echi-chi”. (An irresponsible man cannot change if he becomes a titled man). The intending Ichie will apply in writing to the sec-

retary of Nze na ozo of his clan. The secretary will discuss with the chairman and a date is fixed for his interview. The candidate would communicate this date to other members in his clan as well as the venue which is normally the “Adama’s” palace. The aspirant would be briefed on the number of kola nuts as well as other items like food and drinks which he will provide on that day.

The normal time is 4pm and must be on “Oye” day which is one of the four market days in Igbo land.

During the interview the Chairman would first present his kolanut followed by the presentation of kolanut by the aspirant. In breaking the kolanut the chairman prays for his success in the interview as Ichi will bring him blessings, long life and success in his family and office.

Thereafter, the interview commences. Usually, there would be no drinking of any alcohol until the interview process is completed.

The aspirant would be asked to bring all that was required from him one at a time for discussion and verifications. He will then face a barrage of questions from the Ichie members present, on his life style, means of livelihood, and his role in ATDU. At the end of the interview he would be asked to step out to enable the member’s confer and deliberate on his chances. After conferring he will be called in and if he is successful, the chairman will congratulate him, pointing out his special qualities as observed by all from which he must not deviate from.

Following his successful interview, the candidate would announce his initiation programme which would include ‘Inna ndi Ozo nni’’ (This means entertaining the ozo of his clan first to make them agree to eat with others in his house). The candidate would be required to pay enrollment fee of N100 multiplied by the number of Ichies in his clan because Ichi is primarily a clan affair. He would also give two goats and a cow to his clan and send out invitations of his initiation ceremony.

There is usually a preliminary ceremony before the initiation date called “inna ndi ozo nni” for ozo title holders at the home of the candidate. On that day all Ozo titled men in his clan would go with their wives and a servant. The entertainment is preceded by presentation of one native cock and one yam to each Ozo man. The Ozo men would rehearse with the aspirant ways to make a successful initiation.

On the initiation day, at 8am, about six Ichi members from his clan will go to the candidate’s house to supervise the killing of a cow and sharing it into equal parts for all members. They would be entertained with kola nuts, breakfast of yam porridge with chicken and a gallon of Ngwo (palm wine). From 12 noon all Ichie in his clan or their representatives will assemble to take their shares by seniority. Then from 1pm all Ichie in his clan with one person, all Ozo men with two persons, the chairman with three persons, would all converge in candidate’s house. The candidate would bring the required items for the initiation ceremony with the cooked head of the cow.

This is done in candidate’s compound. The well dressed aspirant and his wife sits at the centre, all the Ichie in his clan also sit in semi-circular fashion facing the candidate and his wife. The chairman and some Ozo men present sit at the middle of the semi– circle. The chairman starts by blessing

kolanut and pray for the success of the ceremony. The materials that would be used for the scarifications would be displayed – akwukwo jioko” (plantain leaf), water, “Unyi” (charcoal), “azu nkpo” (dry fish) “ncha” (soap), oil, and a sharp knife. The Umudioka people from Neni would perform the scarification on the face of the candidate with the sharp knife. While the scarification on the face is ongoing, one of the nominees leads them with a song “Umudioka ndi negbu ichi …aaa, meaning that Umudioka were the original cavers. All nze na ozo respond “Oh………..neeh”. The wife simultaneously console the candidate (her husband) by feeding him with dry fish.

Another Ichie from his clan would be treating his cuts with charcoal and water which serves as antibiotic.

The invited guest and well wishers would hail the candidate for his courage and endurance to with stand the scarification. But nowadays, the ceremony is done by only dressing the candidate with the customary paraphernalia of a red cap on his head, a leather hand fan to his right hand. At the end, the chairman would congratulate him and announce his Ichi name. Both will exchange greetings by striking their hand fans three times in a familiar pattern. All the Ozo men and Ichie will use their hand fan to congratulate the new Ichie. Congratulations also come from families, umunna” (kinsmen) umuada” (daughters) age grade; “ndi inyom” (wives) friends and well wishers.

The venue is marked with joy and merriments till dawn.

The cultural value of the title • • • • •

Ichie are members of traditional ruling council of the town.

They participate in the decision making process of the clan.

It shows they are achievers.

They are well respected in the society.

They are custodian of the traditional heritage/culture.

Influence of religion / civilisation Today, Ichi title is no longer practice in Adazi land as it was practiced in the olden days. This is because of the effect of civilisation. Today people regard Ichi title taking as a primitive practice with a lot of attendant health risk. It is believed that any time the skin is broken there is a high risk of bacterial and viral infection. This could be attributed to education and modernisation.

Also scarification marks were so crude and the equipment used in carving may not be well sterilised. Moreover, the coming of Christianity in Adazi Nnukwu has greatly affected this practice. This is because many Christian converts have come to believe that Ichi title taking is associated with idle idol worship.

It is an association that achievers aspire to join because of the remarkable achievements of its members and their collective efforts to preserve and strengthen the social, traditional and cultural heritage of the town.

There is a saying that Obodo enweghe omenana na odi bendi nwuluanwu, meaning any town without its tradition and culture is dead.

•Ofojekwu is Principal Education Officer, National Museum, Lagos.

Arthouse auction opens May 11

A

S contemporary African art becomes one of the fastest growing global art markets, the 14th edition of the Arthouse Contemporary’s auction will feature both master works from the modern period and contemporary art from the region’s most celebrated artists.

The auction, which will open on Monday May 11, by 6 pm at Wheatbaker Hotel, Ikoyi, Lagos include 116 lots from leading artists including Ben Enwonwu, El Antasui, Ablade Glover, Akinola Lasekan, Ben Osawe, Bruce Onobrakpeya, Lamidi Fakeye, Okpu Eze, Susan Wegner, Gani Odutokun, Yusuf Grillo, Abayomi Barber, Kolade Oshinowo, and Amon Kotei. Contemporary artists featuring for the first time at the auction include Justus Akeredolu, Paul Onditi, Charles Okereke, Ato Malinda Soji Adeshina, Jacqueline Souwari, Charly D’Almeida, Stanley Dudu, Samuel Tete Katcha, and Mario Kizito Kasule. Works will be on display at

By Ozolua Uhakheme

AUCTION the Wheatbaker Hotel for viewing in anticipation of the auction, on Sunday, May 10, 2015, 12-6 pm and Monday May 11, 2015, 10 am-1 pm. The auction will be led by noted auctioneer John Dabney.

According to a statement by the organisers, the auction will also include four charity lots from celebrated artists such as Nike Okundaye, Modupe Fadugba, Tola Wewe and Victor Ehikhamenor in support of Standard Chartered Bank’s Seeing is Believing, a charity which works to tackle avoidable blindness.

Arthouse Contemporary is proudly sponsored by Standard Chartered Bank, Veuve Clicquot, and Mouton Cadet.

Founded in 2007, Arthouse Contemporary is an international auction house that focuses on modern and contemporary art from West Africa. With auctions held twice a year in

Lagos, Nigeria Arthouse Contemporary aims to create awareness of the scope of contemporary art in the region, encourage international recognition towards its talented artists, and strengthen the economy of its art market. As West Africa’s premier auction house, Arthouse Contemporary has sold over 1,100 pieces of art worth nearly eight million dollars over the past seven years.

It has recently expanded beyond its bi-annual auctions to include the Arthouse Foundation, a non-profit organisation that aims to encourage the creative development of contemporary art in Nigeria, and ArthouseThe Space, which organises exhibitions of contemporary art. Arthouse-The Space presented an exhibition of Nigerian artist Uche Udemba in March 2015 and is currently organising an exhibition of legendary artist Yusuf Grillo that will take place in October 2015. Arthouse Online, an online platform that showcases new works by contemporary African artists in small scale editions and affordable prices was launched last year.

•Unfold mystery, steel and bronze by Raqib Bashorun,

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, APRIL 29, 2015

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The Midweek Magazine

E-mail:- ozoluauhakheme@yahoo.com

Sure steps towards making millions in business

N

ATIONS are made by individuals who believe. Mrs. Adenike Obayemi, the CEO of Her Excellency, a skills development centre at 8 Owodunni Street, off Allen Avenue, in the Ikeja area of Lagos State is one Nigerian who believes in the drive to make Nigeria great through the grooming of young entrepreneurs. She has just published the well-packaged book, Make The Millions In New Businesses, an exquisite guide specially put together for children and teenagers in junior and senior secondary schools, students and undergraduates in sundry tertiary institutions and universities, and indeed all who want to excel in life. The book is a treasure-trove aimed at enabling the reader to acquire the relevant skills, domestic values and the necessary sense of responsibility to make it through life.

An English Language Education graduate of the esteemed University of Ife (now Obafemi Awolowo University), Adenike Obayemi is a teacher, master trainer, mentor, motivational speaker and consultant.

Through the publication of Make The Millions In New Businesses, Adenike puts on the front burner her abiding mission to empower and develop the inner potentials of Nigerian children and youths for positive results. The added dimension is to promote self-employment and entrepreneurial culture in the wider society. On the practical front, there is the pivotal mission to teach the young female children the art and skills of baking, cookery and the production of drinks.

The essence of the book Make The Millions In New Businesses takes pride of place as it has been discovered that most of the vices and challenges today’s youths are faced with in terms of gross unemployment, underemployment, prostitution, fraudulent practices, idleness, lack of self-esteem, and self-worth are due to the fact they have not

BOOK From Uzor REVIEW Maxim Uzoatu Title: Author: Reviewer: Publisher:

Made The Millions in New Business Adenike Obayemi Uzor Maxim Uzoatu Publicist Integrated Serivers Ltd

been properly exposed to a complete form of education. Adenike Obayemi strongly makes the case that for a child to completely fit into the present world, there is the need to include into the school curriculum some form of handworks and skills acquisition programmes. She stresses that the best time to do this is from the early years in school.

Written in simple, straightforward language and unique style with a step-bystep procedure which makes it very practical

Beyond oil

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HIS is a book that is a dream come true in both the philosophical wisdom of the Governor of Delta State, Dr. Emmanuel Eweta Uduaghan in his evangelical campaign of ‘Delta State Beyond Oil, DBO.’ The content of this compendium has real and tangible promises to change the mindset of those who believe and insist that the oil industry is the only way to generate revenue for the nation and individual selves as it takes us to ‘beyond oil’ and into other pastures of the economy.

For the long period the oil industry dominated Nigeria and the Niger Delta where oil is explored and exploited, it has assumed the image and many characteristics of an only ‘saviour’ without viable alternatives and where non can be consciously considered.

In saying what has become only too obvious, it is stated in the book (vol. 1 p.95): “The sector has become the mainstay of the economy, pivoting other sectors and accounting for well over 90 per cent of the country’s foreign earnings. …the three tiers of government in Nigeria predicate their development agenda on revenue derived from oil and are therefore vulnerable to the vagaries in the international prices of oil.”

It should however be pointed out early enough that the book is not totally bidding farewell to this natural resource that has served the nation for decades but it is directly advocating for economic diversification to other areas where revenue/income can be generated.

Never before this publication has the strident advocacy for the spreading out of the revenue base been so championed formally. The call of the book especially is for the exploitation of the abundant natural resources that abound in the state. The first key sectors indicated are in the agriculture/agro-allied and manufacturing sectors amongst others.

The message in this publication could not have come at a better time than this

BOOK From Uzor REVIEW Maxim Uzoatu Delta Beyond Oil: A Quest For Sustainable Development Reviewer: Ozolua Uhakheme Publisher: Delta Board Of Internal Revenue, Dbir Pagination: 256 Title:

and the potential benefactors owe gratitude to the following; Dr. Emmanuel Eweta Uduaghan, who originated the vision, the Delta Board of Inland Revenue, DBIR, that translated it into practical terms and the contributing writers who interpreted it into living text.

Coming in two compact volumes, this publication has two major and immediate appeals in terms of content and reach. It amply qualifies for a general interest reading and it meant to serve as a textbook in the state’s education system. And it covers as much of the cultural, social, economic and political being of Delta State.

The concept employed in writing the book, no doubt, is deliberately conceived and executed for several readership groups by the contributing authors and

and easy to follow, Make The Millions In New Businesses is designed to help the students and their parents alike. The author knows that the busy lifestyles of the presentage parents have not helped matters for the young children because a lot of the roles the parents are supposed to play have been neglected or completely transferred to the school. She avers that it will therefore be in the best interest of all concerned for the schools to take the bull by the horn and ensure that this aspect of the child’s development is properly addressed.

Adenike knows the heart of the matter through direct personal experience because, in the past few years, several parents have during the long vacations brought their children to Her Excellency centre to be trained in cooking and food preparation, cakes and bread making, pastries and beads making. She feels fulfilled that these acquired skills form an addition to their educational qualification, therefore making these children to have an all-round education.

Make The Millions In New Businesses is meant to serve several purposes such as wealth creation, youth and women empowerment, poverty eradication and skills acquisition in different areas; and “it is not gender biased”. It smacks of ignorance for supposedly educated people to underestimate handworks because they feel it is only meant for the uneducated and school dropouts. The book makes the crucial point that the days of education for white collar jobs are gone.

It is meet to adopt the words of Akinniyi I. Sowunmi, Leader/CEO of Popeman, Lagos in his Foreword to Make The Millions In New Businesses, to wit: “Since March 27, 1944 when Asa Griggs Candler registered the Coca Cola patent and used his entrepreneurial skills to launch the Coke, a drink originally meant to be patient medicine by its inventor, John Pemberton,

into the most valuable global brand available at all nooks and crannies internationally… the challenge is to get fired by the ideas in the book to launch a business bigger than the Coca Cola onto our tables very soon with the guiding designs here provided.”

With spiraling unemployment, there is no escape for the young Nigerian who does not embrace the step-by-step methods made for practical use in Make The Millions In New Businesses. There is the shining example of Tolani who “graduated from one of the best universities in South West region of Nigeria” who was frustrated during years of unemployment and under-employment only to eventually become a very successful employer of labour after undergoing training in Cakes Baking and Decoration at Her Excellency Centre.

Adenike Obayemi undertakes a hands-on step-by-step procedure in Make The Millions In New Businesses. One gets to learn how to prepare Small Chops such as Puff Puff, Vegetable Springroll and Asun (Goat Meat Barbeque). Cocktail Drinks like Chapman, Tropical Sunset, Pineapple on the Rocks, and Strawberry Sensation are ready grist to the author’s mill. Nigerian Indigenous Soups, notably Edikang Ikong, Egusi, Efo Riro, Afang, Banga and Oha Soup, are picturesquely featured. The richly illustrated chapters encompass Bread Making, Snacks & Pastries, Cake Baking, and Desserts.

In all, by studying the recipes adroitly set out in Make The Millions In New Businesses and going ahead to practice and master the productions one will definitely be on the success-laden road of starting a fulfilling business that will help move Nigeria forward economically. I wholeheartedly recommend that Make The Millions In New Businesses be adopted as a textbook for junior and secondary school students across all the states of Nigeria.

the publisher of the book, the Delta Board of Internal Revenue, DBIR. What comes first and obviously becomes one of the most significant aspects of the book is the bold and indelible signature of the Delta State Governor, Dr. Emmanuel Eweta Uduaghan and his visionary streak in giving a desirable parting gift to Delta State – the hope and means of survival without the famed oil wealth whose fortunes have become imperiled by the day.

Across the world in recent times, the gale of falling oil prices has become one of the most disturbing experiences of those who dispense the common wealth of their people.

The effect of tumbling oil prices has been very pronounced and biting in a country like Nigeria which has been solely and sorely dependent on the revenue from oil to service both capital and recurrent expenditure.

As one of the major oil producing states and therefore one that is equally dependent on oil revenue, Delta State has taken an initiative that will serve not only itself but other states with similar status. The backlash that accompanied the recession in revenue from oil, in several ways, took many by surprise.

And this has become a harrowing experience which could not have been contemplated or envisaged before now.

It is most likely that it is on this worrisome outcome in Dr. Uduaghan’s forecast and projections that he decided to conceive and design and implement this novel policy of pulling the fortunes of Delta State from the dependence on oil wealth.

The narration above certainly is no longer news, at least to those who can discern. What is now news is the deliberate attempt via this publication to sensitize the people on the dangers of depending mainly on oil and equally showing the ways on how to harness other alternative sources of revenue generation for the state and its people.

The book, by virtue of input, is a welcomed new genre to the Nigerian book world. The work is a rich product of an active imagination and a genuine creative way to offer tangible hope to a peo-

ple in search of greener pastures.

But while basking in the wealth generated by oil, Delta Beyond Oil… did not fail to point out a major and significant lesson the readers needed to learn and do very well. This has to do with the adverse effect that oil has on the environment. Volume 1, page 79 states: “Generally speaking, communities are dissatisfied with the consequences from oil operations. Some of the most serious relate to environmental sustainability which is fundamental to the people’s wellbeing and development. Wide ranging and usually destructive environmental changes have stemmed from oil and gas extraction, industrialization and urbanization. Oil spills and gas flares in particular have destroyed natural resources central to local livelihood.”

It should, however, be pointed out that this publication may not immediately translate to instant results but the potentials are obvious and open to those who can seize the initiative to diversify from the oil industry into other lucrative areas that have hitherto been lying fallow or unattended to.

The publication has two major components that are germane to the overall review at hand. The first is the theme that instigated and ran through the book. The second is the interpretations of the theme, in various sub-themes, in the book. While the first is credited to His Excellency, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan, the latter is due to Professor S.O. Aghalino and his writing team who have breathed life into the vision in printed words.

As to be expected from lecturers on active service from the universities of Ilorin, Abraka, Ibadan, Benin, Lagos and College of Education, Warri, nothing less than a flawless content delivery and fluent narration is expected.

One major flaw in the publication is the absence of pictures in volume one.

With a readership that is, at best, still apathetic in nature, pictures have a way of whetting a reader’s appetite and are capable of driving narrations very graphically.

Here, without the imputation s of politics is a book that deserves patronage across board.

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, APRIL 29, 2015

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The Midweek Magazine

E-mail:- ozoluauhakheme@yahoo.com

Satchmo’s Jazzfest honours Armstrong

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OR four days (music enthusiasts in Lagos especially Jazz, will savour the exciting package of this year’s SATHCMO’s Jazzfest, a UNESCO International Jazz Day celebration opening tomorrow April 30 till May3, at about 20 venues across the city. Among the venues for the festival are Oceanview Marque, Victoria Island, Lagos, Oriental Hotel, German Consulate-General, AERA GQ, Queens Drive, Ikoyi and Miliki. Other venues are Four Points Sheraton, Wine House, Ikoyi, Banana Island Café, Angle Villa, Lekki Phase I. The festival which will feature jazz film screening and talk by Sunara Begum will also feature over 50 performances by international and local jazz musicians such as Jonathan Butler, Somi, Tunde Jegede and Nomadic Mystics, HKB FiNN Trio, Kasse Mady and ACM Ensemble, Cleveland Watkiss. Others are Trio Ivoire, Yemi Sax, Kwitee and the Hot Seven. The works to be screened include Blue Note, Last song before the war and Play your own thing.

In November 2011, UNESCO General Conference proclaimed April 30 as International Jazz Day to celebrate the virtues of Jazz as an educational tool and a powerful force for peace, unity, dialogue and enhanced cooperation among people.

According to the organisers, the SATCHMO’s Jazzfest (an annual four-day musical phenomenon) is a collaborative celebration of the unifying and uplifting spirit of Jazz, a response to UNESCO’s initiative while celebrating Nigeria’s jazz legacy as well as (Louis Armstrong) Satchmo’s tireless efforts to promote jazz throughout Africa. Armstrong was a legendary jazz musician, world renowned trumpeter, bandleader singer and soloist. His name was synonymous with Jazz music globally.

“Throughout the year, the festival will sponsor and support the community with free musical educational programmes implemented by the Satchmo Residence in Lagos Island and at the MUSON Centre in collaboration with the Thelonius Monk Institute of Jazz. These programmes will enrich the lives of hundreds of children and their families. Your support will help young people access musical learning, particularly supporting undeserved students and young people and adults with special needs,” the organisers said. SATCHMO’s Jazzfest philosophy is to engage with the city of Lagos and do much more than hold great performances at main venues.

At a lecture titled: 70 Years of Jazz in Nigeria

• Emeka

By Ozolua Uhakheme Assistant editor (Arts)

MUSIC by jazz historian Emeka Keazor at the Goethe Institut, Lagos the pioneering efforts of some leading jazz musicians were highlighted as well as the evolution of the genre into several brands of mix-bag music such as highlife and Afrobeat.

Keazor took the select audience down memory lane in his presentation that highlighted major contributions of some leading Nigerian jazz artists to the growth of the music genre. He recalled the great works of artistes such as Maud Meyer, Ambrose Campbell, Mike Falana, Fela Kuti, Solomon Ilori, Bayo Martins, Bala Miller, Gboyega

‘Throughout the year, the festival will sponsor and support the community with free musical educational programmes implemented by the Satchmo Residence in Lagos Island and at the MUSON Centre in collaboration with the Thelonius Monk Institute of Jazz. These programmes will enrich the lives of hundreds of children and their families. Your support will help young people access musical learning, particularly supporting undeserved students and young people and adults with special needs’

Honour for the women folk

A

S part of events to shape the society positively using women activities, an arts exhibition opened last Sunday at the Federal Palace Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos. With the theme, Women in Development, the exhibition is showcasing some of the activities and involvement of women in development both as top government officials and high profile technocrats.

Mrs. Chinze Ojobo artist and cultural ambassador said: “The purpose of the exhibition with the theme Women in Development is to bring to the fore activities of women from the back end to the fore front.” Mrs. Ojobo a consummate artist explained that women are now doing everything positive to shape society. We are not just there, but we make sure we are effective,” she said.

The exhibition is part of the Vlisco Women’s month award. Vlisco Women Month celebrates the inspiring achievements of women in West and Central Africa. This year’s theme of the celebration is ‘Live the Dream’ in honor of African Women who have the courage to turn their dreams into reality despite the challenges they face in their daily lives. Mrs. Adesuwa Onyenokwe, Publisher TW Magazine was winner of 2014 Vlisco women’s ambassador award and has been an inspiration to Mrs. Ojobo. According to her, this exhibition paints a vivid picture of women com-

Adelaja, Aleke Kanonu and Mary Ali Usuah.

Renowned music critic, Mr. Benson Idonije said Nigeria’s romance with jazz music began as far back as the 1940s after the Second World War with the home-coming from overseas of such names such as Bobby Benson, Tunde Amuwo, Bob Edwards and Willy Payne among others. He noted that they started by mimicking the big band sounds of Glen Miller and Benny Goodman, the guitar virtuosity of Charlie Christian, the saxophone sounds of Coleman Hawkins and Earl Bostic-who seemed to have influenced them.

He however noted that jazz was not the bands’ main preoccupation as they played a mixed bag that also included calypso, LatinAmerican stuff, jive, dance music of the ball room type such as waltz, quickstep, tango, fox trot and even highlife.

“However, to underscore the fascination they had for jazz, almost all these early bands adopted jazz tunes for self identification: Bobby Benson Jam Session had the standard, Soft Winds as its signature tune while Tunde Amuwo adopted the classic Seven Eleven. Even E.T Mensah’s Tempos Band which was the model settled for the classic, Tiger Rag,” he said.

Idonije said two groups created an ideal atmosphere for jazz in Lagos on account of the alternative they provided jazz aficionados, noting that while the Fela Ransome-Kuti Quintet, in its modern jazz setting, played such tunes as Bags groove, Billy Bounce, But not for me and Errol Garner’s Misty which were identified with contemporary times, The Preachers, a ‘Mainstream’ jazz outfit entertained its audience with such tunes of the swing era as Pedido, C.Jam Blues.

According to Idonije, the Fela Ransome Kuti Quintet transformed to the Koola Lobitos in April 1965 while the reformed Preachers carried on actively under the leadership of Art Alade. He said many thought that Fela’s jazz music would give way to free-wheeling, conventional highlife but they were disappointed.

By Ozolua Uhakheme Assistant Editor (Arts)

EXHIBITION bining motherhood, family life, the office and influence on the day to day activities of not only governance, but also industry.

She said gone are the days when women snared at each other.” But now support each other for a better society”. Mrs. Ojobo a well-travelled artist with degrees in Fine and Applied Arts from University of Nigeria, Nsukka and had exhibited in several cities including Accra, Paris, London, Washington DC, California, Virginia, Maryland, New Jersey and Plovdiv among others specifically said this exhibition will bring the story of women in development up to date.

The exhibition demonstrates Mrs. Ojobo’s personal experiences especially interwoven cultures in her painting with acrylic on jute, burlap to texture, and canvas paper to build up more textures with a combination of traditionally woven fabrics called kente or mud cloth.

Her art work goes beyond surrealism.

Hers is art for life sake as she tells the story of women and men, especially in a particular buildup of almost real life images of nine women decked in magnificent ornaments while the only man in their midst has an austere costume and displaying masculinity to protect the women.

Mrs. Ojobo explains further. Take a cursory look of any successful woman, her husband is there for her as a friend, colleague and support.

This particular artwork is believed to be a masterpiece, but Mrs. Ojobo says while it’s true that this appears to be a master piece, it’s not her magnum opus. Her paintings are detailed. The artist whose husband, Mr. Tony Ojobo, heads the Public Affairs Department at the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) said her husband, who is also a lover of arts, has been a pillar to her.

An award winning artist, Mrs. Ojobo was honored by the Ministry of Arts and Culture, Los Angeles California in 2003. She designed and built two cinema halls and a lounge for the National Film and Video Censors Board and built and furnished the first Telecommunications Museum in Nigeria at the NCC in 2006. She has had over 40 arts exhibitions including six in Hollywood, Bulgaria and London, among others.

With 35 percent affirmative action by government to accommodate the women folk in governance, Nigerian women have become a part of the day to day activities of government. Since 2011 when this action took root, women are no longer confined to the homes of which many male chauvinists considered their natural habitat.

Now they are Ministers, Directors General, Permanent Secretaries, Chief Executives of government corporations, blue chip companies and generally involved in Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs).

360 Art Studio opens at Isolo

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RTS and photography studio, 360 Arts Shop has been opened at Block 118, Suite 3, Jakande Estate, Oke-Afa, Isolo Lagos. The official launch and opening ceremony which witnessed a gathering of art lovers was held penultimate Sunday and boasts of large format printing with its HD printing machine which is capable of printing life size photographs, photo shots and art collection.

Aside from the large format print, there is an on-line arts shop, www.360artshop.com. 360 Art Shop is the first online art shop in Nigeria, solely dedicated to the sales of art works ranging from, painting, sculpture, photography, ceramics among others.

The photography studio is a one stop shop for corporate and social events in and outside the studio environments. It is poised to revolutionize the marketing landscape of artworks in Nigeria and sub-Saharan Africa in general plus offering modern and affordable (creative + photography) studio space with multi-functionality in mind. The studio welcomes art collectors, photographers and creative minds alike.

According to Washington Uba, 360 Arts Shop is to ‘help you search, appreciate and buy limited-edition prints in the pop and urban aesthetics at prices you can afford. 360 online gallery features a curated collection of works from prominent and upcoming artists. It’s for lovers of art, or those who simply want to taste the thrill of collecting.’

360 Art Shop is also focused on the development of unique editions, supporting traditional techniques alongside modern mediums. Striking and affordable artworks is just a click away.

Its vision statement is to become the largest online art hub in sub-Saharan Africa.

Uba, an artist/photographer, the brain behind the new project had some of his works also exhibited during the event.

Among the dignitaries in attendance during the occasion were Director, Corporate Communications, Daily Sun Newspapers Steve Nwosu and Mr Johnson Oladesu and his wife, a lecturer at the Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago Iwoye, Ogun State and a PhD student of painting in ABU Zaria.

•Mrs Ojobo

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Ice Prince inspires Nike Oshinowo

C

E L E B R A T E D beauty queen, pageant organiser and Talk show host, Nike Oshinowo has said that her television show, Late Night with Nike Oshinowo is all about giving inspiration.

Describing the show as an international show, not merely a Nigerian show in an interview with The Nation, Oshinowo said that the show aims ‘to give inspiration, to give hope to people and to let them know that all is not lost.’

She also talked about Nigerian rapper, Panshak Zamani aka Ice Prince and how his story inspires her.

According to the former beauty queen, Ice prince’s

By Joe Agbro Jr.

story is the most compelling and most inspirational she has heard in a long time.

Oshinowo, who won the Miss Nigeria pageant 25 years ago spoke glowingly of the entertainer; “I love his story. I love the fact that he is willing to talk about it, knowing fully well that he is an inspiration to those coming after him.

However, we live in a country where everybody pretends to have dropped from Hollywood. So, finding someone who is phenomenally talented, has the fear of the almighty, has gone through life and has gone through all the

problems that life has thrown at him, and come out on the other side as a beautiful human being.

This beautiful soul; successful and humble, is to be celebrated. And held up as a shining example to the youths, so they can see what they can achieve if they do not derail. I think it’s very important, which is why I try to give a lending hand in any way I can.”

On her reason for opting to present a late night show, Oshinowo said it was because the belt offered fewer restrictions.

The no-holds-barred show has featured guests like Dolapo Oni, Beverly Naya and Ice Prince.

• Ice Prince and Nike Oshinowo

Happy times for Ara

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OPULAR Nigerian female talking drummer, Aralola Olumuyiwa, better known as Ara has a lot going for her at the moment. In a move, which she says is aimed at boosting her career, the artiste is presently putting up collaborative efforts with a couple of Nigeria’s most popular musicians.

She dropped a new single last month, titled Your Lover, produced by Puffy Tee. She has also done duets with Pasuma and MI, in two new singles, Etanu and Arade.

• Ara

The mother of one, who celebrated her 40th birthday in grand style, stated in an interview that at the moment, marriage is not her priority.

Ara is referred to as Africa’s first female talking drummer. She started drumming and singing at the age of 5. She has performed alongside many artistes including the Grammy Award winning group, All for One, Wyclef Jean, Angelique Kidjo, King Sunny Ade, as well as Femi Kuti. She also featured in Stevie Wonder’s last album, A time to Love.

Opelope Jesu drops new album, My Turn

G

OSPEL crooner, Prince John Adegoke has released his fourth studio album titled My Turn. According to Opelope Jesu, as the artiste is better known, the new album was inspired by God as he sees every sermon preached in church as an avenue to compose songs.

“I take my songs from the scriptures, but I try to interpret them in line with

By Adewoyin Adeniyi

our day-to-day activities so that it won’t look like I am telling a story. But I must blend it to what we are doing in the present day. The second reason for the album is to celebrate Nigeria. One of the tracks I have on it is titled Peace in Nigeria, in recognition of the trauma and the hardship the people, and the nation go through

Terry G to release Dagrin collabo

By Dupe Ayinla-Olasunkanmi

A

S artistes troop out to pay tribute to late indigenous rapper Dagrin, who passed on five years ago, Akpako crooner, Terry G has said that he is not left out of the bandwagon.

He recently revealed that he will be releasing a song he recorded with Dagrin before his demise.

According to Terry G, Dagrin appeared to him in a dream to deliver a message to the world.

Following the development, the Headies award winning singer, brand ambassador, and entrepreneur, has revealed that, he will be releasing their collaborative effort titled Can’t Stop on tomorrow.

The father of one wrote on his Instagram page; “I remember we spoke two weeks ago in my dream, you sent me a message to deliver, which I will officially release April 30.”

daily”.

Describing his foray into music, the artiste said that it was totally unplanned.

He revealed that his father, a former military personnel taught him to play some musical instruments at the age of six.

“If anyone had told me while growing up that I would pursue music as a career, I would have told the person to stay away from me because I never

had any passion for it. It was something I saw my father do every day, so it was not something I anticipated that I would ever do, but as fate would have it I found myself here,” he concludes.

The Business Management graduate of the University of Lagos revealed that the seven track album has songs like; Oriki Olorun, Come and See, Peace for Nigeria among others.

• Reekado Banks

Reekado Banks graduates

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T was a day of celebration for Ayoleyi Hanniel Solomon, aka Reekado Banks, yesterday as he was one of the hundreds who graduated from the University of Lagos.

Excited about his new status, the Mavin Records artiste took to social media to congratulate himself. He posted; “Happy convocation to me. Proud to say I am a graduate of History and Strategic Studies from the University of Lagos.

Thank you Lord”.

New to the Nigerian music industry, his first official single under the Mavin imprint, Turn It Up, which features Mavin’s first lady, Tiwa Savage, has been described as a melodious treat that screams get up and dance.

Reekado Banks is a Nigerian singer, rapper and songwriter signed to Mavin Records. He went by the stage name Spicy prior to his record deal with the aforementioned label.

AKA talks new single with M.I

• Terry G

C

HOCOLATE City rapper, Mr. Incredible and South African Hip-hop star, AKA recorded a new single last weekend and, according to information, the release date will be made known soon.

AKA, who recently stormed Lagos for a couple of shows, made this known on his Instagram page when he posted a photo of himself and M.I. He captioned the picture; “Got to kick it with a real African rap legend last night @mi_abaga … music on the way!!,” AKA has in the past made music with a number of Nigerian artistes including Burna Boy and Ice Prince.

The singer recently made headlines when he disparaged the South Africa media and its negative coverage of his career. According to him, the press in South Africa focuses more on his activities online rather than his achievements and successes.

“Media isn’t interested in reporting about my tour, or my successes or my tri-

By Ovwe Medeme

umphs, they are more interested in ‘What will AKA tweet today,’” the South African rapper tweeted while in Nigeria.

His tweets also revealed that he gets more respect in Nigeria than his own country.

“I feel more respected and welcomed in Nigeria than I do in South Africa. And that’s the sad truth,” he further tweeted.

• MI and AKA

The award winning rapper is in Nigeria as part of his tour of West Africa. He was one of the headline acts at the popular Lagos concert, One Mic Naija, The unplugged music concert which held on Sunday at the Ember Creek, Lagos.

AKA thrilled guests with a string of performances which include some of his hit songs like Jealousy, Levels, Run Jozi, Congratulate and a host of others.

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BUSINESS EXTRA Nigeria spends 331m euro on food processing, others

NATCOM takes over NITEL/Mtel •Promises good service delivery

By Kelvin Osa Okunbor

S

From John Ofikhenua, Abuja

T

HE National Council on Privatisation (NCP) yesterday handed over the assets of the Nigerian Telecommunications Limited (Nitel) and its mobile arm, the Mobile Telecommunications Mtel to the core investor, NATCOM. After receiving the certificate for the ownership for national carrier and Gateway License of Nitel and the Mtel Spectrum, the NATCOM Consortium Chairman, Dr. John Olatunde Ayeni promised that the firm “will bring a brand that will delight the Nigerian customers and market.”

The CEO, who spoke in Abuja said: “A new player and a new entity is entering the telecom industry today and a new brand and a strong brand has come.”

He said the firm is of the belief that there is a vacuum in the telecommunications market and the vacuum is the space that NATCOM’s unique brand would fill.

Filling the vacuum entails “listening to the customers and delighting them with what they need,”he said, promising that his group has resolved to make the customer the king.

Vice President Namadi Sambo, who is also the NCP chairman, told the chequred history of Nitel and Mtel before its final privatisation to NATCOM .

He recalled that in 2001, the strategic core investor sale of 51 per cent shareholding of Nitel to International London Limited (IILL) was unsuccessful.

He noted that in 2005, there was also a failed management contract by Pentascope with and aborted Orascom Telecoms bid in the same year.

Sambo said there was the strategic core investor sale, through negotiated sale strategy, to Transcorp which was cancelled in 2009.

In 2011, according to him, there was the strategic core investor sale, where New Generation Communications Limited and Omen International Limited emerged as preferred bidders.

On NATCOM, the Vice President explained that NCP approved the privatisation through a Guided Liquidation Strategy through a competitive bid process.

He stressed that two bidders submitted their technical and financial proposals after which NATCOM met met the technical requirement.

Sambo said that “Its financial proposal was publicly opened on October 24, 2014.

The first bid was $221million which was below the reserved price. After a second round of bidding, the revised bid of $252,221,000 was above the reserve price. NATCOM was therefore declared the preferred bidder.”

He urged stakeholders to see the privatisation as a necessary tool for the deregulation and opening up of hitherto government dominated sectors of the economy to the private sector as well as divestures of government’s interest in such sectors.

• From left: Globacom’s Brand Specialist, Nefishetu Yesufu; Executive Secretary/CEO, National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), Dr. Femi Thomas; Glo’s Regional Chief Marketing Officer, Ashok Israni; Regional Head, Chairman of Technical partner of Glo Health Cover, Salt and Einstein Ltd, Dr. Ernest Ndukwe and another Globacom Brand Specialist, Janada Mamza at the unveiling of Glo Health Cover, a Mobile Health Insurance Scheme by Globacom at the Transcorp Hilton Hotel in Abuja ... on Monday.

Senate okays N4.493tr budget

T

HE Senate yesterday concurred with the House of Representatives by appropriating N4, 493,363,957,158 as the budget for the 2015 fiscal year.

This is coming even as the lawmakers asked the Presidentelect, General Muhammadu Buhari, to send the National Assembly a supplementary budget that would take care of glaring shortcomings in the Appropriation Act Appropriation Committee Chairman Senator Ahmed Maccido presented the recommendations of his committee and the Committee on Finance on the 2015 Appropriation Bill.

Like the budget passed by the House of Representatives, no appropriation was made for fuel subsidy.

Some said the implication was that fuel subsidy had been tactically stopped. Others hinted that with the fall in oil prices in the international market, fuel subsidy

• Buhari asked to forward supplementary budget to NASS From Onyedi Ojiabor, Asst.

Editor and Sanni Onogu, Abuja

should also be affected.

Maccido noted in his submission that given that due consideration had been given to the preparation of the 2015 Appropriation Bill, the joint committee recommended that the Senate should approve the Bill for an Act to authorise the issue from the consolidated revenue fund of the federation the total sum of N4,493,363,957,158 only for the year ending 31 December this year.

Out of the amount, N375,616,000,000 is for statutory transfers; N953,620,000,000 for debt service; N2,607,132,491,708 for recurrent (non debt) expenditure while the balance of N556,995,465,449 inclusive of

N144,420,000,000 in statutory transfer is for contribution to the Development Fund for Capital Expenditure for the year ending 31st December, this year.

Maccido explained that Subsidy Reinvestment Programme (SURE-P) component of the budget to the tune of N21,030,000,000 did not form part of the aggregate budget figure of N4,425,930,000,000.

He said the amount had however been captured in the final compilation of the Bill having been submitted for the approval of the National Assembly.

Maccido also said in preparing this year’s budget, the committee adopted a benchmark price of $53 per barrel of crude oil on the recommendation of the Conference Committee on Medium Term Expenditure Frame-

work/Fiscal Strategy Paper (MTEF/FSP).

He said the committee also adopted the executive proposal of crude oil production of 2.2782 million barrel per day (mbpd) and the exchange rate of N190 to $1.

Vice Chairman, Senate Committee on Interior, Senator Olubunmi Adetunmbi who spoke to our reporter on the budget said there would be need to realign the budget to fit into the priorities of the incoming administration.

He said the realignment would naturally be in form of supplementary budget for necessary amendment He said: “The budget is staggering into two successive administrations coming from different political parties.

“So it is normal that with the kick-off of the new administration, one would expect that the new administration look into the budget to see how it fits into his (Buhari’s) own priorities.

TAKEHOLDERS in the food processing and packaging industry have advocated improvement in the packaging of agro- allied produce for export as one of the ways of reducing the amount of money spent on imported and processed items for which Nigeria has expended at least 331 million euros between 2010 and 2013.

Apart from food processing, the amount also covers packaging machines in the period under review .

This amount represents 67 per cent growth from 198 million euros spent in 2010.

The Managing Director, Fairtrade, Mr. Martin Marz disclosed this yesterday in Lagos at the commencement of a three-day Nigeria agrofood and plastprintpack Nigeria 2015 exhibition.

According to Marz, during the same period, imports of packaging machinery and equipment moved up from 86 million to 183 million euros, representing 116 per cent increase while imports of plastics machinery grew by 71 per cent, from 52 to 89 million euros.

He noted further that the food and beverage sector was the largest segment of the Nigerian manufacturing industry comprising 22 per cent, estimated at 16 billion euros aggregated output.

He added that food and beverage sector constituted about 4.6 per cent of the Nigerian Gross Domestic Products, GDP, stressing that not less than 66 per cent of total consumer expenditure.

He also explained that in 2013, total consumer expenditure in the food and beverage sector amounted to 80 billion euros and posted a growth rate of 16 per cent after rebasing of GDP and informed that the sector generated over 1.5 million jobs in the country thereby employing 5 per cent of the Nigerian workforce.

N1.8b suit: ‘How MTN denied ex-manager his entitlements’

T

HE National Industrial Court of Nigeria (NIC) has ordered a former Chief Executive Officer of MTN Nigeria Communications Limited, Adrian Wood to appear before it to testify in a suit by MTN’s former Network Group Operation Manager, Paul Odunewu, an engineer.

The court also issued a subpoena on Sifiso Dabengwa, an expatriate worker of the telco based in South Africa.

Odunewu is demanding N1.8billion for alleged wrongful termination of his contract by MTN. MTN Group Limited, South Africa; MTN Nigeria and MTN International, Mauritius are the other defendants in the matter.

He accused the telco of withholding his entitlements, including a share option worth over $13.14 million (about N2.1 billion).

A former Chief Technical Officer of MTN Nigeria, Ademola Eleso, while testifying at the trial, accused MTN of deceiving its workers.

He said MTN lured Odunewu, a renown telecoms engineer based abroad, to work for it in Nigeria, promis-

• Court summons ex-CEO Wood

By Joseph Jibueze

ing to make him a shareholder, only to end up withdrawing the offer.

Eleso said he hired Odunewu on MTN’s behalf. He told MTN’s Human Resources (HR) Department that for Odunewu to be happy to join the company and stay, he should be entitled to long-term incentive package. The witness said he also told Odunewu that his position would be key.

According to him, in the early days of MTN’s operations, there was a “strategic imperative” to employ high cadre candidates who would help the company grow in all facets.

“I was asked to help source for such people and make sure they came to MTN Nigeria and not Econet because of competition.

“In recognition of that, it was understood that certain employees would necessarily have extra-ordinary remuneration package and stock option in order to make MTN an attractive proposition for the candidates of which CW1 (Odunewu) was one and that

was my discussion with HR,” he said.

Eleso said Odunewu later complained to him that the share option was not specified in his appointment letter, adding that there were other workers whose letters did not contain it.

“The HR verbally communicated to the staff that when the company is well established, they would be eligible to the stock option,” he said.

Eleso insisted that Odunewu was entitled to the share option even though it was not all employees who were entitled to the scheme.

“MTN did not honour its part and MTN has been deceitful,” he said, adding that he encouraged Odunewu to join the company in the hope that MTN would honour its promise.

To show that some workers were deceived, Eleso said some of the workers who were promised the incentive along with Odunewu, were eventually given, while others were omitted.

He said other people who did not originally have the stock option later had theirs proc-

essed, but Odunewu was inexplicably ignored.

Eleso said the claimant “did contribute to the value of creation of the group and MTN extracted all the benefit from him and withheld the reward of the share option.”

Odunewu, in his claim, said he worked at MTN for over four years, and was responsible for the network’s outstanding achievements, which continues till date.

The former manager said he was responsible for the company’s pre-paid and post-paid revenue, subscription, voucher management and real-time charging.

He said: “I built the engine of the defendant’s business in Nigeria including people, process and technology.”

He said his superiors began an “onslaught” against him because they suddenly became “disturbed that a Nigerian could possess such incredible experience and exposure…”

Matters, he said, got to a head when he received a letter dated February 28, 2006 purportedly terminating his appointment; his access to the MTN network as a staff was revoked and he was ejected from his official quarters.

Odunewu claimed that the contract termination contradicted clauses of his agreement with MTN. But MTN denied the claims, saying Odunewu’s contract was of limited duration and was due to terminate on December 12, 2003.

MTN said: “The letter of offer of employment with the second defendant expressly warned against any expectation of continued employment, nor was it ever at any time suggested to the claimant that he was to be made or had been made a permanent employee of the second defendant or any of the defendants.

“In the circumstances, claimant knew and expected, or ought to have known and expected that his employment was not a long-term or permanent appointment, and that the same was also liable to be determined within 60 days of the receipt of written notice.”

MTN has also objected to the subpoena issued to Wood and Dabengwa, saying no reasonable ground exists for their issuance.

“The subpoena seeks to adduce oral evidence to vary the terms of an agreement that has been reduced into writing,” the defendants said.

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, APRIL 29, 2015

54

EQUITIES NIGERIAN STOCK EXCHANGE

DAILY SUMMARY AS AT 28-04-14

DAILY SUMMARY AS AT 28-04-14

Dangote Cement eyes better shareholders’ ANGOTE Cement Plc is value on expansion gains expected to include re

D

turns from its African expansion projects in the group audited report and accounts as from the current business year, according to management guidance from the cement group.

The expansion projects are expected to increasingly generate additional returns as existing plants gather momentum and new projects come on stream. Dangote Cement’s new plants in Senegal and Cameroun have commenced operations while the cement plants in Ethiopia and Zambia are also expected to start production next month. Dangote Cement has undertaken massive expansion project in 16 African countries, outside Nigeria.

The board of directors of Dangote Cement recommended a dividend payout of N6 per share for the 2014 financial year. This dividend payout will translate to a yield of 3.9 per cent and payout ratio of 63.5 per cent. Shareholders of the cement group are

By Taofik Salako Capital Market Editor

meeting today to approve the group’s 2014 financial results and dividend recommendation.

The group’s new Senegalese plant, located in Pout district, about 75 kilometers from Dakar, the country’s capital, is expected to create more than 1,000 jobs, with a total production capacity of 1.5 million tons annually. With the new plant, the company hopes to improve the country’s cement production capacity with an additional 1.5million tons, while serving an export market demand of two million tons along the Mali axis.

Country Head of Dangote Industries, Senegal, Luk Haelterman disclosed that the group has invested about $300 million in the cement plant, adding that actual production and sales started on January 10, 2015.

According to him, Senegal is a market with over-capacity of

cement, because it had two cement factories before now.

But today, Dangote has become the biggest and best because it has and produce the 42.5 grade only, which is better than it met on ground, which is the 32.5 grade.

Group Executive Director, Dangote Cement, Mr. Devakumar Edwin added that the group had commissioned nine million tons of new capacity at it Obajana and Ibese plants, which placed the two plants among the biggest cement plants in the world.

“Outside Nigeria, we opened up new factories in South Africa and Senegal in 2014 and our grinding plant in Cameroon has just become operational. We have started commissioning our plants in Zambia and Ethiopia and are on track to open more factories in Africa in the coming years. The success of our expansion is evidence that we are delivering on our strategy to become e a much larger, more international company,” Edwin said.

DAILY SUMMARY AS AT 28 -04-15

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, APRIL 29, 2015

55

MONEYLINK

Banks alert customers on dangers of issuing dud cheques

D

EPOSIT Money Banks (DMBs) have started mas sive sensitisation of customers on the consequences of issuing Dishonoured (Dud) cheques.

The lenders are doing this via sending text messages and electronic mails to customers on why they should desist from the act.

In its e-mail to customers, Sterling Bank, through its Customer Care Unit advised customers to ensure that their account are adequately funded at all times to accommodate any cheques that may be drawn on it. It said henceforth, the bank is required to recall/cancel all unused

Stories by Collins Nweze

cheque books issued to serial issuers of dud cheques.

The lender reiterated the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN’s) additional regulatory measures/sanctions against offenders which require that banks recall/cancel all unused cheque books issued to serial issuers of dud cheques.

The CBN had earlier in the month, mandated commercial banks to ban any of their customers that issues dud cheques from use of the clearing system for a period of five years.

CBN Director, Banking Supervision, Mrs. Tokunbo Martins gave the directive in a circular. She said the banks are to also ban the serial issuers of dud cheques from accessing credit facilities from the banking system for a period of five years.

She noted with great concern the impunity with which some customers of banks issue dud cheques on their accounts despite the provisions of the dishonoured (dud) cheques Act of 1977 and its recent directives to banks’ customers to desist from such practice.

She said the names of the offenders should be forwarded to the three

Zenith Bank, IFC in N20b infrastructural lending deal

Z •CBN Governor Godwin Emefiele Private Credit Bureaux and the Credit Risk Management System (CRMS) adding that no institution shall, except with the prior written approval of the CBN, remove such a person’s name from the three Credit Bureaux and the CRMS.

Mansard announces N2b profit, equity mix

M

ANSARD Insurance has an nounced that it recorded a Profit Before Tax (PBT) of N2.02 in its 2014 financial year ended December 31 and new equity holdings in the company.

The Chairman of the company, Mr. V Osibodu who announced the result at the firm’s 23rd Annual General Meeting (AGM) in Lagos, said the PBT rose two per cent from N1.98 billion in 2013 to N2.02 billion last year.

He said Gross Premium Written (GPW) for the period under review increased to N17.40 billion from N13.59 billion recorded in 2013, representing 28 per cent growth.

He also disclosed that Net Premium Income (NPI) recorded a 20 per cent growth to N9.05 billion in the review period from the N7.54 billion achieved in the prior year of 2013.

“It is necessary to recall that we enjoyed a tax write-back in 2013. Insurance contracts are typically written for one-year periods and the signifi-

cant increase in our non-life unearned premium suggest that part of the full impact on profits of our 2014 GPW growth will be seen in 2015,” he said.

Speaking on the firm’s equity holdings, Osibodu said AXA Group acquired 100 per cent equity in Assur Africa Holdings (AAH), which originally held 77 per cent stake in Mansard.

He stated further that the acquisition translated to AXA becoming the beneficial owners of Mansard. “In December 2014, AXA group in a bid to actualise its sub-Saharan African expansion ambitions acquired 100 per cent equity in Assur Africa Holdings (AAH); AAH holds a 77 per cent stake in Mansard Insurance Plc., thereby making AXA the beneficial owners

of Mansard,” he said.

Its Chief Executive Officer, Yetunde Ilori said the company operated in a challenging business environment, with second half of the year witnessing rising tension in view of the recently concluded general elections.

“There were, nevertheless, market development initiatives to ensure stability and growth in the insurance sector of the economy,” she said.

Heritage Bank promotes youth entrepreneurship

H

ERITAGE Bank has called on the nation’s teeming population of undergraduate and postgraduate students to embrace the global shift towards entrepreneurship as a means of generating employment and wealth, instead of perpetually looking for non-existent employment after graduation.

According to the bank, the unfolding global economic chal-

lenges, with its attendant dwindling revenues and fiscal realignment, have continued to force governments and businesses to tighten their belts while both the public and private sectors continue to witness more job losses.

These, it said, widen the unemployment market and reduce regular employment opportunities for new graduates. Representing the bank’s Chief Executive Officer, Mr.

Ifie Sekibo at the 2014/2015 Orientation programme organised by the University of Lagos for its incoming postgraduate students, Group Head, SME Banking, Bayo Ogunnusi noted that the growing global rate of youth unemployment has made it imperative for individuals to creatively and proactively seek new skills and other legitimate wealth generation initiatives in order to achieve happiness and personal fulfillment.

ENITH Bank Plc and the In ternational Finance Corpora tion (IFC), a member of the World Bank Group, yesterday signed a $100 million, approximately N20 billion loan facility agreement as part of efforts to boost lending to infrastructural projects.

According to the terms of the agreement, the $100 million loan facility will be provided from IFC’s own account and Zenith Bank Plc will use the facility to reduce the lending gap in critical sectors.

The facility is expected to help reduce the infrastructure funding gap in the country, especially in the power sector. Both parties said they expected the deal to boost economic growth and job creation in Nigeria noting that the lack of infrastructure has been identified as a key impediment to private sector development in Nigeria.

In his remarks, group managing director, Zenith Bank Plc, Peter Amangbo, said the bank would continue to explore strategic partnership to boost lending and enhance opportunities in the Nigerian economy.

“As reputable leaders in the African banking industry with superior performance, Zenith Bank Plc will continue to explore business opportunities in strategic sectors that will bring the much needed development to boost Nigeria’s economy.

By partnering with IFC, we hope to increase our lending activities and further strengthen our leadership position,” Amangbo said.

Country Manager, Nigeria, International Finance Corporation (IFC), Eme Essien Lore, said the deal further demonstrated IFC’s commitment to support the real sector in Nigeria through financial intermediaries.

MEMORANDUM QUOTATIONS AFRINVEST W. A. EQUITY FUND ARM AGGRESSIVE GROWTH BGL NUBIAN FUND BGL SAPPHIRE FUND CANARY GROWTH FUND CONTINENTAL UNIT TRUST CORAL INCOME FUND FBN FIXED INCOME FUND FBN HERITAGE FUND FBN MONEY MARKET FUND FIDELITY NIG FUND • UBA BALANCED FUND • UBA BOND FUND • UBA EQUITY FUND • UBA MONEY MARKET FUND

126.04 9.17 1.12 1.19 0.63 1.39 1,744.73 1,104.77 112.34 121.16 1.67 1.1978 1.3117 0.7319 1.1349

125.82 9.08 1.12 1.19 0.62 1.33 1,744.73 1,104.00 111.75 120.30 1.62 1.1912 0.7203 0.7203 1.1349

LIVESTOCK PRESCO CAVERTON COSTAIN INTENEGINS VITAFOAM NAHCO AGLEVENT HONYFLOUR IKEJAHOTEL

O/PRICE 2.20 26.00 3.00 0.87 0.50 4.44 6.72 1.55 3.35 3.78

C/PRICE 2.31 27.30 3.15 0.91 0.52 4.59 6.94 1.60 3.45 3.86

CHANGE 0.11 1.30 0.15 0.04 0.02 0.15 0.22 0.05 0.10 0.08

LOSERS AS AT 28-04-15

SYMBOL

O/PRICE

UNITYBNK FO MAYBAKER BERGER FIDSON NEIMETH SKYEBANK AIICO FBNH UBA ETERNA

5.00 197.60 1.80 9.99 3.35 1.13 2.58 1.19 10.39 5.10 2.90

C/PRICE 4.52 187.72 1.71 9.50 3.19 1.08 2.47 1.14 10.00 4.92 2.80

FOREX RATES (NairaVs Dollar) April 1, 2015

Inflation: Febraury

8.4%

Monetary Policy Rate

13.0%

Foreign Reserves

$33.2b

Oil Price (Bonny Light/b)

$60.91

CHANGE -0.48 -9.88 -0.09 -0.49 -0.16 -0.05 -0.11 -0.05 -0.39 -0.18 -0.10

Interbank ($/N)

199.00

$1

Black Market ($/N)

215.00

$1

London Inter-bank Offered Rates (LIBOR)

Money Supply (M2)

GAINERS AS AT 28-04-15

SYMBOL

ECONOMIC INDICATORS

N16.42 trillion.

Credit to private Sector (CPS)

N17.2 trillion

Primary Lending Rate (PLR)

16.5%

Tenor 1 Month 2 Months 3 Months 6 Months 12 Months

March 31

April 1

Rate)%

Rate (%)

0.1735 0.2147 0.2615 0.3841 0.6709

0.1715 0.2108 0.2626 0.3857 0.6744

Nigerian Stock Market Indices NIGERIAN INTER-BANK OFFERED RATES (NIBOR)

Tenor

12-02-15 Rate (%) Rate (%) 13-02-15

Overnight (O/N)

14.683

76.583

1M

15.033

15.977

3M

15.809

17.177

6M

16.493

17.908

Transaction Dates 03/02/2015 3/12/2014 1/12/2014

Amount Offered in ($) 500m 400m 350m

Amount Sold in ($) 499.93m 399.97m 349.96m

Statistics All Share Index Mkt Cap (NGN’bn) Deals Volume (mn) Value (NGN’mn)

19 Feb 29,282.04 9,770.36 3,385 564,28 6,087.80

20 Feb 29,383.93 9,804.36 3,714 377,75 6,568.66

GOVT. SECURITIES YIELD – SECONDARY MARKET

Tenor

Feb. 13, 2015

Rates

T-bills - 91

12.44

T-bills - 182

13.85

T-bills - 364

13.92

Bond - 3yrs

15.92

Bond - 5yrs

17.22

Bond - 7yrs

16.59

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, APRIL 29, 2015

56

CITYBEATS

CITYBEATS LINE: 09091178827

Court dissolves five-year-old marriage

My ordeal, by rescued girl

By Basirat Braimah

•Kidnap victim returns from Libya •Five held

O

NE year after she was kidnapped and sold into sex-slavery in Libya, Precious Ugochi Okoro, 15, has been rescued by the police.

She relived her ordeal yesterday when her suspected kidnappers were paraded by Lagos State Commissioner of Police Kayode Aderanti.

The suspects are: Innocent Onyekwe, 38; Ugwu Christopher Maduabuchi, 37; Christian Mercy Chima,19; Kelvin Okorie, 27, and Ogbonna Njoku, 20.

Precious said: "I did Junior Secondary Class '3' before I became a victim. That fateful day, I left home in the evening and was going back to school. I boarded a vehicle from Ajah/ Epe area moving towards Ijebu-Ode with the intention of alighting at Obalende. It was late and I could not get any vehicle going to Obalende where I alighted. After waiting for 30 minutes, I started trekking to Obalende.

"Along the line, I saw a group of about five boys and girls and became happy because everywhere was desolate. Unfortunately, their language changed as they started wielding cutlasses, axes and other dangerous weapons claiming to be cultists. They beat me to the point of death at about 11pm because I left home at about 5pm that fateful day after collecting money from my father.

They threatened to kill me if I did not join them.

•Precious ...yesterday

By Ebele Boniface

"Later I found myself in Ojota. The guy who took me to Ojota with his car promised to protect me. When he went to work, he left his phone and I used it to call my cousin, Kelvin. When Daniel, Kelvin's friend, said he would help me to travel to Libya, Kelvin said he would help to perfect it. The next day he collected the Yellow Card. We spent four weeks to the desert where we spent five days in the desert."

She went on: "When we reached Libya, I rested for three days. They took me to a place they call "connection" and asked me to wait. As I was waiting, a woman came and asked me if I knew why I was there and I said I came to work and school. She got annoyed and said I did not know why I was there.

"They started punishing me until I accepted to be paying $3000 through prostitution and $6,000 to regain my freedom. They even cut the hair in my pubic, armpit and head. They threatened to make me mad should I re-

•Precious ...a year ago

veal what they were doing to me to anybody. They even collected money totalling N250,000 from my mother without letting me know."

Aderanti also spoke on what she went through before her rescue.

He said: "On May 25, 2014, one Precious Ugochi Okoro of 55, Igboroko Street, Lakwe, Ajah in Lagos, who was on her way back to her school, a boarding facility in Ikenne, Ogun State, was kidnapped.

The kidnappers, after two months of holding the victim against her will and all rules of decency, contacted her parents using various telephone numbers and demanded various sums of money ranging from $30,000, N200,000 and N30,000 as ransom with different account numbers as details for receiving the demanded ransom."

The police chief said concerted investigations began, involving the Police Divisional Headquarters, Ajah; Department of Criminal Investigation (DCI), Panti, Yaba, and theSpecial Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) using advanced tactics and technology.

He said with the arrest of

•The suspects, Kelvin and Ogbonna

the victim's relation simply named Kelvin, contact was established with a member of the gang in Libya, leading to the safe return of the victim to Lagos last Friday.

Processes of rehabilitating her and re-integrating her back into society have begun.

"It is very important that parents and guardians pay more attention to their children and wards especially those attending boarding schools. They should ensure that they personally take them to such schools and bring them back to ensure their safety.

However, where probably the exigencies of duty may not permit such, they should ensure that a responsible and trusted adult does this for them," Aderanti said.

He said: "This criminal gang is a menace to the society. No effort will be spared in partnership with Interpol National Central Bureau, Nigeria, to round up its remaining members no matter where they may be on the face of this earth. From the victim, we have learnt that there are over a thousand teenagers of our nationality who are being held in such circumstances. We

are already working to liberate them."

Kelvin said he was paid N10,000 to sell the girl to the guy in Libya, adding that he was with Daniel when he sold her.

He said Daniel also connected Ogbonna, the elder brother of the guy in Libya, at Alaba Market.

"I am a tiler. I am from Ogun State. Precious is my cousin's sister. She came to me to rescue her but the devil made me to sell her," added Kelvin.

Ogbonna, who hails from Ohazala in Ebonyi State, said: "They called and asked me of my Libya-based younger brother's phone number and I gave them. It was Daniel that I gave the number of my brother Nzubuchukwu. I can swear that Kelvin did not tell me that her parents were looking for her and I did not understand the game they were playing with my brother's phone number until I was arrested."

Command's spokesman Ken Nwosu, a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), said some of the suspects had been charged to court.

Tanker driver kills neighbour

By Rukayat Jimoh

A

N Ebute Meta Chief Magistrate’s Court in Lagos, has remanded a 50-year-old driver, Sunday Arochendu, for the alleged murder of a 60-year old man, Raphael Okechukwu.

Arochendu is accused of killing Okechukwu with a blow.

The defendant, who hails from Delta State, lives with the late Okechukwu at 30 Magbesa Street, Kirikiri Town in Apapa, Lagos.

They were said to have argued over whose turn it was to use the toilet. The argument led to a fight and Raphael died on the spot.

The defendant was first arraigned last November 21 before a Yaba Magistrate’s Court, but the case was struck out last Monday on the strength of the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) advice.

The incident occurred last November 1.

According to the prosecutor, Inspector Ajayi Emmanuel, the defendant was rearrested the second day of his acquittal on grounds of “unmerited release”.

The offence, according Emmanuel, is punishable under Section 312 of the Criminal Law of Lagos Sate.

The defence counsel, F.S. Oladele prayed the court to grant his client bail in the most liberal terms. He added that his client has

Three charged with stealing N3.9m law books

T

HREE men, who allegedly broke into a building and stole law books valued at N3.9 million, were yesterday brought before a Yaba Chief Magistrate’s Court in Lagos.

Joseph Ogeche (22); Charles Edet (29) and Chinedu Nwafor (21) were charged with conspiracy, burglary and stealing.

According to the prosecuting police Inspector Peter Nwaugwu, the accused committed the offences between January 12 and March 14 at 3A, Mokoya Street in Obanikoro, Lagos.

He said the accused broke into the house of the complainant, Mr Olakunle Ojo, damaged and stole copies of Nigeria Weekly Law Reports from October 1985 to December 2006 valued at N2.9 million.

Nwaugwu alleged that the accused also stole Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004 series valued at N1million.

The offences contravene Sections 285 (7), 307 and 409 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State.

Section 307 prescribes a seven-year jail term for burglary; Section 285 (7) provides seven years imprisonment for stealing; Section 409 stipulates two years for conspiracy.

The accused pleaded not guilty.

Chief Magistrate P.A. Ojo granted the accused N500, 000 bail with two sureties each in the like sum and adjourned the case to June 10.

•A man being punished by a law enforcement officer in Lagos...yesterday. PHOTO: RAHMON SANUSI

Pedestrians punished for not using bridge

F

OR not using the overhead bridge at Ikeja along bus stop on Lagos-Agege Motor Road, some pedestrians were yesterday given corporal punishment.

They were ordered to crawl on their knees by a Man ‘o’ War official.

The Nation observed that one woman in native attire and two men served the punishment, crawling halfway down the pedestrian walkway by the bridge.

The bridge was unusually busy as many used it to avoid the fate of the erring pedestrians. Some watched the scene below from the bridge.

By Kofoworola Belo-Osagie

A commercial driver said a pedestrian was killed on Monday while crossing the road.

“Why dem go dey cross the road? There is bridge. Car hit somebody yesterday when crossing the road. That is why they are punishing them,” he said.

However, less than 50 metres away, at the nearby National bus stop, commuters crossed unchallenged from the Computer Village side to Conoil petrol station and vice versa.

After Ikeja Along, there is no other pedestrian bridge until Oshodi.

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HE marriage between Chioma Onuorah and Emeka Onuorah has been dissolved.

The N10, 000 dowry should be returned to Emeka. Any of these parties who is not pleased with this judgment should appeal to the court.”

These were the words of a Lagos Island Customary Court’s President, Chief Awos Awosola, when he dissolved the Onuorah’s five-year-old marriage on Monday.

The petitioner, Mrs Onuorah, on the first hearing complained that her husband does not cater for her.

She said he never had time to make love to her regularly because he comes home drunk most times, adding that even when their families tried to reconcile them, he rebuffed the moves.

“Even before he told his family and mine he wasn’t interested in the union anymore, our marriage has terminated.

My love and affection for him died a long time ago. I just want a legal dissolution should in case I intend to marry someone else,” Mrs Onuorah said.

The respondent, Mr Onuorah, represented by Counsel Andy said he was not contesting the petition.

There was no child in the marriage. “

EKEDC pleads with consumers over outages

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HE management of Eko Electricity Distribution Company (EKEDC) has appealed to consumers in FESTAC Town, Lagos over the irregular power supply in the last two weeks.

Mr Godwin Idemudia, Assistant General Manager, Head, Corporate Communication, EKEDC made the appeal yesterday in Lagos.

Idemedia said that the outage was due to faulty underground cables that supply electricity to the area.

He assured that constant power supply to the town would be restored on April 29.

“I want to assure the affected consumers that electricity supply will be restored to them on April 29.

“Most of the installations in FESTAC Town were built underground but it is quite unfortunate that people have erected buildings on these cables.

“This,” he said, “has made it occasionally very difficult for our engineers to trace fault anytime the cable is faulty.

“We are being confronted with this problem daily and this has led to the delay in restoring power supply to our consumers in the area.

“A mighty building was erected exactly where the present cable got damaged, thereby making it difficult for our engineers to rectify it on time.

“Even some of the consumers in the area protested to our office in FESTAC Town last week but we assured them that work is ongoing on the said cable,” he said.

He said that the engineers have discovered an alternative way to rectify the cable.

He urged the customers in the affected areas not to vandalise EKEDC equipment in their neighbourhood because of the outage.

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, APRIL 29, 2015

57

CITYBEATS

CITYBEATS LINE: 09091178827

Artisan pleads with court to save marriage

Kenyan dancer, two others held for drug trafficking

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KENYAN woman dancer and two Nigerians have been arrested at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) in Lagos, for alleged drug trafficking.

Odhiambo Susan Samira Johnson (42) from Kenya was caught with narcotics concealed in a school bags.

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) said the four blue parcel of white powdery substance found in her possession tested positive for cocaine. The substance was said to have weighed 5.345kg.

The Nigerians, Ntoruka Emmanuel Chinedu, (41) and Ndubuisi Offormadu Innocent (49) who are parts dealers in Uganda, were caught allegedly importing 6.250kg

•Odhiambo

By Kelvin Osa Okunbor

of cocaine and 1.490kg of heroin into the country. The seized drugs weighed 13.085kg comprising 11.595kg of cocaine and 1.490kg of heroin.

NDLEA Airport commander Hamza Umar said the suspects were apprehended trying to smuggle drugs into the country.

Umar said: “We are investigating three suspected drug traffickers for importing narcotics into the country.

“They include a Kenyan, Odhiambo Susan Samira Johnson who imported 5.345kg of cocaine from

Businessman in court for N35m ‘fraud’

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LAGOS-BASED businessman, Elvis Ezeani, was yesterday arraigned before an Ikeja High Court in Lagos for allegedly defrauding a Bureau de Change operator (BDC) of N35 million.

He is accused of conspiring with a convict Joseph Morah to defraud Mr Anwalu Abdulrahman.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) said Morah had been sentenced to 10 years in prison for the same offences by Justice Sadiq Umar of the Federal High Court, Abuja.

EFCC counsel Aliu Yusuf told Justice Oluwatoyin Ipaye that the accused conspired with Morah to defraud their victim on May 25, 2006.

Yusuf said Ezeani allegedly obtained N13.5 million and $143,620 from Abdulrahman on separate occasions to transfer on his behalf to his brother in Ghana.

“Ezeani did not carry out the transactions as agreed between him and the complainant after collecting the money,’’ the prosecutor said.

Ezeani, he said, violated the administrative bail granted him by the EFCC and was re-arrested in February 2014.

Yusuf said the accused contravened Sections 1(2) (3) and 8 (a) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud-Related Offences Act, No. 14 of 2004.

The offence of obtaining by false pretences attracts seven years imprisonment.

Ipaye granted the accused N5 million bail with two sureties in the like sum.

The judge ordered that the sureties must produce evidence of three years tax payment, adding that their addresses must

Man ‘steals’ N5, 000 with friend’s ATM card

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20-year-old man, Sunday Jerry, was yesterday arraigned before a Badagry Chief Magistrate’s Court in Lagos for allegedly stealing N5,000 with a snatched automated Teller Machine (ATM) card.

Prosecuting police Inspector Innocent Uko told the court that the accused committed the offence on March 29 in his apartment.

He said the accused used the ATM card belonging to the complainant, Mr Adeshola Folayegbe, to withdraw N5, 000 from his account.

According to him, the accused and the complainant are friends.

“The accused and Folayegbe are close friends and they live in the same apartment. So he had access to his ATM card because of their closeness. He stole the ATM card while his friend was sleeping and sneaked out of the house to withdraw N5, 000 from his account.But unfortunately for the accused, his friend got a debit alert via his mobile phone on the transaction,” Uko said.

The offence contravenes Section 285 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2011.

The accused pleaded not guilty.

His counsel, Mr Debo Adewale urged the court to grant him bail, he would not jump bail.

Magistrate Abiodun Etti granted the accused N50, 000 bail with a surety who must provide evidence of tax payment to the Lagos State Government.

The case was adjourned till May 4.

•Chinedu

Bujumbura, Ntoruka Emmanuel Chinedu, for importing 6.250kg of cocaine from Uganda and Ndubuisi Offormadu Innocent who imported 1.490kg of heroin also from Uganda. In all, a total of 13.085kg of narcotics was recovered from them.”

Susan, who was born in Mombasa travelled with Kenyan International passport with number A1536020.

She departed Bujumbura in Burundi en-route Nairobi to Lagos on a Kenyan Airways flight.

During routine screening, she was found with four parcels of cocaine concealed in

•Innocent

school bags.

Susan said she is a professional dancer in Kenya.

“I was given the school bags in Bujumbura by a friend to deliver in Nigeria. When I got to the airport in Lagos, they searched my luggage and found the drugs,” she said.

Chinedu, who hails from Anambra State, boarded an Ethiopian Airline flight from Kampala en-route Addis Ababa to Lagos.

“I have lived in Uganda for two years. I am married with two children. I came to Nigeria to attend my brother’s marriage ceremony. While I was preparing to leave

Uganda, my friend gave me a bag to take to his brother who lives in Nigeria. Unfortunately, the drug was detected,” he said.

Innocent, who hails from Abia State, said he is a victim of circumstance.

“I went to a friend in Uganda to lend me some money but he gave me the option of drug trafficking. I decided to give it a trial for the very first time and it turned out this way. I was promised $3,000 but I am very sad now because I am missing my wife and four children. I have lived in Uganda for 18 years,” he said.

100 shanties, paint chemicals go up in flames A BOUT 100 shanties and drums of vehicle paint chemicals were yesterday destroyed by fire in Lagos.

The fire swept through Ijora, Ojo and Ikotun areas of the state.

The Ijora fire, it was learnt, started at about 1am and was caused by candle light.

A resident was said to have lit a candle and gone to bed.

The Nation gathered that the fire razed over 100 shanties; it also destroyed a trailer parked on the Iganmu side of the community.

At Ojo, 12 ATM batteries were destroyed when a Skye Bank branch caught fire.

House 33, Onile Wura, Street in Ikotun accommo-

By Precious Igbonwelundu

dating about nine warehouses, also went up in flames.

Firemen were able to restrict the inferno to Iron Product Industries, where it started.

It was learnt that the fire followed an explosion of vehicle paint chemicals.

Several brand new vehicles, including trailers, it was learnt were parked in the premises but saved from the fire.

Director, Lagos State Fire Service Rasaq Fadipe said there were no casualties.

He said: “We received the

fire alert for Ikotun around 1:30am, Ijora at 1:40am and Ojo at 5:56am.

“It took us five hours with three water trucks to combat the Ikotun outbreak while that of the Skye Bank was limited to the ATM and affected 12 of the 24 batteries.

“The place was smoke logged and so, my men had to put on their breathing apparatus to avoid suffocation.

It took about an hour and 30 minutes to contain it.”

Fadipe noted that residents of Ijora and similar areas do not adhere to fire safety regulations.

N artisan, Scot Emmanuel (27) yesterday begged an Ojo Customary Court in Lagos to prevail on his wife to stop her divorce bid.

“I do not want my marriage of 10 years that has produced two children to scatter. I want to settle with my wife and I am ready to provide accommodation for her and my children,” he said.

Emmanuel urged the court to reject the suit filed by his wife for alleged abandonment because he still loves her.

“I will put in more effort to provide her and my children with accommodation so that they can leave her brother’s house where they are presently staying.

“My wife should take it easy with me too because I do not get contracts to do borehole very often.

“My kind of work is not steady and constant,” he told the court.

The petitioner, Caroline, alleged that her husband had not taken “proper steps” on reconciliation.

“My husband promised this court in our last hearing that he will see my people for reconciliation.

“But as I speak, he has not done anything about that and has not come to see us.

“My seven-year-old daughter has not been going to school since my ordeal with him started,” she said.

The court’s President, Chief Joseph Ogunmola, advised Emmanuel to work harder to make Caroline to change her mind because of their children.

“Caroline is too young to have two homes now in her life. But the petitioner too needs to endure with her husband,’’ he advised.

He asked the couple to involve their family members to settle their differences and adjourned the case to June 2 for possible reconciliation.

He’s an alcoholic, says wife of husband

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33-YEAR-OLD woman, Taiwo Fadugba, has sought the dissolution of her eightyear-old marriage to her husband, Tope, at a Lagos Island Customary Court.

She is accusing him of avoiding his responsibilities as a father.

The petitioner, who lives at Vincent Street, Lagos Island, said since they got married, he never contributed to the upkeep of the home.

“Few months after we got married, my husband travelled out of the country

By Basirat Braimah

spending four years without getting in touch with me. I was shocked to see him again after four years saying he was deported. I was confused because after he travelled, I had a child for another man who stood by me when I was lonely,” Mrs Fadugba said.

She said she had to accept him because there was no disagreement before he left.

Mrs Fadugba said: “I rented a shop for him with N50, 000 to start a business because he didn’t come back with a dime. I pleaded with

some of my customers to give him goods on credit which they did but my husband is yet to refund.”

The petitioner said out of their N750, 000 house rent, her husband gave her only N45, 000.

“I thought he was going to be a God-fearing man because I met him in a church.

But, since his return, he has been worse. At times, I regret having children for him because he is irresponsible.

He spends his money on alcoholic drinks,” she said.

She said since she came to court, he has been coming

home to beat her and steal her jewellery, adding that his siblings have not tried to solve the problems.

Mrs Fadugba said the only thing she wants from him is to take responsibility of their two children, who are between the ages of two and three.

The respondent, Mr Fadugba, was remanded for misconduct in court.

The court’s President, Chief Awos Awosola, ordered the petitioner to be peaceful and adjourned the case till May 5 for further hearing.

Customs siezes N294.4m goods in first quarter

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HE Federal Operations Unit (F.O.U) of the Nigerian Customs Service (NCS), Zone ‘A’ Ikeja, lAGOS, has recorded 482 seizures with a Duty Paid Value (DPV) of N294.4 million in the first quarter of the year.

This is contained in a statement made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) yesterday in Lagos by the Public Relations Officer of the unit, Mr Uche Ejesieme.

According to the statement, 36 suspects were apprehended in connection with the seizures.

It explained that the seizures made in the period under review, represented 45 per cent increase when compared to seizures made in the corresponding period of 2014.

A breakdown showed that 8,584 bags of rice with a DPV of N55.7 million were impounded, while 11,647 cartons of frozen poultry products with a DPV of N62.8 million were also intercepted.

Also, 86 units of assorted fairly-used vehicles valued at N108.5 million were seized.

The statement noted that

other seized goods were: textiles, foot wears, vegetable oil, insecticides, wine, soaps and spaghetti, all with a DPV of N67.2 million.

“The war against smuggling, no doubt, is a herculean task, because of the natural tendency for smugglers to fight back each time their goods are seized. ‘‘However, we have remained undeterred, as we believe that we have a responsibility to secure the nation against influx of prohibited goods.

“We will not abdicate this

responsibility for whatever reason,’’ the statement said.

The service urged Nigerians to support it through genuine information which could assist in tracking smugglers and their routes.

“We have institutionalised the concept of Customs Community Relations (CCR), which is meant to provide an enabling environment for operations in our places of assignment ... we have incorporated ICT in our anti-smuggling drive and the resultant effect has been phenomenal,’’ it said.

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, APRIL 29, 2015

58

NEWS

NLC kicks as Kogi slashes workers’ salaries

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HE Kogi State chapter of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has threatened a showdown with the government, if it failed to rescind its plan to cut workers’ April salary.

NLC’s Vice Chairman Suleman Abdullahi spoke yesterday after the State Working Committee meeting in Lokoja, the state capital.

Abdullahi said workers

From James Azania, Lokoja

were not invited to a discussion on the alleged shortfall in the state’s monthly allocation before the decision was taken.

The union said it was given the government 24 hours to reverse the decision or face a showdown.

Abdullahi said: “There are many avenues in which the

government can augment the shortfall, especially the reduction in the number and salary of political appointees.”

The NLC said if the government paid the money into workers’ account, it would be taken as bonus.

It urged the workers to be calm and await the expiration of the ultimatum.

But the Special Adviser to the Governor on Media and Strategy, Mr. Jacob Edi, in a

statement, yesterday in Lokoja, said the move was part of measures to meet the government’s commitment to the infrastructural development.

The statement said the action followed dwindling federal monthly allocation to the state.

It was learnt that the government received N3.7 billion last month and N2.5 billion in April, while its wage

bill is N3.2 billion.

Following the shortfall from its allocation, workers on Grade Level 7 and above, commissioners, special advisers and other appointed officials were affected.

Workers on Grade levels 16 are not affected.

Edi added: “With this development, the state government will pay salary to all workers, rather than owing them.”

Yuguda sacks 2,000 aides From Austine Tsenzughul, Bauchi

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AUCHI State Governor Isa Yuguda yesterday sacked some of his over 2,000 political aides.

But the governor retained a few others on essential services.

In a statement in Bauchi by the Permanent Secretary (Political Affairs), Hashimu Yakubi, the government said the sack was with immediate effect.

The statement added: “...Governor Yuguda has approved the disengagement of all special advisers (with the exception of the special adviser, Due Process).”

The statement explained that those affected included “all senior special assistants, special assistants and personal assistants (with the exception of those who work directly under the governor or the deputy governor)”.

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From James Azania, Lokoja

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CASHIER with Olamaboro Local Government Area of Kogi State yesterday became the first casualty of the violence that rocked last Saturday’s House of Assembly rerun.

The official was sacked, after being identified as one of those who used guns and other weapons during the rerun in Ajaka, Igalamela Odolu Local Government Area.

Violence during the rerun caused the death of one person in Dekina and the rescheduling of the supplementary election in some units in Ajaokuta till yesterday.

Chairman of the state Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) Alhaji Ali Atabor was beaten up in Kogi East.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) said its worker involved in the Ajaokuta rerun was arrested for complicity in electoral malpractice and is under investigation.

Command college gets nine buses From Abdulgafar Alabelewe, Kaduna

T •Motorists queue at an NNPC Filling Station at Oregun, Lagos State ... yesterday.

PHOTO: RAHMAN SANUSI

Parties urge court to restrain Kogi councils’ committees EVEN political parties have prayed the Kogi State High Court in Lokoja to restrain the government from constituting local government caretaker committees until their suit is determined.

The parties are Labour Party (LP), National Congress Party (NCP), Mega Progressive Peoples Party (MPPP), Allied Campaign Party of Nigeria (ACPN), Africa Peoples Alliance (APA), Kowa Party (KP) and the Alliance for Democracy (AD).

They urged the court to stop the government from constituting caretaker committees.

The state government and attorney-general are respondents to the suit.

In a supporting affidavit deposed to by Ibrahim Usman of the LP, the plaintiffs said Governor Idris Wada, last month, proposed the caretaker committees before the elections.

The plaintiffs, through their lawyer, Mr William Abdullai Aliwo, said they were not consulted.

But on April 8, the government summoned a meeting of some parties at LP’s office, a day after the governor allegedly met with Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) stakeholders.

The claimants said the government’s representative informed them that Wada had reconstituted the councils.

But the government claimed there was no money to organise an election, adding that it would not be in the interest of politicians to allow civil servants to manage the councils.

The state proposed all-inclu-

Kogi sacks official for election violence

By Joseph Jibueze

sive committees with representatives from the major parties, which were asked to nominate members.

But the parties rejected the idea, saying it violated the 1999 Constitution and existing court judgments.

“The state government’s agent responded by saying the committee may not necessarily be called ‘caretaker committee’ but that a name or phrase not in conflict with the law would be adopted,” the

plaintiffs said.

But the parties insisted that no matter the name, any unelected committee managing the councils would not be in their interest.

“We want to test our popularity through elections, which the state government is running away from,” the parties said.

They added that there were subsisting judgments of the High Court, which declared caretaker committees illegal.

The parties said the court had ordered the Directors of

Local Governments (DLGs), comprising experienced civil servants, to take over the councils’ management.

They said they were still in charge when the suit was filed on April 13.

The plaintiffs alleged that a meeting was held at the Government House on April 7 where the governor allegedly agreed with stakeholders to compile and announce the committees before April 10.

“They resolved to damn legal consequences of their actions... If they do this, it will

affect our right to produce candidates to contest the local government elections as we are prepared to contest now.

“No amount of monetary compensation can redress this political degradation that we suffer, if councils are reconstituted without election. We are ready to pay damages, if this action is found to be frivolous,” the plaintiffs said.

They argued that Section 7 (1) of the 1999 Constitution provides for democratically elected councils, not by appointment.

Appeal Court dismisses Akume’s, Yaro’s suit

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HE Court of Appeal in Abuja yesterday dismissed an appeal filed

by S. T. Hon (SAN) on behalf of two All Progressives Congress (APC) chieftains - Senator George Akume and APC State Chairman Abba Yaro.

The Federal High Court, on the prompting of Sunday Ibrahim Ameh (SAN), the lawyer to an APC governorship aspirant, Emmanuel Jime, discontinued the case against Akume and Yaro, which the High Court granted. But the

From Uja Emmanuel, Makurdi

duo objected and approached the Court of Appeal.

Dismissing the case yesterday, Appeal Court justices agreed with Ameh that the appeal filed by Hon was incomplete and lacked merit.

Ameh had informed the Appeal Court that by the rules of the court, the records of the appeal were to be transmitted within seven days after the filing of the notice of appeal.

He urged the court to strike out the appeal.

Hon was absent in court, although he was represented by another lawyer, Gideon Iorver, who sought an adjournment on the grounds that he did not come to court with the file.

The lawyer was later provided with a copy of the court’s file.

In its ruling, the court chastised Hon for bringing an incompetent appeal in a preelection matter.

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From Yusufu Aminu Idegu, Jos

May 4, if the governor failed to meet their demands.

The NLC, in January, issued a 21-day strike notice and later a 14-day notice to Jang for unpaid salaries.

The union said the proposed strike could only be

prevented if the government cleared the arrears it owed workers since last year.

A statement yesterday in Jos, the state capital, by the union’s Acting Secretary Izang Francis Atsen, said: “The workers will down tools at the expiration of the ultimatum, from May 4, hav-

Kano NDLEA seizes 1.9 tonnes of illicit drugs From Kolade Adeyemi, Kano

T •Akume

It dismissed the case, which it described as incompetent, incoherent and a blatant waste of the court’s time.

Plateau NLC gives Jang seven-day strike notice HE Plateau State chapters of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Trade Union Congress (TUC) and the Joint Negotiating Council have given Governor Jonah Jang a seven-day strike notice.

They vowed to go on an indefinite strike from Monday,

HE Armed Forces Command and Staff College (AFCSC), Jaji, Kaduna State, has bought nine 56-seater luxury buses to solve the school’s transport challenge.

The new buses were inaugurated yesterday by the Commandant of the college, Air Vice Marshal John Chris Ifemeje.

Ifemeje said the college, in the last 15 years, had been confronted with transportation challenges, especially when its students had to go on tour.

He said: “Our students go on about 17 study tours, both operational and strategic, every now and then. It has been a serious challenge transporting them to such tours across the country.”

ing exhausted all avenues for an amicable settlement.

“I am directed to inform you that the council, having reviewed the 14-day notice of Jan. 15, for which government has been pleading for understanding; yet, till now, workers have not received any salaries.”

HE Kano State Commander of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Garba Ahmadu, yesterday said the command seized 1.9 tonnes of illicit drugs, arrested 135 suspects, prosecuted 79 suspects and rehabilitated 92 drugs addicts this year.

Ahmadu said the command’s success was not unconnected with the support from the government.

The NDLEA chief said the agency took measures before the elections to reduce the consumption of illicit drugs, particularly among youths.

He said: “...It worked for us, as the mop-up we did was able to control the rate of drug consumption in the state.”

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, APRIL 29, 2015

59

FOREIGN NEWS

Indonesia executes four Nigeirans, four others

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•Veloso spared Four Nigerians included

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NDONESIA has executed eight convicted drug smugglers — including two of the so-called “Bali Nine” — the Reuters news agency has reported, citing local media.

The prisoners faced a 12man firing squad on Nusa Kambangan island in Central Java.

The government had announced that nine prisoners would be executed, but according to local reports, Filipina Mary Jane Veloso was spared, at least for now.

Lawyers fighting to delay the death of Veloso, a domestic helper and mother of two, have said they’ve given up their bid after her second legal review was rejected on Monday. This came despite a last-minute personal appeal from Philippines President Benigno Aquino to Indonesian counterpart President Joko Widodo.

Two of the prisoners who were executed — Australians Myuran Sukumaran and Andrew Chan — are part of the Bali Nine.

Chan married his longtime girlfriend Febyanti Herewila in prison on Monday.

The executions of Sukumaran and Chan come despite the fact that both this week received a court date of May 12 to hear an outstanding legal challenge.

Lawyers for the men also say Indonesia’s Judicial Commission has yet to properly investigate claims of corruption during their original trial and sentencing. They say three of the men’s Indonesian

•Andrew Chan

•Myuran Sukumaran •Raheem Agbaje Salami

•Okwudili Oyatanze

•Martin Anderson

lawyers had been summoned to attend the commission on May 7.

It’s a day their families and friends hoped would never come, but it’s also one that Indonesia, despite years of protest and legal appeals, has insisted had to happen.

Under Indonesian law, the death penalty is carried out by a 12-man firing squad, although only three guns are loaded with live ammunition.

Prisoners are given the choice of whether to stand or sit, and whether they want to wear a blindfold, hood or nothing. The shots — aimed at the heart — are fired from between 5 and 10 meters (16 to 33 feet), according to Amnesty International.

On Tuesday, the prisoners’ families were heard wailing as they boarded a boat for what’s expected to be their final goodbyes. Reporters at

•Silvester Obiekwe Nwolise

•Rodrigo Gularte

the port in Cilacap described harrowing scenes on Twitter.

While the Bali Nine have garnered much international attention, their punishment is just part of a larger government effort to combat illegal drug trafficking.

Indonesian President Widodo has insisted that Indonesia will not be swayed by appeals for clemency because the country is dealing with a “drugs crisis.” He told CNN in January that clemency would not be extended to drug traffickers, leading to an appeal from Chan and Sukumaran that their cases hadn’t been properly considered.

In addition to the two Australians who were part of the Bali Nine, the other inmates who were executed were Nigerians Raheem Salami, Silvester Obiekwe Nwolise and Okwudil Oyatanze. Martin Anderson — who was initially identified as Ghanaian —

•Zainal Abidin

was actually Nigerian as well.

Brazilian Rodrigo Gularte — who was said to be mentally ill — was also executed.

An official reason for why Veloso, the Filipina domestic worker, was granted a stay was not immediately provided.

Her lawyers claim she was the victim of human trafficking and wasn’t aware she was carrying drugs. On Tuesday, CNN Philippines reported that Veloso’s alleged recruiters, Maria Kristina Sergio and her partner Julius Lacanilao, surrendered themselves to authorities.

The report says Sergio denies all accusations in relation to Veloso’s case.

Frenchman Serge Atlaoui’s execution has been delayed while a court considers a legal challenge. The only Indonesian on the condemned list is Zainal Abidin.

Nepal quake: Nation struggles with aid deliveries

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EPAL is “on a war footing” as it tries to help survivors following Saturday’s earthquake, its prime minister says.

Sushil Koirala said the government was doing all it could but was overwhelmed.

The UN has estimated that eight million people have been affected - more than a quarter of the popu-

U.S. military ‘monitoring’ Iran ship seizure

•Death toll passes 5000, over 10,000 injured lation. Foreign aid is arriving but being hampered by congestion at Kathmandu’s sole airport.

Officials say the death toll from the 7.8-magnitude quake has now passed 5,000, but could reach 10,000.

“The government is doing all it can for rescue and relief on a war footing” in a “difficult hour” for Nepal,

Mr Koirala told Reuters news agency.

He has also admitted that lack of equipment and expert personnel meant the “appeals for rescues coming in from everywhere” in many cases could not be met.

More than 10,000 people are known to have been injured when the quake hit and in numerous powerful after-

shocks which have sent people fleeing from their homes to camp on open ground.

Half a million people have been displaced, according to Nepal’s home ministry.

Water, food and electricity are in short supply and there are fears of outbreaks of disease.

ENTAGON officials say the US is monitoring the seizure by Iran of a Marshall Islands-flagged cargo ship.

The MV Maersk Tigris was moving through Iranian waters in the Straits of Hormuz, according to the Pentagon.

Iranian patrol vessels fired warning shots across the bow of the boat, US officials said, branding the action “inappropriate”.

A US naval destroyer has been ordered to the region to “monitor” the situation.

After the warning shots, the ship complied with orders to go deeper into Iranian waters, a Pentagon spokesman said.

The ship was in an area recognised as an international shipping lane, he went on.

US aircraft were ordered to the area to “observe the interaction” between the Maersk vessel and Iranian forces.

There are no reports of any injuries.

Initial media reports suggested the vessel was a US cargo ship but US officials denied this and said no Americans were on board.

Sweden grants Assange appeal over rape allegation

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WEDEN’s supreme court has granted Julian Assange the right to appeal against an arrest warrant for an alleged rape.

The Wikileaks founder has been living inside Ecuador’s embassy in London since June 2012 to avoid extradition.

Prosecutors in Sweden want to question him over allegations of rape dating back to 2010, which he denies.

Mr Assange claims extradition to Sweden would allow the US to charge him over leaks of classified documents.

A previous appeal by Mr Assange was dismissed by Sweden’s appeals court in November last year, but the supreme court has now awarded him the right to appeal.

The announcement follows a surprise reversal by Swedish prosecutors, who last month agreed to travel to London to question Mr Assange after insisting for years he must travel to Sweden.

The 43-year-old Australian has been living in a small suite of rooms in the Ecuadorian embassy since requesting asylum in 2012 to avoid extradition.

Mr Assange denies the allegations, made by two women he met during a trip to Sweden in August 2010. He claims they are part of a plot to extradite him to the US because of Wikileaks’ publication of thousands of classified US documents.

But the former computer hacker has not been charged with any crime in the US and the country has not issued the UK with an extradition request.

“The Supreme Court grants leave to appeal in the matter regarding the arrest,” the Swedish court said in statement on Tuesday.

No date has been set for the hearing.

Mr Assange co-founded Wikileaks in 2006.

Saudi Arabia uncovers IS cells

S

AUDI Arabia has arrested 93 people suspected of belonging to Islamic State (IS) and foiled several plots, the interior ministry has announced.

The official Saudi Press Agency reported that the arrests had taken place since December and that all but five suspects were Saudi nationals.

The group had set up training sites in a remote area of the al-Qassim region and planned suicide bombings, it added.

Among the alleged targets was the US embassy in the capital, Riyadh.

The Gulf kingdom is part of a US-led coalition carrying out air strikes against IS militants, who control a large swath of Syria and Iraq.

Troops deployed as Baltimore riots clean-up begins •34 juveniles among 235 arrested

•235 arrested including 34 juveniles •Gray’s family deplores violence •Gray’s family deplores violence fore.

Thousands of troops and outside police officers have been deployed to the US city of Baltimore, following violent protests linked to the death of a black man fatally injured in police custody.

A week-long curfew has been announced and schools and many businesses are closed.

On Monday, hundreds of people set fires, looted stores and confronted police across the city.

City officials have been criticised for not responding more aggressively.

Volunteers and city workers began cleaning up affected areas on Tuesday morning as buildings still smoked from fires from the night be-

African American Freddie Gray, 25, died on 19 April after suffering injuries to his spinal cord and spending a week in a coma. The justice department is investigating exactly where and when his spinal injuries were sustained.

Officials have suspended six police officers who were involved in the case.

Monday’s clashes began hours after Gray’s funeral.

Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake said it was very clear there was a difference between the “peaceful protests of those who seek justice” and the “thugs who want to incite violence”.

Authorities were “de-

•Various police vehicles were set alight

ploying every resource possible to regain control of the situation”, she said.

Later, following violence, looting and fires in various spots across the city of more than 620,000 people, she said: “This destruction we’ve seen this evening is heart-breaking.”

There were scenes of chaos late into the evening Earlier, a fire was started at a CVS Pharmacy store Various police vehicles were set alight Ms Rawlings-Blake has ordered a week-long curfew from 22:00 to 05:00 local time (02:00 GMT to 09:00 GMT)

PHOTO:AFP

starting on Tuesday. Public schools are to be closed on Tuesday.

National Guard commander Linda Singh said that up to 5,000 troops could be put on the streets.

“We will be out in massive force,” she said, adding that armoured vehicles

would be used, but the city would not be under martial law.

Extra police officers are also being drafted in from the Mid-Atlantic region.

Earlier, President Barack Obama said his administration would provide whatever assistance was needed.

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NEWS ‘Forensic Audit Report Prepared without Bank Statement’ Continued from page 4

crude sales, and in favour of DPR royalty oil, was $0.16 billion higher and $0.42billion lower than the Senate Reconciliation Committee figures respectively.”

The forensic audit report noted that “Mobil Producing Nigeria Limited, in its submission to the Senate, reported revenue figures of $ 5 1 8 m i l l i o n a n d $859million in respect of the Reserve Development Project (RDP) and Satellite Field Development Project (SFD) respectively. Total E&P reported a revenue figure of $1.053 billion7 in respect of the USAN project. These amounts represent royalty and profit oil due

to the Federation Account from these third party financing arrangements. The total revenue generated from third party financing arrangement was $2.43billion and not $2 billion reported by the Reconciliation Committee.”

With regards to undisclosed remittance to the Federation Account, out of the total revenue reported by MPNL, $1.158billion had been remitted to the Federation Account as at November 2013.

This was confirmed by the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation at the presentation to the Senate Committee.”

However, PwC traced these payments to the CBN/NNPC

JP Morgan account. The total of $858,750,972 relating to SFD had been remitted while $300,000,000 out of the $518,069,354 relating to RDP had been remitted. The balance of $218,069,354 was withheld to service the project finance cost and subsequent remittance of the net amount, in accordance with the contract terms.

In respect of the USAN project handled by Total E&P Nigeria Limited, $193,478,061.15 and $17,943,616 totaling $211,421,677, being Royalty and Profit Oil was remitted to the Federation account.

There were cash payments of $863 million by NPDC to FIRS not captured by Reconciliation Committee. PwC noted that

“NPDC was yet to be assessed for tax by the FIRS. However, the company made several cash payments during and after the period which amounted to $863million. These payments were confirmed by FIRS to have been received. We also traced the payments to CBN/ FIRS bank statements with JP Morgan.”

“For the period under review, NPDC made several payments to DPR based on self-estimated royalty. We traced several cash payments made by the company to CBN/DPR JP Morgan account statement, to the tune of $839 million but this was also not captured by the reconciliation committee.

G7 invites Buhari to Summit in Germany Continued from page 4

ernment was ready to collaborate with the Nigerian government to end terrorism.

He said: “As the French Ambassador, I came to congratulate the President-elect for his brilliant achievement.

His election is an enormous achievement for Nigeria and the democratic development of Nigeria. The people of Nigeria have expressed their confidence in the Presidentelect. The challenges of Nigeria are enormous and I have come to wish him success.

“We also held a small talk about our bilateral relations.

As you know, our relationship has developed quite well in recent years. In the economic field, Nigeria is already the first commercial partners of France in Africa.

“We have a strong presence

of French companies in Nigeria and we are encouraging them to come more to Nigeria to invest here and establish partnership with Nigerian companies. We also have the French Development Agency that is present here and ready to contribute to development projects.”

Our relationship also developed in the area of security, he said: “Since the special summit in Paris in May last year, France has worked a lot to perfect cooperation and collaboration among countries in the region and also work with the Nigerian Armed Forces, especially in exchange of information and to contribute to the common fight against the terrorist threat.

“I expressed our willingness to continue in the same direction, with the same objective

to eliminate that terrorist threat in Nigeria and in the region.

“I also passed a copy of the letter from the French president in which he invited him to France as soon as it will be possible for him.”

The Canadian High Commissioner to Nigeria, Perry John Calderwood, said his country was ready to expand its collaboration with Nigeria to cover more areas, pointing out that Canada considers Nigeria as an important partner.

Calderwood, who delivered a letter from the Canadian President to General Buhari, said: “Canada views Nigeria as an important partner. Canada and Nigeria already have significant economic ties as well as trade and investment ties.

“We believe that it is possible to increase these ties to in-

clude areas such as agriculture, mining, renewable energy, infrastructure, where Canadian companies has great expertise.

“We are very pleased to see that more and more Canadian companies are looking into new opportunities in Nigeria. I am also delighted that we have a significant development programme in Nigeria focused on health and economic development.

“On the health side, we focus on maternal and newborn health and the eradication of polio. On the economic side, we focus on employment generation. We are also very active in working with Nigeria to promote security in Nigeria, Africa and globally as well as promote the principles of good governance and human rights around the world”.

Dangote unveils massive gas plan Continued from page 4

first one should be ready by mid-2017.

The International Finance Corp. is considering an investment in the pipelines as are Blackstone and Carlyle, Dangote said. Neither buyout firm responded to e-mails requesting comment. Desmond Dodd, a Johannesburg-based spokesman for the IFC, declined to comment by email on Monday.

“We have a lot of companies that are very interested in participating,” Dangote said.

Blackstone and Carlyle said in August they would partner with Dangote Industries Ltd., the holding company for the billionaire’s operations, to invest in sub-Saharan Africa.

Blackstone said its Johannesburg-based partner Black Rhino would jointly invest as much as $5 billion with the company on energy and other infrastructure in the region.

The pipelines could be used by oil producers in Nigeria that currently have little incentive to sell gas from their fields in the country, including Royal Dutch Shell Plc. and Exxon Mobil Corp., Dangote said.

“If today they process that gas, there’s no infrastructure to remove it, there’s no pipeline,” he said. “We’re trying to build that infrastructure.”

Nigeria’s economy, which gets 90 per cent of export earnings and two-thirds of government revenue from oil, has been hit by the 40 per cent fall in Brent crude prices since June. The naira has weakened 18 per cent against the dollar in that period, while the Nige-

rian Stock Exchange All Share Index is down 20 per cent.

Dangote, who controls Dangote Cement Plc., Nigeria’s largest listed company, has seen his wealth fall $3.4 billion this year, more than anybody else aside from Warren Buffett, according to the Billionaires Index.

His investments in oil and gas include a $9 billion refinery near Lagos, which will be able to process 650,000 barrels a day when completed. The company got a license from the government earlier this year and will export refined fuel to the rest of sub-Saharan Africa as well as sell it locally, Dangote said.

“We will be in the market with our petroleum products by the first quarter of 2018,” he said.

Dangote Cement, which has a market value of $15 billion and a free float of 7 per cent in Lagos, will be ready to list its shares in London by the end of next year, Dangote said. It is addressing investors’ concerns in the meantime about the composition of its board and other corporate governance issues, he said.

“There are a lot of criteria we’ve met,” he said. “Our aim is to create a world class company. That’s why we’re going to London. It’s not purely because we’re looking for money.”

Dangote Cement shares were unchanged at 175 naira at 12:12 p.m. in Lagos on Monday. The stock is down 13 percent this year, more than the Nigerian stock index, which has fallen 1.4 percent. Profit declined 21 percent last year after a bigger tax bill and higher import costs caused by the weaker naira, the company said last month.

Dangote’s companies will increasingly focus on exports from Nigeria, including of cement, fertilizer, petrochemicals and refined fuel.

“But 2018, in the worst case, the Dangote Group will be able to export about $8 billion to $10 billion worth of goods,” he said. “We are totally transforming the business to be export-orientated.”

Chibok girls: Anxiety as army rescues 293 women Continued from page 4

Borno State.

“So far, they have destroyed and cleared Sassa, Tokumbere & two other camps in the general area of Alafa, all within the Sambisa forest.

“The troops rescued 200 abducted girls (not Chibok girls) and 93 women. They are at present being processed.

“Similarly, a number of equipment and weapons have been captured. We will send further details and photographs soon.”

Before the army’s statement, former Minister of Education Dr. Oby Ezekwesili, one of the leaders of the BringBackOur Girls campaigners, in a tweet said: “We rejoice for news of rescue of several of our female citizens from Sambisa Forest by our Military, according to DefenceInfoNG.” She also told our correspondent: “Our hearts are palpitating and we can’t wait to see if the rescued ladies are actually our girls. We are waiting to hear from the military but the number is so close.”

THURSDAY APRIL,APRIL 30, 2015 29, WEDNESDAY

2015

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NATION SPORT PREMIERSHIP. . . PREMIERSHIP. . .

Terry: Cahill is the best English defender

C

HELSEA captain John Terry does not believe that he is the best English defender, instead arguing that his team-mate, Gary Cahill, is befitting of that honour.

The duo were both named in the PFA Team of the Year on Sunday while many argue that Terry remains the strongest centre-back in England despite his retirement from international football.

But the former Three Lions skipper says that Cahill is the best man available to Roy Hodgson, despite Jose Mourinho leaving out of the

Chelsea side at times this season.

"Gary is a big character. He was obviously disappointed to be left out of the Chelsea side a few months ago but he has come back and taken his chance again," Terry he told reporters.

"He has been different class and is England's best centre-back. For me, he has been brilliant all season long.

"The manager has taken him out and stuff but, for me, he has been playing at a very high level. In the big games, he has a lot of experience and he steps up to the plate."

Liverpool has a great future says Emre Can L

IVERPOOL youngster Emre Can believes the Reds have a great future ahead with the likes of Phillip Coutinho and Jordan Henderson signing long-term deals with the club.

“Coutinho has also just signed (a new contract), and that shows the club has got a great future with young players. It’s great that young players are signing these contracts for the club,” Can said.

Liverpool have one of the youngest sides in the Premier League and several stars including Countinho,

Raheem Sterling and Ibe Jordan are all under the age of 21.

Henderson extended his Liverpool deal to 2020 this week and is expected to replace outgoing Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard next season.

The 24-year-old joined the Reds on a £16m move from Sunderland in 2011.

Can joined Liverpool as a midfielder from Bayer Leverkusen in the summer but has featured mainly as defender in Brendan Rodgers back-three.

The 21-year-old has threeyears left on his current deal.

Zabaleta: Pellegrini deserves respect

M

ANCHESTER City defender Pablo Zabaleta claims manager Manuel Pellegrini is not getting the respect he deserves.

Speculation over the Chilean’s future has been considerable in recent weeks as City have faltered in the premier league title race. Pellegrini has borne the brunt of the criticism for City’s failure to sustain a serious challenge to Chelsea..

Zabaleta says that’s unfair on the manager, who oversaw two trophy successes last year.

The Argentinian right– back said: “The manager deserves more respect from everyone. He came here last season, he won the league

Pellegrini rues Coquelin: Giroud can 'worst' City showing help Arsenal win title despite win

M

ANUEL Pellegrini bemoaned his side's "worst game" of the season despite Manchester City seeing off Aston Villa.

Fernandinho's late winner secured a 3-2 victory for the Premier League champions after Villa came back from 2-0 down to level matters at the Etihad Stadium.

And despite being pleased with the Blues' spirit as they climbed back up to second in the table, Pellegrini was disappointed with his side's sloppy passing.

"No, I don’t think it was fortunate," he told reporters. "We didn’t play well today and Aston Villa played very well, especially with the possession of the ball, but they didn’t have chances to score other than from the two setpieces from which they drew level in the game.

"It was maybe one of our worst games in possession. We have so much possesion in every game and today it was strange to see the amount of passes we lost.

"We have to play for another 12 points, but it was important to win today. We will see what happens tomorrow with [Manchester] United and

Arsenal. It [the race for a Champions League place] will not finish this weekend.

"It is important to continue with the spirit we had today. It is not easy when you are winning 2-0 and they draw 2-2. With this spirit, maybe in another game we don't lose."

The former Real Madrid boss also confirmed Yaya Toure suffered a hamstring injury which led to him being replaced at half-time.

"Yaya has a problem in his hamstring so he couldn’t play the second half," he added.

"It's difficult to say [how bad the injury is]. It was not a precaution - it was a muscle injury. We will see [Sunday] or on Monday how important it is."

Villa boss Tim Sherwood, meanwhile, was left frustrated after Christian Benteke was flagged offside when running through on goal with the score 2-2.

The striker was tripped by Joe Hart after the flag had gone up, but the former Spurs coach believes the linesman made the wrong call and the City goalkeeper should have been

T

HIERRY Henry's claim that Arsenal need to sign an improvement on striker Olivier Giroud in order to win the Premier League title again has been dismissed by Gunners midfielder Francis Coquelin.

Henry, who won two titles during an eight-year spell with Arsenal, was critical of the club after their 0-0 draw with Chelsea on Sunday -- a result which leaves them 10 points behind the league leaders.

He told Sky Sports: "Arsenal need to buy four players, they need that spine. They need a goalkeeper, they still need a centre-back, they still need a holding midfielder and, I'm afraid, they need a top, top-quality striker in order to win this league again."

Coquelin, however, has hit back at Henry by saying that Giroud, who has netted 14 Premier League goals in 22 appearances this season, is good enough to inspire Arsenal to a first title since 2004.

"Thierry Henry is wrong.

Giroud shows his potential

every week," Coquelin toldRMC. "He showed that he has the level to be the Arsenal striker, and we can win titles with him.

"We are disappointed with the result against Chelsea because we were on a good run. Now the target is to focus on the end of the championship, win all the remaining matches to get this second place, and of course win the FA Cup final."

Giroud, meanwhile, has spoken of his frustration at some people being more concerned about his latest hairstyle or outfit rather than focusing on his ability on the pitch.

"I don't want to speak any more about my appearance, my hair or anything. I get p----d about that," he is quoted as saying by Eurosport.

"I know one thing -- in sport you have to question yourself every week and be ready in your head and you have to be at 100 percent of determination if you want to keep going and win games. You cannot afford

and the Capital One Cup. We cannot blame just the manager for this. Individual players have also not been great in the whole season.

“Everyone is responsible – when you don’t win titles it can be a little bit frustrating for everyone.”

A number of other managers have been linked with Pellegrini’s position, but the club is not understood to be considering a change at present.

Zabaleta said: “Now is not the time to be thinking about what went wrong this season, it’s just the time to finish as good as we can.

Then we’ll see what happens.”

Ferguson: Cristiano Ronaldo is better than Lionel Messi Sir Alex Ferguson believes Cristiano Ronaldo has the edge over Lionel Messi in the battle of the world's greatest footballers.

The Real Madrid superstar spent six seasons under Ferguson at Manchester United, helping the club to three Premier League titles and the Champions League trophy.

He has since taken his career to incredible levels at the Bernabeu as he tussles withMessi at the very top of the world game.

But Ferguson, speaking on the BBC's snooker coverage, has explained why he rates his former player as the greatest.

"Many people quite rightly say Messi and you cant dispute that opinion," he told former World Champion John Parrott.

"Ronaldo could play for Millwall, QPR, Doncaster Rovers, anyone, and score a hat-trick. I'm not sure Messi could do that.

"Ronaldo's got two feet, he's quick, great in the air and brave. I think Messi is a Barcelona player."

The Portuguese failed to find the target in Real's 4-2 win over Celta Vigo on Sunday as Carlo Ancelotti's men stayed second in La Liga.

That win took Los Blancos to 79 points, two behind Messi and Barcelona with five games remaining.

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SPORT EXTRA ZENITH BANK WBL

CHELSEA COACH

Iheanacho showed us hell I

HEANACHO was named in the starting XI by Manchester City when both teams clashed in the FA Youth Cup final on Monday.

The Nigeria youth international was not risked for the first leg as he was just recovering from an ankle injury.

“City were able to bring in their centre-forward Kelechi Iheanacho, who was unavailable for the first leg, but we knew the threat he was able to bring and he showed that with the early goal,”Joe Edwards told the official website of Chelsea, chelseafc.com.

Iheanacho opened scoring in the 5th minute but Chelsea would go on to score two goals to win the final 5 - 2 on aggregate.

The ex Golden Eaglets star is expected to be named in the Flying Eagles roster for the FIFA Under 20s which begins next month.

• IGP Queens pummel GT 2000

F

• Iheanacho

Puma rejected Eagles — official

T

OP Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) official, Emeka Inyama, has dis-

• Enyeama

closed that Puma turned down the chance to kit three-time African champions Super Eagles.

“Puma turned down the chance to sponsor the Eagles and so it is the right step in the right direction that Nike came in after the adidas contract ended,” said Inyama, who is the NFF marketing committee chairman.

"Puma’s reluctance may not be far fetched because no reputable organisation wants to partner with you when your administration is not stable. You know the crisis we went through before now, the world is a global village and these things are known world wide."

Inyama also disclosed that the three-and-half year deal with Nike is 90% value in kind.

The Nigeria Football Federa-

tion have already revealed that Nike would invest $2.75m in kit supply to all of the country's national teams for the period of the contract.

"You know that contractual agreements are not discussed in public but for the sake of Nigerians and the clear insinuations that the NFF may be hiding the amount it would benefit from the deal, I can tell you that the contract with Nike is 90% value for kind," Inyama further said.

"We are going to get kit supplies to the tune of $2.75 million for all the national teams and I think that is enormous considering the fact that several kit manufacturers turned us down after adidas decided not to renew its contract.

"There maybe no immediate cash reward from the contract

Hull City earns vital win against Liverpool

H

ULL City earned a vital win in their battle against relegation from the Premier League by beating Liverpool 1-0 last night.

Michael Dawson's goal was enough to lift the Tigers four points clear of the relegation zone and inflict a damaging blow to Liverpool's hopes of qualifying for the Champions League.

Mario Balotelli had an early chance for the Reds after winning a free kick in the opening minutes, but his attempt from the resulting set piece deflected wide of the post.

The visitors then came close to breaking the deadlock as Dame N'Doye met Sone Aluko's cross, but Simon Mignolet got down to beat his header to safety.

Liverpool began to take control of the match and Philippe Coutinho forced a save from Steve Harper after meeting Jor-

dan Henderson's low corner.

The Reds continued to press and midway through the first half Balotelli was picked out inside the box by Raheem Sterling, before attempting to score from a back heel, but his effort was straight at the keeper.

Moments later Hull almost caught the visitors out on the break, as Robbie Brady burst down the left before driving in a low cross that was beaten away

by Mignolet. The ball then dropped kindly to Jake Livermore, but his header was clawed away by the keeper.

The Tigers did manage to punish their opponents by taking the lead in the 37th minute, as Michael Dawson found himself free inside the box to head Tom Huddlestone's cross into the far corner.

Liverpool looked for a quick response and Henderson saw his hooked attempt from Jordon Ibe's delivery palmed away by Harper.

On the stroke of half time, the Reds created another decent opportunity to score when Glen Johnson raced to the byline and pulled the ball across the face of goal.

RESULTS England - Premier League Hull City 1 - 0 Liverpool England - Championship Rotherham 2 - 0 Reading England - League 1 Colchester 1 - 1 Swindon Italy - Serie A Udinese 1 - 2 Inter Italy - Serie B Brescia 3 - 0 Vicenza Carpi 0 - 0 Bari Cittadella 1 - 3 Spezia Spain - Liga BBVA Barcelona 6 - 0 Getafe

First Deepwater survives scare

• Hull City's Michael Dawson (right) celebrates scoring the opening goal at the KC Stadium on Tuesday night

but as our national teams would get to benefit once they qualify for major tournaments."

The Super Eagles, according to the NFF, would earn as much as $500,000 should they qualify for the 2018 World Cup in Russia.

NFF risks losing kit sponsorship deal

S

UPER Falcons have been in intensive training ahead of the FIFA Women’s World Cup. The Nigeria Football Federation could be at risk of having their $750,000-3 and a half year deal cancelled or not extended should the players of any of the National teams breach the terms of the contract as was the case with the previous kit sponsors.

General Secretary NFF, Dr. Mohammed Sanusi told players of the Super Falcons they would be the first to don the new NIKE kits and not the Flying Eagles as was early reported by the sports kit makers.

According to the NFF African champions, Super Falcons will be given the honour of being the first team to use the new kits in a competitive game when they lock horns with Mali in an Olympics qualifying match on May 9 in Abuja.

Sanusi said: “I urge you to be disciplined and desist from acts that will bring problem between NIKE, our new kit sponsors and the Federation.

I must say here that one of the problems we had with Adidas was because some players were not respecting the terms of the contract. I urge you to assist the NFF in every contract we enter into.”

The NFF will be supplied kits worth the sum of $1million in the year 2017 and 2018.

There are also various bonuses specified for any of the National Teams that qualifies for major international championships, with the Super Eagles to earn up to the sum of $500,000 at the 2018 FIFA World Cup finals in Russia.

ORMER champions, First Deepwater Basketball Club of Lagos had to rely on experience to dispatch Benue Princess 40-37 in a pulsating encounter played yesterday in Abuja at the Zenith Bank Women Basketball League.

The Lagos team trailed at 16-19 at the end of the second quarter, tied the third quarter on 31 points and had to fight back offensive from the Princess to win the game, albeit in an unconvincing manner. The former champions seem to be suffering from the loss of some of their players especially Nkechi Akashili, who has been a pillar for the club since it was formed few years back.

In the other game, Plateau Rock defeated Oluyole Babes 45-31 with both teams battling for supremacy throughout the game. However, it was the team for Jos that picked the two points at stake to push for a place

By Adeyinka Adedipe in the Final Eight. The IGP Queens also ran riot against GT 2000 winning 73-18 in a one-sided game. Also, First Bank defeated Taraba Hurrinces 92-24.

In today’s game, Zamfara takes on Delta Force, Benue Princess lock horns with Immigration, Coal City Queens battles Dolphins while AHIP Queens take on Plateau Rocks. In other games, First Deepwater battles Taraba Hurricanes, Nasarawa Amazons play Custom, Sunshine Angels takes on First Bank, FCT Angels battles IGP Queens.

With the improved N30million sponsorship fee, the winner of the league would get N1.2m, the second placed team will receive N1m, while the third placed team will smile home with N800, 000, the biggest in the history of the women League.

NPFL attends Inaugural World Leagues Forum • LMC calls for redistribution of income derived from Nigeria

N

IGERIA Professional Football League (NPFL) was among the 24 leading Professional League organisations from across the world of football that met in London on Tuesday, April 28 for the first ever Global Leagues Forum.

This historic meeting brought together Presidents, Chairmen, Chief Executives and General Secretaries from Professional Leagues that represent over 1100 of the world’s top Clubs.

Professional Leagues from Bolivia, China, Colombia, Costa Rica, England, France, Germany, Honduras, Italy, Japan, Kenya, Mexico, Nigeria, Portugal, Qatar, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Scotland, Spain, Switzerland, UAE, USA, as well as the European Professional Football Leagues Association, were represented. Players of clubs in these leagues provided just under 90 per cent of the players who took part in the FIFA World Cup 2014.

In the NPFL delegation including Chairman of the League Management Company (LMC), Shehu Dikko and Chief Executive Officer, Hon. Nduka Irabor, made a strong case for the redistribution of incomes derived by the developed Leagues from the Nigerian territory.

The discussion between the leaders of Professional League football was wide ranging and focussed on strategies for the successful development of Professional League football in each of their countries.

These focussed on rela-

tionships with players and fans in particular, and Professional League business models.

Dikko said he was very hopeful that some of the contacts made would soon begin to yield dividend particularly in the areas of human capacity development and technical overhaul of the game.

"The LMC Is absolutely delighted to be part of this inaugural meeting as a pioneer member of the forum. This clearly signifies that the LMC is making huge progress and in the right direction to be so recognized on a global scale.

"The contacts made will surely impact positively on our efforts to improve on the fortune of the NPFL", Dikko said.

According to Renata Affonso, the Planning and Projects Manager of the Conference, it is recognised that whilst all Professional Leagues are different, the issues they face are the same as each looks to develop the professional game in their country.

The World Leagues Forum thus provided a platform for sharing of experiences and approaches, with established Leagues committing to assisting developing Leagues across the world.

The Leagues agree that wherever a common view on issues can be achieved, Leagues should speak with a single voice, as leading members of the global football family. A focus of the next meeting in the USA (19-20 October 2015) will be on formalising a new way of working more closely together.

TODAY IN THE NATION

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 29, 2015 TRUTH IN DEFENCE OF FREEDOM

VOL.10 NO.3199

‘Regrettably, the removal of Abba from the exalted office of the IG, just nine months after he assumed office, has been carried out in a manner reminiscent of the days of yore under the jackboots when good reason was jettisoned for kangaroo ways of life’ DELE AGEKAMEH

COMMENT & DEB ATE EBA

A

S kids growing up in the fifties we were taught in primary schools that Mungo Park, a Scot, “discovered River Niger”. In Hausa, the main language of instruction in the two primary schools I attended in Kano between 1957 and 1964, our History teachers taught us that the Scot was “mabudin Kwara,” literally “the key that opened Kwara,” in English, Kwara being the Hausa name for River Niger.

History, it is often said, is the prerogative of the conqueror. This obviously explains the arrogance of our British colonial masters in attributing to one of their own adventurers the “discovery” of a river along whose valley many kingdoms and even empires had risen and fallen long before any European set foot on our shores.

In the twilight of our colonial subjugation in the late fifties, a number of Nigerians led by Professor Kenneth Onwuka Dike took it upon themselves to decolonise this Eurocentric history of Africa which we had been taught not just in primary schools but all the way to our tertiary institutions.

Dike was a pioneer in the reinterpretation of African history through the eyes of the natives. As the first African professor of History and head of history department at the University College of Ibadan he played a central role in founding the famous Ibadan School of African History.

Among his foot soldiers was Tekena Tamuno, who joined the faculty in 1962 at a relatively youthful age of 30 after graduating from the university in 1958 and earning his PhD abroad.

Others in that group included Saburi Biobaku, J. F. Ade-Ajayi, Adiele Afigbo, E. A. Ayandele, and Obaro Ikime. However, there were also British historians in the group, notably Michael Crowder and Robert Smith, who also believed there was an imperative for telling the Africa’s history from the African perspective. These two became professors of history at Ahmadu Bello University while the latter, who became Abdullahi Smith after he converted to Islam, founded what has since become the famous Arewa House for research into the history of the North.

Each and every one of these foot soldiers of Dike became a notable professor of history. Three, Biobaku, Ade-Ajayi and Tamuno, went on to become vice-chancellors at the country’s first generation universities. However, only Tamuno had the privilege of being the first Old Boy of his alma mater to become its vice-chancellor; both Biobaku and Ade-Ajayi, who were his seniors in the university, became vicechancellors of the University of Lagos (UNILAG), the first in 1965, the other in 1972.

RIPPLES

People and Politics By

MOHAMMED H ARUNA ndajika@yahoo.com

Tamuno: The passing of a great historian What struck me ‘ most about him was how he related to everyone as if he was one’s age mate.

Never for once did I see him relate to or talk to anyone with a master/servant attitude •The late Prof Tamuno Tamuno became the VC of Ibadan University in 1975 and served for four years. It was a reflection of the man’s cosmopolitan outlook that he became vice-chancellor at a time the university’s faculty was heavily dominated by Igbo and Yoruba when he himself was a minority Ijaw. By the same token, it came as no surprise that he took a Yoruba lady, who eventually became the university’s Librarian, for his wife.

His period as vice-chancellor was one of the most peaceful in the university’s history.

I came to know how excellent a leader Tamuno was when I became the managing director of New Nigerian Newspapers, Kaduna, in 1985. At about the same time he was appointed Chairman of the Federal Government owned stable. Before the Federal Government took it over completely in 1976, it had been owned by the North-

HARDBALL

Keshi roars: I HAVE NO TEAM

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Yes, just as we have no COACH

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ern Nigerian government. As such it was the region’s mouthpiece, just like Sketch was that of the West, Renaissance, later renamed Star, was East’s and Observer was Mid-West’s.

The take-over of the NNN by the central government to balance its acquisition of 60 per cent of the independent Daily Times of Nigeria, Lagos, following an internally engineered crisis at the DTN which was then under the late great Alhaji Babatunde Jose, put the NNN in an awkward position of being a regional newspaper that at the same time had to learn to speak for all Nigerians.

Under its first three indigenous managing directors, Malams Adamu Ciroma, Mamman Daura and the late Turi Muhammadu, the newspaper successfully walked that tight rope; it became the most respected newspaper in the country, bar possibly the Daily Times, even though it did

EWS of Chief Edwin Clark’s selfexhibition to journalists in Abuja to make the point that he is bodily unaffected by President Goodluck Jonathan’s failure in the March 28 presidential election was interesting. From the look of things, Clark, Ijaw National Leader and a former Federal Commissioner for Information, is reaping the harvest of his sycophantic support for the Jonathan presidency.

A weekend report said of Clark, who is in his 80s and a die-hard Jonathanian: “He said some people had been going round with rumours that he collapsed when he heard the outcome of the presidential election.” Clark was quoted as saying, “I am here today to tell you that I am not dead.

Or am I dead? In every election, there would be winners and losers. The same thing happened during the last presidential election. I am alive. Today, I won’t talk about what happened before, during and after the election. That will come another day.”

Clark continued: “I am talking to you now because I am travelling tomorrow

‘Or am I dead?’ and some people will go into the streets and say I was carried into air ambulance…Jonathan was the one who contested election, I didn’t. So, why should I die?”

Perhaps more appropriately, Clark should have asked: Why did people think Jonathan’s defeat could kill me? In the period before the election, Clark was unapologetically visible as a pro-Jonathan campaigner and was even associated with extreme views that implied a national shutdown if Jonathan wasn’t reelected. The passion he brought to the Jonathan reelection project was often disturbing, if not terrifying, especially when considered against the backdrop of his advanced age.

It needs to be said that Clark must be exceptionally physically strong to have received the stunning blow of Jonathan’s fall without falling. No one who had followed how Clark clung to Jonathan and what he stood for could have imagined that the blow of disappointment would fail to

not shy away from looking at issues from the perspective of its original owners.

As chairman of NNN, Tamuno never interfered with this editorial policy at the same that he insisted its newspapers must never publish anything that will threaten the unity and integrity of the country.

As managing director of the newspaper what struck me most about the man, however, was not his benign over-all guardianship of the company, excellent as it was. What struck me most about him was how he related to everyone as if he was one’s age mate. Never for once did I see him relate to or talk to anyone with a master/servant attitude.

Tamuno was not only an excellent leader who, because of his congenial, and apparently congenital, warmth, inspired respect rather than fear, he was and remained a great and active historian till his death on April 11. Among the great historical books he wrote or edited were The Evolution of the Nigerian State: The Southern Phase 1898 to 1914, Nigeria: Its People and Its Problems, The Police in Modern Nigeria 1861 to 1965 and Nigeria Since Independence: The First 25 Years.

Of these four – and more – perhaps his greatest legacy was the last which was first published in 1989. It was a ten-volume encyclopaedic history of the country on subjects that ranged from society through culture, the economy and politics to international relations. The book was actually a composition of contributions from over 120 eminent scholars within and outside Nigeria on ten subject areas. Tamuno was the chair of a panel of 14, including Professors Afigbo, Bolaji Akinyemi, Peter Ekeh and the late radical Historian, Dr. Bala Usman, which worked on and edited the ten volumes from 1980.

In between writing and editing great history books the man continued to teach history at various institutions, including the Nigerian Defence Academy, Kaduna, and the National Institute of Policy and Strategic Studies, Kuru, near Jos. He also served as pro-chancellor of several universities, including at his native Rivers State’s University of Science and Technology.

As an accolade to his erudition, he was a Fellow of Nigerian Academy of Letters as well as a Fellow of the American Rockefeller Foundation.

His death and burial in Ibadan where he went to university, started his academic career and spent virtually all his life, was a fitting testimony to his exemplary outlook about life which regarded everywhere in Nigeria as home.

May the Good Lord grant those he has left behind the fortitude to bear his great loss.

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•Hardball is not the opinion of the columnist featured above knock the old man down. So, it may be understandable that stories of Clark’s alleged collapse followed the collapse of Jonathan’s dream. He was considered too close to the subject and it was unthinkable that he would be unaffected by the death of dreams. In other words, to employ a Yoruba cultural metaphor, Clark gave the impression that he was Abobaku, a courtier fated to die with the king. Isn’t it thought-provoking that Clark asked the journalists: “Or am I dead?” This may have been not just a rhetorical question.

It suggests that Clark may be truly confused about the state of his existence. It is also possible that Clark is biologically alive but politically dead, meaning his pro-Jonathan performance was probably his swan song.

Another interpretation: It could be that Clark has become a shadow of his former self, meaning something died in him when Jonathan lost the election. Or could it be that a source of easy wealth and influence dried up unexpectedly leaving the old man gasping for breath?

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